m i n d f u l m o n d a y s
Mindful Mondays: fernweh
Tag: Ramblings
Mindful Mondays: by Rupi Kaur
m i n d f u l m o n d a y s
Mindful Mondays: rediscover
m i n d f u l m o n d a y s
Mindful Mondays: progress
m i n d f u l m o n d a y s
Mindful Mondays: self love
m i n d f u l m o n d a y s
Happy Valentines Day!
Insta-capital: London is home to the UK’s most Instagrammed tourist attractions
The research development team from SlotsUp analysed hashtag data to determine which of the UK’s most popular tourist attractions are the most Insta-worthy. The study analysed popular hashtags on Instagram of the top 80 most visited tourist attractions in the UK and revealed the Tate Modern in London to be the most ‘Instagrammable’ location, with over 1 million posts.
The Natural History Museum located in London landed in third place, with 674,294 posts, followed closely by the Tower of London with 602,666 posts.
Top 10 most Instagrammable tourist attractions in the UK
- Tate Modern – London – 1,094,047 posts
- Stonehenge – Wiltshire – 786,316 posts
- NHM (South Kensington) – London – 674,294 posts
- Tower of London – London – 602,666 posts
- Edinburgh Castle – Edinburgh – 586,892 posts
- British Museum – London – 586,287 posts
- Kensington Palace – London – 402,921 posts
- Royal Albert Hall – London – 333,873 posts
- Chester Zoo – Chester – 326,866 posts
- Giants Causeway – Northern Ireland – 302,942 posts
Methodology: Taking a seed list of the most visited tourist attractions in the UK, we’ve gathered hashtag data from Instagram to determine the most-posted attractions in and around the UK.
1. Tate Modern, London
Tate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London. In 2016, the Tate Modern expanded by 60% to incorporate more gallery space, and visitors numbers increased by almost 25%, making it one of the UK’s most visited tourist attractions. The modern and contemporary art gallery has now been revealed as the UK’s most Instagrammed tourist attraction, with a staggering 1,094,047 posts.
The Tate Modern features a collection of artistic impressions, including painting, paper, sculpture, films, performances installations and is home to many famous pieces by artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Dali and Warhol.
2. Stonehenge, Wiltshire
One of the most famous prehistoric monuments in Britain, Stonehenge is among the most Instagrammed tourist attractions in the UK, with 786,316 posts on the platform. The World Heritage site was erected in the late Neolithic period around 2500 BC, and the mystery of how and why the stones came to be placed in their unique positions remains a mystery to historians to this day.
3. Natural History Museum, London
Established over 130 years ago, London’s Natural History Museum is one of the UK’s most Instagrammable tourist attractions, with 674,294 hashtags. The museum was founded in the 1850s by biologist Richard Owen, and now features hundreds of exciting and interactive exhibits for visitors to enjoy.
Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature is currently being featured at the Natural History Museum, where families can discover where the real world and the Wizarding World intertwine and explore the myths, legends and magical creatures.
4. Tower of London, London
Steeped in mystery, violence and death, the Tower of London dates back almost 1,000 years and attracts more than 6 million visitors each year. The tower is most notable for the Crown Jewel collection, which showcases an incredible 23,578 glittering gemstones, alongside the infamous Tower Ravens.
Visitors can take a guided tour from the famous Beefeaters, see the Ceremony of the keys – which takes place daily – and learn all about the Tower’s history and unusual ex-inhabitants.
5. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle is a world-famous tourist attraction located in Scotland, and part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site. Perched on an extinct volcano at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the castle plays a significant role in the city’s skyline.
With over 500,000 posts on Instagram, Edinburgh Castle is now one of the most Instagrammed attractions in the UK. Tourists often catch a snapshot of the twinkling views of the capital at night, the red and pink skies as the sun sets below and the stunning dusky views throughout the day.
6. British Museum, London
Founded in 1753, with more than 13 million artefacts that span over two million years of human history, the British Museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the UK. More than 5 million visitors head to the museum each year to see the most notable ancient artefacts – the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens, and the famous Rosetta Stone.
In addition to the extensive artefact collection, the museum has special exhibitions, displays and events available for visitors to enjoy. You can book a private tour to gain more insight into the history of each exhibition, or join a workshop or lecture.
