A Tale of Two Abbeys

On our recent holiday to North Yorkshire, we visited two sites of Abbey ruins, both managed by English Heritage. Clutching our new membership cards, acquired with Tesco Clubcard points, we were eager to make use of the benefits.

The majesty of Byland Abbey

Having visited the well-known Whitby Abbey on a previous occasion, we had planned to visit Rievaulx Abbey, having seen it on the BBC programme Secret Britain. However, before we got round to making that visit, we stumbled across a sign for Byland Abbey, which we had not heard or read about, but decided to explore.

The route took us along windy country lanes and we half expected to find a minor ruin at the end of it – a heap of stones or partial wall – but how wrong we were! As we rounded the final corner a stunning sight met our eyes!

The ruins are actually quite substantial, certainly ample enough to give you the feel of what the original abbey would have been like. There is also a small museum on site, housing a model of how the abbey would have looked in its heyday. The setting was quite something too, surrounded by peaceful countryside and overlooked by neighbouring hills, making it a very tranquil spot. Following this visit we knew that Rievaulx would have to go some to beat it.

The day arrived of our planned Rievaulx visit, so we packed up our picnic and followed the signs from Helmsley to the more publicised ruin (it’s given twice the space of Byland in the English Heritage handbook and has a large gift shop and café, whereas Byland just has a small kiosk). Our initial reaction was slight disappointment at the location – the abbey appeared to be shoehorned into quite a small area, whereas Byland enjoys more space. It’s true that a larger part of the original structure is intact, yet it somehow didn’t seem as impressive as we felt it should.

 

This also has a museum/exhibition that’s slightly larger than the one at Byland, but there was no model of the original abbey as we’d expected. We do know that the museum was about to close for refurbishment (strange at peak visitor time) so maybe it will undergo an improvement.

We still enjoyed our visit to Rievaulx, but felt it was a bit of an anti-climax after what we’d been lead to expect, whereas Byland was a surprising little gem.

Exploring Rievaulx

Where’s Turner?

Last week I paid a visit to The Turner Contemporary in Margate, part of my husband’s birthday treat, and promptly embarked on a game of ‘Where’s Turner?’ It’s a bit like ‘Where’s Wally?’, though with the latter you actually have a chance of finding him!

My husband loves a good art gallery and a good piece of art – he’s a graphic designer and bit of an artist himself – but had not got round to visiting Turner Contemporary. It should have been a great trip out, but I know that he was sadly disappointed.

The first thing that struck us on arrival was the dull design of the building itself. The gallery consists of a series of ‘boxes’ with sloping roofs, which are a very poor representation of the ‘sails’ that we had expected. Rather than enhancing Margate, the structure does it a disservice, as the town actually has some lovely old buildings.

Spot the eyesore!

As it was around lunchtime when we arrived, we decided to check out the café, but were not impressed. We had wanted a light lunch as we had a big dinner planned for the evening, but most of the food served was too substantial (and a bit pretentious), apart from some tired looking baguettes priced at £4.50 each. On to plan B then.

A walk round the harbour revealed a friendly little café where we purchased two toasted sandwiches and two hot drinks for just £7! The sandwiches were delicious, nicely toasted and packed with filling, unlike some of the supermarket offerings that you get. We sat and enjoyed them on the harbour front seating provided, gazing at some of Margate’s more interesting architecture.

Anyway, back to the gallery. The first sight you see on entering is the donation box – admission is, after all, free, but I’m more likely to consider a donation once I’ve seen how the money is being spent. The next sight is the shop – but the gallery is free, so their leaflet assures us!

On the day that we visited, the atrium housed a kind of display of cymbals that you could participate in playing on the hour. Now I know in the art world this was meant to be a poignant piece, but to a mere ‘pleb’ like me let’s face it, it was a bunch of cymbals!

Proceeding along the bottom corridor, we observed a photographic display, by some chap whose name I can’t remember, but which made no impact on me (or my husband) whatsoever. They were no more exciting than viewing Auntie Elsie’s holiday snaps of Torquay.

Venturing upstairs the thing that actually did make a big impact was the large window framing the stunning sea view. Nature’s art at its best, and certainly a reflection on Turner, but where was his work?

The upper floor consists of a series of small galleries and even smaller ‘cinema’ rooms. The current exhibition is entitled ‘Self’ and of course, features an array of self-portraits. The gem of this was the Van Dyck, which I thought was stunning – at last a big thumbs up! Some of the other exhibits were a bit dull, but there were some recognisable pieces from artists such as Hockney and Warhol.

By far, the exhibit that made the most impression on me, in a somewhat haunting way, was Jeremy Millar’s sculpture of his own ‘drowned body’. When I entered the room containing this piece I had to do a double take. I slowly walked up to the ‘body’ not completely convinced that it wasn’t a person that would jump up just as I got near. As gruesome as the subject was, it was extremely effective and a great piece of work!

But where was Turner? Just as we were about to leave the final room, we stumbled upon a small display case containing a fairly disappointing Turner miniature. So small and insignificant that we nearly missed it – and that was it! The audacity of naming a gallery in honour of a great artist and not representing his work or life in any great form!

Sadly our visit was rather disappointing, the exhibits were sparse with so much empty wall space that I was tempted to ask when they planned to finish hanging the paintings! The only saving grace is that we didn’t have to travel that far to get to there.

My verdict – dull, disappointing and an insult to Turner to put his name to it. It was basically a waste of money and prime seafront space, which could have been put to better use to serve the good people of Margate. It earns a Shoppers’ Joy thumbs down!

What A Sauce!

I’ve often stopped to grab a bite to eat whilst out on a shopping trip, pausing at a supermarket café or High Street restaurant.

Of course, choice and standard of food can vary greatly between cafés, but what can also vary vastly is the way in which the condiments are made available.

It’s often nice to add a bit of vinegar, ketchup or mayonnaise to a meal, preferably from a decent bottle, but this is not always the case. Sauces can be served in anything from tiny, hard-to-open sachets, which can be free or cost anything up to 12p, to large bottles that are left permanently on the tables, with a number of other options in between.

Plastic sachets are the most annoying ways to have your ketchup served. You can spend ages trying to open them up, spraying unsuspecting fellow-eaters in the process, only to end up with the most minute splodge of sauce on your plate. It can take several of these to produce enough of your chosen sauce to complement your meal – not really an option if you’re paying for the privilege, not to mention all that plastic waste!

It may be that some cafés fear that bottles of sauces will ‘disappear’ or are less cost effective, but considering what you pay for some meals, a bottle of sauce is a small ask. Some eating-places bring the bottles to the table with your meal and remove them when you’ve finished – there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.

Sainsbury’s restaurants have tried various systems over the years. Originally I remember being able to help myself to sauce from a bottle, then to sachets that were readily available at no extra cost. Then they started to supply a pot of sachets at the till point, which in my local branch at least, has now been reduced to an odd sachet or two being produced reluctantly when you pay.

One of the best systems, for customers and café owners alike, is that adopted by McDonalds – sauce on tap. This way you help yourself to your chosen condiment, in suitable amounts, in a type of card-based pot, which is much more user and environmentally friendly than plastic sachets.

However the sauces are served, I don’t believe that customers should pay extra for the privilege, but what do you think?

A Day At Thrigby Hall

During my latest stay in East Anglia, I visited the delightful Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens near Great Yarmouth, which proved to be a real treat.

Thrigby centres on the wildlife of Asia, housing creatures such as tigers, leopards, red pandas, gibbons, crocodiles, snakes and storks. Although not one of the country’s largest wildlife parks, it offers a lovely garden setting, and represents great value for money, with admission costing just £13.50 for adults and £9.50 for children.

One of the things that my son and I particularly liked about our visit was the opportunity to get close to the animals due to the walk-through enclosures, treetop walks and tiger tunnel. The treetop walk near to the gibbons’ enclosure allowed us to watch these fascinating animals swinging through the trees whilst being at their level.

One of the most stunning animals from our point of view, however, was the clouded leopard, which has the most beautiful markings. Other high points as far as my son was concerned were the crocodiles in the swamp house and the snakes (he particularly enjoyed feeding time for these).

Overall Thrigby is very well laid out and I was pleased to discover that the café provided very reasonably priced lunches – soup and a roll for £2.50, hot pasties for £1.80 and a selection of sandwiches, snacks and jacket potatoes. Ice creams were also standard prices, as opposed to the over-inflated ones charged at some attractions.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Thrigby and recommend it for a fun, yet educational, family day out.

Random Thoughts For May

As I fast track another pile of badly thought-out election leaflets from the door mat to the recycle bin, I can’t help wondering how many politician’s faces are destined to become tomorrow’s packaging materials. Who says politicians don’t do enough to help the environment?

