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Old 22 Jul 20, 10:59 PM  
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DisneyDaffodil
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Day trips review

Not really sure if this should be in general chat, trip reports or current issues so please move if necessary Mods.

Our holiday to Athens this week hasn’t been possible and we didn’t feel comfortable with booking anything else so decided to go on day trips in the Wales and West area for our two week holiday this year. It’s me, DH and DD19. Both myself and DD have had anxieties and fears over going out the past few months due to Covid-19 and it’s left us very nervous of crowds so we’re trying to build up our confidence through this two weeks and start to return to some kind of normality.

I thought it may be useful if I review our day trips and praise/complain where necessary so it may help others who are struggling with going out. We are visiting NT Gardens, beaches and zoos amongst other smaller attractions or places (we will add photos for the more interesting ones) The first one is:

Trago Mills Merthyr Tydfil

This isn’t a big or exciting day trip but we thought we’d start with something low key. This is a huge retail store selling all sorts of things. We visited this and was pleased to see arrows and an one way system around the store. We visited the outdoor garden centre, and bought a small Acer tree, and this area also had clearly marked one way system. However, we returned instore and walked around until we got to the fabrics/craft area. This area was very busy and the one way system broke down. DD wanted to buy material for sewing but became anxious with the crowds and I agreed that it was stressful. We left with no fabric and paid for our items, although the checkout area was busy too.

We felt this wasn’t a successful trip and made us more nervous. We tweaked our plans to take a few shopping trips out of the plans as we don’t feel ready for them yet. Our next day trip is to the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail which should be easier as it’s more open, but we are visiting on a weekend (last weekend) so could cause problems for us. I realise that not everyone has worries about going out, but this report is more for those who do. I hope it helps.

Edited at 12:24 PM.
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Old 22 Jul 20, 11:36 PM  
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DisneyDaffodil
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Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, Coleford

We have never visited the sculpture trail before but had heard of it from a Dibber who suggested it as a day trip for us. We set off on a Sunday morning on a lovely sunny day. We found it easily and pulled into the car park feeling happy as we felt this would be better than the first trip as it was outdoors. Our faces dropped when we saw the car park, it was incredibly busy, there were people everywhere and barely any car parking spaces even though it was only 10.30. I could feel us starting to panic. DH said it would be better once we started walking as there would be more space.We parked, then tried to pay for parking. The pay and display machines were not working due to Covid, and there were signs up to ring to pay. This did not work for us, or for many others. Therefore there was a huge queue at the visitor centre to buy parking tickets, with no SD markings. The playground nearby was open, and there were huge numbers of families in this area, many very close together. I could feel myself and DD’s panic. However we bought the ticket and left our car and set off towards the trail.

The start of the trail was still busy, with no markings for SD and no one keeping distances. There was a hand gel station by the beginning of the trail. However as the trail went on, it was possible to find areas without crowds, or anyone else.

The sculpture trail is a pleasant walk with very good pathways, cycle tracks are kept separate from walking paths for most of the walk so it’s safe for walkers and cyclists. DD loves forests and wildlife and loved the trail, so did our dog Rolo 😀. We found a quiet spot in the centre of the trail and enjoyed our picnic before following the trail back to the very busy visitor centre.






We felt we coped better with this day trip, especially as the visitor centre was so chaotic and the car parking was confusing. The sculpture trail itself is a lovely walk with lots of wildlife, butterflies and bugs, to see. It’s very family friendly and also really good to take your dog with you for a walk.

Our next day trip is to Clifton Village and the Suspension Bridge in Bristol

Edited at 11:42 PM.
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Old 23 Jul 20, 01:08 AM  
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Wismgari
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This is great, well done to you both for challenging your anxieties. I am also in South Wales and also terrified of going out anywhere! I had a couple of days off work.for my birthday and left Cardiff for the first time! Went on a lovely countryside walk where we did not meet another person, and to a beautiful almost deserted beach. You are much braver than me going to places where other people are, so well done! Keep it up and I look forward to following along 🙂
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Old 23 Jul 20, 07:43 AM  
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Loopylooloo
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Lovely photos of you all and the sculpture trail looks really nice! I think outdoor walks etc are going to be a safer bet than busy shops. The trees look lovely 😊
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Old 23 Jul 20, 07:53 AM  
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Noodle500
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I've just booked the Royal Mint Experience (Wales). It will be my first indoor experience / outing. They are limited to 7 people on a tour time slot.

I've been to a couple of local National Trust places, Attingham Park and Shugborough. I've found them well set up with time slots and one way system where needed.

We've visited Chester and Twcross zoos. Arriving early is best as it was a bit busy by lunchtime at the most popular animals. But people were queuing correctly. We just moved on as DH dislikes queuing.
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Old 23 Jul 20, 08:08 AM  
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iloveholidays1
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Just read your thread, thanks for posting, I live in Gloucestershire, so far I can relate to where you have visited. Do like a Trago Mills trip, but I'll wait until September and just pop into the Falmouth one on holiday hopefully.
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Old 23 Jul 20, 08:14 AM  
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WhereIBelong
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The sculpture trail is one of our go-to days out. Thank you for letting us know how it is at the moment.
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Old 23 Jul 20, 08:31 AM  
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I want to go on a day trip tomorrow but the thing that worries me is if I am out all day I will need a trip to the loo. Not sure if they are open anywhere.

The forest trail looks lovely.
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Old 23 Jul 20, 09:50 AM  
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DisneyDaffodil
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Originally Posted by Wismgari View Post
This is great, well done to you both for challenging your anxieties. I am also in South Wales and also terrified of going out anywhere! I had a couple of days off work.for my birthday and left Cardiff for the first time! Went on a lovely countryside walk where we did not meet another person, and to a beautiful almost deserted beach. You are much braver than me going to places where other people are, so well done! Keep it up and I look forward to following along 🙂
We’ve only visited our supermarket, which I’ve hated but made myself do it, and a garden centre before the day trips so this is a huge step as we’ve planned such a wide range of places to visit. I definitely wouldn’t feel ready for a trip to Cardiff yet. I hope you manage to get out a little more soon, it’s difficult to do after feeling safer at home but going to quiet places at first is the best way I feel
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Old 23 Jul 20, 09:53 AM  
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Originally Posted by Loopylooloo View Post
Lovely photos of you all and the sculpture trail looks really nice! I think outdoor walks etc are going to be a safer bet than busy shops. The trees look lovely 😊
The walk certainly went better than Trago but I was shocked at the visitor centre where there were so many people not even trying to keep 2m apart, it nearly sent me back into the car. The trail is certainly a lovely place for a walk though and it was a gorgeous day to visit as the weather was lovely
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