Profil von katygriff

Cannock Chase is a very nice place right in the heart of Staffordshire. It is a place of natural beauty and is great for walkers, cyclists, picnickers and basically everybody who appreciates some lovely green every now and again. I now live right by here and I am appreciating every minute as it is one of those places that you can have a nice time if the weather is warm or cold. I have been coming here for years so I will try and get over to you now how lovely it actually is.

The address of the centre is as follows;

Cannock Chase Visitor Centre
Marquis Drive
Cannock Chase
Hednesford
Cannock
Staffordshire
WS12 4PW

If you have not been to Cannock chase before then this is the best address to use as it will take you to a sweet centre which contains a small café and parking area.

The location of Cannock chase is great and because it is so huge you can choose the areas you wish to be by. For instance Cannock and Stafford are very close to different areas of the chase. Plus it is pretty easy to find from anywhere in the West Midlands really as everybody should know where to find Cannock chase.

Now for parking it is great as there are so many spaces available. As the chase is so huge, there are different areas where you can park so you should have no problem. By every area you will see other people as it doesn’t seem to matter which day of the year you come, people always love to come to the chase.

In terms of walking there are so many routes you can choose and you can even get maps from the visitor centre. When you are following a route though, there are signs dotted about so that you can make sure you are still going the right way. There are challenging routes and long and short routes so something for everyone. You will see lakes, ponds, hills and so much beautiful countryside you will fall in love with the place when you have visited.

This is the perfect place for people to come and walk their dogs. Although a lot of people come to the chase, you can walk your dog for miles and not see another person. It is such a big place and so peaceful that you can truly get away from it all when you come here. Dogs are happy to be walking and owners are happy to have nice, stunning trails to follow for as long as they wish.

Dotted around a lot of the trails are places for you to have a rest and there are picnic tables around so you can have a nice countryside picnic which me and my friends have done this year and it was lovely.

For cyclists, Cannock chase is just as much fun. There are something like ten trails around that you can choose from and again some are challenging and some are easy so something for everybody which is nice. I believe they do rent bikes at the centre if you need them but a lot of people do take their own.

Cannock Chase is absolutely gorgeous to visit and is one of those places that so many people visit again and again. The chase attracts so many visitors and once you have been it is easy to see why. I love it there and it is a nice place to go on your own or with friends. I like it that you can spend a whole day there or just visit for a few hours, it is your choice.

It is a place of such beauty that I can guarantee you will love it there.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

P.S This has been posted on other sites but always by me katygriff

I have been here twice now since moving to near Rugeley. This little Chef is on a main road leading in and out of Rugeley and it is also near a petrol station and burger king so you can spot it very easily which is good.

There is a small car park you can park in and there are always spaces available as there is also a Premier Inn on this small site.

When you go in it is quite a small Little Chef but has a cosy atmosphere and lots of windows so it is very light and airy which i like when i am eating. I have always seen it to be clean and tidy and very inviting.

The menu is a standard little Chef menu so you can get your breakfasts, burgers and then my favourite pancakes to finish. The prices are not that bad either as my pancake is £3,50 and is huge.

It is a nice little chef and is open from 7 - 10 i think so you should be able to stop by if you are passing.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

This is a shop i go to all of the time as i am slightly obsessed with consoles and games. This shop is in Stafford town centre and on the main street so you access it from outside and has a big blue sign outside so you can find it very easily.

The store is quite big which is good so as you can imagine there is a lot of choice of consoles, games and accessories. They always have quite a large pre-owned section in this store and there always seems to be lots of special offers on games which i like.

The staff are friendly and the ones i have spoken to are into their gaming so know a lot about the stock. I do think everything is well laid out though so you can get to what you are looking for quickly.

I would reccommend this store as it is easy to find and has a nice atmosphere.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

I go here quite a lot. It is situated in the arcade in Stafford and it is right at the bottom in the corner. It is a very dark store and when you look in it does seem very cramped. It does have a good selection of stock though which is always good to know.

The store is layed out very well and the same really as other HMV so you should be able to find exactly what you want from the store when you are in there.

The staff are friendly in this store and i have been in there twice now and they have kept me talking for 15 minutes which is very nice indeed.