Whilst enjoying a cheese scone at my local Sainsbury’s café, I started pondering the pronunciation of the word ‘scone’. The lady who served me pronounced it as I do, with a long ‘o’ as in ‘bone’. But of course, many people use the shorter ‘o’ version to rhyme with ‘con’. This always puzzles me, as it seems to follow the pattern of words such as ‘cone’, ‘crone’, ‘phone’, ‘tone’, ‘zone’… Well, you get the idea. Mind you, the ‘scone-related’ scenario that really irritates me is that many cafés that offer cream teas serve them with fruited scones, as opposed to the more traditional, plain Devon scones. Sorry, this combination just doesn’t work for me.

It’s very nice of Cadbury’s to emblazon my name across many of their chocolate multipacks. Does having the name ‘Joy’ on them mean they’re all for me? Well, there was no harm in asking.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

March’s Random Thoughts

I hate it when I see someone wearing a garment identical to one that I own and love. If they look awful in it I think, “What? Do I look that bad?” Yet if they look great in it I think, “Damn! They look so much better in it than I do!” Either way I can’t win!

I don't need a grand tea, just some peace!

I’m amazed (and a bit irritated) that when I opt for a quite cup of coffee in a supermarket café, that at times my peace is shattered by some kind of staff meeting. Do they really not have the facilities in a large supermarket to hold their meetings behind closed doors, rather than take up a large area of the customer restaurant? It’s most annoying.

I sometimes wish that supermarket trolleys were fitted with little motors and footplates too, so that we could stand on the plate and ride them round the supermarket like little scooters. It may help to take the strain out a big weekly shop.

Further to my blog post earlier in the month reminiscing about the sweets that I used to enjoy, I realised that I totally forgot to mention floral gums. Do you remember them? Tiny little gums in a small packet with a squirrel on that tasted, well, flowery.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Free Coffee

There have been loyalty cards available from coffee shops, and indeed anywhere that you can purchase a cup of the brew, for many years.

I’ve spent a good many years myself peeling the little stickers off McDonald’s coffee cups, collecting the required six per card to claim my free cup of latte.

For some time I’d also had my Marks and Spencer loyalty card stamped, although this required ten stamps to qualify for a freebie, until the service at my local branch deteriorated somewhat, and I decided to seek refreshment elsewhere.

Last year I acquired a Tesco Family Café (Fonta Nella) card, which in the spirit of McDonald’s requires six stamps for a free coffee, and is handy for grabbing a latte to get me through the weekly shop.

But most recently, I’ve added a Greggs’ loyalty card to my collection – rather startling considering I’d had a bit of a falling out with them just over a year ago. I still haven’t returned to their cafés, but do sometimes grab a take-away coffee when on a shopping mission. In this case, you have to get the card stamped nine times (strange number) to be rewarded with a coffee, so it’s not as good as Tesco and McDonald’s but preferable to M&S.

Mind you, all of the aforementioned cards appear to offer better deals than a Costa card as far as I can see. I abandoned thoughts of getting this one, when it appeared that I’d have to spend the equivalent cost of a small family home (OK, bit of an exaggeration) to having any hope of having a coffee on the house.

But I have to say, free is always good, so I’ll keep collecting those stamps!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

January’s Best And Worst Buys

The Best

I’ve been enjoying Tesco Micro Oats, but have been frustrated that I’ve had to buy the variety box in order to obtain any of the apple and blueberry flavour. Despite online research suggesting that this flavour was available on its own, I’ve been unable to find any in store. I was delighted, therefore, to find that Sainsburys Express Porridge is available in apple and cinnamon and raspberry and blueberry flavours, costing £1.59 for 10 sachets, or currently two boxes for £2.50.

I prefer the healthier breakfast option

I immediately bought a box of each of these two flavours for £2.50 and have to say I really love them. They are also available in original and golden syrup varieties and they make a tasty, filling start to the day. This will definitely be the brand that I’m buying in future.

The Worst

I was intrigued when I noticed Tesco Steak and Cheese Pies (frozen) on a recent shopping trip and just had to try them. At £2 for four, and containing British beef, I thought they would make a tasty change for the family meal. Sadly, however, I was very disappointed.

They seemed to cook unevenly, with the pastry topping cooking well and the pastry case remaining soggy and slightly undercooked. The feeling did not taste of cheese at all, but just like any other type of steak pie that I have sampled. I really won’t be buying these again.

On the subject of Tesco, I have to say that I was appalled to find, on a recent visit to my local branch’s Family Café, the cost of their toasted sandwiches has risen from around £2.30 to up to £3.95, depending on the filling, when the only other thing that appears to have changed about them is the packaging! I expect a supermarket café to offer a budget menu, not charge as much, if not more, than trendy coffee shops. (By the way, you can get a basic cheese and ham toastie in Costa for £2.85.) You need to think again Tesco!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

So That Was 2013

“What have you done, another year over and a new one just begun…” to quote John Lennon. Indeed another year seems to have whizzed by, and now is the time to look back on its highs and lows and think what we would like to do differently, or perhaps more of next year.

Collectively we welcomed the new Pope and the newest addition to the Royal Family, Prince George, and said goodbye to the legend that was Nelson Mandela. Goodbyes were also said to Lady Thatcher amongst much controversy: I may not have loved her politics, but at the end of the day, I held on to the thought that she was a mother too, much missed by her family.

Across the world there was cause for sadness and shocks, as we witnessed some awful human acts and natural disasters that sometimes claimed lives. However, as is often the case in these situations, we must take comfort from the way ordinary people pull together, raising funds and supporting aid charities to help where possible.

On a personal level I celebrated a ‘milestone’ birthday, saw the birth of my first grandchild (a gorgeous little boy), questioned Ofsted and complained at the loss of Hypermobility classes from my local NHS physiotherapy department.

My blog looked at a range of products and services including make-up, cleaning products, toiletries, DS games and supermarket cafés. I looked at the whole issue of supermarkets using meat from sources other than the UK or even the EU, something that I’m still keeping an eye on.

Next year I’ll be reviewing a whole new set of products and services, continuing my ‘Random Thoughts’ and generally offering up my opinion on shopping and consumer issues.

But for now here are some of my winners and losers for 2013:

A Shoppers’ Joy thumbs up for: Tesco Clubcard, EDF Complaints Resolutions Manager, Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara, the staff at the Morrisons café Cambourne, Avon Solutions Ageless Bloom Neck and Chest Treatment SPF15, the staff at Travelodge Middlewich, the Tower of London and the Nutmeg clothing range at Morrisons.

A Shoppers’ Joy thumbs down for: ‘Which?’ magazine’s subscription department (and the magazine come to that), Aldi, companies that make money from your PPI claim (you can do it for free yourself), Ofsted, people who speak loudly on their phones on public transport and the poor service I received at the Marks and Spencer café at Hempstead Valley.

Who will be in my good and bad books for 2014?

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy  

So That Was October

October – a nip in the air, mists moving in, the faint smell of bonfires, leaves turning gold and in our household the return of casseroles, jacket potatoes, cottage pie and yummy henhouse pie (recipe here) to the menu.

I hate the onset of the long, dark evenings, but always find that this time of year I return more enthusiastically to the many crafts that I love. I’m currently preparing to embark on some cross stitch projects for Christmas, and have just bought the latest issue (number 10) of Enjoy Cross Stitch, a magazine full of cross stitch projects that comes in a zip-up plastic wallet, which also contains threads, cards and envelopes, felt frames, ribbons, Aida fabric and a needle all for the price of £7.99. I’m also back to knitting jumpers and gloves, rediscovering latch-hook rug-making after several years away from the craft and finishing a couple of tapestry projects.

On my blog my thoughts seem to have been very much focused on clothes – leggings, pyjamas, shoes and wardrobe favourites have all had a mention. With the onset of autumn it’s certainly a time to review our wardrobe, weeding out the summer clothes that we never did wear, and the jumpers from last year that we’re not really sure why we kept. Now’s the time to see what items we’re missing to complete our outfits for the new season – any excuse to go shopping!

Amongst all my ramblings I championed StayNew Leggings from the M&S Collection, but have to say the second pair I bought of these did not appear to be as thick as the first when it came to wearing them, which was somewhat of a disappointment, though I still prefer them to many other versions that I’ve tried.

There’ll be plenty more reviews and tales of customer service next month, in the meantime I’ll leave you with these little gems:

Best thing I’ve seen this month: Joseph And The Technicolour Dreamcoat performed at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford, Kent, a vibrant performance of the old favourite. This should have starred ‘H’ from steps, but on the night we went he was 'indisposed' and therefore replaced by Rob Wilshaw, who gave a stunning performance.

Best thing I’ve read this month: ‘The Sleep Room’ by F. R. Tallis, a subtly chilling read that leaves you wondering about the realities of life. Set in a part of Suffolk that I know well, it seemed all the more disturbing for me.

