Tag: United Kingdom

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  • A Review of Global Airlines A380 Economy Inaugural Flight GLA – JFK

    A Review of Global Airlines A380 Economy Inaugural Flight GLA – JFK

    When I first came across James Asquith on social media, he was necking a champagne slammer and sticking it to the man. Well, as the years have passed, his disruptive spirit has shifted into the business side of travel, and now he is the owner of both Holiday Swap and new British airline, Global Airlines. Their first commercial flight took off from Glasgow on 15th May 2025, and we were lucky enough to join this inaugural flight to JFK. Read on for our full review of Global Airlines A380 economy service.

    Alternatively, check out our YouTube video about the trip here.

    This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

    A Little Bit About Global Airlines

    If you haven’t heard of Global Airlines, you are not alone. Global is an airline, founded in 2021, which has currently run just two return flights to JFK, one from Glasgow and one from Manchester. The plan of CEO James Asquith is to purchase a whole load of Airbus A380 aircraft and use them to recreate the golden age of air travel, I’m not entirely convinced a high capacity plane is capable of feeling swish (in economy at least) but they are going to give it a darn good go!

    Currently, in May 2025, Global owns two planes and is still in process of attaining (we think) an Air Operator’s Certificate and UK Foreign Carrier Permit. To run these tester flights(?), they have enlisted the Maltese arm of Hi Fly, a Portuguese charter airline. The livery and crew uniforms are Global but the staff are all Hi Fly. I believe they called this “a damp lease”.

    Read all our flight reviews including British Airways, EasyJet and Turkish Airlines

    Airport Experience

    Check In

    We were greeted with a lovely bit of hype upon arrival at Glasgow International Airport. A balloon arch, signs for Global Airlines and a photo wall adorned the check-in area. There were cupcakes on offer and friendly staff from Glasgow Airport tagging hand luggage with lots of excited chit chat.

    Check-in seemed to go quite slowly, and we queued for about thirty minutes, but when we reached the desk we saw that the staff were dealing with an admin nightmare. They had a printed spreadsheet that they had to cross-reference with every check in. Half of the economy passengers were being upgraded, whilst all of the others had new seats. The couple next to us were popped into business class. Sadly, we were not. However, it turned out that we had all been moved to the upper deck, presumably for either weight and balance or ease of service.

    Airside

    Glasgow Airport is a little on the wee side. It reminds me strongly of London Stansted, but they have lovely modern security systems, making getting screened a breeze. Once through the main duty-free shop, there is a surprisingly large selection of eateries, but we stuck with old faithful and grabbed something from Pret. Filling our water bottles, we head down in the direction of the Emirates lounge, gambling on the premise that this was where they park their A380, so it may well be the location of ours. Well, there it was, waiting for us.

    Glasgow Airport is pretty ill-equipped for such large planes, and the corridor by the boarding doors got pretty busy, even with just the hundred or so passengers waiting to board. I have no idea how they cope with a full A380. A domestic flight had also arrived, and the incoming passengers all squeezed past us, so for about five minutes, it was carnage.

    Boarding went reasonably smoothly. Interestingly, business was boarded first, followed by First Class and then Economy. Again, I don’t know how they would cope with just one jetty if the flight was full. I suppose other arrangements would be made.

    We’ve flown on the giant Airbus A380 twice before this; once on Singapore Airlines, and we wrote a full reivew of when we flew with Emirates from London to Dubai.

    Onboard Global Airlines A380

    The Seats

    The seats, upholstered in a light biscuit colour and highlighted in red, reminded me a little of Emirates’ uniform colours. They look great, but I do wonder how the lighter fabric will fare over time. The economy seats have a decent pitch at 32 inches and a width of 17.2 inches which is plenty. You will also get a recline which works to both tip the chair back a little (not enough to enrage the person behind you) and to slide the seat forward a little. At least, most do. My particular seat wouldn’t stay reclined. Luckily, the seat next to me was free, so I could move over.

    The seat in front has a wide but thin tray table which extends towards you for meal times. Each has a handy little drinks holder too.

    The Headrests

    The headrests are a menace! They have nice adjustable flaps on either side, and in theory, can be slid up and down for height. However, there are no catches on the attaching bracket, so anyone trying to push them up pops them clean off! I did it, along with five or six other people in the cabin. I was mortified. They might need to look at this for the future.

    Our Seats

    We had seats upstairs in the small section of economy at the back of the plane. Originally on 37 H and K (a window and aisle with a seat between us), we ended up in 79 F and G (an aisle and middle seat on the back row). This was a real shame as I was excited for the view and there was no tail cam to watch. Not good for boredom alleviation or for content creation. I asked the cabin crew if I could go downstairs to take a few photos out of the window and of the seats, but it was off limits.

    Honestly, our seats were rather unfortunate. Not only were we in the middle, but the bathroom right behind us was broken somehow. There was a rushing air sound, as if it was flushing permanently. It was so loud! I would have killed someone if I were trying to sleep.

    Storage

    The Airbus A380 has tons of room for bags in its delightfully sizable lockers. Upstairs, the window seats also have a handy locker to your side, between the seat and the window. This is absolutely perfect for shorties like me. It also gives you a handy shelf to sleep on.

    The seatback pockets were the width of the seat, so you could stash loads in there if required. Do remember that they can end up quite dirty, as it is nearly impossible to clean them properly and don’t stick anything in there that is going in your mouth.

    Entertainment

    This is where things went a bit wonky for me. I had seen a cabin walkthrough before we departed and noticed that the in-flight entertainment systems hadn’t been changed from the old China Southern units. Obviously, screen technology has come on somewhat in the last twelve years, but as long as the offering of entertainment options is decent, I can handle a clunky system. However, the night before we departed, we received an email to let us know that:

    • A – The original entertainment system was not going to be operational.
    • B – There would be no in-seat power in economy, so we should make sure we have a full charge and power banks.
    • C – The WiFi wouldn’t be up and running.
    • D – They have installed an entertainment offering that can be streamed to our own devices.

    Now, in normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be mad at it. However, lots of people (including us) were already in Glasgow or en route, so it was a bit late to prepare. I only had my small phone to watch the films or TV shows on, and being visually impaired, this is less than ideal. I also happened to have a power bank with me as I am paranoid, but I bet there were plenty of people who didn’t. An earlier heads-up would have been good. As you might expect, there were lots of people with laptops in tow, hoping to get their reviews done on board, and this clearly had them concerned.

    The actual selection of films, TV shows, music and games was pretty good, with films from a few months ago like Conclave and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I decided not to watch anything to ensure I didn’t give myself eye strain. Mr Fluskey was happy to see that there was a Skymap but it was very, very basic.

    Amenities

    In the Seat

    When we boarded, we found some bits and bobs waiting for us. First was a nice, soft fleece blanket and a small pillow. These were both good quality for an economy offering. We also had a nice commemorative note or certificate to celebrate the flight. Finally, there was a rather fancy amenity kit.

    The Global Airlines Amenity Kit

    In a world where it is rare to get any kind of amenity kit in economy, Global Airlines has gone all out!

    • Eye mask
    • Ear plugs
    • Socks
    • Shoe horn
    • Mirror
    • Comb
    • Refreshing wipe
    • Body lotion
    • Pulse point oil
    • Eau de toilette
    • Lip balm
    • Dental kit
    • Pen

    I’m 80% sure this wasn’t meant to be for economy passengers as it was giving major business class vibes but I forgot to ask Mr Asquith.

    The Bathrooms

    The bathrooms by us were small, but I think this is due to them being the upstairs ones and not the main ones in economy. Interestingly, only one of the two had the nice Margaret Dabb hand cream. Mr Fluskey made the right choice when it was time to pop to the loo, while I picked the more basic of the two and left without moisturised hands.

    Check out Plane Etiquette – 10 Ways to Avoid Being “THAT Passenger“

    Food and Beverage

    The Drinks

    One of the big promises made about Global Airlines is that every passenger, regardless of cabin, would get a glass of champagne. No doubt, those in Business and First class would have more than one, but it was still a very welcome treat for us plebs. We were served Laurent Perrier champagne. There was no champagne, prosecco or cava on the official wine list, but I asked and they poured me another glass of champagne to enjoy with lunch too. There is a pretty full bar offering, so I would imagine that too many people would miss it.

    Speaking of drinks, somewhere is the world’s first Skypub, but as it resides between Business and First class, it was not for the likes of us.

    We got two full meal services, which was unexpected. The drinks were served at the same time. As mentioned, we had a second round of champagne with lunch. Mr Fluskey also asked for a rum and Coke. They poured the Coke but said that to add the rum would make it “a cocktail” and they would have to ask at the front to get it. This seemed a little odd to me, considering it was all listed in the menu. What will they do if the whole cabin asks for different drinks? I think they either need to reduce what is offered in the menu or do a full bar cart service before the food is brought out.

