October Half Term 2017

Activities for October Half Term, 2017

October half term is approaching rapidly - an intense week between summer and Christmas, that should be easier to handle compare to the summer holidays and its six-week slog.  Nevertheless, there are still plenty of opportunities for "I'm bored" and "It's raining I've got nothing to do", so here are a few days out with Daddy (or Mummy, or Grandad, or Uncle...).

NEW Saturday 21 October 10:05 - 11:45 approx
The Emoji Movie at Cineworld, Hanley

Running time 1hr 36. Certificate U.  £2.70 per ticket; £2.45 if you join their annual club for £4.95 per year. Looks like it's showing every day (at least until 26 October).

NEW Saturday 21 October 10:30-am 12:00 approx
Despicable Me 3 at Cineworld, Hanley
Running time 1hr 36. Certificate U.  £2.70 per ticket; £2.45 if you join their annual club for £4.95 per year. Looks like it's showing every day (at least until 26 October).
NEW Saturday 21 October 10:30-am 12:00 approx
The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature at Cineworld, Hanley
Running time 1hr 36. Certificate U.  £2.70 per ticket; £2.45 if you join their annual club for £4.95 per year. Looks like it's showing every day (at least until 26 October).

Monday 23 October, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Fire Engine and Activites at Potteries Museum and Art Gallery
Free to attend; see a fire engine, Welephant and join in the craft activities (indoors).  If you've read my post on the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, then you'll know how highly I rate it - even without the added attraction of a fire engine!

NEW Monday 23 October 9:45 - 11:30 am (approx)
Despicable Me 3 at Vue Cinema, Newcastle
All tickets £2.49 - great chance to see this film at a discount price (if it's more convenient than Cineworld).  Running time 1hr 36. Certificate U.

Monday 23 October 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Freeport Talke Superheroes Event
Monday: Iron Man and Superman*

Tuesday 24 October, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon; 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Clay Activities at Wedgewood, Barlaston, ST12 9ER
Join ceramic artist Alice Thatcher to play with clay in this relaxed and open-ended workshop.  Families can explore clay in new ways, in this unique opportunity to play with the muddy stuff. 

NEW Tuesday 24 October, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Silverdale Country Park Celebration Event

Featuring a range of FREE family activities including arts and crafts, garden games, an inflatable assault course, face painting and a bouncy castle. There will also be a FREE BBQ.

Based at Silverdale Athletic Football Club, ST5 6RQ

Wednesday 25 October 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Freeport Talke Superheroes Event
Wednesday: Batman (and Batpod) and Wonder Woman*

Wednesday 25 October, 11:30 am -1:00 pm
See The Boss Baby at the Mitchell Arts Centre, Hanley
Very funny film, suitable for all (rated U).

Wednesday 25 October, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Mini MakeFest at Longton Library
No website link for this one, just a mention in a PDF produced by British Ceramics Biennial.  The big MakeFest back in May at Hanley Library was excellent, with everything from cutting, colouring and sticking, through to coding, robots; and even a virtual reality setup.  Not sure how much we'll get at the mini version, but this is still highly recommended.

Friday 27 October 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Freeport Talke Superheroes Event
Friday: Thor and Spiderman*

Saturday 28 October, 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm
Keele University "Spooktacular 2017"

Lots of science activities (slime; goop; fake blood; "ice scream").  £4 per person, with family discounts.  Keele events are usually very well organised, and worth a visit.

NEW
Saturday 28 October, 9:00 am - 7:00 pmSunday 29 October, 10:00 noon - 4:00 pmSmyth's Toy Store, Phoenix Park, Longton
Go and celebrate the launch of Super Mario Odyssey™, which is Mario’s next adventure on the Nintendo Switch.  There will be game-play and activities in store all weekend. I don't have the exact times, I've listed the store opening hours.  

Monday 30 October 5:00 -8:00 pm
Free Football  Trentham Lakes
Football coaching opportunities - hour-long workshops, sign up in advance. 

