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Family Weekly Update This week was half term and also the hottest week of the year so far ☀️ Leo and I both really struggle in hot weather, so we didn’t venture too far from the house this week, but we still had lots of fun at home with paddling pools, ice lollies, garden games and cosy movie nights together. It was also a big week personally for me because I finally managed another solo theatre trip to see Waitress The Musical at Palace Theatre Manchester despite my anxiety being really bad lately. Here’s this week’s family weekly update, sharing everything we got up to during another very hot half term week. 💻 Editing, Blogging & A Very Hot Monday On Monday, I did what I usually seem to do at the start of the week — editing the weekly vlog and writing the weekly update blog post. It was absolutely boiling indoors though, so I had my fan on full blast next to me while I worked. While I was busy editing, Lawrence took the kids to the park. Before they left, we made sure they had suncream on, packed water bottles and got their hats and sunglasses ready because the heat was intense even early in the day. They had a lovely time at the park playing on the swings, slide and climbing frame before heading home for lunch. Once they were back, the kids happily sat in front of the fan watching cartoons and playing on their tablets while trying to cool down. 🎭 Anxiety, Changing Plans & Waitress The Musical On Tuesday, I was originally supposed to go and see Waitress The Musical. However, last week Lawrence told me he was going to the Wednesday matinee and that my parents were also going, so I asked if we could swap tickets so I could go with my parents instead and maybe go for lunch beforehand. My anxiety has been really bad recently and I’ve been struggling a lot with going places alone, especially in the evenings, so going with my parents felt much easier mentally. Unfortunately, after we transferred the tickets over, I realised Lawrence’s ticket actually said 7:30pm — not 2:30pm — meaning it wasn’t a matinee at all. Originally, I still planned to go to the Tuesday performance, but because I hadn’t mentally prepared myself for going that day, my anxiety got worse and worse as the afternoon went on. In the end, Lawrence went instead and I decided I would try again on Wednesday. While Lawrence was at the theatre, I stayed home with the kids, worked on some blog posts and watched Bluey with them before bedtime. 🎭 A Solo Theatre Trip To See Waitress On Wednesday, I spent most of the day working on my blog. Because it’s mine and Lawrence’s 10-year wedding anniversary in June, I started planning some blog posts about our wedding and honeymoon, which meant sorting through lots of old photos and videos from over the years. That evening, it was finally my turn to see Waitress The Musical at Palace Theatre Manchester. Honestly, my anxiety was awful all day and I nearly talked myself out of going several times. Going to the theatre alone is actually one of the reasons I originally started vlogging my theatre trips in the first place because having the camera gave me something else to focus on and really helped ease my anxiety around solo trips. Recently though, my anxiety has become much worse again, so this trip ended up feeling like quite a big personal achievement by the end of the night. Eventually, at around 6:15pm, I forced myself out of the house and headed for the tram into Manchester. Even though I’ve done the journey to Palace Theatre countless times before, I still felt incredibly anxious walking through Manchester alone towards an evening performance. However, once I reached the theatre and started taking some photos outside, I slowly started feeling calmer. As always, one of the first things I did after arriving was head straight over to the merchandise stand. Lawrence had already bought a programme the night before and we already owned the magnet from the previous UK tour, so although I was very tempted by the tote bag and oven mitt, I somehow managed not to buy anything this time. I then headed upstairs towards the quieter Circle bar area while waiting for the auditorium to open, which honestly helped my anxiety quite a bit because it was less crowded. I was seated in Circle Row R Seat 14 right at the back, and honestly I was really impressed with the view considering the ticket only cost £15. The Circle at Palace Theatre Manchester is really well raked and because the seats are staggered rather than directly behind one another, my view never felt blocked. I’d also worried about how hot the theatre would feel because of the heatwave, but thankfully it was actually really comfortable inside all evening. Once I was sat down in my seat, my anxiety finally started lifting and I was able to properly enjoy the show. By the end of the evening, I was honestly so glad I’d pushed myself to still go. Not only did I absolutely love revisiting one of my favourite musicals again, but it also felt like a huge personal achievement finally managing another solo theatre trip after struggling so much recently. 👉 You can read more about my visit and shorter review HERE 👉 And you can read my full review on All About Theatre HERE After getting home, I made a start on writing my review before eventually heading to bed. ☀️ Pirate Ship Pools, Water Cannons & Homemade Ice Lollies On Thursday, I finished writing both of my Waitress reviews, filmed my YouTube review and edited the vlog from my theatre trip. While I was busy working, Lawrence got the kids’ pirate ship paddling pool out in the garden. Alice absolutely loved pretending to be a pirate and spent ages outside playing pirates with Daddy using the inflatable pirate swords that came with the pool. The pirate ship also has a water cannon attached to it and at one point Lawrence sprayed me with it while I walked outside, which Alice found absolutely hilarious. Poor Leo found it far too hot outside though, so instead he stayed indoors beside the fan building his marble run and playing on his tablet. Later on, I helped the kids make homemade ice lollies using the Stitch ice lolly moulds we bought from Primark the previous week. Alice got really creative with hers and added strawberries, grapes and orange pieces before we filled the moulds with apple and blackcurrant cordial and orange juice. After a few hours in the freezer, they were finally ready and the kids were so excited to try them. Honestly, they were exactly what you needed in the heat. 🏰 Bouncy Castle Fun & The Hottest Roast Dinner Ever On Friday, I spent most of the day editing YouTube videos and working on blog posts while Lawrence took the kids to the park. When they got back, I made them some lunch while Lawrence set up the bouncy castle in the garden. Thankfully, it was slightly cooler than earlier in the week, so Leo was much happier playing outside today. The children spent ages bouncing around and playing together in the garden. I also very questionably decided to make a roast dinner in the middle of the heatwave. I’m an incredibly fussy eater and I’d been craving a roast dinner all day, but I very quickly regretted the decision once the kitchen started feeling like an oven. The dinner was lovely though. Nobody else in the house really likes roast dinners apart from me, so I ended up saving half of it for the next day while Lawrence happily stole the chicken legs as a snack afterwards. 💦 Paddling Pools, Disney Movies & Opening My New Air Fryer On Saturday, Leo asked if we could get his smaller paddling pool out as well, so Lawrence set it up for him in the garden. The children then decided they wanted to put the slide into the pool so they could slide down into the water, which they thought was absolutely hilarious. They also spent ages chasing each other around the garden spraying water everywhere using the pirate ship water cannon. While they played outside, I hoovered the house, tidied my craft room and finally opened the new air fryer I bought a couple of weeks ago but hadn’t had chance to set up yet. It’s actually going to live in my craft room rather than the kitchen because I bought it purely for sublimation crafts rather than cooking. I originally bought it when it dropped from £69 to £55, but then discovered it had gone down even further to £45 which was slightly frustrating considering I hadn’t even opened it yet. For dinner, I reheated the leftover roast chicken from Friday with potatoes, vegetables and the leftover gravy. After dinner, the kids and I curled up on the sofa together and watched Oliver & Company on Disney+ because they’d never seen it before. I thought they’d probably enjoy it because they love anything with cats and dogs in it — and thankfully they absolutely loved it. 🧹 Sunday Reset, Disney Classics & Holiday Packing On Sunday, the children spent the morning playing outside with Lawrence while I hoovered my craft room because I hadn’t managed to finish it the day before. I then started editing this weekly vlog and writing this blog post so both would be ready to go live together on Monday. After dinner, I took a little break and sat down on the sofa with the kids while we watched The Aristocats on Disney+ — another film they’d never seen before even though Alice has lots of Marie things in her bedroom. They both really enjoyed it and I realised I don’t actually think I’d ever properly watched the whole film myself because there were so many parts I didn’t remember. Later that evening, Lawrence got our suitcase down from the loft and we started packing for our holiday. 💜 Final Thoughts Overall, this ended up being a much quieter week than usual, but honestly I think we all needed it. Between the heatwave, half term and my anxiety being particularly difficult this week, it was nice focusing on slower family days at home, garden fun and cosy movie nights together. I’m also genuinely really proud of myself for managing my solo theatre trip to see Waitress because it would have been very easy to stay home instead. Sometimes the little wins really are the biggest ones. 🎥 Watch Our Weekly Vlog If you’d like to see everything we got up to this week, including our heatwave garden fun, homemade ice lollies and my solo trip to see Waitress The Musical, you can watch this week’s family weekly vlog over on YouTube.

