Alice In Wonderland – the joy of five

Alice In Wonderland, Children, Children's Books, Christmas, Families, Family Life, Kids Days Out, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Reviews, Vintage, winter

Alice In Wonderland At Hever Castle

December 3, 2019December 3, 2019by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment

[PRESS EVENT] If I was ever asked to depict a traditional Christmas then Hever Castle would be it for me. We have just had our fourth Christmas visit and it is still as spellbinding and breathtaking as our first trip.

Fairy lights covering the pathways, lights illuminating the vast lake and snow dipped trees tucked away made for an amazing start to our visit.

Already full of the spirit of Christmas we headed towards the castle where we got to sip hot chocolates and mulled wine, feast on mince pies and cookies whilst taking in the splendour of the beautifully decorated rooms.

Warm and toasty we headed back out into the grounds and had some fun on the carousel and the magic hall of mirrors. The children and adults alike where all smiles throughout.

Next up we headed to see the main man himself. We were a little early so the friendly elves set the boys down to writing their wish lists to Father Christmas that they could then seal and place in the letter box which was a lovely touch.

Before we knew it we were being guided through the snowy paths by more friendly elves who chatted about all the things they had been up to before passing us over to Father Christmas who was nestled away in his cute wooden cabin.

He chatted away to the children for some time and was extremely warm and welcoming. After a little pep talk on being good…which was most welcome they all received a lovely gift and we headed out to finish the evening with the Alice In Wonderland trail.

This is always one of my favourite parts of the evening and this year was one of my favourite themes. The actors were as elaborate and engaging as ever and the decorations were a wonder to see, although Oscar found a few a little spooky this year.

The beauty of Hever’s Christmas attraction is that tickets are not needed to be booked in advance for everything so there is the opportunity to enjoy this right up until Christmas Eve.

Alice In Wonderland, Books, Children, Children's Books, Chocolate, Costumes, Families, Family Life, Reading, Reviews, School, Siblings, World Book Day

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Themed World Book Day With Party Delights UK

February 25, 2018February 25, 2018by thejoyoffive1 Comment

World Book Day is one of the favourite days of the school year for my lot…well and for me actually. I love going through all their most loved books and choosing which characters they want to become.

There has been a huge variety of different characters chosen over the years and I have to say some have been easier to create than others. One author that is always top of the list though is Roald Dahl.

He brings back so many found memories of my childhood and I would get completely immersed in his tales, from the shenanigans of the evil Witches to the heart felt adventures of The BFG to the trials and tribulations of the mischievous Twits and the troubled life of darling Matilda.

His thought provoking tales have bought so much enjoyment to myself and my family over the years that it would be rude not to honour his work on such a special day.

On paper as well as on screen Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is alway a hit and the boys were lucky enough to be sent a Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka outfit each from the lovely people at Party Delights UK.

They are certainly the people to go to to get kitted out for World Book Day, and its not only the children they have thought of, there is also a section for the teachers too.

There are way to many costumes to list on here but there are some firm favourites such as Harry Potter, David Walliams, The Gruffalo, Alice In Wonderland and many more.

Frankie was thrilled will his costume that had all the finer details that are often left out such as Willy’s cane, a super cute bow tie and of course the spectacular top hat.

Oscar’s Charlie Bucket outfit came complete with authentic grubby patches and a little attachment inside the jacket to hold the all important golden ticket!

Head over and take a look yourselves at the fantastic range and get your little ones kitted out in style for this very special day.

*We were given these outfits for the purpose of this review and they are all my own, honest opinions.

Alice In Wonderland, Cafes, Easter, Food, Groomsbridge Place, Kids Days Out, Photography, Picnics, Tunbridge Wells, Uncategorized

Alice In Wonderland At Groomsbridge Place

April 8, 2015April 19, 2015by thejoyoffive5 Comments

Aswell as having a huge family myself, so do the majority of my friends. So days like today create many a look as my friend and I were rounding up our troops at Groomsbridge Place.

This was my first visit here and luckily for us the had a fantastic free Easter event that was based on the old English Classic Alice In Wonderland. The Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, Alice herself and many other characters were scattered around the vast gardens entertaining the children and staying in character really well throughout the whole day.

The trail was accompanied by several other activites that the children could join in with. Storytelling sessions, birds of prey displays and a fabulous show put on by the characters.

This was all just an added bonus to all that Groomsbridge Place has to offer. The extensive woodlands and gardens hide away giant swings, wooden fortresses, a gigantic wooden walkway and several other places to stop and play.

There is a lot of walking involved over a vast hilly area so sensible shoes are a must.

If you fancy a little rest then you can take a short boat trip which is a lovely addition to your trip.

The only complaint I would have is when we stopped for a well earned ice cream there were no options that catered for number fours allergies. The addition of some ice lollies would have made a fabulous trip perfect.