7. Kensington Palace, London
Kensington Palace in London is a working Royal residence and was the birthplace and childhood home of Queen Victoria. It has since hosted a wealth of royals, including Prince Charles and Princess Diana, with their children, Prince William and Prince Harry. Currently, the palace is the official London residence of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess live in the 20-room Apartment, formerly the residence of Princess Margaret.
There are multiple areas of Kensington Palace that are open to the public. Visitors can take a stroll through the King’s State Apartments, the Queen’s State Apartments and the Gardens. Guests can also visit the exhibitions, shop and cafe.
8. Royal Albert Hall, London
One of London’s most notable and iconic attractions, the Royal Albert Hall has hosted some of the world’s most famous musicians, sports stars and politicians since it opened in 1871. The Royal Albert Hall design was based on a Roman amphitheatre, with stacked balconies that bring visitors close to the action. With a capacity of around 6,000, the number of visitors that have entered the venue over the years runs to many millions.
Chester Zoo, Chester
The beloved Chester Zoo has been entertaining and teaching the North West for almost 100 years. In recent years it has seen over 2 million visitors flock to the zoo annually, not surprising considering the 130 acres of land is bursting with tens of thousands of animals and even more plants. The zoo is now officially one of the most Instagrammed attractions in the UK, with 333,873 posts on the social platform.
10. Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
The Giant’s Causeway comprises around 40,000 thousand interlocking basalt columns, descending into the Atlantic Ocean. The hexagonal-shaped columns are the aftermath of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption and date back almost 60 million years. To truly immerse yourself into the Giants Causeway experience, head into the visitors centre where you can discover the story of this UNESCO World Heritage site.
The data and findings in this post were made by the research team at SlotsUp. All photos have been credited to their original sources respectively.
BRISTOL PRIMARY SCHOOL IS FIRST TO RECEIVE WATERPROOF AND WELLIES KITS TO AID OUTDOOR LEARNING
The Waterproof and Wellies Project, part of The Outdoor Guide Foundation, is raising £5m to provide State Primary Schools with outdoor clothing & wellie boots to enable children to learn about and enjoy the outdoors.
Four Acres Academy, Withywood, is the first school to benefit from the Waterproof & Wellies Project, launched by TV presenter Gemma Hunt from CBeebies.
Government figures show there are over 20,000 primary schools in the UK in which a number of families do not have easy access to the right gear to enjoy the outdoors.
The project, part of The Outdoor Guide Foundation, aims to raise £5m to provide 10 sets of high-quality outdoors kit, consisting of a waterproof jacket, trousers and welly boots to every state primary school across the country over the next six years.
TV presenter Gemma Hunt from CBeebies, mother of a four-year-old daughter and outdoor enthusiast, says, “I am thrilled to be supporting this and encouraging more children to get outside. The kits provide the basic gear that will allow children to have wonderful outdoor experiences when at school, whatever the weather!”
Headteacher of Four Acres Academy, Matthew Cave said: “When we have taken learning outdoors we have seen amazing results – the children are engaged in the tasks, cooperate brilliantly and really enjoy this part of their curriculum. We’re delighted to be working with The Waterproof and Wellies Project, ensuring that all our children can experience the benefits of playing and learning in the great outdoors.”
“Lack of access to weatherproof clothing is a real barrier for children engaging in outdoor learning. The Waterproof and Wellies Project aims to democratise access to the great outdoors by donating 10 kits to every state primary school in Britain, meaning all kids can join their classmates for fun, fresh air and adventures in nature.”
Gina Bradbury Fox, co-founder of The Outdoor Guide (TOG)
Keep Britain Tidy, a partner of The Outdoor Guide, donated litter pickers and reusable TOG litter bags to Four Acres Academy, encouraging children to care for the world around them and keep their local area clean and ready for play as part of their Great British Spring Clean campaign which aims to encourage everyone to pick up litter.
Marcus Rashford launches new website to support families over Christmas Holidays
Marcus Rashford MBE and the Child Food Poverty Taskforce have launched a new website; www.endchildfoodpoverty.org on December 18th, coinciding with the transmission of a new BBC documentary which has been following his campaigning efforts to tackle child food poverty.
The website has two main aims. Firstly, to help vulnerable families and children to find support over the Christmas holidays via an interactive map that signposts to the available local support in their area. Local Authorities, Businesses, Food banks, NGO’s and Charities and sporting organisations have all signed up, presenting their offers of food support to young people and families throughout the winter period and beyond. The website also contains information on how people can offer support, either through donating money or volunteering.