Finally Seeing Waitress Again On Wednesday 27th May, I headed into Manchester to see Waitress at the Palace Theatre Manchester. This theatre trip was actually meant to look very different originally. I booked my ticket for Waitress the moment tickets first went on sale because I wanted to grab one of the affordable £15 seats at the back of the Circle before they sold out. As it was booked so far in advance, Lawrence and I ended up booking separate performances just in case my parents weren’t available to have the kids. Originally I had booked the Tuesday evening performance whilst Lawrence booked Wednesday. However, as the show got closer, my anxiety became much worse and I completely lost confidence in going to the theatre alone at night. Lawrence suggested we swap tickets because my parents were already going to the Wednesday matinee performance, and he thought he had booked the matinee too. The plan was that I’d meet up with my parents beforehand, have lunch with them and then all head to the theatre together, meaning I wouldn’t have to do the trip alone. However, when we finally transferred the tickets over on Tuesday afternoon, we realised Lawrence had accidentally booked the Wednesday evening performance rather than the matinee. By that point it was too late to change things around, so Lawrence still went to see Waitress on Tuesday night whilst I ended up using his Wednesday evening ticket and heading into Manchester alone after all. Going to the theatre alone is actually one of the reasons I originally started vlogging my theatre trips in the first place. Having the camera with me gave me something else to focus on and helped ease some of the anxiety around doing solo theatre trips, especially at evening performances. Recently though, my anxiety has become much worse again, which is why this particular trip ended up feeling like quite a big personal achievement by the end of the night. By Wednesday morning my anxiety was awful and I nearly talked myself out of going several times throughout the day, but eventually around 6:15pm I forced myself out of the house and headed for the tram into Manchester. Travelling Into Manchester I got off at St Peter’s Square around 6:50pm before making the walk up to Palace Theatre Manchester. Even though I’ve done this journey countless times before, I still felt incredibly anxious walking through Manchester alone, especially knowing I was heading to an evening performance by myself. However, once I reached the theatre and started taking some photos outside, I slowly started feeling a little calmer. Arriving at Palace Theatre Manchester After taking some photos outside, I headed into the theatre. As always, one of the first things I did was head over to the merchandise stand to see what was available. Lawrence had already bought a programme the night before and we already had the magnet from the previous UK tour, so although I was very tempted by both the tote bag and the oven mitt, I somehow managed not to buy anything this time. There was actually a really nice range of merchandise available including: 📖 House Programme – £8 📖 Programme & CD Bundle – £25 👕 Logo T-Shirt – £30 👕 Messy Oversized T-Shirt – £30 🧥 Hoodie – £55 👜 Tote Bag – £20 🧢 Cap – £25 ☕ Mug – £16 🧲 Magnet – £10 🔑 Keyring – £12 📍 Pin Badge – £9 🍴 Spoon – £10 🥄 Spatula – £10 🧤 Oven Mitt – £20 🧺 Tea Towel – £15 👩‍🍳 Apron – £25 One thing I will say though is that I do think theatre programmes are becoming far too expensive now. House programmes at this production were £8, which personally I think is quite a lot, especially for programmes like this one which mainly contained cast biographies and adverts. There weren’t really any behind-the-scenes articles or production photos to look through, and most of the information included can already be found for free on the official Waitress website. I then headed upstairs towards the Circle, although the auditorium hadn’t opened yet, so I waited in the quieter bar area for a little while which honestly helped my anxiety quite a bit as it was less crowded. The doors opened around 7:05pm and I headed into the auditorium to find my seat. My Seat at Palace Theatre Manchester I was seated in Circle Row R Seat 14 right at the back, and honestly I was really impressed with the view considering the ticket only cost £15. The Circle at Palace Theatre Manchester is really well raked and because the seats are staggered rather than directly behind one another, I never felt like my view was blocked by the person in front. Although there is an overhang from the Grand Tier above, nothing in Waitress really happens particularly high up on the stage, so I didn’t feel like I missed anything. Legroom was also much better than I expected and overall I found the seat really comfortable. For the price, I genuinely thought it was excellent value and I would happily sit there again. One thing I was also worried about before arriving was how hot the theatre would feel because the weather has been absolutely boiling recently. I’d even packed a hand fan expecting it to be uncomfortable sitting high up in the Circle, but thankfully the temperature inside the theatre was actually really comfortable all evening and I never needed it. Once I was finally sat down in my seat, my anxiety honestly started lifting almost immediately and I finally began feeling excited for the show instead. While waiting for the performance to begin, I looked through the programme Lawrence had bought the night before. The runtime for Waitress is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes including a 20-minute interval, with Act One running around 70 minutes and Act Two around 60 minutes. The Story of Waitress I first saw Waitress back in 2021 during its first UK tour and completely fell in love with it then, so I’d been really looking forward to seeing this anniversary tour production. At the time I originally saw the show, theatres were still recovering after Covid restrictions and audiences were noticeably smaller than they are now, so it felt really lovely seeing the Palace Theatre so full this time round. It also felt really special seeing Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins returning to the roles of Becky and Dawn after appearing in the previous UK tour as well. I’d honestly forgotten just how emotional Waitress can be at times. Although the show deals with some difficult themes, it still manages to feel warm, funny and comforting throughout, and the friendships between Jenna, Becky and Dawn remain one of my favourite parts of the entire musical. The audience reactions throughout the evening were brilliant and there were so many moments where the whole theatre was laughing loudly together before suddenly becoming completely silent during some of the more emotional scenes. Set Design, Music & Performances From my seat in the Circle, the diner set still looked lovely and cosy and suited the atmosphere of the show perfectly. I also really like having the band visible on stage throughout much of the production as it helps the music feel even more connected to everything happening on stage. One thing I’d forgotten about Waitress is just how many songs I genuinely love in this show. I still had several of them stuck in my head walking back through Manchester afterwards. Songs including Opening Up, What Baking Can Do, Bad Idea and When He Sees Me all got fantastic audience reactions, whilst Never Ever Getting Rid Of Me brought some of the biggest laughs of the entire evening. Of course though, the biggest moment of the night was always going to be She Used To Be Mine. By the time Carrie Hope Fletcher performed it, the entire theatre had gone completely silent and you could feel how emotionally invested the audience were in the performance. Carrie Hope Fletcher was absolutely brilliant as Jenna and completely drew the audience into her story. Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins were both fantastic returning to Becky and Dawn, whilst Mark Anderson completely stole every scene he appeared in as Ogie thanks to his chaotic energy and comic timing. I also really enjoyed Dan Partridge as Dr Pomatter and it was lovely seeing Les Dennis as Joe again as well. Final Thoughts on Waitress UK Tour By the end of the evening, I was so glad I had pushed myself to still go despite how anxious I’d felt beforehand. Not only did I absolutely love revisiting one of my favourite musicals again, but it also felt like quite a big personal achievement finally managing another solo theatre trip after struggling with my anxiety recently. Warm, funny and deeply emotional, Waitress remains one of the most heartfelt musicals around. Ten years on, Waitress still serves up one of the most heartfelt nights in musical theatre. Further Information & Tour Dates Waitress is at Palace Theatre Manchester until Saturday 30th May 2026. Tickets are available to purchase through the ATG Tickets website. The production is also continuing to tour across the UK throughout 2026 and will also be returning to Greater Manchester later this year when it visits The Lowry from 27th – 31st October 2026. For more information and full tour dates, visit the official Waitress UK Tour website. If you’d like to read my more theatre-focused review, you can also head over to All About Theatre. 🎥 Watch My Theatre Trip in Weekly Vlog #455 If you’d like to see what I got up to during my trip to see Waitress you can watch it in Weekly Vlog #455. Our trip to the show begins at 02:06 in the video, although the vlog also includes some other family moments from our week. At a Glance 📍 Venue: Palace Theatre Manchester 📅 Running Until: Saturday 30th May 2026 ⏱️ Runtime: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes including interval ☕ Interval: 20 minutes 🎟️ Tickets From: £15 💺 Recommended Seats: Circle Row R offered an excellent view for the price 🚋 Nearest Tram Stop: St Peter’s Square 🛍️ Merch Available: Yes – including programmes, tote bags, mugs, oven mitts and hoodies 🌍 Further Tour Dates: UK tour continuing throughout 2026 including The Lowry, Salford from 27th – 31st October 2026 🔗 Official Website: Visit the official Waitress website for tour dates and show information. Watch The Trailer

Hollin House Hotel Review We stayed at Hollin House Hotel in Cheshire for my brother’s wedding, and this Hollin House Hotel review shares our experience of the rooms, wedding venue, food and overall stay. It ended up being one of those stays that felt memorable for so many different reasons. Set near Bollington and Macclesfield on the edge of the Peak District, Hollin House Hotel is a Victorian country house hotel full of character, history and beautiful architectural details. The building itself dates back to 1870 and from the moment we arrived it already felt like somewhere special. The hotel has a real old-country-house feel to it, with gothic-style architecture, stained glass windows, sweeping staircases and lots of traditional features throughout. From the moment we arrived it felt far more like a historic manor house than a standard hotel, with plenty of character and period charm around every corner. Arriving At Hollin House Hotel We travelled to the hotel by train with the children for the wedding weekend, which already made the whole trip feel a bit more exciting for them. Macclesfield Train Station is around 4 miles from the hotel, and my dad then picked us up from the station and drove us to the hotel. Check-in at Hollin House Hotel begins from 3pm and we arrived at around 4pm. The hotel itself is surrounded by trees and countryside views, and driving up outside the large sandstone building instantly gave that “special occasion” feeling. The exterior of the hotel almost feels castle-like in places thanks to the stone architecture, turrets and large manor house appearance, which made it feel very fitting for a wedding venue. One thing that stood out straight away was how grand the inside of the hotel felt. The entrance hall is absolutely stunning with marble pillars, chandeliers, ornate white archways and a huge carved wooden staircase that immediately catches your attention. It honestly felt like one of those hotels where you keep stopping every few minutes just to properly look around and take everything in. Our Family Room For our first night before the wedding, we stayed in one of the family rooms which cost £119 including breakfast which was a special wedding guest rate. The room itself was genuinely spacious for the four of us and worked really well as a practical family base for the wedding weekend. It included a double bed along with two additional single beds already set up for the children, which instantly made things easier than trying to squeeze everyone into a standard hotel room. The décor felt much more traditional than modern boutique hotels, but honestly I think that suited the character of the building really well. The tartan-style headboards, darker wood furniture and cosy lighting all matched the historic country house atmosphere of the hotel. There was also a desk and table area which ended up being really useful for drinks, snacks, charging devices and generally organising ourselves before the wedding. The room included tea and coffee making facilities, a television and plenty of storage space for luggage, wedding outfits and all the extra things that come with travelling as a family. The bathroom had a bath