HALF-TERM FUN AND COMPETITION TIME AT DRAYTON MANOR THEME PARK
Award-winning attraction, Drayton Manor Theme Park, has plenty of entertainment in store for families this half-term holiday (29th May – 6th June).

For animal lovers, Drayton Manor Zoo is a fantastic place to explore, with over one hundred different species, including twelve rare breeds from across the world. Home to a variety of animals including a new baby red-handed tamarin, baby meerkats, marmoset babies, and a pair of racoons, there’s something for everyone.

As a special treat, the zoo is also calling for the public’s help to name their newest resident, a red-handed tamarin. The bouncing baby boy was born to proud parents, Davina and Les on 16th April. He is also watched over by his protective elder siblings, Socks, Mitten, and Night.

Zoo keepers are asking members of the public to take part in a competition to name the furry bundle. Suggestions can be emailed to Drayton Manor Zoo education officer, Kiri Charlton, on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The winner of the chosen name will also receive a family pass to the theme park and get to see the baby monkey himself.

For fans of the little blue engine and his friends, a visit to Europe’s first and only Thomas Land™ is essential. As well as featuring 12 rides based on popular Thomas & Friends™ characters, an indoor and outdoor play area and a recently extended Thomas Land shop, visitors will also be entertained with daily shows at Knapford Station, starring the Fat Controller.

For intrepid adventurers, there’s Dino Trail. New for 2010, this interactive attraction, located in Farmer McColl’s Farm, has been created to intrigue and educate visitors about dinosaurs. Also new for 2010 is the Oscar-winning animation, Happy Feet, which is being shown in the sensational 4D cinema.

For thrill seekers, the park is home some of the biggest, wettest, and scariest rides around including Stormforce 10, The Bounty, G-Force, Maelstrom, and Apocalypse, which has been voted the UK’s scariest ride by Channel Five’s The Gadget Show.

For full details about opening times, or more information about the park, including prices, visit www.draytonmanor.co.uk or call the 24-hour information line on 0844 472 1950. Tickets can be bought online or by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0844 472 1960. Reduced prices available for tickets purchased in advance.

Drayton Manor Theme Park is on Twitter www.twitter.com/Draytonmanor and Facebook www.facebook.com/Draytonmanor for regular updates and news.

Smart or pastoral, gingham flourishes on the flagship items of the DKNY Spring-Summer 2010 collection.

Clean or relaxed, gingham matches all moods:
The shirt marries lyocel denim pants or slides underneath a stoned linen mini-skirt,

The white and red checks blow an air of coolness and lightness on the deep summer cotton dresses.

And here is the must-have accessory of this season, for an ideal beach day: the embossed checked swimsuit.

For details of stockists Children Worldwide Head Office Customer Services 0208 964 8605 and our store at Westfield Atelier De Courcelles 0208 7490375

TRAVELODGE OPENS ITS 10th HOTEL IN EDINBURGH & OFFERS 10,000 ROOMS FROM £19
Travelodge has just opened its tenth hotel in Edinburgh, making the budget hotel chain the largest hotelier in Scotland’s capital city. The new hotel - Edinburgh Cameron Toll is located at: 43 Craigmillar Park, Cameron Toll, Edinburgh, EH16 5PD. To celebrate becoming the largest hotelier in Edinburgh, Travelodge is offering 10,000 rooms from £19 to £29 at its ten hotels across the city during 2010. To book a Travelodge saver room just go to www.travelodge.co.uk. (The rooms are available to book from now)

Edinburgh is a great destination for a family, romantic or for a girl’s getaway. So with the summer holidays fast approaching why not treat the kids to short break or whisk your partner on a romantic holiday to Scotland’s capital city. Alternatively with the World Cup starting in a few weeks time, why not arrange a girl’s getaway and explore the city’s great attractions and nightlife whilst indulging in some retail therapy.

A Travelodge family room caters for two adults and two children under the age of 16 or three adults and you only pay for the room and not for the number of people staying per room. Each Travelodge room has en-suite facilities, a luxury king size bed, a flat screen TV with 18 free channels, free tea / coffee making facilities and wifi.

Travelodge has just launched a new breakfast buffet menu at £7.50 per person and for each paying customer two children under the age of 16 can eat for free. Book breakfast online and you can make an additional saving of 20%.

Listed below are the top festivals taking place in Edinburgh this summer and a list of top attractions to visit whilst in Edinburgh.
Travelodge has also developed a guide on how to see Edinburgh for free – to download the guide just go to www.travelodge.co.uk and then to the ‘What’s New’ section.
West Lothian Highland Games 29th May
Gardening Scotland 4th to the 6th June
Edinburgh Film Festival 16th to the 27th June
Record Fair 20th June, 11th July, 22nd August, 12th September, 10th October, 28th November and 30th December
Jazz and Blues Festival 30th July to the 8th August
Edinburgh Comedy Festival 5th till the 31st August
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 6th till the 30th August
Festival of Spirituality and Peace7th till the 29th August
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay Carnival 28th December till 4th January 2011

Top seven attractions to visit whilst in Edinburgh are:
1. Edinburgh Castle
2. Scottish Whisky experience
3. The Cadies & Witchery Tours- Ghost & Gore Tour
4. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
5. Edinburgh Butterfly & Insect World
6. The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour
7. Royal Yacht Britannia

Travelodge’s ten Edinburgh hotels are:
1. Edinburgh Airport
2. Cameron Toll
3. Central – City Centre
4. Central Rose Street (City Centre)
5. Dregorn
6. Haymarket (Grade ll listed building)
7. Learmonth
8. Musselburgh
9. Shandwick Place
10. West End (Former five star hotel)

For further information on the hotels visit www.travelodge.co.uk

HAGRID, DUMBLEDORE AND MUCH, MUCH MORE - WHITSON WEEK AT ALNWICK CASTLE (AKA HOGWARTS) AND THE ALNWICK GARDEN
Alnwick Castle - famous as the film location of Hogwarts - will come alive with medieval magic and wizardry over the Whitson Week, as Harry Potter’s friends Hagrid and Dumbledore set to wow the crowds with some mesmerising magic.

And its not just magic with a wand but with a sword too. The north east's only living historical fencing school will be demonstrating the subtle and deadly art of the medieval sword on Sunday 30th May. Don't expect a Hollywood-style play-fight - this is as real as it gets!

The 1000 year old castle – which is this year celebrating it’s 700th year as the home of the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland – has an intriguing past, intertwined with tales of medieval knights and heroes. The Whitson Week sees some of this medieval magic revived as characters from the past tell stories of ogres, dragons and fairies or share their crafts in medieval workshops - have a go at making your own dragon, gargoyle or medieval tiles.

The Castle has its own celebrated ‘Knights Quest’ activities where children can learn the sword slaying tricks of a dragon slaying knight. Knights Quest is open daily.

Throughout Whitson week there are daily family activities planned at The Alnwick Garden; the world renowned gardens known for the stunning cascades, child friendly water features, intriguing Poison Garden and one of the world’s largest treehouses - complete with swinging walkways.

Woodland walks, willow sculpture crafting, fairy searching and magical wing making are among the many events taking place over the Whitson Week. See the website for more details.

Playweek, Mud pies and potions (21st -25th June)
Playgroups, childminders, toddler groups, nursery or reception classes all welcome for a week of fun filled events for our very youngest visitors. Sample fresh fruit kebabs, go potting and planting in the Roots and Shoots Garden, dance under trees, go squirrel spotting in the woodland walk and join in our outdoor art show.
To book a place for your group ring Laura Brydon 01665 511184

Opening times: 10am - 6pm (last admissions 5.15pm).
Visit: www.alnwickgarden.com for details.

Castle opening times:

• Grounds open daily 10am - 6pm (last admissions 4.15pm)
• State Rooms 11am - 5pm (last admissions 4.30pm)
• Knights Quest 10am - 5 pm (last admissions 4.45pm)

Visit: http://www.alnwickcastle.com for details

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