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10 Summer Schemes In Belfast For 2015

Please tell me I'm not the only mum who's waited until now to book summer camps for the kids? I thought about it in April and again in May (a bit more seriously) but in fact, it took me until this week to sit down with a calendar and work out what we're going to do over the summer.
As a work at home mum, I am fortunate that I don't have to find a camp for every week or for whole days but I do like to mix it up a bit for the kids so that they have a few weeks pre-booked and a couple of quieter ones where they find their own entertainment at home.

The good news is that locally, there are quite a few camps with places still available so for this month's blog, I'm sharing 10 great summer activities for kids in and around the Belfast area:

1. LX Gymnastics
Alex Skelton set up this gym just a few years ago and it's now absolutely buzzing with waiting lists for most of the classes during term time. But the summer scheme is booking on a first come, first served basis so of you're fast, you can snap up a place.
The classes run from 10am-3pm on a weekly basis and there's the bonus of early drop off at 9am and late collection at 5pm for working parents. It's £85 per week and runs throughout the summer (apart from the 12th holidays). Download a form on the link above.

2. HitFit
This is a brand new scheme running in Friend's School in Lisburn during 2 weeks in August (10th-14th & 17th-21st) and it promises to be a really full-on week of activity for kids from nursery age though to Year 8/9. The ethos of HiT FiT is to encourage children to learn and improve at tennis and golf, while also taking part in team sport activities. The scheme uses qualified professional coaches and small coach:student ratios. It runs for a full school day also - from 9am-3pm. Full details on the link and places still available at time of writing - with discounts for siblings.

3. Paddy Wallace Rugby Summer Scheme
My son did this scheme at Easter and declared it the best rugby camp ever - and he's not easy to please! It runs for 3 days of the week in 5 locations and the best bit is that they are the only scheme I can find that's run something on the 12th week. A godsend for those of us staying locally over that fortnight. You can attend for all 3 days or just on single days too, so it's good and flexible. The kids will all get to meet Paddy himself and the hoody you get at the end is, I quote, 'awesome'.

4. Startrack at Mary Peters
This is a handy one for kids who finish up on the 30th June as the first session runs from the 1st - 4th July (two other dates Tue 21st – Fri 24th July & Tue 4th – Fri 7th August). It's aimed at 8 to 15 year olds - to give them real athletics experiences and help to develop skills. Jessica Ennis started her athletics career at a Startrack scheme when she was 10! Each day runs from 10.30-2.30.

5. Debutots
These drama based fun weeks are spread across the province and are aimed at children aged between 4 & 7. Even the most timid of kids will feel at home in these sessions from 10am-1pm. Every day, there's a mixture of drama, crafts and then indoor or outdoor games with the week culminating in a show for the parents. Discounts available for multiple week bookings.

6. Jumping Clay
This is a huge hit with kids and as you can just sign up to single days, we've used it on previous holidays as a way to fill in occasional days perhaps when the weather's not so good. But you can also sign up to a full week in any of the locations province-wide. There are separate Facebook pages for each of the local Jumping Clay franchisees - Lisburn, Belfast, Magerafelt/Portstewart, Enniskillen, Warrenpoint, North Down

7. TW Sports
If football is your thing, then Tim Wareing has a fantastic summer scheme that I can personally recommend. He caters for kids from 5-13 primarily but there are also several TW Toddler Soccer schemes for kids from age 2. A great way to introduce fun footy skills to your future Ronaldo and Tim's coaching relationship with Braga FC in Portugal ensures that young talent can be identified and nurtured beyond age 13.

8. Council Run Schemes
Local leisure centres have well run, well priced summer camps so don't forget to check out your local council website for more information. There's a good list on this website detailing the links to all the different councils. This year, we will be using the Lough Moss scheme (Carryduff). It runs from the 20th July until the 14th August and costs  £8 a day or £30 a week (with sibling discounts). There's also a great basketball camp that runs the week of the 17th August. Book promptly as these Leisure Centre schemes fill up really fast!

9. Playball NI
Another good one for working parents, Playball NI run their Methodist College camp again this summer on two weeks - 27th – 31st July & 3rd- 7th August. With Jumping Clay, Kite making, Yoga and swimming, the kids are sure to have a fun-filled day. The camp runs from 10am-3pm every day with a wraparound service (at an extra cost). There's also a camp for younger children that runs just in the morning. Full details on the link.

10. GAA Camps
Once again, the Kellogg's sponsored Cul Camps are running across the province with a great search service on this link so you can find the club nearest to you. Priced at about £40 per week with sibling discounts, these camps run from 10am-2.30pm and all attendees get a backpack and jersey. No prior knowledge of GAA sports is required as all levels of experience are catered for.

I hope that if you're looking to fill a week or two over the next 8 weeks (aarrgghh!), that I've helped to give you some ideas. Of course, with lots of these camps being outdoors, I can highly recommend picking up a Target Dry Mac in a Sac - essential for those softer days :)

Until next time,

Ax

Insight Into The Life Of A Travel Blogger Duo; The Explorer's Home

Being a travel blogger seems like the perfect part-time activity. Office jobs just don't offer the same thrill and adventure as an outdoors getaway, getting back to nature, exploring new countries and discovering beautiful scenic landscapes. 

We are delighted to have Vaughan & Katie from The Explorers Home guest blog for us. Expect monthly posts covering travel inspiration, packing tips and more, but to begin with let's get an insight into their lives and daily routine. 

Tell us a bit about yourself 

Adventure is a part of us all. We can all remember those times of wonder and discovery as a kid when everything we saw was a new discovery and life was full of wonder. Most of us grew up though, filling our days with school, college, work, family… and we lost the adventure somewhere in amongst all of the stuff that fills our time. We want to bring that back for people. 

Vaughan Williams (myself) and Katie Cockerill are just your average people, from average towns in the UK. I grew up on the outskirts of London and Katie in the small town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire. What is so special about that, you ask? Well, nothing in fact. But what we had in our towns was the same small piece of magic that every kid has in their hometown - wonder and discovery. What we want to do is show people that work, university, even family time, doesn't have to fill every hour of your day. The world is a big place but most of us don't even adventure outside of our commute to work and local shops, we show people that you can rekindle that spark of adventure and rediscover the world around you.

It must be great being able to write on the road and experience the world?

It must be amazing huh! We wouldn't know either though… We work full time jobs, just like everyone else! The truth is, there is such a small, glamourised, number of people that travel blog and write about adventures but the fact of the matter is that near 99.9% of the world work, live and breathe in the town that they live in right now. We are no different! I work in commercial property compliance (yawn!) and Katie manages an adventure travel gear store (woo!). We wouldn't be able to write about showing people how to discover adventure in that huge chunk of the day that you're not at work if we didn't do just that, would we? 

What do you try to show people?

Lets think about this for a second… Most people work 8-9 hour days, 5 days a week. So on that basis: including days off, standard holidays, weekends, bank holidays etc, the average person has 112 days off each year. More than that, including time when you're not at work, the average person has 6736 hours when they're not at work. How long does it take to throw a sleeping bag in a bag, walk ten miles to a local wood and camp out the night? Not 6736 hours, thats for sure!

It's not all about camping and hiking, but we do promote it where we can. Sitting around a crackling fire, the stars above you and a cheeky beverage in your hand is well known to be possibly the best cure ever for a stressful day. Waking up to morning mist, a sunrise that can knock your socks off and a brief swim in a cold water river is sure to set you up for anything a day in the office can throw at you as well! And whats the worst thing that can happen? You don't sleep so great and you smell a bit when you get to the office, perhaps. But I dare say that absolutely nothing will wipe that smile off of your face from the new adventure you have just experienced…

You must have a pretty hectic daily life, how do you fit it all in?

