Calling Glasgow MUMSNETTERS!

[champselysees]

Hello!

Coming up to Glasgow next weekend on my own with 3 kids aged 6 to 1. (Staying with my sister).

Any great tips on where to go,

On my list I have:
Science Centre
Popping to Buchannan St to see the 'Tardis' (Big doctor who fans here)
Peoples palace and Glasgow Green then food at new brewery pub nearby (my neck of the woods 20 years ago!)
Kelvingrove art galleries (although my sister says v.v. busy at mo)
Someone told me there may be some highland show at Pollok park next weekend.

I'm up for 5days and staying in a tiny flat so really need to fill our days wisely outside the house!

any tips much welcomed!

TBH it sounds like you've got a lot on your plate already! Where are you staying?

We are avoiding Kelvingrove for a few weeks yet, so good luck if you go there!

Loch Lomond Shores has just opened it's SeaLife Aquarium. Probably about 30 mins from Glasgow? We haven't been yet but they've been building it fot ages now.

There's another Tardis in Great Western Road at the junction with Byres Road (west End - nice and trendy). But be warned, they've both been turned into "Coppachinos" and only sell Lattes and the like.

DS (3) was v disappointed when he saw it and looked up at me through his huuuuge eyelashes saying: "Mummy, Doctor Who doesn't fly through space any more, he just makes the tea"

Thanks bobsmum, I know about the tardis 'frappucino' bars - but they will be excited to walk past anyway! Hoping to engineer a surprise walk past on the way to something else I hope.

Gillian, yes my sister was more or less saying the same thing tonight to avoid kelvingrove probably. I'm with her in Dennistoun. East end.

Any suggestions if we go into the town? i.e buchannan street etc.. apart from shops (which I would love to do but fat chance of that next weekend)

Hoping to have a good time, mum passed away two months ago, so first time Kids have been up since then to see Grandpa.

x

apparently there is a really nice, baby-friendly and very reasonably priced organic cafe opened up on duke st. i haven't been there but my pal lives in sunny d'stoun so i can ask her the name if you like. or i'm sure your sister will know.

of course it depends on how your kids would feel about it but there is a Bounce n Rhyme singing session that they do at Dennistoun Library on (i think) monday mornings. it would get you out of the house for a while if you wanted a quiet morning.

wouldn't have a clue what to do in town with actual real children (i have a 7-month-old) but as i recall there is a soft play area in st enoch's so you might be able to squeeze in a wee bit of shopping or at least a coffee nearby.

i've heard that k'grove is busy but who cares if you are only here for five days? it's amazing, by all accounts. and there's a really pleasant cafe called montogmery's on radnor street (the end of kelvin way) which i would recommend for a sandwich afterwards. or have a picnic in kelvingrove or the botanics, that's what i've spent the whole of last week doing...

if you have a car then there's always mugdock park (country park just past Milngavie) or you could nip down to Helensburgh (an hour, maybe) or Loch Lomond (an hour and a bit).

have a lovely time, i hope things go smoothly and you get a bit of time to yourself to have a think about your mum.

Here's whats on at pollok park

Pollok Park info

I think its the heavy horses this saturday and not the cows

Hope you enjoy your visit

At the weekend we quite often use the underground as it is easier then trying to park in the centre, we park at Ibrox (if no match on, in front of the Rangers shop as it is patroled.)

We were at the Kelvingrove on the 2nd Saturday it was open and it wasn't too busy in the morning.

The Kelvingrove park has a playpark and lovely walks.

The Transport Museum is great for all ages lots to see and activity sheets etc. Perhaps Kelvingrove in the morning and Transport museum in the afternoon.

Over next to the Peoples Palace is a huge park (scroll down) with a different sections for different ages.

Scotland Street School Museum is another good free museum.

If you are going down Buchahan St you might see some really good buskers, last week in front of the Buchanan Galleries we say a string quartet, a giant bubble blower and a guy playing jive style music. Often ther is a guy who lies on glass and juggles knives etc. Scroll down

Favourite restruant China Buffet King . Good selection of salads, and stuff for kids like mini sausages, mini pizzas, grated carrot, cheese, cold meats. As well as all the chinese stuff. Great desserts too with an ice cream machine, chocolate cake, profiterols etc etc.

On the map it shows the Sauchiehall St one in the wrong place. The West Nile St one is handy for Buchanan St and the Cineworld cinema on Renfrew St, 14 screen tallest cinema.

Just discovered O Sole Mio lovely little italian place, great service, great with the kids lovely wood oven pizzas, even let DD roll out a pizza base just for fun. Pre theatre before 6.30pm £9.95 for three courses.

Sorry to go on but just been to Glasgow Science Centre . It was very quite today (Sunday). If you want to see any of the shows go to the earlier ones, if kids want to go to the wrkshops put you names down for the afternoon ones, some have limited numbers but you can put your name down in advance. So it doesn't matter how busy it gets. VCheck out the whats on bit on the website.

If kids are over 6 you might not want to bother with the bubble one as it was quite tame, Alice workshop was OK for up to about 7 yrs (DS 9 yrs was OK but dying to escape and explore that floor), jugleing workshop was great fun and they make their own balls. The Snap happy workshop was OK, bit hard for under 5s and a bit tame for over 8s, but kids happy with their pics.

The Flame on show was great and we didn't get time for the other ones . The new Alice exhibits on the top floor and good fun. Basicly loads to do on every floor and we arrived at 11 am half hor for lunch and left at 5pm, still din't see all the shows or play with all the exhibits .

Speaking of lunch, unless it is desserted I wouldm't go for hot food as it gets cold by the time you pay for it, kids lucnh bags 5 items for £3.35. (or 6 ??), Sandwiches round about £2.50).

Imax cinema attached to centre but we didn't have time for it this time.