Dartmoor Zoological Park (aka the 'We Bought A Zoo' zoo!)

Last week, my Mum and I travelled down to Devon for an overnight stay and a trip to Dartmoor Zoological Park. You may not have realised but the film 'We Bought a Zoo' starring Matt Damon is based on this zoo (in the film the zoo is in California so they adapted it rather a lot). After watching the film both my Mum and I read the book 'We Bought a Zoo' by Benjamin Mee and I think we both a bit in love with the place despite not having visited since Benjamin Mee bought the zoo. It certainly didn't take much convincing to arrange a visit for us and last week was the day.

Luckily it was lovely and hot, blue skies and sunshine - perfect zoo weather. And as is typical for us, we arrived early (30 minutes before opening!) so we were the first people up the hill into the park. This was great and we enjoyed looking round and visiting all the animals before the crowds really hit. After we had explored ourselves we went back to places for the feeding/talks that were scheduled for the day including seeing the feeding of the bears, tigers and otters. 

It was a fantastic day and I used it as an opportunity to practise using the zoom lens on my camera. Here are some of my favourite shots of the animals we saw...

We had such a fantastic day. The whole place felt really laid back, very un-commercial in a really good way and all the staff were really friendly. It was a perfect way to spend a summer's day!

Love Rebecca

Its the most wonderful time of the year...

We put up our tree yesterday and our house is now looking very festive!

Our tree has been built up over the years and is now officially a tree of memories, laden with decorations that we have been given, or we made as children or bought over the years.

So, I got my camera out and played around with taking pictures of our Christmas tree.

Yesterday, I finished my Christmas shopping and for the rest of the week, I will be enjoying some other Christmas-sy activities!

Today, I am ice skating, and on Wednesday my Mum and I are seeing Nativity 2 at the cinema!

What Christmas activities are you up to this week?

Love Rebecca

21st Birthday Weekend!

I am officially 21. My last landmark birthday in terms of becoming an adult - guess I'd better start behaving like one now - whatever that means!

On my birthday, my parents picked me up and we started driving - they still wouldn't tell me where we were going so I was in the dark for a little over an hour!

And then we arrived in Hartlepool, a town on the east coast of England, North of York. My parents know how much I love the sea - so this was the perfect place to go!

We enjoyed a hot chocolate (apparently this is the one thing that has changed with me turning 21 - I actually drank a hot drink!) and then wrapped up in many, many layers to face the cold!

My Dad and I enjoyed playing around with our cameras as we walked along the seafront.

The North of England is quite industrial in this region as you can see in the distance

I love this shot my Mum got of me and my Dad as we looked out to sea!

It was the weekend of Bonfire night so we in the evening we wandered back up to the seafront to watch the fireworks! I can honestly say I have never seen fireworks over the sea before!

On Sunday morning we went back to the seafront and I sat and watched the sun rising over the water. It was so beautiful and peaceful! I would love to live near the sun and go running with that view every morning!

The next part of my surprise was a visit to Durham. This was my Dad's idea - knowing what a Harry Potter fan I am, he wanted us to go somewhere they shot some of the films. This quad in Durham Cathedral was used in the second film in the scene where Ron accidentally jinxes himself to throw up slugs!

I really enjoyed looking round the cathedral and Durham itself - although I was surprised at how small it is!

We went for a meal in York before I said goodbye to my parents. We had such a good weekend together and I am gutted that I won't see them until term has finished - 6 weeks from now!

Oh, and I had to show you the cakes my Mum made me...they are yummy chocolate sponges, sandwiched with buttercream and iced to be patchwork quilts (buttons not edible!). Don't they look great!

And that was my birthday! I feel so lucky to have had such a lovely time and I received some lovely presents from my friends and family!

Love Rebecca

The Day We Bought A Pumpkin...

I have been seeing pictures and posts in blogland for weeks about pumpkin picking and autumnal activities so this weekend, I decided that when I went home to Cheltenham we would have our own autumnal day!

We started off at Westonbirt Arboretum. It was freezing  refreshingly crisp so we wrapped up warm (hat, hood, mittens) and enjoyed a couple of hours wandering through the beautiful trees. They have an amazing collection of maples and other trees that looked great with the colours turning.

My Mum and Me thinking warm thoughts!

It gave my Dad and I an opportunity to play around with our cameras to see if we could capture the colours in the morning light.

Leaves starting to turn

On our way back we visited the farm shop. I had read online that you could pick your own pumpkin (from the patch) so was a little disappointed when this was not the case but I did pick ours out of the crates! 

Our 'large' pumpkin

This may be the last time that my parents let me pick the pumpkin! It was a large pumpkin (costing £3.50) and I may have underestimated how much we would be able to make out of it!

After 3 hours in the kitchen, my Mum and I had managed to cook...

Spiced Pumpkin Soup - Pumpkin Scones - Pumpkin muffins/loaf

We has such a good day, enjoying the autumn colours and cooking up an autumn storm in the kitchen!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Love Rebecca

Linking up to a selection of these great Link Parties

Warner Brothers Studios - The Making of Harry Potter

On Friday I finally got down to Leavesden to visit the Making of Harry Potter at the Warner Brothers Studios! I went with my parents and we all agreed it was a FANTASTIC day! I would wholeheartedly recommend a visit to any Harry Potter Fan!

Entrance to Dumbledore's Office

Following a short movie introduction from Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint we were shown into the Great Hall itself. From here, the tour is self guided and you can see the sets for the Burrow, the Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore's office and so many more! 

As well as sets, costumes are on display and there are videos throughout explaining more about the processes involved in things such as Quidditch and animal actor training!

