Month: September 2023

Worth Valley Railway – A Fun Packed Day Out

Worth Valley Railway is a fun day out for the kids. And definitely worth the price tag, if you make a day of it. Not only can you get a wonderful train ride on a steam train, but there are two museums and fun activities for the kids.

Worth Valley Railway
Worth Valley Railway

We last took my little one to Worth Valley Railway when she was a bit smaller. There was a craft train for the children, where she made some bookmarks and did some drawing. She absolutely loved the museum, sitting in the train carriages and looking at all the memorabilia.

The staff in the smaller museum, with a gift shop, were also really friendly and great with kids. We all had a wonderful day out and we really want to book one of their exprience days.

Let’s dive into the practical information you need when visiting for the day

Fares

TICKETON THE DAYONLINE 3 DAYS IN ADVANCE
Adult£21.00£18.90
Concessions£17.85£16.07
Children (5-15) £10.50 £9.45
Children under 5FreeFree
Small Family (1 adult & 1 child)£26.25£23.63
Large Family (2 adults & 3 children)£52.50£47.25
Local Resident Card Holder & Members£10.50N/A

You can see all the other options for travelling here.

Timetable

As the railway has a lot of special events, they run certain timetables on certain days. It is always best to check before planning your visit.

Places to eat & drink

It’s important to know where you can rest for a pit stop. Especially when you have a little one in tow. There are some wonderful pubs and cafes along the train lines and you won’t be disappointed.

The stations

There are some lovely stations you can visit, each area has its own special charm.

Worth Valley Railway

Accessibility

Accessibility is such an important aspect for some people. And it can be vital to planning your day out.

All the details you need about accessibility are here.

Private hire & birthday parties

Yes, you heard it right, why not book your special occasion at such a wonderful venue?

Shop

The best thing about visiting places like this is the gift shop. As a family, we love to buy a souvenir because this helps inspire great memories we’ve made.

Benefits of Membership of the KWVR

If you plan on visiting regularly, you can consider a membership. And you will be giving something back to such a well-preserved museum and community activity.

Everything you get when signing up for a membership:

  • THREE free Day Rover tickets per year,
  • Half-price travel on standard operating days
  • Discounts on tickets for selected special events
  • Copy of our prize-winning quarterly magazine “Push and Pull”
  • The opportunity to volunteer on the Railway.
  • The satisfaction of belonging to one of the foremost Railway Preservation Societies in the world
TYPEPRICE
AdultFor Ages 16 – 64£35.00
Senior65 or over£30.00
JointFor any 2 Adults or Seniors living at the same address £60.00
JuniorAge 5 – 15£17.50
Family2 Adults & up to 3 Children (aged 5-15) living at the same address£70.00
Overseas IndividualAnyone resident outside the British Isles£60.00
Overseas FamilyAnyone resident outside the British Isles
2 Adults & up to 3 Children (aged 5-15) living at the same address
£105.00

Final thoughts

I hope you enjoyed reading all about our experience at Worth Valley Railway.

Have you visited before? Will you be planning a visit?

Worth Valley Railway

Managing Anxiety & Stress in Daily Life

It’s been four years since I had a mental breakdown and I’m now glad I can spot the signs of stressful period when things become too much. And, more importantly, actually do something about it before it spirals out of control too much. I never want to return to the position I was in when I had a mental breakdown. As such, it is now about damage control.

Managing Anxiety & Stress in Daily Life

It’s no secret that I took a break from social media recently. But running this blog in my spare time is just one small part of my life. As with all working parents, we have a lot of other stress factors to deal with. And sometimes something tips the balance and it just becomes too much for us to handle. 

When this happens, I face constant anxiety for a week or two. Get very run down, and become mentally and physically unwell. This then leads to depression and feelings of inadequacy.

It’s been four years since I had a mental breakdown and I’m now glad I can spot the signs of the stressful period when things become too much. And, more importantly, actually do something about it before it spirals out of control too much. I never want to return to the position I was in when I had a mental breakdown. As such, it is now about damage control.

