Family Days Out

The Pixel Bunker – Retro Arcade Fun in Milton Keynes

September 14, 2022 by Penny Leave a Comment

Imagine a room filled with all your favourite arcade games from your youth and that is pretty much what you have at Milton Keynes’ The Pixel Bunker.

A view into the Pixel Bunker in Milton Keynes. You are looking into the doorway and above it is a large illuminated sign saying The Pixel Bunker. Inside you can see some unidentified people in a dark room filled with arcade games.

Co-located with the National Film and Sci-Fi Museum (which you do need a separate ticket for) The Pixel Bunker is quite simply a room filled with old arcade games from the 1970s onwards. Classics like Pac-man, Space Invaders and Donkey Kong alongside an array of driving and shoot ’em up games from our youth. The way it works is that you pay for a time slot there (usually about three hours) and all the games are set on free play and you’re able to simply play to your heart’s content.

A picture of a vintage Pac-Man arcade game. The screen is showing game over.

Retro Arcade Heaven

It’s a genius idea and perfect for either people who remember the games from their own youth, or the youth of today who want to see what we all did for gaming kicks before we had a games console in our bedrooms. It really is perfect for families with tweens or teens as a place that has something for everyone. When we visited there were families with kids of all ages, as well as some people there on their own for some serious gaming. One guy even went round with a sleeping baby strapped to his chest the whole time.

A picture of a three year old girl sat at an arcade machine. On the screen is a driving game and she has her left hand on a steering wheel and her right hand on a gun.

After a trip to the seaside arcades over the summer our three year old thought she was in heaven, despite the small disappointment of there being no two penny slots to go and feed coins into. Under 5s are free at the Pixel Bunker and I think that’s about right as many of the old games are a bit too high for them to reach properly, although she absolutely loved trying and spent quite a bit of time on their Japanese version of Whack a Mole (which none of us could figure out the rules for!) and also the dancing game that was popular with all kids there.

Our visit made me realise just how few arcade games I really played as a kid, but finding Track and Field invoked some very strong memories of trying to master the finger skills required for the long jump in the Games Room of the Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Newcastle as a child.

One word of caution…

Old arcade games feature old screen technology and old screens get hot. Therefore it follows that a room filled with old arcade games gets really hot!

There are a couple of air conditioning units in there and ceiling fans too, but The Pixel Bunker is a hot place. Dress for summer. Even in the middle of winter.

You are allowed to take drinks in with you (and they sell soft drinks at very reasonable prices too) but you are asked not to place drinks on the arcade games to reduce the risk of spilling something on them.

The back of teh head of a nine year old boy whilst he playing an arcade driving game.

Take a walk around The Pixel Bunker

Where to find The Pixel Bunker?

Make sure you book your session at The Pixel Bunker in advance as they are often at capacity.

You can find The Pixel Bunker’s website here and they also regularly update their Facebook page with news of new games and opening times.

The Pixel Bunker is located in central Milton Keynes at 34 Secklow Gate West, MK9 3AT. You can walk from Milton Keynes Central station in less than ten minutes and driving is easy from Junction 14 of the M1. There is plenty of parking nearby. Look at the coloured zones and head to the pink zone (which does look a bit more purple than pink) and it’s only 50p an hour to park. The signs will tell you which parking app to use.

What to find somewhere else to visit locally?

For more things to do in and around Buckinghamshire take a look here. We’ve also travelled to various places in the neighbouring counties of Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire too.

Family Day Out Post Covid – Woodside Animal Farm

August 4, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

Everything’s changed.

Those two words pretty much sum everything up from a travel point of view since Covid-19 came to be a thing.

It’s hard as a travel writer to know what to write about now as travel has changed so much. For weeks we weren’t even allowed to go anywhere. Now places are opening up again, but things are different. In some cases very different. Lots of people are (understandably) nervous about heading out, and everyone is clamouring for information about what places are now like in this post-Covid world. I see plenty of people online asking what going on a train, or even just into a specific shop, is like now. Some places have really got it right. Others are still trying to find the balance in this new world.

What I plan to do here though is start to share our findings of what the world looks like with Covid in the hope that it helps some of you get out again. In as safe and enjoyable way as possible.

