A very random day out in Hull!

A couple of weekends ago, we celebrated Stu's birthday a day early with a trip to Hull. It is the biggest city to us and a short bus ride away. It is always a fun day out and we usually head there with shopping in mind, even if we don't actually buy much but this time we decided to do something a little different. We had no plan about having lunch. We were just going to see where our feet took us and make a day of it.

No birthday day out is complete without food, and our first stop was Wings International Cuisine. It is a large all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant with a huge choice of food. You can find Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai and Italian dishes, along with roast dinners, grilled meats, salads, sides and then an entire section dedicated to desserts. If you leave hungry, that is your own fault! It costs £18.95 per person, which I think is pretty good considering just how much choice there is and the fact you can go back as many times as you like.

I started with a plate of plain noodles, garlic mushrooms, my favourite Coca-Cola chicken, prawn toast covered in sweet and sour sauce, roast gammon and some Doner kebab. It was very random but how often do you get to have all those different things on one plate? The rest of the family got stuck in too. There was pizza, curry, lasagne, chicken pie and sushi being eaten around the table. The desserts are probably my favourite part though. The plate in the photo above was Ellie's and she didn't mess around. She had mint chocolate chip ice cream, mini chocolate gateaux, apple jelly, profiteroles, Oreo cheesecake and marshmallows covered in chocolate. We ended up spending around two hours at Wings eating and chatting. By the time we left, we were all completely stuffed.

I couldn't not include a couple of photos of Stu, my fella, since it was his birthday celebration. Most of the photos I have of Stu are ones when he is doing something silly like sticking his tongue out or being overly smiley!

Normally, when we go to Hull we stick to the same areas. We go shopping, grab a drink and then head home. This time because we weren't actually shopping for anything, we had nowhere we needed to be. So we started walking down streets we don't normally go down. We headed towards Queen Victoria Square, which always seems to have something going on and we weren't disappointed.

There were people dressed up as octopuses, which is not something you expect to see and there were some guys on stage singing. We weren't completely sure what was going on at first but we were wondering if it was connected to the reopening of Hull Maritime Museum. It's had a major refurbishment. We did think about going in for a look around but the queue was so long and from what I saw online was that all the time slots for pre-booking were full, so it's something to remember for next time.

As we carried on walking, we came across something else that made us stop for a minute. There was a group of older people sitting on chairs doing seated exercises. I have no idea whether they were just a random group of elderly people who had joined in or whether it was an organised activity but it looked like they were having the best time. We just stood there thinking well, this is something you don't see every day!

We carried on walking and eventually ended up at Hull Minster. I always think it is such a beautiful building and it is one of those places that makes you stop and have a proper look at it. We didn't go inside this time because it looked as though there was some sort of event taking place but we didn't mind. We found somewhere to sit outside in the shade for a while and just took some time to admire the building.

It turns out we can't go anywhere now without visiting an Irish bar. I don't know when this became a thing, but somehow it happens every time we go out now. We stopped off for a drink and Stu decided we were going to stop for a little bit to watch the football that was on the TV's. Just when we thought about leaving, a singer started setting up his microphone and everything. I checked on Facebook and he was due to start at 4pm so we hung around for that and I was glad we did. As the girls said "he sung all the Irish bangers". lol Whiskey in the Jar, The Wild Rover, Tell Me Ma, Zombie by The Cranberries and Rattlin' Bog that I only know of The Wiggles doing it and seeing videos on TikTok. lol

Once we'd had enough of the football and music, we decided to carry on exploring. This time we went on a little history hunt to find something I'd never seen before. The smallest window in England! The window can be found at The George Hotel on Land of Green Ginger, one of Hull's historic streets. It is tiny, a centimetre wide glazed slit in the building, so if you weren't looking for it, there is a very good chance you would walk straight past without noticing. The George Hotel itself dates back to 1683 and was once the gatehouse for an older coaching inn. I love finding little bits of history like this. The best part was you can actually look through the little window into a small room decorated with skulls and spooky things.

Hull is somewhere we visit regularly but there are still so many little things we haven't seen and this day proved it! It turned out to be a really lovely way to celebrate Stu's birthday and have a great family day out.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt sculpture trail in Scunthorpe!

