Thrifty Day Out!

OK, today's thriftiness is not because I managed to engineer a cheap day out using only my imagination and creativity.  It was entirely down to the fact that my extremely kind and helpful neighbour won family tickets to Blair Drummond Safari Park and gave them to us to enjoy.  And enjoy we did.


Blair Drummond is just outside Stirling and we really did have a fab day out.  There are animal shows (the birds of prey swooping over the kids heads being a particular high point) and of course, you can drive through the safari park itself.  My kids were squealing with delight/terror when two female lions decided to 'have it out' with each other about 3 feet from our car!


It's about to close for the year on 30th October but if you're still on half term - or looking for something to do at the weekend that doesn't involve dressing up in Hallowe'en outfits - I'd recommend a visit.  It isn't normally all that cheap to get in (I think adult tickets are around £12.50) but you can print off free entry for kids from their own website - and you can also use your Tesco Clubcard points.


The park opens again in March 2012 if you're not going to be in the area this week and, if you do manage a trip, the kids (and our) highlights were:


The Birds of Prey Demonstration - complete with swooping vulture, speedy falcon and huge owl.
The Lion Enclosure - all roaring and ripping of meat (not for the faint hearted)
The Fort - which is a large play area next to the restaurant with a large fort for the older ones and a smaller fort for little kids.  There's also a large sand play area complete with 'buried treasure' which if you find, you can swap for a prize!
The Sea Lion Display - learn about these amazing creatures while watching them show off their abilities and strength.

The Bumpy Slide - (I loved it too!).

Wheeeeeee.....

HUGE White Rhino - slightly nervous Toots

Time to go home (with the swiftly named Lemie the Lemur and Scratchy the Siberian Tiger)

I do have to admit that I safari parks and particularly zoos don't always sit all that well with me but the animals all looked healthy.  The keepers knew their stuff and really care about the animals, being more than happy to impart their knowledge about them to inquisitive 8 year old boys (is there another kind, I hear you ask?).  So, Blair Drummond Safari Park got the big thumbs up from the Thrifties - made all the better by our 'free entry tickets'.

Flashback Friday

My flashback Friday moment is a tribute to my mum and her thriftiness - because she really is the queen of thrift from whom I (should) have learned lots!

This is a photo of me and my two sisters taken in 1979 in Campbeltown, Mull of Kintyre.  Dad has dragged us to a harbour - we always toured the top spots on holiday.  Harbours being a particular favourite of my Dad (he's a harbour master so talk about a bus man's holiday!).

I love the fact that you can tell it's the 1970's by the oh so stylish clothes and haircuts.  Not to mention the Ford Cortina - Gene Hunt (Life on Mars) eat your heart out!  Incidentally, I'm the one second from the right in the super '70's tracksuit combo!  What was my mother thinking?

And I feel sure - in fact, I know - that my baby sister (she was about 2 months old here) sat in the back on my Mum's knee.  None of your fancy car seat nonsense in 1979, you know!

My mum was and still is far better at the whole thrifty saving money stuff than I could ever claim to be.  I lived my life in hand-me-downs from my older sister (although strangely, my little sister always managed to get stuff bought new - spoiled rotten!).  Mum had what we referred to as her 'nuclear war cupboard' which contained tins and tins of food 'just in case'.  There were even Fray Bentos pies in there - a pie in a tin!  I don't think any of us ever had one of them - but they were in that old cupboard 'just in case'  because 'you never know'.  What exactly we never knew remains a mystery but we were well stocked for any eventuality.

For me, this photo sums up our family holidays.  Five of us, crammed in a car, off visiting harbours.  Bizarre way to spend a fortnight in August but each to their own!