Woodside Animal Farm

Our first proper family day out post lockdown was to Woodside Animal Farm. A small farm attraction just down the road from us on the outskirts of Luton. We visited towards the end of July, at a time when Luton itself had a rise in Covid cases and everyone locally was on high alert, despite not being in a lockdown situation.

Now, my eldest two kids have been to Woodside before, but for us adults and 20 month old Tube Stop Baby this was our first trip. I asked the kids to compare it to life before, but to be honest they were just so excited to be back at a place like this that I didn’t get much sense out of them!

Before our trip

Now, this is where an attraction’s website really is important. Before going to Woodside Animal Farm I went onto their website to book tickets (something you must do now) and also see what they had to say about how things are running at the moment.

I’m delighted to say that there was loads of useful information on there. Not only things about regular cleaning etc, but also details like needing a face mask as the exit from the farm is through the farm shop where they are compulsory. It also explained how tractor rides are operating at the moment. A fact that is vitally important for visitors with kids.

Arrival at the Farm

With a pre-booked time slot we arrived at Woodside and only had one other family in front of us in the queue to enter. There were signs about social distancing and plenty of reminders about hand washing. Staff on the gate were behind a plastic screen and entry just required them to scan a QR code that I’d been emailed when I booked.

We had booked to arrive after lunch, but you can choose time slots throughout the day easily enough and there is no time that you need to leave the site by.

Inside the Farm

Once inside the farm, it generally felt much the same as these places normally do. With the exception of hand cleaning reminders everywhere. I was pleased to see how many places there were to use hand sanitiser and old fashioned soap and water hand washing dotted around the place. Another delight was the fact that there was also hot water to wash your hands with! Not something that all farms manage.

Visitors inside the farm were generally pretty good. Some were choosing to wear face masks for the whole of their visit. Some didn’t. There was plenty of stepping out of people’s way in places where paths narrowed, but generally there weren’t that many people on site so social distancing was easily possible.

Play areas

My kids were all delighted to find that the play areas were all open at the farm. Again, it was down to parents to make sure the kids social distanced as much as possible on the play equipment, but this seemed to be working well.

Two children on the jumping pillow at Woodside Animal Farm

On the jumping pillows (there is one for over 5s and one for under 5s) there were signs up for maximum capacities due to Covid. There was no one there enforcing these and many parents either didn’t seem to be bothered, or simply hasn’t seen the signs. Whatever the reason though, the pillows didn’t seem too crowded and the kids were no closer together than they were on other bits of play equipment.

A girl sat on a small balance bike at Woodside Animal Farm

The ride on tractors and bikes were also open, but once again overall visitor numbers meant that this wasn’t a problem in terms of overcrowding and children were encouraged by signs to wash their hands when they’d finished on them.

The tea cup ride was operating with just people from one bubble allowed in a tea cup at any one time. Again, hand sanitiser was positioned right on the gate so people could use it on their way in and out. The carousel was closed with the sign (and website) explaining that this was because it was impossible to social distance on it.

A ten year old girl posing on teh crazy golf course at Woodside Animal Farm

I enjoyed a round of crazy golf with the kids. There was a separate place to leave used clubs and golf balls when we finished so that they could be cleaned for the next people going round.

The indoor play barn was also closed as per current government rules.

Animals

It can be easy to come to places like Woodside these days and forget about the animals as there is just so much other fun to be had. For TSB though the animals were a highlight. With lockdown, this was her first visit to a farm since she’s been talking properly and so she was in her absolute element shouting out animal names as we walked round. Goats confused her a bit as she thought they were dogs and Alpacas blew her mind Sheep, cows and chickens though went down an absolute storm with her.

A ten year old girl feeding goats at Woodside Animal Farm as a toddler in a pushchair looks on

It was also nice that you can still buy animal food at Woodside and feed the animals as you go around. The only thing that I felt was missing (and this is a non-Covid thing) was signs telling you that it is OK to feed them. My elder two are so used to places where it is very clear to tell you what you can and can’t feed that they felt a bit nervous at first in case they fed something they shouldn’t.