    The Food
    Meal One

    Everyone in economy had a three course meal tray provided, with the choice of three different main courses. Wine was offered at the same time.

    The starter was a neat little caprese salad with fresh tomato, mini mozzarella balls and a fresh basil leaf. It was really good but could have done with a little touch of salt. I don’t know if you can pre-salt a salad but I feel like probably not…?

    I opted for the chicken with spring vegetables and potatoes. The chicken was lukewarm and hugely dry so I didn’t have much of it at all. A chicken ballotine has zero fat so keeping it moist is tricky even when it’s freshly cooked in small quantities. Cooked en masse, they didn’t stand a chance. The potatoes were fab and the veggies cooked well so overall, not a bad dish.

    Mr Fluskey chose the sea bass. We were both very impressed with the cooking of the fish, which was excellent. The additions of dill-scented potatoes, fennel, along with charred onion were definitely a cut above your standard plane food. This all felt much more like premium economy than economy. There wasn’t as much veloute as he would have liked but I think any more might have made the whole thing feel sloppy. I think the general consensus was that his dish was best.

    For dessert, there was a mini lemon tart with lavender meringue and lemon curd. This was by far the most delicate and delightful dessert I’ve ever had in economy.

    Snacks

    A tray of full size snacks was offered and Mr Fluskey availed himself of a bag of popcorn and a big packet of pretzels. Obviously he couldn’t actually eat then and there so we had the, on the road to Maryland a couple of days later.

    Meal Two

    I was still too full to indulge in the second meal service, let alone the snacks. Mr Fluskey, however, bravely stepped up to ensure we had a full and comprehensive review.

    This time, the starter salad was a superfood salad which had all kinds of fun vegetables in including edamame beans which he adores. it was all crisp and very interesting to eat.

    He originally requested the butternut squash pasta as his main dish that was accidentally given beef. The crew said they could swap it but unfortunately they had actually run out of the past so he ended up with beef after all. He isn’t much of a fan of beef usually but said that it was actually very tender and well seasoned which, from him, is high praise for red meat.

    The dessert was once again, far and away the most deluxe economy dessert we have had. It consisted of delicate chocolate shards, surrounding a chocolate cremeux and it was all jazzed up by a little pot of honeycomb pieces. I wonder if they’ll have the choice just to eat dessert in the future because they were both absolutely brilliant. 

    Info

    If you are planning on flying economy on Global Airlines, here are some things you might like to know.

    • Buying Tickets – At the moment, you can’t! After the return from Glasgow to New York and the return from Manchester to New York, Global Airlines have no more flights scheduled. Presumably this will change, but the best thing to do is to keep an eye on their social media for more info in the future.
    • Luggage Allowance – Economy passengers are entitled to one case at 23kg. You can also bring on international size carry on and a personal item with you.
    • Check In – There is no facility to check in online at present, so passengers must check in at a desk. This is fine if you have luggage, but always a touch frustrating for the hand luggage only crowd.

    Final Thoughts on Our Review of Global Airlines A380 Economy Inaugural to JFK

    This is a tricky one. I left the flight feeling a little hard done by. I hated losing our window seats to be relegated to a middle row at the back, especially knowing that there was an entire floor of economy window seats that we weren’t allowed to use during the flight. It left me in a mood for the rest of the flight. The crew were lovely and I thought the service was fantastic.

    I see the potential in what Global Airlines has to offer. Any competition is good for consumers, and the busy transatlantic market always has space for another player.

    Rosie xx

  • Catching the Cheap Bus From the UK to France – A FlixBus London to Paris Review

    Catching the Cheap Bus From the UK to France – A FlixBus London to Paris Review

    There are a few ways to travel between London and Paris. You can catch the train, drive and then use a ferry or the “chunnel”, or fly from one of several London airports to one of several Parisian counterparts. Then, there is the newest and cheapest option, catching the cheap bus between the UK to France. Read on for my full FlixBus London to Paris review.

    This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

    A Little About FlixBus

    FlixBus has swept through Europe, swallowing the competition by providing clean and well run connections between towns and cities across The Continent. Despite their dominance elsewhere, they are still not that well known here in the U.K. I think that taking on National Express and Megabus is going to take time. Where they are really thriving is the cross-channel route between the capitals of U.K. and France.

    My Trip to Paris

    In November 2024, I spent a week in Paris with a few content creators. I travelled solo between home and the hotel and being rather more budget conscious when I travelled solo between without Mr Fluskey, I decided to give the coach a go. So how was it to travel on FlixBus between London and Paris? comme ci comme ça.

    Check out my Paris posts HERE!

    And my London posts HERE!

    FlixBus London to Paris Review

    The Outbound Journey – London to Paris

    • Route:

    07:00 – London Victoria Coach Station

    09:30 – Dover (P&O Ferries)

    14:00 – Calais

    17:35 – Paris Bercy

    • Ticket: £18.99
    • Seat: 1A £3.99
    London – Victoria Coach Station

    There is no sugarcoating it, London’s Victoria Coach Station is awful. Squat, crowded and a with distinctly chilly metal seats, it is not somewhere I choose to be if I can help it. Sadly, there aren’t really any alternatives, if you are travelling by coach. The small Pret A Manger had the usual crowd, a few coffee addicts who zoomed through, one guy who was fast asleep on the counter and some out-of-towners horrified by the price of a croissant. I thought about grabbing breakfast but decided against it. At this point, breakfast is mostly a social expectation for me rather than a requirement. Plus, I didn’t want to drink coffee and then board a bus. The bathrooms are very much for emergencies and I really didn’t want to need a wee.

    The Coach

    Having booked 1A, I was surprised to see that I was in fact, in the second row. For some unknown reason the driver had blocked off the front row seats with seatbelts strapped across the aisle. Then, new seat numbers had been scrolled above the rows behind, causing quite a lot of confusion on boarding as people tried to sit in the same row thinking they were both row two and row three.

    I was a bit peeved because I had pushed the front row for a nice view out of the front of the coach, but instead was staring at the back of the seat. I’d paid £3.99 for the privilege that was in a regular seat. I was also a little confused as I’m pretty sure stringing seatbelts across the aisle, blocking the exit is a massive health and safety issue. If we were to get in an accident will have to disembark quickly quickly people were going to fall down the steps after having been trapped in a seatbelty web.

    I did like that each seat had a one USB-A port for charging their devices, and as I was lucky enough to have the seat next to me free I could charge both my phone and my camera at the same time.

    Departure

    Our coach was due in at 06:45, arriving from Disneyland Paris, but it didn’t turn up until about 07:40. We departed at 07:47, 47 minutes late and I thought we were going to be late for the ferry. The timetable said “09:30 – Dover (P&O Ferries)” and there was a ferry that departed at 09:30. I did a quick map search and we weren’t due to arrive until 09:47. Clearly, I am stupid. Our ferry wasn’t the 09:30 one but the 11:00.

    Entertainment

    There wasn’t any to speak of. Now, I wasn’texpecting any so that was fine. However there was a sticker with a QR code which promised an entertainment suite. I did feel irritated when it didn’t work. Time to peel those stickers off me thinks.

    Dover

    We pulled into customs and passport check. I was first off and into the passport office which was very plain and looked distinctly temporary. One female guard sat in a small wooden box and checked our 28 passports, flicking quickly through the pages before banging the stamp down on each. The bus pulled forward and we climbed back on.

    There was a departure terminal of sorts. It was almost identical to a motorway services with a WHSmith, Costa Coffee, Burger King and a little gambling arcade. There was an open door at the side and the front doors kept swishing open so it was quite cold. I made quick use of the ladies and hopped back on board for the remainder of our 30 minute break.

    P&O Ferry

    The coach pulled onto the big vehicle deck (Deck 5 – Red) and we all got off. I left my larger bag on my seat, just taking my little bum bag full of valuables. no point dragging it around for no reason.

    I watched the White Cliffs of Dover disappearing behind the wake of the ship and for the next 45 minutes explored the decks, poking my nose in everywhere they would allow.

    There were several lounges, each with a different intended function:

    • The Bar – Seating with a small casino in the corner.
    • The Family Lounge – Located at the front of the ship, the sofas here looked straight out to France. Those in the know bagged these seats very quickly. There was a cafe/bar counter in here and what seemed to be a dance floor(?)
    • The Pet Lounge – Somewhere for your furry friends to play, with an outside space at the back of the ship.
    • The Quiet Lounge – I only saw one couple in here that were chatting very loudly. They missed the point.
    • The Club Lounge – Only accessible by scanning a ticket, this is the premium lounge that includes food and drink throughout the sailing. It was £27 so if you were able to indulge then not bad value. I tried to see in but could only see a set of drinks optics on the wall…but that’ll do!
    • The Marketplace – On the top deck was the food hall. They had snacks, a selection of baked goods, hot meals, kids lunch boxes and some nice looking desserts.