In my bad books this month: Marks and Spencer Café, Hempstead Valley, where a very surly assistant was rather rude and abrupt to me, resulting in me abandoning all ideas of lunch there! I promptly took my custom elsewhere – somewhere that treated me as a valued customer as opposed to a nuisance.

Thank You Morrisons

On several occasions I’ve written about the highs and lows of supermarket cafés, and in a comparison of them all, looking at what they provided and at what cost, I decided that Morrisons cafés came out the best.

I would now like to go a step further and nominate one particular branch for its friendly staff and great customer service.

When we go on long journeys we often track down a supermarket café to stop at for a meal, as they tend to be more cost-effective and have more appetising food than the average motorway service station. A recent trip, which involved some nightmarish stretches of motorway heading in a northerly direction, was no exception.

Studying our route before we left, we decided to stop at the Morrisons café in Cambourne, Cambridgeshire. This we discovered from the internet was open until 8pm, which is actually later than many supermarket cafés, although we expected to be there by 6.30 at the latest.

However, things did not go according to plan, thanks to motorway mayhem and a rather tedious diversion, which together resulted in us arriving at 7.30pm. I know from experience that some restaurants stop serving hot food about half an hour before closing, or at best offer a very limited menu at that time, so gingerly approached the assistant with a tentative, “Are we still able to get hot food?”

He greeted us with a smile, informing us that yes, we could have hot food, and apart from jacket potatoes we could pretty well have anything on the menu. We then proceeded to order four different meals, which were freshly cooked, and served with a smile. The choice of food was very good and the food itself was lovely, as were the staff members, who were helpful and friendly.

You may think I’m getting a bit excited over nothing, but let me remind you, or for those of you who have never read the dreaded ‘Sainsbury’ saga inform you, that an evening trip to one of their restaurants was quite a disaster – poor choice of food, disinterested, unhelpful staff and a weird service system (Sainsburys Stanway, Colchester read more here ) Though I must admit, I have not returned to this branch since, and it may well have improved – well, hopefully!

Anyway, back to Morrisons, particularly the staff of the café at the Cambourne branch, who I would hereby like to present with the Shoppers’ Joy award for great service. Thanks guys!

Coffee Culture

Coffee has become a big part of our daily lives. Everywhere you go, you see individuals suited and booted for work armed with a ‘coffee to go’, or coffee shops filled with friends meeting over a cup of some caffeine-laden concoction.

Coffee shops have become big business, with our High Streets filled with Costa, Starbucks, BBs etc and many shops and stores also having their own coffee lounges.

Since coffee was introduced to the UK (there are mentions of it in 16^th century writing, with coffee houses taking off in 17^th Century) we have enjoyed it to some degree. However, ‘coffee mornings’ used to mean meeting up in someone’s house over a cup of instant and a plate of bourbons, as opposed to congregating at the local coffee shop, chatting over double shot skinny lattes.

The English have long been considered to be more of a nation of tea drinkers. Advice issued to American serviceman when they came over in the 1940s included the comment, ‘The British don't know how to make a good cup of coffee. You don't know how to make a good cup of tea’. But whether we prefer tea or coffee, it’s easy to buy a huge variety of either when out and about.

When shopping in the High Street I sometimes grab a McDonald’s coffee, which is low cost, and for every six I buy, I can get one free by collecting the stickers on the cups. Sainsburys’ and Morrisons’ cafés offer cappuccino or latte for £1.55, which though not quite barista quality, is a fair cup. Many other retailers sell a variety of coffees for over the £2 mark and I had previously presumed, wrongly as it seems, that places such as Costa would put a higher price tag on their drinks as say Greggs or Tesco (Fontanella coffee is £2.15 for a small cup at Tesco Family Cafés)

Recently my daughter treated me to a coffee at Costa, where a small (reasonable size I thought) cappuccino cost just £2.15 – the same as Tesco. I also indulged in a lemon and poppy seed muffin, which was rather delicious, containing a surprise (sorry, I’ve now spoilt that for you} lemon curd style filling.

Whatever your favoured choice of coffee and wherever your chosen venue for buying it, we certainly have become much more a nation of coffee lovers.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

This June Why Not…?

Treat Dad to a train trip. With Fathers’ Day in the UK on 16^th June this year, there are various events taking place up and down the country aimed at treating your dad to a day out. Many steam railways are offering special events and tickets for Fathers’ Day, including the Watercress Line (Hampshire) and the Bluebell Railway (Sussex). The Kent and East Sussex Railway are offering a return train ride for dads, including a ploughman’s lunch or cream tea, a bottle of the railway’s special beer, Dad’s Delight, and a packet of man-sized chocolate buttons.

