7th March 1992 – Bookworm Article
Not one but three local papers printed an article about me being a tiny little genius. There’s even a video somewhere of me reading on the news. Shame it all went wrong when I discovered alcohol and boys…
2006 – Skiing School Trip
This was an opportunity I never thought I’d get – we went skiing, went up the CN Tower, saw the Niagara Falls, and not only that, but I experienced it all with my two best friends as well.
2008 – First Tattoo
My first tattoo at 18 years old was the logo (pictured below) from the single Londinium by Catatonia. Cerys Matthews was my idol at the time, and it seemed the perfect way to honour her.
May 2010 – Second Tattoo
My second tattoo, aged 20, was a real risky bet! It was a pocket dragon and a pineapple, because of the nicknames my boyfriend (of 10 months) and I had for each other. Luckily we stayed together and got married in 2015, so I have no regrets!
8th July 2012 – Anteater Encounter
For our third anniversary we paid to meet and feed the anteaters at Longleat. There was a barrier between us as they can’t be trusted to behave themselves, but it was lovely to get so close, especially as there was a young baby anteater to meet as well.
21st May 2015 – Star Wars Article
A friend of mine was working as a journalist, and thought my fear of robots would make a good story. It was picked up by a major newspaper, but luckily the article used my maiden name, so it’s harder to find these days. They changed robots in general to Star Wars specifically, and misquoted almost everything I said, but still… I got £500, a free day out in London, and an embarrassing story to look back and laugh about.
30th May 2015 – Hen Party
My hen party was a pyjama party starting at Splashdown water park, followed by pizza and bowling. I loved it so much more than the stereotypical night out… with blackjack and hookers.
13th July 2015 – Zoo Keeper Experience
We got married on 9th July 2015, and our friend worked at Longleat at the time, so when we visited a few days later she treated us to a zoo keeper experience, letting us get up close to loads of the animals, and even petting some of the more friendly ones.
Multiple Dates 2016 – Additional Animal Encounters
The first snake was randomly at Cineworld in Yeovil on one occasion, as was the owl on another. The second snake was in a pet shop. Conveniently for this post, all encounters were in 2016.
March 2016 – Third Tattoo
My third tattoo was at 26, and took 4 hours to complete! It was in honour of our pet chinchilla – Totoro (because we’re Studio Ghibli fans and he looks like a big chinchilla) and Toothless, because Toothy was named after him.
12th May 2016 – Goosebumps Alive
“Journey through the dark, abandoned vaults under Waterloo and walk the knife’s edge of fright and fun in this spine-tingling promenade show, brilliantly reimagined from the classic tales of R. L. Stine. The only way out is through 19 rooms populated by the denizens of your darkest dreams. Will you meet a killer scarecrow, face the haunted mask, escape from a deranged scientist, or be buried alive—or will you find the real horror lurking deep inside your head?“
What a unique experience this was. Underground immersive theatre. The sets were fantastic, the stories carefully chosen, and the audience participation so unexpectedly varied. One moment you could be trapped in a lift while a monster tries to break in, the next you’re crawling through shrinking tunnels away from a madman. It was wonderfully claustrophobic, with a surreal soundtrack, and just the right amount of comedy.
16th December 2017 – Ghost Hunting
Mum and I went ghost hunting overnight at Shepton Mallet prison for her birthday. It was freezing cold in December, and we didn’t see any ghosts (much to mum’s disappointment) but it was brilliant fun, and very atmospheric.
17th September 2019 – Sky Coaster
For my 30th birthday my work friends bought me a voucher for the Sky Coaster in Blackpool. It was absolutely amazing – the feeling of flying is indescribable.
18th September 2019 – Rainbow Landings
Hand feeding nectar to gorgeous Rainbow Lorikeets.
16th February 2020 – Aardvark Encounter
The aardvarks were adorable! They were so friendly – jumping up for cuddles, and trying to lick faces, just like a dog would. We had no idea they would be so affectionate and tame.
16th September 2021 – Raccoon Encounter
The raccoons were so naughty! We had been expecting to meet three, but when we got there we were told that one was in “time out” because he had been biting people, so we would only get to meet the other two. We had to leave our bags outside so they didn’t rummage through them looking for food, but that just meant they had no choice but to check our socks instead! About halfway through the experience we heard a scrabbling, and then suddenly the third raccoon burst in and came running over, looking very pleased with himself for breaking out of isolation. The keeper let him stay “as he went to all that effort” and he was our favourite by the end.
4th February 2022 – Capybara Encounter
The capybaras were so chilled out and relaxed – quite a contrast from the naughty raccoons and the affectionate aardvarks that we’d met in the past. They just wanted to eat, sleep, and have belly scratches. I can relate.
17th March 2022 – Paradox Place
Just a fun opportunity to take some photos and enjoy some optical illusions.
17th March 2022 – Upside Down House
This place was so surreal. It was built with a slant as well, so you really felt disorientated and sea sick. We were so pleased with how the photos turned out.
