Welcome to Lindop Brothers new and improved family motoring section. We hope the following articles will give you some good ideas for family days out. Give us your ideas by Clicking Here and share your family day out locations with everybody

Long Journeys !  A useful guide to keeping the Children entertained!

Travelling with Children on long journeys can be very stressful, so we at Lindop Toyota have devised a list of handy hints and tips, to make your journey as pleasant and stress free as possible. If you think we have missed anything off the list, or you have any better suggestions, please contact us and let us know!

Breaking up long journeys, by stopping to have picnics can give you a chance to have a breather and gives the kids a chance to have a run around and stretch their legs! You will all be refreshed again before starting the next part of your journey!

Travel games can be a very good way of keeping kids entertained. Keep some in the boot of your car incase you get stuck in traffic, or if a short journey turns into a long journey! Have some different games in the car than you do at home, so that they are a novelty when the kids play with them, and it gives them something different to do!

Motion sickness isnt very pleasant, so try and involve your children with activities outside the window, by pointing out interesting sites, and games involving things outside the window. Take advice from your GP about remedies that can help overcome travel sickness

Useful car games to play with your children, include 'Word Association' (Where you say a word, and then the next person has to say a word that begins with the last letter of your word!), 'I Spy', 'Number plate game' (Where you have to make phrases out of the letters of the passing cars number plates), 'Guess what object I am' and many many more!

Singing songs is also very entertaining! Some good car songs are 'The wheels on the bus', 'Old Macdonald' and 'Oranges and Lemons'.

Books on tape, CD's and the Radio keep children entertained as they are trying to listen to songs they know, or keeping up with the story! If you want a bit of piece and quiet then an mp3 player may be the better option! Then you can listen to whatever you want!

As we are in the 21st century, technology is a big part of our lives. So it wasnt long before someone invented something to keep the kids entertained on long journeys, so we happily welcome the in-car DVD player! It sits either on the back of the driver and passenger chairs, or on the dash board if you have one in the front. They take ordinary DVDs, and can have headphones that can be plugged into them! So one or two DVDs later you have arrived at your destination! Bliss!

Comfortable kids are happy kids! Make sure that all your luggage is packed away, and not dumped at your childs feet or in between them, think safety and ensure they have only the things they need for the journey. Last of all, make sure everybody wears their seatbelt.

Great Days out in Cheshire and North Wales

Now you have the car, you will need somewhere exciting to take it! So below are a few attractions around Cheshire and North Wales. We have tried to look at attractions, that are just as good for adults as children. If you think we have missed out on any attractions, and you would like it mentioned on our website please CONTACT US here

National Trust Houses – Erddig House and Tatton Park are both owned by the national trust. Both of the attractions are mansions, with Tatton Park having an old tudor hall, working farm and large gardens. You can walk around both of the mansions, and look at all the valuable furniture and ornaments. Tatton park has over 1000 acres of parkland with lakes, tree lined avenues and herds of red and fallow deer. Erddig House has over 200 acres of parkland, and lots of other attractions, such as a joiners and stables.

Erddig is situated in Wrexham, and around 16 miles from Chester, and should take approx 30 mins to get to.

Tatton Park is situated just outside Knutsford, and is around 30 miles from Chester, this should take approx 40 Mins to get to.

Chester Zoo – Chester Zoo offers a fun and stimulating day out for everyone, no matter what age or ability. The zoo is completely wheelchair and pushchair accessible. Chester Zoo care for over 7000 animals, and have over 400 different species. Conservation is a main priority of the zoo and around half of the species are threatened. This year there are lots of new areas including Realm of the Red Ape. The zoo is open all year round, and there is always plenty to do and see. There is a wide range of shops, cafes and ice-cream kiosks and childrens play area located near the Ark Restaurant.

Chester zoo is about 2.5 miles outside Chester, which takes around 10 mins to get to from the centre of Chester.

Blue Planet Aquarium – The Blue Planet Aquarium is the largest aquarium anywhere in Great Britain, and you are guaranteed to see more types of Sharks than anywhere else. The aquarium doesnt just have sharks though, they have all types of underwater creatures, from the smallest seahorses, to the large Stingrays. The Aquarium boasts of one of the largest otter enclosers, which houses some very endangered species. At the heart of the Aquarium is the Aquatunnel, it is one of the longest in the world at 70m long. You can walk under amazing tropical fish, and awesome sharks. It is an excellent day out, and definitely worth a visit.

The Blue Planet Aquarium is around 8 Miles from the centre of Chester, and should take just over 15 minutes to get to.

The Welsh Mountain Zoo – The Welsh Mountain Zoo is located high above Colwyn Bay with panoramic views and breathtaking scenery. Spend a day walking around this family friendly zoo, viewing endangered and rare animals from Britain and around the world. Including Red Pandas, Brown Bears, tigers and monkeys. One of the latest animals to arrive at the zoo is the beautiful snow leopards, and are happily settling into their new home. There are lots of other fun things to do during the day at the zoo, including the 'Tarzan Trail' playground and the new Cafe Safari. This zoo is a great day out for all the family.

The Welsh Mountain Zoo is around 40 miles from the centre of Chester, and would take around an hour to get there, so make sure you leave early to get plenty out of your trip.

National Boat Museum – At the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum, you can explore former canal ports, and experience live aboard canal and river boats. Also discover the stories of the people who worked on the canals and rivers through interactive displays, film and audio recordings. Step back in time at the dock worker's cottages and see how people lived from the 1840's to the 1950's. The Ellesmere Port Boat Museum is a very educational and fun day out for all the family.

The Ellesmere Port Boat Museum is around 10 miles outside Chester, and will take around 15 minutes to get there by car. There is lots to see and do, so get there early!

Car Security – Safety First!

Every twenty seconds a car is stolen in the UK, thats around 360,000 a year. By checking through our list to see if your car has all the security features, you could stop your car being another statistic. These days most new cars come already fitted with most of the list below,

• Vehicle tracking system
• Deadlocks
• Locking Wheel Nuts
• Electronic Engine Immobiliser
• Lockable fuel Caps
• Central Locking
• Alarms
• Security Etching
• Secure In-car audio and entertainment systems

Remember most thieves like the easy option, they will steal from unlocked cars, and smash windows to steal anything that looks valuble. Lock your doors, don't leave ANYTHING on the seats or on display, if in doubt, lock it out of sight in the boot. Use your alarm if you have one fitted and double lock the doors (this stops somebody breaking a window to lean in and open the doors from the inside) Your motoring should be enjoyable and will be if you follow a few simple rules. For more examples of protecting yourself and your property, visit the Suzy Lamplugh Trust who have an excellent website with plenty of tips and advice