I would reccommend this store as it is small but well stocked. I am only giving it 4 stars though because i suffer from claustrophobia and it does get to me in this store. Other than that it is a great HMV to go to and nice that it is in the middle of Stafford town centre.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

I cant believe I havent already reviewed this place. Shugborough Hall is an amazing place to visit at any time of the year and it is always fun. It is located in Stafford and just outside of the centre and there are plenty of signposts so you should be able to find it very easily indeed.

So to get to the estate you have to drive down a very long drive indeed. Do not do what we did one year and let my fiance drop us off at the end of the drive as that was one walk i wont forget in a hurry.

So what is there to do at the Shugborough Estate? Well on any day when it is open you can go up and take a look around the Hall and the gardens which are huge and beautiful. There is a farm and then there are a few little shops and a cafe.

There is a cost to Shugborough which is £12 for adults and you may have to pay for parking.

What you really go to Shugborough for though is the events and I go to the Christmas markets every year and also the Halloween event which is great. Throughout the year though they do things such as craft fairs which are great to go to.

I love the Shugborough estate as it is a working estate and you get to go around the mansion and even go to the servants quarters.

It is so much fun to walk around and i have to say it is definitely worth a visit so if I were you I would try it. It is always a good day and it doesnt matter much about the weather as everything is always good. I have to say i have never had a problem with staff either as they are always very nice.

A great location and a nice historic place to visit.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

P.S. Parts of this review are used on another site but always by me katygriff

I think Stafford Sports Arena is a great place and I went there literally to check out the gym but all of the staff there were extremely helpful and I cant fault them at all. It is located just outside of Stafford town centre and is situated on a retail park which now hasa huge Next, New Look and Dunelm so you can spend quite a while here.

The Sports Arena is nice and clean when you walk in and there is a small reception area straight away where you can find out where you want to go.

Now they have great facilities including fitting rooms, toilets and steam rooms which are very nice indeed as you can imagine. There are massive courts there which there are always people playing football there which is nice to see.

Then the gym is upstairs which has great equipment and is extremely cheap to join which is nice to know. They also do fitness classes at the Sports Arena so you can literally keep fit in whatever way you want.

It is a nice sports arena and I do reccommend to people if you fancy like doing a bit of fitness so do not purely think that due to the name it is just about sports.

Enjoy and thanks for reading.

xxx

I went to this registry office a few weeks ago as i had to give a notice of marriage and then i went again today to collect it and i have to say it was fantastic there.

The location is great as it is in the centre and very easy to find as it has a sign outside it letting you know you have arrived and it is very clear to read. The building is lovely and looks like a great setting to get married if you did want to which is lovely.

When you walk in i went to reception and there is a notice telling you to take a seat and somebody tended to us straight away in a few minutes which was great. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and sat us down and took all of our details with ease.

They were very thorough and one member had worked at the registry office for years so knew the system inside out which was what i needed as i knew nothing.

The marriage room is lovely as we were allowed to have a quick look even though we are not getting married there. They will also give you as much information as you need which is lovely and look llike they really enjoy their jobs.

The facilities are nice in this registry office and everything is very well signposted so you can find everything.

I would reccommend this registry office as it has a great atmosphere and a lovely location and the staff were fantastic so if you need to go for anything i think you will definitely be looked after which of course is a great feeling.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

I am quite a craft loving person anyway so now that I am getting married I have decided to make all of my decorations and invitations. My first stop for this kind of stuff is always hobbycraft as it is absolutely fantastic. It is a craft paradise and I am not sure there are many people which would hate it. So here is why I love Hobbycraft and will always go there for my craft supplies.

The shop I am reviewing has the following address;

Bentley Bridge Shopping Park
Wednesfield
Wolverhampton
WV11 1BP

This shop is my closest bunt there are a lot all over the country so go find the one closest to you to visit.

Hobbycraft is easy to spot as it has a massive bright blue sign with Hobbycraft in yellow letters so you cant really miss it even if you wanted to. The name gives it away but this is truly a store for people to buy crafts or even for people to find inspiration to begin a hobby that they might like.

When you walk into the Wednesfield store you immediately see row after row of crafts and there is a huge walk way down the centre of the shop so you can very simply find what you like. They sell all sorts from card making supplies to scrap book making supplies and then beading, paints, model making and knitting! In fact they should have everything you want to do with crafts there.

