Other than the Ewoks on Endor, I identify most closely with Chewbacca in the Star Wars films. He’s big, furry, brave and loyal and he has a cool bowcaster that even Han Solo coveted in the latest Star Wars film 
Chewbacca was turned into a bit of a wimpy teddy bear in The Force Awakens for comedic value but he’s still a hero to me Continue reading
Firstly, just a quick clarification. Dad and ‘future mom’ are getting married in August, after which she becomes my official mom!
‘Future mom’ had a little surprise for dad last weekend. To kick off their wedding year with something special, she had arranged a spa day for them both down in the New Forest
The New Forest is located in the south of England adjacent to the English Channel, giving it a nice mix of low lying forested areas, the sea and some charming villages. It’s also famous for its free wandering wildlife like ponies and pigs Continue reading
Over the Christmas Holidays, dad and ‘future mom’ went to the cinema. During the adverts before the film, the following advert came up. Before you get to the end of the advert, try and guess what product they’re trying to sell. I bet you that you’ll never guess! Continue reading
In this winter season with potential hazardous weather and driving conditions, dad and I wanted to share one of our laugh out loud moments of the year though it has to be said that the laughter was more in hindsight
Driving back to London on the M3 earlier this year, dad heard a sudden rattling and was able, happily, to get the car over to the hard shoulder with the aid of hazard lights and considerate drivers around him
He got out to find a flat tire. Although he has never changed a tire in his life, he thought he would nonetheless locate the spare tire in the boot. So, he moved the stuff in the boot out of the way and lifted up the floor to find…. Continue reading
Let me tell you a little secret. Dad’s an old softy and a romantic at heart. He doesn’t feel that chicks should have the full monopoly on chick flicks and he can just as often be found engrossed in a rom com as the latest sci fi epic. Hence, when ‘future mom’ suggested going to watch Brooklyn, it wasn’t hard to persuade him!
Brooklyn is one of those films that it’s hard to pigeonhole and when you attempt to describe the plot to your friends when recommending the film, it sounds like it’s about nothing. However, Brooklyn is the perfect example of how great cinema doesn’t always need the grand plot to create magic. So, let’s get the plot bit out of the way first and dad & I can then tell you why we really enjoyed it. Don’t worry about spoilers here as we won’t give the main spoiler away and knowing about the story won’t diminish your enjoyment of it
Spotted by dad and ‘future mom’ in Lakekand at the weekend
Welcome back to the last part of my travel review to Forest Holidays in the Forest of Dean. In part 1, I gave a little tour of the wonderful, romantic cabin at Forest Holidays and in part 2, I shared some sights close to the holiday site
In this last part, dad and I wanted to share some information about the dinners that we ate. Dad likes his fine dining and researches food options as an important part of his holiday planning
A couple of closer Michelin starred places were unfortunately closed the weekend that we visited. So, dad looked at the nearby Welsh foodie town of Abergavenny, which was about half an hour’s drive away Continue reading
The Everyman cinema in Winchester is part of a small chain and it has just undergone a fabulous refurbishment. What was a conventional cinema is now interstellar. The front rows are still conventional cinema seating but the back rows now have super comfy sofas with tons of leg room. No airplane seat legroom here. The sofas have a matrix of either 2 or 3 seats. Whoever first got the inception for this idea deserves a medal 
The seats don’t cost peanuts but not much more than what I would pay for a full priced peak show viewing in a cramped conventional seat in London, so it’s good value – no inside out thinking there
The foyer bar serves a wider range of food and drink than usually found at your local Odeon, including alcohol. No hunger games here. It’s almost like being in your own home but with a giant 3D screen and having your own chef to grease the dining experience and bring you joy
With only 2 screens, they have to be creative with rotating and scheduling their films but they do fit in a good mixture of big hits and more art house showings, including the sound of music from live broadcasts
It comes highly recommended by dad and ‘future mom’.
P.S. Yes, there are movie references in the post. Did you spot all 11?
Welcome back to my review of Forest Holidays in the Forest of Dean. In part 1, I covered the wonderful romantic cabin at Forest Holidays
In today’s posting, I shall share the fun activities and restaurants that dad, ‘future mum’ and I found around the Forest of Dean. The Forest of Dean lies right on the border between England and Wales with easy access to the Cotswolds to the east and the Brecon Beacons to the west Continue reading
Dad wanted to take ‘future mom’ on a long weekend to celebrate her birthday. Just by chance, he saw an advert by Forest Holidays on TV, which looked fun
Forest Holidays offer nature-friendly holidays similar to CenterParcs but with fewer facilities. They have camps around England but dad chose the Forest of Dean on the English/Welsh border to make it seem like a proper trip away
Coming west along the M4, there’s a choice of route. Theres a longer route along bigger roads but the satnav took us cross country through small country lanes, which was a shorter route but a little more stressful for dad, who was driving. Having paid the toll to cross into Wales on the old Severn bridge, dad was then perturbed to find that we were staying back in England! Hehe Continue reading
Teddy Rambles 