Hagrid's Hut

After we had looked round the many many sets, props and costumes on display in the first building, we headed out into a courtyard area featuring Privet Drive, the Knight Bus and the Bridge that features at Hogwarts from the third film onwards. 

Hogwarts Bridge 

Of course this is where you can buy your very own cup of ButterBeer! And I must say that I really enjoyed it although I am at a complete loss at how to describe the flavour to you - kind of fizzy and sweet and not so all at the same time! Here is mine in my souvenir cup (probably the cheapest souvenir you could get!)

The second building houses Diagon Alley in all its glory - we spotted Ollivanders, Madam Malkins and of course, Weasley's Wizards Weezes!

And the finale...the scale model of Hogwarts that is used for the aerial and general building shots in the movie! This is really so impressive and amazing to walk around - possibly one of my favourite bits!

And there you have it...a Grand Day Out! 

So what are you waiting for...visit and experience the magic for yourself!

P.S. Did you notice the Gryffindor headband I am sporting? I will be posting on how you can make your own Hogwarts headband in due course.

(because there was no way I could afford anything in that gift shop  -£8 for a chocolate frog - really!?)

P.P.S. I also REALLY want to download the Complete Set of Harry Potter books to my Kindle and read them all over again and I am well up for the challenge of watching all 8 movies consecutively (yes that would take me 22 hours) - I just need to find someone as keen as me to help me stay awake!

Love Rebecca

12 in 2012 - Swim in the Sea

A picture of Whitby I took on another visit - I didn't think that camera + Brownies + sea was a good mix!

I don't swim in the sea much...it being England the sea is always pretty cold...and I was never that confident in bodies of water that weren't a swimming pool! So I didn't quite manage to swim in the sea this summer but I did paddle and I am going to count that!

I went to Whitby in July with a group of 20 Brownies as part of their Pack Holiday. It was a gloriously sunny day and after a small hike to the train station, a ride on an old steam train and a walk from the station to the beach (in I swear the most round about route EVER) they were desperate for a swim! Me and my fellow leader paddled although I did get rather wet when I had to tell them not to go so deep and they weren't listening! Oh well...much fun was had by all and we topped the day of with fish and chips and ice cream! Perfect!

Love Rebecca

12 in 2012 - Visit a Museum

 At the start of the summer a friend and I spent the day in York visiting the York Museum and the York Minster. I didn't take any photos at the museum but it was really interesting! This year is the 800th anniversary of York as a city so it was great to follow the history of York throughout that time!

 After we'd explored the museum we headed to York Minster and climbed the tower where we go these great views of the Minster - its not easy to get a photograph of it without a dozen tourists in the shot!

I have still got a few things from by bucket list to achieve but I am getting there! 

Have you achieved everything you wanted to this summer?

Love Rebecca

12 in 2012 - See a Sporting Event

A sporting event. I think I have this one nailed...let me see...does the Olympics count? I shared with you the pics of my first Olympic stint, well, the second visit to London saw us actually enter the Olympic Stadium which is EPIC! It is so big but even when you are fairly high up (like we were) the view is spectacular. And the noise - AMAZING - the supporters got behind the athletes 100%! I thoroughly enjoyed the whole Olympic Experience from the build-up to the opening ceremony to every event I watched both in person or on the TV.

Athletics Track

Stadium

Outside of stadium at night

We saw Mo Farah and Usain Bolt (not in finals but it still counts!) - a pretty Epic day by all accounts!

Love Rebecca

12 in 2012 - See a Sunrise

I love sunrise...its such a beautiful time of day, quiet except from the birds, wind through the trees and the light from the sun gradually growing. Well last week, I experienced a different kind of sunrise to the ones that I am used to - sunrise over New York City - Time's Square to be exact where I was at 5.50am on Monday morning!

Time's Square at sunrise

Although this was the emptiest we saw New York, I was surprised as to how many people were about at this time in the morning!

Love Rebecca

12 in 2012 - Visit Somewhere New

Firstly, I AM BACK! Life has been such that my focus has drifted these last couple of months, but rest assured I am back 100% focused and ready to start a new year now that I have returned from my holidays.

On that note...I completed another item on my summer bucket list - Visit somewhere new - and my somewhere new was somewhere that I have wanted to visit for as long as I can remember...New York City!

My Mum and I went on a girl's getaway to the big city for 4 nights! We saw the sights, Mamma Mia on Broadway and shopped. A lot! Here are a few photos from our trip...

Central Park

New York Taxis

Sunset over the New York City skyline from Brooklyn Bridge

View from top of the Rockefeller Centre

Skyline viewed from the Staten Island Ferry

Hope you are enjoying your Summer

Love Rebecca

12 in 2012 - Safari Park

So, number one on my summer bucket list was to visit a zoo...I did one better and took a trip to the West Midland Safari Park with my friend Na. We had an absolute blast...I haven't laughed so much in ages...AND...I got to feed a giraffe - and I didn't even need to get out of the car - such a great day!

We saw the cutest meerkats...

Some not as cute penguins...

I befriended this beautiful creature who decided to stick her head in Na's car - understandably she feared for her paintwork but all was fine!

I hope that you are enjoying your summer!

Love Rebecca

London 2012 Olympics - Week One

I am very lucky to have been to the Olympic Park having seen 2 events already AND still have two to see next week! I'm afraid that my blog is therefore quite quiet at the moment...please forgive me! Here is a selection of photos from my first trip to London...

Wembley

Badminton Courts

Great Britian vs Germany Mixed Doubles 

Basketball Stadium

Aquatic Centre

Olympic Park

Tower Bridge

I cannot wait to go back to London on Monday to see Diving and two sessions of Athletics! I hope you are enjoying watching the Olympics too!

Love Rebecca