The stress bucket

We all have a stress bucket and sometimes it can overflow. We live in a world which induces anxiety in the calmest of people. Therefore we have to be careful and look after our well-being. Hypnotherapy was one of the main therapies which helped me and I use it when my mental health takes a hit.

You can find also the blog posts about my Perma hypnotherapy collaboration below:

5 Important Reasons Hypnotherapy Changed My Life

Navigating The Busy Season: A Guide To Practicing Mindfulness

The Greatest Gift I Gave Myself in 2022 Was Self Improvement

6 Areas I’ve Of My Life Which Have Drastically Improved – Perma Hypnotherapy

Using Self Hypnosis To Achieve Life Goals – Perma Hypnotherapy

Things Are Changing for the Better but There Is Still Progress to Be Made

Perma Hypnotherapy – The Reward of Transformation Is Worth the Struggle

Let’s Talk About Character Strengths And How They Can Be Used To Our Advantage 

Life Won’t Stop Throwing Challenges Our Way So The Key Is Mental Strength

A Powerful Concept – The Ability To Change Our Brain

Achieving Personal Development with Perma Hypnotherapy

The mind needs maintenance – just like you would physically rest after a long walk or injury to your body. I also want to make it clear to everyone reading this post that dips in our mental well-being will occur. Life throws curveballs our way and sometimes, even just one factor of our lives, can cause all the other plates spinning to topple over. And it’s okay to feel that way. It’s okay, to be honest about how you’re feeling. And take the time you need to feel mentally well again.

Taking control of the situation can be difficult

When I am in the midst of anxiety, even the decision to do something about the way I am feeling whirls around in my mind constantly. Will people think I’m inadequate? Will they question me about the way I am feeling? Should I just sort myself out? 

Some of this critical thinking comes from me being quite harsh on myself. Some of it is from traumatic past experiences.

Stress factors which can impact anyone

Stress in daily life 

Childcare challenges

Money problems

Not allocating time for myself 

Being too busy to relax

Communication problems in home life 

Symptoms Of Anxiety taking over

Critical thinking 

Thinking the past will repeat itself 

Frantic thinking 

Losing control of emotions  

Lacking in motivation 

Not wanting to put makeup on 

Detached

Worn out emotionally 

In desperate need of self-care

Remedies for becoming mentally well again

I know firsthand just how much strength it takes to motivate yourself when you feel unwell mentally. However, because I have a toddler, normal everyday life has to resume. I thrive on a routine and using my brain. As such, I don’t do well when I have to stop and rest.

My mental wellbeing routine also forms a structure and it takes me time to feel like myself again.

Honesty

I dealt with things differently this time. One of the main differences when things started to feel out of control, was my honesty with everyone around me. Once it was clear to me that things were getting worse and I couldn’t control it. It was time, to be fully honest. With myself, initially. But also everyone around me. Given my mental health history, my family are in tune with when I am not quite feeling myself.

I am proud of myself for finally being honest with everyone around me. Feeling comfortable talking about how I really feel, made the world of difference.

A lot of people struggle to open up about their mental health difficulties, for fear of being judged. Now I’ve created the work-life balance I need and I have supportive people around me, it was easier to open up.

Final thoughts

The mind needs maintenance – just like you would physically rest after a long walk or injury to your body. I also want to make it clear to everyone reading this post that dips in our mental well-being will occur. Life throws curveballs our way and sometimes, even just one factor of our lives, can cause all the other plates spinning to topple over. And it’s okay to feel that way. It’s okay, to be honest about how you’re feeling. And take the time you need to feel mentally well again.

Managing Anxiety & Stress in Daily Life

You can read all the other posts about my mental health journey below:

5 Tips to Boosting Your Quality of Life as a Mum

5 Important Reasons Hypnotherapy Changed My Life

Review: My Thoughts on Heavy Light By Haratio Clare

5 Topics To Get You Started In Talking About Your Mental Health

Tips On How To Live Your Best – Most Positive Life

Dialling It Down: 3 Simple Tools for the Chronic Overthinker

Affirmations – What Comes to Mind?

