Robin Hood Festival

Last Year Jon and I were in Nottingham at the same time as the Robin Hood Festival was going on in Sherwood Forest. It was great to see all the little children dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marion.

Sherwood Forest is about 40 minute drive from Nottingham and Nottingham is about a 2 hour drive from Cambridge. While this was a great time to see Sherwood Forest, I would suggest not driving all the way from the bases for the day to see the Robin Hood Festival.

The festival going on made the trip to Sherwood Forest worth it because otherwise you just go see the Major Oak. There were all sorts of displays, falconry, jousting, games and other stalls. It was free to attend but you had to pay for parking. You could make this an affordable day by packing your own picnic and then let the children run free.

Also take them walking around Sherwood Forest and see the Major Oak.

Great festival but a bit of a drive for one day.

Sandringham Flower Show

Want to see Prince Charles and The Duchess of York? The best way to do this is to go to the Sandringham Flower Show in the 25th July 2012from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.


It’s a great event to bring the children to. There are exhibits of horses and other displays like aerobatics teams, dog shows and bands and of course flower displays from the Women’s Institute (you might know about them through the movie Calendar Girls).

It’s only a 45 minute drive from base.

The Sandringham Estate is open to take a stroll. Sandringham Estate is where the Royal Family spends their Christmas and attend Christmas service at Church of St Mary Magdalene which is also usually open to visit.

I asked the question of where the Queen sits as she is the Head of the Church of England and the answer is she sits up front with the priest and other clergy members.

So take the day off and see how close you can get to royalty.

Why don't the English celebrate the 4th of July?

I remember the first time I took my husband to his first fourth of July celebration and when my jaw dropped as an American asked him the question "Why don't the British celebrate the 4th of July?".  I thought the answer was quite obvious but I suppose it isn't.

As Americans, we celebrate the 4th of July because it is the day in 1776 we adopted the Declaration of Independence which was finally signed by all members on 2 August 1776. The colonists felt that they wanted to become independent because the King in Great Britain was raising their taxes and increasing the rules that they had to follow.

The reason why I think it is obvious is because as Americans we would not celebrate the Independence of Guam or other territories that we have. 

But don't worry there will be plenty of celebrating here on the bases, every year RAF Feltwell host a huge event with fireworks, airshow and of course rides!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Ascot Racecourse

I was able to score some free tickets to the Discover Ascot day at the Ascot Racecourse. Ascot is famous for the Royal Ascot which brings out people by the droves dressed to the nines. At other times in the year the dress code is a bit more relaxed but if you do not dress appropriately you risk not being allowed in. Different enclosures have different rules so do check the website for the rules.

Ascot is two hours drive from Cambridge. Its best to go A14->A11->M11->M25->M4. It does not seem like it would be faster but the M25 gets really busy. Use Transport Direct info.  Also leave yourself additional time in case there is an accident. Do not park in the places where they charge you, if you keep going around, you will see free parking.

It is also down the road from Windsor Castle so while the racing will take up a whole day, you could try to book a room and stay in the area and hit that up as well.

The website also tells you how to place a bet and all other useful information so I would definitely read everything before you go. If you have been to the Newmarket races then you might know how racecourses operate.

I had a really good time with my friends, Laura and Jane. We brought a picnic which we ate before we went in. You are able to bring one in with you but there are only certain areas you can lay this out and you cannot bring seats.

We got really lucky with the weather as it didn't look like it was going to be very nice. We also won a bit of money, which covered our losses. We saw Frank Dettori make a great comeback and Princess Anne! Not a bad day out!

I would love to come for the Royal Ascot and dress up!

Newmarket Nights

I love Newmarket Nights. It is a chance to get together with your friends, see some races (and maybe win) and go to concert. Where else can you do that?  During the summer, they usually have 6 Fridays that they have concerts.

We usually get tickets to the Garden Enclosure. They are the most affordable tickets, you can bring your own food and alcohol and it has a children’s area (playground and bouncing castle). When the races are over all the enclosures open up and everyone moves towards the stage to listen to the music.

It is a great way to get together with friends!

St George's Day

St George is the patron saint of England. The English flag is St George’s cross. This was used by Richard the Lion Heart in the 12th century and his soldiers wore it during battle to distinguish themselves from each other.

St George was a Roman soldier who protested the Romans torturing the Christians (he was a Christian) and died for his beliefs. There is a legend of St George slaying a dragon and saving a princess. St George is also the patron of scouting.

St George’s Day is celebrated on the 23rd of April but is not a public holiday. It is also not celebrated as much as St Patrick’s Day is. It used to be celebrated but the popularity waned after the Union of Scotland and England

Some traditions to celebrate St George’s Day are:

• A rose in one’s lapel.
• Fly or adorn St George’s flag
• Some pubs will have garlands with St George’s cross

Looking for something to do to celebrate St George’s Day, check out this website.  Here are some activities for the kids!