When I first saw on social media that there was going to be a We're Going on a Bear Hunt sculpture trail in Scunthorpe, I knew I wanted to go and have a look. I don't have little children anymore but that didn't matter. I love anything that gets us out and about and it sounded like a fun way to spend a day with Ellie.

From 11th July until 1st September, ten giant decorated bear sculptures based on the much-loved We're Going on a Bear Hunt story have been placed around Scunthorpe town centre, with eight smaller bear cub sculptures dotted around local attractions too. Each bear has its own unique design, giving families something different to discover as they make their way around the trail.

Ellie and I decided to make a day of it, head into town, have a bit of brunch and then see how many bears we could find. We had no real plan apart from a starting point and a vague idea of where we were heading. I sensibly had a map on my phone with the location of the bears and off we went! We started off full of energy, convinced we'd find every single one in no time at all. It didn't quite work out like that.

We saw our first bear just as we got off the bus. We weren't the only ones hunting for bears. There was a queue to get a photo. The only difference between us and the other people was that they had a car and we heard them saying they were driving to the park to hunt for more. Ellie and I decided that was cheating. If you were hunting bears you should walk and walk, we did.

After the bear outside the theatre we made our way to North Lincolnshire Museum for the next bear. Well tried to. We got a little lost but found ourselves exploring streets we had never been down before. After the museum, we knew where we were going, the train station, leisure centre and then onto the university campus to find our first bear cub. That was a bit of a puzzle. We knew what we were looking for with the big bears but the bear cubs were much smaller and hidden away in the windows of buildings. By now we had walked around a mile and a half.

Next up was Central Park! It covers around 55 acres (22 hectares) making it the town's largest and most well-known park. It was lovely to have a break from the busy town centre. We strolled along past pretty flowerbeds, decorations and of course, the big water fountain until we realised we were heading in the wrong direction. oops! We needed to be in the bug area, which is a small wildlife-friendly space that's been created to encourage insects and other mini beasts to make themselves at home. I think this was the prettiest bear of all the ones that we saw! Every bear had its own personality and style. You could tell that so much thought had gone into each one, and it made the trail much more interesting than if they'd all looked the same.

We carried on through the park and found another and then we got a little stuck. We couldn't find the next one even after walking for a bit. We had a sit down for a think and to have a look at the map and spotted it in the distance. Hooray! Every time we found another bear we'd get a little burst of excitement. Then it was straight over for a closer look and, of course, a photo. I'm pretty sure anyone watching us would have known exactly what we were doing because every few minutes we'd suddenly change direction after spotting another bear in the distance.

The weather helped too. It wasn't too hot, which made all the walking much easier. If we'd picked one of those red hot summer days, I think we might have given up halfway through. After walking around the park, we had probably walked another 2 miles.

After a half-hour walk back into town, we found another bear cub, two more big bears and called it a day! We'd managed to find 9 out of the 10 big bears and 2 out of the 8 bear cubs, which I was quite pleased with. Of course, I would have liked to have found them all but we had run out of energy.

The walking did seem so much easier when we had something to look for. If someone had told me to simply walk around town for hours, I wouldn't have fancied it but a bear hunt and suddenly walking for miles doesn't seem like such a big deal.

Have you ever been on a sculpture trail?

This week my Word of the Week is: Outside!! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

I hope you have all had a great week. Mine has been fantastic with a good mix of being busy, staying on top of things at home and of course, some downtime. We've had some lovely weather here this week. The temperature has been just right for me! It has been great to open the back door and have a bit of a breeze coming through the house, even if the flies did come in. Hmmf.

I've spent quite a bit of time in the garden this week. I had an afternoon out there pulling weeds, trimming things back and giving everywhere a bit of a tidy up. There's still of course lots to do but by the time I'd finished, it looked lovely and I felt very pleased with myself. Of course, now there are already more weeds appearing. Ugh. It really is a never-ending job!

The biggest excitement has been my tomato plants. I have around ten of them and they're all doing really well, although they all seem to be growing at different speeds. Some are full of green tomatoes while others are only just catching up. Every morning I go and check on them and see how they are doing. I was convinced one of the plants would already have ripe tomatoes on by now but what I thought were going to be little cherry tomatoes are actually much bigger and they still seem to be growing. I hope it won't be long until I can pick some. I have lots of plans for tomatoes this year!

