Road Trip Day 3 - Fowey Hall and the Amazing Red Arrows

Written up 'diary style' on Thursday 21st August. 

Woke up to a little voice calling out from her pop up bubble travel cot saying 'fall out'. As she'd awoken and moved around in her cot it had toppled onto its side. It is all soft sided and rests at floor level so Miss T was absolutely fine.

We all seemed to have had a good nights sleep and my back remained surprisingly good. Usually if I am a couple of days away from my own bed, I end up with a lot of back pain. Whether that's the GOPO at work, or just being fortunate to have really good beds so far on our road trip, I'm not sure. 

Breakfast was great with a selection of cooked options available to order as well as a cold selection of the usual cereals, yogurts, fruit salad, muffins and pastries. A cooked breakfast set us up for the day and we've managed to miss the need to stop for lunch.

The boys discovered more indoor playrooms, this time geared towards their age rather than Miss T. There's a room with 2 Wii's in it and table football, another room with table tennis and more games and a mini cinema room with a comfy sofa and big cushions. I believe they show a kids film at 8.30 each evening. 

At 10am we met at reception to go and feed the chickens. 

Then we borrowed some buckets, spades, nets and picnic rugs to head off to the beach. The views are just so scenic here. It's pretty hilly around Fowey but that makes for even more stunning views. 

I love spending time at the beach. Having grown up near the sea, it s something I miss a lot with where we live now. The kids get close to nature and can spend hours just digging in the sand, finding shells, rock pooling, making sand art or 'sculptures' with the treasures they find along the shore. 

When the sky clouded over it was time to pack up and get ice cream!

The surrounding hillsides get busy with spectators awaiting the Red Arrows.

Things are getting busy in town as the red arrows are doing a display this evening. We've been told we'll get the best views from the hotel. 

Back at Fowey hall, Miss T has a nap (having missed her naps for several days!) whilst daddy and the boys go for a swim. Shhh... don't tell miss T as she won't be pleased to have missed out on swimming. 

The plan is for the kids to have high tea at 5pm so we can all watch the red arrows together. Cookies and milk is from 6.30 onwards, then we'll put Miss T to bed. 

With a baby listening service available we're hoping to have a grown up meal whilst the boys play on the Wii's, in the games room, or watch a film. Fingers crossed that all works out ok. 

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It's nearly 11pm and I am shattered. The meal worked out brilliantly with the baby listening and the boys entertaining themselves with all the fab facilities.  

The kids high tea was truly lovely too with the room decorated with paper chains, bunting and red paper planes to tie in with the Red Arrows theme. 

Then we headed outdoors for the Red Arrows.

At 6pm we had one of those 'can't believe we are really here' moments, a bit like how we felt the whole time when we were at Noma. We were sat on a picnic rug in front of Fowey Hall and the Red Arrows made their epic entrance by flying low with all their smoke colours right over Fowey Hall and right over our heads with their unmistakable roar. Unprepared for the moment, we didn't get a photo of what would have been a perfect picture.

The display was incredible. I had not seen the red arrows since I was a kid back in the 80s. In those days it seemed nothing special because my mum was a red arrows fan and so we got dragged out to watch their displays all the time so it had lost its magic for me. 

But seeing them this evening, I was totally awestruck by just how skilled these pilots are and just how much practice must go into it. Fowey Hall really was the best viewing spot for the Red Arrows as at times they were flying lower than us as they zoomed through the valley below. Truly amazing!

Miss T sat with me on the picnic rug and enjoyed it so much. She kept saying 'pink clouds' as the trails of red smoke faded to pink.

She also hugged me and said 'love you mummy' which is quite rare for her to say as she usually says 'love just daddy'. Each time the red arrows roared overhead she said 'awesome' or 'love it'. At the end she asked 'again?' So I guess we'll have to find an opportunity to see them again sometime.

'Red Arrows' menu for dinner

Our dinner was superb. We found the kids in the cinema snug watching smurfs with some other kids. All of them sitting so nicely and quietly enjoying the film. 

We'll be sad to be leaving Fowey Hall. It is not only chid friendly, but it is much more than that...truly child focused. Everything has been thought of with the recognition that if the kids are relaxed and happy, then parents will be too. 

We didn't book Miss T in for any childcare (there's 2 hours free included each day, bookable pre-arrival), and I didn't get the chance to try out any spa treatments. Perhaps next time, because I really hope there will be a next time to stay again in this grand old building with almost magical qualities - every child's dream come true. 

Was Fowey Hall the inspiration behind Toad Hall? - It is believed to be. 

Our first post about Fowey Hall can be found here.

A long overdue link up with #CountryKids: