Zuko's in Aberaeron

Last Sunday we were supposed to be going to the zoo but we are all lazy shits and refused to get out of bed. Plus it was raining. We decided to go to Aberaeron instead for chips and cake. Everyone raves about Zuko's so obviously we had to check it out

Manchester Sportcity Travelodge

A couple of weeks ago (Maybe, I dont even know what day it is anymore) my brother was competing for Wales in the Sainsburys school games Wheelchair Basketball (They came 4th, GO WALES). As this was held over 4 days we had to find somewhere to stay. 

We booked the Sportcity travelodge as it was the cheapest option and close to where we needed to be. If you are booking the travelodge you need to be aware that it DOES NOT have a lift. If you need a ground floor room you have to phone up after you've made the booking and they will allocate you one. 

Some of the staff were super lovely and some were not so helpful. Shout out to the guy who did not judge me for going to ask for help with the wifi at 11pm in my pjs and a full face of makeup still and also no shoes. I looked fabulous. To pay for the wifi it takes you to a paypal page that looks a bit weird but he phoned the company and said if anything went wrong he would take responsibility and reassured me that he has used it and it was fine. No one stole my money so thats good. You do get 30 mins free wifi every 24hours but that just isn't enough for me. It cost me £12 for a week and I could use it on 2 devices. 

They also don't seem to have specific disabled rooms. We had 2 rooms with an interconnecting door so that my mum could come and jump on me in the morning to wake me up (true story) and my dad could bring me coffee to stop me being grumpy (he's a good egg). However, the bathroom was a tad on the small side and you could only just get a wheelchair in and shut the door. There was also no grab handles around the toilet and I had to use the sink. We also had a bath which was a bit tricky to get in and out of a required parental guidance (Thanks mum). On the plus side the bed was huge and super comfy and once my brother went to stay with all the athletes I got the whole thing to myself so I could starfish all night long.

Please excuse all my crap in the doorway 

Even though this travelodge was near a main road I wasn't kept awake and actually slept pretty good for me. This one also does food including buffet breakfast in the morning with unlimited fancy coffee (heart eyes). They also serve food till 10pm I think and then they do a snack menu with jacket potatoes, burgers & chips on it 24 hours. They also do the most amazing warm brownie sundae and I want one so bad like right now.

There is a car park which blue badge holders can use for free and all other cars have to pay £3 for 24 hours which is still pretty good. It is about a 10-15 minute drive into the city centre and turns out blue badge holders can park on any of the street parking for FREE ALL DAY. How amazing is that. We had to ask a traffic warden because we didn't believe the internet. 

I really enjoyed my stay in Manchester and would definitely love to visit again

Beth...x

Chester Zoo & South West Live

I had an absolutely amazing weekend. On Saturday we went to Chester Zoo to meet up with some of my chronically awesome friends that I met on Twitter. The weather forecast looked horrible and we had to get up at 5am for the journey but we were all determined to meet so off we went. We had a bit of drizzle but that couldn't stop us from having a laugh. They are the most amazing, funniest group of people that I am proud to call my friends. We had wheelchair conga lines, jealousy over wheelies, so many innuendos and lots of laughs.

I saw baby elephants that were adorable, baby ducks that I was most excited about seeing and I really wanted to steal one. I desperately want a pet duck or monkey. You know either one would do.

I would highly recommend Chester Zoo for a day out in a wheelchair. There a plenty of disabled spaces and accessible toilets are dotted around the place. There is no where in the zoo you cant get to and it is definitely one of the best zoos Ive been to.

On Sunday we had another early start, jumped in the car and headed off to Western Super-Mare for South West Live. This has to be the best day of my Summer so far. The weather was gorgeous and the music was amazing. Me and my  brother went in our wheelchairs and had tickets for the wheelchair platform which was great. Only downside was the top people seemed to think they could get a lot more wheelchairs on it than in reality. Plus side was the staff that were in charge of the platform on the day were amazing and so helpful. We had our own disabled toilets next to the platform & one of the officials me & my brother nicknamed Toilet Ninja was stopping healthy people from using, filling & trashing the disabled toilet when they had their own.

