Joe of the jungle

It’s Friday and the Munchkin’s stay with us is rapidly coming to an end, tomorrow Samantha will be visiting us for the night and will be taking him back home on Sunday afternoon, ready for the start of the new school term on Monday. Needless to say at the moment I have the little pest reading over my shoulder and repeating everything I type down (Grrr).

He’s had problems trying to make friends here as most of the kids are in twos or threes and unfortunately there is very little on this site for children to play on apart from a large grassed area. 

So this morning we decided to take a walk down to the Slimbridge Wildlife Wetlands Centre to give him a day out.

At first we thought that he might not appreciate the place, how wrong we were he loved it. The centre’s not cheap though, for two adults and a child it cost £23.91 normal price but with Gift Aid it was £26.70, Hmm… that didn’t seem right, we normally pay gift aid thinking we are helping these establishments out. But it appears we would be then paying the centres Tax contribution not the government giving them Tax relief. I pay enough in Tax to the government as it is, so we have decided to stop giving Gift Aid in the future.

Nana & Rhys

Mating Swans

Name that Wader

The Wetlands Centre is great place to take the kids with loads of advice and interesting exhibits and a fantastic collection of birds.  Rhys really enjoyed feeding the birds and the Play and Picnic area. But he especially enjoyed the Canoe Safari, so Joe here had to do the jungle thing Ayy Ayy Ahhh and take him out in a Canoe. Kay thought he would be too timid for this type of activity but he really got into the swing of handling a Canoe which was not bad for a left handed eight year old.

Rhys and Bamps up the Jungle

Round again Bamps

By Now Bamps is in Agony
but Munchkin wants to keep going

We also decided to have a snack at the Kiosk but the two miniscule defrosted bacon baps in a polystyrene box and tea in the same type of cup (Yuk) with a drink & cake for Rhys came to £12.40. I thought this centre would be promoting green issues, but it was the same when we visited the cafeteria in the Visitors Centre’s restaurant. All the vinegar and sauces where supplied in plastic throwaway sachets with plastic tea spoons for your tea. Once more two fish chips and peas and one sausage & chips (French fries not proper chips) with tea and soft drink came to £24.65. The meal was dearer than the entrance fee.

These prices for food and refreshment are far too high; they would be better off if they dropped the food prices and sold homemade produce supplied by local farmers. By offering reasonable prices they would make more money as more punters would eat there and using washable ceramic cups and the sauces in glass bottles, be seen as being more environmentally friendly.

Still the weather was great and we enjoyed his company, we will miss the little monster when he goes home but he’s already threatened to visit us when we head off to Spain.

More Anon