Money Saving tips for London

I know its expensive here and London is even more expensive so here are some ideas on making the most:

1. Buy your train ticket for off-peak times and save more with a rail card.
2. Use the Oyster Card for traveling on the tube and buses. It will NEVER cost you more than a travel card but can cost you less!!!!
3. Walk- sometimes you miss the be sights being under ground. Here is a favourite walk of mine. You see the most important sights.
4. Don't take black cabs, but if you have to for the experience, take a short trip.
5. Have a picnic, you don't have to carry the food with all day just pop in a grocery store and head to a park. I love to do this on a sunny day.
6. Use your your Tescos Club Card  and Nectar points to get into places or eat out.
7. Bring a water bottle.
8. You can go to a show half price if you go to the ticket booth in Leicester Square. 
9. Or buy tickets here or buy standing tickets at the Shakespeare's Globe.
10. Get into London sells tickets for Jan to Feb at a good price.
11. Go to a free concert at Royal Opera House, National Gallery and National Theatre.
12. Attend a talk at the British Academy.
13. Go to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London.
14. Go see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
15. Free talks and courses on mediation here.

Hope this is enough!

Kimx

American to Britain

Saving money on days out

I love to get out and about but it can get expensive. Here are ways that I save money on my outings:

1. Become a member. If you are going to going to sights become a member. I recommend doing English Heritage one year and National Trust another. They have different types of sights so they are worth it. Also you get free parking at their locations. Another one that is worthwhile it the Historic Royal Palace Membership. You get into Tower of London ,Hampton Court Palace, Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace.
2. Take advantage of Heritage Open Days. These are every September and sometimes you get to see things that are not open all of the time. They are also free!
3. In Cambridge, there is a Bridge The Gap walk. This is a great way to view the colleges as you get into over 10 for a round £15!
4. Also if you live within 12 miles of the St Mary's Church, you can get into Kings College for £10 for 3 years! You just have to get a resident's card.
5. Go to local events. I love to go when there is a local festival. You don't have to buy anything but I just like to have a wander.
6. Bring a picnic. I usually pack something to eat while I am out and about. Also bring a water bottle, there is always somewhere to fill up. You can even bring food in to the cinema as long as it is not hot.
7. Remember when I said collect your Tescos Club Card  and Nectar points and not use them on food? You get a better value if you use them for days out. I always try to see where we can go on a voucher. 
8. Many museums are free and really good ideas for rainy days!
9. Go for walks, there are so many footpaths, look one up and get out there!

Hope this gets you started on planning your next day out!

Kimx

American to Britain

Twilight at the Museums

Twilight at the Museums is an annual event usually held during half-term. The museums are lit up and children are asked to bring their 'torches' (flashlights). It is a free event and a great way to go see some of the museums if you find it hard to get there during their normal opening hours. Also you get to see the museums in a different light.

A great way to break up the short days in the spring!

Ring around the Rosey

"Ring around the rosey" is a nursery rhyme and a game that we grew up with but do we know the origins of the rhyme?

The poem dates back to around the first Black Death in 1347. The first line is, "Ring around the Rosey," talks about the swelling on a lymph node called a bubo which looks like a ring. The center goes black and makes a rosey.

The victims would stick so healthy people would bring them a "Pocket full of posies."

The original third line is "Atch chew! Atch chew!" This was changed in America to "Ashes! Ashes!" so people thought it was tied to cremation but instead goes to the next symptom the victim would have, a sneezing fit.

Of course the last line, "we all fall down!," eludes the final stage of the victim dying from their affliction.

Brandon Country Park

Brandon Country Park is a great place for you to take the family including the dog out for a day. It doesn't cost anything to park there unlike High Lodge down the street.

You can bring along picnic and walk or cycle the trails. There is a playground for the children and shop to buy drinks and food. Dogs can be taken off the lead. It is open 7 days a week. There is also a lovely walled garden.

Taking the children out for the day doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg!

Best Time to Visit London

Jane and I went to London during the Christmas break between 24 December and 2 January and could not believe how easy it was to get around. This is because England shuts down more or less between these dates. Offices, if open, will be minimally managed. Don't expect many services to be open except grocer stores, petrol stations and the main tourist attractions but I would suggest check ahead. The English use this time to wind down and spend time at home with their families and it appeared to us only tourists were out at this time. So if you are put off by going to London because of the crowds, this is time to get out and about!

Mill Road Winter Fair

For many years I wanted to go see what the Mill Road Winter Fair. If you don't really know much about Cambridge or this area, what you should know is that this is filled with independent shops. It is also the best place for you to find those Asian ingredients that are so hard to find.