Prepare your feet for strappy sandals. With temperatures rising (I’m ever the optimist), now’s the time to ensure that your feet will pass scrutiny when sporting a pair of strappy sandals. Trim toenails (cutting straight across to prevent ingrowth), and then treat skin with a creamy, effective moisturiser such as Nivea Soft, applying a more heavy-duty cream such as Simple Derma Intensive Relief Cream to drier patches. Finish off with a striking nail polish such as Max Factor Max Effect Mini Nail Polish in Deep Coral.

Add avocado to your salad. I get really fed up with what passes as salad in many cafés and restaurants – a token slice or two of cucumber and tomato with masses of droopy leaf. Whilst I enjoy some nice, crisp lettuce, limp leaves just don’t work for me. And where’s the imagination? Salad should include other ingredients, such as grated carrot, sliced beetroot, chopped spring onions, diced peppers etc. As a child, when we were served salad as part of our school dinner, it sometimes contained segments of orange and a few peanuts, or slices of apple and some raisins. Today I really enjoy some sliced avocado as part of a salad. Avocadoes are high in protein, boost our HDL (good cholesterol) levels and are said to have anti-inflammatory properties, making them healthy as well as tasty.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse

On my travels last week I visited Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse (near Dereham, Norfolk) with my son. We had a great day, helped by the sunny weather, and recommend that you add it to your ‘places to visit’ list.

Gressenhall is a former workhouse where you can get a taste of the life of the ‘inmates’ from the displays, films and artefacts on show. We were surprised by the strange, wedge-shaped beds, shocked by the rules and harsh punishments recorded and intrigued by the graffiti wall ‘signed’ by former residents.

We enjoyed exploring Cherry Tree Cottage, the old School Room and the ‘shops’ in Village Row, but there is more to Gressenhall than just the fascinating museum displays.

Across the road from the workhouse is the farm, where you can see horses, pigs, sheep etc, as well as visit the old farmhouse and shepherd’s hut. If you’re lucky enough to experience good weather on your visit (as we did) then you can wander along the river and farm walks. On these trails, children have the opportunity to stamp a card that they are given – a full cards results in a badge. You can also enjoy a tractor and trailer ride around the farm.

Other attractions include the centenary wood, where you can take a stroll, a woodland playground, to allow the kids to let off steam and a café, for some well-earned refreshment.

What I particularly like about Gressenhall is that there are plenty of areas with picnic tables and benches to pause for a rest, and toilets are plentiful too, situated in many of the buildings. However, there appeared to be a shortage of bins for the rubbish from our picnic, although we did eventually spot one by the chapel. I was impressed that ice creams were not over-priced as at some attractions, with a Magnum costing £1.60 as opposed to the £2+ that we have paid at some places.

Overall we had a really great, reasonably priced day out (admission for adult accompanying young person £8.30, young person £6.30), with lots to see and do.

I would have liked to be able to share some photos of our day out with you, but unfortunately I experienced a camera mal-function that day, sorry!

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Easter Holiday Fun – Outdoor Museums

Now that spring has arrived (nominally at least) and the school Easter holidays are about to start, many visitor attractions will be opening their doors following their winter closure. Even attractions that remained open during the winter months tend to increase their opening hours and available facilities once we get into spring.

With warmer, drier weather, it’s a great time to get the kids out and about and make good use of their energy. If you enjoy museums, but don’t want to be stuck indoors, then why not visit some of the outdoor museums around the country?

The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, West Sussex, (7 miles north of Chichester on A286, adults from £10.40, children from £5.70, family from £29.50 (higher charges if agreeing to Gift Aid). This is a great rural location, with plenty of space for the kids to run around (50 acres), with over 50 buildings that have been rescued from various locations around the South East and rebuilt for visitors to enjoy. We particularly loved the Tudor kitchen, where we literally got a taste of some interesting Tudor fayre and enjoyed having a picnic lunch overlooking the lake, which we supplemented with hot drinks and cake from the café. It makes a really great day out.

East Anglia Transport Museum, Lowestoft, (at Carlton Colville, 3 miles outside Lowestoft), adults £7.50, children £5.50, with tickets valid for 1 year if you consent to Gift Aid. What’s great about this little museum is not only do you get to see the exhibits, you get to ride on them too (included in admission price). It’s great fun riding the trams, trolleybuses and light railway, as well as wandering round the recreated street complete with shop fronts. This is a great place to take the grandparents too for a bit of nostalgia.

