2 Family Tickets to be won for the  ‘Santa Special’ at Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Soak up the festive atmosphere at Havenstreet Station with a visit to Santa. Stroll through the sparkling Winter Wonderland before meeting Santa who’ll have a  gift for every child. Settle back and relax with a cosy ride on the steam train through the Island’s winter country side, and enjoy free entertainment for the children.With seasonal fayre in the Refreshment Rooms and a shop packed with Christmas gift ideas, a visit to Santa at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a very special day out for all the family. Santa Specials - 3^rd, 4^th, 10^th, 11^th, 17^th, 18^th, 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd, & 24^th December

For full details please contact: 01983 882204 www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk

To win a  family tickets simply answer the following question:

Q. What is the first and last date of the Santa Specials ?

Please remember only one entry per child is permitted .By the 13 th December. You can enter the competition if you visit www.thefamilydirectory.co.uk All winners will be notified by phone and by post. If you enter the competition your details will not be passed on.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!AT OSBORNE HOUSECHRISTMAS WEEKEND Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November – 10am-4pm There’s twinkling lights, a camera obscura and more festive action in store than everbefore at this year’s popular annual Osborne House Victorian Christmas Weekend. Families can step into a camera obscura – a darkened room where the outside worldappears in full colour and upside down! Christmas trees will twinkle and trees aroundthe gardens will be illuminated with lights to create a winter wonderland. Food lovers young and old will enjoy a Victorian kitchen with nostalgic displays offorgotten kitchenalia, Mrs Beeton giving hints and tips on period Christmas fare anda chocolatier hosting demonstrations of confectionary art. Action will be provided Father Christmas, Punch and Judy and a cast of costumedcharacters including Singing Chimney Sweeps, Jack Black the Rat Catcher andQueen Victoria gracing Osborne to recall festive times at Osborne over 100 yearsago. Rooms will be decked with decorations just as they would have been whenQueen Victoria celebrated Christmas at Osborne. 10am-4pm (grounds 5pm) Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November. Adults £13.60,Concessions £12.39, Children £8.20, Family Ticket £35.40. Reduced entry forEnglish Heritage Members. Pre-booked on 0870 333 1181. For more information visit www.english-heritage.org.uk

Wightliving the island’s exciting new discount website offers you the very best handpicked offers with massive savings.

How do you save money in 10 seconds? Well, here’s how: register your email address for free at www.wightliving.co.ouk. You’ll find something for everyone withWightliving from discounted places to stay to fabulous eating out, family entertainment, beauty, fitness, leisure, sports and more. You can also buy any of the voucher deals as gifts, all at bargain prices. So you get real value for money each week. And it’s not too good to be true. Everyone benefits from these discounts – you enjoy big savings while local business reap the benefits. How does it work? All you have to do is register your email address for free. We then keep you regularly updated with new offers. But be quick to grab a deal. Our offers have limited availability, so you must act fast to take advantage of our great discounted deals.  Just decide on how many vouchers you want to buy then it’s a click away to purchase. It couldn’t be easier. We also help take you through every step of the way. So why not treat yourself to a bargain and sign up to Wightliving, the island’s premier discount website. Remember to spread the savings by spreading the word too, even if it’s a tweet or just a natter.

Exclusive Hovertravel & Kings Theatre Deal – THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR – Sunday 16th October 12pm “The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Little Cloud and The Mixed-up Chameleon by award-winning children’s book illustrator and writer Eric Carle, beautifully told in this glowing stage adaptation with puppetry in black light. The Very Hungry Caterpillar follows the wonderful adventures of a very tiny and very hungry caterpillar that progresses through an amazing variety of foods towards its eventual metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. Children will delight in the antics of Little Cloud. High up in the sky, Little Cloud slips away from the rest and transforms itself into various shapes of the things it sees – a sheep, an airplane, a shark and more. In The Mixed-Up Chameleon, a little chameleon is bored with its life – sitting about predictably changing colour all day. So it decides to embark on an adventurous trip to the zoo, wishing it could be more like the other animals.” Exclusive Hovertravel & King Theatre Package Prices £13.50 per Adult & Child aged 5+ £1.00 per infant below 18 months £8.50 per infant aged above 18 months up to and including 4 years old Please note – Infants below 18 months pay one £ for a lap seat. Booking Terms and Conditions To book this amazing offer, contactsandra.smith@kings-southsea.com or call 023 9285 2208 Must return that day with Hovertravel. All bookings are made via Kings Theatre and not with Hovertravel. Simply show your Very Hungry Caterpillar ticket to Ryde terminal to travel on the hovercraft.

