Dorset - Sandford Park Day 11 - Corfe to Swanage Steam Railway

Our final whole day left in Dorset and the most depressing weather wise with clouds and drizzle all day. For a UK holiday we can't really complain as we have had some glorious weather and out of all 12 days, this was the only one that was ruined slightly by the weather.

After our earlier trip to Corfe Castle we returned to Corfe early in the morning to jump on the old steam trains to Swanage with the intention of spending the day on the beach and having a nice lunch down there. The old train station or Corfe had a little museum to look around before heading to our platform to look out for our train. It took about 20-25 mins to then get from Corfe to Swanage.

Perhaps we were being to optimistic that the weather was going to break as it didn't. So once we arrived in Swanage we had a wander along the beach and up to the pier, then tracked back through the high street to get some lunch before jumping on the train back to Corfe.

Once we were back at the resort the kids decided to cash in all their tokens from the 11 days holiday. This is always depressing as I get to see how much plastic junk and sweets I get in return for the £200+ I must have invested in the arcades. So we ended up with llama teddies, rubics cubes, a set of dominos and about 4 million lollies.

To finish our holiday on a high we dressed up and headed out to a local pub called The Cock & Bottle Inn for a pleasant pub dinner. This was probably one of our best meals of the holiday. I had this most delicious leg of lamb for my main and for pudding was this crème brulee with rhubarb and short bread - so yummy.

Exploring the steam train museum at Corfe train station.

Old train signs for various places we visited in Dorset.

More of the museum.

That's a unique outlet for getting refreshments at the station.

Holly looking in a very small train.

The station at Corfe is really pretty and scenic.

They have done an amazing restoration job to get this steam line looking good and running.

View looking down on Corfe Castle Station with the Castle in the background.

More of the Station and the Castle.

In comes our steam train to Swanage.

All aboard.

Waiting for the all clear to jump on and find a carriage.

A nice bit of pollution blending in to the grey skies.

25 mins later and we are in Swanage.

This was the train that we rode.

Swanage looked like it was be amazing on a nice day, but today was just drizzly and horrible.

Not many people on the beach today!

But some mad Brit's did brave it.

Holly chilling on the train ride back to Corfe.

And this is what £200+ of arcade paper tokens can buy you. I was done!!!

Celebrating our last night with a really nice pub dinner in The Cock and Bottle Inn.

Dorset - Sandford Park Day 10 - Arts & Crafts and Poole Pirates Speedway

Day 10 and another rare day where we actually stayed on site. The boys just sort of pottered around and played a bit more arcades, Holly had a day of arts and crafts with some sand art, some porcelain painting and a tie die t-shirt.

In the evening we had something quite special lined up. I found out that we were right on top of the Poole Pirates Speedway Stadium and there was an event on against Scunthorpe Scorpions. I think I have only ever been to Speedway once as a kid and our 3 have certainly never been. So I thought it was an opportunity which could not be missed.

We had an absolute blast of an evening and the Poole Pirates absolutely dominated Scunthrorpe over 15 races with over double the points. It was pretty much one sided from the 2nd or 3rd race. The racing is so exciting as it is short 4 lap sprints with load bikes, dirt flying everywhere and a really good atmosphere. The short format and excitement is reminiscent of dog racing and made me wonder just why Speedway isn't far more popular. Holly even managed to get her picture taken with the ride of the night Stefan Neilson.

The boys both enjoyed it so much the talked me in to buying them souvenir t-shirts having already spent a fortune on burgers, drinks, sweets, chips etc. It was no cheap night out!

Tina helping Holy do some sand art.

Holly's finished sand art picture of a show jumping horse.

Holly preparing her t-shirt for tie dying.

All scrunched up and ready to add the dye.

More and more colours are added.

Until it is finally ready.

Holly then starts painting a porcelain cup cake penny pot.

She does like her arts and crafts.

Holly proudly showing her work.

Whilst Holly is hard at work, the boys are also hard at working spending all my money in the arcades.

In the evening our special dinner / entertainment treat was Speedway at the Poole Pirtes Stadium.

