Skev's Qype profile

A visit to London isn’t complete without a trip on the London Eye. You really get a feel for the size of London from the top, and the views are fantastic. It’s amazing when 20 mins earlier you’re standing at the base of Big Ben looking up at the top, and then you’re looking down on Big Ben when you’re on the wheel.

Our youngest (age 4) was terrified when we first got on, but he soon forgot about it, and was totally fascinated watching the trains going in and out of Charing Cross station, and watching the boats go up and down the river. He wanted to go round again!

To do it properly, book your tickets in advance, so there’s no queuing. If you get your tickets using you Tesco clubcard points (via their deals) you’ll also save 75% off the list price.

Oh the joys of flicking through a catalogue at home to select what you want, and then just going to pick it up (without the wait when shopping online). I love Argos! It’s so much easier, but then I’m a bloke, and want to get it all over with as soon as possible. This is an Argos Extra, so there’s plenty of stuff here. There are automated tellers, which are great to cut through any queues, and what I do if it is really busy is place my order, and wander round one or 2 of the other stores nearby, and come back to collect. No waiting then!

It’s only really busy in December, as everyone head to Argos for Christmas, but it’s open late, so just try to avoid the busy periods if you can. This retail park also doesn’t have the best parking lot, so it can be difficult finding somewhere to park, and to get in and out of the place. Usually it’s fine, it’s just those busy periods.

This is a fairly standard restaurant to have a snack in whilst waiting around the airport before your flight. We had a breakfast there, and it was pretty busy, but the service did seem to take a long time, and when it finally arrived we had to hurry through it in order to get to our flight. The staff were friendly though, and made a fuss of our kids.

The food was good - we had a hearty English breakfast, but with little time we couldn’t really appreciate it. The kids got some plastic giraffes (which they still have 6 months later). There didn’t appear to be a breakfast menu for the kids, but we found something they’d eat on the normal menu.

As it’s in Terminal 5, it’s all new and modern, but a bit too soulless for me. But hey, it’s in a massive airport, so maybe I’m expecting too much!

This is a classy indian restaurant, just opposite the Lido at Blackpill (set back from Mumbles road). It is really modern inside with classy interior design and high quality crockery, cutlery and of course food. The atmosphere is intimate, and the staff couldn’t be more helpful. The food is amazing, and though the prices are a bit higher than you may usually pay for a curry, it is definitely worth it.

If you want to take your girlfriend out for a romantic dinner, and fancy a curry, this is the place to go. Definitely recommended. Parking is OK (I’ve never actually had a problem), but there’s not much space. Make sure you book if you’re going at the weekend.

They also do take away if you want to try the excellent food at home.

This is an absolutely brilliant Tesco. It seems to stock absolutely everything! It has a great clothes section upstairs (great prices which are made even better with the regular sales they have), an electrical section (TVs, computers, mobiles etc.), home wares (plates, kitchen appliances, paint etc.) and loads of toys. They’ve also got a great card section, and an aisle which seems to be dedicated to “seasonal” specials. You can’t help but pick up a few things that you didn’t think you needed before you went in.

There’s also a pharmacy, photoshop and cafe in store. It’s a big store, but once you know your way around, your weekly shop is easy. You soon get used to the extra choice, which you miss when you revert to a smaller store.

The only down side is the parking. Tesco has drawn other retailers to the site, and at busy periods (like the run up to Christmas) it’s impossible to park there. Thank goodness Tesco is open 24 hrs!

This is an outdoor designer outlet just off the M4 by Bridgend, so it’s easy to find (although the signs from the motorway exit appear to direct you 2 ways - both work, but it does confuse you!).

This place has about 100 boutique shops supposedly selling end of line bargains. There’s also a Clarks and an M&S, but it always seems to me that you get better bargains in the sales on the high street than at this outlet village. Don’t know if I’ve just been unlucky, but I’ve never found anything really brilliant there.

It’s a good place to visit every 3-4 months or so, but don’t buy stuff just because you’re there, 'cause sometimes the bargains can be a bit thin on the ground. It’s good to see some different shops, and if you’ve got kids there’s an indoor and outdoor play area to keep them busy. There’s also a fairly big food court.

As the outlet is outdoor, make sure you dress accordingly, as the wind seems to blow right down the arcade, making it freezing in the colder months.

This is a great soft play area for the kids. It’s hidden away in the Riverside Leisure Centre, but enough people know about to make it mobbed on any wet Saturday! If you’ve got young kids with a lot of energy, it’s a great place to go to, as it’s not too big (like Jump!), so you can keep an eye on the kids whilst sitting in the cafe area with a nice coffee reading the paper. Of course it’s noisy, but if you can shut that out, you can have a relatively relaxing time, while they use up all their energy! It’s well priced, and they often have buy one get one free promotions.
The kids never seem to tire of the place, and there are things to challenge the slightly older kids too.
The car park is free, but it’s gravel, so when it rains heavy it can be full of puddles, but other than that, it’s great!

I love shopping at TJ Hughes! No two visits are the same, as they completely change their stock regularly, so if you see something you like, make sure you get it then, 'cause it won’t be there next week. The prices are usually excellent, but don’t get carried away and assume everything’s cheap, as I’ve always found the toys a bit pricey.

TJ Hughes stocks mens, womens and children’s clothes (inlcuding shoes), toys, electrical appliances (like toasters, health grills), luggage, curtains and other home wares. Clothes are often branded, but at real knock-down prices. They also sell make-up and perfume for the ladies.

The place is pretty big, and there’s lots to look at. Things could be better laid out, as it’s just piled high.

Parking is fine, though the whole retail park ceases up in the run up to Christmas (but doesn’t everywhere!).

This is a big woolies located right next to Abbey Wood in North Bristol. It recently reduced its size by 50% when it converted from a Big W to a Woolies, but they still seem to stock as much as they did before - there’s just not a far to walk round now!

The store stocks tons of toys, DVDs. CDs, video games, electrical stuff, kids clothes and home wares, as well as the infamoud pick 'n’ mix. It’s a place you’ve got to visit in the run up to Christmas, as you’ll get loads of ideas for presents, and you’ll be able to pick up all those sweets and selection boxes for bargain prices. Look out for their special deals, as they always seem to have 3 for 2 on toys, or a 10% off day across the store.

This retail park gets very busy in the run up to Christmas, but this store opens until late throughout December, so that’s the best time to take a look.

This is a pretty good sized Matalan near Abbey Wood in North Bristol. It has tons of fashionable, affordable clothes for men, women and the kids, as well as a limited selection of home wares. Matalan’s clothes are generally pretty cheap, but the quality is pretty low too, so it’s great for kids clothes (as they grow out of them so quickly) or for things that you’ll probably not want to wear next year.
The place is always busy, especially when they’ve got a sale on, or in the run up to Christmas, so be prepared to queue for 15 mins to pay for your items when it’s really busy (we’ve had a trolley full of stuff and left it there, as the queue was so bad once!). Parking is free, and this is not usually a problem, except for the dreaded Christmas period when the whole retail park is mobbed.