Thomas Paine

I had heard of Thomas Paine before did not know much about the man. I knew that he came from Thetford in Norfolk near the bases but doing my American history classes, I have come to know that he is a huge figure in the the new United States.

Paine was born in Thetford and worked with his father as a corset maker. At the time Thetford was a very important market town.He attended the Thetford Grammar School which still stands today. He tried his hand at many other lines of work which never really worked out for him. He met Benjamin Franklin who suggested that he head to the colonies and he began to write in the newspapers there.

Like many people Paine wrote pamphlets and distributed his thoughts in this fashion which became quite common. One of his famed pamphlets is Common Sense, where he was the first to provoke the suggestion of independence from Great Britain.

Paine felt that it did not make sense that an island dictate to a continent. That while the people who are living in the British colonies are British but they have many influences from Europe. That the Mother Country should not inflict such pain on her children and that all men are created equal and therefore there was no need for the monarchy except to start wars and give away land.

This pamphlet made a huge impact because at the time the colonists made reading an important part of their lives and could not get enough of the books, pamphlets and newspapers which were thriving. The colonists at this time were better educated than the people in Europe. Paine also wrote in fashion which was easy to understand.

Paine was a forward thinker, a progressive in his time. He was also very keen on the redistribution of wealth. He also sought the implementation of many things that we take for granted today such as pensions, marriage allowance and maternity benefits. Although he was not a socialist, he believed that there were certain responsibilities that people to take one another and that the idea of welfare to be provided by the government which was to come from the taxes on the wealthy and distributed to the poor.

He returned to England and became very interested in the French Revolution. He wrote the Rights of Man, a book that dismissed the monarchy and the issues that the European society had with them. He was charged with treason and fled to France.

He was invited to return to America by President Jefferson but by the time he returned his impact was forgotten and he did miserably in 1809.

Brownies

Girl Guiding Centenary

I am a 2nd Milton Brownie Leader in Cambridge since 2006. I joined the Brownies because I was looking for some volunteer work (since the Air Force wants you to volunteer, I thought I would do something I would enjoy). It turned out the women from the sailing club were part of a brownie group and needed some help.

I really enjoy helping the girls improve in their confidence and watching them grow. It is a boy free zone where they can be secure in who they are. I cannot wait to have children and get them involved with a group such as this. The women I work with are my friends and I have been involved with so many great events that would have never happened if I hadn't been in search of volunteer work. We do crafts, take trips and have parties. We do not sell the traditional American Girl Scout cookies here.

Every year we celebrate Thinking Day for the creation of Girl Guiding. Lord Robert Baden-Powell was starting up scouts in 1907 for boys and girls showed up to the First Boy Scout Rally in 1909 wanting to join too. He put his sister, Lady Agnes Baden-Powell, in charge of The Girl Guides Association in 1910 and the rest is history. There are now Girl Guides and Girls Scouts in over 145 countries in the world (the American Girl Scouts are a spawn from the British verison).

If you have a daughter between the ages of 7-10 years old I would suggest you have her join a local brownies group. It will be beneficial for the culture and the confidence she will receive. If you are looking for a local group, contact the Girls Guiding Anglia and they can point you in the right direction.

The scouts over here do allow girls so if you think she might prefer that atmosphere, contact them.

Lackford Lakes

Looking to take your children to somewhere in the outdoors? Lackford Lakes is the place.

Although you cannot bring your dog, you can take a walk around and see nature as it should be with beautiful flowers and amazing wildlife. There are otters, ducks and dragonflies!

They have regular events and courses for adults and children. These cost money but other wise it is free to visit.

This is a great place to bring the children, they can watch the feeding stations from the visitor centre which also has a children's area to enhance their learning. There are also circular walks that are available to stretch the little legs and tire them out.

How lucky are we to have something so close!

West Stow

West Stow is an Anglo-Saxon village near Bury St Edmunds which is where you can walk around and see how they may have lived. It has been reconstructed on an area that was previously excavated.

They have a lot of different events and because you can touch and try the furniture and other items out it makes learning about them fun!

You can make a day of it and walk around the 125 acre park as well. Dogs are not permitted.

You can get an unlimited visit Heritage ticket for a year for both West Stow and Moyes Hall for only £7, a great value!

West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and Country Park

The Visitor Centre

Icklingham Road

West Stow

Bury St Edmunds

IP28 6HG

Centre Parcs

Looking for a place to go for holiday that has something for everyone? Centre Parcs might be your answer. You can go Monday- Friday or Friday to Sunday. The closest one in the local area is in Thetford Forest. You can rent out room in their hotel or a villa. They have all sorts of activities so you will not need to leave the park for the time that you are there. The swimming pool is the only thing that is free. They have activities for children such as swimming, bowling, zip line, biking and much more!

They have Starbucks, Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and a Sports Cafe to eat. There is also a spa that I can highly recommend. I got a relaxing Swedish Massage when we went to visit my in-laws whilst they were staying here. You can have visitors but you have to arrange ahead of time when they will be coming. You can also bring your dogs here but check out the terms before you pack your pooch into the car.

So treat your family and head to Centre Parcs!

Parks

I love the fact that when the weather is nice, the British get out and use the beautiful parks that they maintain. I am not sure why it seems that they appreciate these spaces more than Americans (it could be because they have such tiny yards).  It also can be a cheap alternative to going somewhere else. Yo can often let the dog off the lead if they are well behaved and you are a responsible owner. Pack a lunch, get together with friends and enjoy the sunshine!

Go Ape!

Go Ape at High Lodge is a great day out for the family or just a group of friends! It is for Gorillas (adults) and baboons (Children 10-17). You wear a harness and climb apparatus in the trees. You can book online or there but it saves money to book online and search for a promotion code to save some money.

If High Lodge is a place you think you might go frequently because they have places you can cycle, parks and trails to walk on, perhaps a season pass for 50 pounds (see the shop for details).


We had a lot of laughs and really challenged ourselves!

Grimes Grave

This is a place that I would stop off if you out in the area, as it can be a quite quick but it is worth the visit, to get a view into what Neolithic life was like. Also if the weather is right, you can just let the kids run round and burn off some energy.

Grimes Grave is prehistoric flint mine and there are over 400 pits that were dug out. They would dig down and get the flint out and refill the holes. There is a great display the history and importance of the area. Then you can go down one of the excavated shafts. My father-in-law told me that people used to be able to crawl throughout the little tunnels when he visited there 40 years ago, sadly you can no longer do that.

The staff are very knowledgeable and shared with me that the flint from Brandon was used in the guns that Americans used during the American Revolution!

Also this is free to English Heritage members.

Thetford Forest

Thetford Forest is a great place to take the kids, dog and yourself for a walk.

They also have concerts in the park in the summer. Also nearby is Go Ape where you can act like monkeys and climb the trees!

They also have provisions for riding bikes, bbqing, camping, picnicking, horse riding, and a play area for children.

You can also go to Brandon Country Park and walk around, run or cycle. They have a nice place to eat some lunch and a park for the kids. I have been told you must be careful with your dogs in the woods because of the muntjacs (chinese deer) can be startled and defend themselves.

Make use of the lovely summer days and the fresh air!