and shower combination which was especially useful with the children after a long day travelling. Overall, the family room felt comfortable, practical and spacious for a family wedding stay. Whilst the bedroom itself felt more traditional in style, the grand communal areas throughout the hotel added a much more elegant country house atmosphere to the overall stay. Dinner In Our Room We arrived at the hotel at around 4pm and by the time we had found our room and unpacked everything it was already getting later in the evening. Originally, we had planned to walk to a local shop to pick up some food, but Leo was tired, not feeling very well and ended up having a meltdown, so I took him back to the room whilst Lawrence continued looking for somewhere to get food. By the time Lawrence got back just after 6:30pm, he hadn’t managed to find anything nearby that the children would actually eat, so instead he went down to the hotel bar and ordered food there before bringing it back up to the room, which the staff were absolutely fine about. I had chicken breast with chips and peas, whilst the children had fish goujons, chips and peas. Honestly, this ended up working perfectly for our first evening at the hotel. Rather than trying to get everyone settled and then head back downstairs to a restaurant, we were able to relax properly whilst the children adjusted to their new surroundings. The food itself felt comforting and generous, and after a busy afternoon travelling it was exactly what we needed. It also made the stay feel very family-friendly because sometimes the easiest option with children is simply having a cosy evening in the room rather than trying to keep everyone organised and entertained in a restaurant after a long day. The Only Issue We Experienced The only real issue we experienced during our stay was that the radiator in the family room appeared to be stuck on during an unusually hot weekend. By the evening the room had become extremely warm which was difficult with the children trying to sleep in unfamiliar surroundings. I remember saying in the vlog that “it’s really hot in here,” and honestly that probably sums it up perfectly. However, I do think it’s important to mention that the hotel staff handled the situation really well. They provided us with a fan and were very understanding about the issue throughout our stay. Then for our second night after the wedding, we were moved into the Brooke Suite which we really appreciated. What made it even more special was that this had actually been the Brooke Suite where my brother stayed the night before the wedding, whilst his partner stayed in the Davenport Suite. After the wedding they then stayed together in the Davenport Suite, which meant the Brooke Suite became available for us to use. It actually worked out really well because it gave us the opportunity to experience two completely different room types during the same stay. The Wedding Day The wedding ceremony itself took place in The Orangery at Hollin House Hotel and it honestly looked absolutely beautiful. The room felt bright, airy and elegant thanks to the huge skylight overhead which filled the space with natural light throughout the ceremony. White blossom trees lined the aisle creating such a lovely romantic setting, whilst blue chair sashes added a beautiful pop of colour against all the white décor and flowers. One detail I really liked was how versatile the space felt. During the ceremony, the bar area at the back of The Orangery had been completely hidden behind white draping which made the room feel fully focused on the ceremony itself and gave it a much softer, more elegant atmosphere. The Orangery also felt surprisingly spacious. Even with all the guests seated, it never felt cramped or overcrowded which made the whole ceremony feel relaxed and comfortable. After the ceremony, the room was then transformed for the wedding breakfast and later the evening entertainment, which honestly felt quite impressive to see. For the evening reception, the top table was simply moved away and the DJ setup took its place, allowing the room to transition naturally from daytime wedding venue to evening celebration space without guests constantly needing to move between different rooms. Combined with the grand staircase, stained glass windows and beautiful historic interiors throughout the hotel, it created such a gorgeous atmosphere for a wedding. The wedding breakfast itself was lovely and the staff kept everything running smoothly throughout the day which helped the whole celebration feel relaxed and enjoyable. One moment that really stood out to me was when Leo accidentally fell asleep just before the wedding breakfast was served. The staff were so kind about it and reassured us they would happily make him a fresh meal once he woke up later on. It was such a small gesture, but it genuinely made the whole experience feel very family-friendly and relaxed rather than stressful. As the evening went on, the darker lounge and bar areas of the hotel created a much cosier atmosphere compared to the bright Orangery. The teal walls, chandeliers, fireplaces and softer lighting gave these spaces a much warmer boutique country house feel in the evening which worked really well once the daytime celebrations had finished. Rather than feeling like a huge sprawling venue, Hollin House felt quite self-contained and easy for guests to navigate throughout the day, which helped the whole wedding feel much more relaxed and comfortable. The Brooke Suite Experience Moving into the Brooke Suite for the second night genuinely felt like a big upgrade in terms of space and comfort. The suite was much larger and brighter than the family room and immediately felt more luxurious whilst still keeping the same traditional country house character as the rest of the hotel. The standout feature was definitely the beautiful four-poster bed which instantly made the room feel much more special. There was also a lovely seating area with pink sofas beside the large windows overlooking the countryside, and having that extra lounge space made a huge difference after such a busy wedding day. One thing I particularly noticed was how much more breathing room we suddenly had as a family. With children, that extra space genuinely changes the whole feel of a hotel stay. The Brooke Suite also included a dressing table area, additional seating, tea and coffee facilities, lots of storage space and a much larger bathroom complete with both a separate bath and walk-in shower. The suite itself also felt noticeably more modern than some of the older manor house areas downstairs, particularly the bathroom which felt bright, spacious and very practical for getting ready on the wedding morning and relaxing properly afterwards. The countryside views from the windows were lovely too and helped make the room feel even more peaceful and relaxing. I can completely understand why couples would choose the suites for wedding stays because they genuinely feel special without losing the warmth and character of the historic building. Breakfast At Hollin House Hotel Breakfast was included both mornings during our stay and overall there was a good selection available. There was a buffet selection with cereals, toast, pastries, juices and hot drinks alongside cooked breakfast options. The morning of the wedding breakfast was served in the main restaurant area which had a lovely relaxed atmosphere and large windows letting in lots of natural light. Then the morning after the wedding, all of the wedding guests had breakfast together in The Orangery, the same room where the ceremony had taken place the day before. It was actually really lovely seeing how the space had been transformed once again after hosting both the ceremony and evening celebrations. The room felt completely different in daylight as a relaxed breakfast setting compared to the elegant wedding venue atmosphere from the day before. As a family, breakfast is always something we pay attention to when staying in hotels because it makes such a difference when travelling with children, and overall there was plenty for everyone to enjoy. Check-out at the hotel is 11am which gave everyone plenty of time to enjoy breakfast and get organised before heading home. Final Thoughts On Hollin House Hotel Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at Hollin House Hotel. What makes the hotel stand out most is definitely the building itself. The Victorian architecture, sweeping staircase, stained glass windows and historic country house atmosphere give it a charm that many modern hotels simply cannot replicate. I also think staying in both the family room and the Brooke Suite during the same trip gave us a really good insight into the different accommodation options available. The family room worked really well as a practical and comfortable base for the wedding weekend, whilst the Brooke Suite felt much more luxurious and spacious for our second night. Most importantly though, the hotel felt warm, welcoming and family-friendly throughout our stay, which always makes the biggest difference for me personally. Whilst some areas perhaps feel more traditional than ultra-modern luxury hotels, that honestly felt part of the charm. Hollin House Hotel feels like a genuine historic country house hotel rather than somewhere overly polished or corporate. What Hollin House Hotel does particularly well is combine the elegance of a traditional manor house wedding venue with the practicality and relaxed atmosphere of an all-in-one hotel stay. If you are looking for a Cheshire wedding venue, countryside hotel stay or family-friendly hotel near the Peak District, Hollin House Hotel is definitely worth considering. A charming Victorian country house hotel with beautiful wedding spaces, historic character and a warm family-friendly atmosphere. ℹ️ At a Glance Victorian country house hotel in Bollington, Cheshire Located on the edge of the Peak District Around 4 miles from Macclesfield Train Station Wedding venue with ceremony, reception and accommodation all in one location The Orangery used for the ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening entertainment Family rooms, suites and standard hotel rooms available We stayed in both a Family Room and the Brooke Suite during our stay Family room priced at £119 including breakfast at a special wedding guest rate Large communal lounge and bar areas with traditional manor house interiors Restaurant and bar available on-site Breakfast included during our stay Free parking available at the hotel Family-friendly atmosphere throughout the stay Historic Victorian architecture with grand staircase, chandeliers and stained glass windows Countryside surroundings and landscaped grounds 🎥 Watch Our Hollin House Hotel Room Tours We also filmed full room tour videos during our stay at Hollin House Hotel, including both the Family Room and the Brooke Suite. You can watch the room tours and see more of the hotel for yourself below. 🎥 Watch Our Full Wedding Weekend Vlog We also featured parts of our stay at Hollin House Hotel in Weekly Vlog #261, including more footage from the hotel, the wedding weekend and some behind-the-scenes moments from the trip. The Hollin House Hotel section of the vlog begins at 30:49. Watch our full Hollin House Hotel wedding weekend vlog here.

Gisborough Hall Hotel Review I previously stayed at Gisborough Hall Hotel in North Yorkshire while attending my sister’s wedding nearby, and it ended up being such a lovely countryside stay. This Gisborough Hall Hotel review covers our twin room in the Woodland Wing, the breakfast, hotel facilities, restaurant, and everything we enjoyed during our stay. Located on the edge of the North York Moors and not far from the Yorkshire Coast, the hotel felt like the perfect countryside escape. The whole area felt peaceful and scenic, making it ideal for a relaxing break away. One of the first things we noticed when arriving was just how gorgeous the grounds were. There were even llamas outside the hotel, which were very cute and added to the countryside atmosphere. At the time of our stay, we paid a special wedding guest rate of £145 per night including breakfast for our twin room in the Woodland Wing. Considering breakfast was included and the quality of the hotel overall, we felt it offered really good value for the stay. 🏨 A Beautiful Victorian Country House Hotel Gisborough Hall is a four-star Victorian country house hotel with 71 en-suite bedrooms, offering a range of room types including superior king rooms, four-poster bedrooms, and double or twin rooms. The hotel itself feels elegant and full of character while still being comfortable and welcoming. From the moment we walked through the entrance, the hotel had a warm but luxurious atmosphere, with grand staircases, traditional décor, cosy lounge areas, chandeliers, and lots of comfortable seating throughout the communal spaces. Although we stayed in the Woodland Wing, there are also upgraded rooms available within the original house itself. The hotel seemed especially popular for weddings and special occasions during our visit, and it definitely had that luxurious countryside hotel feel throughout. The exterior of the hotel was particularly beautiful too, with ivy-covered Victorian architecture and stunning landscaped grounds which made the whole place feel incredibly picturesque and relaxing. 