    I grabbed a can of Pimms and a packet of crisps from The Marketplace and settled in for the last half an hour of the crossing. Calais slowly hove into sight (everyone with normal eyesight had been able to see it for ages) and then we were called back to the bus.

    Calais

    We made a quick stop at a services near the port. There was a mostly shut cafe and a big shop with all kinds of food and drink. I just popped into the bathroom and straight back into the coach. I was grateful for the stop as it meant my Pimms was dealt with before we reached Paris.

    Paris – Bercy Bus Station

    Stepping off the coach at Bercy Bus Station was very overwhelming. It was noisy and crowded. Taxi touts swarmed the new arrivals. One guy in particular would not leave me alone and followed me, badgering me for a taxi. I escaped into the winter air as soon as I could. It was surprisingly dark in the park that is in front of the station so it took a moment to let my eyes adjust. Then it was am eight mimnute walk to the metro.

    Check out my Paris posts HERE!

    And my London posts HERE!

    Inbound Journey – Disneyland Paris to London

    • Route:

    22:15 – Disneyland Paris

    23:00 – Paris Bercy

    02:50 – Calais (Eurotunnel)

    04:20 – Folkestone

    06:50 – London Victoria Coach Station

    • Ticket: £23.99
    • Seat: 1D £3.99
    Chessy Sud

    Not having read the email properly about where FlixBus picks up at Disneyland Paris, I was at the wrong bus station. I was stood outside Marne-le-Vallee train station but clicking on the map provided I realised that it wasn’t right. Luckily, I had bags of time before it was due to leave. I head back through the security, leading into the Disney bubble, and walked briskly to the exit across the way, to the Southern bus station, Chessy Sud. The bus was listed as being from Platform G which, on the sign, was labelled as Long Distance Buses. Makes sense!

    The Coach

    This coach was a bit newer on the inside and it was toasty warm which I really appreciated. There’s nothing worse than trying to sleep in a bus when you are cold.

    Once again, I had paid a little extra to sit on the front row as it looked like it was just a single seat on one side. 1D was on the map but 1C wasn’t. Annoyingly, this was because it was reserved for one of the drivers. This whole seats thing is a bit messy and when they are charging for them, some clarity would be nice. (I’m still salty about my view on the first bus).

    Departure

    I was hoping to see the drone show above the car park roof but sadly, the cold and windy weather meant they didn’t take to the sky. The bus arrived about fifteen minutes before departure and the four passengers waiting, including myself, boarded. Presumably, the driver knew that everyone had arrived as we left six minutes early.

    I was exhausted after a rather manic week and was looking forward to getting some sleep. However, I quickly realised that I had made a very rookie error. Sitting at the front was SUCH a bad plan. The radio was playing music, the drivers were chatting loudly and the windscreen was flooded with the headlights of vehicles. That £3.99 price tag made these seats look so tempting but a little corner somewhere at the back would have been far superior.

    Bercy Bus Station

    In comparison to Bercy, Victoria Coach Station is rather fancy. Buses are stacked here cheek by jowl, with just a small pavement to wait on. People spilled into the path of our coach as it approached. So dangerous! How is this the main bus station of a major European city?

    I am so glad FlixBus has a service you can board from Disneyland Paris, it is vastly more pleasant and doesn’t feel as maddening or dodgy.

    Calais

    I dozed off, surfacing every 20 minutes or so, until we reached the Channel Tunnel terminal. The bus seemed to turn in circles until we found our way to French passport control. I made confused and tired small talk about Paris in the snow until the agent stamped my passport and I could nip back onto the coach.

    I put my head down and tried to force myself back to sleep again, forgetting entirely that British Border Force was still to come.  I was just dropping off again when the coach stopped and bleary eyed, we traipsed back off. It was a very quick passport check, but then I think a couple of people were having their luggage checked by customs so we had to wait a little while before we were allowed to get back on the coach. I had been trying to dehydrate again to ensure that I could sleep and I didn’t have to use the cage. However, there was a bathroom after passport control, and a drink machine, I decided to throw caution to the wind, go for a wee and treat myself to a bottle of Orangina. I was wildly thirsty so this was definitely a good move.

    The Eurotunnel

    I woke up just in time to see the coach squeezing slowly onto our carriage if the EuroTunnel train.  these are basically metal shells and bogies, that you drive into. They are then sealed and the whole train chugs through the tunnel. You are not permitted to leave the vehicle during the trip. I don’t know if it was the constant light, the occasional rumbles, or just the strange sensation of being on coach that was moving without any engine, but I slept incredibly fitfully, gasping myself awake time after time. It speaks volumes that after the coach was driven back onto the road. I got a proper one and a half hours of uninterrupted sleep. Still, the train variation of this journey is far superior to that of the ferry overnight as you are made to get off the couch and then have to go and find somewhere to sleep on the boat for two hours.  if you are a good sleeper then I think you’ll get a pretty decent chunk of sleep after passport control.

    London Victoria Coach Station

    The next time my eyes opened, I was looking straight at a double-decker red bus, a strong indicator that we were somewhere within the M25. About five minutes later the drivers put the lights inside the coach up to full and announced that we were almost there. We arrived at about 07:00, a slight delay but nothing dramatic. I think the bus was due to turn around into the service that I had taken to Paris on the ferry originally.

    The coach station to the Underground at Victoria is a steady ten minute walk and it isn’t signposted that well. Luckily, I have done this walk dozens of times so I could do it in my groggy autopilot. Weirdly, the tube was packed but I gave it a few trains and managed to get a seat all the way back to my home station…and I was straight to bed.

    Final Thoughts on my Journey with FlixBus Between London and Paris

    This was very much a journey of two halves. I actually really enjoyed travelling from London to Paris with FlixBus including the ferry. Yes, there was some drama with the seats but I still can’t work out if that was a FlixBus issue or that particular driver who had taken matters into his own hands. I think that for the price, and that starts at less than £20, it is a marvellous adventure and extra fun if you’re sharing it with someone else. I would 100% do this again.

    However, despite the convenience of a coach that leaves directly from Disneyland Paris and carries on all the way to my hometown, the overnight journey was a bit of a trial. I am quite a light sleeper and so I always struggle on overnight transport to an extent. The recline on the seats was okay but not enough to make me feel like I was lying in a bed. Again, you can pick up these tickets at them absolute bargain but you are going to need a very decent nap when you arrive at your destination. Possibly, I wouldn’t choose to do this trip again overnight but coming back in the daytime I think would be fine.

    Overall, I think FlixBus does a decent job and if you are travelling on a budget, or are trying to travel in a more sustainable way between London and Paris then it is a good option. Trust me, the next time I need to go between these two capitals and I’m short on cash, FlixBus will be the first place I look.

    Rosie xx

  • 7 Super Heathrow Hacks – Top London Heathrow Tips

    7 Super Heathrow Hacks – Top London Heathrow Tips

    London Heathrow airport is one of the world’s busiest, with a plane arriving or departing every 45 seconds all day. I have compiled 7 London Heathrow tips to ease your journey, just a little. London Heathrow can be big, confusing and frustrating, but I work there so these are all legit London Heathrow tips!

    This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

    1.) Know Your Terminal

    Currently, Heathrow Airport has four working terminals. Terminals 2, 3, 4 & 5. Getting between them can be up to half an hour so it is definitely best to know your terminal before you leave for the airport. Heathrow has a handy tool on its website which is always up to date. (Don’t just google it, the search engine may bring up old information).

