Biddy at Beale Park

Have you been to Beale Park? It’s at Lower Basildon, not far from Pangbourne.

It’s a great family day out and the husband and I took our grandson DD there recently. He is pre-school and there was much there to entertain him, but it is great for bigger children too and I am sure many schoolchildren have passed through its gates over the summer holidays.

There is lots here for adults as well, so don’t for one minute think it only appeals to children. The animals are a big draw for all ages and it would be hard to choose between the ring-tailed lemurs, the meerkats and the monkeys in terms of cuteness. However, DD had different ideas and his favourite area was the one that the guinea pigs and such like call home … mainly because there is a tunnel there that he could run through, all very exciting when you are only two and a half.

They are big on birds at Beale Park, and we got to see a peahen strutting her stuff very nonchalantly with two of her brood, as if on a royal progress. We enjoyed the beautiful parrots with their flashes of bright colours and, having had a bit of read up, I learned that they actually have 120 species of birds here, one of the biggest collections in Europe. And all thanks to Mr Gilbert Beale, who in 1956 had private land converted into parkland so everybody gets a chance to enjoy it. Thank you, Mr B! 

For some time-out, the gardens are a lovely place to sit and relax or take a stroll to enjoy the water features, and there is a small museum with a model boat collection in the Pavilion. Another museum, particularly appealing to those of us of a certain generation, is Treasured Toys, where if you were a child in the 1950s, 1960s or 1970s you are sure to say, ‘I had one just like that!’ Happy days.

There were a couple of school trips underway when we visited, but you would hardly have known it as the park is so vast. The children just could not get enough of the various play parks; DD was straight in there too and had great fun on Pirate Island, and especially liked the sandpit. Then there is the 12-inch-deep paddling pool … but be warned it is a tad chilly! There are changing rooms, so remember to pack swimming gear.

Best of all for car-mad DD was the Little Tikes Village, full of the plastic houses and cars that youngsters so love. He would, I am sure, have spent all day there, but having driven every vehicle several times and run in and out of every little house, we managed to persuade him away with promises of lunch. (By the way, there is an indoor Little Tikes area too; great for rainy days.)

You can take your own picnic to Beale Park – the deer park is all geared up for this, and there is even a zipwire should you have the urge to fly above the scene. However, we opted for the Peacock Restaurant where there is plenty of seating, both inside and outside. Whilst DD had a child’s lunchbox with a variety of goodies, the husband pushed the boat out with burger and chips and I had a hot beef roll, and we both voted them very good choices.

We saved the final treat of the day to the end of our visit – a ride on the miniature narrow-gauge diesel railway; the price of one ride is included in your entry ticket. The driver was lovely and friendly, clearly enjoying his job and never tiring of waving to the children watching the train go by.

If you want a day out in Berkshire, with or without children, I would recommend a trip to Beale Park (www.bealepark.co.uk for more details). It definitely gets the thumbs up from me.

Biddy x

Biddy on the Canal

A warm summer’s afternoon. Lunch in town then something I had been wanting to do for ages but have never quite got around to doing – taking a boat trip on the Kennet & Avon Canal.

Boat trips take place from April through to September, floating on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 noon and 2pm, and on weekdays every Thursday at 2.30pm. You can pre-book tickets in person at the Visitor Information Centre at the Town Hall in Market Place, or call them on 01635 30267 to book by phone. You can even pop in and book up to half an hour before the boat is due to set sail, or take a chance down at the canal (at the Wharf, by the Tea Room on the Canal) and see if there is space. (The boat takes a maximum of 29 passengers, so best to book if you want to guarantee a space on a specific day). 

The boat itself is called the Jubilee, built in – you’ve guessed it, the Queen’s Jubilee year. But which one? You’ll find out when you go on the trip! The Jubilee is a lovely, traditional narrowboat. On the fine day I went on it the sides were open to the elements and the gentle movement of fresh air was most welcome. But on cooler or wet days, there are zip-up plastic windows to keep you enclosed and dry, so you can see out without getting wet.

I arrived well ahead of sailing time (you are asked to arrive 15 minutes beforehand) and the crew – all of them volunteers – were already busy getting everything ready. However, there was a very warm welcome and the plank was immediately put down so that I could climb aboard and enjoy the view from the water until we set off. There was much banter between crew and passengers, making for a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. 

Bang on time, and following the essential safety messages from Boat Master Trevor, we were off, with Chris at the helm. Now it was time to sit back and relax… pure indulgence at a wonderfully slower pace of life than most of us are used to these days.

Trevor gave us lots of fascinating facts about the boat, the canal and what we were seeing from our vantage point. Did you know, for example, that the bridge at Northbrook Street is the oldest on the waterway? And that’s all I’m telling you!