Monday 30 October, 5:00 - 8:00 pm 
More football - this time, goalkeeping, Trentham Lakes
Football coaching opportunities - hour-long workshops, sign up in advance.

*I understand from Staffs Imperial Stormtroopers that they'll be at Freeport at some point over half term, they just haven't yet announced when it will be.

Review: SFW In The City: Sheffield, October 2017

Several months ago, I won a set of free tickets to the SFW Sci Fi in the City Weekend in Sheffield.  I shared them around with as many friends as wanted them, and booked a hotel (Sheffield is 90 minutes' drive from Stoke, and for a weekend, it's worth booking a hotel).

I've taken my two oldest children to a number of sci fi conventions in the past (Stoke Con Trent, Nanoncon in Nantwich, and Northwich Comic Con) so I knew what to expect and we were all fairly excited.

We arrived on Saturday morning at the O2 Academy in Sheffield - and we were slightly early (a family of five in one hotel room is always going to be a recipe for an early start).

Security
I was sent an email a few days before the event, advising that on-site security would be present, and there would be bag searches and so on.  Fair enough.  However, the doormen seemed unnecessarily strict, and quite arbitrary in their judgments.  Once I was allowed in to collect our wristbands, and back out again to distribute them, the security men wouldn't let us in until 10:00, even though there were a number of people milling around inside, who (having claimed their wristbands) didn't fancy stepping outside into the cold and breezy October morning.

Atmosphere

I don't think I can adequately describe just how DARK it was in the venue...

I spent most of our time there with my mobile phone torch switched on, just to shed some light into the black-walled, dimly lit (or should that be unlit?) areas - especially upstairs.  I'm not sure a night club venue was quite the best place for a science fiction event.

...and just how noisy.  We attended the Jedi Class upstairs - in almost complete darkness - where Master Jedi (who was honestly the one and only redeeming highlight of the event) held a class for younglings in how to wield a lightsaber.  It was great for the first few minutes as they did their warm-ups together, but after that he couldn't be properly heard as the events staff decided to pummel us with rock music for the duration. At least his electronic lightsaber was visible in the black.  I took one photograph from the whole event.  The picture shows how dark it was; the fact I only took one picture shows how little there was to photograph (compared to dozens for the other conventions we attend).

...and empty.  As the event began at 10:00, I can honestly say that the venue was about 15% full - it hadn't picked up much by 11:00 either.  There were only around half a dozen traders in the main hall, selling books, T-shirts, pictures and so on - far less than I've seen at any of the 'smaller' conventions (I would estimate that Nantwich usually gets around 20, Northwich and Stoke have around 50 each).

Did I mention the smell?  Slowly-frying burgers downstairs; slowly-fermenting beer upstairs.

Despite being spread over two floors of a very large building, the whole area felt cramped - like a Tardis in reverse.  The seating area downstairs was set up on a dance floor - wooden tiles - which had a worryingly sticky feel to it.  There were two bars downstairs, and two more upstairs.  The lift, such as it was, was meant for goods only and wasn't really meant to be used by people with pushchairs or wheelchairs either. This was not the optimal place for a family event; it wasn't even a great place for a grown-ups event (maybe I just read the frequent emails and many social media updates wrong).

The general ambiance is probably best described as "students' union".

Cosplay

There were very few cosplayers - my daughter wore her Batgirl suit; I saw two people wearing Star Trek costumes; one gentleman dressed as the Joker, and a few Jedi. I could probably reach the total number if I counted on two hands.  One of the biggest highlights of all the other conventions is the number of visitors who participate in cosplay - amateurs and professionals alike. From the groups of children who dress up in onesies and masks, through to the squads of Stormtroopers and the occasional Dalek - those events are friendly, with a much greater sense of participation and activities.

Signings/Guest Appearances

We happened to see Julian Glover as he meandered his way through the main hall to the VIP area; we also briefly heard from James Cosmo. I didn't see any opportunities for the stars to sign autographs and so on.  Perhaps it was because they wouldn't have been able to see the tables in front of them?

