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    Back in 1976 on the 21st January, the supersonic airline Concorde took her first commercial flight.

    The aircraft generated a sonic BOOM as it travelled through the atmosphere - it used to fly over our house every night at 9 o'clock and the windows used to give a bit rattle.  

    Concorde was a tremendous example of the British and French working together.   I was lucky enough to go on her once, as part of one of those holidays of a lifetime, and it took me years to pay off the credit card, but it was worth it.  The aircraft was narrower than I'd expected, but it was the ultimate flying experience and I'll never forget it. 

    Although sadly Concorde is no longer flying, you can visit her at Brookslands Museum in Surrey. 

    Virgin Experience Days have an experience for a  Visit to Brooklands Museum, Concorde Experience and Tea and Cake for Two, all for £58.00.

    Visit Brooklands Museum, have a Concorde Experience and enjoy tea and cake for two!
    Visit Brooklands Museum, have a Concorde Experience
    and enjoy tea and cake for two!
    Find out more

    There are lots of exhibitions over the museum, with using sheds, aircrafts, structures and monuments, and this is a great opportunity to discover the technological developments that give an insight into modern driving and flying today. For example, you can try out aircraft-building skills in the Aircraft Factory.  

    Brooklands Museum gives you a opportunity to explore all the exhibits on offer


    On board Concorde, you'll get a complimentary boarding pass, experience a pre-flight briefing, sit in real Concorde passenger seats, enjoy a virtual take off and take home a flight certificate! 

    And then you can enjoy a hot drink and scone or slice of cake at the Sunbeam Café.

    Visit Virgin Experience Days for more information about this Concorde and Brooklands experience!

  2. Channel 4 certainly have got lots of coverage this year on how places prepare for Christmas, and I can't wait for this one, London Zoo at Christmas, on 23 December 2022 at 8pm!

    It will be Lights, Camera, ACTION! at ZSL's London Zoo and ZSL's Whipsnade Zoo as Channel 4 look to see how the zoos prepare for Christmas!

    The team transform London Zoo and yet still care for the 25,000 animals in their charge at London and Whipsnade. 

    Some animals are celebrating their first Christmas such as the three extremely rare Sumatran tiger Cubs and the Asian elephant Nang Phaya.  There are animal arrivals, and winter births so it's busy, busy, busy - the staff are beavering away to make a magical Christmas time for everyone! 

    There will be more fun on social media with more behind-the-scenes pictures and zoo facts, so this really is an hour not to be missed! 

    Find out all about it here!
    Fly off to find out all about it here!

    Now, if you want to give a gift membership or take out a membership which will help support ZSL and give you lots of lovely animal days out at ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo (and lots more besides), there's 20% off gift memberships until 4th January 2023 so this would be a great time to take one out.  Give a gift membership today here.

    And you could also hop, slither or canter over to their online shop, which has soft toys, animal adoptions, homeware gifts and stocking fillers - support conservation as you shop!  

    ZSL London Zoo have an urgent Back from the Brink appeal
    ZSL London Zoo have an urgent Back from the Brink appeal

    Join ZSL's fight to bring wildlife back
    from the brink of extinction with a monthly donation 
    with their Back from the Brink appeal.
    Please find out about it and donate if you can here.


    Visit ZSL's website to find out all about the Zoological Society of London

     

     

  3. I absolutely love the New Forest.  Based in the south of England,  it's such a beautiful place to visit.   I adore watching the New Forest ponies, cattle, deer and donkeys make their way around the villages and seeing all the wildlife in the wooded areas.  It's lovely to stop off at and tuck into a cream tea.  I remember well going on holiday there and driving through a little ford which was very exciting.  I highly recommend a visit, if you're thinking of a holiday.  Great place to go horse riding and dog walking, too.

    Visit the Friends of the New Forest here
    ©
    Friends of the New Forest


    So when I heard about the Friends of the New Forest, I just had to tell you about it.

    When I wrote this blog back in 2017, the Friends of the New Forest were 150 years old.   Since 1867, the association has been protecting, conserving  and enhancing the fauna, flora and  heritage of the New Forest. 

    Its vision of the New Forest is "a unique naturally beautiful yet living and changing place in which strong elements of tranquillity and wilderness are maintained despite the increasing pressures from the demands of local population, recreation and infrastructure."  You can find out more about it here

    And it carries on its work today, protecting the Forest.

    Its campaigns include

    • Commoning
    • Habitat conservation
    • Landscape
    • Planning and development
    • Recreation
    • Roads
    • Education and understanding

    If you become a member of the Friends of the New Forest and contribute to the long-term protection of the special character and qualities of the New Forest.  There are also events and campaigns you can get involved with.

    As a Friend of the New Forest you will receive:

    • Their magazine
    • Invitations to the AGM and other informative or social events giving you the opportunity to meet other members
    • Details of activities or campaigns in which you can take part
    • A copy of their Annual Report.

    Click here to visit the New Forest Association's website and find out more

  4.  

    Got an art lover in your life?  Well, how about a gift membership to the National Gallery with its 700 years of painting!  It has some amazing masterpieces, with over 2,600 paintings to immerse yourself in.  Take a look at the must-sees here!

    And a gift membership is a great way to support the National Gallery, too!

     Give a Gift Membership to the National Gallery

    Image © National Gallery


    And did you know that in May 2024, celebrations of the National Gallery's Bicentenary will begin - that's 200 years of bringing people and paintings together!  The Gallery will celebrate its past and look forward to its future with a year long festival of art, creativity and imagination - it should be quite something!


    Benefits to the National Gallery Gift Membership scheme include:

    • Free entry - See all exhibitions first, free and as many times as you like!
    • Priority booking
    • Previews and private views
    • Members' events 
    • Expert insights so that you can discover more and stay up-to-date with all the latest news and stories through regular emails
    • Exclusive discounts* so that you can Indulge yourself with discounts across all the National Gallery's shops and online.
    • Exclusive access to specially created features, stories and on-demand films.
    • The knowledge you're supporting the National Gallery and so supporting free art for everyone! 

    Memberships start at £75.00

    See what's on now here!

     

    Give  a gift membership here!

    *Please note that discounts are provided by the National Gallery Global Ltd and can be removed at any time.