dorking – the joy of five

Cafes, Children, Families, Family Life, Food

New Year Treat At Georgous Gerties

January 9, 2016January 9, 2016by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment

Choosing a Christmas present for my Mum and Dad is always tricky so my sister and I now club together to take them out for a treat rather than buy them a gift they will probably never use.

I wrote a post the other day on how depressing it is once all the Christmas and New Year celebrations have finished so we decided to take Mum and Dad for afternoon tea at Georgous Gerties in Dorking which is somewhere we’ve not tried before.

I arrived late as usual and Mum and Dad were already sitting with tea in hand inside the quaint tea rooms. It has been decorated wonderfully with lots of vintage items and pretty bunting which is always a hit with me!

I have sampled many an afternoon tea in my time but I’ve never been somewhere that caters for the children specifically. They had their very own cake stand of simple sandwiches, retro sweets, vegetable crudités and yummy crispy cakes. They were over the moon to be made to feel so special.

Unfortunately I was at the wrong end of the table to get any pictures of the adults cake stands but I can ashore you they were full of the brim with tasty sandwiches, homemade cakes and delicious scones that I topped with way to much jam and cream!

While at the table I had a little nose at what else was on offer as it came out of the kitchen and there seemed to be a great looking selection of lots of other hot and cold food and a rather scrumptious looking milkshake.

Normally a setting like this makes me feel on edge with the children but the staff were great with them and a selection of toys nustled in the fireplace kept them amused.

Not only do they serve wonderful food there is also a selection of great gifts, an old fashioned sweet shop and a creative workshop offering classes that I’m going to be looking into for the future.

If you are looking for somewhere to celebrate a special occasion or simply somewhere to have something good to eat I would highly recommend popping along and seeing for yourselves.

Box Hill, Bug Hunting, Children, Christmas, Families, Family Life

Muddy Walks And Pub Lunches

December 28, 2015January 6, 2016by thejoyoffive11 Comments

Our festive celebrations wouldn’t be complete without a muddy walk to blow away the cobwebs and get rid of some of that guilt for all the over indulgence of the past few days.

We took a trip up to Box Hill to take in the beautiful views and get more than a little muddy.

We only had the youngest two with us today so it was very quiet trip but lovely to have a bit of quality time with them.

We took part in the trail today which is something we normally miss out on and we are so glad we did. The boys climbed trees, ran along logs, hunted for bugs and built our own balance beam which came to a nasty ending as number five slipped and came straight down onto it.

I love walking along with the family just chatting and planning the year ahead.

Just to pile on a few more pounds we stopped off at our new favourite haunt The Old House in Dorking for some dinner and board games. They are really child and dog friendly here and we love the cosy relaxed atmosphere. I really wish we could drag Christmas out for that bit longer!

Box Hill, Children, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Kids Days Out, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Photography, Sons, Surrey

Catching ‘Real’ Sharks At Box Hill

September 26, 2015September 30, 2015by thejoyoffive10 Comments

Our Saturday’s usually consist of dropping the big ones at their chosen activities at its just me and the youngest two that meet up with my sister to go out and find some fun.

We were very indecisive today and finally decided to take a walk up at Box Hill. She was not so keen on the idea as she was sporting 5 inch heels!

Instead of taking our usual drive up to the top of the hill, today we decided to find the stepping stones that we had not visited before. This proved a little tricky as the signposts were not great and we tried several different locations until we finally found our way.

We took a picturesque walk through Burford Medow which takes you alongside the River Mole. There were plenty of trees to clamber over, a rope swing over the river that none of us were brave enough to try and a beautiful bridge that we stopped on to play ‘pooh sticks’ for a while.

A coupe of minutes on we got to the stunning stepping stones. It was so calm and serine, a real beauty spot.

Number four was very annoyed that I wouldn’t let him bound over on his own and he was making my nerves bad by fishing for ‘real’ sharks over the edge with his stick!

We spent a good while here by the waters edge, digging in the mud and having sword fights with sticks.

These are always my favourite kind of days. Wandering through the countryside really letting kids be kids with their imaginations running wild. I mean I bet you didn’t know there were sharks in Surrey!!

Bug Hunting, Cafes, Cakes, Chartwell House, Children, Crafts, Education, Families, Family Life, Farms, Fish, Flowers, Food, Garden Centres, Gardens, Holidays, Kid Bloggers, Kids Days Out, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Parks, Photography, Picnics, Reigate, Surrey

Top Outdoor Summer Activities In Surrey

July 19, 2015July 21, 2015by thejoyoffive15 Comments

With the summer holidays now upon us I’m sure you will all be planning what to do to keep your little once occupied.

