Visiting Liverpool this spring #DinosaursUnleashed

It's nearly the school Easter holidays and I am thinking of places to take Little Bird to so he has a varied two weeks, one where he is occupied and has new and exiting experiences. A favourite city trip is top of the list and where better than the place I went to university.....Liverpool. 

Ever year we go to this fab city and find something to explore, we find Liverpool so vibrant and always offering new events so it's always interesting. This year, Liverpool ONE have a fantastic augmented reality event called Dinosaurs Unleashed which incorporates technology and dinosaurs for a super prehistoric adventure with the family. There is an app that you download and when you visit the shopping area Liverpool ONE there are dino activities for you to take part in - collecting points when you find giant dinosaur eggs to hatch, then go to feed them at 'Chavassic Park', then once fed they are ready for the Battle Arena. The event has been put together with National Museums Liverpool to provide an informative event that is fun whilst learning fascinating facts about dinosaurs. Little Bird would love this and the benefit is that I can do some shopping and we can go for a bite (!!) to eat too.  I think he will especially love petting the dinosaurs that we find and having pictures taken with them. Special park rangers will be on hand to assist with the app, offer dino facts and to help you have a great time. 

After this I think a trip to the World Museum would complement our shopping and dino experience. I used to help out at this museum when I was a student so this is a particular favourite place of mine and I love to take Little Bird there. The dinosaur gallery is excellent with life size casts of dino skeletons and footprints. The rest of the museum is equally brilliant, especially the bug house and the aquarium. My area was in the natural world galleries, helping with the bird specimens and learning museum curation techniques. There is so much to see here and I recommend combining the museum with some retail therapy so the dinosaur themed day will work very well for us and keep everyone happy. And if the weather is hopefully sunny like the lovely spell we have been having, then a skip through the Liverpool ONE fountains will be fun.

Every time we visit Liverpool we like to have a walk around Albert Docks with its maritime history and cultural feel. The duck boat always makes Little Bird laugh and it's pleasant to sit and both people and boat watch. If you're feeling arty then the Tate is a must and is free entry (as are most of Liverpool's galleries and museums). Over Easter there is a colourful bunny trail at the Docks, collect stickers for the trail booklet to keep your children entertained. Also there will be an Easter themed selfie station and crafting activities.

Liverpool always puts on such a good show and is a city to be relied upon for events on school holidays to entertain as a bonus to its attractions. We could spend a few days there so our one day will be absolutely jam packed full. Finally I will take us to the cathedral preferably when I know the bells will be ringing as I've been lucky enough to see them being rung up in the tower. Some time to gaze at the gothic architecture is always a favourite of mine and luckily Little Bird also likes to explore and do the mouse trail around the building. 

Have you visited Liverpool and what did you like to do? Have you any family recommendations?  We can't wait to see the dinosaurs and see if we can remember their names.

*Collaborative post

Liverpool light in darkness

 Cold night warmed up by the soaring music of the Swedish Lucia celebrations at the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Candlelit crowns and the procession of a goosebump inducing soul stirring choir dressed in white gowns. Utter bliss. It couldn't have been any more wintry followed by a hot chocolate with whipped cream in the pop up ski lodge under the illuminated Christmas tree in the heart of the city.

As we walked around, past revellers and festive romancers we found a light show projection onto a building at the historic Albert Dock and fairy light scattered carousel horses reflected in those cold waters of maritime tales and yellow submarines. The lights of Liverpool. a city of great culture and a lot to explore day or night. Stumbling upon the oldest building in Liverpool that is now an arts venue,the security guard couldn't have been any more helpful and despite it being closed, he delighted in telling us all about the history of the place. But that's what you come to expect from Liverpool, proud people full of life just like their city. 

Remembering the souls at Cross Bones

 Near Southwark Cathedral is a little garden, a memorial to many lives, approximately 15,000 They are paupers graves, for this area was once a place of  extreme poverty and in Victorian times was a slum known as the Mint. But going back further than that to the 12th century the area was the feudal land of the Bishop of Winchester and the ruins of Winchester Palace still stand near to what was the Clink prison.

An area of darkness, bear pits, taverns and ladies of the night, so called the Winchester Geese as they were licensed by the Bishop. It is believed that this patch of land not too far away from Borough Market was where they were buried and is unconsecrated land.

The land was closed to burials in 1853, 'completely overcharged with the dead' and so today the people are remembered by the living in a colourful and joyful way.

The site is a memorial garden looked after by a friends group and the metal railings surrounding are tied with colourful  ribbons and trinkets with messages written on them, It's a wonderful sight and each month on the 23rd there is an evening vigil.
 In the 1990's the Jubilee Line was extended and many of the graves were excavated by archaeologists who found much evidence of diseases like tuberculosis and small pox. There was a documentary on this which was so interesting, see this short clip.

You can find out more about Cross Bones here and if you are in London it's one of those unusual places that I recommend you visit. 

Chester Cathedral Christmas spirit

 A tradition of ours is going to Chester Cathedral at Christmas for the tree festival and their storybook recreations, this year A Christmas Carol. From the vision of the ghost of Christmas present looming over Eberneezer Scrooge in his bed to Jacob Marley in his chains, a wonderful way to explore the Cathedral especially with young children.   Then the trees lining the cloisters, so many varied decorations from fun and quirky red rubber ducks to traditional angels and baubles. At one point a door opened and out walked all the choristers in their red robes which was a lovely sight, all getting ready for choral evensong.   The Cathedral is spectacular at any time but around Christmas it's amazing with all the twinkly lights and the exhibition. It was fairly quiet too in the evening so a little eerie as we walked around, not that LB was scared at all. 

Field of Remembrance Westminster Abbey

The annual Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey was beautiful and I'm ashamed to say that I did not know about it beforehand despite it being an event that has happened for many, many years. I was absolutely humbled by the sheer number of little wooden remembrance crosses and poppies.

We walked around in the fading afternoon autumn light, a restful glow around Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Church with the thousands of poignant memories of the fallen amongst the fallen copper leaves.

Certainly made me think a lot. All those lives remembered. A deeply moving and reflective walk.