Escape Live Liverpool - Dr Watson's Office

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Disclosure - We were invited along to Escape Live to try out the Dr Watson's Escape Room. All thoughts and opinions are our own. 

We absolutely love Escape Rooms. It's one of our favourite things to do on 'date night'. We enjoy visiting a venue to do a real life Escape Room or we have completed quite a few Escape Rooms at home too. Now little J is at an age where he can join in we have completed quite a few together as a family too. We are lucky to have quite a few Escape Rooms in Liverpool to choose from and so far out of all the escape rooms we have done we have a 100% escape record. This week we tried a new venue  Escape Live

boy holding an escape live photo


Escape Live Liverpool, Liverpool ONE, 3 College Ln, off Paradise St, Liverpool L1 3DS
Escape Live Liverpool offers 6 Escape Rooms all with a different theme and genre. Each room has been allocated a difficulty level starting at 3* up to 5* out of 5. Each room is suitable for between 2-6 players giving you the opportunity to work as a couple or a team. 

Depending on what you are looking for you can choose from the following

Peaky Blinders Double Cross - Minimum age 18+ with a difficulty rating of 3*
Peaky Blinders The Raid - Minimum age 16+ with a difficulty rating of 4*
Jack The Ripper - Minimum age 11+ with a difficulty rating of 5*
Dr Watson's Office -  Minimum age 8+ with a difficulty rating of 5*
Prison Break - Minimum age 8+ with a difficulty rating of 4*
Horrible Histories Mystery Museum - Minimum age 7+ with a difficulty rating of 4*

As you can see the rooms have a minimum age starting at 7+ up to 18+. 

Escape Live rooms vary in price depending on how many players. 

2 Person = £55 (£27.50pp)
3 Person = £70 (£23.30pp)
4 Person = £88 (£22.00pp)
5 Person = £100 (£20.00pp)
6 Person = £115 (£19.20pp)

You can book a room starting at 9:30am to 9:30pm.  If you would like to book you can head to their website and also check out the other locations in Birmingham, Chelmsford, Coventry, Southend and Stratford Upon Avon.

boy on a beanbag
terrace area at escape live
The Venue
Escape Live Liverpool is one of the nicest Escape Room venues we have visited. As well as a bar area there is also an outdoor terrace. As John and I usually do Escape Rooms for a date night, the venue would be perfect to extend our visit having a drink before, after or both. 

The bar was fully stocked and also Escape Live had their own lager on tap which John said was very nice. There is also a selection of chocolate bars and crisps available to if you fancy a snack. 

bar area at escape live


Checking In
When you arrive you are told to make your way to the 2nd floor (bar area). There is a lift straight ahead and stairs. Again Escape Live Liverpool was the best venue we have seen for accessibility as you do not need to use the stairs at all. The lift takes you to the Escape Rooms too. 

Once we arrived at the bar area we gave our name and the room we were completing. We were told our game hosts name and shortly after she came and introduced herself and told us our room was just being reset and she would be with us shortly. 

A few minutes before our room was ready our game host asked if she could put any of our bags in the lockers provided and asked if we needed to use the toilet before we headed to the room. 

You can take a mobile phone in to the room with you but only for light and not to take photos or videos. 

If you have bought a drink, it can also go in the room with you too. 

dr watsons office


Dr Watson's Office 
Once we arrived at the room we were given a brief of what has happened and what the storyline was. 

Dr Watson is a master detective who has solved many crimes in his distinguished career, but this case could prove to be deadly for him. One of the suspects he is investigating is threatening his life. Dr Watson is now relying on you and your team to unveil the identity of the right suspect. He’s left clues around his office and it’s up to you to find them, solve the mystery and escape.

Our game host told us she would be watching and listening and if we needed help all we needed to do was ask. We then had 60 minutes to escape. 

Dr Watson's Office has a difficulty rating of 5 out of 5 so before we went inside we had a plan that we would all work together so we didn't become overwhelmed with too many clues. The room is suitable for those aged 8+ so with little J being 10 we were confident he would be a help. 

Without giving away any spoilers the room is made up of puzzles to solve, clues to find and a variety of locks. There are number combination locks, directional locks and a lock that you will need to spell out a word. 

