Bendi-gedig - THE place to visit in Barmouth!

Barmouth is a lovely place both to live and visit BUT when the sun decides to hide away and the rain comes out to play, there's not much to do with the little ones in your life. I love a coffee and a cake but know only too well that children get bored pretty quickly in a café and there's nothing relaxing about shushing your child every 5 minutes, conscious of what everyone else is thinking of your parenting skills!

So, after a long-ish wait and a great build up, Barmouth finally has a super new attraction - Bendi-gedig! Here's our views, both from a child's eyes and mine!

We spent just over 2 hours playing here - there's two main areas; a toddler section for the under 4's and then the larger play equipment for the over 4's. There's also a games area with a basketball hoop which seemed popular when we were there.

My children enjoyed all of the equipment, especially the slides! My son liked the fact that some of the crawling tubes are clear so that he could see me from *nearly* all of the area... I think he thought I was going to sneak off!

There were quite a lot of children playing but with plenty of space available, there wasn't TOO many children and they all were able to play safely. The pram and wheelchair access was good, with plenty of seating available with tables for the essential coffee and cake for the parents!

The food here was reasonably priced - we didn't eat a meal, just a drink and a snack but I did like the idea of how the children's menu works. Instead of the usual sausage &chips, chicken nuggets & chips or fish fingers & chips, the children can have a smaller portion of nearly anything off the normal menu for a smaller price! This is great for our family as my youngest doesn't like chips! The menu also uses lots of local produce, so that's an extra tick in the box from me!

With the nearest play centre like this about a 90 minute drive away, I'm sure Bendi-gedig will become the leading centre for indoor play on the Cambrian Coast! Entry prices are reasonable.. they could have charged a lot more being quite an exclusive attraction, but with offers such as a family discount card and a loyalty card, these ease the burden on your purse a little making Bendi-gedig somewhere that we will visit often throughout the year.

So, yes we'd recommend this as a great family-friendly attraction in Barmouth and we will be visiting again! My youngest is already planning his party here for his next birthday...

You can check out the Bendi-gedig website here and also why not pop over to their Facebook page and say 'hello'!

*I'll be updating this blog post with photos soon; the ones I have taken have other people's children in them so I can't publish them online! Once I have suitable photos... I'll show you and then you can see how great it is for yourself!

Barmouth with kids - through our eyes!

Barmouth is a great place to bring your children up or to visit for the day, or even longer on your family holiday. Barmouth is visited by hundreds of families each year - too many to count! The beach here is fantastic and a classic place to while away the days on holiday but what else is there to do?

Here's a quick guide to some of our favourite places within walking distance from the train station....

Places to eat

The Bath House on the promenade has a convenient sheltered outdoor patio area which provides great shelter on those windier days! There's room for pushchairs and dogs are welcome too!

Davy Jones' Locker on the harbour is open all year round and busy with visitors and locals alike. There's just enough room inside for a pushchair, but the outdoor seating is also sheltered - whether you need respite from the sunshine or the sea breeze. P.S. dogs are welcome here too!

The Captain's Table is a family-friendly place to eat both during the day and in the evening. It's not a huge place so it's best to book a table. The menu is simple but with enough choice and if your child cannot spot something which takes their fancy, always ask and you'll find that the chef is pretty flexible with his dishes and will aim to please! Space is a bit tighter here than in a pub but the owners will accommodate you as much as they can!

Super shops

The Weigh-Out is a must for any visitor and local! You can find pretty much any ingredient for day to day cooking and baking and the 'pic and mix' sweets are a huge temptation! If you're like me and love muesli but hate dried fruit, you can mix your own and enjoy to your heart's content! The massive gobstoppers are a hit with the children although I don't think I'd manage one!

Luv It is probably my favourite shop in our town. It stocks lots of different gifts, everything from stylish holiday trinkets to bigger presents perfect for special occasions. I especially love the scarves that they stock - I am seldom without a scarf and I'm collecting quite a range!

Fudgeridoo has a great selection of fudge, all homemade with the spectacular additions of anything from Smarties to Oreo cookies! The shop is also spectacularly pink in colour and has some lovely items, mainly for the girls in your life but anyone can enjoy the fudge! Their sister shop Knickerbockers, just around the corner, also sells fantastic ice cream - try the lemon curd ice cream, delicious!

Secret places

Barmouth's play park is hidden away down a side road (Park Road) and not really visible from the main road. Although pretty small, there's a variety of equipment suitable for ages up to about 12. The old tennis courts are currently undergoing a revamp to provide more equipment for older children as well as all-weather pitches for football and basketball. Watch this space for more updates!

