Europe

Southend Cliff Lift

November 8, 2021 by Penny Leave a Comment

One of my latest fascinations is cliff lists – or just funiculars in general really. I blame Tim Dunn for covering the Saltburn Cliff Lift on his excellent Yesterday programme The Architecture the Railways Built. We took a November trip down Southend for a bit of sea air and a chance to see one of the new trains on the pier there (more on that in a separate post soon), and somehow it had completely passed me by that Southend had a cliff lift.

Looking down the tracks on the Southend Cliff Lift. In the foreground you an see the rear of a two year old wearing a yellow coat and pink bobble hat who is looking out of the window. — Looking down the tracks from inside the lift

Now this might have been because I’d been looking online at list of funiculars in the UK and there is a bit of a dispute as to whether or not the Southend Cliff List is a funicular or not. Let me explain.

The upper station at Southend Cliff Lift — Upper station

A funicular or not?

The definition fo funicular is as follows:

adjective

(of a railway, especially one on a mountainside) operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced.
relating to a rope or its tension.

The problem, in Southend’s case, being that there is only once car. However the sign at the bottom of the cliff lift says the following:

The Cliff Lift is a counter-balanced funicular railway – a funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable moves a carriage up and down a steep slope.

I’m guessing that at least makes it a discussion point! As far as 2 year old Tube Stop Baby was concerned it was a “baby train”, and one that she was very excited to be able to press the button to operate.

A two year old girl wearing a yellow coat and pink bobble hat is pressing the button to operate the lift whilst under the watchful eye of one of the volunteers who is stood next to her wearing a jacket with reflective stripes, a lanyard round his neck, a black face mask and a flat cap. — Operating the cliff lift

History of the Southend Cliff Lift

The Southend Cliff Lift originally opened on August Bank Holiday Monday in 1912, and goes between the Western Esplanade and Clifftown Parade. It only covers a distance of 40m (albeit with a 43% gradient), but at just 50p a ride you can’t complain.

A view up the tracks of the Southend cliff lift, taken from just outside the lower station and looking up the steps that run next to the tracks. — Looking up the tracks

Originally the site hosted an innovative moving walkway that as installed in 1901, but being open to the seaside elements it proved to be unreliable and was then replaced by the funicular instead. In its lifetime the cliff lift has been closed on three occasions to allow for major restorations – 1930, 1059 and 1990. In 2003 a malfunction with the counterweight meant that it was out of action for 7 years in total. Major corrosion was found in the structure, and around this time the council also received Heritage Lottery Fund funding to restore the neighbouring Cliff Gardens including the lift stations. The lift wasn’t re-opened until 2010 at which point it had not only refurbished stations, but all a new carriage, tracks. winding gear and electrical and control systems. I fear that if the Lottery funding hadn’t been there the lift might not be there today.

The lower station of the Southend Cliff Lift with the lift carriage seen ascending. — The Lower Cliff Lift Station

Visiting the Cliff Lift

Covid obviously closed the lift for a period, but when we went in November 2021 it was running with volunteers manning the lift and charging 50p a ride. The aim to open from 10am to 3pm in winter and until 6pm in summer, but this is dependent on volunteers being available. I was told the most accurate way to keep track of it they’re open or not is via their Facebook page. Technically the lift is part of Southend Museums Service.

Looking through the orange gateway into Prittwell Gardens in Southend-on-sea. You are looking at an ornate fountain in the middle of the gardens, and there is a clock (showing the wrong time!) above the entrance as part of the ornate metal gateway. — Prittwell Gardens

There’s obviously plenty to see at the lower end of the lift with the Pier and its railway just a short walk away. At the top station we took a short walk along to the stunningly beautiful Prittwell Gardens and also spent a while looking at the statue of Queen Victoria pointing out to sea with her disproportionally long right forearm. Go and have a look and you’ll see what I mean!

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.

Popping over to Sweden for dinner – Copenhagen to Malmö

September 27, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

I love the way my husband doesn’t bat an eyelid when I say something along the lines of “shall we go to Sweden for dinner?”

For context I should add that we were in Copenhagen when I asked this particular question. So, the concept of popping over to Sweden, or more accurately Malmö wasn’t actually that crazy.

The Bridge

Since the year 2000, the Øresund Bridge (often just known as The Bridge – yes the one in the TV series!) has linked Denmark and Sweden and travelling between the two is a doddle.

Oresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden

The bridge actually has two levels – one which takes cars and motor vehicles, and the lower one which carries trains. As you fly into Copenhagen you can often see the bridge from the plane window and it is a sight so worth seeing.

Drogden Tunnel

The main span of the bridge is 8km (5 miles) long and whilst that in itself is spectacular, what makes the whole thing look slightly more amazing is that the journey across the Øresund strait is actually competed by a 4km (2.5 mile) tunnel. When they built the bridge they created an artificial island, Peberholm, which is where the Drogden Tunnel disappears into the ground.