I’m an early riser, up at 5.30am most days by default and I don't sleep until about 11.30pm. That is just me and I know not everyone is that energetic. Katie would live her entire life in bed if the mountains could come to her; up at 8am, asleep by 10pm most nights at the latest. But those hours when we aren't at work are when we cram it in. I highly advise getting to sleep earlier and up earlier. Most people like to stay up late as it gives them the sense that they have done something other than work that day - what is to say that can't be in the mornings as well? We went to the allotment to water the greenhouse and made strawberry jam before work yesterday morning, and when I told people what we had done that morning they just stared at me in bewilderment, like I had just grown another head! “How do you find the time?!” they murmured between sips of super strong coffee, “I just went to bed early and got up early…”.

We always advocate checking for cheap train deals (Megabus, Skyscanner etc.) and just booking something when you spot it. Worry about the accommodation later, grab that deal for now! Working in a shop, Katie’s time isn't very flexible, but even then we try to get away on a Friday night after work, on the train and back Sunday evening for an early night to feel super amazing for the Monday - 48 hours of adventure right there! 

When you need that peace and quiet, where do you aim for?

Adventure and discovery isn't always about escaping to the hills. The fact is some people flat out hate the outdoors, and that’s ok. Discovery and exploration can come in many forms. Personally, if I really need the peace, I will stick my headphones in, grab a coffee somewhere and just read a book for hours. Katie is a water baby, so goes swimming for hours on end if it's been a tough day. The options are endless though - throw in your headphones and wander around one of the thousands of museums dotting the country; you don't even have to read anything. Books, crafts, cooking, baking, knitting, even cleaning my outdoor gear are all forms of discovery for me that involve a bit of ‘brain downtime’ - they mean I can shut off for a bit but still learn something new.

What would you encourage others to do if they want the same experiences?

Step outside the front door, for starters. What is outside your house down the street to the right, at the end of the road on the left? Don't know? Find out! Get off of the bus or train on the way home from work a few stops early tonight and discover a bit more of your hometown. Have a sleeping bag? Well it's summer out there (apparently!) right now so grab yourself a £5 tarp from the hardware store and have yourself a sleepover in the woods, I promise you there are not nearly as many crazy people out there as the news will have you believe…

There are huge swathes of the country that are ready for you to discover if you take the time though. If you have a few days spare, throw some kit in a backpack and jump on a bus into the wilderness - there are no wolves or bears here, you're safe. Keep an eye on the weather because you don't want to get caught in a snowstorm, but otherwise you're pretty safe if you stay dry. The worst that can happen is that you get a bit wet, a bit groggy and you jump on the bus back home, shower it off and laugh at yourself! The best that can happen? Well, mountains, sunrises, wild deer sleeping outside your tent, campfires with friends, you get the picture.

Best UK & Ireland Alternative Festivals For Families

When most people think of festivals, they tend to think of Glastonbury, V festival, T in the park, etc. The kind of festival that attracts huge musical acts, mainly aimed at teens, students and graduates.

Whilst they offer an amazing musical experience, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re looking for an alternative option for you and your mates or somewhere that you can bring your kids to, then check out our top UK & Ireland festivals.

These festivals are family friendly as well as offering much more outside the main music acts. They have a huge variety of food on offer, as well as arts and crafts, play areas and popular entertainment acts.

source: pinterest

Electric Picnic

The only festival featured in our list that’s held outside of the UK, Electric Picnic is situated in Co.Laois, Ireland. Known for it’s quirky and eclectic vibe, Electric Picnic offers a family campsite with full facilities allowing you and the kids to pitch up a tent and mingle with the other families there.

Soul Kids is a specific area dedicated to encouraging kids to be creative, celebrating nature and adding a touch of magic. There will be acts, workshops and performances to keep the kiddies entertained and occupied.