Throughout the experience our game host asked us if we needed help especially if we were close to solving a clue but needed a little help. We could accept or decline the help. One of the puzzles, little J had told us the combination of 4 numbers however we thought it was wrong. Then we heard our game host saying we should listen to him. He was so happy and it was nice to know she had been listening to him. 

Boy and a horrible histories photo


Our Thoughts
I would definitely say Escape Live Liverpool is our favourite venue. Like I said earlier having a bar and terrace just adds to the experience and we would definitely choose it for our date nights. The room was very similar to what we have experienced before however I like that these are themed such as Prison Break, Peaky Blinders and Horrible Histories. 

I cannot fault our game host, she was so engaged with us all and little J really liked her. She was chatty and made us feel very welcome. 

kids go free posted for escape live


This Summer until 11th September kids go free at Escape Live with 2 paying adults. All you nee to do is visit Escape Live and enter Summer23 at checkout.  

boy holding a we escape sign


So all you need to know now is did we escape? We did... with ten minutes to spare! Our 100% escape record is still intact.

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Michelle
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Elegear Cooling Blanket and Pillowcases

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post and compensated for our time. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our own unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

I am the type of person who is always hot yet I like to snuggle under a blanket on the sofa if I am watching  TV or if I am in the garden in the evening. I would even take a blanket to the cinema if John would let me. As you can imagine finding the right blanket has always been tough. They are either too heavy, too fluffy or too hot so I usually end up with one or two legs out of the blanket or it just draped over my feet. 

woman in the garden with a blanket around her


When I heard about the Elegear Cooling blanket I was keen to give it a try as it sounds perfect for me. The idea behind the Elegear cooling blanket is it can absorb heat and sweat from your body, absorbing the heat helps to keep you cool. It does this by using special Japanese Q-Max 0.4 Cooling fibres. 

The Japanese Arc-Chill Cool Technology Fabric can quickly absorb human body heat. It does this when the human body touches the fabric. The body surface temperature immediately drops by about 2 to 5 degrees, so that the body feels cool.

elegear cooling blanket


The blanket is lightweight which surprised me at first as I thought it looked heavy when I took it out the packaging. There are different 'feels' on each side of the blanket and one side felt more clingy than the other. When I checked one side is made of 80% mica nylon and 20% polyethylene cool fabric which makes this side perfect for hot summers. The other side is 100% cotton so perfect for keeping cool on a Spring or Autumn evening. 

I have been using the cooling blanket on the sofa however it would be ideal as a throw over the bed as the range also features matching cooling pillowcases. The pillowcases work exactly like the cooling blanket, perfect to keep you cool during the hot evenings. 

Unfortunately I haven't been the only one using the blanket, I have had to share with the kids. This means that the cooling blanket has had to deal with sticky fingers and muddy hands. Luckily the Elegear Cooling blanket is machine washable. Wash on a gentle heat of up to 30° and then hang out in the shade. It's recommended that you do not iron, tumble dry, bleach or dry clean. 

We also found that the blanket felt warm after a few days so I would recommend popping the blanket near air conditioning or a fan if you have one. This will help to absorb the cooler temperature in to the blanket. If you don't have a/c or a fan then it can take a while for the cooling blanket to release the absorbed heat. 

However you choose to use the cooling blanket it will definitely keep you cool. It's perfect for the sofa, out on the patio, as a throw for the bed or even for travelling. 

elegear cooling blanket


The Elegear Cooling Blanket and Pillowcases are available to buy online at Amazon and come in a range of colours and sizes including blue, pink and grey. We chose 200x220cm in grey and it's a perfect size for the sofa or our bed. 

Michelle
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Julia Donaldson Zog Trail at Delamere Forest

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New for 2023 at Delamere Forest is the Julia Donaldson Zog trail. The Zog trail is based on the popular Julia Donaldson children’s picture book Zog. We have done a few of the Julia Donaldson trails at Delamere over the years and they are very popular and lots of fun. 

zog trail board


What To Expect At The Zog Trail, Delamere Forest, CW8 2HZ
The first thing to point out is that the Zog trail is a completely different route to previous trails. If you have done the Gruffalo trail and the Superworm trail then you may be pleased to know this trail takes you in the opposite direction. Starting at the new and revamped Delamere Cafe and Visitor Centre the trail takes you on a path through the car park and up through the forest. 