The school summer holidays officially started this week where I live. It still feels a little strange, even though Ellie has now finished college. For the last 20 years, our lives seemed to revolve around school holidays and now they don't but I can't help thinking that we should be making plans, having adventures and enjoying the extra free time. Things are different now but Ellie and I still decided to have a little adventure together. We headed into town to take part in the We're Going on a Bear Hunt sculpture trail. Since I read about it online I have been dying to go hunting for the bears. I don't think either of us realised quite how much walking we'd end up doing. By the end of the day we had walked miles. One of the best things about our little adventures was that we explored parts of our little town we had never been to before, walked down streets we don't usually use and noticed little things we'd never noticed before.

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one! I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay to join in with her Word of the Week linky!

One of my favourite summer days out! The agricultural show!

The Winterton Agricultural Show is something we have been going to ever since we moved to North Lincolnshire seven years ago and it has become one of those days that I always look forward to every summer. It's a traditional country show and has a brilliant mix of farming, food, shopping and entertainment, so even if you don't know the first thing about agriculture, there's still loads to enjoy. There's cattle, sheep, horses, vintage tractors and classic vehicles alongside food stalls, local businesses, craft tents, fairground rides, live entertainment and displays in the main arena. There really is something for everyone.

The day didn't exactly get off to a smooth start! My dad had two vintage cars to take to the show and has spent all his time working on the Reliant Ant (the orange one) to make that show worthy and he just assumed his Reliant Scimitar (the yellow one) was good to run as he last drove it a couple of weeks ago. Well, on Saturday morning he was supposed to pick Stu and me up as he was driving the Ant and my brother was driving the Scimitar. That didn't happen as the Reliant Scimitar had a petrol leak! The whole pipe was split and when we arrived at my dad's my brother was underneath it and not in the best mood as he was in his nice clothes with stinky overalls over them. A wheel had to come off so they could repair the petrol pipe and they had an hour to do it. Amazingly, we were on our way to the show in 45 minutes. Of course, it wasn't the end of the little hiccups. Just as we got out of my dad's gate, the Scimitar broke down. My brother and I were behind and my brother went out and gave it a push start. What a drama! We made it there with time to spare and the big bonus was Stu and I got in as my dad and brother's guests, so we saved ourselves £15 each, the entry fee!

First up was finding something to eat since we had missed breakfast. One of the things I love about the Winterton Show is the food. There are always loads of food vans selling everything from burgers and loaded fries to cakes, ice cream and fresh coffee. We got a bacon sandwich and a fancy coffee to get us going.

We never have a real plan for the show, we do a lot of wandering with little stops to look at things. We wandered past the motorbikes, had a look at the sheep, stopped to admire some beautiful owls and browsed a few random trade stalls selling everything you can imagine.

Eventually, we made our way over to the main arena to see what was happening. There were cattle being judged along with the amazing agricultural horses. I don't think you ever quite realise just how enormous some of these horses are until you're sat looking at them. It's lovely watching the owners proudly walking them around the arena after all the hard work that clearly goes into preparing them.

After that came the Driving Turnout. An equestrian event where competitors show off horses or ponies harnessed to vintage, classic, or traditional carriages. It's one of those things which is so relaxing to watch and it's nice to see traditions being kept alive.

When that was finishing off, we decided to visit the craft tent and do my favourite thing at the show, shopping! I can never resist looking around all the handmade stalls. Last year I held off buying things until the end of the day and a lot of what I wanted was sold out. This time I wasn't holding back and the bonus of my dad being there was that I could drop anything I bought off with him, so I didn't have to carry it around.

Last year I bought a horse print from a little company called Keeper Kraft. They make handmade pictures made from upcycled shotgun cartridges and feathers. I got the feather one because the shotgun cartridge ones had sold out. This time I got one! I also bought a gorgeous framed glass art from Smythical Media, a knitted plant, the most amazing fudge and a few other things!