Visitors looking for a top quality tourist attraction this Summer, need look no further than Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as it has just been awarded VisitEngland’s accreditation of ‘Quality Assured Visitor Attraction’.

The assessment was carried out earlier in the year under the current guidelines of the Visitor Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) and was deemed to fully merit the award.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard was noted “to offer visitors of all ages and interests an overall high quality experience”, with “many aspects of the attraction being excellent, such as HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose Museum”.

The VisitEngland quality plaque for attractions is recognised as a stamp of approval.  Visitors to England can be assured that if they see the organisation’s red rose logo outside an attraction it has been annually assessed by an independent assessor.

The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) is managed by VisitEngland and, through its network of regional assessors, boasts an incredible reputation for instigating, modifying and shaping change to the customer experience at visitor attractions across England.

The Historic Dockyard was assessed on the entire customer journey from pre-arrival telephone contact, website and promotional material, to a mystery visit detailing everything from the initial welcome through to guided tours and key areas such as toilets, catering and retail, plus enticement to return via event promotion.

Jacquie Shaw, Head of Communications and Operations at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard commented: “It’s a vote of confidence for us to be awarded the VAQAS stamp of approval and reassures visitors to expect the best. It also highlights the incredibly talented and hardworking staff we have and of course the world beating attractions we showcase.”

The accreditation follows on from the recent Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) Museum Accreditation Scheme award for HMS Warrior 1860, joining with other attractions on site to have the award – the Mary Rose Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is proving its status as one of the South of England’s best visitor destinations offering a complete maritime experience, all year round.

Visitors can discover history at the home of world-famous ships, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior 1860; walk through fascinating exhibitions at the Mary Rose Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy; test skills at the interactive Action Stations and take a Harbour Tours boat trip around Portsmouth Harbour and Naval Base. Whether interested in naval, military, industrial or social history, architecture, culture, or just a way to keep the kids occupied, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is an ideal destination.

www.historicdockyard.co.uk

Family magazine for parents on the Isle of Wight  summer issue is free if you don’t have a copy  of The Family Directory for the IOW then please contact us . The magazine is  full of local information . For your FREE copy please email us  , you don’t have to live here as we post to many parents on the main land that come on holiday here and have holiday homes. Email polly@thefamilydirectory.co.uk we will post for free as well. See our website for thing to do over this summer www.thefamilydirectory.co.uk

PIRATES AND PRINCESSES

Monday 25^th July – Friday 2^nd September

This summer at Chessell Pottery we will be celebrating the fairytale world of Pirates and Princesses.

Join in the fun and have a go at making your own Pirate or Princess inspired pottery designs with the children this summer. Our easy-to-use decorating sponges include crowns, castles, glass slippers and jewellery for the princesses and skulls, swords and ships for the pirates.  The studio will be decked out with the summer theme and pottery examples out on display with lots of ideas to get you started.

Prices start from £5.95 for pottery items plus a studio fee of £5.50 per person (not per item) which covers all materials, demonstration, glazing and firing of all items decorated that session.

There will be a Pirate and Princesses quiz for children to complete at Chessell to win a small reward plus a ‘Decorate a Treasure Map’ competition to win BIG prizes.  In addition, there will be a free gift for those who dress the part.

Chessell has been awarded ‘Best Island Cream Tea 2010/11’ from the Wight Good Food Guide for the second year running so, if you haven’t done so already, treat yourself to an ‘Ultimate Island Cream Tea’ – now officially the best! This award winning Cream Tea is totally home baked and uses all Island produce. Alternatively, why not take advantage of the summer weather and enjoy a lazy afternoon ‘Chessell High Tea for Two’ in our courtyard garden (booking essential).  Exclusively for the summer, the Café will be serving Pirate and Princess treats for the little people!

The Gift Barn has been specially stocked with Pirates and Princesses toys, games and accessories for the summer holidays as well as a selection of pocket money items.  The Gift Barn sells the largest range of Emma Bridgewater pottery on the Island plus cards, local arts and crafts and locally made preserves.  (Also available online with free p&p!).

All ages welcome. Free entrance. Disabled access. Baby changing. Free parking.