Sunflower Fest

Based in Hillsborough, NI, Sunflower Fest is young but growing strength by strength. Very reminiscent of the hippy, chilled out vibe of Woodstock, Sunflower Fest brings together modern and folk music with a distinctive relaxed, flower power atmosphere.

Set on a farm, there are plenty of activities to avail of, including storytelling, arts, crafts and interactive workshops for the kids. There’s also yoga, poetry, comedy and the invisible forest. What’s more, it’s not for profit with all proceeds going to a local charity.

Camp Bestival

Known as a boutique festival with a mixture of pop and alternative musical acts, Camp Bestival is much more than just a music festival. It’s a buzzing spiritual haven that has something for everyone. Set in the beautiful Lulworth Castle in Dorset, it has a whole host of activities for kids and adults, probably the largest range compared to other similar style festivals.

Your little ones can enjoy playing in the kids garden and the magic meadow. There will be face painting, fairground rides, bouncy castles and plenty of magical workshops including building a home for the fairies and carving out a wand. Kids entertainment is plentiful with acts like Dick and Dom, The Cat in the Hat and a music club.

Beautiful Days

An award winning family festival, Beautiful Days has a different theme every year with this year’s being ‘The Garden’. Flowers, hedgehogs, bumblebees, birds and gnomes will characterize this year’s festival with plenty to see and do.

For the adults, there will be several stages for quirky, alternative musical acts. For the kids there will be dress up, circus, fairground rides, storytelling and face painting. 

Big Feastival

Organised by Jamie Oliver and located on Alex James’ farm, Big Feastival is exactly what it sounds like; a celebration of music, food and fun for you and the family. There will be local produce, cookery classes as well as intimate Q&A sessions with top chefs.

You can camp in style at the glamping village with a variety of activities for the kids including the little dudes den, arts and crafts workshop, big top games and a vintage funfair.

If you’re thinking of heading to a festival this year, then make sure you have your festival fashion essentials sorted! Ensure your little ones are kitted out with their floral headbands, wellies and kids waterproof coats.

A Beginner’s Guide to the Mournes

This week kicks off a four week series of beginner’s guides to some of the most popular hiking areas in the UK. Stay tuned for posts on Scottish, English and Welsh territory coming up in the following weeks. We’re sharing everything you need to give you a good start, where ever you may be headed in the UK.

This week, we’re starting off with our homeland, Northern Ireland.

The Mourne Mountains (or the Mountains of Mourne) form the highest and most dramatic mountain range in Northern Ireland. With breath-taking views across the Irish Sea and an intricate map of weaving paths to explore, they are high on any keen hiker’s to-do list.

The mountains can be divided into two distinctive areas: the Eastern, or “High Mournes” and the Western or “Low Mournes”. Below is a map of the mountains to show this. The Mournes are well known for providing a wide variety of stunning scenery for a relatively small geographical area.

Sourced from walkni.com

The area of the Mournes is compact and navigation is usually straightforward. The Eastern Mournes are laid out in the shape of a trident with two large valleys running from the north to the south, separating the three 'prongs' of the trident. West of this area, there is another group of high hills which centre on the twin peaks of Eagle Mountain and ShanSlieve before sloping to lower hills which then continue west and south towards the small village of Rostrevor.

Our Top 3 Routes

Slieve Donard from Newcastle

We’re starting with this route as it is perhaps the most popular walk in the Mournes. In fact, it’s been so popular that considerable erosion has become evident in recent years, causing the need for renovation work on the path. It is the normal and most direct route up Slieve Donard, the highest peak in the Mournes. It should take around 2 ½ hours at a decent walking pace to get to the top.

Start in the Donard car park in Newcastle and follow an obvious path at the back of the park which leads into the trees. Follow the path up the left bank of the Glen River where you will come across a bridge. Cross this bridge and turn right to ascent the left bank of the river, with waterfalls on the right. Here you will come to a second bridge. Cross this and continue again on the left bank past more waterfalls to a third and final bridge. Do not cross this bridge, but continue up a rocky track to a gate which gives access to the open mountainside.