When you see it from the air it really is one of the strangest sights. The majesty of the beautiful elegant bridge and then suddenly everything seems to disappear into the sea. When we first saw it from the plane on the approach to Copenhagen I could see why anyone who knows of the bridge, but not the tunnel part of the journey could be left a bit confused.

Practicalities of the Øresund Bridge

The practicalities are getting from Denmark to Sweden are relatively straightforward. Car drivers are required to pay a toll to cross the bridge via the E20. To take the train it really is as simple as going to Copenhagen Central station and buying a ticket. The journey takes about 40 minutes. When I travelled (September 2019) it cost just over £20 for a return train ticket.

In Malmö the central station is just a short walk from the centre of the city and at most ten minutes from the Lilla Torg (little square) which is packed full of restaurants and is the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by with a drink. It’s also where we found dinner that evening. There’s just something about the smell of dill that always makes me think of Sweden so Gravadlax was the obvious thing to have!

Passports

Despite the Schengen Agreement and the Nordic Passport Union passengers are required to carry a passport when they make the journey between the two countries. Since January 2016, identity and visa checks have been imposed by Sweden on travellers from Denmark due to the European migrant crisis. Both times I have made the journey officials have boarded the train at the first station in Sweden, but then only a small selection of passengers have been asked to produce them.

Effect on travel between Denmark and Sweden

The linking off Denmark and Sweden has done so much more than jut opening up Malmo to tourists visiting Copenhagen. One of the motivations for the link (which was amazingly originally proposed in the 1930s!) was to improve the transport links I’m Northern Europe from Hamburg to Oslo. It wasn’t until I sat down and talked to some friends we met up with in Copenhagen on our last trip and I heard about their holiday plans to go from Copenhagen to Oslo that I really sat down with a map and understood how the geography of the area fits together.

Picture of a boat and lighthouse framed by a square statue with a round hole in it I'm Malmo Sweden

The bridge has also increased the number of people who live in one country and work in the other. Many Danes have apparently taken advantage of lower house prices in Sweden and make the daily commute over the Øresund bridge. I can certainly think of worse commutes to have to make!

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.

Riding the Helter Skelter at Norwich Cathedral

August 14, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

As we set off towards the Norfolk coast for a weekend away we had vague plans to stop somewhere en route to break the journey up for the kids and to stretch our legs. We had no idea quite where we’d find to have that break, but as the radio news came on a slightly mad idea started to form. The SatNav was quickly reprogrammed for Norwich Cathedral and off we went!

But just what was it that we’d heard that suddenly made all 4 of us in the car able to talk determined to go to visit a cathedral? News of them placing a 50ft Helter Skelter in the nave of the cathedral was what swang it for us.

It’s fair to say that the response to this bold move has been somewhat mixed. There are people (both within the church community and outside) who think it is a brilliant idea. A great way of encouraging people into a cathedral that might mot normally go there. And a way of also creating noise and laughter in a place that is normally filled with hushed whispers and quiet prayer.

On the flip side there are also people (who mainly seem to be within the church community, but some outside it too) who believe that it is totally the wrong thing to do. Some even going as far as saying that it is disrespectful.

Personally I fall into the former camp. I’m not a religious person, but I admire those churches that do try and welcome the whole community into their place of worship. Whether that be to play crazy golf (as is apparently the case at Rochester), to watch a football match on a big screen, or to take a trip down a vintage Helter Skelter. I think that the silence and formality of many churches can put people off from stepping inside.

In Norwich’s case the Helter Skelter is part of their Seeing It Differently exhibition. It’s there, along side other activities to encourage visitors to look at the cathedral in a different way, in particular the roof bosses that people don’t usually get to be so close to.

The Helter Skelter itself is a beautiful vintage wooden one. Although it looks slightly bonkers sat there towering above everything else, it also has sufficient vintage charm to look strangely right there. I imagine that in darkness it will look even better when lit up.

Now, I’ve been on Helter Skelter before and generally don’t have a problem with heights or speed, but flipping heck it’s a ride and a half coming down. Firstly, there’s the slightly strange surroundings. You find yourself suddenly hurtling towards a stained glass window before twisting your way down towards a stone wall. It’s certainly one of the fastest heater shelters I’ve been on, and also one that really does throw you around a bit. It’s a completely exhilarating ride though and without meaning to I found myself screaming as I went down.

I did take a look up at the ceiling bosses whilst up there, although I also found it quite amusing that the volunteers at the top were busy explaining to so many visitors what ceiling bosses actually were. It seems being a kids when Blue Peter ran a competition to help design the new bosses to go on the repaired roof at York Minster after their devastating fire taught me something useful.

I’m so glad we happened to have the car radio on as we drove last week. Without it we wouldn’t have had what my kids simply describe as a “bonkersly brilliant” experience. Thanks Norwich!

Seeing It Differently runs from Thursday 8 August until Sunday 18 August 2019.

The helter skelter ride costs £2 per person. All the other Seeing It Differently installations are free.

General opening times for Seeing It Differently are 10am-5pm Monday to Saturday and 12 noon-3pm on Sundays.