Trevor’s wife Jill was on hand to serve liquid refreshments of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties as the mood takes you, and also chipped in to answer questions. For anyone who has never been through a lock before, this is a great experience. Luckily the passengers don’t have to lend a hand as we had husband and wife team Julian and Sarah there to do all the hard work. 

The gentle round trip takes around an hour and a quarter, and the half-way turning point is near Northcroft Leisure Centre. Apparently it would take four hours to get as far as Kintbury … which you can do if you choose to charter the Jubilee for a private function, which I think would be great fun. 

The Jubilee also lays on special trips for children during some school holidays: Pirate trips in August (AAAR!); Halloween Trips in October (WOOOOH!); and Santa Trips in December (HO HO HO!). (See the website for more details about the boat and trips, and the Kennet & Avon Canal Trust in general: www1.katrust.org.uk).

Despite the leisurely pace of the trip, it went by all too soon (and don’t worry, there is a loo on board!) and everyone aboard had clearly had a wonderful time. And then, of course, there is the delightful Tea Room on the Canal for a cream tea once you disembark – a perfect ending.

With the joy of having a waterway running through Newbury I am not quite sure why it has taken me so long to get around to doing the Jubilee trip, so if you haven’t either… well, what are you waiting for? It’s the perfect way to while away a summer afternoon… 

Biddy x 

Biddy takes a Guided Walk

Did you know there are several different guided walks around Newbury? I joined one recently, and very much enjoyed the experience. 

You pre-book tickets at the Visitor Information Centre at the Town Hall in Market Place (01635 30267) and that is where you meet for the start of the walk. Each walk is for a maximum of 15 people, and tickets are £5 (with reductions for concessions, or free if you are under 16) and proceeds are all in a good cause as they go to the Newbury Heritage Fund.

The walks are led by local historians, members of The Newbury Society. Our group had the pleasure of being led by Phil Wood who started by giving us a potted history of the Market Place itself. We then made our way to the Wharf where we stopped again to hear about the area, the buildings and local characters.

We walked down to the canalside for more explanation and exploration, meandering slowly to the swing bridge and, eventually, back along the other side of the canal to St Nicolas church. 

We spent some time in the church – its cool interior most welcome on a hot day – before making our way outside and heading to the war memorial where the walk ended, with time for more fascinating facts and a chance to ask any final questions.

The walk is advertised as lasting approximately an hour; I got a lot more for my money as it ended up being a good hour and a half, but it all depends on how many questions get asked en route. However, rest assured it was all at a very gentle pace, with plenty of stops – definitely not a route march!

Walks take place throughout the summer on some Sundays at 2.30pm and some Fridays at 11.30am, with the next ones being on:

Friday 7 August 

Sunday 16 August - http://bit.ly/1TA1C1A

Friday 4 September - http://bit.ly/1TA23Jj

Sunday 13 September - http://bit.ly/1PbOBVF

As some of the walks take in different parts of the town, I am looking forward to going on another one soon.

Biddy x 

Summer Events at Shaw House

High summer and high time you high-tailed it to the magnificent Elizabethan Shaw House on the edge of Newbury where some very special events are taking place in July and August.

Shaw House Summer Fair: Sunday 19th July

Come along from 11am to 4pm on Sunday 19th July to enjoy a truly traditional English country fair, with craft stalls, garden games, music, bouncy castle, a magician, barbecue and much, much more besides, all in the lovely setting of the grounds of historic Shaw House. 

(Both of the above events are part of NewburyFest 2015, which runs until 26th July)

Open-Air Cinema at Shaw House: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August

Watching a film on the Great Lawn at Shaw House as the sun goes down adds a spectacular dimension to going to the movies, and this summer sees two quite different productions:

• Top Gun, on Saturday 8th August, is the award-winning 1986 classic action drama starring Tom Cruise as Naval aviator Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, and Kelly McGillis as love interest Charlie Blackwood.

• The Theory of Everything, on Sunday 9th August, is the award-winning 2014 film based on a biographical work about theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, and is a romantic drama about his relationship with Jane Wilde, who became his wife.

Gates open at 7pm, films start at sunset and refreshments are available.

Tickets: available from www.cultscreens.co.uk – £12.50 (deckchairs) or £15 (bean bags).

The Taming of the Shrew Open-Air Theatre: Sunday 30th August

An evening performance of William Shakespeare’s wonderfully comic The Taming of the Shrew. This is a battle-of-the-sexes comedy, brought to Shaw House by Illyria Open-Air Touring Theatre Company, in which fortune-hunting Petruchio seeks to tame the wealthy, acid-tongued Katherina. But is everyone who they appear to be?...