    Heathrow – Which Terminal Website

    2.) Getting to Heathrow

    Trains to Heathrow

    A quick note about lifts. There may be a queue at some lifts but don’t be tempted to take the escalators. There are multiple long escalators, it’s probably not quicker and it can be dangerous with bags. Lifts to take:

    • Terminal 2 from the underground tunnel to departures.
    • Heathrow Central from the Elizabeth Line/Heathrow Express platforms
    • Terminal 5 from Elizabeth Line/Heathrow Express platforms or Underground platforms to departures.
    Train Options
    • Heathrow Express – At just 15 minutes from Paddington, this is the quickest option from Heathrow to a London terminal station. It is also the most expensive.
    • Elizabeth Line – A bit of a game-changer, this travels to Paddington in 25 minutes and then cuts through Central London in no time at all. It is the most popular train.
    • Piccadilly Line – The dark blue London Underground line is the slowest way into Central, but it is also the cheapest….and you can use this hack to make it even cheaper:

    Check out Your complete guide to the London Underground

    The Hatton Cross Hack

    If you are catching the Piccadilly Line to London Heathrow (and have some time to spare) then there is a sneaky way to save some pennies. If you are travelling to Heathrow during off-peak hours (avoiding 08:30 – 09:30 and 16:30 – 19:00) then hop off at Hatton Cross. Tap your Oyster or card out of the gates and you will have been charged around £3.50 from Central London. Then, you can tap back through and travel on using the “Free Heathrow Travel Zone”. It is a pain in the bottom with luggage as there is no lift but if you are on a budget then it might be worth the faff. It saves £2 on your tube fare. Actually it saves you 0.50p during peak times but it just doesn’t seem worth it for that.

    Coaches to Heathrow

    You catch the National Express coaches to London Heathrow from around the country and from Victoria Coach Station in London too. It’s a good option if you live further afield. Just remember to leave lots of extra time for traffic snarl ups and break downs. It is also worth noting that they do charge more for going directly to the airport rather than into London itself so price up your options.

    Depositphotos.com – Photo by claudiodivizia
    Driving to Heathrow

    I don’t know an awful lot about this as we don’t drive but there is something you really need to be aware of:

    The Drop Off Fees

    If you are driving to London Heathrow, even if you are just dropping someone off or picking them up, you need to pay £5. This can be paid online using this website and can be done a little in advance or a little aferwards. There is no way to avoid this if you are driving within the Heathrow area so just be prepared to fork out a fiver.

    Oh, and Heathrow is now in the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) so there will be a ULEZ charge of £12.50 if you car isn’t compliant.

    Check out Carry On Only! – 20 Top Tips for Hand Luggage Travel

    3.) Try a Timeslot

    Trials at have begun at Terminal 3 for something they are calling Timeslot. Three days before you fly, you can search for your flight on this website and book a time to go through security. Slots are allocated in 15 minute windows but you can actually arrive up to 15 minutes before or after your entry time. Booking in advance allows Heathrow to limit the entrants and ensure there are enough staff for the people booked.

    Let’s see how it turns out!

    4.) Getting Through Security

    Next on our London Heathrow tips is preparing for security. You can start this before you even leave for the airport. They are going to ask that you remove a few things from your bag as you go through. There are some fancy new machines which will make these rules obsolete but they aren’t everywhere yet. Oh, and at London Heathrow every bag gets its own tray to go through the x-ray machine so spread things out.

    • Know Your Liquids Rule – That’s one clear, resealable bag no bigger than 20cm x 20cm per person. Inside, no liquid container can be bigger than 100ml. The total volume cannot exceed 1 litre. Keep these out and separate in the tray as they go to the x-ray.
    • Remove Your Laptops – You will be asked to remove laptop, tablets and mindless. You will need to place these in a separate tray. Make sure they are somewhere handy.
    • Consider Your Clothing – You must remove all your metal and any boots or high heels. My advice is to wear soft, wireless clothes, skip the belt unless you really need it, and opt for slip off shoes that don’t require much lacing. Oh, and really empty your pockets as you got through.

    Check out Top Ten Tips to Pack Your Liquids Bag for Carry On Luggage Like a Pro!

    5.) Heathrow Transfer Tips

    • Transfers – If you have through checked luggage and you are continuing your journey from Heathrow then you can use the transfers areas. Follow the purple signs rather than those for passport control. If you need to change term in is you will be using inter-terminal buses. These don’t come as often as anyone would like. They also don’t all go directly between terminals so you may need to catch two. Bare this is mind if your hand luggage is crazy.
    • Security – When transferring at Heathrow, you will be passing through security. This is just as thorough as the main security checkpoint so everything that applied to that, applies here. If you have a little drink from your previous flight, drink it or ditch it. Make sure you have gathered your mini liquids back into their bag and remember that even if you got away with something a little bigger at your origin they will spot it and throw it away.
    • Connection Time – Travel agents and flight aggregator websites will lead you believe that an hour is enough time to transfer at Heathrow. Let me assure you, it really isn’t. This is especially true if you have to change terminals. Realistically, I wouldn’t book a flight through Heathrow with less than two hours.
    • Staying Overnight – If your connecting flights arrive mean an overnight stay, book hotel accommodation. There are no airports in the transfer areas and nowhere nice to sleep. Most people are rounded up and shown to Gate 7 in Terminal 3 for the night. Book a hotel along the Bath Road or somewhere handy for your departure terminal. Remember, you will have to go through passport control and exit the airport to reach these.
    • Transfer Desks – As you transfer, make sure you visit the Airline Service Desks. The staff can make sure you have everything you need for your onward flight, enter any baggage numbers that may not be in your booking automatically and give you more helpful advice like this.

    6.) Food and Beverage Tips

    • Download the Heathrow App – The app will let you know about all of the food and drink service outlets in each terminal. You can even order ahead on the app for some of them and collect when the food is ready. This is great if you need to grab and go. Order when you join the security queue and something yummy will be ready for you when you get through.
    • Grab a Meal Deal – Not included on the app are the shops that provide meal deals. These are the cheap and cheerful way to grab a bite at the airport. For £5-£6 you will get a sandwich, a soft drink and a snack. These can be as basic as a cheese sandwich to an elaborate triple sandwich pack. For snacks you can choose fruit, crisps, chocolate and more. Airside, Boots and WHSmiths are the best for these and you can add in M&S Simply Food if you are landside too.
    • Bargain Booze at WHSmiths – This is a rather recent development and I am intrigued to see if it will stick around. They are now stocking a pretty decent selection of wine, beer and cocktail cans for purchase. These are the cheapest alcoholic drinks at Heathrow so bottoms up!
    • Bring a Water Bottle – There are free water fountains near the entrance to many of the bathrooms at Heathrow. The water in these is safe to drink so you can top up and drink your fill.

    7.) Getting to the Gate

    • For our final London Heathrow tips, get to the gate on time and prepared.
    • Terminal 2 – Get your legs ready if you are flying from here. Half of the gates are in a separate part of the terminal which is a good 15 minute stride. There are moving walkways to help but travelling down a huge escalator, walking under the tarmac and re-emerging at these gates can be a long way.
    • Terminal 5 – There are some far gate at Terminal 5 too but luckily there is a train. For a hint on which doors to aim for if you are in a rush, follow the British Airways staff. They know the quickest way!
    • At the gate – Have your boarding card and passport ready. They may use self service boarding, in which case you will only need your boarding card but listen for announcements to tell you so.
    • Bathrooms – Heathrow has lots of closed gates. This means you are scanned onto the flight at the point you enter the gate room. Coming back out to find a bathroom means the gate staff have to stop what they are doing to mark you back off the flight, and that you have to carry your boarding card and passport to the loo. Use the bathrooms en route to your gate or hold it until you board.

    Final Thoughts on Our London Heathrow Tips

    Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports so anything you can do to feel prepared and a little smarter than your average passenger can only be a good thing! Do you know any more London Heathrow tips or hacks that we have missed? I’d love to hear them in the comments. (Oh, and if you see me, wave hello).

    Rosie xx

  • A Review of Vueling A320-200 Economy LGW – LPA

    A Review of Vueling A320-200 Economy LGW – LPA

    En route to join our Windstar Cruise, we needed to fly to Gran Canaria. I thought a one way to Spain would cost an arm and a leg, but was surprised to find an excellent fare with Vueling. Vueling is a budget partner of British Airways, part of the Oneworld alliance, and is based out of Barcelona. So what is Vueling like? Join us as we travel from London Gatwick to Las Palmas in this review of Vueling A320.

    This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

    Our Vueling and London Gatwick Airport Experience

    Check In

    Let’s start our review of Vueling with baggage. I decided to book one big bag between us as taking a large hand luggage each was more expensive. We were both surprised to see that outside the Schengen region, Vueling’s check in only opens 2 hours and 20 minutes beforehand. That throws my “three hours before the flight” schedule right out. Well, we arrive at London Victoria in time for an earlier train so we decided to go straight to Gatwick airport already.

    Vueling’s Self Service Bag Drop

    Happily, when we arrived at London Gatwick Airport, we found a self service check in and bag drop area that was already open. I had checked in online so getting our bag tag was really quick. I tagged the bag with expert flair (of course) and we popped it on the belt. The light turned green (thanks for the naughty 300 grams extra that we packed) and it trundled away. So easy!

    With more time than expected, we zipped through security and found a lounge to hang out in before the gate was announced.