Other places to try:

Museum of Kent Life, Maidstone, Kent, combines historic buildings with farm animals and children’s’ play areas, also hosts a number of special events.

Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, County Durham, a recreation of a small rural town, with a selection of shops, farm, mine etc – lots to do!

There’ll be some more Easter Holiday outing ideas coming next week.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Supermarket Cafés

You may have occasionally popped into the café of your local supermarket when doing your weekly shop, but we often use these handy eating-places at other times too.

When making a long journey, we often look up an out-of-town supermarket restaurant to stop for a meal break as opposed to using a service station, or eat in them when staying at a Travelodge or on a self-catering holiday.

Here’s a rundown of the main supermarket cafés.

Morrisons Definitely the best for value and choice in my opinion. A great menu covering breakfasts, snacks, sandwiches, salads and hot meals – all very reasonably priced. What I really like about Morrisons cafés is that you can order light meals such as egg on toast (£1.69 for two eggs and two slices of toast) all day, whereas some of its competitors stop selling these items at the end of breakfast (11-11.30). Opening hours are convenient with branches staying open until 7-8pm making it possible to go there for an evening meal. The cold food section is one of the best on offer, with sandwich trays including a little side salad and mini bag of crisps, and cream teas consisting of two small sandwiches, a cream scone or egg custard tarts and a pot of tea for a little over £2. And what else do Morrisons have that other restaurants don’t? A tray rack. A handy device fitted under the table to deposit your tray, instead of wandering around aimlessly deciding what to do with it.

Sainsburys I’ve had some very mixed experiences of Sainsburys restaurants, ranging from dire (Stanway, Colchester) to really great (Milton Keynes), but then I’ve visited a fair few. Most branches seem to close about 7pm, so you can have an early evening meal, with some tasty hot dishes on offer, my favourite being their Tikka Masala. I also love their cheese scones (when available) but find their sandwiches and toasties somewhat dearer than in other supermarket cafés, although their hot drinks are quite reasonable.

Tesco Great for breakfasts, (you can order individual items very cheaply) and light lunches (delicious, hearty soups with roll and croutons for around £2.25), but not an option for an evening meal as most branches seem to close by 6pm. I find their hot food menu a little boring anyway, so tend to pop in just for lighter meals and snacks.

Asda I’ve had very limited experience of Asda cafés, with the couple of odd occasions that I’ve visited not being very memorable. Fair selection, reasonable prices, but nothing that makes me want to go back.

What are your experiences of supermarket cafés? comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk

February’s Random Thoughts

I’m always bewildered by cafés that offer on their menu a ‘large’ tea for a higher price than one in a smaller cup, when all they do is add a bit of extra hot water. What all places should really offer however, is a pot of tea, much nicer.

Why do I always start reading a magazine from the back and work forwards? I wouldn’t do it with a book, so why with a magazine?

Virgin Media have sent me so much (junk) literature in the past year, I could have wallpapered my whole house with it. I AM NOT a Virgin Media customer; I HAVE NEVER BEEN a Virgin Media Customer and DO NOT INTEND TO BE a Virgin Media customer. Thank you for asking, but can you just leave me in peace now?

Do you remember when we used to get a second postal delivery each day, and even that usually came before midday. Now we only get one delivery a day, and in my case I’m lucky if that arrives much before 3pm! So much for progress.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

Winter Outings Part 1 – A Few For Starters

The weather may be chilling down, becoming wetter and windier, and generally making us feel a bit miserable, but there are still times that we’d like to get out and about.

Many attractions are now closed for the winter, some understandably so such as Theme Parks and Seaside Funfairs, but other closures puzzle me. Certain indoor attractions and stately homes close their doors during the winter months – perhaps they just don’t want us trudging through leaving muddy footprints. Fortunately, however, some visitor attractions offer a warm welcome all year round.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be recommending a selection of places to visit during the coming months. Here are a few to get you started.

Leeds Castle, Kent – Adults £19.75, Children £12.50, with 10% discount given to English Heritage Members. This may sound a bit pricey, but tickets are valid for a full year (though not for some selected events) so you can make multiple visits. The castle is in a beautiful setting with extensive grounds to wander round, or if you prefer you can take the land train (50p per person each way) from the gate to the castle. The castle itself is beautifully furnished and other highlights include the really tricky maze, which you can exit by a charming (though scary for some little ones) grotto, and a great play area for the kids. November 24^th/25^th there is a Christmas Gift Fair in the grounds and 8^th to 24^th December the castle’s rooms will be decorated for the festive season.

