Gem's New Blogspot

Lavender Fields 1 Carshalton Road Banstead SM7 3JA One little gem to put in the diary for the summer is a visit to the Lavender fields.  We are very lucky  to have one so close to where we live, and in fact people come from miles away to see it. The fields are usually in full bloom during July and August but depending on the weather each year it can vary, sometimes flowering as early as June and lasting until September.  It is always best to check the website for up to date news before you plan. Its such a beautiful sight! You are not allowed to bring picnics but its a lovely place to have a walk and also fantastic for taking photographs of your kids/family, or just the lavender fields on their own they are spectacular! The smell is amazing, there are a huge amount of bees but they honestly won't go near you, they are only interested in the lavender. There is a car park on site however it does get very busy on weekends so it is always better to go on a weekday if

Paulton's Park  - Peppa Pig World Ower, Romsey The New Forest Hampshire SO51 6AL The first time that we went to Paulton's park was for Oliver's first birthday.  If I'm honest I wasn't sure if this was a bit ambitious, Oliver wasn't even walking by his first birthday, but I'd seen online that Peppa Pig world had lots of family rides and it was just something different, so I persuaded my husband. Its quite a trek about 1 Hour 30 mins - 2 hours from Coulsdon but if you set off nice and early it is doable in one day.  The outcome was that we all loved it and had a great (if exhausting) day! We went on loads of rides in Peppa Pig world, most of which one of us wore Oliver in a harness, which was perfect as we had hands free to hold on and he couldn't escape! He seemed to really enjoy the rides, especially looking out on the high ones.  Around the rides there are some brilliant play areas including a splash zone with fountains where the kids can r