There is a trail pack to purchase from the visitor centre for £4. You do not need to purchase the pack to enjoy the trail however it does contain a craft bag to colour in, dragon wings to decorate and wear, Zog glasses, stickers, trail leaflet, pencil and crayon.  

zog trail board


Once you are on the trail there are opportunities for you to interact with the activity boards. Here you have to do mini challenges such as flap your wings like a bird, or talk about what you smell. Here you can then use the golden star stickers every time you do the activity. You can also use your Zog glasses to find a hidden word on each board then rearrange the letters to spell out a word!

boy wearing glasses


Along the trail there are many opportunities for you to go off the beaten track and explore the woods. There are lots of open spaces with logs to walk across, bugs to find and dens to be made. 

The trail takes approximately 40 to 60 minutes however this will depend on how fast or slow you take it. If you head into the woods, enjoy a picnic and do the activities it could easily fill 2-3 hours. 

zog trail activity board

zog trail activity board


Whilst there is no cost for the Zog Trail, Delamere Forest is part of Forestry England and therefore there are car parking charges applicable. There are a few car parks around the forest however the purpose built car park next to the visitor centre and cafe is huge and I would recommend it.

The new visitor centre and cafe was built during 2020 and is a huge improvement on the old centre. There is a huge toilet block, cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and visitor centre. There is a wide range of hot and cold meals, snacks, cakes and ice cream. 

You can also access a range of walking trails close to the visitor centre. If you fancy heading up in to the trees you can also visit the Go Ape Tree top Challenge

zog trail activity board


We have visited Delamere Forest many times over the years and it was once home to the Gruffalo Trail and The Gruffalo Orienteering Trail. However the Gruffalo statue is now in need of repair and restoration due to weather damage and wear and tear. The Gruffalo statue has now been removed and I do hope it will return one day.

You can join in with the Zog trail at the following

Alice Holt
Bedgebury Pinetum
Beechenhurst
Cannock Chase
Cardinham Woods
Dalby Forest
Delamere Forest
Fineshade Wood
Gisburn Forest
Grizedale Forest
Guisborough Forest
Haldon Forest Park
Hamsterley Forest
Haughmond Hill
Hicks Lodge
High Lodge
Jeskyns
Kielder Forest
Moors Valley Country Park
Salcey Forest
Sherwood Pines
Thames Chase
Wendover Woods
Westonbirt Arboretum
Whinlatter Forset
Wyre

You can find out more information about the trails here.

zog trail activity board



Have you visited any of the Julia Donaldson trails? Let us know.

Michelle

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23 Places Where Kids Can Eat For Free (or £1) This Summer 2023

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Last updated July 2023

Having the kids at home for 6 weeks during the Summer holidays can be lots of fun but can also cause a strain on the bank balance. Keeping the kids entertained, fed and watered can be stressful but there are some places that have stepped up and are offering kids to eat for free (or £1) during the Summer holidays. I am hoping more places will also join in with this scheme and if they do I will be sure to update this page. 

child eating chips


Asda Cafes
Kids eat for £1 All Day, Every Day with no adult spend required.

Beefeater
Two children under 16 get a FREE breakfast with one paying adult.

Bella Italia
Children can eat for £1 with any adult main. The offer is valid between 4-6pm Monday to Thursday.

Bill's
2 kids eat free Monday-Friday from Monday 24th July-Friday 1st September.

Brewers Fayre
The same as Beefeater, you can get two children under 16 a FREE breakfast with one paying adult.

Future Inns
At Future Inns, under 5's always eat for FREE with any adult meal. 

Gordon Ramsey Restaurants
Kids under 8 eat free all day every day at selected Gordon Ramsey restaurants. 

Hungry Horse
Kids eat for just £1 on Mondays and up to 2 kids get a breakfast FREE when accompanied by a paying adult. 