Tractor Rides

A tractor driving round Woodside Animal Farm

All three kids were delighted to see that tractor rides were still running. The only difference was that it was one bubble at a time. If anything I felt this made the whole thing far nicer than being squashed in with strangers. Again, hand sanitiser was there for you all to use on the way in and out and everyone I saw was doing this. The queue was nicely socially distanced and the staff members driving the tractors were always wearing face masks.

Food and drink

As we only visited for the afternoon we just took a few snacks with us and plenty of water as it was a hot day. The kids did visit the kiosk though and we had ice creams there. They also seemed to be selling various snacks and hot and cold drinks from the same kiosk. I believe there was also some food available inside from the cafe area that is normally next to the soft play. There were plenty of spaced out picnic tables and again it was easy to socially distance whilst enjoying something to eat and drink.

Staff

To be honest I didn’t see many staff in our time at Woodside Animal Farm. There were a couple going round emptying bins etc and making sure that the hand washing stations were well equipped, but the only other we saw were either driving the tractor, manning the entrance, running the tea cup ride or serving food and drink at the refreshment kiosk. All that I encountered were friendly and professional. I heard a couple talking over their walkie talkies about someone needing to go and clean up some tissue paper that was blowing around near one hand washing area and saw one guy going round checking toilets periodically.

Overall Vibe

One comment that I made to Bonn as we went round was about how much I actually preferred our post-Covid farm visit over others that I’ve done before. Maybe lockdown has made me realise how much I don’t like other people and the way some of them behave, but our visit to Woodside was lovely as it wasn’t too busy at all, but yet the farm had a lovely relaxed vibe about it too. There was space to see and do things and we liked not being jostled by other people all the time as often happens at family attractions in summer holidays.

We certainly felt safe at Woodside, and as our first real trip out since lockdown this was particularly important for all of us. The older kids described it as being “like a normal trip” which I think is possibly one of the most important things. I don’t want them feeling scared to go out anywhere, but they’re also children and I want them to be able to have fun. That’s exactly what they did.

A family group of two adults and one toddler on the tractor at Woodside Animal Farm

Disclaimer: We paid for our own visit to Woodside Animal Farm and I decided to write about our visit as a way of sharing information with readers. I was not compensated in any way for this post.

For more inspiration for family days out take a look here.

RAF Museum, Hendon, London

January 15, 2020 by Penny Leave a Comment

London can seem awash with museums, but I’m not sure that all the ones away from the centre are as well known. That certainly seems to be the case with the RAF Museum in Hendon. It may be out in Zone 4, but it’s only a 30 minute tube ride, and not far from the M1 if you’re travelling by car.

For anyone with an interest in aviation, military or just technology in general you won’t be disappointed with the RAF Museum, and there’s so much to see and do there that it’s very easy to spend a full day at the museum.

For those that may have visited the museum before, it is worth pointing out that there has been quite a re-vamp over the last few years with the museum reopening in 2018 to celebrate the RAF’s 100th anniversary.

What is there to see at the RAF Museum?

Our visit to the RAF Museum took in the newest part of the museum’s offering – Hangar 1 – which focuses on the first 100 years of the RAF. With lots of real life accounts of what it is like to work and live as part of the RAF’s family it is a great way to start your visit to the museum.

There’s plenty to read and look at, but for kids (large and small) there are also several hands on games to help you get a feel for the skills needed by the RAF.

This hangar also features the RAF First to the Future gallery which uses simulators and other interactive exhibits to help visitors really get an understanding of what it is like to be a Hawk pilot or a drone operator. My older kids both had an absolute ball in this part of the museum.

With only half a day at the museum we didn’t have time to visit all the hangars, but did spend an enjoyable hour or more in hangars 3, 4 and 5 that no only house the indoor picnic space (brilliant if you’re trying to have a winter day out on a budget) but also everything that comes under the broad heading of War in the Air 1918 – 1980.

With separate sections on the Battle of Britain, Bomber Command, Helicopters and Wings over Water it really does cover a huge range in the same way that the RAF itself does. My kids’ favourite part of these hangars though is always the section that houses a reconstruction of an aircraft factory that was hit during a bombing raid. Not only does it open up an interesting conversation with the kids about where the enemy might target, but my kids are always super excited about the fact that there’s running water to depict a water pipe having been hit!