🛏 Our Twin Room in the Woodland Wing Our twin room was spacious, comfortable, and very well equipped for a relaxing stay. When you first entered the room there was a large wardrobe area with hanging space, spare pillows, an iron, ironing board, hairdryer, and plenty of shelving and storage. There was also a full-length mirror, which was really useful when getting ready for the wedding. The room itself featured two comfortable twin beds, bedside tables, lamps, a TV, desk area, seating area, and tea and coffee facilities. We were also given complimentary bottled water, biscuits, tea, coffee, and UHT milk in the room. I really liked the style of the room as it felt classic and cosy without feeling dated. The colourful upholstered headboards, patterned curtains, traditional artwork and soft lighting all added to the relaxing country house feel of the hotel. The décor felt classic and cosy, and the room had a really relaxing atmosphere overall. The room itself also felt very spacious. There was a lovely seating area beside the large bay window with comfortable armchairs and a small table, which made the room feel much more relaxing than a standard hotel bedroom. One feature I especially loved was the bathroom. It had double sinks, a large mirror, a bath, and a separate power shower — and honestly, the shower was incredible. It was one of the most powerful hotel showers I’ve ever used. The bathroom also felt very luxurious thanks to the black granite surfaces, large mirrors, generous amount of towels, and spacious layout. Having both a bath and a separate shower was a really nice bonus. Toiletries including shampoo, conditioner and body wash were also provided. The beds were extremely comfortable too, and I slept really well throughout our stay. 🍳 Breakfast & Dining Breakfast was included in the price of our stay and offered both continental and cooked options. If you didn’t want to go down to the restaurant for breakfast, you could also order breakfast to your room for an additional £5 tray charge. Because we had a very early start on the morning of the wedding, the cooked breakfast option unfortunately wasn’t available that morning as service had not yet started. Instead, we opted for the continental tray service in the room, which actually worked really well for us. The breakfast trays were beautifully presented and included pastries, croissants, cereals, fruit juice, tea and coffee, toast, jams, yoghurts, fresh fruit, cheeses and continental meats. It felt like such a relaxed and convenient way to start the morning while everyone got ready for the wedding. I also really liked that guests filled in a breakfast order form the night before choosing exactly what they wanted delivered, which made the experience feel much more personalised. Later during our stay we also enjoyed breakfast in the main dining area, where there was a warm and relaxed atmosphere. The breakfast buffet itself was actually much larger than I expected. There were fresh pastries, muffins, cereals, fruit platters, yoghurts, smoothies, juice shots, cheeses, meats, granola, juices and lots of different tea and coffee options available. Everything looked beautifully presented and regularly topped up. The cooked breakfast menu also offered a really good range of choices beyond a traditional full English, including eggs Benedict, American pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, smoked salmon bagels, porridge, vegetarian breakfasts and lighter options. During our stay we ate at the hotel’s De Brus Bar & Grill restaurant, and the food was really lovely. The atmosphere felt relaxed and welcoming, and it was nice being able to eat within the hotel after a busy day. The restaurant itself had a cosy but stylish atmosphere with soft lighting and comfortable seating, making it feel relaxed rather than overly formal. The menu offered a good mix of classic grill dishes, lighter sharing plates, burgers, steaks and desserts. Lawrence ordered the 28-day Himalayan salt aged local sirloin steak which was served with triple cooked chips, grilled tomato and rocket, while desserts included sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and vanilla seed cheesecake with berry compote. Everything we tried was beautifully presented and very enjoyable. The hotel also features the award-winning Chaloner’s Restaurant for guests wanting a more formal dining experience. 💆 Revival Zone Spa & Treatments Gisborough Hall also has its own Revival Zone treatment area where guests can book a range of beauty and spa treatments including massages, hot stone massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. During our stay we actually visited the Revival Zone to have our nails done before the wedding, which was a really lovely extra touch during the trip. The treatment area itself felt calm and relaxing, and it was nice having those facilities available within the hotel without needing to travel elsewhere. 🐶 Dog Friendly Stays One thing that makes Gisborough Hall especially appealing is that the hotel also offers dog-friendly stays within its ground-floor bedrooms. Dogs are welcome for an additional £15 per night charge, although they aren’t permitted within the dining areas or communal restaurant spaces. 💭 Final Thoughts I genuinely really enjoyed my stay at Gisborough Hall Hotel and would absolutely stay again in the future. The hotel itself was beautiful, the surroundings were peaceful and relaxing, and the staff made us feel very welcome throughout our stay. Even though we were there for a wedding, I still felt like there was so much more of the hotel and surrounding area left to explore. What really stood out to me was how relaxing and easy the whole stay felt. From the comfortable room and powerful shower to the breakfast tray service and cosy restaurant atmosphere, everything felt very well thought out and welcoming. The hotel managed to feel luxurious without feeling intimidating or overly formal, which I think made it especially enjoyable for a countryside getaway. I’d especially love to return for a more relaxed countryside getaway with Lawrence at some point in the future, as the whole hotel felt like the perfect place for a peaceful couple’s break. I think this hotel would work especially well for couples, wedding guests, or anyone looking for a relaxing countryside hotel stay in North Yorkshire. If you’re looking for a comfortable countryside hotel with beautiful surroundings, friendly staff, excellent food, and a relaxing atmosphere, I’d definitely recommend Gisborough Hall Hotel. ℹ️ At a Glance 4-star Victorian country house hotel Located near the North York Moors and Yorkshire Coast 71 en-suite bedrooms Woodland Wing and upgraded house rooms available Twin, double, superior king and four-poster rooms Breakfast included during our stay Optional in-room breakfast tray service available Large continental breakfast buffet and cooked breakfast menu De Brus Bar & Grill restaurant Award-winning Chaloner’s Restaurant Revival Zone spa and beauty treatments Dog-friendly ground floor rooms available Beautiful countryside surroundings with llamas on-site Elegant communal lounge areas and landscaped grounds Friendly and helpful staff throughout our stay 🎥 Watch Our Gisborough Hall Hotel Room Tour We also filmed a full room tour and review video during our stay at Gisborough Hall Hotel, including the Woodland Wing twin room, bathroom, breakfast, and hotel surroundings.

Ribby Hall Village Ruby Cottage Review During our recent family holiday at Ribby Hall Village, we stayed in one of the resort’s Ruby Cottages and honestly found it such a comfortable and practical option for a larger family stay. The Ruby Cottage is spread across two floors, sleeps up to six guests, and felt ideal for families travelling with children thanks to the extra space, stair gates, and family-friendly layout. We stayed in the Sedge Ruby Cottage during our visit and really enjoyed having separate sleeping areas upstairs and downstairs. It gave everyone their own space while still feeling cosy and connected as a family. This Ribby Hall Village Ruby Cottage review covers the accommodation, family-friendly layout, bedrooms, resort facilities, and everything included during our relaxing family stay. One thing we immediately noticed during our Ribby Hall Village Ruby Cottage stay was how peaceful the area felt. The cottages are surrounded by landscaped gardens and little lakes, and there were lots of ducks wandering around the village throughout our stay. The children absolutely loved feeding them rice and watching them around the water. The cottage itself had a lovely homely feel from the moment we walked in. A Spacious Family-Friendly Layout The Ruby Cottage is arranged over two floors, which worked really well for our family. Downstairs there was a double bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, while upstairs there were two twin bedrooms and a main family bathroom with a bath and overhead shower. The downstairs bedroom was bright and comfortable, with plenty of storage space, a TV on the wall, bedside tables, and an en-suite shower room. Upstairs, both twin rooms were a really good size and also included TVs, wardrobes, and drawers. We especially liked that the cottage already included family-friendly touches like stair gates, a high chair, travel cots, and useful storage cupboards with things like a hoover, ironing board, and cleaning equipment. The layout made the whole cottage feel really practical for families staying with younger children. 🛏 Comfortable Bedrooms & Family Features All of the beds felt comfortable, and the bedrooms had enough space so nobody felt cramped during the stay. The downstairs master bedroom was spacious enough for us to comfortably fit the travel cots alongside our bed, which worked really well for our family. Meanwhile, my parents stayed in one of the upstairs twin rooms and my brother used the other, so everyone still had their own space and privacy during the holiday. The upstairs bathroom also worked really well for bathing the children as it included a proper bath rather than just a shower. We also appreciated the thoughtful little extras throughout the cottage, including towels, tea and coffee sachets, UHT milk, kitchen starter packs, and hairdryers already provided. We especially liked that the cottage already included family-friendly touches like stair gates, a high chair, travel cots, and useful storage cupboards with things like a hoover, ironing board, and cleaning equipment. The layout made the whole cottage feel really practical for families staying with younger children. Kitchen, Dining & Living Area The main open-plan living area downstairs was probably where we spent most of our time together. The kitchen was fully equipped with everything we needed during the holiday including an oven, hob, microwave, dishwasher, washer/dryer, toaster, kettle, and plenty of cupboard space. There was even child cutlery available, which was a nice touch for families. The large dining table gave us loads of room for family meals, and the lounge area felt spacious and relaxing with two sofas, a large TV, and sliding doors leading outside. Outside there was a small patio area with a picnic bench surrounded by grass and landscaped gardens, which was lovely on sunny afternoons. Plenty to Do Around the Resort One of the reasons we keep returning to Ribby Hall Village is because there’s so much to do for all ages. During our stay we made full use of the resort facilities, including swimming, soft play, outdoor play areas, restaurants, and evening entertainment. There are also several additional activities available for an extra cost, including Pirates Bay Adventure Golf, bike hire, archery, and the climbing wall, giving families even more options throughout their stay. Everything across the village felt family-focused and easy to navigate, which made it ideal for a family holiday where everyone wanted slightly different things from the trip. 💭 Final Thoughts Our Ribby Hall Village Ruby Cottage stay was relaxed, comfortable, and incredibly practical for a larger family group. The two-storey layout worked brilliantly, the cottage had everything we needed, and the peaceful surroundings made it feel like a proper break away from everyday life. We especially loved the lakeside setting, seeing the ducks wandering around the resort, and how family-friendly everything felt throughout the stay. It’s easy to see why these cottages are such a popular option for families visiting Ribby Hall Village. We enjoyed our stay so much that we actually booked another Ribby Hall holiday for the following year before we’d even gone home. ℹ️ At a Glance Sleeps up to 6 guests 3 bedrooms across 2 floors Double bedroom with en-suite Two twin bedrooms upstairs Family bathroom with bath and overhead shower Fully equipped kitchen Lounge with TV and Freeview TV in all bedrooms Family dining area Patio area with picnic table Parking for one car directly outside Stair gates included Travel cot and high chair available upon request Great for families with children 🎥 Watch Our Ruby Cottage Tour We also filmed a full video tour of the Ruby Cottage during our stay at Ribby Hall Village, including all bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, and outdoor spaces. You can also watch all of our Ribby Hall Village holiday vlogs over on our YouTube channel.