The amount of stock they have is great and I went into there with a list of sticky backed magnet, small pegs, red ribbon, small A6 envelopes and butterfly embellishments. I found every single item in this store and literally within 5 minutes which was great. You see although everything is in slightly small packets you can still find everything as all similar items are in the same place so you don’t have to go running around the whole store to find different items.

The stock will all mainly have Hobbycraft on it somewhere and prices are very clearly labeled. The prices are not bad either as my magnet was £2 and that has made me 160 strips for my invitations. My envelopes were £3 and my ribbon was £3 but there are so mane metres of it which is great.

They also have a good selection of everything you could want so for me I had the choice of about 20 red ribbons which was nice but made it hard for me to choose as its me. Then envelopes and card was in all sorts of colours so I found things that were very me and ended up getting exactly what I needed and wanted.

Staff at this store are fabulous and I was surprised to find that whatever I asked for somebody could direct me straight there. Considering the thousands of items they have it was great that they could do this. They are friendly and I think because of the crafty people you get in here it must be quite a nice place to work.

This store is very clean which is good and considering how small a lot of the items are it is always very tidy. The location is good too as it is on a business park so you can also go to Dorothy Perkins, Boots or even a cinema or for something to eat. It is a nice place.

I like this shop and will always go and visit here if I need anything so I recommend to you all.

Thanks for reading.

xxx
P.S This has been posted on another site but always by me katygriff

When I first heard about the Eden project I could not wait to visit and now almost five years later I have finally been and my verdict is….excellent!!!

The Eden project has been referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. It is a place which brings together the importance of plants, places and people and shows us that plants do a lot more than we give them credit for. Containing two temperate biomes, an education centre (due to open this summer 2005) and a stunning setting the Eden project is a must see for everybody.

-

Eden – The history.

The Eden project has been created from an old clay pit. In 1998 work began and within 2 months it was found that 43 million gallons of water had drained into the pit. This prompted a drainage system to be created that collects all the water that the pit is exposed to. This water is now used to flush the site toilets and to irrigate the plants. 85,000 tonnes of soil was poured into the site which was made from recycled waste and then 1 million plants were added. The landscape was designed by Dominic Cole which poses of colourful flower displays and statues. The biomes themselves have been established as the largest conservatories in the world. Steelwork is used which contains a frame that holds hexagons and pentagons called the hex-tri-hex. The transparent windows of the biomes are made from ethylenetetrafluoroethylenecopolymer (try saying that when you are drunk) or more commonly known as ETFE.

-

The Location.

The Eden Project,
Bodelva,
St Austell,
Cornwall,
PL24 2SG.

-

The Price.

Adult - £12.50
Child (under 18) - £6.00
Student - £6.00
OAP - £9.50
Also for a few pounds extra on the price you can buy a yearly pass so you can visit several times. You should expect to spend around 3-4 hours there.

-

The Biomes.

The humid tropics biome gives you a first hand experience on what it is like to step through a rainforest. 240metres high, 110m wide and 50m high there are several exits and also seating areas throughout. At the centre of the biome you can also decide if you want to take the steep trail which takes you up to the top of the waterfall. I would only recommend this trail if you do think you can manage it although it does only take about ten minutes to get to the top. The view from the top of the waterfall is amazing and there are paintings at the top which are fantastic to look at. Featuring typical plants and trees from countries such as Malaysia, West Africa and South America and also giving you an insight into how plants give us pharmaceuticals. My favourite part of this biome was seeing the sapodilla tree which is made into chewing gum and also seeing the rice goddess or Shimenawa. I can’t really explain this statue but it is meant to symbolise that in Vietnam they look at the moon and see the goddess who harvests rice in the Bo tree. Also in this biome learn about tropical fruits, chilli trees, cocoa, coffee and sugar.

The warm temperate biome gives you a landscape of areas such as South Africa, California and the Mediterranean. Again there are two ways you can walk, you can follow the gold pathway which has no steps or again take the steep trail which will allow you to reach the viewing point at the top where you can view the entire biome. In this biome you will get an introduction into crops and cultivation, peppers, alliums, tobacco, citrus and how plants are used for perfume. My favourite part of this biome was seeing into how cork is used and in particular the pig statues that were made out of cork. I was hoping these were in the gist shop but I was left disappointed.