32% of households with children in the UK report a loss of income due to the pandemic.
Food Foundation
Several major UK food businesses and members of the Child Food Poverty Task Force have rallied together to tackle child hunger this winter, with the website being a central point for information on support schemes available.
The website has been built by digital agency, 89up with support from PLMR and Web Geo Services. It was funded by Co-Op and Google. Ongoing funding will be provided by the Rapid Relief Team.
The Government recently announced £170 million was to be given to Local Authorities in the emergency winter grants scheme, as the country prepares for one of the most challenging Christmas periods ever with millions struggling to feed their families. The #endchildfoodpoverty website includes details and links in order for people to access the support being offered by their local council.
Hundreds of food banks and charities have also registered details of the emergency food provision they will be offering over the Christmas period, with a huge rise in people looking for support being reported. IFAN have reported a 60% increase in the use of Food Banks in October, and are projecting a sharp rise in numbers as millions more face financial insecurity due to the pandemic and the end of the furloughing schemes.
Two in five children in the UK living under the poverty line (1.3 million) are not eligible for Free School Meals.
CPAG, Dec 2020
Businesses and other organisations are also invited to register to the #endchildfoodpoverty map, with hundreds opening and offering holiday schemes or free meals to children as part of a broad campaign to bring the country together to #EndChildFoodPoverty. Marcus Rashford is calling on as many as possible to register details of their offer using the following web form: bit.ly/ecfpform
The BBC documentary, entitled Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain’s Children can be watched on demand on the BBC iPlayer – you can watch the trailer here.
The Food Foundation has also released a series of podcasts recorded over the past few months, introduced by Dame Emma Thompson. The podcasts, recorded all over the UK, hear from the people on the front line in food banks, charities and from families who are facing crisis levels of food insecurity. They have been recorded as part of the Right2Food Campaign and feature the Young Food Ambassadors that also appear in the BBC documentary.
#EndChildFoodPoverty
Press Release from The Food Foundation, December 2020
Inspirational Actors You Won’t Believe That Are Over 65
These inspirational actors are not only young at heart, they still look it too. It’s quite hard to tell how old they really are. But when you take a closer look at the number of years they’ve been gracing our screens, you can get an inkling of their age.
Age UK Mobility recently released an infographic on inspirational actors you won’t believe are over 65 and I was lucky enough to get involved. Here’s what I had to say:
“I didn’t realise some big-name actors like Dame Helen Mirren, Denzel Washington and Bruce Willis were over 65! They all still look fabulously amazing for their age! I loved Helen in Collateral Beauty. The film has an amazing cast and the story was brilliantly told and unravelled.”
Manny, The Wandering Mother
If you’ve never watched Collateral Beauty, I highly recommend it! It stars Will Smith (who plays Howard) who is going through difficult time in his life and at work. It’s a story that will tug on the heartstrings – it left me in tears but not of sadness, instead tears of emotional relief. The story is brilliantly told and I loved the unravelling twist at the end.
Infographic: Actors Over 65
Infograph credit: Age UK Mobility
More on Age UK Mobility and the infographic here: https://www.ageukmobility.co.uk/mobility-news/article/inspirational-actors-you-wont-believe-are-over-65Age UK Mobility
Hello November!
We meet again…
As we move closer to December and Christmas, we wrap up the end of the autumnal months with the clocks going back last weekend. I can’t believe how quickly the year has FLOWN by (I know I say it every year but I could swear that this year has gone by faster than usual!) especially with the ongoing effects of the pandemic still looming around.
I think I’m ready for November and the rest of the year to pass by and wash over… like a cleansing. As much as 2020 seems to have been really shitty it’s also taught me some valuable lessons and re-confirmed what my primary focus should be on, which is always FAMILY. I think sometimes people forget how important family can be – especially if you have annoying family members, or family members that you’ve fallen out with. No matter what the differences are, try to set them aside because there really is nothing more important than family as everything else really does come and go but your family are always there to stay.
Rekindle the love with your partner.
Rebuild those bridges with your siblings.
Mend the bond with your parents.
These past couple of months I have actually been really struggling to get any motivation going. I have not put pen to paper – or hand to computer in this instance – for a while now which is scary as I love blogging and writing new stories, etc. Some days I find the energy to sit down and do something but most days, I am just exhausted of everything. I’m sure I’m not the only one!
