Crabbing at Walberswick by Miriam Spall (40) from Ipswich mother of one

Ever since I read about the crabbing championships in Walberswick I wanted to come and have a go at crabbing with my son. It sounded like so much fun..! So we went shopping for a crabbing kit and off we went. Sadly the championships stopped in 2011 due to the overwhelming response but hopefully it will open again sometime in the future. http://www.walberswick.ws/crabbing/

We drove through the village looking for parking, we passed the village hall and a small playground before we found the car park (£3.00 all day) There was an ice cream van that was selling catching nets for £1.50 which came in handy because we needed to grab the crabs  with the net right away or they would fall off back into the water.

There were a couple of dozen people, some on the bridge and some on the banks of the river, everyone has their own “technique” to catch crabs and it was quite interesting to observe the various methods. It didn't take long before we caught our first crab, which was quite exciting.. It was nice to see so many children having so much fun, and there were some children who quite happily played knee deep in the mud! Families gathered around the river bank with their folding chairs whilst their children were crabbing.

It was fun, Alex enjoyed telling us what to do and letting the crabs go at the end. We decided to go for lunch after letting the crabs go back to the river

 We went to the village town and went to a restaurant located through an alleyway, it had a nice outside seating area and the menu sounded great! I had to say the food was amazing, the soft goats cheese melted in my mouth, the paninis were clearly freshly made. The cherry tomatoes were very sweet surely grown in someones back garden, and for dessert award winning Honeycomb ice cream from Alderburgh. Prices weren't the cheapest but worth every penny..!

We headed to the beach at around 3.00 pm it was very windy, perfect day for flying kites and we saw a few. The beach was like coming down to a perfect family portrait, sandy beaches, kites flying in the blue sky, children's laughter, the seagulls flying above the sea and even an artist painting near the sea shore.

Verdict:

What a beautiful place this is, lovely food, friendly people, idyllic landscape, what a Suffolk gem. The crabbing was fun and very simple to do, Alex loved letting the crabs go back to the river and wanted to come back for more after the beach. 

Walton on the Naze – Gold sandy beaches perfect for small children

We haven’t gone to the beach too much since Alex was born,  the cold water and waves always scared him and he ended up running away. I was worried at one point as I saw most toddlers playing happily in the water but someone told me children will enjoy it when they are ready and this is now Alex’s case at 5 years old.

I really liked the town center, small and friendly, the streets adorned with colourful hanging baskets and buzzing with families shopping for beach items. Compared with Clacton, it is relatively quiet. We parked nearby and we headed to the beach.  There were two things that initially caught my attention, firstly, the colour of the sand! smooth and golden, and secondly, how shallow the water was on the beach, which is perfect for babies, and toddlers that are first being introduced to the sea.  

The texture of the damp sand is perfect to make sand castles. The sea forms pools on the beach for very small children and we all know how much they love jumping in them! We went to the Pier and bought a wristband for Alex for £10.00 which allowed him to have as many rides as he wanted,  there were a good selection of rides ideal for younger children (4-6) (adults can also go on with the children for free) . Big arcade, ten pin bowling...and a pub for the mums and dads!

We then went to get something to eat at the Piers restaurant which I don’t recommend, its best to go to a nearby restaurant not many healthy choices and not great quality food. I would rather pay a bit more for better quality food. 

We went to the beach near the Pier, the beach was clean and you could see through the clear water, there weren’t many people as it was a Monday, Alex had his bucket and spade ready and off he went. He enjoyed jumping in the beach puddles and felt confident enough to walk further into the water; he also said he wanted to go swimming! This was a first for Alex!. Very smooth little waves, almost non existent, which is what usually scares Alex. You can hire windbreaks, sun umbrellas and of course deckchairs which were around £2.50 per day. Beach huts are also available for hire, TDC Tourist Information Office Open During High-Season Tel: 01255 675542

When we were finished we headed out onto the Pier for a walk and what a view.! Just beautiful, there were a few people fishing and some crabbing. Nice to take a walk down the end of the pier and look at Walton from the end of one of the longest piers in the world.

Walton on the Naze is also famous for unusual specimens such as prehistoric turtle fossils. The eroding “red crag” clay cliffs here are thought to be two million years old. Together with Walton-on-the-Naze’s gently shelving sandy beach, they have yielded some dramatic prehistoric finds. Discoveries include some of the best bird fossils in the world, alongside extra-large sharks’ teeth specimens, and unfathomably ancient turtle fossils.