After dropping everything off with my dad, we headed back to the main arena just in time for the Scurry racing. If you've never seen it before, imagine Formula One but with ponies. lol Tiny ponies pull lightweight carriages around an obstacle course as fast as they can. If they knock over obstacles, they get time penalties added to their score. Even after coming to the show for years, I still love watching it. Everyone around us was cheering as the ponies raced around the course and it became far more exciting than you'd expect if someone simply described it to you.

It was coming up to lunchtime and there was only one thing we wanted, the stone-baked pizza made in a little truck. We've had it the last couple of years and it is amazing! I am a bad blogger and didn't take a photo. We made it back to the main arena in time to see the floats coming in! Local schools and community groups spend weeks building and decorating the floats and the procession travels through the streets allowing the local community to cheer on the participants before the floats reach the showground and are led in by a marching band. They get judged and prizes are awarded for the most creative or best decorated ones.

We then went for another wander, stopped off at the beer tent for a pint of something cold, had a catch-up with my brother and my dad's partner and then gave into Ellie's nagging of wanting to go on the fairground rides. Stu and the girls went on the Twister, Becky chickened out of going on the Waltzers so it was just Stu and Ellie and only Ellie was brave enough to go on the Miami. It's a ride that is a long row of seats which spins in vertical circles. It's not for me, just watching it made my stomach turn!

To finish the day, we headed back to the main arena to watch the Bold Dog FMX stunt team. The riders performed huge jumps, backflips and tricks on motorbikes, which was something quite amazing to see!

By the time we left, we realised we had been there for about 7 hours and fitted so much into our day! It was so much fun and when we got home we were more than ready to sit down for the rest of the evening! It was another great year at the country show and we will be back next year!

The best things about York Christmas Market 2025!

I did it again. I went back to York Christmas Market because after loving it so much last year I was determined to take the girls and let them in on the magic. Second time around it was just as good, maybe even better. This time I knew my way around and knew what was a bargain, which stalls had the best stuff, and most importantly I learned my lesson from last year and wrapped up extra well. There were twinkly lights, cosy smells and people wandering about with hot chocolates the size of their heads! It was an amazing day!

Here’s my favourite things about York Christmas Market this year! There was so much to love!

The festive atmosphere hits you straight away!

The moment we got into the heart of York and walked through the Shambles the festive atmosphere really hits you! The lights, the smells and then you turn the corner and see all the Christmas huts! It’s wonderful and puts you right in the Christmas mood!

York itself is the perfect backdrop!

York could stick a Christmas market in a car park and it would still look magical but the city really goes all out. Cobbled streets, the Minster peeking over rooftops, old buildings wrapped in fairy lights and all the trees too! It was beautiful! It’s one of those places where you can’t take a bad photo. I could have accidentally taken a picture of my shoe and it would still look festive. 

The food!

York knows how to feed you, they do not mess around when it comes to food! I had steak and chips last year and had been thinking about them ever since! The girls went for mac and cheese which had so much cheese, in the hut selling it there was a whole wheel of parmesan cheese. We also had apple crumble and custard! Yum! Other food highlights were the churros dusted in cinnamon sugar, giant Yorkshire puddings filled with roast dinner, German sausages the length of my arm and the most amazing brownies!

It's Family friendly!

There were loads of families with little kids running about but it didn’t feel overly kiddy so it is ideal when you’ve got older kids, teens or you’re just doing a grown ups Christmas day out. The queues moved fairly quickly, no one was shoving or stressed and there was enough space to browse without feeling like you were trapped.

Local traders make it extra special!

One of my favourite things this year was how many of the stalls were Yorkshire businesses. You can feel the pride people have in what they make: handmade candles, fudge, ornaments, gin, chutneys, wooden toys, soaps that smell better than my entire house and jewellery that looks far more expensive than it actually is! We spoke to loads of stallholders and every single one was lovely. They were happy to chat, explain what they made, give recommendations and even tell us where else to visit in York. There’s something extra Christmassy about knowing your money is going to real people and not an anonymous online cart.

It’s full of gift ideas and temptations!

I went with every intention of just looking and somehow came home with ornaments, fudge, pork pies, cookies and a few gifts for other people! There were so many unique finds: personalised baubles, handmade Christmas cards, knitted scarves, glass decorations that looked like they belonged in a stately home and those cute wooden signs that tell you to believe in the magic of Christmas!