Decorating Studio, Gift Barn, Courtyard Café & Coffee Lounge open daily 9:30-5:30

Brook Road, Chessell nr Calbourne, Isle of Wight PO41 0UE

01983 531248

www.chessellpotterybarns.co.uk

This May half term Blackgang and Robin Hill  are running a couple of competitions across both the parks… Everyone who purchases a joint ticket for both parks within the half term period has the chance to win £100 at each park by entering our themed prize draws…Simply hunt down the cowboy bounty at Blackgang Chine and find the missing roman coins at Robin Hill… Entrance forms for each competition are available on the day from the respective park’s front of house. For more information go to http://www.robin-hill.com/

New for this year at Robin Hill.Let The BIG Green Tractor Train take the strain on the way back up the hill from the bottom of the park.

Hovertravel now boasts an array of attraction partners in Portsmouth and Southsea offering great value  package deals on travel & entrance or travel & dining out.  Whether you’re a culture vulture who craves all things historical or loves to wander through museums, or you have a head for heights offering fantastic views, or prefer you’re feet firmly on the ground or even under water – there are combo deals to suit everyone.

All of Hovertravel’s package deals include a day return by hovercraft, entrance tickets, or special value meal, and where applicable include the Hoverbus, to take you directly from Southsea Terminal to your chosen attraction.  Plus all combo’s provide a great discount on your travel and attraction!

Here’s a list of the combo’s:

Hover & Portsmouth Historic Dockyard                  Adult: £27.15                      Child: £17.95

visit HMS Victory, the Mary Rose Museum & enjoy a Harbour Tour! http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/

D-Day Museum                                                                Adult: £15.70                      Child: £6.00 http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/

Spinnaker Tower                                                              Adult: £16.20                      Child: £10.05 http://www.spinnakertower.co.uk/

Gunwharf Quays Hovershopper                               Adult: £12.50 www.hovertravel.co.uk

Emjoying amazing discounts with your Hovertravel Ticket at some of your favourite outlets & restaurants!

Blue Reef Aquarium                                                       Adult: £16.70                      Child £ 9.80

Giant Ocean display, tropical fish, outdoor play area and Giant Pacific Octopus!

Pyramids Centre Fun Pools                                          Adult: £13.70                      Child: £8.50

Flumes, Wave Machine & Water Fountains, Toddler pool & Café

Local Haunts                                                                       Adult:£18.30                       Child: £9.80

Historm humour and hardships of Portmouth, how well do you know Portsmouth?

Mozzarella Joes & Sundowner Meal Deal              from £14.95 per person http://www.hovertravel.co.uk/offer/sundowner-meal-deal/index.php

Naval Submarine Museum                          Adult: £19.00                      Child: £13.00

Includes Hovertravel Day Return, hoverbus to The Hard, return travel with the Gosport Ferry and entrance to the attraction.  ‘Dive into history and go on board WWII Submarine HMS Alliance with a veteran Submariner to hear his stories about living beneath the waves.  Peer into the only surviving WW2 midget submarine and climb inside the Royal Navy’s first submarine Holland I, Interactive galleries and café.

This amazing offer has been extended until June 30th – Day Return &  2 course meal at Mozzarella Joe’s restaurant, chill out with the whole family, and enjoy a great meal! For more information go to http://www.hovertravel.co.uk/

Remember when you enjoyed fantastic family days out at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard? You will.

Keep your wannabe pirates busy this half term (and every weekend and holiday for the next year!) and discover when they served maggots for tea aboard Nelson’s famous ship, HMS Victory and try a hammock for size on board the Victorian battleship, HMS Warrior 1860. Discover thousands of Tudor treasures at the Mary Rose Museum and over 800 years of naval history at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. Feel the sea breeze with a boat tour around Portsmouth Harbour and let off steam at Action Stations – packed full of simulators, interactive games and the highest indoor climbing tower in the UK!

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is joining the sentiment of National Family Week this half term to encourage families to spend more time together by providing a whole host of family events and activities and even a money saving offer!

Visit our special microsite for families, www.historicdockyard.co.uk/maggots for details of the discount offer, half term events and activities, fun facts, downloads and a family trail.

Our great value family ticket includes entrance for 1 year* (UNLIMITED access to HMS Warrior 1860, National Museum of the Royal Navy and Action Stations, ONE entry to HMS Victory, Mary Rose Museum and Harbour Tours) and costs £56.15 for up to 5 members of the same family, maximum 2 adults/seniors. Separate adult, child and senior tickets are also available.

*Not valid to return on special event days

For your chance to win 1 of 3 Family tickets to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard simply answer the following question:

What slimy creature could be found in the food served for tea in Nelson’s Navy? Email your answer to polly@thefamilydirectory.co.uk with your contact details by 12 noon Friday the 27th May 2011.