Cultural days out with kids.
What could possibly go wrong?
Part of my freelance role with the Family Arts Campaign (Family Explorers North East), is to share cultural days out with families across the North East. I work with organisations in the cultural sector and share events they have coming up, their accessibility for families etc. I love this role as I feel very passionately about families enjoying days out together, from which they may take away a new experience that they’ve enjoyed with their children. I write about this weekly and yet when it comes to the school holidays, I suddenly realise I have planned nothing for my own family to do. Ironic huh?
The start of May half term crept up on me.
Surely we have just completed the Easter holidays? Families around me were going on holiday, (I think we regret taking our summer holiday so early now!) or booked into holiday clubs, some children were being shipped off for a weeks sleepover at their grandparents, but I hadn’t planned anything.
So, I woke up on the Friday morning and decided that the following day we would have a mini adventure. We love a ‘mini adventure’ as they can usually be impulsive, require not so much planning but still satisfy that itch in doing something fun. This weekend it was a visit to Durham.
Durham has been on my ‘must visit’ list for quite a while. It is only down the road from Northumberland and so it was crazy I had never been before. Have you been?
We caught the train from Morpeth as I thought this would be more fun than driving (turns out it was the worst day to catch a train and we ended up stuck with delays and cancelations, but that’s a story for another day). Once we eventually arrived in Durham, a little later than planned and with three very hungry children, our stop was lunch.
There are beautiful cobbled streets leading up to the cathedral and castle, which is home to a few chain places like Zizzi. We did also pass a Greggs which called out as a quick, cheap and convenient lunch option. Instead we stuck with our guns, we are going to have a nice lunch out, and managed to get a table at the Riverview Kitchen. It was filled with students looking chilled on a sunny(ish) Saturday lunchtime. My husband and I probably didn’t look chilled as we scoured the menu looking for something for everyone to eat. The food arrived quickly and we ate quickly. Eating out with kids is just a different experience isn’t it? Although I do admit, it is slowly getting easier now they are a bit older.
After lunch, we walked up the hill towards the cathedral. The highlight of the trip. I think I said “don’t touch” about 19574 times and answered questions about the protestors outside quite maturely.
Living in a small village in the rural Northumberland, I sometimes worry my children aren’t experiencing enough culture. That is why I take them to cities and museums. I try to let them see life outside our cosy comfort blanket of home.
We all loved the cathedral though and later that evening we all talked about our favourite parts. My youngest said she liked running outside the best. Which, to be fair she can do at home for free, but I still like to think we all got something from the experience. Everyone was welcoming and it obviously gave them great pleasure inflicting their knowledge on the children. (FYI if you do visit Durham and head to the cathedral, they have a cafe there. So no need to sit in a student vibe bar trying to feed the kids.)
But I am intrigued. Do you ever worry about living rurally and the kids not having enough cultural experiences? In the times we live in, is it cost that puts you off? Do you live in a city and access these wonderful places daily? I’m interested to know.