the details around and thought 'great house, but it comes with 250 exotic animals in the garden, who in their right minds would take that on?' And then we thought, actually, maybe we would.The Mee family visited the site “Just to rule it out”, which turned out

Open Garden Squares Weekend (June 9-10)Amongst our sprawling urban metropolis, hundreds of lush green oases lie hidden from view, undiscovered by the majority of the capital’s residents. For one weekend a year, the Open Garden Squares Weekend, these secret spaces open their gates...

. For the modern child, between E-books, apps and Amazon the experience of visiting a bespoke, independent bookshop may be an unfamiliar one, so why not give your child a taste of the literary life by taking in a family event during Independent Booksellers Week

4th The rites of springJoin in the May Day celebrations at Eastbury Manor House in Essex, where regal fancy dress is encouraged, historical music shall fill the garden and a twirl round the Maypole may prove irresistible. Tel: 020 8724 1002; www.nationaltrust.org.uk5th A jolly ni...

Nature Adventures by Mick Manning and Brita Granström (£7.99, Frances Lincoln)A finely detailed guide to the natural life that can be found in various habitats from town to country. The evocative illustrations and comprehensive listings of various flora and fauna make this an abs...

■ For a show that is certain to be huge, watch 20 life-sized dinosaurs roam, ripple and roar while learning their story through cinematic video and sounds. Try not to get in the way when Walking With Dinosaurs stomps into Belfast’s Odyssey Arena, from September 14–16. For tour de...

The festive season is full of exciting events and activities for families.Find out what's on in your area with our guide to the happiest yuletide happenings in: The NorthThe MidlandsThe SouthWalesNorthern IrelandScotlandLondon events or London

Wonky donkeys, fluffed lines and not a dry eye in the house: the Nativity play is a long-standing tradition with the power to pull on the heartstrings. Billed as a British family Christmas movie aimed at the school gate audience, Nativity 2

Just another cheery feelgood flick from Tim Burton, full of sunshine and smiles...Only joking, this is the master of modern macabre we are talking about here. Burton’s latest oeuvre is a noir-ish stop-motion animation shot in gloriously gloomy black and white. The ghoulish childr...

wish to discover another, lesser-seen side to the island, would do very well to pick up Wightlink’s Secret Wight brochure, detailing a plethora of family-friendly adventure challenges across the island.If the idea of an adventure holiday sounds a little