Just a little further along from the park, you'll find a great outdoor space called Wern Mynach. This is an area of Barmouth that allows nature to grow wildly! There are well maintained footpaths suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs, with benches placed around the area - perfect for a picnic in the sun! There are many, many different flowers and plants here, see if you can spot as many as we did!

A new heritage trail has just launched in Barmouth. This uncovers many of the secrets of Barmouth in an easy-to-follow format. Even if you have visited the area many times, I'd still encourage you to have a look and I'll bet you still learn something new!

Coming soon!

Our family (and many others!) literally cannot wait until Barmouth's newest, family-friendly venue opens for children to play indoors in a safe environment. Bendigedig is due to open at the end of March so we'll update you once we have had a play and found out for ourselves how good it is!

And on top of what I've shown you here, we also have the Bronze Bell Shipwreck museum (up a small flight of steps above Davy Jones' Locker but worth a look if you're interested in maritime history), the library (visitors most welcome!), Barmouth & Dyffryn United football club (check the fixtures and catch a game while you're here) and our world famous bridge, perfect for a family walk over the estuary!

Image via http://bit.ly/O3j8LQ

So, if you're planning a visit to the Welsh coast anytime soon, pay us a visit and say hello! The kettle's always on!

You know that you live at the seaside when...

Oh wow, you LIVE at the seaside! Yes, we do and it's great! Not to brag(!) as it's hard work too sometimes but I wouldn't change it for the world!

But there are some things that only people who live at the seaside will understand...

1. All members of the family have a least one pair of shoes permanently half full of sand!
2. Even after a post-beach evening shower, there's always a bit of sand in your child's bed in the morning!
3. There's always a bucket and spade strategically placed by the front door.
4. You can (and do) take your children to the beach straight after school.
5. When the sun decides to shine, you know that the sea won't be warm enough for a paddle for about a week! Only the non-locals jump straight in!
6. You still can't walk along the shore line without collecting at least one shell or pebble.
7. Following on from #6... you'll always find a seashell or pebble in the pocket of a jacket that you haven't worn for ages!
8. You feel like an expert when you can tell the non-locals where the best place to crab-fish is... and the secrets of which bait to use!
9. You know which RNLI launches are 'real' and which are practices because everyone knows someone who is on the crew!
10. Finally, an impromptu walk along the prom can be done at a minutes notice and doesn't require military planning!

But... no, we don't go to the fun fair everyday - that's still a treat! And, no, we don't eat fish and chips on the harbour every day - that's still a treat! And, no, we don't eat sticks of rock, donuts or candy floss for dessert every day - they're still a treat!

But one thing we do still do is holiday at the seaside! We appreciate and respect what we have where we live but we still like to explore other coastal areas. But after all the trips we have made, I still love that view when coming into our home town - priceless!

Well, I hope I haven't made you feel too jealous! If you're having withdrawal symptoms from the beach, come and visit! There's a lovely B&B you can stay at.... Crystal House Hotel! (not-so-subtle hint!)

The Journey to Bristol.... #photoanhour

First day of our trip to Bristol, visiting my sister for the start of half term! The story of our day in photographs.... enjoy!

#photoanhour 8am  - the view from my front door

#photoanhour 9am - leaving my town via the harbour

#photoanhour 10am - in the car!

#photoanhour 11am - still in the car!

#photoanhour 12 noon - STILL in the car!

#photoanhour 1pm - we've arrived! Hello Merry!

#photoanhour 2pm - little sister trying her hand at interior styling!

#photoanhour 3pm - home from home!

#photoanhour 4pm - knew we should have worn our wellies!

#photoanhour 5pm - first ice cream of the year from a 'real' ice cream van!

#photoanhour 6pm - exhausted Lucy!

#photoanhour 7pm - that's my Saturday nights sorted for the forseeable future!

#photoanhour 8pm - nearly ready for bed!

#photoanhour 9pm - peace and quiet time for me!

#project365 - 29th January 2014

#project365 - 28th January 2014

#project365 - 15th January 2014

Moving the trains by road!

#project365 - 12th January 2014

Today's weather update!

 

#project365 - 3rd January 2014

Sadly our little town was hit by floods today caused by a combination of an extremely high tide and gale force winds.  We think no one was hurt although some people were evacuated.

Out of all the photos, this one stands out to me.

Four locals 'rescuing' a memorial bench to our late Harbourmaster who was taken by sea some years ago. If something could be saved, then this should be it!

Photo by Rachel Probert



Childs Farm - Natural Toiletries for Kids!