Managing Anxiety & Stress in Daily Life

The Magic Garden Play Cafe in Howarth

Is Gentle Parenting Effective? Read Our Story

Perinatal Anxiety & Depression – My Experience

Navigating The Busy Season: A Guide To Practicing Mindfulness

Violence & Depression – How Working In Security Impacts Men

How To Care For An Elderly Parent With Mental Health Issues

Sharing My Birth Story in Order to Help Other Parents

Habits Causing You To Be Emotionally Fragile

Exercising Your Brain: The Connection Between Mental Stimulation and Good Mental Health

6 Sustainable Brands & My Honest Thoughts After Trying The Products

How To Handle Separation With As Little Pain As Possible

While no one expects to go through a divorce when marrying their partner, it unfortunately does happen. At the end of the day, things can change and your relationship may also deteriorate over time, sometimes through no fault of either party.

Whatever the reason for the separation, there are tips to help ensure the separation is handled with as little pain as possible. Here are some helpful tips to handle your separation, should you be going through one right now.

Acknowledge you’ll have different feelings about the separation

It’s important to remember that there are two people involved in the separation and when it comes to handling that separation, it’s important to remember that you will both handle it differently.

Depending on the reasoning for the separation, you may find that you or your partner are feeling things differently from the other and that’s okay. It’s beneficial to acknowledge and process these feelings individually and to remember that everyone will react differently to a separation.

How To Handle Separation

Provide yourself with time to grieve the separation

It’s highly important to find the time to grieve for the separation. After all, a separation is often a form of loss that can be hard to process. It’s useful to give yourself the time to grieve the separation and to mourn all the months or years you’ve experienced with your significant other. Not to mention all of the married years you might have had or will no longer have.

Grief is a real part of separation and it’s something to acknowledge and go through. 

Don’t go through it alone

When it comes to a divorce, it’s important that you’ve got yourself a support network. These individuals are going to help guide you through the process and offer that shoulder to lean on or cry on, should you need it.

Don’t go through it alone and when you feel like you need the help, ask for it. It’s of course, hard to speak to anyone but your ex-partner about the situation and how you’re feeling. However, it’s something that you want to give yourself plenty of support with. While a divorce lawyer is good to have, they’re not going to be the person you call late a night for a chit-chat.

Try to communicate calmly with your ex-partner

Communicating with your ex-partner will often be needed, especially if children are involved. With that being said, try to communicate calmly with your ex-partner. Avoid speaking if things have gotten heated recently or you’ve come to a point where every conversation is resulting in an argument.

Give the time needed to cool down or for your ex-partner to cool down before attempting to talk again.

Take care of yourself throughout the process

Finally, take the time to look after yourself. A divorce or separation of any kind can be tough on your mental and physical well-being. Be kind to yourself and take the time to take care of yourself throughout the ordeal that is playing out.

A divorce or separation is never a happy process, so make sure you’re looking after yourself and using these tips for your benefit.

5 Fantastic Reasons To Visit East Riddlesden Hall

East Riddlesden Hall is a Historic house with intimate gardens. Described on the website as a hidden oasis on the edge of a West Yorkshire town. A National Trust site, which is maintained for the benefit of the local community.

Read on for all the information you need to Visit East Riddlesden Hall.

Visit East Riddlesden Hall

Quick note: Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.

Let’s take a look at 5 great reasons you should Visit East Riddlesden Hall

With an English Heritage Membership or a National Trust membership, you can benefit from discounts across all sites

Because several of the sites are co-owned by the two organisations, we gained a lot of National Trust benefits, by only paying for an English Heritage yearly membership. We visited Tintagel and the membership paid for itself within a week’s holiday in Devon. When you sign up for a membership, you are provided with an English Heritage booklet, which contains details on the sites National Trust you can enter for free, or at a discounted rate.

Sign up for an English Heritage membership today & start your family adventure

Use code IMAGINE50 for 25% off annual membership

East Riddlesden Hall is our local National Trust Site and when we purchased an English Heritage membership, it was one of the main places we visited. We still visit to this day. And the beauty of the site is you can pick and choose how much money you spend. On certain days you can enter the gardens for free. The cafe is free to all, or you can pay to tour the house. Look out for free event days! Which are usually advertised on social media.

A Local Treasure

It’s nostalgic for me because when I lived alone, the site was near to my house. If I ever felt mentally unwell or stressed out, I would Visit East Riddlesden Hall to have a walk around the grounds. The lake, the wonderful trees and the grounds, all made me feel much better!

Free specialised events

We once visited an English Heritage site and were pleased to find out there was a performance for all members to attend. If you check out the website of your local attraction, there will be something wonderful and unique for you to attend. The kind of experiences you just wouldn’t get elsewhere. The latest event at East Riddlesden Hall is dancing in the gardens during the school holidays.

Our history is important

In the UK there is a lot of history we need to preserve. People travel from all around the world to visit our world heritage sites, such as Saltaire and Howarth. But English Heritage takes you back in time as far as you can go,

From small beginnings towards the end of the 19th century, the collection of historic places now managed by English Heritage has grown to over 400, inspired by a determination to put England’s heritage ahead of private interest.

National Trust – Our history

Free entry for up to six children

With any of the National Trust or English Heritage memberships, there is free entry for children accompanied by an adult member (under 18 years and within the family group). Please check the relevant terms of each website for the criteria.

Let’s dive into the all-important information you need if you’re planning a trip to East Riddlesden Hall

Opening times

The opening times are subject to change, due to events, weather and the fact that the hall also hosts events. The best thing to do before planning your visit is to check the opening times. Either on the website or on social media.

Here are the current opening times:

House10:00 – 16:00
Garden10:00 – 16:00
Great Barn10:00 – 16:00
Shop10:00 – 16:00
Tearoom10:00 – 16:00
Visit East Riddlesden Hall

Highlights of East Riddlesden Hall

The House

When we last visited, we were given a guided tour around the house. We had to take a ticket for a specified time. And do the other bits of the site, before the tour time.

Original 17th-century features – what to look out for on your visit

Inside the house, you can still see some of the original 17th-century details introduced by Murgatroyd. Look for the 17th-century panelling, which is a theme throughout the house. As well as the decorative plaster ceilings and intricate wood carvings.

Garden

Access to the gardens is usually free, providing the site is open and there isn’t an event on.

They are beautifully maintained, even including a bug house and other little treasures for children.

Eating and shopping

When we had a membership, the thing we loved most about sites, was the gift shop and unique items you could buy.

The cafe At East Riddlesden Hall is beautiful. Serving lovely food and accessible even if you don’t pay entry to the site.

The Great Barn

The agricultural story of East Riddlesden Hall doesn’t end in the house. The Great Barn is one of the finest barns in the north of England. With huge gabled entrances and large mullioned windows.

Family fun

During the school holidays, you will find an array of great activities for the kids.

Second-hand bookshop

There is a second-hand bookshop located in the kitchen chamber. Children’s books are in the Discovery Room.

Conservation work

A team of volunteers is responsible for maintaining the house. You can read all about it here.

Maintaining such an old building isn’t an easy task. I remember once visiting an English Heritage Site where the windows were cloaked in blackout curtains and you had to carefully enter through the main door, to avoid dust & dirt damaging the site.

History of the hall

You can read more about the history of the hall here.

In 1934 the Briggs brothers donated the property to the National Trust. It was bequeathed on the understanding that it would be conserved and that the land surrounding it would be used for recreation by the local communities. Their passion for East Riddlesden Hall ultimately ensured that it would be saved for everyone, for ever.

History of the hall

Weddings

East Riddlesden Hall has a range of wedding options available. This article will help you decide on whether it would be the perfect venue for your special day.

Facilities

Visit East Riddlesden Hall

Accessibility

You can read more about the accessibility of the site here.

Contact details

If you’re unsure of anything prior to your visit, or you would like to make an enquiry – here are the all-important details you need:

Address

Bradford Road, Riddlesden, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 5EL

Telephone Number

01535607075

Final thoughts

Do you have an English Heritage membership? Or have you thought about signing up?

Have you visited East Riddleden Hall before? Come say hello in the comments below.

Visit East Riddlesden Hall