Last week we headed to Alton Towers Waterpark for a day of fun before the little ones had to go back to school. They are both water babies and just love swimming, I have been meaning to take them since it opened so they were absolutely over the moon when I told them where we were going. Daddy was going to come to but was called into work at the last minute so it was just me and the kids. Read more
Last weekend we enjoyed a day out at the National Trust’s Hardwick, well except for the behaviour of one of my children but the less said about him the better 😉 Hardwick is just off junction 29 of the M1 and it really easy to get to, it is an absolutely stunning place so really worth a visit if you are thinking about it. I have so many photographs to share with you all so this post might go on for a while 😉 Read more
On Easter Sunday we went to the National Forest Adventure Farm for the day. We had a wonderful day out, there was so much to do. The Easter Eggstravaganza which runs until 10th April is fabulous! The kids loved the treasure hunt and their trip through the woods to visit the Easter bunny in his house 🙂 Read more
I was very lucky to grow up in the heart of the Peak District a few miles away from Chatsworth, we used to visit the gardens, farmyard and playground all the time as kids and we used to love to drive through the grounds and watch the Deer but until this weekend I had never stepped foot inside the house. Boy oh boy have I missed a treat! Read more
Last weekend we visited National Trust property Calke Abbey and had an absolutely fantastic day out. We only live about 30 minutes away from Calke Abbey and we have visited before when we had National Trust membership. It is a beautiful place to visit and I would highly recommend it. There is always lots going on at Calke Abbey especially during the summer holidays. The kids will definitely not be bored.
Air Race is the latest addition to the existing line-up of exhilarating rides at the Staffordshire based attraction Drayton Manor Theme Park, including thrill-seeker favourites Maelstrom, G-Force, 54-metre tower drop, Apocalypse, and Europe’s only stand-up rollercoaster, Shockwave. Read more
Last weekend we took Bugs for his very first trip to the cinema, it was the day before his third birthday so we wanted to do something special so when Cineworld contacted me to see if I’d like to review for them I obviously jumped at the chance! Bugs & Boo LOVE Despicable Me (so do Mummy & Daddy) so were very excited to go and watch Despicable Me 2! Read more
A couple of weeks ago I was sent a £30 voucher to go and try out the new specials menu at Frankie & Bennys; last time I reviewed them I actually said I wouldn’t go back and I probably wouldn’t have if I had to pay but I thought I’d give them another chance to impress me. As always I called upon my trusty sidekick Lero (My 16 yr old son) and we set off for Frankie & Benny’s Lenton Restaurant in Nottingham. It’s always super busy here as there is a big Showcase cinemas so I booked a table for 7.30pm on a Thursday evening.
When we arrived it was really busy and we had to wait for a table to be cleared before we could be seated. This was only five minutes or so and we were a little earlier so we can let them off for that 😉 We were seated at a nice little table for two and our drinks order was taken immediately! The staff were very friendly although they insulted Lero by asking ‘What can I get you ladies?’ I don’t think Lero will set foot in there again; poor lad was so embarrassed!
There is quite a good range on the special menu, five starters, 12 mains and four desserts. You can have two courses for £10.95 or three for an additional £2.25. So a three course meal for £13.20 isn’t too bad really! The Specials Menu is available all day Sunday to Friday.
I have to say all the food was brought to us quickly and the waitresses were very friendly. I did feel a bit like we were being rushed with the speed of things being brought to our tables and I shouldn’t complain about that really but I think there should be a nice pause between courses personally.
Starters…Â
Lero ordered BBQ Chilli Wings and I had BBQ Pulled Pork Potato Skins. Lero really enjoyed his wings, mine were nice but could have been warmer. Portion sizes were good, we were still ready for more once we had finished these.
BBQ Chilli Wings
BBQ Pulled Pork Potato Skins
Mains…
We both opted for burgers at this point. I went with the Ranch Burger and Lero BBQ Burger. There were no other mains that really took our fancy. We did enjoy our burgers, they were tasty and filling, the fries were really nice too.
Ranch Burger
Lero’s BBQ Burger – not sure why it was all on one side of the plate like that!
Desserts…
Lero was super excited to see Salt Caramel Cheesecake on the menu, unfortunately this had sold out! He was gutted and opted for Banoffee Brownie instead while I went for Apple & Raspberry Crumble with Custard. Â Lero’s was disappointing, he got three small squares of dry brownie, a mountain of cream and a couple of pieces of banana. My crumble was nice, I didn’t like the pastry but the rest was lovely although it needed more custard!
Banoffee Brownie.
Apple & Raspberry Crumble with Custard
We both had a glass of coke too so our bill came to £32.50 in total and we paid just £2.50. Honestly the food wasn’t that bad but it’s still not for me. The only chain you will see me at on a regular basis is Pizza Express 😉
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