October’s round-up:
If you’ve been away from the blog last month, here’s what you’ve missed so far…
- Greenwich Dance receives lifeline grant from Gov funding
- Could a vegan diet in pregnancy actually be healthy? (guest post)
- 5 Ways to Keep your family happy during lockdown (guest post)
- How to help yourself and your family get more from the rest of 2020 (guest post)
I’ve been enjoying having guest writers contributing their great articles and content to the blog and I hope you enjoy reading them too. If there’s any stories or articles that you’d also like to see more of either from myself or a guest writer, do leave me suggestions below in the comment box. 🙂
What’s been happening in RL (real life)?
With the crappy rule of six in place, there’s not been much going on in terms of meeting up with friends and heading out for days out. This Wandering Mother & co. are already a group of four which limits how many people we can actually see but we have been meeting our friends and family separately in our individual bubbles.
The children seem to be managing well at school and end of October. We met up with our social bubble friends and had an autumnal retreat for the kids which was amazing! No trick or treating this year but we carved a pumpkin with their cousin Lils and aunty L which was a treat! I made a delicious pumpkin soup with some of the flesh. They really enjoyed themselves and had lots of sweets to make up for the lack of trick or treating. We put a pumpkin out on our balcony for anyone on a Pumpkin Hunt to discover! Look up as we’re on the 5th floor. 🙂
Pumpkin Patch pickings…
We didn’t go pumpkin picking this year (which is a shame) but saying that, there’s still time in November to pop along! Throwback to last year when we went to a pumpkin patch and got involved in Pumpkin Carving at Lewisham Shopping Centre.
Hello September!
Can you believe it’s September already?
It’s gone by so fast! It’s now approaching 7 months since the lockdown and it’s been a very long time. Lockdown psychosis – as a mum friend of mine calls it – has started to settle in and I find myself actively searching for more things to do outdoors with the kids. Good thing is that with most places opening up again, it’s more possible now to get out and do something.
So what’s been going on the blog?
Blog Giveaways
I hosted TWO giveaways at the start of August which was fantastic for everyone as well as myself – the first was a family-friendly giveaway for Peppa Pig’s new book, Peppa Pig Loves Doctors and Nurses and the second was for the ladies, the August Birchbox beauty box as I was lucky enough by pure chance to receive an extra one in the post (by accident as I wasn’t charged twice!). I will be hosting more giveaways from now to the end of the year, which I’m planning on continuing into next year. Both giveaways did really well and I’m so glad a lot of people got involved. It’s nice to give away free stuff that people actually want! 🙂
Birthday Celebrations
August for our family is like Christmas – with the majority of us born in August (myself, Little Man, my sister AND my brothers, 3 of my friends, my friend’s son)… there’s plenty of celebrations. We celebrated Little Man’s birthday with a Dinosaur Themed birthday party which I wrote about and there’s many resources in there to look at if you’re also planning a own dino-themed party.
Re-opening of attractions
We’ve had the majority of Greenwich’s museums opening up this month which was great! We went on an outdoor nature trail, learnt about the history of Cutty Sark and stood next to the meridian line at Royal Observatory. I have my nephew Lils with me and the kids loved the Cutty Sark so much that we’re going to head back onto the ship next week. We’re looking out for a day when there’s good weather so we can take photos. I had taken loads which I wanted to share but for some reason they never saved on the ActionCam I was using as my phone’s back camera is busted, I lost all the photos! Such a bummer but it’s okay, we can recreate new memories now that I’ve upgraded my phone. Yay!
More videos on YouTube
This one’s been the most challenging for me as it takes me so long to film, then even longer to edit and post onto YT. Youtubbers, vloggers and those that do full-time work on both blog & vlog… I salute you! You guys are amazing – especially with all the effort you go to in order to make your videos look the bomb! Mine are still not great but I’m hoping the audio’s now improved with the new phone. If not then I’m getting used to doing the voice-overs so hopefully you’ll get better audio from the videos. Unfortunately, the raw unpolished look will stay as we don’t have the best visual flat to record in but it’s the content that counts right?! LOL
Back to School
The kids will be returning back to school next week and we’ve pretty much sorted out our school uniform. The only thing that needs sorting out is the learning. WE did soooo good with our homeschooling… up until the summer holidays started. Then everything literally went t*ts up.. no joke. I feel like Little Man has forgotten everything, and because I’ve been so lazy during summer I haven’t bothered with Little Miss either (she’s starting reception class but I think I can get away with her). Fingers crossed to us! We’re starting to homeschool again – we have a week to sort ourselves out. Next weekend I’m back at work so that will be interesting and fun. We all have new PPE to keep us safe but I’m hoping for the spa guests they will still have a good experience.. and I hope they can understand me through my mask and visor. Eek! I’m just extra happy to be out of the house, back in my element and smelling those wonderful aromas of Aromatherapy Associates oils again!
