Tales of the unexpected with The Boy, my pride and joy.
We spent last week on holiday in Cornwall at one of our favourite places; Coombe Mill.
This little slice of Heaven on Earth is the perfect place to revitalise and refresh, to reconnect with family and to nature. We always breathe more easily and freely, but then it's easy to feel calm when the background music is the tinkling of the River Camel enticing you to come and play.
And play we did.
53. Partners in Crime (This is one I had hoped to add by the time the post went live last week, but I had no chance so have added it into this week's batch. We went away to Coombe Mill for a few days with my brother and his family, and this is The Boy and Fiery Cousin – from Wild Family Fun – exploring the grounds.)
54. Simple Things (It doesn't matter what time of year it is, give children a spade and sand and they can ask for nothing more to make them happy! While the adults were making a fire and cooking hot chocolate, the children started digging to Australia.)
55. In Training (The Boy adores driving the tractor with Farmer Nick, and as we were the only people there this week he had plenty of opportunity.)
56. Natural Childhood (He couldn't be happier than one of the pigs in the muck behind him in this photo; he just needs the outdoors and freedom to explore and he is content beyond all measure.)
57. The Wonders of Nature (On the last day of our holiday we called into Boscastle for a few hours before the drive home. It's a beautiful little village, but the plaques showing the flood damage are shocking. We walked up to the point on the edge overlooking the harbour, climbed over the crest and saw one of the most amazing natural sights I've ever viewed. More in tomorrow's My Sunday Photo.)
58. Heston and Jamie (The Boy's friend from school came over to play and have tea, they decided to have fun with his play kitchen. Not sure who was more disbelieving; The Boy's friend or his mum; free play with baking powder, vinegar, shaving foam, flour, lemon juice, alka seltzer, lentils, etc.)
59. Just Chillin' (A busy day rushing around trying to find somewhere, anywhere, that we could get The Boy's holiday photos printed out for school resulted in a fraught mummy. We descended on the park for a calming ten minutes grounding and relaxation.)
60. Dough (The only time we've tried to make pizza in the past ended up in a rush and me not having enough time for it to prove, the result was a gelatinous mess which just wouldn't cook properly. Today The Boy and Mr. TBaM made the dough this morning, kneaded it good and proper, and we left it to prove for an afternoon. I don't think we're going to be buying pizzas again!)
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47. Do-You-Think-He-Saw-Us (We went to Dan-yr-Ogof showcaves and dinosaur park today, just north of Swansea. The Boy was intent on trying to read the dinosaur names.)
48. The Adventures of Brush Boy & Hammer Girl (We bought The Boy a mini archaeologist digging set at Dan-yr-Ogof yesterday, he decided I'd do the hammering and he'd do the brushing, hence his names for us. )
49. Eisteddfod (St. David's Day came early to The Boy's school as 1st March falls during half-term next week.)
50. Trump-A-Saurus (We've had dinosaur themed activities this week and in one book there was a set of Top Trumps which The Boy was introduced to, he loved it.)
51. Day and Night (The Boy started to chat to me during dinner about the Earth moving around the sun and then he wanted to know how the sun set when it didn't move. Luckily with his uncle in Australia it makes it easier to explain day and night in context, so I grabbed the globe, a torch and two blobs of Blu-tack to represent us and him. The Boy was fascinated!)
52. Soaring (A sunny after school pick-up meant a trip to the park was on the cards; something we haven't really done in months. It was great to have the fresh air and blue sky, even if it was for only half an hour.)
53. Coombe Mill (This is one I hope to have added by the time this post goes live, but I might have to pop it in later. We've come away to Coombe Mill for a few days with my brother and his family, can't wait for some much-needed relaxation.)
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216. Swing Low (The zip wire at Coombe Mill is one of the big draws for children, and I can't begin to tell you how many times he's been on it this week. Sunday was an incredibly rainy day, and I'm so glad that we brought his red all-in-one waterproof, it was very much needed on the feed run and for outdoor play. This was also the last photo taken on my much-loved Canon EOS 300D before it died; one of the mirrors inside broke and every photo was black from a third of the way down. Having just been presented with a brand new 55-250mm lens by Mr. TBaM as an early birthday present, and so I could photograph the wonderful location we were staying in, I was left with little choice but to order a new one and await Tuesday morning's delivery eagerly.)