    The Gate

    Gatwick has cramped closed gates with no bathrooms so I was very glad that we had popped to the loo before walking down. British Airways staff were manning the gate. I guess they are the handlers at Gatwick. They referred to the airline as “vewling” which probably adds to everyone’s chronic mispronunciation of it.

    We were there before most people and grabbed a seat next to the crew. People wandered up to the bank of vending machines with nothing else to do and the time ticked by.

    There was an announcement to apologise for delayed boarding. It was due to a slow disembarkation of the inbound from Malaga. We eventually started boarding about ten minutes before we were due to take off. They called groups one and two, which had about thirty people in total. Then group three, which consisted of the rest of the plane. It was slow boarding. There was no call for people with small children and not using seat row numbers seemed a bit mad considering 80% of the plane was in group three.

    Why not check out our other flight reviews

    Vueling A320 Interior

    The inside of the Vueling Airbus A320 plane was bright, but not super clean. The panels above our heads were mucky, as was the tray table and the exit door.

    Our Seats

    A few days before the flight, we got an email from Vueling advertising a bidding system for extra leg room seats. I popped in a relatively low bid (£13 each) and it was accepted. I hadn’t realised it was for the exit row. In my commuting brain, I was opting for the front rows (1-6 or so) which are called Space Plus. It was a little annoying but it was my misunderstanding and still very nice to have the extra room on a 4.5 hour flight.

    The seats themselves were standard budget seats with not quite enough padding and lacking any recline. The colour scheme was odd. The seats were a dark taupe which I find distinctly unappealing with yellow head rest covers which were also leather.

    There was small, adjustable tray and a mesh seat back pocket. This didn’t have sides so be careful when putting anything small in here. I think we all know by now that I don’t like to use these as they are hard to clean and can harbour nasty surprises left by previous flyers, but at least this one isn’t all enclosed.

    The Storage

    The overhead lockers were meant to be reserved for large cabin bags only. In fact, they had stickers that said as much. Most people adhered to the rule but of course, there was the odd handbag or coat in there too. There seemed to be a lot less hand luggage in general and I think that means everybody did as we did and opted for the cheaper check in option. It was nice to see that the crew weren’t struggling to fit everything in as they do on many other cheaper airlines. This does indicate that their boarding strategy is less than ideal though, as the hand luggage is usually what causes delays on the jet bridge.

    The Entertainment

    This part of our review of Vueling is easy; there is no entertainment but there is a USB A plug each between the seats so best to fill your phone with things before you leave. Saying that, our plugs didn’t work so make sure you’ve got a power bank too, just in case.

    Amenities

    No inflight kit was provided.

    The bathroom at the front was small but clean enough. It was odd that they had tiny hand soaps instead of hand wash. The amount of plastic waste this generates doesn’t feel great and the idea of touching someone else’s used soap can put a lot of people off. I think anything that makes hand washing harder should be discouraged, especially in the germs world of the aircraft bathroom. At least they had plenty of hand towels.

    Vueling’s Inflight Food and Drink

    I took a quick look through the on board menu (all chargeable) and was delighted to see the prices. Whilst not cheap by regular standards, when compared to other budget airlines, the prices were pretty good.

    Two 20cl bottles of Cava for €11.95 was better than a London pub and a tea or coffee with free refills at €3.50 is a bargain! (I wonder how hard it is to get refills).

    This was clear when the cart came down the aisle. Everyone bought something, and not just one thing, people were buying full meals. I decided it would be fun to try an “Codorníu Orange Spritz”. However, the crew got to our row, asked one side what they wanted and then disappeared! I thought they were just letting people through to the bathroom but no, they didn’t come back. A guy in the row behind pointed this out and another crew member went after them. They came down collecting empties and we both jumped at them to buy something. I got the spritz and it probably wasn’t worth the wait. It was nice-ish; a one and done.

    Final Thoughts on this Review of Vueling

    We hope you found this review of Vueling useful. If you can book early and get a cheap ticket, then it is a good shout. They go from major London airports and I did like the affordable food and drink options. However, if the tickets are a similar price as carriers like BA, I’d opt for the “full service” carrier. That said, I would definitely fly Vueling again.

    Rosie xx

  • A Review of PLAY Airlines A320neo STN – KEF

    A Review of PLAY Airlines A320neo STN – KEF

    Iceland has had its fair share of budget airlines. It makes total sense. Iceland is close to Europe and the USA, making it a great stopover between the two. Plus, Iceland one of the most popular destinations for nature lovers in its own right. However. somehow, they don’t seem to last. Well, here comes PLAY Airlines, the latest competitor from the land of fire and ice. A fun, young brand with a name to match, it aims to secure the route that so many others have lost. Read on for our full review of PLAY Airlines, travelling on their A320neo from London Stansted to Keflavik in Iceland.

    This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

    Airport Experience – London Stansted

    There were just two check in desks at Stansted, tucked away in Zone A (counterintuitivly, this is to the right when you enter the terminal). PLAY Airlines doesn’t charge for online check in so you can just turn up but of course we still checked in online and picked the seats we wanted. The staff were friendly and told us how to get the transit to the gate. They even knew the gate number ahead of time which is always a nice feeling.

    Reminder: Always check the screens as gates can change!

    We popped to the Escape Lounge (not a bad one if you have a Priority Pass or similar) for a little breakfast. Iceland is expensive and we wanted to fill our boots before we were in the land of pricy, imported food.

    About ten minutes before the gate was due to be announced, we grabbed our bags and made our way to the transit train. Well, it was temporarily broken so they had set up a way to walk out the gates. This was much nicer than last time when we had to queue for coaches. I was very glad that we had ditched our big bags at check in for once as it meant we didn’t have to lug them all the way across the airport.

    The gate staff were a little on the snappy side but they were agency staff, so you can expect the same service for plenty of airlines out of Stansted. However, as we boarded, we were welcomed by the cheerful crew standing cozy in their red puffer coats. These must be so comfortable to wear in the Stansted chilly morning, let alone the wintry conditions in Reykjavík.

    Luggage

    We are usually hand luggage only people but PLAY very kindly included a check in bag each so we took advtantage. Check in bags are provided at different weight allowances for different fares:

    • PLAY Basic means hand luggage only.
    • PLAY Value passengers can take 20kg which should be more than enough for a week of travel in a chilly place.
    • PLAY Flex can pack up to 23kg
    • Any passenger can pay excess for a bag weighing up 32kg, which is the legal limit for bags in Europe.

    In terms of hand luggage, everyone is entitled to one small 10kg underseat hand luggage (42cm x 32 x 25 cm). If you opt for a PLAY Value or Flex ticket, you can also pack a large 12kg hand luggage (55 x 45 x 25 cm). This would have been absolutely fine for our normal way of travelling but when the bags are included, why not treat ourselves?

    On Board

    The Seats

    The seats are all a light grey colour which is clean but a little dull. It would have been nice to see some pops of red in here as so much of their branding is red and white.(No, I don’t count the safety cards as decor). There was a 3 inch recline function which I wasn’t expecting at all. You don’t get that on the other low cost carriers on this route.. or in general really.

    On the back of the seats was a standard tray table and a literature slot. Don’t put anything in here as it may well slide out. At the bottom of the seatbsack is a small net. I prefer these to the deep seatback pockets that never get a proper clean, and I am happier to use them for the bits and bobs I need to keep handy.

    The standard leg room on PLAY Airlines’ A320neo is pretty good at 29 inches. This is one inch less than Ryanair and one more than Wizz. Strangely, Ryanair has always felt tighter than that? Mind you, with the little recline offered on PLAY, it feels bigger. Their extra lleg room comes up to 34 inches, the same as extra leg room on long haul carriers.

    Entertainment

    There isn’t any to speak of. There is no seat-back TV, or streaming service so make sure you bring a book or download some music, podcasts or videos. Thank goodness for that USB charger. Mind you, you cannot always rely on these power outlets so maybe pack your trusty powerbank too! Of course you can browse the inflight magazine but honestly, it was a five minute thumb-through job without much substance.

    Food & Drink

    There is no food or drink included on any fare with PLAY Airlines. This is absolutely fine on a short stretch but I think this would be hardgoing on the full trans-Atlantic journey. The stopover in Keflavik is not a cheap place to pick up food or drink either so you will be splashing out a fair bit on eating either way.

    The only thing that surprised me, was the price of the alcohol. It didn’t seem that bad. Alcohol in Iceland is wildly expensive so €10 for a mini bottle of wine (a large glass) isn’t crazy.