Thansk to the lovely peeps at Luvit!, we had the opportunity this week to try out some great bath and hair products for children.  Childs Farm is a lovely and unique company who produce and sell products which are organic, paraben-free, sulphate-free and mineral-free!

My daughter (8... nearly 9!) has very sensitive and dry skin (especially her scalp) and we usually stick to a shampoo of the "no more tears" variety; without mentioning any names, Mr. Johnson does very well when you look in my bathroom cupboard!  BUT, my daughter insists that it's "baby shampoo" - which she is actually correct about!  And, although she has quite fine hair, her hair is getting thicker as she's getting older, so this shampoo is becoming more and more unsuitable for her lucious locks!  So, we tried Childs Farm as an alternative and..... great success!

Firstly, the scents are fantastic!  The strawberry and mint shampoo & conditioner actually smells of strawberries and mint!  Real ones....not the fake sickly smell that you can get with some bath products.  And with the tangerine bubble bath, you can actually sense the citrus zing that it contains!

Secondly, the products in the "Cleaning Kit" come in 100ml bottles, so your first instinct there is that they will only last a couple of baths.  Well, that's where you're wrong!  We put a decent "squirt" of the tangerine bubble bath in our (rather large) bath and there were bubbles galore!  The "squirt" was about a sixth of the bottle, maybe less, so gone are the days when you use half a bottle of bubbly to achieve a feeble attempt at a bubble bath!  The shampoo and conditioner are the same - just a 10p sized squirt of each was enough to wash and conditioner my daughters (long) hair!

Thirdly, Childs Farms should make a big deal about the fact that the conditioner left my daughters hair (almost) tangle-free!  No matter how many times I tell her not to "scrub" her hair in the bath...it still happens!  But after using the Childs Farm conditioner, her hair just simply combed straight down without a knot in sight!  Smiles all round from us!

And lastly, (the sciency bit), as I previously mentioned, my daughter has really dry skin.  When we have tried different products in the past, the effect is almost instant, as she can fell the tightness and itchy skin straight after using something different.  And we can honestly say, these products did not have any adverse effects on her skin!  So the organic nature of the products and lack of unecessary chemical interference shows that there are great-smelling, kind to nature and kind to us products out there!  Childs Farm were unknown to me before working on this campaign but I hope they become known to every household out there!  And, you don't have to have sensitive skin to use these products - they're just extra-friendly if you do!

You can buy Childs Farm products online here or instore at various retailers including Barmouth's very own Luvit!  The company and their products have had some great press coverage; from The Guardian & The Telegraph to Tatler magazine, there's lots of positivity out there!

Definitely a thumbs-up from us!

Also, if you have an explore around their website, there's some free colouring sheets for your children to colour (not in the bath though!) and lots more information about their products and the charity work they are involved with - so good news all round!

So, why not pop over to their Facebook page, say "hello" and look out for these great products next time you are stocking up the bathroom cupboard!

"jellycat" Easter Bunny giveaway with Luvit!

The lovely Owena at Luvit in Barmouth has a great giveaway going on at the moment!  When the Luvit Facebook page (here) reaches 800 likes, one lucky fan will win this beautifully cuddly jellycat Easter Bunny!

Just simply like the Luvit Facebook page, share the photo (here) and comment underneath the photo the name that you would give to the bunny!  Easy :)

At the moment, they are on 715 likes so let's give them a boost and get to 800!

You can also have a browse around their website here - so if you're not local to Barmouth you can still enjoy the wonderful gifts and goodies that are available in the shop :)  But you can still come for a visit if you like....!

So, off you go - keep the message going and one of you could win the cuddliest bunny in town!

PS.. a quick way of sharing the competition is by pressing the Facebook share button at the bottom of this post...but don't forget to share the Luvit photo too :)

Win a short break for 2 adults and 2 children at Crystal House Hotel, Barmouth

As promised, as we've reached 1000 Facebook "likes" here's a great new competition!  You could win a short break (2 nights - mid week or weekend) for 2 adults and 2 children at Crystal House Hotel in Barmouth, North Wales!  Total prize value of upto £180!

Crystal House Hotel is a family run bed and breakfast is situated a stones throw from Barmouth's award winning beaches and the hotel enjoys the fantastic scenery which Cardigan Bay, Barmouth and the Snowdonian Mountains have to offer.

For those who have never experienced the pleasure of a holiday in Barmouth, and frequent visitors there is something for everyone. The clean and safe sandy beaches are never overcrowded even in the peak of summer; there is enough room for everyone.  If your family enjoy crabbing then pick yourself up a line and bait from the harbour and join the young and young at heart on the harbours edge catching and comparing their crustaceans.

For the more energetic, Barmouth is full of opportunities for activity holidays. There are an abundance of walks in and around the town. Walk through the Old Town climbing to the top of Dinas Olau for spectacular views of Cardigan Bay Barmouth and the Mawddach Estuary. Alternatively walk across Barmouth Bridge to Morfa Mawddach Station and follow the former railway track along the river bank to Penmaenpool. Above all else, Barmouth has a unique charm and this little fishing village turned seaside resort has really stood the test of time.

Today, thanks to the dedication of locals and visitors alike the town thrives as it has since it rose to popularity in the early 1900's. An extensive annual calender of events and festivals means that often there is always something new to see and do in this beautiful coastal resort.

Barmouth also has a market every Thursday & Sunday (Sunday only between April & September). Barmouth enjoys a remarkably mild climate which makes it a ideal location for out of season visits at any time of the year. Crystal House is ideally situated to explore the wonderful coastline of Cardigan Bay and the Llyn Peninsula.

For a scenic day out the coastal train line is perfect for groups of adults and families alike. Barmouth train station, only 100 metres from Crystal House has a regular service both north, towards the beautiful Llyn Peninsula or south over Barmouth Bridge towards the unspoilt seaside village of Aberdovey; an area full of character. Steam railway enthusiasts are particularly well catered for in this area. There are approximately 13 steam railway sites within an hours drive from Crystal House - all a great day out for adults and children.

An easy competition to enter for all - complete the Rafflecopter entry below and good luck!

The winner will be responsible for their own travel arrangements and spending money.  See Rafflecopter for full T&C's.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Big Barmouth Knit 2013 in aid of Wales Air Ambulance & the RNLI

The Big Barmouth Knit 2013 in aid of Wales Air Ambulance & the RNLI.  

To raise money for two very valuable resources which are used daily throughout Wales, with your help, we are going to knit an epic, super-length scarf for our friend on the beach, Bermo Moai.

Doesn't he look cold and lonely just stood there.... naked?

So how do we join in?

Grab your knitting needles and crochet hooks and get knitting or crocheting!

Please ensure the knitted or crocheted squares are 6” square (or as close as you can get!) so we can make the scarf as beautiful and seamless as possible!  Any colour and type of yarn is fine!

Then, please send your completed square(s) to:

THE BIG BARMOUTH KNIT

c/o Crystal House Hotel

19 Marine Parade

Barmouth

LL42 1NA

You can donate just one square if you like, but the more squares the merrier!  The aim is to make a super-long scarf to help keep Bermo Moai warm(er!) than he is!  The grand dressing ceremony will take place on Easter Monday (1^st April) 2013 at 2pm... please be assured this is not an April Fool!

All squares must be received at the address above by Monday 18^th March 2013 to be included and to enable the final stitching to take place.

Please pop a note in the envelope with your email address on if you wish to receive an email acknowledgement of your contribution.

Great, so how are you raising money for the Wales Air Ambulance and the RNLI?

Once all the squares have been received and stitched together, we will measure the total length of the scarf (to the nearest inch) and  the person who has guessed the correct length will win 1/3 of the total amount raised with the remaining 2/3 being split equally between the Wales Air Ambulance and the RNLI.

Anyone can buy a “guess” at the (laid out not stretched) length of the scarf for £1... more than 1 person can guess the same number of inches – the prize in this case will be split equally between the winners.  There will be a PayPal account available for anyone outside of the area to donate and have a go! 

The competition will go live via the Katie Cupcake Cymru Facebook page once all of the squares have been received and stitched together – we will give you ONE clue as to what the length is... the total weight of the scarf! 

The official measuring will be verified by an independent adjudicator and the winner announced at the dressing ceremony.  In the event of more than one person correctly guessing the total length of the scarf, the winner’s prize fund will be split between the number of correct guessers.

Following the official photographs, the scarf will be donated to a local animal rescue centre to provide snuggly blankets for the animals they care for.

Please share this post to help us raise lots of funds for charities essential for the safety of everyone out there.  Following the recent floods, the RNLI and the Wales Air Ambulance have been involved in many rescue situations - and not just for families living by the sea.

Anyone all over the UK (and worldwide!) can get involved so let's get this on everyone's news feed!  Ready, steady, GO!

EDIT 29th Jan 3pm: 
We've had a suggestion to offer a prize for the winner(s) so that the charities can recieve all of the money raised.  So if anyone can offer a prize to this great cause, it would be gladly welcomed.  Please comment below and and I will be in touch, or alternatively email me at katiebeech71@hotmail.com.  Many thanks x 

Wern Mynach, Barmouth - how many flowers can we find?

