With a rare spare weekend day before Christmas, rare because Lyns was not at work, we had arranged to go out with some friends and then have a sleep over afterwards. To try and avoid the crowds, we headed to Beningbrough Hall and it worked, very few people were there at all. Of course, the main attractions here are the play park and the nearby coffee shop.

We started by having a slow meander through the gardens, letting the little ones run off some steam. At the edge of the garden is a wall that is set into the bank so the field beyond is at a lower level. This allowed James to get really close to the cows, eye level in fact, without being in any danger from them. He was a little apprehensive at first, but once he realised he was safe, he was intrigued by being able to get so close to them.

After watching the cows for a little bit, with lots of silliness thrown in, it was time to head to the play park. The park is great, with lots of things for the kids to scramble, swing and slide on. We stayed in the park until it was closing time, making the most of the whole day.

After another slow walk back to the car it was time to head off to our sleep over and a take away evening, yum. Once the boys were asleep, we dialled in our order, opened some alcohol, also known as Gav’s Super Cocktail, and kicked back to enjoy some well earned rest.