Just For Tots at Butlin's - the highs and lows

To be frank Butlin's had never been on my radar for a mini-break.

In my mind I had ideas of an old fashioned, jaded resort and quite honestly, there were other places in the UK I’d rather visit.

Then my husband found himself at Butlin's Bognor Regis, staying at one of their hotels when his workplace took over the resort for a conference. He FaceTimed, giving me a tour of his hotel room and sent pictures of the set-up. It looked better than I expected and there was a Spa - this was getting tempting.

A few months later Butlin's was mentioned again. There was a Just for Tots break coming up. Aimed at Under 5s, it featured Mr Bloom as the headline event. My husband was keen so we decided to give it a try - on condition I could book a massage at the spa. 

So on a Friday afternoon we caught the train to Butlin's Bognor Regis and by 4pm we were settled into our hotel room. We spent 3 nights at the resort with our two girls aged 4 and 2. Here are our highs and lows:

HIGHS

The campus style set-up - everything is in easy reach. The hotels and self catering are a short walk from the restaurants, bars and entertainment. The resort is a 10-15 minute walk from Bognor Regis train station.

Room set-up - the hotel rooms have a separate den area for children to sleep. At the Ocean Hotel this featured two single beds with a TV (other hotels have bunk beds). A separate double bed lies in the main part of the room for adults. Having the two separate areas works brilliantly (no more hiding out in the bathroom while the kids try to get to sleep).

 

Mr Bloom - Mr Bloom was the headline event for this break. He took us on a musical adventure with classic songs remastered to have a vegetable theme. He’s a great entertainer and does not disappoint live on stage. Having seen Justin Fletcher on stage in Wimbledon, I’m sure his Butlin’s set would be brilliant - our girls loved it.

Pottery Painting- a studio had just opened when we arrived (you can book slots on the day). You pay £5 per item and there’s all sorts to choose from to paint - Unicorns, Castles, Robots, mugs etc. The paint is quick drying so you can take it with you when you leave after your session. The kids really enjoyed this activity. Just bring a bag to carry your painted craft back to the hotel (the studio were not able to provide any.)

Little Tikes Town - a mini freestyle racetrack filled with Little Tikes cars, taxis, scooters and bicycles. Little Tikes castles and playhouses are dotted around the sides too. Great fun for the Under 5s.

Ocean Spa - I went for my promised massage at the spa located in the Ocean Hotel. I was really impressed with the massage itself which ran to time and was incredibly relaxing. The treatment room was modern, comfortable and clean and the staff friendly. You can use the steam room, sauna, snow cave, jacuzzi and plunge pool for a separate charge.

LOWS

Air Con - it was snowing in Bognor Regis and that meant the heating was on full blast in the hotel. Our room was like a sauna when we arrived. We quickly went to turn on the air con but we were told that there’s no air con at this time of year. Actually this isn’t quite the case. We complained at 4am when all four of us were wide awake and the reception staff switched it on. Apparently it works on a floor by floor basis so I imagine tricky to keep everyone happy. It is an option though if you ask for it.

Busy mealtimes - the breakfast buffet was quite chaotic. Not so bad if you eat at 7.30 but around 9.00 it was very hectic. They completely ran out of yoghurts one morning (even in their store room) and some of the pastries (stored in a refrigerated section) were absolutely rock hard. 

Splash Waterworld pool. A few people had said it was quite cold and my husband (who took our eldest daughter swimming) agreed. It also gets really busy but around 11am seemed like a slightly better time to go. The changing room was still rammed though.

Showtimes- our tickets for the headline shows on both days were for 2pm. I thought this was an odd time to hold the main headline event for Under 5s as many nap around this time. I would definitely say morning or late afternoon would make more sense. Some of the shows run at 7pm too so this might be an option if you can get your ticket changed.

WiFi - if this is important to you or you expect/need to be online throughout your stay, you may need to pay extra. The ‘basic’ free package includes 300mb free data per day. This lasted me about 10 minutes per day (briefly checking emails, Instagram and Twitter) before I was locked out and told I had used up my daily allowance. WiFi is provided by another provider and problems can’t be handled by Butlin’s staff directly, I was told.