-

Who owns the Eden project?

The Eden trust is a registered UK charity – number 1093070. As the Eden project is owned by the Eden trust all profits go to the charity and they work within the areas of environment, horticulture, education and conservation.

-

The future of the Eden project.

The Eden trust will continually fundraise the project and helping the world realise the importance of plants on the environment and how we live our everyday lives. Humans have caused a lot of problems in the world and as you walk through the Eden project and listen to the stories you begin to understand individual things that you can do to make a real difference in the world. The project will always be in evolution as new plants are being introduced each year.

-

The food.

Food is all organic and very good for you. There are several cafes and places to stop and eat. Prices are quite cheap with a varied range of sandwiches and jacket potatoes.

-

The shop.

The shop has surprise surprise plants for sale and also many ornaments and organic foods and snacks. I bought some pineapple and cashew snack bars which were delicious and also a mug explaining that chocolate was a gift of romance. My sister bought some very nice fudge and some cleansing lotion which smelled amazing. Prices were reasonable with snacks priced at anything from 60p to £5 and then gifts at all prices.

-

My Verdict.

After my long wait for the visit I was genuinely excited about the visit and as soon as I saw the famous biome structures from the car park I literally wanted to run to the entrance gates. The entrance fees I was expecting having done a bit of research beforehand but my Mom and Nan were quite shocked that they were that expensive but agreed in the end that they were worth it. We visited for about 3 hours but could have stayed longer. I particularly liked it that there were activities for young children to be involved in such as bug making tasks and a parade.

Outside the scenery is amazing and the hill of different coloured poppies looked amazing. I loved the sculptures which included a giant bee, a strange metal man and my favourite the wee man which is made out of old electrical supplies such as toasters and cookers. There is a small train well more like a tractor which takes you to the top of the hill from the biomes and vice versa.

The biomes I loved with the humid being my favourite although I will warn you that it makes your hair go really fuzzy (like Monica’s in that episode of friends). I loved walking through the rainforest and really getting into the moment. Staff are there to ask questions and I fully recommend going at a tour time so you can get the most out of your visit.

I loved visiting and would visit again. I think I would visit later in the afternoon though as at 5pm they offer a barbeque and at 7pm there is live music at the stage located in the middle of the outdoor landscape. Although we luckily visited on a dry day, I am not sure I would have enjoyed the experience as much if it had have been raining.

I would recommend visiting if you would like to learn a little more about the environment and how it affects everybody.

Thanks for reading.
xxx

P.S. This has been posted on other sites but always by me katygriff

It was last August when I had just graduated from university, was in the painful process of looking for a job and basically had had enough of watching Friends re-runs on the TV, when I decided to do something with my day. That is when I came upon the idea of going to the West Midlands Safari Park.

Now living in the Midlands I have been here many a time, in fact I have seen the park every Christmas when we took my sister and my cousins to go to see Santa on the Seven Valley Railway which is located nearby. My boyfriend however had never been and did not know what to expect so for everybody who has never been, here is all the information you need to know.

-

Location:

West Midland Safari and Leisure Park.
Spring Grove,
Bewdley,
Worcestershire,
DY12 1LF.
01229 402114.

-

Price:

Adults - £7.99.
Children - £7.99.
Children under 4 are free.
It does seem a bit mad that the child prices are the same as the adult but the price does include a free return visit for all so you can relive the fun for free a second time. Remember that it has to be in the same vehicle though.
Your admission fee includes;
Drive through Safari, White Lions, Wild dogs, Elephant reserve, Tiger reserve, Lion reserve, discovery trail, seal island, sea aquarium, creepy crawlies, animal encounter, reptile encounter, reptile house, deer park, goat park, sea lion theatre (houses some really good shows in which kids can get involved in), Express train and the hippo lakes.

Also there are prices to visit the rides which are £8.75 for people over 1.2 metres tall and £7.25 for people less than 1.2 metres tall.

-

History:

The west Midlands Safari Park has been around for over 15 years and is renowned for being a fun day out. For those people who do not like zoos and believe they are cruel then rest assured that the Safari Park is one of the friendlier zoos in which the animals are kept outside and have lots of space. You drive your car around certain enclosures allowing you to take a good and close look on how the animals act, look and move.