Continue straight ahead with the Glen River on the left and forest on the right. Near the head of the valley, turn left to cross the river. The path, which is well worn and has been substantially re-engineered in recent years goes directly up, then curves right on to the flat saddle between Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh. Walk in a southerly direction to intercept the Mourne Wall. Turn left along the wall to head for the top of Donard.

The final part of the hike climbs beside the wall directly up to the summit of Slieve Donard. This part is especially tough as it is a continuous slope for 1000 feet, but increasingly impressive views over the Mourne countryside make the slog a little easier to bear.

Slieve Binian from Carricklittle

This route is the most direct route to the top of Slieve Binnian. It begins in the Carricklittle car park. This is at the junction of the Head Road and Oldtown Road near Annalong. The route is quite tiring, though the views are very impressive. This route should take about 2 hours to get to the top.

From the car park go up the track which runs north before it curves west to join the Mourne Wall at a gate and stile. Cross over the stile and continue straight with the Mourne wall on your left and a fence on the right. The track then curves right to follow the south western edge of the forest. Leave the track and go directly along the side of the wall. It runs fairly straight for half a mile up a steady slope.

The wall begins to veer left and left again while the slope steepens, ending finally against the summit tor of Slieve Binnian. The Summit cannot easily be gained from this point. Move right along the base of the tor and make your way up steep grass and heather slopes to a gap. Turn left here and climb a rock step. Cross the rock slabs with care to get to the final step up to the summit. You will find an old metal fence post at the top. Take extra care at the last part of this climb as strong winds or snow and ice will make this route particularly hazardous.

Trassey to Bloody Bridge

This route is a moderate linear walk for those of you who would prefer a less challenging walk. It links the Trassey Track and the Bloody Bridge via the Brandy Pad. You can see sights such as the Mourne Wall, the Castles, Slieve Commedagh and Slieve Donard on this walk.

To begin, turn left out of Trassey car park. You will see double gates and a stone stile to mark the start of the Trassey Track. Continue straight ahead up this quarry track and pass through another 2 sets of double gates. The path becomes steeper and steeper as it follows the river. Continue up the Trassey Track towards Hare's Gap which is the col between Slievenaglogh and Slieve Bernagh. Cross over the Mourne Wall using the stile and veer left, onto a well-worn track called the Brandy Pad. Continue along this track for 3 km where you will pass three large mountains: Slievenaglogh, Slieve Corragh and Slieve Commedagh, which is the second highest peak in the Mournes. You will come to some stone steps which lead up to the col between Slieve Beg and Slieve Commedagh. Veer left on the col to pass underneath the craggy outcrops of the Castles which will be on your left. Continue on the main path which follows around the base of Slieve Donard to meet the wall at the Bog of Donard. Cross over the Mourne Wall and keep on the track which follows down the Bloody Bridge River. When you come to a quarry, cross over the Bloody Bridge River and continue along the well-worn quarry track. Follow the track to the left towards the Bloody Bridge River and then cross the river using conveniently located boulders as stepping stones. Follow this river downstream, crossing a wooden footbridge over the Glenfofanny River. Keep following the river down towards the coast and turn left when you come to the Ballagh Road. The Bloody Bridge car park will be 20m away on the opposite side of the road.

Little-Known Facts

The Mourne Wall

A famous landmark, The Mourne Wall runs through the Mournes, over the top of no less than 15 mountains, is an impressive 22 miles in length and runs over the summit of the highest peak: the Slieve Donard. Its main purpose was originally to keep cattle and sheep out of the water catchment area of the Silent Valley reservoir but has since become a useful guide for hikers and an impressive sight to visit. Completed in 1922, the wall took over 18 years to finish with many skilled local tradesmen employed seasonally to build it. The wall still stands up to 8ft high and 3ft wide today.