Local to where we live, there's a great piece of open space known as "Wern Mynach".  Wern Mynach woodland is located in Barmouth town centre, not far from the football field.  A large area of the land surrounding Barmouth used to belong to the Cistercian monks from the Cymer Abbey, Llanelltyd.

There are number of places in Barmouth which have been named after the monks: Ynys y Brawd, Ffordd y Mynach, Bryn Mynach and many more. The monks would bring their animals to Barmouth over winter as the Wern's salty marshes was ideal grazing for them.

After the construction of the railway back in 1886, small lakes were formed at the site, and the land was given to the residents of Barmouth for their recreation by Mr Davies from Bryn Mynach. A football pitch was built on the site, and the rest of the land was made a landfill site.

In 2005, the Barmouth Environmental Conservation Group took over the site, and with funding from Cydcoed and help from Gwynedd Council and volunteers this urban green site was created. 
Hundreds of trees were planted on the site recently, including oak, apple trees, mountain ash, broom and willow. The combination of wild flowers, old trees, the fruit of the thorn and the mountain ash attracts a wild range of flies, birds and animals.
 

The Wern Mynach area had a total revamp - the work involved the local community coming together and clearing the site, dealing with invasive species, and planting trees and a wild flower meadow.  Local school children also were very busy setting up bird boxes and planting trees and bulbs. 

 

A professional artist was commissioned - Wern Mynach has a green oak sculpture by Jony Easterby of the tall ship once built in Barmouth.  We call this "the pirate ship" and my children love playing pirates, baddies and sea monsters in and around it.

 

But the purpose of this visit was not to catch the pirates but to see how many different coloured flowers we could find... so here goes...

We found many more flowers than expected and so it proves if you look closely, you will find lots of secrets and surprises!  We often go for a walk along the paths at Wern Mynach - blackberry picking in early September is a favourite of my children... anything that gives us all a bit of fresh air and wears the children out is good for me!

The background historical information has been taken from the Gwynedd Council website here.

Silent Sunday 19th August 2012

Silent Sunday 5th August 2012

Win a short break for 2 adults and 2 children!!!

As promised, to mark the 1st of August (still summer, somewhere!) we have a great new competition!  You could win a short break (2 nights - mid week or weekend) for 2 adults and 2 children at Crystal House Hotel in Barmouth, North Wales!  Total prize value of upto £168!

Crystal House Hotel is a family run bed and breakfast is situated a stones throw from Barmouth's award winning beaches and the hotel enjoys the fantastic scenery which Cardigan Bay, Barmouth and the Snowdonian Mountains have to offer.

For those who have never experienced the pleasure of a holiday in Barmouth, and frequent visitors there is something for everyone. The clean and safe sandy beaches are never overcrowded even in the peak of summer; there is enough room for everyone.  If your family enjoy crabbing then pick yourself up a line and bait from the harbour and join the young and young at heart on the harbours edge catching and comparing their crustaceans.

For the more energetic, Barmouth is full of opportunities for activity holidays. There are an abundance of walks in and around the town. Walk through the Old Town climbing to the top of Dinas Olau for spectacular views of Cardigan Bay Barmouth and the Mawddach Estuary. Alternatively walk across Barmouth Bridge to Morfa Mawddach Station and follow the former railway track along the river bank to Penmaenpool. Above all else, Barmouth has a unique charm and this little fishing village turned seaside resort has really stood the test of time.

Today, thanks to the dedication of locals and visitors alike the town thrives as it has since it rose to popularity in the early 1900's. An extensive annual calender of events and festivals means that often there is always something new to see and do in this beautiful coastal resort.

Barmouth also has a market every Thursday & Sunday (Sunday only between April & September). Barmouth enjoys a remarkably mild climate which makes it a ideal location for out of season visits at any time of the year. Crystal House is ideally situated to explore the wonderful coastline of Cardigan Bay and the Llyn Peninsula.

For a scenic day out the coastal train line is perfect for groups of adults and families alike. Barmouth train station, only 100 metres from Crystal House has a regular service both north, towards the beautiful Llyn Peninsula or south over Barmouth Bridge towards the unspoilt seaside village of Aberdovey; an area full of character. Steam railway enthusiasts are particularly well catered for in this area. There are approximately 13 steam railway sites within an hours drive from Crystal House - all a great day out for adults and children.

An easy competition to enter for all - complete the Rafflecopter entry below and good luck!

The winner will be responsible for their own travel arrangements and spending money.  See Rafflecopter for full T&C's.

This competition has been listed on ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions and Loquax.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Silent Sunday 17th June 2012