I was not sure what to expect but when I got there, it was busy, the restaurants had food stalls in front and I couldn't resist having a burger from the steakhouse which I didn't know existed (it was great!). There were so many craft stalls so a great place to buy some Christmas gifts. There were choirs and dancing. A real celebration!

They had a parade and it was amasing to see how this community came together to put this on. You often think that Cambridge lacks a sense of community like the villages have but this is proof that it even it exists here.

Santon Downham

Santon Downham is a great 6 mile walk in the area near the RAF Lakenheath and Mildenhall that makes for a nice afternoon out with the family and the dog.

When I did this walk, I was on a guided walk but the link included in this blog takes you to a place where you can print out a map if you go it on your own. Also there are directions so I think you will be set.

You can park at the Forest Office Car park (free) and there should be information about the walk there for you as well. So really this could be a free day out if you pack a picnic.

Great views, nice church, go for it!

Dover

Dover is famed for the white cliffs that are made out of the chalk.

I went down here because Jon was having a go at land yatching thanks to his sister Anna. It is about 2-2 1/2 hours drive from Cambridge so I think that is a bit much to do in one day so we stayed in Canterbury.

Dover has a beautiful coast and Dover Castle on top of the cliffs.

Great destination for a weekend away. I would suggest combining this with a stay in Canterbury. While Dover is lovely, there is not a lot to it. So go to Dover for the day, then stay in Canterbury and do Canterbury the next day.

Make sure you get yourself some cockles!

Paxton Pitt

Paxton Pitt Nature Reserve is a lovely nature reserve out near St Neots. Its a great place to take the dogs or the children out for a walk. You can look to see what animals you can see and the bugs you will find. Its also a very cheap day out!

Pack a picnic and make it a day.

Institute of Astronomy

The Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge hold public evenings that are free during term time. You can see the telescope that is over 150 years old and if the sky is clear, you can have a look. I brought my brownies here so that we could do our stargazers badge so you can also arrange to bring a group here.

Halloween

Halloween is not as celebrated in England as it is in the States.

You will not see the British decorate their houses(this goes for other holidays except for Christmas). You might see the odd jack-o-lantern but that is it. They might take their children out to trick-or-treat usually between 5-8.

Just because a house doesn’t have its front light on doesn’t mean it is not participating in Halloween so if they are not participating they just won’t answer the door. Sometime teens are naughty and if you don’t give them treats, they will egg your house.

If you don’t want to stick out in your English neighbourhood, you could just put a jack-o-lantern on your doorstep and decorate the inside of your house.

There are other ways to celebrate:

• Have a Halloween party and invite your British friends over to see what the fuss is all about!.
•  Go to a pumpkin patch like:
• Miton Rectory Farm Shop- Landbeach Rd, Milton, Cambridge CB24 6DA 01223 860 374
• Christmas Hill Farm Shop- Station Road, Lakenheath,  IP27 9AB 01842 861144

Trick or Treat!

Is England Child Friendly?

I had to write about this topic because it often comes up in the forums that I am in with other Americans.

It really frustrates me because England is child friendly, but there are still certain expectations that the English  have. I guess one way to explain it is that there are certain unwritten rules that the English follow when conducting themselves in public, (and many Americans have the same expectations regarding children). Not everyone follows them, but the majority do, and it allows things to tick along nicely.  For example, standing quietly in queues no matter how long it is.

The unwritten rule is that children are generally welcome but they are expected to be well behaved. It also depends on where you go. If you go to a two Michelin star restaurant such as Midsommer House in Cambridge, you should not bring your children.

If you go to a place like Prezzo, you can bring your children but it’s expected that they sit at the table with you and that you will not allow them to be overly loud and run around the place. Apart from the danger of them colliding with a food server, it is discourteous to the other diners.  Remember eating out in England is much more expensive than in America, so for many people going to a restaurant is a treat, and often for a special occasion. 

If you take your children to a pub with a beer garden, that's fine to let them loose out there while you sit back and enjoy your pint. You can apply this guidance to anything, but first of all you must be honest with yourself about what kind of situations your child can handle themselves and behave because if they can’t behave it will be stressful for you and the people around you. If you are honest with yourself and curtail where you go to suit your children, you shouldn’t run into any problems.

Before picking a place to eat with children, do a little research as to what type of place it is, what their opening hours are, and how child friendly it is.  That way you can be more confident with your choice of restaurant and so avoid a stressful situation.

Festival of Ideas

Festival of Ideas is annual event that happens in the October and is held by Cambridge University. It started in 2008 and was meant to get the public engaged with the University. I went to a lot of talks last year and really enjoyed it. Some of them you have to prebook and there are things for all ages and interests. This is a great way to keep your children busy during half term and see the kind of things that are being discussed at Cambridge University.