I do love a little alliteration in a title.  In June we were so busy that I didn’t get the opportunity to write #littleloves and yet it was one of our best months for family fun.  The result is this post just of our highlights so they’re not forgotten and celebrated.

Portsmouth Historic Docks

During half term week we were able to  make the trip to Portsmouth old docks which we had postponed from February half term when Mr S was poorly with a bug.  On reflection I’m glad we waited until June and the sunnier weather because whilst it can be visited in the cooler months with so much of it outside and the opportunity to take a boat out on the water, a summer day made for a perfect visit.  I’ve visited Portsmouth as a child when it was simply HMS Victory and the wreck of the Mary Rose was being hosed down, now it is very different with the docks being open with museums, ships, restaurants etc..  We started our visit with a tour of the Victory, the children took the headphones and listened very carefully to the commentary and shared the exciting parts with us, they loved the technology and being able to swipe their device for the next chapter.  Next we moved to a quick visit of the Mary Rose, it was brief because Little Miss had been on a school trip to it a few weeks earlier in preparation for a forthcoming performance (see below)  I was impressed by the museum as I’ve never really seen anything like it, the wreck is behind glass against a silhouette of its full size and design.  The size itself is stunning. Onto the remains of the ship, photos and scenes are played out to show what life was like in Tudor England, it is so cleverly done and gives a really authentic feel of life on the Mary Rose.  Following these two ships we visited some smaller ships on the site and got to experience a 21 gun salute from the Navy working ships in the dock.  They were all decorated with flags as it was the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, a day of formal celebrations, our visit was just a coincidence on this day but it made it a little more special. After a picnic lunch in the beautiful gardens we took the boat across the harbour to the submarine museum and explored a submarine, I never cease to be amazed by these vessels and have the upmost respect for those who serve on them, I would be very claustrophobic and scared on a submarine in the ocean.  Following the return to the base by boat, the children explored Action Stations where they had physical challenges for children, a climbing wall, target practice and a Ninja style assault course.  Everything we tried is included in the entry price which I thought was very reasonable and can be used throughout the next 12 months.  I would like to return but as it was such a long day I think I might do a return visit as an overnight stay.

2. Ahoy The Mary Rose

In June it was the local arts festival.  We visited the exhibition were the children had some art work on display alongside established artists and then attended a festival of music and dance in which Little Miss was part of the community choir.  I really like the idea behind the choir, children from the local schools were joined by local adults in their performance.  I liked it because all the performers were really appreciative of each others’ talents and appeared to genuinely enjoy participating in the event.  A lovely night out in a delightful setting.

3. Paultons Park

Paultons Park (aka Peppa Pig World) is my favourite theme park in the UK.  I love it, it is so friendly, has beautiful gardens, fun rides and is designed exceptionally well for a family visit.    This visit was different for us as the children no longer wanted to visit Peppa Pig world with its cartoon environment and Peppa theme tune on loop but explore the parts of the park designed for older children.  I was a little nostalgic at not seeing Peppa and friends, it brings back happy memories of our early years but happy to explore new areas.  The children loved the Lost World which houses lots of dinosaur rides, they were fun and I loved the Flying Pterandon, its the yellow ride in the picture above.  However my favourite rides remain the water rides and specifically the log flume, we had one of my favourite ever photos taken on this ride, its  a bit grainy as Mr S was the photographer but the body language just shows the fun the children and I had on the ride.  The children had reached the required height for some of the scarier rides, Magna, Cobra, another sign that they’re growing up so quickly, they loved these rides and pretended not to be scared at all.  We’ve visited Paultons Park on many occasions over the years, we often have a weekend here in the summer, but it was the best time we’ve ever had together at the park, everyone was just so happy and relaxed and I genuinely feel it was probably our best ever family day out, it was perfect.

4. Cricket

June has seen the junior cricket season in full swing and our matches have mainly been away.  In a small rural town in a big county this means a lot of travel to neighbouring towns (boo) but new towns to explore after the game (and a cheeky lunch out, yeah!) Some towns are very picturesque with some very nice little shops and cafes too.  I’ve been busy scoring at the games which means I do get the best seat at the match but do have to be fully focussed on every ball.  The children love their cricket and its been nice to see them learning how to be part of a team and support each other.

June is a special month and this year was even more so, every weekend was busy with events but we got to enjoy time together, all these events were done as our little family. We try to live life fully so we can create memories to last our lifetime.