217. Sodden (I rarely include photos of Mr. TBaM but I want to illustrate exactly how wet it was: we had to peel our clothes off after the feed run and wring them out; The Boy even cried because he was so wet and fed up. Luckily, by mid afternoon the skies brightened and we were able to indulge in a stroll around the farm.)
218. Hero ("Ah, there you are Guy!" was one of the most heard phrases of the week. The Boy adores Guy, one of the Coombe Mill triplets, and was keen to chatter to him about anything he could. We found him in the goat enclosure and he spent a great twenty minutes with us, accompanying us up to see the deer before continuing his game of 'Manhunt' with his friends while The Boy looked on wistfully! Oh and my new camera came: this was taken with it and my new lens.)
219. Farmer The Boy (Need I say anymore? He adores driving the tractor with Farmer Nick!)
220. Wrong Way (We ventured off site today to visit Lappa Valley Steam Railway. I will confess that I wasn't overly impressed with it for the price, but The Boy's eyes lit up when he saw the crazy golf course. Looking at the sky, it's hard to believe the monsoon that plagued us on Monday!)
221. Country Kids Go Rafting (Earlier in the week, we had made stick rafts and Fiona was very taken with the idea of having a competition at the end of the week for organic rafts. It was great seeing people gathering their sticks together on the Thursday and walking along the main path, there was a vast array of designs waiting on the patio tables outside the lodges. It warmed my heart to think that a simple activity I'd done on Tuesday with The Boy, sparked such comradery and good-natured competition. Even Fiona's children made rafts, and families waded down the river watching their rafts from the wooden bridge to the stone bridge.)
222. Birthday (36 today! Driving 5 hours back from Coombe Mill was not the best way to spend my birthday; a) because I had to leave Coombe Mill, and b) because my numpty of a husband forgot to look up directions until after we'd driven past the right road, and then sent me off on country A or B roads, which were little more than lanes, for 40 miles. 40 miles which took 90 minutes. I was pretty cross! Nonetheless, we finally made it to my parents' house for my family birthday tea! )
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We've been having the time of our lives this week in Coombe Mill. It is one of the most magical place I've ever been to. One of my happy places; all of us have it as our happy place. The photos and the words of those who write about it can never do the farm or grounds justice. Coombe Mill is more than just a farm holiday, it's about re-engaging with each other and enjoying time as a family, re-engaging with nature and the wonders of the world that we live in, and re-engaging with our lost selves during the chaos of everyday life.
Until you've experienced it, it's hard to understand Coombe Mill's magic.
That's why I was really eager to have the motley crew from Mummy Mishaps down for a day during our stay, and the fabulous Fiona was only too happy to agree and welcome them with open arms.
And we've had the best day of our holiday so far because we have stayed on site and done nothing but play. That goes for the 'grown-ups' as well as the children, even Fiona said herself that she had done nothing all day but "rediscover my own farm through the eyes of others!"
We started with the 9am feed run where the deer behaved themselves wonderfully and showed up out from the forest, and then progressed onto one of the adventure play parks having refreshed on cake and drinks at Fiona's house.
Once the zipwire was exhausted from the boys' efforts, we enjoyed a picnic on the green in front of our lodge next to the River Camel, before taking our scraps up to Dotty and Piglet. The poor things were fast asleep in their sty until I clanged the bucket at them and the promise of orange peel, bread rolls and egg shells was too great for them to stay dozing.
Following our own mini feed run, it was time to indulge in a spot of wood craft where we made our own stick rafts to sail down the river, and forest faces to adorn the trees of Coombe Mill before heading into the river to sail our rafts in a competition between Jenny and Mr. TBaM.
Once we'd retrieved the rafts from the river, it was time to explore the more shallow parts of the river and Coombe Mill's very own little island (in the stream). Both The Boy and Burton had a go on the rope swing hung from the tree, while we all enjoyed throwing pebbles and seeing how far they could go in the rapids!
A quick snack and shower saw all the boys dressed in clean and dry clothes with one more treat of a train ride before the Mummy Mishaps bunch had to head home. It was a marvellous day, thanks to our wonderful friends and the idyllic setting.
Jenny won by the way!
Sometimes an idea for an activity pops into my head and I don't realise how much fun it is going to be until it evolves organically.
And this one definitely evolved organically!