Gates open at 5.30pm for 7.00pm start.

Tickets: Adults £15, children £8.

Family Activity Wednesdays

On Wednesdays during the school summer holidays, Shaw House is hosting special family activity days. Starting from 10am and running until 4pm (last entry 3.30pm), there are all sorts of activities aimed at children aged 4 to 11 (all children must be accompanied by an adult). Just drop in at a time to suit you – there is no need to book. Entry to Shaw House is, as always, free of charge but there is a small charge for each activity.

This is a great way to keep the children occupied during those long summer holidays, so bring them along and prepare to have fun!

Visiting Shaw House

Shaw House and its grounds are open to the public on weekends from 11am to 4pm and on weekdays during school holidays from 10am to 4pm until 28th September, reopening in February. Entry is free and there is a café and gift shop on site.

Further details from the website or enquires by phone to Shaw House on 01635 279279.

Biddy Conquers 4 Kingdoms

A fine spring day beckoned and the husband and I decided to take our grandson (DD) to conquer 4 Kingdoms.

If you’ve conjured up visions of suits of armour, dashing chargers, fire-breathing dragons and pointed lances, do not fear: 4 Kingdoms is tamer than that – though very exciting for anyone up to age of 12.

4 Kingdoms Farm and Adventure Park, to give it its full title, is just on the outskirts of Newbury, at Headley. (It is very easy to find but see www.4-kingdoms.co.uk for directions and details of opening times etc). We arrived on a bright May morning, but my goodness the wind was chilly. There are wide open spaces here and I suspect the wind whips up pretty regularly, so my advice is to take plenty of layers.

After parking up in the spacious car park, a warm welcome awaited us. Once you’ve paid your entrance fee, everything (except food and drink, obviously) is free, even the ride-on machines which normally cost at least £1 – and when you are only two-and-a-half you can never get enough of a see-saw with Mr Bump on the other end. 

DD barely knew where to start exploring. To an adult eye the sight looked fairly modest to begin with, but once you are properly ensconced you begin to realise that it stretches on… and on… and on. In fact there are 40 acres of Kingdom and, despite its proximity to the A339, you are surrounded by trees and countryside so well protected from road noise. And within those 40 acres there is lots to keep youngsters occupied for, quite literally, hours on end.

Clearly during school holidays and weekends it gets much busier, but we are making the most of DD being a pre-schooler and, mid-week, were able to enjoy everything at 4 Kingdoms with other families in the same position, and no need to queue.

While many of the facilities have certainly been well-used and could do with a lick of paint, it was early in the season when we visited and the staff were busy making improvements and carrying out general maintenance – and all cheerfully and discreetly. Maintenance is, of course, essential, so visitors are warned that not every ride or facility is necessarily available every day.

So, what is there at 4 Kingdoms? Sandpits, bouncy castles, forts to explore and climb, and lots of slides of varying heights and lengths, so plenty of choice depending on the size of your child. DD is very keen on small buildings which he can run in and out of, and there are many of these in the play village – a police station (plus prison), fire station, post office – even a bank with an ATM machine (non-functioning, I should add). Here too are lots of stationery vehicles, including a speedboat, for those who like to ‘drive’, and DD ran from one to the other with the greatest of glee. (I especially liked the London taxi – you could twist the driver’s head round so he could ask the backseat passenger, ‘Where to, Guv?’)

There are go-carts a-plenty, and what fun we had on those. There are two outside tracks, with go-carts that involve pedal power – great exercise for us – plus an indoor track with electric-powered ones. Woo-hoo!

Then on to the crazy golf (sadly no holes in one for me), and I managed to persuade the husband that perhaps the zip-wire and assault course were not for him.

The site is bordered by the River Enborne and there are three lakes. Go through a gate to follow a nature walk or picnic beside the water while watching ducks and other waterfowl. Beside the Magic Lake is what I would love most of all if I were still five-years-old: the Fairy Wood. There are little fairy houses in the trees too…

Although the Tractor Train was not running on the day of our visit, the fun had not stopped yet. There are animals to be admired in the great outdoors – pygmy goats, llamas and ponies – and in the animal petting area you can meet smaller creatures: rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens and, one of the highlights of our day, baby lambs, which you get a chance to feed at certain times of day in the spring. 

If you don’t bring you own picnic there is an indoor café where you can buy drinks, snacks and lunches – sandwiches, jacket potatoes, or such things as burgers or fish fingers and chips cooked to order. As well as two indoor seating areas, there is a soft play area for little ones if you want some time indoors.

We were there for hours so thought it well worth the entrance fee. Wind-blown, full of fresh air and well exercised, an exhausted DD was asleep in the car before we’d even left the car park!

Biddy x