Smuggler’s Haven

Illegal cargo ships stocked full of prohibited packages of tobacco, wine, spirits, leather, silk and spices docked at the foot of the Mournes in Newcastle during the 18th and 19th Centuries. The smugglers would then load horses with these illegal products and trek through the Mourne Mountains to Hilltown. Trade was so good and the route was so widely used that a track was soon worn away by the hooves of the heavily laden horses. This old track is still there today and is a popular walking route among hikers, appropriately known as "The Brandy Pad".

Natural Beauty: Top Autumnal Walks in the UK

After a long summer, this past week we have seen a change in the temperature and it’s finally starting to feel a whole lot more like autumn. Now that it’s time to wrap up warm, we thought it would be useful to share some of our favourite walking destinations so you can enjoy the beauty of the season to the full.

Stourhead, the National Trust property in Wiltshire

Visit the Palladian mansion and world-famous landscape garden at Stourhead to see the cool October sun shine resting on trees that are in full autumn bloom surrounding the Palladian bridge and the lakeside Pantheon.

When Stourhead was first opened in the 1740s, it was described as ‘a living work of art’ by a local magazine. The famous landscape garden features a magnificent lake in the centre that reflects classical temples, mystical grottoes, and rare and exotic trees. Stourhead offers a day of fresh air and discovery and is perfect for exploring everything autumn has to offer.

Tollymore Forrest Park, County Down, Northern Ireland

A forest park immersed in history, Tollymore is a rare treat. With stone cones atop gate piers and glorious gothic-style gate arches, that highly individualistic character of the designer, Thomas Wright of Durham (1711-1786), (who was a friend of Lord Clanbrassil, owner of Tollymore at that time) is ever-present.

There are so many interesting features to be seen walking along the Shimna River. Rocky outcrops, bridges, grottos and caves are just a few of the unique structures. Exotic trees such as monkey puzzle and eucalyptus can be found in the park as well as tall giant redwoods and Monterey pines. The Oak wood found in Tollymore was the material used to create the interiors of the White Star liners including the 'Titanic' which was built in Belfast. A splendid avenue of Deodar cedars makes for a striking entrance to this romantic forest park in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains. Visit this park in autumn to see it in all its red and gold glory.

If you keep an eye out, you might even recognise a few spots in this park from our brochures!

Allen Banks and Staward Gorge, Northumberland

This large area of woodland and river scenery has miles of way marked walks through ornamental and ancient woods. Allen Banks is a fantastic home for nature such as flora, fauna and fungi- if you’re lucky, you can view over 70 species of birds at Allen Banks and a number of mammals such as roe deer, dormice, otters and bats.

Keep your eyes peeled for the remains of a medieval Pele tower and a reconstructed Victorian summerhouse and ornamental pond during the wonderful woodland walks. You can also cross a chain bridge surrounded by a wall of copper beech trees in autumn.

Cistercian Abbey, Georgian Water Garden and Medieval Deer Park, North Yorkshire

These beautiful gardens come from humble beginnings. The magnificent abbey was established by monks who were seeking a simpler existence. The grounds are very atmospheric and the ruins that remain are a peaceful reminder of a simpler time. When the socially ambitious John Aislabie inherited Studley Royal, he set about creating an elegant water garden of mirror-like ponds, statues and follies, incorporating the pretty ruins into his design.

The green lawns stretch down to the riverside, a perfect spot for an autumn picnic. Paths along the riverside lead to the deer park, home to Red, Fallow and Sika deer and ancient trees; limes, oaks, and chestnuts. This special place is one of a kind and is now recognised as a World Heritage Site.

The National Arboretum, Gloucestershire

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, is one of the finest collections of temperate trees and shrubs in the world. The 600 acre arboretum is home to 2,500 different species of trees and over 15,000 individual specimens- perfect if you are planning an autumn nature trail. This beautiful forest park offers an unforgettable day out, with the autumnal colour explosion of the world famous Japanese maples well worth a visit in October.