The hot drinks situation is elite

There is mulled wine, spiced cider, Bailey’s hot chocolate, different flavoured hot chocolate and even coffee with festive twists. I always make a beeline for mulled wine. This year there were plenty of options with traditional red, apple & cinnamon and even spiced gin versions. It’s the kind of drink that makes you feel warm inside and out!

The fudge stalls are dangerously persuasive!

They always start with would you like a free sample and suddenly you’re ten flavours deep, sticky fingered and buying enough to fill a suitcase. I bought quite a few different flavours, it is my favourite sweet treat at this time of year!

There are great spots for festive photos!

Every corner is a photo opportunity waiting to happen! I took hundreds of photos, way more than I could ever put in blog posts.

We had a fantastic day and it wasn't as cold as it was forecast to be which was a real bonus! It worked out well getting the train there and the bus home even if we did get stuck in traffic and arrived back to Hull 45 minutes after we should have. I was just glad to sit down. The girls had a fantastic time too and I am so glad I took them, they are already planning a trip back to York in the summer to see all the sights.

Have you been to a Christmas market this year or are you planning to go to any?

Our adventure at Lost City Adventure Golf in Hull!

You know those days when you just need something fun, easy and not too spendy to do as a family? That was us recently and we ended up at Lost City Adventure Golf in Hull. It’s tucked away inside St Stephen’s Shopping Centre, right in the heart of Hull, right by the train/bus station.

As soon as you walk through the doors you are hit with jungle theme. The moody lighting, vines hanging from the ceiling, lots of plants and sound effects of waterfalls and birds. The whole place feels like an adventure from the start. You can pre-book online which is handy if you’re planning a day out or going at peak times but we just decided to chance it and walk in and we got straight on! It was nice not having to plan too far ahead. The staff were really friendly, they explained everything clearly and got us sorted with our clubs and scorecards in no time.

There are two 18 hole courses to choose from: Cobra Canyon and Skull River. We went with Cobra Canyon because there were a group of people just starting on Skull River and I didn't want them to feel rushed with us behind them.

Cobra Canyon did not disappoint. Every single hole had something fun going on with ramps, tunnels, tricky corners and cheeky little slopes that made us laugh more than they frustrated us. It’s definitely designed to keep everyone entertained whether you’re competitive or just there for the laughs. There were a couple of holes that made us giggle because the ball refused to cooperate. You know that feeling when you think you’ve nailed a shot but it slowly rolls back to your feet. That happened more than once. lol

Each hole had character. It really does feel like you’re on an expedition for silliness and fun. The theming is amazing. It feels like stepping into an Indiana Jones film set, minus the boulders chasing you. The sound effects and lighting make it so immersive. You can tell they’ve put effort into the details.

It’s worth mentioning that there are a few areas with strobe lighting which really add to the atmosphere but if anyone in your group is sensitive to flashing lights or strong visual effects it’s something to be aware of before you go. For us it was absolutely fine. 

It was busy but never overcrowded and we didn’t feel rushed at all. We did let the group behind us play ahead of us because they had younger kids who looked like they were losing interest and the parents were trying to rush through.

Between the lighting, the enclosed space and all the walking around we were definitely ready for a cold drink by the time we reached the Tiki Bar as it was so warm. Maybe don’t wear a chunky jumper if you’re playing both courses!

The Tiki Bar sits between the two courses. The tropical theme continues here and it’s got a great relaxed atmosphere. They serve pizzas, snacks and some seriously tempting cocktails. We all went for mocktails and priced at £5 each I think they were fantastic. Booking online gives you a 10% discount on food & drink.

I’m always a bit cautious with attractions like this because fun family outings can get pricey fast but Lost City Adventure Golf was genuinely good value. It’s £11 per person for 18 holes and there are discounts if you book online or go for both courses. Families can grab a pass for around £36 which is fair for something this creative and well run. Considering the theming, maintenance and general quality it’s absolutely worth the money. You can make an afternoon of it without feeling like you’ve spent a small fortune and because it’s indoors, it’s perfect for those rainy, cold days! 