RAF Themed Kids Playground

With only half a day at the museum we simply didn’t have time to see everything, but it is worth mentioning the playground area. My kids always need somewhere to let off a bit of steam and there is a brilliant RAF themed outdoor play area – think planes and helicopters, as well as a model of one of the nearby buildings on the site. It’s nicely fenced off to keep it safe, lots to do for all ages, and for the parents the cafe with outdoor tables is right next door! You can tell a parent was involved in the planning of that.

Practicalities of visiting

One of the best bits about the RAF Museum is that it is free to visit. They do ask for donations and you do have to pay for car parking – but the charges for it are very reasonable, especially when you consider that you’re not being hit by a high entry fee.

If you’re planning a visit to the RAF Museum in Hendon there’s a brilliant page on their website about getting there. There’s also plenty of information on the site about the different hangars and what they contain, as well as details on exhibitions and special events.

If you’re not near London, did you know that they also have a separate RAF Museum in Cosford in Shropshire?

Want to read more?

If you’re looking for places to go on a family day out, or museums to visit then make sure you take a look at the other places we’re written about here on Penny Travels.

Disclaimer: We visited the RAF Museum in London in January 2020. We did so of our own free will and were not asked in any way to write about our visit.

Edinburgh in a day – from Bedfordshire!

August 23, 2019 by Penny 1 Comment

I like to try and think big when it comes to school summer holidays. Big, but in my budget! With a new baby in the family funds haven’t exactly been plentiful lately, but I was still determined to give my elder two kids the best summer holiday I could. Lots of variety and plenty of fun and excitement. It was with those two things in mind that I came up with the slightly mad idea of taking them to Edinburgh for the day. From Bedfordshire!

Luton to Edinburgh

We’re lucky enough to live about 15 minutes drive from Luton Airport which means that cheap flights to a variety of places are pretty much on our doorstep. With that in mind I managed to find that Easyjet have a flight from Luton to Edinburgh that leaves just before 9am in the morning, and a return one that departs Edinburgh at 9pm. Perfect to be able to fit in a day of sightseeing in Edinburgh.

The other motivation behind my trip with that Little Miss C and Master C had no recollection of ever going on an aeroplane. LMC went to Madeira with me and her dad when she was under 2 and both of them came with us on a trip to Denmark for a wedding when Master C was just 9 months old. They’ve both been desperate to fly somewhere for a while, but the cost and work schedules meant that it didn’t really look possible this summer. I’d already got a long weekend planned in Norfolk as a “proper” holiday, so decided that a slightly mad day trip would make the whole thing even more exciting for them.

Making the most of our time was key with this trip, so we bit the bullet and paid for on airport parking at Luton. This meant that we were able to leave home at 6.30am, get to the airport at 6.45am and by some sort of a miracle by 7.15am we were already through security and sat enjoying a second breakfast airside. Why isn’t it ever that fast when Bonn is going through there for work?

Edinburgh Tram

At the other end we took advantage of Edinburgh’s tram system. Just a short walk from the airport’s arrival hall is the tram stop and from there it takes you straight to Princes Street in just 30 minutes. It’s super convenient and not that expensive either. Master C had also been asking to travel on a tram somewhere for ages so it kept him rather happy.

We went to Edinburgh without any real plans as to what we’d do for the day so it was a bit of a case of just going with what we found once there. When we got off the tram we headed over towards the Royal Mile (via the Golden Arches for lunch!) and soon found ourselves part of the crowd for a street magician as part of the run up to the Edinburgh Fringe. The kids thought this was fantastic fun and thoroughly enjoyed this unexpected bit of entertainment.

Continuing up the Royal Mile we headed towards the castle, stopping off on our way at numerous souvenir shops so the kids could admire the various kilts on offer and the variety of Harry Potter merchandise that everywhere seems to sell.

Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

After admiring the castle from outside (I wasn’t nuts enough to pay to try to go round it with a baby in a pushchair!) we then headed back to the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions. Years ago I visited the Camera Obscura and thought it would be a fun thing for the kids to see. What I hadn’t banked on though was the amazing World of Illusions that it is now part of. I thought we’d stay there an hour or so and then head on to the Museum of Scotland. How wrong I was!