Overall

We left shortly after 11:00 am on the first morning, having stayed over an hour waiting for something to happen (one parent we spoke to said that the Friday night party had gone on for longer than they anticipated, and some of the visitors or participants were probably regretting their choices). We went off to explore the rest of Sheffield (which has some very fine museums, interesting galleries and a very wide range of shops).  We paid £10 per adult to enter as "competition winners", and I still feel like I didn't get value for money.

We'll continue with Nanocon (friendly, lots of stalls and cosplay, and a range of TV stars - judge me by my size, do you?); Stoke Con Trent (with its awesome organisation and great presenter/MC; the force is strong with this one) and Northwich Comic Con (massive, and extremely well attended - make it so).  But attending SFW again?  Highly illogical.

Review: Sea Life Centre, Blackpool

A few years ago, we invested as a family in annual Merlin passes.  We were a family of four (with children aged 6 and 4) and we figured we could make the investment work for us.  And it did; since then we've paid for an annual membership of some sort - either Merlin, or the National Trust - and each year we make sure we get our money's worth.

This year is a Merlin pass year, and part of the making-it-work-for-us has been a trip to Blackpool to see the Sea Life Centre and Madam Tussaud's.  We've done the Sea Life Centres in London and Manchester, so it was interesting to see how it compares.  We also have a budding marine biologist in our family, who is now capable of immediately identifying the larger creatures by sight.

Honestly, I would rank this one as slightly above Manchester but below London (the Sea Life Centre in the capital is absolutely enormous).  Why?

Well, after you've got past the security (a bag check and some bizarre questions about being a professional photographer and possibly - but not definitely - having a camera with a detachable lens... but then being allowed in anyway) and the ticket queue, the displays are truly awesome.  We're now a family of five (children aged 8, 6 and 1) and they all loved it. Our youngest loves the brightly-coloured, fast-moving fish, while the older two like watching the larger (scary) fish as they drift around.

Blackpool has their interactive rock pool display at the start of the experience (Alton Towers has theirs at the end) - this is always popular with our oldest, who loves getting sleeves rolled up and touching the various rock pool creatures (I have started mentally replaying Finding Dory's rockpool sequence every time we visit one now).  There's plenty for the other whole family to see (while the oldest goes eyeball to eyeball with a crab).  The staff who managed the rock pool were friendly, helpful and full of information (ready to be questioned by inquisitive children).

In my opinion, the main component of any aquarium is the underwater tunnel, and Blackpool's is possibly the longest I've ever seen.  The sharks at Blackpool are easily the largest I've seen outside London, with a range of extremely large sharks (better than Manchester's or Alton Towers'), and the presenter gave a great talk on each of the different sharks and other fish that they have in the large tank. The presenter was knowledgeable, clear and confident, and gave a good presentation.  The tank is (by my estimation) just the right size for the fish from a viewing perspective - you don't have to wait too long before something large and dangerous-looking swims past the windows.

In addition, there are number of tanks that have glass domes - where you can crawl under the fish tanks, and poke your head up into a hemispherical dome and look at the fish with a full 360 degree view.  These are always appreciated by our children, who love seeing the fish close-up.

It's not cheap, but there is definitely enough here to keep everybody occupied, and we spent over an hour in total - our visit coincided with one of the talks at the main tank, and we took the opportunity to find a seat and get some snacks (the seating in the viewing area is actually marginally better than the main 'refreshments area' by the gift shop).  Our older two were very interested in the speaker; our youngest was hungry enough to sit still and plough through various snacks and food.

Facilities:  there are toilets on site, with baby-changing facilities.  The refreshments are a bit thin on the ground, with a coffee machine and a vending machine, and a seating area shoe-horned into the corner of the gift shop (I didn't see any high chairs).  

