Thought I'd start a thread with links to, and reviews of, local family events over the holiday period. on and I were here AT THE CIRCUS!!!!!!!!!!! last night as guests of Squires Garden Centre in Stanmore (they're supporters of Peniwells RDA). They offer carer's tickets upon presentation of non-arduous proof of entitlement (although TBF due to their links with Peniwells I would imagine that these requirements should be "flexible"). It was a very, very good evening (approx 75 mins) with a series of acts that you used to see as "fillers" on "The Paul Daniels Magic Show". GOOD POINTS: Funny clowns & good acrobats - extremely visual acts. I primarily work with lasers and I was engrossed by the "laser act". The "Ringmistress" had the longest legs I've ever seen on a human being. NOT SO GOOD POINTS: One act had "fire-balls" which some in the SEND audience found uncomfortable and the music in the "Laser" act was EXTREMELY LOUD. VFM? I think for £14 you got your money's worth for 75 min of, and I'm not being any way negative or taking the piss, "good-old-fashioned-family-entertainment". All the kids got a gift from Santa - I don't know what it was as my son didn't want to go as at 11 he's "...too big for Father Christmas..." no matter how much pleading Dad did to see "those legs" "close-up". I *think* it would make a very good "grown-up" date combined with a drink/meal in one of those very agreeable places in that part of Stanmore. Mods: If unacceptable please bin and apologies.
There's some lovely events going on at Chatsworth House from now until 6th January. https://www.chatsworth.org/events/christmas/
I hope we get some of those **** "Winter Wonderland" events, where some family pays £100 for a special Christmas treat of a lifetime and is shown around a car park in Dunstable, with a horse wearing novelty antlers and a drunk, abusive Santa sits in a tent, smoking Rothmans and handing out Chomps wrapped up in newspaper as the highlight of the event.
Just once I'd love to create an intentionally awful one, where people could enjoy it with their eyes wide open as to how pathetically awfulnit will become
I went to Dismaland with a group of friends and was "lucky" to have caught, the frankly awful/hateful, Julie Burchill "performing" her "work". I like to think that Banksy had actually put "her" in as an exhibit and that the ludicrous moron Burchill never realised this.
I paid £285 for me and my family to go to Winter Wonderland in Solihull and it were a proper disgrace and I want my money back. There were a 5 hour queue to get in and when you did, the Alpine Wonderland were just piles of mud scraped up by JCBs with tins of whitewash tipped over them. The elves were all wearing jeans and trainers and were all sitting around skinning up and drinking cans of Special Brew. The choir of angels we were promised on the leaflet were a couple of loudspeakers hooked up to an iPod. Santa's sleigh ride were just a lump of MDF with some tinsel on. The illuminated walk only had three LED spotlights in the trees and were muddy and full of stingers, the mulled wine were watered down and I broke me top set on one of the mince pies. And then there were a parking ticket on me car when we got out. Please copy regular variations to all newspapers between now and Dec 25th. It's a tradition.