25th June 2022 – CSI Yeovil
The MOD (Morbidly Obese Detectives) solved CSI Yeovil in 2hrs 31minutes, after successfully following approx. 3 miles worth of clues (virtual crime scenes, witnesses, etc) around town, and then correcting identifying the murderer. My brother and his family also played, and we beat them by 53 seconds! This placed us 7th and 8th overall, out of 37 teams.
28th August 2022 – Fractured Proximal Humerus
Wes and I had taken our niece and nephew (aged 5 and 8 at the time) to a friend’s bouncy castle, with the promise of keeping them safe. So of course within 10 minutes of arriving, I badly fracture my shoulder. It took over 4 months to heal (although it’s likely I’ll never get 100% movement back) including 6 weeks in a sling and 10 weeks with no driving.
16th December 2022 – Ghost Hunting
Five years had passed since I last took mum on a birthday ghost hunt, so this time we tried and failed to find ghosts in Salisbury instead. We were the only two people on the session as the other group had cancelled due to Covid, so we actually ended up with a private overnight tour of “the most haunted building in Salisbury” with a full range of “ghost hunting equipment” all to ourselves.
13th March 2023 – Mother’s Day Spa Trips
Every year since 2015 I took mum to the spa for her Mother’s Day treat. I always booked her a massage and usually a little extra like a head massage or a facial. She loved this time with me and looked forward to it every year, as it was the one day she could turn her phone off and just relax. Our last ever visit was 13th March 2023. We had no way of knowing that two months later she would be gone.
June/September 2023 – Futuro House
Less than 100 Futuro House’s were made in the 1960s, and of the few remaining, there happened to be one temporarily available for camping in Frome, England, 20 minutes down the road! I went once in June for the night with my two best friends, and then back for the night in September with my husband. The inside was just as spaceship-like as the outside, and a unique experience I’ll probably never get to have again now the ship has flown the UK.
11th July 2023 – Fourth Tattoo
My fourth tattoo was a memorial piece after my mum died. I was 33, she was 64. Chickens were her favourite animals, and Muffin was the nickname given to her by my sister. The chocolate chips in and falling from the muffin are hearts. The magnifying glass represents her love for mysteries and detective work, and has the added benefit of justifying the muffin being as large as the chickens. It’s on my left arm to symbolize being close to my heart, and it’s the only tattoo I have always on display.
14th September 2024 – Europe’s Largest Swing
For my 35th birthday I attempted to recreate the feeling of flying from my 30th birthday. The giant swing was not as relaxing as I expected!
16th September 2024 – Prison Island
In addition to the games, we also played Prison Putt – an interactive and immersive crazy golf game, which takes you through an entire prison, from the van to the shower blocks, through the cells, in the rec room, and even a roof top escape complete with a slide!
Described as “merging escape rooms with the Crystal Maze”, Prison Island has 23 mini games, each only lasting a few minutes (but re-playable), with a mix of physical, mental, mystery, etc. The physical games were way to hard for us, but we did well at the others, getting maximum points on Mastermind, Flipper (pinball), Einstein and Copycat.
27th October 2024 – The Cube
“Played in groups of four, prepare to immersive yourself within the high-pressure confines of the iconic glass box. Each game is carefully chosen for you by THE CUBE, with challenges designed to test both your physical and mental agility. Get ready to master skills including balance, speed, judgement and memory.“
Wes and I were the Festive Aardvarks as always, Kelv and Vickie were Muffin’s Mutineers (their tribute to mum). We won with a score of 4300. It was really immersive and we wished we could have played all of the games instead of just 7.
| Game | Players | Score |
| Exchange: Swap the red and blue balls within the time limit. | Me vs Vickie | Me: 250 (first attempt) Vickie: 0 |
| Arc: Roll the ball up a platform and down the other side into a goal. | Wes vs Kelv | 0 for both |
| Exit: Move a maze with each person controlling two directions. Get the block to the exit within the time limit. | Team vs Team | 800 each (second attempt) |
| Locate: Place a block in the right place on the floor while blindfolded. | Wes vs Vickie | 0 for both |
| Synchronicity: Each person throws a ball diagonally at a target, crossing paths, hitting the targets at the same time. | Team vs Team | Us: 1750 (first attempt) Them: 1500 (second attempt) |
| Interchange: See video above. | Team vs Team | Us: 2000 (last attempt) Them: 0 |
| Pathfinder: Remember the direction of the arrows on the floor then follow a maze while blindfolded. | Us (using “swap”) vs Kelv | 0 for both with “simplify”. |
29th March 2025 – Sip & Solve
“Sip & Solve is an immersive puzzle bar where individuals and groups of 2+ players can solve puzzles, crack codes and sip their through to victory. Our Puzzle Pods© are 15-minute escape room-style games set in a beautifully-crafted bar. The perfect social activity.“
As Wes and I don’t ever do escape rooms with anyone except the two of us, this was our compromise with Kelvin and Vickie. A night of amazing cocktails, good company, and mini escape rooms to play together within the bar.
| Game | Time |
| Sail with Kon-tiki | 8:38 mins |
| Wild West Saloon | 9:24 mins |
| Detective’s Office | 17:32 mins |
| Simba Safari Hut | 14:31 mins |
| The Enchanted Tree | 11:35 mins |
| Dracula’s Coffin | 20:11 mins |
Choni Mead 