Ikea 
Kids get a meal from 95p daily from 11am

M&S
Free Kids Munch Meal when you spend £5+ on non-kids food or drink at M&s Cafe.

Morrisons
Kids eat FREE all day, every day in Morrisons cafes nationwide, daily from 3pm with every adult meal over £4.49. Free Crumpets also available

Pausa Cafes at Dunelm
Children get 1 mini main, 2 snacks and a drink FREE with every £4 spend after 3pm at Pausa Cafes at Dunelm stores.

Premier Inn
Buy 1 adult breakfast from just £8.99 and up to get two kids breakfasts for free.

Preto
Kids eat FREE all day, every day with paying adults at Preto. This offer is open to children up to 10 years old - This is an ongoing offer!

SA Brains Pubs
Children can eat for £1 with any adult main. The offer is valid Wednesdays only but all day. 

Sainsbury's Cafe
Kids eat for £1 with the purchase of an adult hot main. Valid from 11:30am every day.

Sizzling Pubs
Every Monday to Friday, 3 - 7 pm you can get a kids’ main for just £1 with the purchase of an adult meal.

Table Table
Two children under 16 get a FREE breakfast with one paying adult.

Tesco
Kids eat free with a purchase of 60p+ from Monday 24th July - Friday 1st September.

The REAL Greek
Kids under 12  eat FREE every Sunday for every £10 spent by an adult.

Travelodge
Buy 1 adult breakfast from just £8.99 and up to get two kids breakfasts for free.

Whitbread Inns
Purchase one adult breakfast at any Whitbread Inns pub or restaurant and two kids under 16 eat for FREE

YO! Sushi
Kid’s eat FREE until 11th August September 2023 with every £10 adult spend.

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Michelle
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What To Expect When Visiting Gulliver's World, Warrington

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Disclosure - This post was last updated July 2023 

When we talk of theme parks we always think of Alton Towers or Blackpool Pleasure Beach as they are probably the closest to us. We always seem to forget Gulliver's World which is a shame as it's only less than 30 minutes away from us and it's a great park with lots of rides for all ages including a brand new land Gulliver's Gears and two brand new rides Grand Prix Racers and Overdrive. The theme park is reasonably priced and would make a perfect day out this Summer.

Welcome sign at Gulliver's World

Gulliver's World, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 9YZ
Gulliver's World is easily accessible by car, train, bike and unlike most theme parks parking is free. Gulliver's World boasts more than 25 rides in 9 different themed lands with almost half the rides suitable for families with children under 90cm when riding with an adult. As well as family rides there are a few perfect for thrill seekers too. Gulliver's World also has lots of themed play areas which are perfect for little ones to pass the time if they don't want to go on certain rides.

boy looking at map

Entering The Park
Tickets can be booked online and if so you will receive a discount on your admission price. Tickets are priced as adults and children, senior, children under 90cm are free and then there is a concession rate too. 

To receive the best price you are advised to book at least 2 days in advance. 

Gulliver's Gears land

Grand Prix racers ride
The Rides
Like I said earlier most of the rides at Gulliver's World are suitable for younger children and up. There are a small selection of thrill rides which is good if you are visiting with siblings, family or friends of different ages. There is something for everyone and makes for a lovely family day out. 

Although it's not actually a circle when entering the park if you can imagine entering the park at the top of the circle and you can choose to go clockwise or anti clockwise. You will see everything this way. We always go clockwise and it ensures we see all the attractions and rides. 

The themed areas begin with Wonderland to the left as you enter the park. Here you can enjoy Veteran Cars and The Mad Hatter's Tea Party. There is also a play area and a maze too. 

Continuing clockwise you will reach Western World. Here there is another huge play area themed around the wild west. A water ride call Apache Falls, a drop tower ride called Desperado Drop and Billy Bob's Bi Planes. 

Next you will reach Gully's Cartoon Studios. The Wriggler, Gully's Grand Prix and Ellie's Animal Merry Go Round are all situated in Gully's Cartoon Studios and suitable for younger guests.