Several months ago I read on Coombe Mill about the Easter raft race that some of the guests had organised. Knowing that we had a break coming up in August, I filed the idea somewhere in the depths of my mind, and it was jolted out when I bought a book about sticks a few weeks back. All of a sudden, the one activity that we had to do when we arrived was build a small wooden raft.
I packed lolly sticks and natural string just in case, ever prepared for all eventualities!
At 5pm, we tootled over to have a ride on the train and I was joined by Fiona to watch her little boy drive my little one around the lawn. We chatted about our day and I explained that at some point I wanted to make a raft to sail on the river. A few minutes later and distracted by a climbing child who wanted to go in the castle, I found myself joined by the lady herself who wanted to have a go at making a raft. Bang went the theory of using string, as Fiona suggested we use grass reeds to join the sticks. This is the raft that I made.
However, we were also joined by Mr. TBaM who was determined to make one as well. His first raft was smothered in mud and he was instructed by The Boy to leave it in the sun to dry. As it had rained for two days, that was never going to happen, so he ditched that raft and they joined forces, deserting me!
Then once we'd made our rafts, we went back to the lodge to change; swimshorts and beach shoes for the boys as they were going to wade in to release the rafts. The river had been rather swollen so The Boy stood on the side holding my hand while Mr. TBaM valiantly ventured into the murky, freezing depths to release the rapid-riders!
Much hilarity ensued as we competed for the best raft. Despite mine being the most beautiful and well put together, his actually sailed the best down the river. We climbed back up the banks, running alongside it to see how well they were both doing, where we were rejoined by Fiona and Clio who wanted to see our rafts in action, and another couple of guests who were curious as to what was going on. Needless to say, my beautiful raft became caught in the overhanging growth, while Mr. TBaM's sailed merrily under the bridge, once he'd set it straight again.
And because my darling husband loves me, he waded back up the river to find my raft and saved it from overhanging branches not once, but twice, sending it on its way to join its companion over the rapids of the River Camel!
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209. This Is New (We went to Oxwich Bay with my brother and his family for the day. The Boy's aunty is an outdoor adventure instructor working in a variety of fields and she has been trained in 'beach school' education, so was keen to share her knowledge. We had an amazing day finding anemones, urchins, cockles, and crabs!)
210. Perspective (Off to Parc Play, one of our favourite places to go and far better than soft play! Wooden forts, zip wires, slides, sand pits, pirate ships; all outdoors or under cover. We were meeting up with a friend and her little boy who is a year older than The Boy. We haven't seen them in some time and it was interesting to see how The Boy, who was left behind physically last year, was capable of doing things that his friend couldn't. Well he could by the time we'd finished with him!)
211. Friendship (We visited Yeo Valley HQ in the Mendips today with a bunch of other bloggers to see how they are working with the Woodland Trust. It was great to meet up with Jenny and Burton again, and The Boy and he got straight up to mischief with a tempting pipe.)
212. Workspace (We've borrowed a tuff-spot and stand from the nursery at work for the Summer, definitely The Boy's new work space!)
213. David Bellamy (On Tuesday we did a leaf hunt at Yeo Valley and The Boy has been fascinated with finding different leaves ever since; he spotted the silver birch in our garden and ran to get the sheet to identify it.)
214. Focus (Today my special treat to myself arrived: a fixed focus 50mm lens for my dSLR. I have been quite sceptical about it, not really understanding what the difference would be between my 18-55mm and this. Now I get it! The depth of field is far more pronounced with this lens, as you can see from the photo above which was taken in our local nature reserve. We nipped down there to feed the swans and have lunch with my mum. I actually love this lens, and I adore this photo; it's going up on the wall.)
215. Heaven (And we're finally here! I wanted to leave home at 9am to travel down to Coombe Mill but a late night and sleepy heads this morning meant we left late. It took 3.5hrs to do the 2hrs down to Trago Mills, where we had good fun on the rides, steam train and shopping, and then a further 1.5 hours to get here. It then took thirty minutes to wait for our fish and chips before we could actually arrive at Coombe Mill. But oh my, it's all worth it!)
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On the way home from our weekend break in Butlin's on Monday, we decided to break up the journey with a visit to a National Trust venue. We picked The Vyne in Basingstoke as it would be a perfectly timed mid-way and mid-day break, and I'd also recently seen MummyMummyMum's post about the new Tolkein-inspired play area; The Hidden Realm.