Sapphire Cottage at Ribby Hall Village Review During our recent stay at Ribby Hall Village, we stayed in one of the beautiful Sapphire Cottages overlooking Fisherman’s Reach — and it turned out to be the perfect base for a relaxing family break. The Sapphire Cottage offered plenty of space for our family, peaceful surroundings, and all the comforts we needed for a stress-free self-catering holiday. This Sapphire Cottage Ribby Hall Village review covers the accommodation, bedrooms, outdoor space, nearby wildlife, and everything included during our family stay. 🌿 Location and Setting The Sapphire Cottages at Fisherman’s Reach are in a fantastic location within Ribby Hall Village. They feel peaceful and tucked away while still being within easy walking distance of the swimming pool, restaurants, soft play, spa and other resort facilities. One of our favourite things about this particular cottage was the setting. At the back of the cottage was a lake with lovely waterside views, which made the whole area feel calm and relaxing. There were always ducks wandering around near the water too, and the children absolutely loved feeding them rice during our stay. It is worth noting that the cottage backs directly onto open water, so families with very young children may want to keep this in mind if planning to spend lots of time outside around the patio area. At the front of the cottage was the deer and sheep enclosure from the Wild Discovery area. Although there was a hedge separating the cottage from the enclosure, there were several gaps where you could clearly see the animals, and they often came right up to the fence. The children loved being able to spot the deer and sheep so close to the cottage each day. 🛋 Lounge Area The lounge had a bright and airy feel thanks to the high ceilings and large patio doors overlooking the outdoor space. There was a large comfortable corner sofa, coffee table and TV with Freeview, making it a lovely place to relax in the evenings after busy days around the resort. The patio doors also helped the space feel really open and peaceful, especially with the greenery and lake views outside. 🍽 Kitchen and Dining Area The kitchen was modern, spacious and very well equipped for a family stay. It included: Oven, grill, hob and microwave Fridge freezer Dishwasher with starter cleaning pack Washer/dryer Cooking utensils and kitchen essentials Nespresso coffee machine Tea, coffee, sugar sachets and UHT milk There was also a large family dining table, which gave us plenty of room for meals, snacks and planning the next day’s activities. 🛏 Bedrooms The cottage had three bedrooms: A master double bedroom with en-suite A twin bedroom A bunk-bed room The master bedroom felt particularly spacious and comfortable, with a large bed, bedside lighting, TV and en-suite shower room. The twin room was bright and cosy, while the bunk room worked really well for children and had its own TV mounted on the wall. The children especially loved the bunk beds because they were much bigger and more spacious than standard children’s bunks. The bunk beds were also full adult-sized bunks rather than smaller children’s beds, which made the room feel much more practical for families. We also really liked that the top bunk was accessed by proper built-in stairs rather than a traditional ladder, which felt much safer and easier for children to use. All bedrooms included bed linen, towels for indoor use and hairdryers, and travel cots and high chairs are available on request for families with younger children. 🛁 Bathrooms The cottage had both a main family bathroom and an en-suite in the master bedroom, which made mornings much easier as a family. The family bathroom included a bath with overhead shower, WC and basin, while the en-suite had a walk-in shower. Both bathrooms were modern, clean and well maintained. 🌞 Outdoor Space Outside, the cottage had its own private patio area with rattan outdoor furniture overlooking the lake. It was such a lovely peaceful spot to sit with a morning coffee or relax in the evening while watching the wildlife around the water. Parking for one car was directly outside the cottage, which made unloading luggage and family essentials really convenient. 🎠 Plenty to Do Around the Resort One of the reasons we keep returning to Ribby Hall Village is because there’s so much to do for all ages. During our stay we made full use of the resort facilities, including swimming, soft play, outdoor play areas, restaurants and evening entertainment. There are also several additional activities available for an extra cost, including Pirates Bay Adventure Golf, bike hire, archery and the climbing wall, giving families even more options throughout their stay. Whether you want a relaxing break or a busier activity-filled holiday, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained. Everything across the village feels very family-focused and easy to navigate, which makes it ideal for family holidays where everyone wants slightly different things from the trip. ℹ️ At a Glance Sleeps up to 6 guests 3 bedrooms Double bedroom with en-suite Twin bedroom Adult-sized bunk beds with built-in stairs Fully equipped self-catering kitchen Private patio area with outdoor seating Parking directly outside the cottage Located beside open water at Fisherman’s Reach Views of the deer and sheep enclosure nearby Great for family stays Self-catering accommodation within Ribby Hall Village 💭 Final Thoughts Our stay in the Sapphire Cottage at Ribby Hall Village was peaceful, comfortable and incredibly easy as a family. The cottage had plenty of space for everyone, felt well equipped throughout, and the lakeside setting made it feel especially relaxing. The children loved spotting the deer and sheep near the cottage and feeding the ducks by the water each day, which ended up being some of their favourite moments from the trip. If you’re looking for a spacious self-catering cottage at Ribby Hall Village with a peaceful location and family-friendly layout, the Sapphire Cottage is a fantastic option. It combines comfort, convenience and lovely surroundings — making it a wonderful base for a family break. It truly had everything we needed for a fun, fuss-free holiday and we’d happily stay there again. 🎥 Watch Our Sapphire Cottage Tour We also filmed a full video tour of the Sapphire Cottage during our stay at Ribby Hall Village, including the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, lounge and outdoor areas. Looking for more from our trip? You can also watch all of our Ribby Hall Village holiday vlogs in one playlist.

Family Weekly Update This week was a lovely mix of family time, shopping, theatre trips and getting ready for half term. We also had a really special family theatre trip to see Bluey’s Big Play at The Lowry. Here is this week’s family weekly update, sharing everything we got up to throughout the week. 🧹 Housework & Video Editing On Monday, I did what I almost always seem to do on a Monday — catching up on housework and editing YouTube videos. It’s become a bit of a routine at this point, but it does help me feel more organised before the rest of the week gets busy. 🏃 Alice’s Sports Day Tuesday was Alice’s sports day. The school doesn’t actually hold sports day on the school grounds — it takes place at a nearby park and all the children walk there together. However, because of Alice’s additional needs, the school decided to take her in the Headteacher’s car instead so she wouldn’t get too tired before the activities even started. I thought that was such a thoughtful thing to do and it was really lovely seeing them consider what would help her enjoy the day most. The sports day started at 10am, but I didn’t go until the afternoon because I was waiting for my parents to drive there as my knee is still quite bad and I didn’t want to walk all that way. We arrived at around 1:30pm and got there just in time for Alice’s running race on the track. During her race, it suddenly started raining, but Alice did so well and still finished the race. It was really lovely hearing all her classmates cheering her on from the stand. Not long afterwards, the rain became absolutely torrential, so the school decided to end sports day a little early and we took Alice home. 💻 Editing Theatre Vlogs Wednesday and Thursday were mainly spent catching up on editing some theatre vlogs that I’d fallen behind on. It always takes longer than I expect going through all the footage, especially after busy theatre weeks, but I managed to get quite a lot done. 🛍️ Trafford Centre, Primark & Holiday Shopping On Friday, Lawrence was off work. Originally, we were planning on heading into Manchester and looking around Primark there, but we changed our minds on the way and decided to head to the Trafford Centre instead so we could also go to ASDA afterwards. We got off the bus at the Trafford Centre bus station and headed straight to the Haribo shop where I picked up some of our favourite sweets to share over the half term holidays. Afterwards, we walked over the bridge to Primark where we picked up quite a few bits for the kids. For Alice, I bought a couple of pairs of trousers, a T-shirt and a swimming costume. For Leo, we picked up swimming shorts, sunglasses and a Bluey T-shirt and shorts set I also bought Alice a Toy Story alien bath fizzer because I’d accidentally only bought one last week and promised her I’d get her one next time we visited Primark. We also picked up a pack of four Moana bath fizzers for the kids to share. After that, we headed into Primark Home where we bought a new water bottle each for the kids, Stitch ice lolly moulds ready for the hot weather expected during half term and a new laundry basket for the kids. We then walked across to the Krispy Kreme shop near ASDA because I had a voucher for buy 6 get 6 free doughnuts 🍩 Afterwards, we headed into ASDA where there was 20% off clothing, so I picked up a couple of dresses for Alice and also bought the children a Toy Story towel each. Once we got home, Lawrence went to collect the children from school while I sorted everything out. The kids were really excited seeing all the things we’d bought for them and enjoyed a doughnut each as their after-school snack. 🐶 Bluey’s Big Play at The Lowry On Saturday 23rd May, my brother and I took Alice and Leo to see Bluey’s Big Play at The Lowry for the 2pm performance, and it turned into such a lovely family theatre trip from start to finish. Lawrence was working, so my brother came along with us instead. Before we left, I dressed the kids in the Bluey outfits we’d bought the day before. Leo wore his new Bluey T-shirt and shorts set while Alice wore a purple Bluey dress covered in different characters from the show. As huge Bluey fans, the children had been so excited ever since spotting the poster at the train station a few months ago. We all loved the production when it visited in 2024, so they were thrilled it was returning to The Lowry again. My dad dropped us off at our usual spot opposite the Imperial War Museum North before we made the familiar walk across the bridge towards the theatre. We arrived at around 1:25pm which gave us plenty of time to soak up the atmosphere before the performance started. One of the first things the children spotted was the huge merchandise stand, which already had a massive queue around it. There was so much Bluey merchandise available, and the children spent ages trying to decide what they liked best, but we decided to wait until after the show before buying anything. The atmosphere around the theatre was lovely, with children everywhere wearing Bluey ears, carrying plush toys and excitedly chatting about their favourite characters. We were seated in the circle on Row B and honestly had an excellent view of the stage. Because the seating is nicely raked at The Lowry, the children could comfortably see without any problems. The show itself was absolutely brilliant and both children were completely engrossed from start to finish. Alice absolutely loved seeing the grannies racing around in their little car, while Leo was so excited when Chattermax appeared on stage. Both children were laughing throughout and Leo was even up dancing during parts of the performance. After the show, we headed back downstairs once the merch queue had gone down slightly. Their uncle treated Alice to a Bluey ears headband and bought Leo a Bluey plush wearing a little heart headband, while I bought them a Muffin plush to share after they both decided Muffin was their favourite character but there was only one left. The children were absolutely thrilled with their new toys. 👉 You can read more about our visit and my shorter review HERE 👉 And you can find my full review on All About Theatre HERE 🍫 Cadbury Shop & A Quiet Evening at Home After the show, we headed into the outlet mall and had a look around the Cadbury shop. I ended up getting a Roses pick and mix filled almost entirely with strawberry and orange creams because they’re my favourites, while Alice and Leo each picked up a bag of mini eggs. We also had a quick look around the little market stalls outside before walking back across the bridge where my dad picked us up from our usual spot opposite the Imperial War Museum North. When we got home, Lawrence was back from work and the children excitedly showed him all the things they’d bought from the show. We spent a little while playing with the children’s new toys before I started writing my review for Bluey’s Big Play. 🎥 Editing, Social Media & Filming Reviews On Sunday, Lawrence spent time playing with the children while I worked on all the Bluey social media posts, filmed my review and edited the vlog and review video. It ended up taking me most of the day, but I was really happy to finally get everything finished. 💜 Final Thoughts Overall, it ended up being such a lovely week. From Alice doing so well at sports day to our family trip to see Bluey’s Big Play, it was one of those weeks filled with lots of little moments together before half term started. The children absolutely loved their Bluey theatre trip and were so excited with all their new toys and holiday clothes ready for the warmer weather. After such a busy few weeks recently, it also felt nice having a slightly calmer week at home mixed in with the theatre trips and shopping days 🎥 Watch Our Weekly Vlog If you’d like to see everything we got up to this week, including our trip to Bluey’s Big Play at The Lowry and our Trafford Centre shopping trip, you can watch this week’s family weekly update vlog over on YouTube.