-

The Safari Park:

The actual Park is huge and as soon as you reach it you can see the big colourful signs letting you know you have arrived. On arrival you pay for the amount of people in the car. You have an option to buy animal food as some animals you can feed on your travels. Then off you go in your car discovering the land of the huge animals. Here you will see llamas, elephants and giraffes and if you are brave enough you can drive into the lion and tiger enclosures where you have to keep your windows up and your doors locked to prevent any nasty accidents. Driving around is fun as the animals come right up to your car and with some of them you can feed them. Just remember to wash your hands after which unfortunately I didn’t before eating. Ewww!!!

Out of your car you have the opportunity to visit the smaller animals which includes the sea lions, reptiles and creepy crawlies. There are also some friendlier animals such as goats and rabbits. Occasionally and you will have to check the times when you visit, you can get to touch the animals and feed them.

When you have had enough of looking at the animals you can go on the rides. Although it is always a bit rubbish when there are height restrictions but there are plenty of rides for all. For those over 1.2 metres we have the Jumbo Parade, the tarantula, the rhino coaster and the Zambezi water splash. For those under 1.2 metres we have the Congo carousel, the flying pandas and the animal ark. There are plenty more too so the wrist bands are a good idea as it gives you more reasons to love your day out here.

-

Eating at the Safari Park:

There is a good variety on eating establishments and what you can eat here. We have the following;

Candy sweet shop – OK maybe not the healthier choice but if you just fancy some sweets while you are walking around then here you go.

Port Livingstone Pizza – All types of pizzas available here including my favourite the Hawaiian. Also they sell chicken dishes and chips but there is also some vegetarian options including vegetarian pizzas of course. This is where I ate and the pizzas were reasonably priced. I had a slice and it cost around £2 and it was a big and filling slice.

Burger Co – Great for exactly what it says – burgers.

Oasis licensed bar and coffee shop – Great place to go and sit down if you want a drink or a snack such as a sandwich or a baguette. They also sell food like muffins which is good for a quick bite to eat to fill you up. Prices here were standard at about £1 for a drink and around £2.50 for sandwiches.

Hot and Spicy – This was my boyfriend’s choice of food and he had a jacket potato with cheese which cost around £2.50. They also sold hot dogs and burgers here.

Also throughout the Safari Park you will find little snack houses that will sell ice-creams, sweets and drinks for people on the go. Also there is a picnic area so those who wish to bring their own food can do so.

-

Shopping:

There are many shops including the African Trading Company and Jungle Bazaar gifts. They sell anything from stationary to soft toys. You can even buy educational books, t-shirts and extra camera film. My favourite things to look at though were the animal prints they have for sale and range in price from £5 - £50.

-

Other local attractions:

Kidderminster is great for a visit if you want to do some shopping. Also Bewdley is a beautiful little town which houses some great pubs to go and eat in. The main attraction nearby is the seven valley railway which houses steam train rides and a souvenir shop.

-

My Verdict:

I love the Safari Park and it is a great day out for all with something to do and interest people of all ages. Those who are very protective of their car though I would recommend going in somebody else’s as the animals can get close. When my boyfriend saw that you had to drive through in your car he nearly had a heart attack but he soon relaxed enough to do it. There was one point though when a giraffe walked past the car so close that it pushed the wing mirror into the car, I just loved his face. It is fun feeding the bigger animals but beware they do try to get their heads right in the car and many of them do drool.

The smaller animal enclosure is fantastic with the sea lion shows being my favourite as you watch them do tricks. The creepy crawly encounter was probably my worst experience because I cannot stand spiders but the reptile enclosure houses some very impressive snakes. My favourite part of the trip was that we caught a small show about reptiles and I got to hold one of the snakes.

This is really an all weather day out as it was raining when we went but all the animals could still be seen and it is nice to be able to get so close to them. I know what you are all going to say, that it is a zoo and it is cruel but the Safari Park gives the animals more room than I have seen any other zoo do so it is one of the nicer ones.

I think if you live in commutable distance you should visit as it is a great day out.

Thanks for reading.

xxx

P.S. This has been posted on other sites but always by me katygriff