    Amenities

    Coming straight from a flight with Tunisair, who use the same planes, I was shocked at the difference. This bathroom was spotless, stocked with plenty of toilet roll, hand towels and it was almost pleasant. The space is quite tight but large mirrors made it feel big enough. We were on quite an empty flight so maybe it wouldn’t have stayed as neat if it were being used more, but I believe I saw the crew giving it a quick tidy so maybe they just take more care.

    The Flight

    I adored the announcements from the flight deck. They were so informative, polite and funny. For example “Dear passengers, It has been an absolute pleasure. It is a lovely day in Iceland….so put on your warm clothes”. It seems to reflect the fun, youthful energy PLAY Airlines is trying to convey. What other airline has their crew in cool, white trainers in the air!?

    We had a pretty smooth ride, loving the moment we burst through the clouds and left grey London behind. Well, we landed back in a grey, snowy Iceland…but that is not the point.

    Check out 4 Days in Iceland – A Long Weekend in the Land of Fire and Ice

    The Return – Keflavik to Stansted

    As soon as we entered Keflavik’s departure hall, we spotted the PLAY signs by the self-check in machines. Having checked in online, we had barcodes on our phones. Popping these under the scanner, we were expecting to have to fill out a few screens but instead, a bag tag printed straight out! It was so fast, so efficient, things my airline’s self-service bag drop can only dream of. I expertly attached them to our backpacks (that is ten years of practice not gone to waste) and as I did so, a nice member of staff came over to point us to the out of gauge section. Having strappy backpacks, it was best to send them through the fragile section. The smiling security officer accepted the gas and we made our way through security.

    The departure lounge was buzzing and I was having a sad moment, not ready to leave Iceland and super sad that we missed out on experiencing a big northern light display…first world problems, I know. We had some slightly overpriced sandwiches and walked to the gates. Turns out our gate was basically a corridor. It was dark and had no seats. People leaned on every wall, many sat on the floor. It was really weird. Most of KEF is well-designed. At least, once the door opened and we all walked up the stairs, they did a good job of separating the passengers with priority boarding and it was a nice, quick process getting on board.

    Final Thoughts on This Review of PLAY Airlines

    PLAY has all the ingredients of a decent low-cost carrier, and that is fine for a quick three-hour hop from London to Reykjavík. However, I think I would want a few more included extras if I were a transiting passenger, carrying on across the Atlantic.. A snack would be nice and at least a bottle of water would be good as a minimum. The stopovers are nice and quick (unless you opt for a stopover overnight) so it seems like a very cost-effective way of hopping the pond. Maybe we will get a chance to review the full journey one day soon.

    Rosie xx

  • A Review of Jet2 737-800 STN – ATN – STN

    A Review of Jet2 737-800 STN – ATN – STN

    Jet2 has been going gangbusters in the U.K. with plenty of flights from the north of the country, (in fact I travelled with Jet2 to Prague before they made it down south and had a lovely flight). Now Jet2 is conquering the south with an increasing presence at London Stansted. With very reasonable prices and more passenger offerings than your average Stansted departure, the orange and blue carriers must be a little bit worried. Join us for our review of Jet2 flights from London Stansted to Athens and back again.

    Boeing 737 aircraft

    This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

    Airport Experience

    Stansted

    With a brutal 03:15 alarm, we surfaced bleary-eyed and a bit stroppy into the London cold. It took us two night tubes and the first Stansted Express of the morning but we made it bang on time for our expected 06:32 arrival. Two hours before a flight is an hour less than I really like but it was the only way to ensure a little sleep.

    We found our check in desks and there was no queue. There was a very clear Jet2 check in area at London Stansted with some fun Instagram additions (giant teddy bear). We decided to check in our bags as they were included in the fare and the chap who checked us in was very perky. It was impressive for such an early morning. He let us know that the Stansted transit train wasn’t working and that staff would point us in the right direction. We were very happy to see that there were four staff stood by the train entrance and they were all Jet2. No other carrier was represented here. We all went down to waiting coaches over to the remote terminal. I was very glad we’d checked in our bigger bags as it was a lot of standing and stairs which would have been annoying with the suitcases.

    The terminal is very scrappy but that is not Jet2’s responsibility. There were lots of seats and nice big windows where you could see our plane and a few other Jet2 planes too. They had nice, shiny signage and nice, shiny staff. Everyone was wished a good holiday as they passed through the gate which was a very nice touch and it was really good that they maintained that line for everyone.

    Athens

    We arrived at Athens airport three hours before our flight took off but the check-in wasn’t open yet. There wasn’t anywhere to sit nearby and it was very buy and tight so we went and sat out of the way for a while. When we returned, there was a huge queue…rookie mistake! It took around 20 minutes to get to the front and then the agent wasn’t too friendly. We checked in our bags and headed for security. Jet2 is in the satellite building and there is quite a long way to walk along travelators before you go through security (plenty of time to buy any drinks you have bought).

    Once through security, there was a departure lounge that was very busy where we picked up a sandwich and crisps for the flight. Then we passed through passport control (another long queue) and found our gate. Remember to leave plenty of time to get through the airport because it takes a while. We entered the gate which was very busy and didn’t have many seats left. The staff were checking in hand luggage. they were not asking but instructing passengers and making sure they went over to the tagging desk. It didn’t feel very Jet2.

    The Plane

    The Seats

    We paid to book our seats ahead of time both to ensure we could sit together and to guarantee a window seat. Honestly, we sit separately alot due to traveling on standby but when I am reviewing a flight, I like a window. Poor Mr Fluskey likes a window too, but he married a window lover so he doesn’t get it all that often.

    The seats were pretty standard for a European short haul airline with 31 inches pitch and 17 inches width. This is slightly wider than both Ryanair and Easyjet and has at least two inches of extra leg room, This really does make a difference when the flight is more than two hours, especially when squeezing out to pop to the bathroom. There is no back to the seat in front where your legs are which, if you are tall, will give you those precious extra centimetres….I wonder if that is included in the legroom?

    Instead of a traditional seatback pocket, there is a magazine stand. This means you cannot store your belongings in there. This is much cleaner (those pockets can be real germ-fests) and presumably prevents lots of lost property. There is a small tray table and the addition of a simple metal cup holder which I really like. It’s designed for the hot drinks they sell onboard so doesn’t really fit a water bottle.

    The Windows

    There was something very strange about the windows and I only realised about half an hour into our flight. I went to pull down the shade for an easier sleep but it wasn’t there. None of the windows have shades so the sun streams in undisturbed. It’s great for the views but it was tough to nap with the full force of the sun seeping through my eyelids.

    I wanted to share some of the views we got.

    The Way Out

    Leaving a grey morning at Stansted is always satisfying. Bursting through the final layer of cloud and into the blue sky above really makes it feel like a holiday! Plus, trying to spot the Acropolis on our descent was lots of fun.

    Coming Back

    On the way back we were treated to a fabulous hour long sunset. I couldn’t stop snapping but here are just a few little photos.

    Storage

    The baggage bins have stretchy bands across the front so things don’t fall out when the bins are reopened. It also means people can shove their coats and other soft items in and they stay put. This is a very smart addition which I am surprised I have never seen on any other carriers.

    Everyone is entitled to one underbag seat and one overhead spot. Of course, if everyone takes advantage then it gets overfull so they were checking in baggage at the boarding gate in Athens. I was surprised that they faced this issue seeing as everyone gets free chek in luggage. This surely reduces the number of large rolling hand luggage bags that end up at the gate. Well, it encouraged us to check our bags in, something we rarely do.

    Entertainment

    There are two magazines in the seat back but no TVs onboard. There aren’t any plugs so my advice is to bring a phone or tablet, a portable charger and some headphones. Mr Fluskey used both his Bluetooth headphones until they ran out of battery and was forced to read the magazines. (What a rookie, use one at a time!). There were a few interesting articles but not enough for a three hour flight.

    The Tannoy

    We really enjoyed the tunes as we boarded. They were all upbeat and put us in a good mood with our mini singalong. Of course, they played Jess Glynne’s banger Hold My Hand which is on the Jet2 adverts.

    Now, about the announcements. They were all prerecorded and very cheery. We loved the fun tone and the two voices giving it some pep. However, they were SO loud! Every time one was played, the whole plane (who were trying sleep due to the early starts we had all had) was shocked awake. You could visibly see people jump out of slumber. It seemed unnecessarily loud when the boarding music had been considerably quieter so there must be a volume choice. I would hate to take this as a commuter without a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. In general, the announcements were too loud and too frequent.

    That being said, we loved the flight deck announcements which were thorough, describing the exact route we would be taking and what we could expect to see along the way. They also kept everyone informed when we had a delay on the way home. Top marks to the flight deck!