TOP TIPS

 

Book the restaurants in advance for dinner. If you have a meal package which includes dinner, you can book some of the other restaurants onsite some of which are table service if you don’t fancy the buffet. You can book on the day with the Butler at the hotel.

 

There’s a well stocked supermarket with all the essentials on site. In Bognor Regis itself there’s a Morrison’s just off the high street if you need more specific bits. There's also a few pharmacies and about 10 charity shops in the town centre.

 

If there’s a sunny and dry day, make the most of the outside fairground activities (Carousel/Helter Skelter) If it’s raining or snowing some of them close and won’t run.

I’d say our first trip to Butlin’s was a mixed bag. The girls loved parts of it but we all found it a bit busy and overwhelming at times. As with any holiday, it’s what you make of it and our highlights were definitely Mr Bloom, Pottery painting and some of the inside rides. There’s plenty going on at Just for Tots - just be prepared for it to be busy.

72 hours in York with kids

There are two things that are a pleasant surprise about York.

1. It’s actually just 2 hours from London by train
2. You can easily walk everywhere when you're there.

My husband acted as expert guide on our 3 night mini-break with the girls (both under 4).

He could easily identify with the three young guys swaying down the road in 70s get up for he was once a student there himself.

17 years later and with two pre-schoolers in tow, would York offer a good respite after a hectic Christmas?

The answer is a definite yes.

What to see

In our short few days in York we visited the breathtaking York Minster - the biggest of its kind in Northern Europe immense in scale and with some stunning stained glass. The closer you peer, the more you notice. The detail is incredible. The kaleidoscopic ceilings are something to behold and admire.

We also visited the Jorvik Viking Centre. In slow-moving cars (a bit like the waltzers at the fairground but about 200 times slower) you get taken on a 16 minute tour through life in a 10th century Viking city. With animatronic people and animals, the ride offers in insight into life back then - complete with sounds and smells. It’s something for all ages to enjoy.

The National Railway Museum is also a must. An impressive collection of old locomotives showing how people used to travel (spoiler alert - it was a hell of a lot nicer than now). We timed our visit perfectly as Tim Peake’s spacecraft is currently on display there - a reminder of one hot and (I imagine) uncomfortable journey back to Earth (the Soyuz Descent Module is tiny for three men to be cramped inside).

Where to Stay

We stayed at The Grand Hotel which was perfectly placed close to the train station and a short walk to York city centre with all its restaurants and shops. The Grand offers large rooms - perfect for a family of four and a big highlight for our 3 year old was an indoor pool. ‘We wanna go back the room’ became a familiar sentence from our two girls. After a hectic morning of walking more than they normally would, the girls were more than happy to arrive back at the hotel for a swim and a movie in the room (the hotel kindly provided a DVD player.)

For the best coffee...

Head to Spring Espresso (named one of Britain's 30 best and buzziest coffee shops by The Daily Telegraph). This stylish and relaxed cafe (child friendly) served up a delicious marmite toast. The marmite is pre-mixed into the dough with a sprinkling of cheese. The coffee was the best I’ve had for ages. This place will offer a great caffeine hit to start your day and they also serve babyccinos for the little ones. Brownie points for mum and dad.

Restaurant-wise we ate at the family-run Mamma Mia in Gillygate. A simple spicy Arrabiatta hit just the right spot washed down with a chilled glass of Pinot. There is a children’s menu with pizza and pasta options to choose from.

Gusto in Little Stonegate is a lovely, atmospheric brasserie we ate at, offering an extensive range of pizza, pasta, steak, salads and more. Again they offer a good selection for children.

So while the temptation in January may be to hop on a plane and escape the rain and drizzle - we wrapped up warm and embraced it. York has lots to offer for a few days away. Only last night we were chatting about how relaxing it was being out of London. The kids clearly loved a change of scene and being somewhere new. I’m sure it won’t be long before we head back - I miss it already.