🛋 Diamond Cottage Ribby Hall Review Looking for a family-friendly stay at Ribby Hall Village? Here’s our honest review of staying in a Diamond Cottage, including what the accommodation was like, the surprise hot tub upgrade, on-site activities, restaurants, and why it worked so well for our multi-generational family holiday. A Peaceful Multi-Generational Getaway with a Touch of Luxury In June 2024, we headed back to one of our favourite UK staycation spots — Ribby Hall Village — and this time, we stayed in a Diamond Cottage with the whole family, including my parents. With space for up to six people, it was the perfect choice for a comfortable family break — and it even came with a surprise extra that made our stay even more special! 🌿 Tranquil Setting – Still Close to the Action Our Diamond Cottage was one of the furthest from the main entertainment and dining areas, but it was still only a short walk to everything. The peaceful location actually turned out to be a huge bonus — ideal for early nights, afternoon naps, or simply relaxing after busy days filled with swimming, soft play, and exploring the village. Although the cottage was tucked away in a quieter part of the resort, everything still felt easily accessible. The walk back at the end of the evening might feel a little long for some families with very young children, but we personally loved how calm and peaceful the area felt. Another big plus was how well connected the resort is. There’s a bus stop right outside Ribby Hall with direct buses into Blackpool, which took around 30 minutes during our stay — perfect for a seaside day trip without needing to drive. 🛋 Spacious, Clean and Perfect for Families The cottage was clean, modern, and really well-equipped, with a bright and welcoming open-plan living space. The lounge had comfy sofas, a Freeview TV and DVD player, making it perfect for cosy evenings in after busy days out. The kitchen had everything we needed, including an American-style fridge freezer, washer/dryer, oven, microwave, and dishwasher, along with a handy starter pack containing cleaning essentials and a tea towel. Thoughtful touches like tea, coffee, and UHT milk waiting for us on arrival were especially appreciated after the drive. We had three bedrooms in total: a double room with en-suite and two twin rooms. The setup worked brilliantly for our family — my parents had one twin room, the children shared the other, and we stayed in the master bedroom. With TVs in every bedroom, everyone had their own little space to retreat to when needed. The single-level layout also worked really well for both younger children and older family members alike. 🛁 A Hot Tub Surprise! When we originally booked the cottage almost a year in advance, hot tubs weren’t included with Diamond Cottages — so discovering one waiting for us when we arrived was such a lovely surprise! It quickly became a favourite with all generations. The children loved having a little dip in the evenings, while the grown-ups enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub once the kids were tucked up in bed. It really added an extra touch of luxury to the whole stay and made the holiday feel even more special. 🧺 Family-Friendly and Thoughtfully Designed We really appreciated all the thoughtful family-friendly details throughout the cottage, from the included towels and bed linen to the option of requesting a high chair and travel cot. Outside, there was a lovely garden area with a picnic bench, which was perfect for sitting out in the evenings while the children played nearby. Having parking directly outside the cottage also made a huge difference when unpacking the car and managing bags, especially with little ones and grandparents in tow. 🎠 Plenty to Do Around the Resort One of the reasons we keep returning to Ribby Hall Village is because there’s so much to do for all ages. During our stay we made full use of the resort facilities, including swimming, soft play, outdoor play areas, restaurants, evening entertainment, and the arcade. There are also several additional activities available for an extra cost, including Pirates Bay Adventure Golf, bike hire, archery, the climbing wall, and Wild Discovery — Ribby Hall’s small on-site zoo. The children especially enjoyed visiting Wild Discovery during our stay, and it was a lovely extra activity to have right on-site. We also found the on-site facilities really convenient, especially having a SPAR shop within the village for picking up essentials. There are several dining options too, including family favourites at The Hive, Italian dishes at Terrazza, Papa Johns pizza, and drinks and snacks from Blend Coffee House. Whether you want a relaxing break or a busier activity-filled holiday, there’s plenty to keep everyone entertained. Everything across the village felt family-focused and easy to navigate, which made it ideal for a family holiday where everyone wanted slightly different things from the trip. ℹ️ Good to Know Sleeps up to 6 guests 3 bedrooms Hot tub included during our stay Parking directly outside the cottage Self-catering accommodation Great for family and multi-generational stays Around 30 minutes by bus into Blackpool 💭 Final Thoughts Our stay in the Diamond Cottage was relaxed, comfortable, and full of lovely little surprises. It gave everyone enough space and privacy while still feeling cosy and connected. The peaceful setting, practical family-friendly layout, and unexpected hot tub made it one of our favourite stays at Ribby Hall Village so far. If you’re planning a stay at Ribby Hall and need a self-catering option that works well for the whole family, the Diamond Cottage is a fantastic choice. It’s where comfort meets convenience — with a splash of hot tub magic! 🎥 Watch Our Diamond Cottage Tour We also filmed a full video tour of the Diamond Cottage during our stay at Ribby Hall Village, including the bedrooms, living area, kitchen, outdoor space, and hot tub. Looking for more from our trip? You can also watch all of our Ribby Hall Village holiday vlogs in one YouTube playlist. For more information about accommodation, activities, and current booking availability, visit the official Ribby Hall Village website.

A Return Trip to See Bluey's Big Play at The Lowry On Saturday 23rd May, myself and my brother took Alice and Leo to see Bluey’s Big Play at The Lowry for the 2pm performance, and it turned into such a lovely family theatre trip from start to finish. As huge Bluey fans in our house, the children had been so excited ever since they spotted the poster for the show at the train station a few months ago. We all loved the production when we saw it during its previous visit in 2024, so they were thrilled when they realised it was returning to The Lowry. My dad dropped us off at our usual spot opposite the Imperial War Museum North and we made the familiar walk across the bridge towards The Lowry — a route that always seems to make theatre trips feel even more exciting for the children. We arrived at around 1.25pm which gave us plenty of time before the performance started to soak up the atmosphere and have a look around. Merchandise & Pre-Show Excitement 🛍️✨ One of the first things the children spotted when we arrived was the merchandise stand, which already had a very long queue building around it. There was a huge range of Bluey’s Big Play merchandise available including: Youth Bluey’s Big Play T-Shirts – £25 Adult T-Shirt – £30 Youth Pullover – £35 Youth Beanie – £22 Magnet – £12 Water Bottle – £15 Tote Bag – £20 Asparagus Spinner – £18 Bluey’s Big Play DVD – £17 Bluey Headband – £15 Bingo Headband – £15 Bluey Plush Toys – £18 Bingo Plush Toys – £18 Muffin Plush – £18 Socks Plush – £18 The children spent ages looking at all the plush toys while trying to decide what they liked best, but because the queue was already so long we decided to wait until after the show before buying anything. Even before entering the auditorium, there was already such a lovely atmosphere around the venue with excited children everywhere wearing Bluey ears, cuddling plush toys and chatting about their favourite characters. Our Seats & View From The Circle 🎭 After looking around downstairs, we headed upstairs to the circle and entered the auditorium through Door C before finding our seats on Row B. We were sat in seats 34–37, with seat 37 being the aisle seat. The view from these seats was genuinely excellent. We had a really clear, central view of the stage and because the circle seating at The Lowry is nicely raked, the children could comfortably see over the heads in front without any issues. One thing worth mentioning though is that if your children want to properly join in with the big finale at the end of the show, stalls seats are definitely the better option. The giant inflatable balls and bubbles are mainly released into the stalls area, so from the circle you are more watching the excitement unfold below rather than fully taking part. That said, the circle does give a fantastic overall view of the production itself and actually worked brilliantly for watching all the chaos happening during the finale. The Show 💙 The show itself was absolutely brilliant and both children were completely engrossed from start to finish. Based on the hugely popular animated series, Bluey’s Big Play brings Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli to life on stage using large-scale puppets, colourful sets, music and lots of audience interaction. The story follows Bluey and Bingo as they secretly hide Bandit’s phone in an attempt to get him away from his screen and joining in with their games instead. What follows is a funny, chaotic and heartwarming adventure packed with imagination, dancing, games and lots of familiar Bluey humour. What the production captures so well is the warmth and personality of the television series. It genuinely feels like stepping into an episode of Bluey. The puppetry throughout the show is incredibly impressive and within minutes you almost forget the puppeteers are even there. The characters feel full of life and personality, especially Bluey and Bingo. Alice absolutely loved seeing the grannies racing around in their little car, while Leo was thrilled when Chattermax appeared on stage. Leo was also up dancing during parts of the performance and both children were laughing constantly throughout. Alongside all the silliness and chaos, the show also includes some lovely messages about family time, imagination and sibling relationships which gives it lots of heart as well as humour. After The Show 🧸✨ The performance finished at around 2.50pm and afterwards we headed back downstairs to look at the merchandise once the queue had gone down slightly. We ended up sitting down for a snack first while waiting because the merch stand was still incredibly busy immediately after the performance. Once the queue had gone down a bit, we headed back over to the merch stand and the children were very excited choosing what they wanted to bring home. Their uncle treated Alice to a Bluey ears headband and bought Leo a Bluey plush wearing a little heart headband, while I bought them a Muffin plush to share after they both decided Muffin was their favourite but there was only one left. The children were absolutely thrilled with their new toys and spent the rest of the afternoon happily playing with them at home. Final Thoughts ✨ Overall, Bluey’s Big Play at The Lowry was such a lovely family theatre trip and a brilliant experience for younger children. From the colourful puppetry and familiar characters to the music, humour and joyful audience atmosphere, everything about the production feels carefully designed for families. It captures everything children love about Bluey while still including plenty of warmth and humour for adults too. Whether your little ones are already massive Bluey fans or are simply looking for a fun introduction to live theatre, this is such a joyful and entertaining family show. A fun-filled family theatre trip packed with laughter, imagination and plenty of Bluey magic. More Information About Bluey’s Big Play 💙 Bluey’s Big Play is at The Lowry until 31st May 2026. Performances currently take place at: 11am, 2pm and 4pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 11am performances during the week For more information about tickets and performances, you can visit The Lowry website. If you can’t make it to The Lowry, the good news is that this fantastic family show is touring the UK and Ireland until April 2027. You can find upcoming venues and tour dates on the official website If you’d like to read our more detailed theatre-focused review of Bluey’s Big Play , you can head over to our sister site, All About Theatre. 🎥 Watch Our Visit in Weekly Vlog #454 If you’d like to see what we got up to during our visit to see Bluey’s Big Play at The Lowry, you can watch it in Weekly Vlog #454. Our trip to the show begins at 15:07 in the video, although the vlog also includes some other family moments from our week. 🎭 At A Glance 📍 Venue: The Lowry, Salford Quays 📅 Dates: Until Sunday 31st May 2026 ⏰ Performance Times:Friday, Saturday & Sunday – 11am, 2pm & 4pm Weekdays – 11am ⌛ Running Time: Approx. 50 minutes 👶 Recommended Age: 3+ 💺 Our Seats: Circle Row B Seats 34–37 👀 Seat View: Excellent clear central view with nicely raked seating 🫧 Best Seats For Finale Interaction: Stalls 🛍️ Merchandise Prices: From £12 🚋 Getting There: Easily accessible by tram, bus or car 🚗 Parking: Nearby parking available at Quayside MediaCityUK 💙 Best Bits: The grannies scene, Chattermax and the colourful finale

The Detective Dog - A Book-Loving Mystery Adventure Brought Beautifully To Life On Stage ✨ On Saturday 16th May we headed to Z-arts Manchester to see The Detective Dog. We’ve always loved Julia Donaldson books in our house and The Detective Dog has been one of Alice and Leo’s favourites for a long time, so we were really excited to see the stage adaptation again after previously enjoying it at Waterside Arts last year. The show started at 11am and we decided to get the bus there as it stops almost directly opposite the venue, which makes Z-arts really easy to get to with children. We arrived at around 10:15am which gave us plenty of time before the performance started. One of the children’s favourite things about visiting Z-arts is the downstairs play area with the giant red bus that children can climb inside. As soon as we arrived Alice jumped straight into the driver’s seat while Leo happily explored the inside of the bus with Lawrence. It’s such a lovely little feature and always helps make visits to Z-arts feel like more than just a theatre trip. By the time we headed back upstairs towards the theatre space at around 10:45am, there was already a lovely buzz building outside the auditorium with plenty for children to explore before the show began. Pre-Show Fun, Smell Stations & Family-Friendly Touches 👃✨ Just outside the theatre doors there was a large display board showing photos of the cast and which characters they would be playing during the performance, which I always think is such a nice touch for younger audiences. Nearby there was also a table set up with ear defenders available to borrow, along with leaflets about the show, feedback forms, pens and a colourful little post box where children could post their completed feedback sheets afterwards. One of the biggest highlights before the performance for Leo was definitely the interactive “guess the smell” activity inspired by Nell’s incredible detective nose. Different scent stations had been set up on chairs for children to investigate and try to identify the smells. Leo absolutely loved moving between all the scent boxes trying to guess each one, and it was such a fun way of bringing part of the story into the foyer before the show had even started. Everything about the setup felt really thoughtful and family-friendly, and it immediately created a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Taking Our Seats Inside The Auditorium 🎭 At around 10:50am we were invited into the auditorium and took our seats in Row D seats 10–13. The view from these seats was excellent. We had a really central view of the stage and because the seating is nicely raked the children could easily see over the people sitting in front, which is always reassuring when visiting the theatre with younger children. Even before the performance began, the set already looked bright, colourful and inviting with storybook-style scenery, illustrated greenery, bookshelves and playful projections helping create a lovely family atmosphere inside the space. The Show 🐾 Adapted and produced by Tiny & Tall Productions, this stage version of The Detective Dog combines puppetry, music, projection, British Sign Language and scent technology to create a really imaginative and accessible theatre experience for younger audiences. Based on the Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie book, the story follows Nell — a clever little detective dog with an incredible sense of smell and a huge love of books. When all the books mysteriously disappear from school, Nell sets out on a mission to solve the mystery. The production moved at such a lovely pace for younger audiences and managed to keep both Alice and Leo completely engaged throughout the full 50 minute running time. There’s no interval, but it never felt too long for little ones. The audience interaction throughout the show worked brilliantly and really helped younger children feel involved in the story. Alice and Leo especially loved the moments where Nell came into the audience, which created so much excitement around the auditorium. One of the funniest moments for the children was when Nell bounced a ball into the audience and accidentally hit daddy on the head, which had both of them laughing hysterically. The puppetry throughout the show was absolutely wonderful, but Nell herself completely stole the show. The puppet felt full of personality and movement and it was so easy to see why the children became completely invested in her throughout the performance. The songs were also really fun and catchy, helping keep the energy up throughout while adding even more warmth and humour to the story. Meeting Nell After The Show 🐶💛 Following the performance, children were given the opportunity to meet Nell in the foyer afterwards which Alice and Leo absolutely loved — especially Alice, who has always adored puppets. Seeing Nell up close after spending the whole performance watching her on stage made the experience feel even more magical for the children and was such a lovely way to end the morning. There was also some merchandise available after the performance near the feedback table including: 📚 The Detective Dog Special Edition Book – £7.99 📚 Gozzle Paperback – £7.99 📚 Gozzle Hardback – £12.99 Once we had finished meeting Nell, my dad picked us up from Z-arts as Lawrence needed to head straight to work afterwards. Final Thoughts ✨ Overall, The Detective Dog at Z-arts was such a lovely family theatre trip and a brilliant introduction to theatre for younger children. From the thoughtful pre-show activities and accessibility features to the engaging puppetry, interactive moments and warm storytelling, everything about the experience felt carefully designed with families in mind. It’s imaginative, inclusive, full of charm and beautifully captures the spirit of Julia Donaldson’s much-loved story. Alice and Leo both came away smiling, and it was one of those theatre trips that simply felt easy, relaxed and genuinely enjoyable from start to finish. 🎥 Watch Our Visit in Weekly Vlog #453 If you’d like to see what we got up to during our visit to see The Detective Dog, you can watch it in Weekly Vlog #453 below. Our trip to the show begins at 23:29 in the video, although the vlog also includes some other family moments from our week. 🎭 At A Glance 📍 Venue: Z-arts Manchester 📅 Date Visited: Saturday 16th May 2026 ⏰ Show Time: 11am ⌛ Running Time: 50 minutes (No Interval) 👶 Recommended Age: Ages 3–10 🎟️ Ticket Prices: £10(20% discount for Bright Sparks & M15 members) 🪑 Our Seats: Row D Seats 10–13 🚌 Getting There: Easy to reach by bus or car. Our bus stopped directly opposite the venue. 👃 Pre-Show Activities: Interactive “guess the smell” stations, cast boards and feedback activities 🎧 Accessibility: Integrated BSL, projected captions and ear defenders available to borrow 🐶 Best Bit: Meeting Nell after the show and all the audience interaction moments

The Karate Kid The Musical Review – A Fun Afternoon at Palace Theatre Manchester On Thursday 14th May, Lawrence and I headed into Manchester to see The Karate Kid The Musical at Palace Theatre Manchester. We got the tram into St Peter’s Square before making the short walk down to the theatre, arriving at around 2pm ahead of the 2:30pm matinee performance. As always, one of the first things I did after arriving was head straight over to the merchandise stand to see what was available. There was quite a good selection of merchandise on sale including: 📖 Programme – £6.50 👕 The Karate Kid The Musical Logo Tee – £25 🧥 Karate Kid Strike First Hoodie – £55 👜 Karate Kid Wax On Wax Off Tote – £15 🔑 Karate Kid The Musical Spinner Keychain – £10 📍 Karate Kid The Musical Pin Set – £10 🖊️ Karate Kid The Musical Logo Pen – £5 🧲 Karate Kid The Musical Key Art Magnet – £5 They also normally stock two different headbands — the Balance is Key Headband and the Strike First Headband — both priced at £10, although unfortunately both designs had sold out by the time we arrived. I ended up purchasing the programme and one of the magnets before we headed into the auditorium. Our Seats at Palace Theatre Manchester We were seated in Row A Seats 29 and 30 in the stalls, with Seat 30 being the aisle seat. Although Row A initially sounds extremely close to the stage, it was actually the third row back and gave us a fantastic view of the production throughout. The seats were comfortable with plenty of legroom, and I never felt too close to the action despite being seated near the front. As we waited for the show to begin, there was already a real buzz around the theatre, with lots of audience members excitedly chatting and looking through their programmes before the lights went down. The first act lasted approximately 1 hour 15 minutes before a 20-minute interval, while the second act ran for around 55 minutes, bringing the total runtime to approximately 2 hours 30 minutes including the interval. The Story of The Karate Kid The Musical Before seeing the musical, I had actually never watched any of the Karate Kid films before, so I went into the production completely fresh. Lawrence, however, is a fan of the original movies and afterwards said the musical stayed very faithful to the spirit and story of the film. The story follows teenager Daniel LaRusso after he moves to California with his mum and struggles to fit in at his new school. Things quickly become difficult when he finds himself targeted by Johnny Lawrence and the intimidating Cobra Kai karate students. However, after forming an unlikely friendship with Mr Miyagi, Daniel slowly begins learning not only karate, but also important lessons about balance, patience, discipline and self-belief. Even without any previous connection to the films, I found the story really easy to follow and genuinely engaging throughout. The emotional relationship between Daniel and Mr Miyagi becomes the real heart of the production, giving the show much of its warmth and emotional depth. Set Design, Music & Choreography One of the biggest highlights of The Karate Kid The Musical is undoubtedly the choreography by Keone Madrid and Mari Madrid. The fight scenes were incredibly slick and exciting to watch, blending martial arts and contemporary dance together in a way that felt both visually impressive and full of energy. I particularly loved the training scenes between Daniel and Mr Miyagi. Some of these moments felt almost dreamlike, with the ensemble becoming extensions of the movement around them as Daniel slowly learned balance, focus and control. Visually, these scenes were some of the strongest moments in the entire production. The set design also worked really well, using Japanese-inspired screens, projections and moving panels to transition smoothly between locations including the school, Cobra Kai dojo and the final tournament scenes. Lighting played a huge role in creating atmosphere throughout the production too. The bold reds used during the Cobra Kai scenes contrasted beautifully against the calmer blue tones during Mr Miyagi’s teaching moments. Costumes also helped firmly establish the 1980s setting without ever feeling overly exaggerated. Musically, the show took a little while to fully settle in for me during parts of the first half, but by the second act I was completely invested in the story and characters. The final tournament scenes in particular brought real excitement to the theatre, with dramatic lighting, impressive choreography and a genuine sense of tension throughout the auditorium. Performances Adrian Pang was excellent as Mr Miyagi, bringing warmth, humour and wisdom to the role without ever feeling like an imitation of the original film character. His chemistry with Gino Ochello as Daniel LaRusso was genuinely lovely to watch, and together they created the emotional heart of the production. Gino Ochello made Daniel instantly relatable and easy to root for throughout, while also delivering some really impressive vocals. Sharon Sexton also stood out as Daniel’s mum Lucille, bringing warmth and emotional depth to the role. Meanwhile, Matt Mills commanded attention whenever he appeared on stage as the intimidating Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese. Abigail Amin and Joe Simmons were also both strong as Ali and Johnny Lawrence, helping bring plenty of energy and tension to the story throughout. Final Thoughts on The Karate Kid The Musical The Karate Kid The Musical may take a little time to fully find its rhythm, but once it does, it becomes a genuinely uplifting and entertaining theatre experience. Even as someone completely new to the story, I found myself fully invested in the characters and emotional journey by the second half. The combination of strong performances, exciting choreography, nostalgic 1980s atmosphere and heartfelt storytelling creates a production that feels both fun and surprisingly emotional at times. I genuinely had a lovely afternoon at the theatre and would happily see the show again. Whether you’re already a fan of the original films or discovering the story for the first time like I was, The Karate Kid The Musical at Palace Theatre Manchester delivers plenty of humour, heart and feel-good energy. Sometimes the strongest lessons come not from fighting harder, but from finding balance, confidence and believing in yourself. Further Information & Tour Dates The Karate Kid The Musical is at Palace Theatre Manchester until Saturday 23rd May 2026. Tickets are available to purchase through the ATG Tickets website. The production is also continuing to tour across the UK throughout 2026. For more information and full tour dates, visit the official The Karate Kid The Musical website. If you’d like to read my more theatre-focused review, you can also head over to All About Theatre. 🎥 Watch My Theatre Trip in Weekly Vlog #453 If you’d like to see what I got up to during my trip to see The Karate Kid The Musical you can watch it in Weekly Vlog #453. Our trip to the show begins at 16:45 in the video, although the vlog also includes some other family moments from our week. At a Glance 📍 Venue: Palace Theatre Manchester 📅 Date Visited: Thursday 14th May 2026 ⏱️ Runtime: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes including interval ☕ Interval: 20 minutes 🎟️ Seats: Stalls Row A Seats 29 & 30 💺 Seat Review: Excellent view, comfortable seats and plenty of legroom 🚋 Travel: Tram to St Peter’s Square 🛍️ Merch Purchased: Programme (£6.50) & Magnet (£5) 📖 Programme Price: £6.50 🎭 Genre: Musical / Martial Arts / Coming-of-Age Story 👫 Visited With: Lawrence 🌍 Further Dates: Touring the UK throughout 2026 🔗 Official Website: Visit the official The Karate Kid The Musical website for tour dates and show information. Watch The Trailer

Family Weekly Update This week was a lovely mix of family theatre trips, shopping days, blogging and quieter family time at home. We also had two very different theatre trips this week with The Karate Kid The Musical at Palace Theatre Manchester and The Detective Dog at Z-arts, both of which ended up being such enjoyable experiences in completely different ways. Here is this week’s family weekly update, sharing everything we got up to throughout the week. 🧹 Housework, Editing & A Quiet Start to the Week Monday was quite a quiet day at home. I spent most of the day catching up on housework and editing some YouTube videos before the week became busier later on. Sometimes it’s nice having a slower start to the week, especially when there are theatre trips and family plans coming up. 💻 Blog Posts & Catching Up On Tuesday, I wrote a few blog posts and finished off some of the housework that I hadn’t managed to get done on Monday. It felt good to have a bit of a catch-up day and get some things ticked off my list before the rest of the week got busy. 🛍️ Trafford Centre, Primark Disney Finds & A Come Shop With Me Video On Wednesday, after dropping the kids off at school, I got the bus to the Trafford Centre. When I arrived, I started with breakfast from Greggs — a bacon roll and a bottle of orange juice — before heading to the Haribo shop to pick up some of our favourite sweets that you don’t usually see in other shops. After that, I walked across the bridge to Trafford Palazzo to have a look in Primark. I really enjoyed seeing all the Disney items they had in, so I decided to film a Disney come shop with me video for YouTube while I was there. I did end up buying a few bits for the kids before having a look around Primark Home and then walking across to ASDA, where I picked up a few clothing items for Alice. After that, I headed back to the Trafford Centre for lunch at KFC before buying some Krispy Kreme doughnuts, as I had a coupon for 12 for £12. Once I’d finished, I got the bus home. Lawrence had got home at 2pm and picked the kids up from school, so when I got back I showed them what I’d bought for them, and then we played on the Nintendo Switch together for a bit. 🎭 Speech Therapy & The Karate Kid The Musical On Thursday morning, I took Alice to school and then took Leo to speech therapy before taking him to school afterwards. Later that day, Lawrence and I went to the matinee performance of The Karate Kid The Musical at Palace Theatre Manchester, so my parents picked the kids up from school for us. We got the tram into St Peter’s Square before making the short walk down to the theatre, arriving at around 2pm ahead of the 2:30pm matinee. As always, one of the first things I did when we arrived was head straight over to the merchandise stand. There was quite a good selection available, including T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, keyrings, pins, pens, magnets and programmes. I ended up buying a programme and a magnet for my collection before we headed into the auditorium. We were seated in Row A, seats 29 and 30 in the stalls, with seat 30 being the aisle seat. Although Row A sounds extremely close to the stage, it was actually the third row back and gave us a fantastic view throughout the show. The seats were comfortable, there was plenty of legroom, and I never felt too close to the action. Before seeing the musical, I had never actually watched any of the Karate Kid films, so I went into the production completely fresh. Lawrence, however, is a fan of the original movies and said afterwards that the musical stayed very faithful to the spirit and story of the film. The story follows teenager Daniel LaRusso after he moves to California with his mum and struggles to fit in at his new school. Things become even harder when he finds himself targeted by Johnny Lawrence and the Cobra Kai karate students. But after forming an unlikely friendship with Mr Miyagi, Daniel starts learning not only karate, but also lessons about balance, patience, discipline and believing in himself. Even without any previous connection to the films, I found the story really easy to follow and genuinely engaging. It did take a little while to fully find its rhythm, but once it did, it became a really uplifting and enjoyable theatre experience. I loved the relationship between Daniel and Mr Miyagi, and the mix of strong performances, exciting choreography, 1980s atmosphere and heartfelt storytelling made it such a lovely afternoon at the theatre. 👉 You can read more about our visit and my shorter review HERE 👉 And you can find my full review on All About Theatre HERE 🎮 A Quiet Friday Evening at Home On Friday, I spent the morning tidying the kids’ rooms before writing some blog posts and doing a bit of video editing. Once the kids were home from school, we had a relaxed evening playing games and watching TV together, which was just what we needed after a busy few days. 🐶 The Detective Dog at Z-arts On Saturday, we headed to Z-arts Manchester to see The Detective Dog. We’ve always loved Julia Donaldson books in our house, and The Detective Dog has been one of Alice and Leo’s favourites for a long time, so we were really excited to see the stage adaptation again after previously enjoying it at Waterside Arts last year. The show started at 11am, and we decided to get the bus there as it stops almost directly opposite the venue, which makes Z-arts really easy to get to with children. We arrived at around 10:15am, which gave us plenty of time before the performance started. One of the children’s favourite things about visiting Z-arts is the downstairs play area with the giant red bus that children can climb inside. As soon as we arrived, Alice jumped straight into the driver’s seat. It’s such a lovely little feature and always helps make visits to Z-arts feel like more than just a theatre trip. Before the show, there was a fun “guess the smell” activity inspired by Nell’s incredible detective nose, and Leo absolutely loved moving between the scent boxes trying to work out each smell. There were also ear defenders available to borrow, feedback forms and a colourful post box for children to post their responses after the show, which all helped make the experience feel really thoughtful and family-friendly. We were sat in Row D, seats 10–13, and had a really good central view of the stage. The seating is nicely raked too, so the children could see really well. The show itself was imaginative, warm and full of charm. Based on the Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie book, it follows Nell, a clever little detective dog with an amazing sense of smell and a love of books. When all the books mysteriously disappear from school, Nell sets out to solve the mystery. The production used puppetry, music, projection, British Sign Language and scent technology to create a really creative and accessible show for younger audiences. Alice and Leo were completely engaged throughout, and they especially loved the moments when Nell came into the audience. One of the funniest parts for them was when Nell bounced a ball into the audience and accidentally hit Daddy on the head — they thought that was hilarious. After the performance, the children were able to meet Nell in the foyer, which Alice and Leo absolutely loved, especially Alice as she has always adored puppets. Seeing Nell up close made the whole experience feel even more magical for them. Afterwards, my dad picked us up from Z-arts because Lawrence had to go straight to work. When we got home, I made us all lunch, and then we played on the Switch, played with the kids’ toys and watched a movie before bed. 👉 You can read more about our visit and my shorter review HERE 👉 And you can find my full review on All About Theatre HERE ✍️ Reviews, Reels & Homework On Sunday, I spent time writing my review for The Detective Dog and creating the social media posts to go with it. I also edited my Disney come shop with me video and helped the kids with their homework, so it ended up being a fairly productive end to the week. 🎥 Watch Our Weekly Vlog If you’d like to see everything we got up to this week, including our trips to The Karate Kid The Musical and The Detective Dog, you can watch this week’s family weekly update vlog over on YouTube.