    Amenities

    The bathroom was kept clean on both legs of our journey which is impressive on 3.5 hour flight. I liked the big pictures on the door which cheered up the small space….and they were small. You would struggle to change clothes in here or anything like that so don’t plan to use them as a space for anything other than using the toilet. There was some simple soap but no hand cream or anything so if you need that stuff, make sure it’s in your liquids bag.

    Food & Drink

    There was plenty on offer to purchase during the trolley service. I was expecting shocking prices but actually, compared to airports and other carriers, it was all quite reasonable. We stupidly paid more for food in Athens airport to eat on board which saw us standing in long queues. We should have just waited and chosen things from the menu!

    There was a second round of trolley service on both flights where sandwiches were offered at half price. This is a nice way of ensuring less food waste but I would be pretty annoyed if I had paid full price just one hour prior. Good to know for future travel though!

    Final Thoughts for our Review of Jet2

    For holiday travel Jet2 is a brilliant choice. Free luggage, check-in desks and super cheery announcements at the gate and onboard all get you in a good mood. Whether you prefer a longer fly and flop or want a fun Jet2 city break, they will get you there safe, sound and smiling. Overall, Jet2 are a fantastic choice with genuinely friendly staff, an expanding network and an attitude we love!

    Rosie xx

  • Camp Wildfire Review 2023 – Bungees, Beats & Badgers

    Camp Wildfire Review 2023 – Bungees, Beats & Badgers

    In 2022, we attended our first Camp Wildfire…and we were instantly hooked. So, it was full of excitement that we got to join our fellow squirrels once again in 2023. So what had changed? What was better and what, if anything, was worse? This is our Camp Wildfire review 2023.

    This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

    If you are planning to attend Camp Wildfire, check out our full guide crammed with info and a handy packing list HERE.

    First things first, don’t panic! We are still squirrels…more about the badgers later.

    What is Camp Wildfire?

    Camp Wildfire takes some explaining because it is totally unique. Picture a fun American summer camp, tents, boy scout-y uniforms and a whole lot of campers that are there for wholesome fun. Next, imagine a music festival…but not the main stage. Picture the side tents with fun cabaret, alternative acts and wicked DJs…now smush them together! Throw in some healthy competition between the patrols and you have Camp Wildfire.

    The Patrols

    Everyone gets to pick a team, or patrol, to join. There are four: Hawks, Squirrels (our patrol), Badgers and Foxes. There are personality traits associated with each, (you can see them here) but don’t stress about it, you can pick any of them and find some awesome, fun patrol-mates. You could just pick whichever is your favourite colour too. Throughout the weekend you can earn points for your patrol by doing a good job at being a nice person, winning competitions and taking part in the patrol games. For more info, check out our full guide.

    A Day at Camp Wildfire

    By day, you run around getting involved in the different activities you have booked. These can be as varied as bee-keeping, tree-climbing, orienteering, cheerleading, sword-fighting, and terrariumming …sorry, I mean making terrariums. Then, at five o’clock everyone gathers and joins the Patrol Games or Patrol Quiz. This is a nice time to connect with your patrol and earn some points for them. The patrol games are a crazy mix of party games and the quiz is a more cerebral affair! As the sun starts to set, the evening entertainment stars. There are live music acts to dance to or a DJ spinning tunes (do DJs spin tunes any more or just click them?). You’ll also find interesting talks and stand-up comedy or you can hang out in the games tent until the wee hours. On Sunday, you do it all again!

    Camp Wildfire Review 2023

    DAY ONE

    Getting to Camp Wildfire

    True to form, we were running late. Even worse, every minute that we didn’t leave our flat added five onto our drive. Friday afternoon on the M25 is only ever a nightmare. We crammed our bags into the boot and got on the road. Last year, we took the train and bus combo on offer. That was fine but I wanted to take extra bedding for this weekend and it would been just too much to carry across London to the correct terminus. Turns out, hiring a car was a lucky decision as the ongoing train strike debacle left the route completely without trains. Plus, a huge rainstorm enveloped the car when we hit the outskirts of Sevenoaks and boy, was I happy to be in a dry bubble rather than huddling under a train station awning like last year.

    The Initiations and Parade

    Happily, the rain stopped as we waddled from the car to the entrance so our things remained mostly dry. Unfortunately, however, waiting in the car for a few minutes for the worst of the rain to pass ate up yet more time. When we got to the site and found our pre-pitched tent, we had missed almost the entire initiation ceremony. I was gutted as this is an important moment for the patrol. Old and new faces get to meet and bond over their combined passion for the patrol. It’s like a pep rally. Everyone learns the patrol chants/songs and then it is time to parade.

    The parade is the official opening of Camp Wildfire. The gates to Centre Camp are opened and everyone dances their way through the forest along to song brilliant walking bands. The group is led to the Patrol Games Arena and it is time to kick things off with the first round of the Patrol Games.

    Patrol Games 1

    The first game was taken by the Patrol Leaders. They played dizzy dinosaurs, spinning around a broom before running the length of the arena and back again. Hilarity ensued of course. The floor was a little muddy from the rain and so a few people slipped over to general titters from the crowd. This was a lovely way to warm everyone up and we love those who lead by example.

    The next three games were all undertaken by brave campers. For the first, a party of three had to balance a balloon between them and get it down the field without it falling off. It’s not he kind of patience I possess. Then there was a hunger games style game that involved snatching balls out of each camper’s hoop. It was seriously cutthroat. FIA Lily, one person from each patrol had to run their own one person relay, running hoops along a rope from one end of the arena to the other. This looked utterly exhausting and was timed so I have no clue how they kept the momentum up. Our squirrel had a t-shirt on that said “Hackney Half Marathon”…so I guess that’s how!

    I love watching the Patrol Games. I cannot imagine the pressure of taking part but I am hardly the peak of physical fitness. These brave souls smashed it though!

    Burritos and Butter Chicken

    After watching all that exhausting exercise, it was time to get some dinner. We opted for a burrito as it had one of the shortest queues and they very kindly made it both with no onions, and with hot sauce just at one end. It was great and reminded me how much I love a burrito. Then we shared a tray of the addictive butter chicken covered chips that I had been craving since last year. They were yummy and scrummy and as good as I remembered. I know chips with curry sauce is “a thing” but why isn’t it always like THIS.

    George Egg

    I had never heard of George Egg before but when I read the words “Renegade Chef”, I knew he would be right up my street! His tips for cooking a meal in hotel room was fun and super practical informative, full of ideas I’ve never thought of.

    Daft Funk

    Now I’m not sure but I think half the crowd thought they were seeing THE adapt Pumk. This was actually their cover band who nonetheless put on a fantastic show packed with the band’s biggest hits. The place went wild for Harder, Better , Fast, Stronger,…including us.

    Bedtime

    We meandered through the darkened woods back to the tent. I think we got to bed around midnight which might seem early but we had a long day on Saturday and didn’t want to ruin it. (Plus, we had been so tired before even arriving that I was proud to make it through the whole day as it was!)

    Just outside of our tent we saw a frog. I wondered if I kissed it, whether I might find an upgrade from Mr Fluskey but decided against it…the toilets were a long way away if it turned out to just be a frog and I need to throw up. Oh, and speaking of toilets, we had found some relatively quiet ones, tucked behind the coffee tent and they were still nice clean so no dramas on night one!

    DAY TWO

    A Good Morning

    Tai Time – Tai Chi & Tie Dye

    No, this wasn’t a slow-motion production line of coloured t-shirts (although that sounds like a brilliant way to spend an hour) but two separate activities.

    Tai Chi

    My first activity, bright and early, was Tai Chi. This was a lovely hour and fifteen minutes for just ten credits (quite the bargain). The class lined up in front of the teacher who explained this would be a little tapas style lesson with a few different techniques. It was a calming but invigorating lesson. I particularly liked the “drunk dragon serving tea” motion and the mini sound bath we were treated to. At the end of the class we were all asked to describe how we felt. Responses ranged from “calm”, to “tired” to “awake”. I went with “aware” as we had done some body awareness work and every movement felt hyper significant.

    Tie Dye

    Mr Fluskey and I had started our previous year’s Saturday with a nice class in the dying. I’m not going to lie, I loved my dress which came out in a blaze of yellow, red and orange. However, I was less keen on his top which had some overlapping colours which resulted in khaki and brown sections, not the bright splashes of colour he was going for. Round two and I was expecting perfection…we’ll, it was better. The colours still ended up on a hippy brown smudge side but it was less all over so didn’t seem so bad. (Yes, I know it sounds harsh but I know what he was going for and I was frustrated for him that it didn’t happen).

    Mind you, he really enjoyed it again and that’s what really matters.

