I was very pleasantly surprised when the Beans didn’t wake until 7.30am, at home their usual wake up time is pre-6.00am. Obviously all that fresh air had had the desired effect. The facilities on the campsite were good but were a little trek from our choice of pitch on the top field. In hindsight we should have booked a pitch a little closer to the main buildings where the showers and toilets were. Whilst Little Bean and Beanie Boy were able to have showers like Mum and I, we decided to give Jelly Bean baths in the washing up bowl. He thought this was very amusing but at least it kept him smelling fresh!! Mum had brought along the Beans toy broom from her house and this was to become Jelly Bean’s favourite toy (although we did have to confiscate it when he started using it to hit his older siblings!)
As we needed to head into Peterborough during the late afternoon for my hospital appointment, we decided to stay on the farm for the day and let the Bean’s choose their activities. With Beanie Boy’s chicken pox we had to be careful to keep him away from other visitors to the farm but thankfully it’s big enough that you can avoid people if you need to.
The Beans LOVE it at Sacrewell. They all love animals and are keen to feed them and stroke them whenever they get the opportunity. It always makes me smile when I watch them confidently feeding the animals as you often see small children who are frightened of the animals.
Little Bean and Beanie Boy were quite taken with the young pigs and their curly tails. Little Bean managed to stroke one of them and said it felt all ‘scratchy’ and not ‘smooth’ how she thought it would feel. Beanie Boy thought it was funny that they kept standing in their own water.
No visit to Sacrewell Farm would be complete without a game of Pooh Sticks! Only trouble was, we couldn’t find any sticks so we improvised and picked long blades of grass instead.
We were a little disappointed to find that the Mill House wasn’t accessible. It normally houses a museum which the Beans love to explore but Sacrewell have received a grant from the Lottery Commission to renovate the Mill House which will take a year to complete. It will be good to go back next summer and see the finished project.
Beanie Boy was very upset when I said that we couldn’t go on the tractor ride, I didn’t think it was fair with his chicken pox so I promised him that if they had gone by our last day I would take him then.
Taking the Beans scooters with us was a great idea as the paths were pretty good for them to get around and it kept them active. I hate to say it but my bigger beans aren’t overly keen on walking great distances so the scooters help to keep them moving.
Next we popped into the small animals section and I was amazing that the beans wanted to stroke the Ferret. I was sure they would have shied away from that one but they got straight in there. I have to admit, I’m not a fan of the ‘rodent’ species but I did stroke him too and couldn’t believe how coarse his fur was. I definitely wouldn’t be putting one of them down my trousers!!!
I love this picture of the two of them talking to the hens. Beanie Boy just wants to do everything that his big sister does and he follows her around like a shadow. Sometimes it gets on her nerves but on the whole she is pretty good at humouring him and letting him be her sidekick.
Our last stop before heading back to the tent to get in the car ready for my hospital appointment was the park for a quick swing so that Jelly Bean didn’t feel he had been stuck in the pushchair all day. Back at the tent, Little Bean made friends with a little girl from the tent next door and I felt like the meanest Mummy in the world when I had to tell Beanie Boy he couldn’t play. Luckily the little girl’s family went down to the farm so Beanie Boy got his playmate back and they tried out the ‘tig’ game I had bought for them. I should have guessed it wouldn’t be the best idea for Beanie Boy as he can’t run as fast as his big sister so this was another game which ended in tears. Whilst Mum and I got out bags together to go out, Little Bean decided to sunbathe (in the shade).
Have you visited Sacrewell Farm before? What’s your favourite thing to do there?