Potters Leisure Resort with Midi, Darren & Isobel

 Potters Leisure Resort

We love our holidays at Potters! The friendly staff always make us feel so welcome and there are so many wonderful activities for us to join in with. 

With our bow and arrow in hand we did our best Robin Hood impressions trying our hardest to hit the bullseye! Everyone did a great job and proudly wore their medals around their necks for the rest of the day! 

Every night we were wowed by 1st class entertainment! There were such a variety of shows performed by the incredibly talented team. In true JollyDays style we danced the night away to the live music. 

The art room got our creative juices flowing and with different coloured materials we created some masterpieces to take home. 

It was game on down at the bowling alley where there were high scores and strikes galore! 

Most days we challenged each other to a game of pool and enjoyed keeping a tally of who was winning. We also loved playing giant Jenga and we did all laugh as the bricks came tumbling down. 

The shooting range proved popular with our group and after a few practise shots we were soon hitting the target like pro's! 

Norfolk - Boats, Trains & Seaside with Russell & Netty

Norfolk - Boats, Trains & Seaside 

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside and what better way to start than down by the beach with an ice cream treat!

We took to the water on our cruise liner and sailed peacefully down the Norfolk Broads spotting wildlife and admiring the impressive houses that lined the banks of the river. We each got to have a turn at being Captain and all agreed that we did a pretty good job! 

It was another exciting day on the broads and today it was our turn to do some work on the canoes! We were split into two groups and were introduced to our instructors. After a bit of practise, we had soon mastered the technique and were paddling in synch, working well as a team. Two glorious hours were spent gliding along the broads, spotting more wildlife and enjoying the calmness that surrounded us.

It was off to Holt and the Poppy Railway and as luck would have it as soon as we arrived the train steamed down the track. We were soon relaxing in our seats as the train chugged towards to the coastal town of Sheringham. On arrival we looked around the quirky souvenir shops before stopping for a drink, looking out to sea and spotting the massive wind turbines that are just offshore. 

It was game on as we hit the bowling alley for a friendly yet competitive few games of bowling. It was great to see everyone scoring highly and even getting strikes!

Excitedly we then drove to Great Yarmouth to be wowed by the magic of the world-famous Hippodrome Circus which is one of the few remaining purpose built circus buildings in the UK. We sat as a myriad of world-class performers, awe-inspiring acrobatics, and spellbinding water spectacles were performed before our very eyes. Our hearts then started beating as four motorbikes whizzed around a metal sphere all in sync with each other. It was daredevil stuff. We gave them a huge round of applause when they had finished. At the end of the show, we were lucky enough to get some photos taken with some of the performers. 

 

New Forest & Hampshire County Show with Oli & Jackie

 New Forest & Hampshire County Show

Two fabulous days were spent at the County Show which was full to burst with different breeds of animals. It was great to be so close to them and we even got to stroke and feed some of these fluffy sheep.

There were tents galore of wonderful homegrown produce and flowers, all hoping to win the all important first prize rosette. 

At the main arena we watched a fantastic show jumping competition. The beautiful horses and their riders were very skilled, and it was really exciting to watch. We couldn't believe the size and strength of of the Shire Horses as they pulled their carts around.

We explored the livestock area and got to see many different rare breeds of cows and sheep. They were all very well looked after and some of them were quite friendly and appreciated the fuss we made of them......as did these beautiful hunting dogs! 

The farm machinery on display was amazing. So many old fashioned tractors right through to modern day. 

The parachute display took our breath away. They  could be seen sky diving from a plane overhead and cascading down to the ground  with smoke flares blazing! 

A day was spent at Exbury House and Gardens. This 200+ acre estate has been established for over 100 years and is famous for its many visits from the Royal Family and for its own narrow gauge steam railway. We arrived just in time for a ride and we sat back and relaxed as we chugged along the winding route through the upper part of the grounds, through the rock garden, dragonfly ponds and woodland areas. After the ride we got to meet the train driver and the conductor and learnt all about the railway. 

We decided to stretch our legs and take a walk through the seasonal flowering hydrangea display and jubilee ponds; beautiful! 

We arrived at Bucklers Yard, an ancient riverside village famous for hundreds of years of ship building. First, we explored the fascinating museum which took us on a journey through the history of the area and showed us what life was like for people living in this unique settlement. The area focussed on building some of Britain’s most illustrious sailing ships, with a bit of smuggling and piracy thrown in for good measure! We took a cruise on the river and learnt all about the wildlife that inhabit the area.  

With the ancient city of Salisbury on our doorstep it would have been a shame not to see some of the sights. We drove into the main centre and parked up near Choristers Square. A village green was surrounded by old buildings and museums and this area is inhabited by people associated with the cathedral, working for their religion. We wandered over to the spectacular cathedral with its tall spire, the tallest in Europe! Inside we were amazed by the beauty and craftsmanship throughout. We even got to see the Magna Carta, an ancient document drawn up over 800 years ago to ensure the fair treatment of all citizens in England.