Last year I turned 40

I am now most likely in the second half of my life

All being well

I have five beautiful children

A superhero of a husband

Parents in law who are our guardian angels

And the best friend anyone could ever wish for

Over the next 40 years

If I am lucky enough to live them

I want to REALLY live them

I want to reconnect with myself as a person

Be more than just a mother

Be a better wife, daughter and friend

And so be a better mother

By being a better version of me

Part of this

Is going to be rooted in travel

Broadening the horizons

Of my immediate family unit

Showing our children the world

Starting with some of our favourite parts of the UK

Staying in new to us places

Places where we can combine relaxation with adventure

Exploration and education

I think travel could be the making of us

We just need to

Pluck up our courage

Pack up our bags

And go!

But where

Where in the UK will we go

Here is my UK Travel Wish List

Bosinver Farm, Cornwall

We love Cornwall

In May 2012 we travelled to Coombe Mill Farm

With our two year old twins

And the ashes of our baby daughter

We have been to the farm at least once every year since then

To visit the place where we set Tilda’s ashes sail

In a little wooden boat

Down the river

Over the sea

To the sky

Coombe Mill is a place we will always return to

It will always be our Matilda Mae place

But as our family grows

In number and in ages

We want to explore more of the county

And try out new places to stay

The place that sits at the top of our wish list is

Bosinver Farm

I have fallen in love with the cottages on the farm

The interiors look so bright and beautiful

I cannot imagine not being happy in a home from home

So full of comfort and colour

The children will love the feed run

But it is the ponies that Esther would adore

Having a daily opportunity to ride a pony

Perhaps help care for a pony

Well, Esther would never want to leave

The Gruffalo Trail is the biggest draw for Bea

And William wants to play tennis, basketball and football

Daddy needs wifi so that we can stay for a fortnight

And he can work

He is also keen to stay somewhere with a heated pool

So that we can spend some concentrated time

Teaching our little people to swim

For me

I love that there is a Forest School provision

I love that there is so much to do on site

I feel that we could spend lots of days on the farm

I could explore and adventure with the children

Allowing Daddy to work as needed

The zip wire sounds amazing

The nature trails provide a new challenge to try each day

It would be so easy to plan a two week home education project at the farm

Focusing on animal care

Plant and animal life cycles

Conservation

Composting

Recycling

Nature arts and crafts

And there are so many days out in this part of Cornwall

That we would like to try

I follow Bosinver Farm on social media

And love their ethos and open, friendly nature

This is definitely top of our wish list

Of UK places to stay

With our growing family

The Great Barn, Ullswater

One day

When we win the lottery

I would like to stay here

I do not currently play any lotto

But may have to start

For a chance to finance this dream

The Great Barn

5 star luxury barn

On the shore of Ullswater

With boathouse and private jetty

So that we can sail and windsurf, row and canoe

David has holidayed on Ullswater with his family for years

I lived in The Lake District for a long time

It is where I trained to be a teacher

David and I both love lakes and mountains

And we hope that our children will too

We certainly want to share our love with them

As they grow

I love the light and space in the barn

Love the floor to ceiling glass

The patio

The gardens

All making the most of the views of the lake

And the beautiful fells

This would be a holiday where you could totally switch off

And literally lose yourself in the stunning scenery

And reconnect with nature and the wild

While still enjoying a touch of luxury at the end of a wet day on the water

Or muddy up a mountain day

I can imagine cooking up hearty meals for our teenagers here

As they all return from various water sports and leisure pursuits

I can imagine sitting with a glass of wine and a good book

And a blanket over my knees

Talking with David into the small hours

About our past, our present and our future

One day

One lottery winning day!

Ridge Hall, Peak District

My sister lives in the Peak District

I would love to rent a house up there

For a couple of weeks

A base from which to adventure and explore

A space for our children to play together

For our two families to spend some quality time

I want my niece and nephew to know me

I want my children to know their cousins

And also

I just really enjoy the company of my sister and her husband

I would like to spend more time with them

The Peak District has a lot to offer us

As a home school family

Lots of educational days out

I think two weeks in the Peaks

Would be a lovely way to spend some time

Inverallt House, Loch Long

As a young teenager

I went on holiday with my family to Loch Awe in Scotland

My parents tell everyone who will listen

How awful and moody I was on that holiday

But what I remember is a lot of time soaking up the scenery

Feeling inspired by the atmosphere

The majesty of the mountains

And the stillness of the water

I spent hours writing poetry in my journal

I remember the house we stayed in

Meeting new people in the shared games room

That holiday stayed with me all these years

And so has a longing to return to Scotland

I think as a family we would enjoy

Scottish lochs and highlands

The draw to this house is the location

And the potential of seeing Scottish scenery

Via trains

You can take the the famous West Highland Line

To Oban, Fort William and Mallaig

Passing over the Harry Potter viaduct at Glenfinnan

My children would LOVE this

And so would I

I love that the we could take a boat to the house

I think a week hidden here

Would really bring us together as a family

In the Swallows and Amazons way that inspires us all so much

A real Edith Nesbitt or Enid Blyton style holiday

Filled with exploration and adventure

A holiday that would stay with us

Inspire us

As individuals and as a family

I don’t think there is much in the world I want more

This idea of travelling as a family

Is really weighing on my mind

I keep coming back to it

I think it could be the making of us as a family

If we can find a way to make it work

Time to play the lottery with Lottoz perhaps?

What would you do if your numbers came up?

In collaboration with Lottoz

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain