Tag: Ramsgate

M&M’s Bitesize Cookies and More EXTRA Chewing Gum!

On By Bao Bao QiuIn Uncategorized4 Comments
There’s an old Victorian style sweet shop in Ramsgate! It’s called Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe and I’ve never been in an old looking sweet shop before. It felt like being in a Harry Potter scene… ^_^ (Check out my pictures in this post)… So what did I buy? I bought three items…
EXTRA chewing gum and M&M’s Bite Size Cookies
First thing that caught my eye were these M&M Bitesize Cookies. These are definitely mini cookies which taste like normal chocolate chip cookies, but there’s a candy shell sweet taste to it – as you would expect with M&M’s being in a cookie. There were only 8 pieces of mini cookies in the packet, and cost 99p. There’s nothing too special about them, and I’m sure a lot of people can bake these… Wished I had a bigger version of it! Was a bit disappointed with these really… 😦
Only 8 pieces in the packet!
The second item is the Apple Pie EXTRA Dessert Delights chewing gum costing £1.49. Expensive! I liked the other flavours that I bought from Dallas, and so I wanted to try out a couple more… This one tastes a bit like apple pie. It has a very sweet taste to it and you can taste the “crust” flavouring. There’s a bit of an apple sour taste. It’s probably not my type of flavour, but it tastes ok if you like Apple Pie!!
Extra Dessert Delights – Apple Pie Flavour

The packaging

The chewing gum
The third item I bought was the Sweet Tropical EXTRA Fruit Sensations chewing gum also costing £1.49. This one is right up my alley! Once you open the plastic wrapper there’s an instant tropical fruit smell. It tastes a bit sour but I don’t mind! I do like sour things to be honest, just not sour apples. 🙂 It has a long-lasting taste to it too!
EXTRA Fruit Sensations – Sweet Tropical Flavour

Funny packaging

The chewing gum
There’s over 90 Mr Simms Old Sweet Shoppe stores in the UK! And there’s one in Finchley, London too! I think I need to pop up to North London some time soon!! XD
Website: http://www.mrsimmsoldesweetshoppe.co.uk/ (I don’t think they sell these products on their Internet site 😦 too bad!)….

Travelodge – Ramsgate Seafront

On By Bao Bao QiuIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
This is the third Travelodge I have been to in my lifetime. It was practically the only one I could book as everywhere else was booked up! There were some other places, but they looked dodgy or too far from where we wanted to be…
Travelodge Ramsgate Seafront is about 10 minutes away from the beach, less than a minute away from the high street and I guess it has many advantages compared to other guest houses and inns!
Travelodge Ramsgate Seafront sign

Travelodge on one side

At the front

The room is a bit small compared to the other rooms I have been in. There was one double bed and one sofa bed already made up.

A small family room

Double bed

Coat hangers and towels

Bathroom has a toilet and a bath / shower. (Miss Pinky felt claustrophobic in there!).

Bathroom

Shower head

Windows can’t open, so you’re going to have to bear with it. There’s no air con, but there is a small heater and a flat screen TV is also available.

Flat screen TV, desk and heater… 

The restaurant area is ok. It was quiet at dinner time, and this is the food we had…

Press the button for assistance

Dining area… nice and spacious

Television is available to watch 

The big lights

My lamb shank was a bit bland, but I just added a bit of salt. It was very filling! Mine cost £10.50 in total which included a Pepsi… Miss Pinky and Master H enjoyed their food… I think theirs cost about £15-ish.

Piri Piri Half Roast Chicken

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Lamb Shank

And the desserts were very good! Miss Pinky said hers was too sweet, but it wasn’t that sweet. Master H finished it for her! He ate a lot for a young kid! ^_^

Miss Pinky’s Sticky Toffee Pudding with custard 

Ice Cream for Master H

My Caramel Apple Crumble and custard

All in all it is a good hotel, but it’s unfortunate that they are situated next to a pub that makes a lot of noise during karaoke night… However the drinkers are very good, and the pub closes early. So the best thing to do is stay up until 11 pm before going to sleep!

Breakfast was very busy on the Sunday than usual apparently! And you get to eat as much as you like for £7.65 per person. Children eat for free at breakfast.

I’ll give it a geeky rating of 4/5! Lost a mark for the price and noise levels, plus having to pay for the Internet! Free WIFI needed…
Cost of the room was £81 and I used an Internet voucher for 24 hours which cost £10… Expensive for one night I know!

Website: http://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/510/Ramsgate-Seafront-hotel

Bank Holiday Weekend in Ramsgate – Day 2

On By Bao Bao QiuIn Uncategorized2 Comments
Wakey wakey! It was a hard night’s sleep on the bed / sofa I was sleeping on, so I woke up before the alarm went off!
Looking outside from our hotel room
We had breakfast at the Travelodge is £7.65 and it’s free for children under 15! (But I think they must be accompanied by an adult). I didn’t take any pictures of the breakfast which consisted of scrambled eggs, sausage, baked beans and toast. I also had a piece of toast with a bit of Marmite just to remind myself why I don’t like Marmite. It’s salty, bitter and not my type of spread. Yuck! 😛
Since it was so early and check out time was 12pm, we went out for a short walk before we headed back home, so we took Miss Pinky to the places we went to the day before.
Master H running towards the sea!

Miss Pinky just sitting there… wasn’t willing to go walking on the beach at first
Master H and I went towards the sea again and we went looking for seashells. 🙂 And Miss Pinky decided to do a short walk and then sit around whilst we looked for more seashells.
Pretty picture of the sea… 
Master H accidentally picked up a dead crab claw (I think the seagulls ate it already) and he got scared… This is another crab shell (not the one that Master H stepped on as he was embarrassed of becoming all shy!!). Hahahaha!!!
Seashells, stones and sand

A crab shell 
We got loads of seashells!!
During low tide we saw a lot of seaweed sitting on top of wet sand. I told Master H the general scientific name of seaweed – algae, and now he keeps saying it! Hah!
Master H walking around the seaweed

The lovely sun was out!
I didn’t remember this statue having a scarf around its neck the day before…!
Where and when did that scarf appear? Was it there all the time?
Finally we went back to the high street, and yes Master H got his £1.99 toy. A miniature Star Wars toy. ¬,¬” Good grief!
Groovy Frog Shop – a little place to shop for toys, manga and stuff

Lights of Ramsgate High Street
It was time to check out, depart the hotel and make our walk to the train station! I took a few pictures along the way…
A brick chair

There’s a Sweeney Todd’s Barbers in Ramsgate!! Awesome!!

Along Station Approach Road… pretty bee on a pretty yellow flower

Oink oink

I have a feeling this butterfly was staring at me when I took this picture O_o

The insects are definitely not camera shy in Ramsgate!

Pretty pink flower

Ramsgate Train Station
We were on a very empty South Eastern Train service, and so Master H made a lot of noise, sang and was taking videos on his iPad!… Very empty service for a Sunday!!
An empty train…
Miss Pinky and I dropped Master H home, and then he went out to play with his friends… So much energy one child can have… And then I headed home…
End of Day 2 and, of my Bank Holiday holiday!! Yay!! (I have another short holiday coming up without Miss Pinky and Master H… and I can’t wait!!).

Bank Holiday Weekend in Ramsgate – Day 1

On By Bao Bao QiuIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
Finally! It’s the Summer Bank Holiday Weekend! And the best way to spend it is by getting of London for a couple of days. ^_^
Miss Pinky and I promised we would take Master H to the beach for the bank holiday, I think it’s for his holiday report for his school. (I hope his school hasn’t asked him to write another 50 word report again – our last summer trip was in Legoland, Windsor XD). We were supposed to stay with a friend who had retired and went to Broadstairs but unfortunately that didn’t happen due to her daughter’s engagement party. 😦 So in the end, I had to quickly find a hotel or a B&B, but there was nothing in Broadstairs!! Oh, how unfortunate!! Everywhere was booked up… But I chose to book somewhere nearby… as in either Margate or Ramsgate. In the end I chose the Travelodge in Ramsgate which I will blog about in another post…
Our train ticket was to go to Broadstairs as I had already bought the tickets before I was told we weren’t staying there, but we decided to get off at Ramsgate. I think it would’ve been the same price to go there, so I’m sure it wouldn’t have mattered.

At Ramsgate Train Station

Inside Ramsgate Train Station

So it was a bit of a walk to get to the seafront and the hotel we were staying at but it was definitely worth it. The walk from the station to the seaside is about 25 minutes for a fast walker (or maybe a shorter time).

Passed an ASDA along the way to the Seafront!

At the start of the high street

We were very near the beach when we got there, but Miss Pinky wanted to find the hotel to rest. And I said I would take Master H back out for an hour whilst she had a rest. 

Loads of boats in Ramsgate!

An event going on 

Map of Ramsgate

Lots of seafood!

I took Master H back towards the area where a lot of games and stalls were placed (pictures above). 

Went into the Family Arcade… Lost £1 playing games…

An American band setting up

And this is the band a bit later playing some music…

Hehehe!! Love this!!

Then we spotted the sea and I took Master H there. I think Master H has never been near the sea before and he was ultra scared of the water. Hehehe. So I walked towards the sea bent down and touched the water. It was super cold! Master H followed and in the end he overcame his fear of the small waves!

We started walking around on the beach taking pictures of birds and people. 
Lots of seagulls waiting for food to appear!

Lots of seaweed about!

Lifeguards station

Some people about on the beach…

We were throwing stones into the sea

We even wrote in the sand!

I am The Geek!! ^_^

Seaside moment 🙂

Tall monument

Finally we went towards the high street. We saw this small waterfall and took some pictures…

A very small waterfall feature

Can you see the waterfall?

If those buildings weren’t there I would have a good view of the sea!

Went into the sweet shop first! They sell a lot of American candy / sweets / chocolate and chewing gum!! I didn’t realise there’s a shop in Ramsgate that sells this stuff… (all candy and chocolate fans need to find this shop!!) Wow 🙂 I even bought a small packet of M&M’s mini cookies which I will blog in another post!!

Lots of candy!!

Inside Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe

Lots of American Sweets

Jelly Belly!!

Outside the shop ^_^

Master H wanted a toy and so we went in search for one. Unfortunately it was a bit late, most of the shops were about to close and he didn’t get the one he had wanted. Master H got a bit stroppy with me. Kids! I spoil them and then they get moody with me. I told him there is always tomorrow… Good grief. It was a long hour of moody Master H!

We went into Wilkinsons, and spotted a pigeon! Can you see it?

Got back to the Travelodge and Miss Pinky was fast asleep! But we woke her up and we started watching TV and deciding what to eat… And I told her about her brother’s moodiness! 

In the end he did say sorry for being moody… And we all went downstairs and ate our dinner in Travelodge… The last time I went to a Travelodge (the one in Edinburgh) they ran out of lamb shank. This time I got what I wanted. Miss Pinky had a peri peri chicken and gave a bit to Master H. Master H had the spaghetti and meatballs which was on the kid’s menu… And then it was dessert time… It was all very filling. We were allowed to eat it upstairs in our room too! (Pictures will be in the post about Travelodge Ramsgate Seafront… coming soon!).
Finally it was time to go to bed. We went to bed really early! Unfortunately it was really noisy outside… There are some bad karaoke singers out there! 😛
End of Day 1.