The Hidden Realm is a new play area, only opened since the beginning of April, and inspired by the well-loved book The Hobbit. Tolkein is thought to have based his tales on the ancient, gold ring on display on site, and so it was an obvious theme for a play area to occupy the once abandoned area of walled garden. Over the past six months, it has been transformed into a unique fantasy landscape for children with elements of jungle, mountain and stream, based on the Middle-Earth landscapes.
When we arrived there were only a couple of other children playing and so we pretty much had free run of the place, the perks of weekday visits! It amazes me how much has been fitted into such a small space, bridges, tunnels (with inter-connecting communication pipes), slides, stepping stones, fireman's pole (very Middle-Earth), and the best bit (for me anyway) was a dammed stream with a standpipe nearby to allow the children to play with the water.
I really hope that the National Trust start building some more of these themed play areas in their venues, such great fun and a joy for both adults and children to enjoy.
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A few weeks ago we did our final bit of taking off for a long weekend, and visited Coombe Mill.
I've followed the Coombe Mill twitter account for about a year and have been enamoured for quite some time at the family-run, family-friendly farm in Cornwall. Fiona's photos each week on her blog are captivating and show children thoroughly enjoying themselves getting back to grass roots and embracing nature.
I dangled the idea at Mr. TBaM a while ago and booked a long weekend, as I had to be back at school on the Wednesday. Coombe Mill have a range of accommodation available in the form of Scandinavian lodges, wooden chalets and stone cottages. We booked the lodge Trebah built in 2010.
Trebah is one of four Scandinavian lodges set in a row by one of the playground areas, overlooking the River Camel which flows through the property and separates the guests' properties from the farm animals. My first impression of the lodge was positive when I noticed the fenced in private garden with bolted gates keeping little ones safe from the temptation of the river.
Inside the lodge is a large living area taking up the front half of the floor space. A modern log-burner is an effective focal-point to the living room area, with a flat screen television and freesat box. The other half of the living room contains a kitchen area and dining table for four. It is worth noting at this point that there is a dishwasher as well as a fridge-freezer, a proper one not a fridge with an ice-box. As well as the usual microwave, toaster and kettle gadgets, Fiona has installed a washing machine and separate tumble-dryer which is an absolute God-send after tramping through the mud feeding the animals and splashing through the river.
There is a twin bedroom and a family bathroom, as well as a master bedroom with a queen-size bed and en-suite. I will admit to a little squeal when I saw the double-length, walk-in shower. The beds are incredibly comfortable and have thick fluffy duvets and pillows. It was only when I saw that there are three pillows across the width of the master bed that I realised it's a queen-size bed; fantastic!
Probably the best feature of the lodge as far as The Boy was concerned was the upstairs playden, the stairs of which have a gate at the top and bottom. The playden was like a magical world for The Boy with a train set, cars and plenty of other toys, games and puzzles for him to enjoy. This is one of the many child-orientated facilities that Coombe Mill offer, along with a highchair or booster seat, black-out blinds, bed-guard and, if applicable, a cot.
Coombe Mill is a ten minute drive from the nearest mini-mart and about twenty-thirty minute drive from the nearest supermarket. As a result, Fiona has a fridge stocking milk, cheese, butter, clotted cream and bread in it, and a freezer with home-cooked main meals and desserts which she has knocked up for those guests who don't fancy cooking.
Did I mention there's free wi-fi?
Along with the four play areas (including a wooden fortress, Little Tykes climbing frame, zip-wire, pirate ship, indoor soft-play barn, car play area and a long side) there is the exciting opportunity every morning to drive the tractor that leads the feed run.
So what makes Coombe Mill different to other family friendly holidays in Cornwall? Why not go to one of the other resorts like we have done before? What makes Coombe Mill special?
This…
Every morning (Sunday-Friday) at 9 a.m. there is a tractor-ride to feed Coombe Mill's farm animals which include pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, donkeys, pigs, alpacas, wallabies, goats and deer. The children walk into the animals' enclosures and are able to feed and touch the animals themselves, learning from completely different experiences to their normal lives.
How many other family holidays can boast all that?
(And that's why we've booked again for next Summer)
Not an advert or a sponsored post. I paid for this holiday myself and I know how much other bloggers are intrigued by the place, so I wanted to share the ins and outs because it's amazing!