Verdict:

Clean and sandy beaches ideal for small children, the small pools formed by the sea are ideal for babies and toddlers. The funfair on the pier is great value for money with rides mostly for smaller children. I don’t recommend eating at the Piers restaurant, but finding a local pub or restaurant instead. We had a great time, one of the best beaches I have been to in the area.

For more information visit the Walton on the Naze website at:

http://www.walton-on-the-naze.com/Guide/guide.htm

www.wheretotakeourchildren.co.uk
@SuffolkKids

Suffolk Food Hall, Ipswich-

by Guest Blogger, Becky Spall from Otley, (36) mother of one

I decided to take my son Josiah (3ys) to Suffolk Food Hall to meet up with friends on a Monday afternoon in the summer holidays. We were lucky enough to have a dry, slightly overcast but warm afternoon to visit this pleasant location. The venue is well signposted from the main road that runs under the Orwell Bridge from Ipswich to Shotley, and a good start was finding that there was ample parking in the large (free) car park. On spotting the outdoor ‘bouncy pillow’ my son was very keen to dash off and have a go – outdoor activities were free to people using the café although we presume the bouncy pillow is only in use during the summer season. He really enjoyed the bouncing, although without any age restrictions he was thrown about somewhat by some older children. In addition to this there was a small play climbing frame/slide, which Josiah also enjoyed.

The food hall itself was full of lovely things ranging from local fresh fruit and veg, meat, fish, bread etc as well as some very nice homeware items. However, I would say that pretty much everything was expensive – a loaf of bread was £2.75. If you are looking to buy a treat or a gift though you won’t be disappointed. As well as the food hall there is a plant/garden section, a café with toilets and baby changing facilities and an ice cream hut. Once again we found the café to be a bit pricey but the facilities were good and clean and you can sit outside with lovely views over the River Orwell.

The main problem we found was the wasps!!! There were hundreds of them hanging around the outdoor seating area and even in the indoor café as the doors were kept open. This really ruined our afternoon and made drinking or eating anything outside practically impossible. Although this cannot be blamed on the venue we did feel that more could have been done to clear away used plates and cups quickly to avoid attracting them as much as possible. We did spot a wasp catcher hanging in one of the trees but this is clearly not enough.

Verdict

 This is generally a great place to meet up with children, or if you want to find good quality local produce and aren't on a tight budget. There is enough to keep the children entertained for an hour or so while you enjoy a drink with a lovely view, although this isn't an all day attraction. If you are lucky enough to go on a day when the wasps aren't visiting I am sure you’ll have a great time.  

Cycling at Alton Water - Great Family Day Out

By Miriam Spall from Wheretotakeourchildren.co.uk

We headed to Alton Water at 11 am on a Sunday, it was forecast to be cloudy all day, we did have a few drops of rain at midday but then it stopped and it was a nice and pleasant day.

We took Alex’s bike with us, but the attendant said Alex wouldn't go too far with his stabilisers as the trail required a two wheeler bicycle. We decided to hire a Mountain bike (£8) with a Trailer (£6) for Damian and Alex and a Mountain bike (£8) for myself. Alex absolutely loved it..!

Apparently there are two routes, Route A (easier route) and Route B (more challenging route), we of course, took the easier route! It had small hills here and there but generally was a smooth and enjoyable ride.

I have to admit I was quite nervous as I hadn't ridden a bike for around 5 years and never had the greatest of balance, but I managed ok. We had to ride on the side of the road for part of the cycling circuit if we wanted to avoid the more challenging trails, only 3 cars passed by us whilst we were riding on the road which made it less stressful for me.

Make sure you carry some change with you, we passed by a house that had a small fruit stall outside their gates with a small tin where you could leave £1.20 for a bowl of raspberries, but we only had notes! So we missed out on the treat.  Fortunately there were loads of ripe wild blackberries which we enjoyed picking. There is also a nice pub (The White Horse) on the way if you fancy taking a break and going for a drink.

We stopped for a picnic by the water along the route before continuing our journey to the café where we had ice cream and a drink at their outside tables facing the lake.

Verdict:

We loved it; great family fun there is a spacious car Park and a cafe with panoramic views across the water.  Easy enough to ride for non very confident cyclists, Alex had a big smile all the way through, and loved to be pulled around, he enjoyed the natural trail, picking blackberries, finding sticks on the woods and having a picnic near the lake. A fun enjoyable day out that doesn't cost the world, especially if you bring your own bikes.

For more information visit their website at

http://www.altoncyclehire.co.uk/index.html