Blog Changes
You’ll see a post on the blog real soon but… we’re going through some changes! Well, a name change to be direct. 🙂 It’s been something I’ve thought about for a long time and I’m happy to share with you all that The Greenwich Mummy will be growing into The Wandering Mother. My blog has taken a few new directions which includes more of a focus on family travel as well as family lifestyle so it only seems right to give the blog a little renovation too. Hopefully, I’m making the right choice – so from September onwards you’ll start seeing a few changes here and there!
Here’s to new beginnings in September…
Cheers!
Share Your World 8-17-2020
Share Your World Meets Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
1. Harry Potter can speak to snakes. If you were able to have conversations with any one animal, what animal would you like to speak to? What would be the topic of your first conversation?
I think I would like to talk to elephants and ask them if it’s true that ‘an elephant never forgets’. I listen to all their experiences because I’m sure they’ve got a few interesting stories to tell. They seem like wise old mammals. 🙂
2. The portraits in Hogwart’s dormitories can talk. If your graduation portrait could speak to people passing it by, what would it tell them?
I’d tell them to not be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I was very popular at school and college but not so much at uni as I just kept myself to myself. I did well in my work but because I was so good at being independent, when I needed help it was so hard to ask because of the image others had of me. I had one friend that I could confide and she’s the only one to this day that I still speak to.
3. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger use the Pollyjuice Potion for finding new clues for the happenings at Hogwarts. (The Pollyjuice Potion is a magic potion that allows your body to form into that of another and live their life for a few hours.) If you could transform into another being, who would you chose to be? What would you hope to learn?
I would like to transform into my children. There’s been days were they’d drive me so mad that I can’t think straight and just get so irritable towards them. I’d like to know what and how they’re feeling so I could experience it and reflect on how I can change my ways to be a better mother.
4. There was a flooding in the girl’s bathroom where Moaning Myrtle resides. What has been the most dangerous (or comical) ‘flooding’ where you reside?
This happened recently… twice! The first time I wasn’t home to witness it but the second occasion, I was. My sister came over to my flat and we got chatting. She went to use the bathroom, washed her hands and turned off the bathroom light. After chatting to my sister some more I went to get something in my bedroom. As I headed out to the hallway, I could hear running water but the bathroom light was off – I assumed it was my partner and called out to him but there was no reply. I thought that was odd so switched on the light and open the bathroom door.
To my surprise, the bathroom sink was overflowed with water gushing down its side (my sink is partially blocked so it’s really slow draining) and the floor had flooded over an inch. I was gobsmacked! And stressed at the same time. My sister was adamant that she had turned off the tap to the point she was arguing that she dried her hand so would’ve heard the water running as she left if it was still on. We managed to clear the flood but my laminate floor in the hallway is starting to lift up more… it’s going to be an expensive replacement!
_
Mundane or “Muggle” Questions:
(Serious one which is rather creepy): How do you think you’ll die?
I used to always think that I’ll die drowning, suffocating or being stabbed. Weird and not the best way to go to be honest.. I think I would prefer to die in my sleep if I could really choose.
What’s the best on-line screen name you’ve seen?
Frogandtoadaregay has to be one of the best! 🙂
What’s invisible that you wish people could see?
Hurt. If people knew how easy it can be to hurt someone or someone’s feelings then maybe the majority might be a little more mindful in how they say or do things.
If over time you replace parts on a car, at what point does it stop being the same car you bought?
I think once you’ve replaced 4-5 different parts then it’s no longer the same car. Unless the car had a lot of sentimental value to me then I’d probably feel that no amount of replacements will make me think it’s still not the same. 🙂
via Stine Writing where I initially found this week’s SYW
via Sparks from a Combustible Mind
via Roger Shipp
Wandering.Mother 