5 reasons to try family cruising

Taking in the view in Olden, Norway.

Ahhh… holidays with young children. Those wonderful memories of those special early years - first steps in the sand, first ice-creams at sunset…

But let's be honest, getting ready to go away isn’t exactly a walk in the park. 

Firstly you literally have to pack up the whole house and try to fit it in a couple of suitcases.

Then you have to deal with airport tantrums, being the couple with THAT SCREAMING BABY on the plane and the toddler who kicks the back of the seat in front.

We have taken the stress out of the equation and take to water instead.

Friends may look at me like I am mad when I tell them we’re off on another cruise. I guess to non-cruisers it may seem like an odd choice when you have young children.

But to me it’s the perfect solution.

Our eldest who’s 4 next March has been on three cruises, our youngest (22 months) has been on two.

My husband and I fell for cruising just before we got married. Our second cruise and honeymoon took us to Caribbean.

When we had our first child, we presumed our cruising days were on hold.

But when I looked into holiday options when our eldest was 14 months, I realised children are very much included in the cruising experience.

These are five of the reasons why we choose cruising as a family:

1. Kids are well catered for

Anything from bottle warmers and sterilisers to baby baths. It’s all taken care of if you put in the request either when you book or are on board. Baby food is also supplied and children are more than welcome during the evening meal.

2. Play

There are children’s clubs full of toys, soft play equipment and family movies. There’s a creche and kid’s club and numerous swimming pools on board for potty trained toddlers.

3. Stress free travel

Imagine hopping on the train for a few hours and straight on to a luxury cruise liner? Each time we cruise with children we head to our nearest port - Southampton and step straight on board. No plane delays, no airport stress, the holiday can begin right away.

4. Staff friendliness

That extra scoop of ice-cream at dinner, adoring smiles when you walk around the ship with the little ones, peek-a-boo with the stateroom attendant. The staff onboard can’t do enough when you take children on board. That makes for such a special experience and a memorable family holiday.

5. And relax…

So what about mum and dad? When I am on board I make the most of a few hours to myself while my husband babysits - a trip to the cinema, a luxurious deep tissue massage, a glass of fizz by the pool (maybe with snow-capped mountain as your view), or even something as simple as breakfast on the stateroom balcony. There’s simply nothing better than enjoying a steaming cup of coffee, a pastry, the sound of the waves beneath you and a grinning toddler at the glass door - watching mummy and also watching the world go by…

Sunset in the Norwegian Fjords

Cruising the Norwegian Fjords

The beautiful town of Olden in the Norwegian Fjords

Norway is every bit as breathtaking as I imagined.  It has been high on our list of places to visit for some time and we settled on a seven night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords for our first proper family holiday with our 14 month old. 

Breakfast with a view

I admit I was always a bit of a snob about cruises, feeling they were reserved for the bingo-loving older generation. But after our first cruise five years ago, I swiftly changed my mind. On this occasion, my family and I were onboard P&O's brand new ship Britannia, a huge, floating, gleaming hotel complete with fine dining restaurants, cinema, theatre and spa.  Cruise ships these days are incredible, some ships boast multi million pound art collections featuring works by artists such as Jeff Koons and Anish Kapoor. 

We have now been on three cruises and I had never anticipated how calming I would find it being on the water. Sitting on a balcony watching the sunsets, with the gentle sounds of the waves below is unforgettable.  On this trip I was able to take a dip in the heated outdoor pool whilst taking in the surrounding landscape of Olden.

I worried if cruising with a baby would work logistically but we had a fantastic cabin set-up with everything we needed and baby food supplies provided. All that was left was to strap our daughter in her baby carrier, fill our lungs with the icy and crisp Norwegian air and set about exploring the ports of Bergen, Andalsnes, Olden and Stavanger. We were not disappointed and will definitely return.

Homes perched around Olden lake

The city of Stavanger

Taking in the sights from one of the ship's many onboard restaurants.