We ended up at the World of Illusions for the rest of the day. The kids thought it one of the most amazing places they’d ever been, and I’m inclined to agree with them. I’ll explain exactly why in a separate blog post – watch this space.

All too soon our day in Edinburgh was coming to an end and we hot-footed it back to Princes Street via a quick pizza and a wander down Victoria Street (supposedly JK Rowling’s inspiration for Diagon Alley) to pop in the various Harry Potter themed shops there.

Travel broadens the mind

I won’t deny that we only feel like we’ve scratched the surface with Edinburgh, but that just gives us an excuse to return again. The aim of the day was to give the kids an adventure, and that’s certainly what we achieved. From leaving Luton full of apprehension about what flying was going to be like, they returned confident flyers. Purposefully climbing the stairs of the aircraft at Edinburgh without even a backwards glance.

They say that one of the most important parts of parenting is giving your children experiences to help them in future life. I like to think that’s exactly what I achieved with this trip. After all, travel broadens the mind like nothing else.

Colourscape at Waddesdon Manor

May 22, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

We never need much of an excuse to visit Waddesdon Manor. This wonderful National Trust property belonged to the Rothchild family and is an amazing chateau style building packed with history and fantastic architecture. The gardens look beautiful throughout the year and to keep the children happy there is an amazing hillside playground that suits all ages. What I wasn’t expecting during a visit last year was the amazing, unique spectacle that is Colourscape.

It’s hard to explain exactly what Colourscape is, but I’ll try my best. Really though it is one of those things that you just have to experience for yourself.

What is Colourscape?

In short, Colourscape is 56 interlinked colourful chambers that visitors walk through. It’s a bit like being inside a maze of tents, but please don’t let that clumsy description put you off. The you arrived you take off your shoes and are also asked to wear a coloured cloak like garment.

As you walk through the entrance and into the first the colourful chambers your senses start to get confused. the colour of the chamber combined with the light effects m can that everything starts to take on different colours. Some of the cloak colours mean that some visitors start to bland in with the chamber they’re stood in, whilst others look like they’re wearing different colours.

Walking from chamber to chamber you start to feel a little disorientated. Have you been through this bit before? What colour is this? Being barefoot you can feel the ground under the “tent” floor beneath your feet and it reminded me of holidays. The overall feeling is somewhat magical.

In one chamber (the only one with natural light) there are a group of musicians, and their music is piped through the whole Colourscape structure, making your visit one for all the senses.

What age is Colourscape for?

In our group we had my then five year old son, my teenage step-daughter, right up to my mum in her mid-seventies. All of us absolutely loved it. I saw toddlers going around transfixed by the colours and how everything looked different. Colourscape really is for the whole family.

Over a year later we still talk about this particular visit to Waddesdon and just how magical it was. I’m delighted to see that Colourscape is returning to Waddesdon this year (25 May – 2 June 2019) and urge you to go and visit this amazing colourful world for yourself.

Colourscape – the facts

Colourscape is at Waddesdon Manor from 25 May to 2 June 2019. More details can be found here. Please note that the charge for Colourscape is on top of the standard Waddesdon entry fee (which is waived if you are a National Trust member). It is £5 for adults and £3 for children.

[AD] Lee Valley Park Farms – Conservation Week Visit

February 25, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

There’s something magical about taking children around a farm. We’re quite lucky in that our usual journey to school goes through the countryside and past several farms. We often spend the journey talking about the sheep and lambs in the field, or the horses that we regularly drive past. We’ve even had the delights of a muntjac deer on the road infant of us and an owl flying alongside the car one morning! Not everyone is fortunate enough to see animals up close this regularly though, and that’s why visits to places like Lee Valley Park Farms are so good. Children can really get up close to the animals and learn so much from them.

We were invited to visit Lee Valley Park Farms during half term which was when they were running their conservation week. I’ve been to the Lee Valley plenty of times with the kids before, but this was my first visit to the farm itself.

As soon as we arrived at the car park we could tell that we’d come somewhere popular. It was a beautiful day (more like April than February) and despite arriving only an hour after opening the main carpark was already full and we joined other visitors parking in the overflow one. There was also a queue to get into the reception area, but I’m pleased to say that this moved reasonably fast.