If you’re planning to go I’d say book ahead, especially at weekends or during school holidays. Also if you’ve got little ones or people unsteady on their feet keep an eye out for the uneven parts of the floor. I almost lost my balance a few times. If you have coats or bags you can borrow a basket with wheels on so you can pop them in there and bring them around the course with you. 

We left with big smiles, slightly sore arms and that satisfying we actually did something fun feeling. It’s the kind of place that works for everyone. We’ll definitely be back to try the Skull River course next time.

Have you ever played mini adventure golf?

This week my Word of the Week is: Birmingham! #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:

This week has been all about getting back to normal after being under the weather last week with a cold but to be honest I was just going through the motions waiting for Thursday to arrive when my day was not a normal day. I went on a bit of an adventure to Birmingham! I did think of Anne and Joleisa when I was sat on the bus, knowing it's their city! 

My dad's partner and I hopped on a bus, not literally as we had booked it as a coach trip to visit the biggest Primark Store in the world. It holds the Guinness World Record for the world's largest fashion retail store. Spanning five floors and approximately 160,000 square feet, it’s like Primark on steroids. It’s also not just clothes and homeware either. Inside there’s a Disney cafe, a beauty studio, a barbershop and even a vintage clothes shop. You could spend a whole day in there and still not see everything, we totally missed the vintage clothes.

Before we booked the coach we looked at the train prices and wow, I am glad we did. A train would have cost us at least £70 each and taken nearly three hours, plus the faff of changing trains and fighting to get a seat. The coach cost us £21 each, with reserved seats and took about two and a half hours. Bargain! It was way less stressful too, we got to sit back, relax and let someone else do the driving. The coach itself was lovely and the driver was brilliant, so cheerful and helpful. The only rookie mistake we made was not packing any food for the journey. Everyone else on the coach seemed to have thought of that. At one point I spotted a couple of women sat there with croissants and cans of wine and it wasn’t even 10am yet. They were clearly living their best life while I sat there wishing I’d at least brought a packet of crisps!

It took two and a half hours for us to arrive in Birmingham but it was totally worth it! We got dropped off right outside Primark and headed straight in! I had seen photos and videos of the store before but nothing really prepares you for just how big it feels when you’re standing in it. It’s overwhelming in the best way. We had a bit of a plan, head straight to the top floor, check out the Disney cafe and then work our way down floor by floor. We could have eaten anywhere in the city centre but we had heard so much about the Disney Cafe. It was so cute and the banoffee milkshake and the hot dog I had tasted good, so were the tater tots, how American!

One of the best things about that Primark is the baskets. You get options of either the usual bag you carry or one of those pull along baskets on wheels. I went straight for the pull along one and thank goodness I did. We started off in the Home section and I could feel my arms getting tired just looking at all the candles, mugs and Christmas decorations. I resetrained myself. I could have spent a lot more than I did. We spent about the next three hours browsing and putting things in our baskets.

My favourite buys were the candles because can you ever have too many, a Christmas mug and The Sims Nightdress!

I also bought some things for Stu and the girls but the they will have to wait until Christmas to get their treats. I spent a lot less than I thought I would. I think I was just so overwhelmed by it all that I didn’t want to make too many snap decisions. I’ve already decided that I need to go back with the girls though, they’ll absolutely love it. I’ve told them to start saving now because once they see everything they’ll want to buy half the shop.

By the time we had finished in Primark it was close to 3pm. We went outside to get some fresh air and of course stopped to get the classic photo with Birmingham’s famous bull.

We also had a quick wander around the market stalls outside. The food stalls were incredible, they had pretty much every type of food you could think of, including corn dogs! I don’t think I’ve ever seen corn dogs for sale in real life before so that was a bit of a novelty. I regret not getting one.

We headed back onto the coach at around 4pm and were back in Scunthorpe by about 7pm after hitting some traffic. It made for a long day but such a good one. For me it wasn’t even really about the shopping even thought it was fun, it was more about the experience of going somewhere different, seeing Birmingham and having a proper day out. It definitely brightened up my week and gave me something to look forward to after feeling a bit rough.

How has your week been? I hope you have had a good one! I am of course linking up with Anne who blogs at Raisie Bay for her Word of the Week linky!