Smugglers Wharf was one of our favourites areas as it features the parks wooden rollercoaster, The Antelope. You can also head to Smugglers Boating School to drive your own boat, hop on board the pirate ship or the spinning pirate ship Pirates Cove. There is also a play area here too. 

Lilliput Land has old school rides such as the carousel and dodgems. It also has a walk through haunted house. 

Gulliver's Gears in the newest land and is themed around race cars. Both rides Grand Prix Racers and Overdrive are not suited for those under 100cm for Grand Prix Racers and under 120cm for Overdrive. A nice land with old fashioned pedal cars mixed in and a play area too.

Discovery World has the classic ride The Log Flume and also a Tractor themed ride. 

The Lost World is theme around Dinosaurs. As you walk you may spot dinosaurs hidden amongst the trees and bushes. Flight of the Pteranodon, Hatchery and Dino Safari Tours are perfect for dinosaur fans and if you want to grab some great views of the theme park head to the Sky Tours Observation Tower.

Last you will head in to Safari Kingdom which is home to water slide Togo Tower, Adventure Canyon, Temple Raider, Jeep Safari and Tree Top Swings. Here there is also another play area and also a mini golf course which is included in your admission.

44 cats characters

Entertainment
There is plenty of entertainment at Gulliver's World. Make sure you check out the entertainment timetable online or at the park so you don't miss out. This is just a sample of what type of entertainment is on offer.

10:00 am - Rise and Shine Concert (Magical Main Stage)
11:00 am - Gilly Tot's Bubble Fun (Magical Main Stage)
11:30 am - Meet Elmer (Magical Main Stage )
1:00 pm - Buddy's Pirate Adventure (The Starlight Theatre )
2:00 pm - Gulliver's Royal Crowning (Lilliput Castle )
2:30 pm - Meet the Clangers! (The Starlight Theatre)
3:00 pm - Glittermixers Character Concert (The Starlight Theatre)
3:30 pm - Meet Elmer (Magical Main Stage )
5:00 pm - See You Soon Show (Magical Main Stage)

adult meal at Gulliver's World

child meal at Gulliver's World

Food and Drink
Gully's Grill at Gully's Cartoon Studios serves burgers, hotdogs and fries. There is space to eat inside or out and there is also a large indoor soft play area for children. 

Costa Coffee situated in Lilliput land offering hot and cold drinks and a selection of snacks. 

Big G Diner at the entrance has a variety of savoury snacks and some festive specials!

Diamond Lil's at Western World serves up hot dogs, pizzas and selected festive favourites.

There is also lots of places to buy drinks, sweet treats and ice cream throughout the theme park.

Swings at Gulliver's


Special Events
Throughout the year Gulliver's World offers visitors to enjoy a whole range of special events or discounted entry days or weekends. We have visited on many of the special events over the years including Grandparents weekend, Food donation weekend where admission was hugely discounted if you brought a food bank donation and our favourite, Christmas at Gulliver's.

There is still lots to enjoy for the rest of year so if you are looking for something extra special then check out these events. 

Come and See Elmer at Gulliver's World
23rd Jul-4th Sep 2023

Fireworks Finale
2nd September 2023

Jamboree Weekend
16th-17th September 2023

Grandparents' Weekend
30th Sep-1st Oct 2023

Fright Fiesta
14th Oct-3rd Nov 2023

Fireworks Spectacular
5th November 2023

Christmas at Gulliver's

Staying Over
You can now extend your Gulliver's World fun by enjoying a stay at Gulliver’s Hotel and Lodgings. There is a selection of contemporary hotel suites, glamping tents, lodges, dens and cabins to choose from.

Gulliver's World is surrounded by woodlands and adjacent to Sankey Valley Park, providing you with a peaceful and relaxing environment.

Gulliver's World Theme Park is within walking distance of the accommodation, making it an ideal base for a family short break.

For more information on Gulliver's World, openings and to book visit Gulliver's World, Warrington.

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- If you enjoyed this post leave us a comment.

-  Like us on FacebookTwitter or Instagram and follow us on our adventures.

- If you have visited any of the attractions mentioned in this post share photos with us on our socials. 

- If this post has helped you in anyway you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

- If you would like to work with us please visit on Work With Us page for more details

Michelle
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