Animals

There’s a great selection of animals at Lee Valley Park Farms. Everything from the expected pigs, sheep, goats and cows through to more exotic animals like meerkats, bearded dragons and miniature zebu (which I have to admit I’d never even heard of before last week!). The kids loved going round the farmyard area and seeing lots of familiar faces. You can also buy bags of food from reception so that you can feed some of the farmyard animals. Both Little Miss C and Master C really enjoyed this. It was Tube Stop Baby’s first visit to a farm and she was more than a tad wary of coming face to face with some of the animals for the first time.

We timed our visit so that we could attend a talk in Critter Corner and LMC was thrilled to get to stroke a bearded dragon as it’s been one of her favourite animals for ages. Master C and I also attended a birds of prey talk and it was amazing to see the birds fling around, close to the audience.

Master C’s highlight of the visit was getting to feed one of the guinea pigs. It’s something that he normally shies away from doing, but the staff encouraged him to have a go and he got a real thrill from eating it eat the lettuce he gave it. Although he does since keep telling anyone who listens that he fed a hamster! I might have to keep educating him on the difference.

Play areas

The other part of the farm that the kids loved were the numerous play areas dotted around the site. There’s indoor play in the Bundle Barn (which we didn’t visit) but also the Dino Dig and Splash where they spent ages digging in the sand, the Farmyard Adventure where they climbed and climbed, and also the Hilltop Adventure where they bounced for ages on the giant pillow. Near the Hilltop Adventure there is also the Alpine Adventure Toboggan Run which they thought was great fun.

Accessibility and Facilities

We visited the farm with all four kids and this meant that we had Tube Stop Baby with us in her pram. I should warn readers that the site is on a hill, and whilst it is entirely possible to get around all of it with a pram or pushchair, it is hard going in places. I certainly felt like my arm and leg muscles were getting quite a workout as the day went on. It is also worth noting that the only working toilets on the day that we visited where down by the reception area. This meant one trek back down with Master C when he needed the loo, and also alfresco nappy changes for TSB as we quite simply couldn’t be bothered to walk all the way back down with the pram every time she had a dirty nappy!

We took a picnic with us and as the weather was so glorious it was lovely to sit and eat it in the sunshine. There were plenty of places for us to sit near the play areas and full picnic tables up near the Hilltop Adventure. We also had no problem finding rubbish bins to put our waste in afterwards. The only problem we had is that the sun was quite unrelenting and there was no shade up at the Hilltop Adventure. There were some structures that that we could imagine some shade being strung between possibly, but I’d certainly make sure you take sun hats etc if you visit on a hot day.

For those that want to buy food there there was a lovely looking cafe down by the reception area and it also looked like a kiosk by the Farmyard Adventure, although this wasn’t open when we visited.

Lee Valley Park Farms – our thoughts

We had a great family day out at Lee Valley Park Farms. It was our first time out as a family of six and we were particularly lucky that we had perfect weather for it. They all had a great day out and seemed to particular enjoy meeting the bearded dragon and guinea pigs. The play areas were also a huge hit.

For me one of the nicest things was just sitting in the sunshine as they played and looking around me. When you’re at the farm it’s hard to remember that you’re really not all that far from London and the busy M25. At moments it almost felt like I was looking round at the Yorkshire Dales instead!

Lee Valley Park Farms – what you need to know

Lee Valley Park Farms are located in Waltham Abbey, Essex, not far from Junction 25 of the M25 (the A10 junction). There is free onsite parking. And, if you’re inspired by my recent post on geocaching, there’s a lovely little geocache not far from the car park that is very kid friendly.

The full address is: Lee Valley Park Farms, Stubbins Hall Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 2EF. This postcode is the best one to use in a SatNav.

The farm is open 10am to 5pm every day from 16 February – 3 November 2019.

There are peak and off peak entry fees for the farm, with everyone over the age of 2 costing the same. £10 at peak times and £6 at non-peak. Grandparents receive a 20% discount on Wednesdays.

More details can be found on their website.

Disclaimer: We were invited to visit Lee Valley Park Farms as guests for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own.