Forget the supermarket flowers and generic box of chocolates – this year, show Mum you really care with a memorable experience you can share.
Mother's Day on Female First
From a leisurely afternoon’s wine tasting to a gourmet trip on a steam railway, there’s a whole host of special activities and events taking place across the country to suit all tastes and budgets.
Here VisitEngland provides some inspiration for Mother’s Day treats that’ll keep you in mum’s good books.
Girly Gallivanting in Rye
Indulgent coastal hideaway The Gallivant, set directly opposite the famous golden beach of Camber Sands, is offering a 50% room rate reduction for all girls to treat their mums to a getaway. With its charming cobbled streets, swanky boutiques and renowned antiques shops, Rye is a perfect place to potter around; arm in arm, bonding over that well deserved girly time before heading back to The Gallivant for dinner at The Beach Bistro. With its seasonal menu created with the best locally sourced ingredients; it may just be the only thing to beat mum’s cooking.
The Gallivant’s Mother’s Day package starts from £146 and includes one night’s accommodation for two, a dinner for two from the Sharing Beachcomber menu, breakfast and flowers for mum. Available on 10 March 2013 only.
VIP Shopping in Bicester
Enjoy a great day out as you stroll, bulging shopping bags in hand, through the luxury streets of Bicester Village’s. From Ralph Lauren and Burberry to Valentino and Mulberry, there are dozens of top brands here offering enviable bargains. And when you’ve shopped enough to drop, rest your feet at the Lambert Arms coaching inn, where you’ll greeted with shortbread and tea on arrival.
Great Little Breaks is offering a two-night shopping break for Mother’s Day at just £109, representing a 60% saving. The package includes two nights at the coaching inn with dinner in the AA Rosette restaurant, breakfast on both mornings and a VIP Bicester Village voucher. Valid until 30 April.
Wine Tasting in Wealden
Explore the Kentish countryside on a special guided tour of the award-winning Biddenden Vineyards. Stroll through the 23-acre estate of sheltered valleys is home to delicious varieties of grapes, apples and pears before tasting delicious Whites, Reds, Rosé, sparkling wines and traditional Kentish ciders.
The vineyard’s shop offers a selection of local food and drink including chutneys, jams, cakes, cheese, Kent Crisps and regional beers. Every week a different local product is available as a free guest tasting.
Wine tours and sampling at the vineyard are completely free, making this memorable experience a perfect gift for those on a budget.
High Tea in High Places
Mother’s Day in the Royal household is set to be especially poignant this year as they prepare for the imminent royal birth in July. In Kingston upon Thames, Warren House is welcoming Royal Photographers Ian Turner and Helena Chard to a mother’s day afternoon tea to help make mothers feel like a Queen.
Ian and Helena will be showing their new Royal photographic exhibition, The Royal Child – a collection of Royal children images from Victorian times to the present day. Enjoy afternoon tea with delicious creations from the resident pastry chef followed by a talk on the royals, including a personal account of shooting Price William’s first Christmas photos. £39 per adult and £34 per child.
Ian and Helena will be bringing their Royal Studio with them, so for something extra special you can have sit for your very own Royal photograph. Places are limited and will be offered as 15 minute sittings for £20 per sitting. A spot of high tea, a pastry chef on hand and a royal photographer to capture your special day will have Mum feeling regally spoiled.
And if you like the sound of an aristocratic afternoon, then a Mother’s Day lunch at Hedsor House might just strike the right chord.
Having recently starred as Beecham House in Dustin Hoffman’s Quartet, the privately owned country house is opening to the public, offering a three-course Mother’s Day lunch on Sunday 10 March. Guests will have a chance to discover the stunning grounds and landscaped gardens that were transformed into key Quartet sets. £45 per head.
TLC for Two
DoubleTree by Hilton is offering a Mother and Daughter spa package in its Chester property over Mother’s Day weekend. The hotel’s full-service spa has aroma rooms, steam rooms, saunas, Hammam and relaxation rooms, manicure and pedicure areas and an open air thermal pool with its own waterfall.
Costing £249 on Friday and Sunday, or £279 on Saturday, the package includes overnight accommodation, a full English and full use of the hotel’s club & spa.
Steam and Cream along Blueberry railways
Hop aboard the Blueberry Railway and enjoy afternoon tea as you travel along a heritage line through the beautiful Sussex countryside. The vintage steam trains are running a dedicated service especially for Mother’s Day so you can indulge in buttered scones and Earl Grey as you watch the world go by. Mums all receive a gift. £39 per adult and £34 per child.
River Escapes in NewcastleGateshead
Sail away with your oldest friend on an afternoon cruise along the River Tyne with River Escapes. Offering a picnic lunch with wine, spectacular views and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge opening just for you, this special Mother’s Day cruises promises to be a fantastic afternoon out.
See the legendary shipyards of Tyneside, Tynemouth Castle and Priory, and the beautiful sandy beaches of South Shields. Look carefully and you may even spot seals and dolphins as you return to Newcastle's Quayside.
Tickets cost £12 for adults and £7 without lunch; family tickets cost £31. The ‘picnic option’ costs an additional £9.95 per person.
For more inspiration this Mother's Day, go to www.visitengland.org
For cheap UK hotel deals click here now!
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Tagged in England Travel Mother's Day Travel Advice