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Survival Active


ASTRO adventure


As regular readers will know, we are always on the look out for opportunities for you to make the most of the great outdoors and the many natural wonders all around us. Getting out and about, enjoying fresh air and learning together as a family is fantastically beneficial and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. So, if you are looking for an adventure- filled, educational and most importantly fun short break for the whole family, then Field Studies Council are a great place to start. FSC is the only environmental education charity dedicated solely to providing informative and enjoyable opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to discover, explore, be inspired by, and understand the natural environment.


Here, Sarah shares some of her experiences from the weekend...


Friday 15th February Arrived at Castle Head at 3.30pm to a warm, friendly welcome and the forecast is for a clear night which is good for stargazing! The location is stunning and there’s a lovely Georgian House in the grounds. I think hubby is looking for a pub. He is always looking for a pub. We were shown to our rooms – the accommodation is dormitory style and looks very comfortable. Lydia and Lucy were offered their own room – cue excited giggles at the promise of midnight feasts. As for me and Rob... oh joy, some unexpected privacy! Steve Day, our tutor gave us and the other families a tour of Castle Head. We met for dinner at 6pm and had a very welcome home cooked meal of three courses. After dinner we arranged to meet for the main event... the sky at night and boy were we in for a great treat!


Steve had set up telescopes at the front of Castle Head’s impressive steps and they were focused on the Moon and Jupiter. As we were coming out I saw a light moving at speed across the night sky and Steve told us it was the International Space Station! What brilliant timing – how did FSC arrange that! Steve was in his element and is a captivating


expert on astronomy and the science behind what we see in the sky at night. He gave a fantastic talk about the myths and legends associated with


14 WWW.MUMSMAG.NET


Stargazing (and rogue meteorite spotting!) has never been more popular with children and grown ups alike, so when we heard about FSC’s Family and Astronomy Weekend taking place last month at Grange- over-Sands in Cumbria, we sent Mum’s reader Sarah, husband Robert and excited daughters Lydia and Lucy along to take a look (up)!


the night sky and his ‘magic’ laser pen pointing at the stars meant we knew exactly what he was discussing with us... this was a brilliant introduction to astronomy. Lucy in particular was absolutely mesmerised! It started getting a little bit cold so we all ventured back into the lounge to be welcomed by cake, cheese and biscuits and a roaring open fire. Myself and husband decided to enjoy a glass of red from the Honesty Bar (yes, he found it!). As we relaxed, Lucy and Lydia mingled happily with the other children on the course. Bliss.


Saturday 16th February Saturday morning. Breakfast at a respectable 8am! It was gorgeous and set us up for the day although we were offered loads of good stuff to make our own packed lunches as well which is a really nice touch. During the day we had the option to have a go at a range of activities such as canoeing, climbing or we could simply take a local walk and explore the surrounding environment of the south lakes area.


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