Gravity Force

Typical English bank holiday weather is putting a bit of a damper on the Easter weekend with 80+ mph winds and on/off rain. Today started with me having a rare treat by being able to take Holly to her swimming class. We then had lunch and popped into town for a bit of shopping. Once we got back Holly took her afternoon nap and I took the boys to a new place called Gravity Force which is one of the UK's largest indoor trampoline parks.

The Gravity Force park was pretty amazing with loads of trampolines, runways, ramps, basketball hoops, dodge ball area and a foam pit to jump in. Everyone who goes there has to wear a pair of grip ankle socks which they sell to you for £1.50 - the boys love the socks and kept them on all day. The boys were also impressed that the colours at Gravity Park are the same as their Abacus school colours. Part of me was starting to wish I paid for an adult ticket as well as I really fancied trying a few flips and jumps myself!!!! An hour was plenty long enough for the boys and they both came off of their very red faced, hot and sweaty. Such a great way to get kids a good hours exercise.

 

Before our day started Brandon wanted to try something he say on YouTube - serving your breakfast cereal out of half an Easter Egg!

Count them calories - surprisingly Brandon managed to eat the lot.

 

Joshua and Brandon at the new Gravity Force trampoline Park.

The GF super grip socks.

 

The trampoline park is pretty huge with plenty of space for everyone.

Brandon doing some jumps and tricks.

Joshua getting all red faced and sweaty.

Brandon leaping from one trampoline to the next.

Joshua and Brandon nicely taking it in turns and sticking to the rules of GF.

Brandon bouncing off of one of the wall ramps.

Joshua chooses the back splat into the wall ramp.

Joshua and Brandon racing each other down the trampoline runways.

 

Joshua taking a leap of faith into the foam pit.

Not quite so easy to get out of the foam!!!

The trampoline basket ball is a really good idea. Joshua scored a few hoops.

As they had a low hoop even Brandon managed to shoot some hoops.

 

Joshua and Brandon having a blast at the new Gravity Force - such a great way to get an hours exercise and wear the kids out.

LoveFootball @ the Olmpic Park

Day 2 of our Easter holiday and I had both Joshua's U8 Tigers and Brandon U7 Tiger's teams football teams entered in to the Lovefootball tournament at the Olympic Park. This was to be our first tournament of 2016 and was so excited to have both teams playing and at such a prestigious venue as well. Unfortunately the billing did not live up to the event and this was probably the worst tournament I have ever entered. The organisation was non existent, the pitches were about half the size of a normal 5-a-side, the rules were not normal mini soccer rules and changed from game to game, the referee's were diabolical and inconsistent from one game to the next and as if that wasn't enough, the weather turned out to be pretty lousy.

 

I felt so bad for all the kids and parents who had gone all that way for a football tournament. The U7's slumped to 4 defeats, 2 very close games that they could have won and then two very one sided thrashing. We knew some of the games would be tough as the venue location meant the event would draw in some tough London based teams from the Echo League. Joshua's team had slightly better results with 2 wins and 2 losses. Overall I came away really dejected from this event and struggling to find any positives for the kids. I only hope they all had a bit of fun throughout the day and are proud of their medals., I will certainly be writing a letter of complaint.!!!!

 

We arrive at the Olympic Park and my little champions find the podium in front of the Orbit tower.

Joshua and Brandon doing their best "Footballers pose" in front of the Orbit.

Full squad for the U7's : Lewis, Ashton, Connar, Joshua, Brandon, Charlie, Kye and Freddie.

The team silly picture.

A proud coach with a much improved U7 team. In for a tough day at the office!!!

The remaining U8's team with their participation medals. Missing 3 players that left early. L-R : Ethan, Ryan, Daniel, Max, Dexter and Joshua.

Then the U8's silly team picture.

 

The U7's with their medals. Lets hope for better tournaments in the summertime!

 

 

 

 

Once the tournament was out of the way we decided to make the most of our time in the Olympic Park and go to the top of the Orbit Tower. Me and Joshua did this last year, but Tina, Brandon and Holly had not been up there. We got a good view of London but even this was a bit of a letdown as one floor was shut off and the stairs come down were closed as they are installing the worlds largest slide coming down the Orbit. The new slide looks absolutely awesome and could well be worth a visit in June once the Orbit fully opens with its new feature.

 

The view from the top of the Orbit looking down on the Olympic Stadium (soon to be West Ham's new stadium).

Me Holly and Joshua playing around in the crazy mirror at the top of the Orbit.

How awesome is it going to be having a meandering tunnel slide going down there?

Holly, Joshua and Brandon at the top of the Orbit.

After the Orbit we headed over to the kids play area just outside the stadium.

Holly having a blast coming down a slide.

Brandon, Holly and Joshua having fun in a giant swing.

Fearless Holly asking Daddy to go higher and higher as Mummy cringes at the side thinking she is going to fall out.

Good Friday - Epping Ongar Steam Railway Easter Hunt

Keeping with tradition our Easter Holiday starts on Good Friday and therefore the Easter Bunny visited Wick Palace last night. The kiddies were very excited when they woke up this morning to find they each had 6 Easter Eggs plus a box of little eggs for an Easter egg hunt in the garden.

 

After breakfast we also had a nice surprise for the kids as we had booked a family ticket for the Epping and Ongar Steam Railway Easter egg hunt. The steam railway often runs special events and it is somewhere we have been meaning to take them for a while, so I think I was just as excited as them.

 

We got on the steam train "Jennifer" at Ongar and then travelled through North Weald and on to Epping Forest (travelling in the First Class cabin). En route the kids had to hunt for 10 large Easter egg signs using clues provided and their reward for the hunt was to win yet another chocolate egg! The weather couldn't have been better for our day out with glorious blue skies and temperatures getting near to 15 degrees or so.

 

On the way back the kids decided they wanted to try riding the vintage 339 bus back from North Weald to Ongar instead of taking the train again. This was a traditional old style double decker bus and of course we had to ride upstairs.

 

The Easter Bunny did good in 2016 with a good array of chocolate eggs.

Our 3 little Easter Bunny rabbits getting ready for their Easter Egg hunt in the garden.

Happy Easter from the King's.

Joshua helping Holly to reach one of the hidden Easter Eggs.

Holly has got the hang of this Easter Egg hunt lark, 2 in one arm and one in the other hand!!!

We arrive at the Epping Ongar Railway.

While we wait for our steam train we have a little test of strength to see who can pull a locomotive.

Brandon having his attempt at pulling a train.

Me and the kiddies at Ongar control tower where we found the 3rd Easter Egg on the hunt.

Inside the control tower learning about how the conductor manages the tracks and signals.

Waiting on the Ongar platform.

Our steam train named "Jennifer" arrives to take us on our journey to Epping Forest.

Travelling First Class with rather nice comfortable and very bouncy seats.

The boys were very surprised at just home much smoke came out of the funnel of the steam train.

En route there was some stunning Essex countryside with the odd pheasant, rabbits and lots of wild deer's roaming around.

At North Weald the kiddies got to meet the Easter bunny. Holly was very brave and gave the bunny a high five.

Joshua enjoying the fresh air and sticking his head outside the train window.

The vintage 339 bus, but the wrong one as this was going back to Epping.

We eventually found the correct 339 bus which would complete our journey back to Ongar.

 

We had a really, really nice family day out at the Epping Ongar Railway and the hunt made such a change from the usual Easter activities. The cost was pretty reasonable as well at only £34 for a family of 5 for unlimited rides on the trains and buses plus the Easter Egg trail.