With the weather holding out for us at the moment I wanted to give you a few of my favourite days out in the great outdoors in Surrey.

Mayfield Lavender Fields

The Mayfield Lavender Fields are truly a sight to behold and I would question anybody that is not stunned by its beauty.

They can be found just outside Banstead, Surrey and are well worth a visit.

This year the car parking is only £1 but be warned it gets extremely busy and there is not a great deal of parking.

There is a lovely little cafe where you can stop to get refreshments while taking in the sights. And new this year they have also included a tractor ride.

Mine are more than happy running in between the flowers and searching for bugs whilst I try and capture the beauty on my camera.

Godstone Farm

For me Godstone Farm is great as it covers a variety of ages.

They have massive fields that you can walk around whilst looking at the larger animals such as cows, pigs and donkeys.

The children have a chance to get hands on with the smaller animals of the farm in the petting area. Mine all love this as they can stroke and hold the rabbits and chickens.

There are set times during the day where you can watch the animals being fed which is always great fun.

The play activities here are endless. There is a huge adventure playground at the top of the field with everything you could imagine.

There is a section with ride on toys for the younger children as well as several sandpits.

Mine all love the large soft play area that also homes a small cafe so you can relax whist the children play.

As far as eating goes there is a good cafe that serves reasonably priced hot and cold food. Or there is the option of picnicking with ample picnic areas.

Priory Park

This is our all time favourite park. It has everything you could expect to get from a local park and more.

They have a beautifully designed playground with the usual swings and slides with the added extras of a large sandpit and water features that are perfect for the summer.
The grounds are vast and have a wonderful fountain, surrounded by pretty gardens we often picnic by.

At the opposite end of the park there is a beautiful lake where you can feed the ducks and take a leisurely walk around.

Numbers two’s favourite park is the large skatepark which is perfect for older children.

During the holiday there are always lots free activities put on for the children, and in the past we have taken part in bug hunting, den building and a great sports activity day.

Lastly in the centre of the park is a great cafe Pistachios In The Park offering great food and snacks that really adds to the whole day.

Chessington World Of Adventures

We are lucky enough to have annual passes for this great theme park and visit many times a year.

It gets bigger and better each time we visit and covers all of my children’s ages from 1-18.

I tend to let the oldest two wander off by themselves and go on all the thrill seeking rides that CWOA has to offer.

I can then take the younger ones to explore the Sealife centre, petting farm, massive zoo full of wonderful animals and to ride on the fabulous rides that are more suitable for their age.

We don’t normally take food with us as its a lot to carry around and there are plenty of great restaurants to chose from.

All of mine love to watch the exuberant Madagascar show that is put on a couple of times a day and the sea lion and penguin shows always go down a treat.

It really is a fun packed day and I would advice to get there early to ensure you get a go on the biggest and most popular rides without to much of a queue.

Priory Farm

This is a garden centre with a difference!

There is a large garden centre with all the usual things on offer which also houses a great coffee shop with wonderful hot and cold food, and the most wonderful cakes.

Attached to this is a newly refurbished play area that we have yet to visit this year. Across from here is a huge pirate ship that mine all love to play on and a picnic area directly next to it which is fantastic to sit and watch them play.

Our favourite part of the farm is the discovery walk. You pick up your quiz sheet at the start which takes you around all the different parts of the trail answering questions as you go. At the top we usually stop for a rest and take in the views. Near the end there is a chance to feed the fish which is my favourite part!!

Our day normally finishes with a walk around the well stock farm shop to pick something nice for our tea.

Chartwell House

If you are a reader of my blog you will know that National Trust venues are my favourite.

Chartwell House is one of the best for my family as it has such a lot to occupy tiny minds.

The gardens are exquisite and there is something different everywhere you turn.

I love the tiny playhouse that would have been used by the house owners for so many years before.

You can really educate the children in a fun way here as they are taking in information and not knowing it!

Keep an eye on their website as there are always some great cheap or free activities going on that mine all love.

We are yet to venture into the house as in not sure my nerves could take that until the small ones are a little older.

Flower Farm

Fruit picking is a brilliant activity for all the family. It teaches children where the fruit originally comes from, gives them some exercise and they get a yummy, healthy treat at the end.

At flower farm there is always a good variety of different fruit and vegetable to pick at good prices.