We saw Alexa Goddard who I'm officially in love with, she is gorgeous, super lovely and so talented. She was incredible live. You should check out her new single 'Marilyn' here its so catchy. Then there was Rixton, Neon Jungle, Union J, Katy B, The Vamps, Rizzle Kicks, Jason Derulo and Jessie J. Rizzle Kicks were definitely my favourite and much wheelchair dancing was done, they had so much energy it was such an amazing atmosphere. Jessie J is so amazing live. I don't understand how she is so perfect at singing & dancing all at the same time. Jason Derulo and his backing dancers were top entertainment plus he got his abs out which is always a winner. My brother and I enjoyed taking the mick out of the Saturdays dance moves which were highly amusing and the same ones over and over with lots of hair flicking. A teenage boy imitating this is hilarious. The sun set over the sea was absolutely gorgeous and I was so pissed that I forgot to take my camera and my phone went flat but it was an incredible view.

Hands down one of the best experiences of my life and I would like to thank all the amazing officials who made mine and my brothers day so much easier.

Beth...x

The Manor Hotel

Warning this is a picture heavy post. If you follow me on twitter you will know that last week I booked a few days away in The Manor Hotel in Crickhowell as a surprise for my mums birthday.

The Manor is in a gorgeous valley and has the most amazing views. Sitting in the garden with a cold pint or glass of wine (we did both) you can look out across the mountains. The view from our room was just as spectacular as we had 2 big windows so could see across the mountains and look over the pretty garden. 

The Manor Hotel has a swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and gym. I found the facilities did let them down a bit as they seemed to be a bit of an after thought and they were a bit small due to limited space. They looked tired which made them look dirty but I don't think they were. 

The hotel itself is gorgeous and has tons of character. The only downside is it is not accessible at all. As it is a listed building they can't put a lift in and there are steps everywhere you look which is a shame.

Their website also has a late availability section where you can get rooms a bit cheaper, however if you want to stay on a weekend you will have to book in advance as they are very popular for weddings

Our room was the first 3 windows from the left. The only downside to this room was that it got really hot so we kinda roasted in the night. 

We had the Good Twin room and it was nice and spacious. The beds were a tad soft for my fussy spine but the rooms were nice and quiet.

As you can see the views from our window were pretty impressive and the garden was lovely to sit and relax in.

Onto the food. I was quite disappointed in the breakfast. I had a cooked breakfast the first morning and didn't really enjoy. The sausage was mushy and the scrambled egg tasted odd and was also a tad mushy. I had porridge the next morning and it was really gloopy so I had a danish instead which was pretty delicious but overall I think their breakfast needs improvement.

On the first day we had separate sandwiches and scones and these were delicious. The coleslaw was amazing and the scones were still warm and so so good.

On the second day we had a full afternoon tea and it was so good. There was beef and horseradish sandwiches carrot cake, scones, brownie and a chocolate cake I think. All of it was delicious and I was so full after.

We only had one evening meal in The Manor but it was very good. I had a tomato and mozerella salad for starter and it was okay it just needed something with a bit of crunch to go with it.

My mum had asparagus and poached egg and I tried some and oh my god this was delicious although the chef needs a little lesson on poaching eggs as the yolk was solid.

I had steak as I really can't say no to steak. It was cooked so well and tasted amazing. The onion rings were crispy and delicious and I refused to share them. I forgot to take a picture of the chips before I scoffed them but they were chunky, fluffy and heavenly.

My mum went for the pie of the day which was steak which I also tried (had to for the blog obviously) and this was also really good. We were so full after finishing we could barely move.

If you are looking for a relaxing spa break like we were then I'm not sure if this is the hotel for you as the facilities are a bit of a let down.

However if you are looking for a relaxing stay in a gorgeous hotel with picturesque surroundings, good food and a pretty town nearby then this is definitely the hotel for you.

Beth...x