The bikes all lined up in the pits before racing commences.

First race on the start line and ready for the off.

I'd forgotten how loud they were and the amount of dust and stones that get flicked up at the corners.

Poole had the red and blue helmets and Scunthorpe the white and yellow, so it was easy to follow the Poole riders and cheer them on.

How they don't make you wear eye protection in the crowd is beyond me, we got hit several times by stones and dirt. The kids found it funny.

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More action shots from the fast and frantic racing.

Initially we sat inside the pavilion but eventually moved out to the grandstand as the atmosphere was much better.

Holly in the grandstand.

When darkness started to set in and the flood lights were on, the atmosphere just got even better.

Another red (Poole Pirates) win coming in.

Holly gets her photo taking with rider of the night - Stefan Neilsen.

And somehow the boys conned me in to getting the Poole Pirates sourvenir t-shirts (they are nice though).

Dorset - Sandford Park Day 9 - Bournemouth

Day 9 and we headed in to Bournemouth for the day where we found a fantastic parking spot right on the beach which turned out to be our most expensive of the whole holiday coming in a nearly £16 for the day!!! Bournemouth was a little bit overcast in the morning but soon cleared and we had an absolutely lovely day.

We started off taking a walk along Bournemouth Pier where Holly and Brandon did the zip wire from the end of the pier to the beach. Apparently this is the only pier to beach zip wire in the world. Holly was literally just tall enough and needed a 2kg weight jacket to go on the zip wire, but I was so pleased she could as she was gutted that she couldn't do the one at Blue Water a few weeks back.

After the zip wire we grabbed some pasties for a lunch snack and then headed on to the beach for a few hours. Bournemouth again has a lovely sandy beach and pretty nice blue waters as well. After the beach we booked some tickets to go around the Oceanarium which was really cool as I think it as Holly's first time in a shark tunnel. After the Oceanarium it was time for a nice ice-cream and then the journey home. And if you thought the parking for the day was expensive - a round of ice-cream for us all was coming in at £17 as well.

A little overcast at first, but Bournemouth has a lovely big sandy beach that stretches for miles.

We started our day with a walk along the pier to find out about the zip wire for Holly.

View of the beach from off the pier.

Holly and Brandon all geared up for a pier to beach zip wire.

The tower at the end of the pier with Holly and B perched on the edge ready to go.

And down they come, Brandon taking a lead with the extra body weight.

All the way down to the landing pad over on the beach at the side of the pier.

All smiles, I think she enjoyed it.

Whilst waiting for lunch Brandon showed us how he can weirdly twist his feet around!

Oh yes, more pasties for lunch.

Once the sun came out the kids were keen to get in the water.

Holly heading our for some body boarding.

Once again not many waves today.

So she opts for just floating and kicking her legs.

Having fun in the sea.

Brandon catching a little wave.

Holly tried to stand up and surf on a body board and failed.

Not enough waves for Joshua to even try the body boarding today.

Brandon discovered that beach game we all play where you try and out run a wave.

Love seeing them having fun in the sea.

Brandon getting fed up with pictures and trying to soak me and the camera.

It was definitely starting to get hot in the afternoon.

Cooling off in the Oceanarium where we were greeted with some piranha's.

Great picture of Holly with a ray.

And another.

This is an odd looking turtle.

Some smelly penguins that weren't too interested in going in the water today.

This one thought about jumping in for a millisecond.

Holly getting sassy with a giant penguin.

Looking out at the beach from the Oceanarium balcony.

In to the shark tunnel we go.

That's a weird looking shark.

Loads of reef black tip sharks which were very active.

Once again trying to get a family pic and once again Joshua looking as miserable as ever.

This picture doesn't do justice to how big this turtle was.

It was bloody huge.

Which looks happier, the shark, or Josh?

Holly and Tina watching the sharks swim by.

My two ladies in the shark tunnel.

Holly and Brandon looking out for penguins.

The other side of the shark tunnel and watching the moray eels.

And more of the sharks. You can never get enough sharks.

Holly with the shark and the moray eel.

Finishing a lovely day at the beach with an ice-cream.