so now all getting packed to go to Dorset - what shall we do?

[Cappucino]

off to near Shaftesbury with two kids 5 and 1

go on then, what shall we do?

We are thinking of Longleat

and a model village

and a day at the beach

and something to do with monkeys (eh?)

what else is good?

Moors Valley, Mudeford crabbing and catch boat to Hengisbury Head. Will think of some more in a minute.

theres a waitrose in Gillingham btw

come round to mine and I'll make you a cup of tea

you know I am actually staying in Gillingham... don't make promises you can't keep

there is a soft play place on the a30 opposite the turn off for Buckhorn weston (only a tiny one but my kids are happy enough there)

also lovely pub calle dthe stapleton arms in buckhorn weston with a lovely little kids menu

ooh and Stourhead - national trust house and beeeeeeeyoutiful gardens with buggy friendly path and quiz for the older one, there is a little grotto, plenty of hungry ducks and a pub

we practically live there

now dh did want to go to Stourhead but he thought they'd be bored and whiny

so he'll be very pleased

is stourhead quite wheelchair-friendly?

very

monkey world is better than oyu hink
also the tank museum

Go to enids, go on. And then come and post to tell us how her building work (extension?) is going.

adn take a GOOD looka t her sluts wool behind her skrting boards

good news about monkeyworld

I think

oh yes
where else in dorset>..

what is sluts wool?

when we went to Dorset I made dh take a huge detour to the Mulberry Factory shop at Shepton Mallett (near Bath!) - but it was still really expensive.

We liked Lulworth Castle but the cove was really, really crowded (this was last August).

Falmer Palmers is really good to

Farmer Palmers is pretty good for children the age of yours and fine if it ends up raining. We had a lovely day at Monkey World but didn't get to look at many monkeys - the adventure playground was the main attraction according to DD & DS.

If you want to do a model village there is one in Wimborne and you could combine it with Honeybrook Farm which has just reopened as a farm shop after a run in with the planners over some of the stuff they were doing. It's got a little cafe, lots of lovely food in the shop, some farm animals and a lovely playground. Also you can go on walks round the farm and someone was saying that you can go fishing in one of the streams for tiddlers. It's totally free except the Victorian Museum bit which is something like £2 but I haven't been to that bit.

Pub in the New Forest, the Fighting Cocks at Godshill is lovely. You can sit outside and watch all the ponies running around. Think there is a play area. Then either go for a walk in the Forest or go along to Fordingbridge to the park where there's a paddling pool if the weather is good.

Another one good for that age group is Alice in Wonderland which is by Bournemouth Airport and has now got a new indoors bit that I haven't seen yet. It's www.adventurewonderland.co.uk.

When we stayed at Weymouth we went to a lovely place called Abbotsbury with a swan sanctuary. Was v.peaceful and had a nice little pub for lunch!

There's also lovely little tea rooms in Abbotsbury where you can get a dorset cream teas.

Am seconding Farmer Palmers, Moors Valley, Monkey World.

The model villages that I am thinking of are Wimborne Model Village and one at Corfe Castle.

sluts wool cappy is that lumpy dust/hair you gte under beds