 There's also an incongruous soft-play area squashed in too.  If you're looking for somewhere to stop and have a meal, I'd recommend somewhere else (there was a very smart looking fish and chip shop nearby); if you're after sweets and snacks then you'll be okay.

Gift shop prices are typical for Merlin shops, and I would generally recommend steering clear, unless you have a Merlin pass, in which case you'll get 10% or 20% off most items, which would bring the cost down to a more manageable level.  Merlin pass holders also get fast-tracked through entrance (although to be fair, there was only a small queue when we visited during the summer holidays).  The Sea Life Centre is about 100 yards away from Blackpool's Madam Tussauds, so if you're a Merlin pass holder, it makes sense to do both on the same day.  We did, and I'll review Madam Tussauds (Blackpool) in my next post.

Costs: 
Adult (15 yrs+):  £17.50 on the door, £13.00 online advance
Child (3-14)  £14.50 on the door, £10.50 online advance
Child under 3:  Free

Website: Blackpool Sea Life Centre

Review: Potteries Musem and Art Gallery

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent

This is my local museum; by far my most frequently visited and therefore probably the one I know the best.  It has a number of features, and is good for spending 30 minutes or so with the family if you need an inexpensive trip out and the weather isn't great. To start with, it contains extensive woodland scenes with various stuffed animals - indigenous to the local area. There are ranges of insects and similar creepy crawlies, and all this is great for getting used to seeing animals, naming them and then identifying them in the garden at home.

There's also a dress-up area, where toddlers and small children can dress up as ladybirds, bees and so on, which is fun.  There's a craft area for drawing, painting, sticking and so on - and this is usually where the special events are held.  The museum occasionally has guest speakers who share and present animals (large spiders; snakes; hedgehogs and other small mammals) which are particularly interesting and well worth a visit.The museum also holds a genuine Spitfire. It's difficult to get a decent photo of (it completely fills the room it's in, so it's difficult to move back far enough to fit it all in, and the lighting isn't conducive to great photos), but it's an important part of the city's heritage.  Our older children like looking at it and getting a feel for its size;our youngest isn't too bothered.
 
The museum also has a part of the Staffordshire Hoard - interesting for the adults; the children were not at all interested.

About 20% of the floor space is dedicated to scenes from 1940s-1950s Potteries, and these are great for discussions on 'how we used to live'.  There's a bar scene, a kitchen scene, a classroom scene and so on - the pharmacy is a particular favourite with our children, with all the glass bottles.


As I said, you'll probably spend about 30 minutes or so here with the children, and it's great for rainy days.


There are toilets and baby change facilities downstairs (lift provided) and a cafe, which serves hot and cold meals and snacks.
Free to enter; £3 recommended donation.
Address: The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
Bethesda St
City Centre
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 3DW
01782 232323

Website:  Potteries Museum and Art Gallery  

Toys R Us Free Lego? Not today.

Toys R Us are currently hosting a series of make and take events at their stores. You go along, make a Lego model from a small kit, and then take it home - for free.

In theory.

They've published a blog post about it, which is about as vague as it gets, with a link to their store locator. Unsurprisingly,  parents have commented on the blog post asking the obvious question: "when is it at my local store?"  As of now, there are almost a dozen such queries.

No replies.

So I did the next obvious thing: I phoned the local store (using the store locator, naturally). "Let me check...  yes. You come to the store and can make a Lego model and then take it home,  post pictures on the website. It's while stocks last because children take the model home... starts at 9:00 am tomorrow."

Guess who was there with two children at 9:05 the following morning?

No Lego at the front desk. None at the click and collect desk. Two children growing increasingly impatient as we were directed to the front,  the back, the Lego, and even the Star Wars corner. The helpful lady I spoke to you on the previous day was nowhere to be seen and neither was her manager. No, no Lego had come in.

We didn't stay. The children were too upset for me to spend time on the Christmas shopping we had planned and I had to promise them treats on the way home. I'm sorry to say that I won't be revisiting my local store for some time - the extra cost compared to online stores isn't worth it (the expert advice and opportunity to see the toys "for real" are decreasing in value).

The comparison with online brings me to an interesting conclusion: Toys r Us have a deeply flawed online strategy. Firstly,  I found out about the free Lego offer from a Google alert I've set up for Free Lego, which actually found this page from BT.  TRU didn't exactly make an effort to reach out and advertise it.

Secondly - when they did promote it,  it was on their blog,  but 1) they didn't post details of stores, dates and times - parents like these sorts of minor details - and 2) worse still,  they haven't replied to any of the queries about those details. It's a blog - it isn't offline media like a poster;  it's interactive and if you have a blog,  then you really need to respond to comments on it.

And then there is the lack of communication between online and offline - only some of the staff seemed to know about the website promotion. And the execution?  Non-existent, almost. There's a whiteboard at the front of the store promoting upcoming events in coloured pen, but that's about it. My local independent store is doing better at this.

Will I return to Toys r Us? Possibly, but I think it's unlikely I'll be taking my children - assumimg they'll even want to come along.

October Half Term in Stoke on Trent

It's half term soon, so here is a list of activities in and around Stoke on Trent, to keep you sane and your children occupied!

Kicking off the week, I've found a fireworks display on Sunday 25 October at Newcastle Lyme Valley Parkway, starting at 5:00 pm.  It may be early in the year for fireworks, but it's a good way to start the school holidays!

Potteries Shopping Centre (intu Potteries) are having a week of activites themed around Charlie Brown and Snoopy - in advance of the upcoming film.  There are various family-friendly activities, and they're all free!
Quadrant Road, City Centre, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 1PS
 
If you want to actually meet Charlie Brown and Snoopy, you'll need to go to Hamleys at the Trafford Centre (intu Trafford), which has a meet and greet for the characters on Thursday 29 October (book in advance, get there early).  All the other daily Charlie Brown activities will be taking place at the Trafford Centre too.

If you'd prefer to stay closer to home, then there's a Superheroes craft activity at the City Central Library in Hanley on Tuesday 27 October, from 11:00-12:00.  Mask-making and stories should make this a great morning!
Bethesda Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 3RS

The Emma Bridgewater Factory in Stoke-on-Trent will be hosting a number of events centred around the theme of birds. The highlight of this will be a 'Meet The Owls' event on Wednesday 28 October where visitors can get up close and personal with owls and falcons

Also close to home is a Frozen sing-a-long at the Mitchell Arts Centre on Wednesday 28 October.  It's £2.00 per child, accompanying adults go free.

Broad Street Hanley Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 4HG

 

The Evening Sentinel has their own list of activites - I haven't through checked it, but it's here:

 

Coming up in Autumn 2015

Here are a few recommended activities for the next few weekends...  (and half term!)

Sunday 25 October - Newcastle Lyme Valley Parkway, 5pm onwards - fireworks (early in the year for fireworks, but this will give you chance to do other things that weekend, as we shall see!)

Saturday 7 November - Nanocon - Nantwich's very own Science Fiction convention - featuring loads of activities, and the East Midlands Garrison (Star Wars characters - Stormtroopers, Darth Vader and the gang).

Saturday/Sunday 7-8 November and 14-15 November - Star Wars Garrison at Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester.  The Discovery Centre itself is worth a look, and with the UK Garrison there, it should be doubly good.

Saturday 6 December - South Wigston Christmas Capers
It's not our usual West Midlans region, but this is a major event, featuring (so far)
The Transformers vehicles (Optimus, Bumblebee, Barricade and Old Bumblebee, "Beaterbee")
Lightning McQueen
Olaf
lots of other stalls and activities (worth it just for the Transformers vehicles, which don't get out much)

Stoke on Trent City Council have provided their list of Christmas-related activities (switching on lights, markets and other events), which should be good.  A word of warning - some of them can get very crowded and consequently may not be suitable for very small children.