The Horniman Museum, Forest Hill, South London – is open daily 10.30-5.30 and is FREE! This is a little gem; we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The museum houses a great aquarium and a wide variety of exhibits including African displays, a music gallery and large natural history section. In the gardens you can learn about the medicinal properties of plants. We ate in the café on our visit and were pleased to find some lovely sandwiches at a reasonable price.

Yorvik Centre, York – Adults £9.25, Children £6.25, Family of 4 £26, Family of 5 £29, tickets are valid for a year. You can also use Tesco Clubcard Days Out Vouchers to gain admission. Not huge this place but has some interesting features. My son loved the ‘time capsule journey’ – a ride through the Viking Jorvik settlement, complete with appropriate smells. After the ride you can browse the museum exhibits at your leisure, but would say this is more of a couple of hours type visit as opposed to a day out.

More to follow …

Any recommendations for winter outings? Email comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk

Afternoon Tea

The term ‘Afternoon Tea’ conjures up pictures of Edwardian ladies eating dainty, wafer-thin cucumber sandwiches and bite-sized, melt-in-the-mouth scones, served on delicate floral china in the drawing room.

Even when I was a child (long after the Edwardian era) ‘tea’ was still a meal we had, especially on a Sunday. Then it consisted of bread and butter with tinned tuna and tomatoes, followed by Hales Lime Layer Cake (whatever happened to that) for example.

Now it seems that ‘Afternoon Tea’ is well and truly back on the menu at many Supermarket Cafés, so why not give one a try?

Morrison’s Afternoon Tea – definitely the best value, £2.05 - £2.59, price has varied between branches I have visited lately. For this you get sandwiches filled with cheese/ham/egg or whatever is available, a cream-filled scone or egg custard tart (sometimes 2) and a pot of tea, so great value whatever you pay. I love the fact that sandwiches come with this one – it doubles as a light lunch.

Sainsbury’s Cream Tea, £2.55 - £2.75. Consists of a fruit scone, pot of clotted cream, mini jar of jam and a pot of tea (£2.55) or cup of coffee (£2.75). I seemed to have more cream and jam than I needed, so took the rest of the (yummy Taste The Difference strawberry) jam home, bit tricky to do this with the cream though. Nice this gives you the choice of tea or coffee.

Tesco’s Cream Tea, £3. The poorest value, which is unusual for Tesco.  The standard pot of tea, fruit scone, clotted cream and a pot of jam, which is quite ordinary, but charged at a higher price than the others.

One point that I would like to make about all these teas though  is that they are served with fruit scones, whereas I would prefer a traditional Devon (plain) scone – as would my husband who has a violent dislike of sultanas and currants.

Follow me on Twitter @shoppersjoy

September Blog Review

Earlier this month I started my blog and since then have dealt with issues from supermarket café service to moving static caravans, supermarket bargains to beauty buys and shared some random thoughts, loyalty card ratings and shopping sayings. Here’s a quick update and reminder of some of the highs and lows.

Highs –

Found some great bargains: £1 shower curtain from Poundland, it’s looking great, a big improvement on my old (more expensive) one; Tesco Everyday Value lunch bag £1.50 (great for my son’s packed lunch); Ella Valentine Free Range Baking Eggs, £1.29 from Sainsburys and Colgate pump pack toothpaste 95p at Wilkinson to name but a few.

Praised: £7 Dolphin SIM from Orange (15^th September), Tesco Café soup and roll lunch (Soup and Roll Saga Continues 17^th September), and Prima Magazine Subscription (Magazine Prices and Deals 15^th September)

Launched my website www.shoppersjoy.co.uk with plans to add more pages in October.

Lows –

A surly manager and poor lunch at a branch of Greggs saw me sending a letter of complaint (Managers – Good and Bad 14^th September). To date I still have had no response.

I bemoaned the changing price of the Doctor Who Adventures magazine (15^th September). This week the price reached an all time high of £3.99. Yes, there were more gifts, but it’s the magazine my son wants, no gifts, better price.

K&Co have still not managed to react appropriately to my emails (More Haste, Less Sense K&Co 15^th September), firstly reading all the right words in my email but apparently not in the right order, then responding correctly in words to my second, but failing to put those words into action. Still no Autumn/Winter Catalogue!

I wonder what October will bring? If you have any shopping or consumer highs and lows that you would like me to mention email me at comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk