positive365: + 365 Day 115

SUNDAY FAMILY FUNDAY

Today we checked out of the Premier Inn bright and early and set off to the St George's Day Festivities in Wrest Park. Due to road works and the fact I haven't updated my satnav in like 3 years it took us around 40 minutes to get there (should have been 25).

When we arrived they were getting people to park about a mile away from the park but disabled badge holders could park literally at the entrance so we were waved through and got a spot about 5 meters from the entrance to the park.

We were waved through all the queues and had our names checked on a list were given a map and schedule and then went through to the park.

It was HUGE and filled with lots of really cool and fun things to do as well as shows.

First off was the falconry show where we saw different birds of prey swooping after lures and learned a bit about their history and how they fly and work.

We followed this up with a walk over to see some Jesters :) Their act included juggling batons over people's heads, laying on a bed of nails and then having audience members stand on them and finished with a patio slab and a sledgehammer-ouch. They were pretty funny too cracking lots of silly jokes and acting out.

Next it was time for a snack - this was one of the downfalls of the day for us - the food options were all really expensive and there was limited drink options too. I got a coffee a lemonade and a 'sausage baguette' (thats in quotation marks because I dont think a single sausage on 1/3 of a baguette constitutes a sausage baguette!!!) this cost like £8.50!!!! We also got 2 diet cokes from the bar which came in teeny plastic cups and cost £1 each!

Whilst we were eating there was this guy in a robe with a woman and a chinese style dragon where people could go in and be part of the dragon and then they went off dancing around all the tables and over to another roped off area where some kids were training to be soldiers. They then got to try and defeat the dragon which was pretty cool.

We headed down to look at some of the stalls following this and bought a few items - some of the stalls were really reasonable priced and others not so much but we bought a few things and lost mum - she wandered off!

Lizzie fancied painting her own shield to give as a gift to her boyfriend Andee and as it wasn't too expensive (£6 for shield and all the paint you could use) we sat down and painted it. I helped her with it and when it was finished painted Andee's name on it for her and then we left it to dry off.

We headed over to watch a jousting match following this (after finding mum - she text me to say she was sat on a bench by some white tents - nearly all the re-enactors tents were white DOH)

After the jousting we wandered over to see some roman soldiers and armour and bits. We were going to have a go at striking a roman coin (£1 a go and you get to keep the coin) but then this trumpet sounded and all the roman soldiers got up ready to do a parade march - we missed their parade but did get to have our photos taken with some of them.

We then wandered around the re-enactors tents and met this guy who was an expert on old fashioned medicine - he had loads of tools and stuff and explained how they all worked - Lizzie wasn't impressed when he said he could help with her sore throat by strapping a live frog to her neck - LOL got a frog in your throat anyone?

We were all starting to get a bit cold then and Lizzie's legs were hurting as we had walked around a lot - we headed over to look at some more stall and I got us some victorian ginger bread squares - delicious!

We decided that we would head up and look at some of the house and gardens then for a bit. The house was lovely with lots of interesting information about the family who owned it and the different uses it had been put to during the war and stuff. The gardens were really beautiful and full of flowers.

By 4 pm we were all tired and I knew I had a long drive back so we headed out - stopping on the way out to get our photo taken with a large statue of St George :)

We had a fantastic day at Wrest park and I am really grateful to Premier Inn who provided our hotel and tickets as part of a prize :D

The drive back home wasn't quite as bad as the drive there although I did get stuck behind a bridge on the motorway for a few miles (yes an actual bridge on the back of a truck which took over 2 whole lanes). We stopped for food in the services and just grabbed a burger king meal and some cold drinks.

We got back to Cardiff around 8ish and dropped Lizzie off - then collected Jac (who had apparently behaved himself for once!) and came home to 4 cats who tried to make out they hadnt eaten for a year ( my uncle had fed them meat at 12 pm, refilled their water bowls with fresh water, given them biscuits and treats!!!)

We were pretty tired when we finally got home so didnt do much just crashed out.

Today's positive was we had a fantastic time at Wrest Park and are definitely considering looking at staying down that way again as there seems to be a lot to do and see there :)

Me & Lizzie stood in front of a statue - sadly we will never know which one as mum managed to cut the top of it out of every pic she took using my phone (and she took about 20 hence the fed up looks!)

Juggling Jesters

Bed of nails

Bed of Nails and a large bloke stood on his belly ouch

Weird guy in a robe with a staff leading the chinese dragon - didnt get good pics as too busy eating

Part of the dragon

Knight preparing to Joust

Wrest Hall

Mum & Lizzie with summer house and lake in the distance

Lizzie with a Roman guard

Me with a Roman soldier and holding the shield we painted - the dragons for Wales :D

This is where the cafe was :)

Pretty tulips - they smelled amazing

Wonky pic of mum inside the house

Lizzie in the house

The three amigos! or maybe stooges in a mirror selfie - the room was full of gilded stuff and decorated in blue and gold - very snazzy but I would hate to have to dust and hoover!