    Sign Language

    Every year at Camp Wildfire, there is a sign language choir performance given by everyone that has attended the sign language lessons over the weekend. At five credits, I couldn’t resist the opportunity. In the class we not only learned the song, “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman but the alphabet and some cute animal signs too. The leaders were both lovely, and so engaging. This is one I’ll be doing again and booking Karl onto whether he likes it or not.

    Rest Time and Pasta

    After not an amazing night’s sleep, and our early morning we decided to go back to our tent and chill for a bit. It was cooking up nicely inside but we opened the windows and doors for some cross breeze and munched on pasta and pesto that I had made in advance and brought from home. It was delicious if I do say so myself with kale, mint and almond pesto made from scratch.

    Survival Skills

    At 3:00 we made our way back into the Intrepid Woods for Survival Skills. I wasn’t sure what to expect but the young guy teaching us was a font of knowledge about the best techniques for staying dry and warm, what equipment we needed and even how to build a trap to catch dinner. The coolest part was getting to try out a fire stick. These small but incredibly useful pieces of kit send out crazy hot sparks when scraped which are brilliant for lighting a fire. It took me several attempts to send up my piece of cotton wool, as it did Mr Fluskey, but we both got there eventually. If we ever go real camping, we will absolutely be taking the knowledge we learned in this talk with us.

    A Quick Bevvie

    Our last activity of the day was Afrobeats Dance. We had just a tiny bit of time and decided that a drink would help loosen us up. The bar was open and so I grabbed a cider in my trusty squirrel enamel mug and Me Fluskey opted for a rum and coke. We necked them and prepared to boogy.

    Afrobeats Dance

    There is nothing quite like a new dance style to make you feel both thoroughly uncoordinated and shit hot all at once. Now, I am pretty sure that Me Fluskey’s choice of footwear (long wellies) hindered him a little. I am equally sure that we just don’t have enough moves to bust to make this look good. We had an hour long class and learned at a furious rate (that we demanded). It was fast and fun and not, so we look silly doing it.

    Want proof? Check out the two idiots front left and you’ll see what I mean:

    The Group Photo

    After the dance class, we had just a couple of minutes to dash into the Games Arena for the big, group photo. This is another annual tradition and involves the whole camp getting together for one large and lovely snap. This year, a memo must have gone out before we arrived that nobody should lift their arms or signs at the final moment. I think there were a few sad people that got covered up at the last second last year. In fact, so think I was me of them.

    I haven’t been able to spot us due to my visually impaired eyes not dealing well with tiny faces but I have been assured that we are there in the squirrels.

    Another Quick Bevvie

    It was then time to go for another quick drink at the bar. This ended up being rather longer than expected as we met some really nice campers and nearly missed the whole of Patrol Games 2! As we cut into the arena we caught the very end of the camp-wide limbo contest and all the hilarity that comes with people collapsing in giggles. It’s utterly infectious!

    Dumplings and …Kind of Dumplings

    Dinner beckoned and predictably, I was listing after dumplings (God, I LOVE dumplings). We decided to go for another weird combo of sharing things and started with the platter of Gyoza before hightailing it across to the Italian stand. Here, we ordered two big, fat, unctuous Arancini. It was all delicious and just what satisfied my cravings.

    The Auditorium

    Feeling full and not quite ready for dancing (we decided the world didn’t need to see our awesome Afrobeats stylings just yet), The Auditorium sounded like a great plan.

    Bureau of Silly Ideas

    Arriving, we realised that many people had been on our same wavelength and there wasn’t a seat to be had. The Bureau of Silly Ideas had pulled in quite a crowd and so we inches forwards slowly, standing outside and craning to see the antics on stage. The Bureau of Silly Ideas is an arts collective all about getting people to think about and interact with their urban environment, We heard about some of their hilarious street art. I can only hope to bump into their projects one day.

    Jamie Barrow

    The next listing on the bill just said TBA. Everyone disappeared (presumably for dinner, drinks or dancing) but we decided to stay and see what the next speaker was like. Well, it turned out to be the world’s fastest snowboarder. He was engaging and funny with a great story to tell which involved some seriously life-threatening crashes along the way. It was so cool to hear someone so utterly passionate about his world record that he pushed it to a point near death. I may or may not have drunkenly told him that his talk “was-h great” later that evening.

    Robin Ince

    The final person we listened to was one half the the Radio 4 show, The Infinite Monkey Cage. This, of course, means he is a great storyteller. He spoke at a millions miles an hour with pauses for laughter and a barrage of aside, the smiles and witticisms that kept us all thoroughly entertained. All this and with some proper science thrown in too!

    Mista Trick Collective and Only Fans Dance Party

    Itchy feet had set in so it was time to dance. We wiggled and jumped along to two great sets. Mista Trick Collective had great party trick, taking tubes we all know and love and kicking them up a notch with drum n bass beats. It was perfect for Camp Wildfire, a blend of the familiar and new leaving everyone with huge smiles.

    Then, the mysterious Only Fans Dance Party took to the stage. It turned out to be two very cool female DJs that bust out some classic 70s and 90s tunes. I think we danced until the wee hours but cider had happened…

    DAY THREE

    A Rushed Morning

    The bathrooms that were our secret nice ones had deteriorated overnight so after waiting there for a minute or two, I decided to go to the main ones. There was a bit of a queue so I lost about half an hour to my morning pee. We scoffed some breakfast (a Rice Krispie square and satsuma) but didn’t have time to brush our teeth. We decided to do it en route. Adding toothpaste at one water station and then storming through the woods, brushing furiously until we reached another across Central Camp. It wasn’t classy but we made it on time to our first activity of the day with minty fresh breath.

    Aerial Bungee

    This exercise class has been on my bucketlist for a long while. We wanted to try it on our Virgin Voyages cruise but couldn’t bag a spot in the class.

    We were all strapped into harnesses attached to some very hardcore elastic. It took some getting used to, realising that if you threw yourself at the floor, you wouldn’t hit it, and running was futile. The bouncing back reminded me of being a kid on reins. We were taught some basic moves and then it was cardio time. The teacher put on some upbeat tunes and we had to jig and bounce around, acting out the song as best we could. It was a total mess and totally hysterical.

    Mr Fluskey’s elastic seemed quite long compared to most and he nearly face planted the floor when we tried burpees. Some aerobics ensued and then everyone tried some trust exercise/tricks. We tried and nearly managed it. (At least, it felt like we nearly managed it). This was our favourite activity of the weekend and if they are back in 2024 I reckon everyone should give it a go!

    Oh, and we were set the challenge of doing a whole song of burpees right at the end. It damn near killed me, and I was NOT good , but I persevered and got the squirrels my very first Patrol Point!

    Space Science

    My next activity was a lot more chilled. Space Science was run by the chap that does astronomy at night. Both times I’ve attended Camp Wildfire I have forgotten to go and do astronomy and I have regretted it both years. He is a fascinating guy with an encyclopaedic knowledge of everything that is cool about space. I learned a ton in the hour we had which I dashed back to tell Me Fluskey. For example, did you know that sucking a drink through a straw in a vacuum doesn’t work?! On Earth, you create a vacuum and the earth’s air pressure forces the liquid UP THE STRAW. World view shattered! Also, Newton invented the cat flap, who knew!?

    Nerf Wars

    Mr Fluskey’s activity was far more energetic. He enjoyed Nerf Wars so much last year that he signed up once again. This year, the bay nails were gone and giant inflatables made up the battle field. There was three rounds, a capture the flag style game, a stuck in the mud and a zombie apocalypse! The last game, the zombies, was his victory round. Somehow he was the only human left at the end and earned another shiny Patrol Point!

    Seems that with Mr Fluskey’s zombie avoidance and our new combined survival skills, we will be set when the end days arrive.

    Axe Throwing

    Camp Wildfire has some fun “free” activities. These run all weekend and you can just go over and give them a go. These include a climbing tower, the free fall jump that Mr Fluskey did last year, and this year, axethrowing. This is another one those things that has been on my bucketlist for a while so it was excellent to just say get up and give it a go without spending any extra credits. Maybe, I had secret Viking skills that I’d been harbouring all these years? We lined up and prepared to lob the aces as shown. Well, we were rubbish. Nobody in our group managed to stick a single one but hey, it was a fun and free!

    Rest Time and Rice

    Time for another chill out moment in the tent accompanied by lunch. This time, we munched on microwave rice and a ton of sweetcorn. So nutritious! It was important to line our tummies with plenty of carbs as our next activity was our big spender…

    Cocktail Making

    At Camp Wildfire 2022, we had passed the cocktail making tent and listened with envy to the ice rattling in the metal shakers. It was our main priority when it came to booking as we wanted as close to the end of day two as possible. I didn’t manage to snag the 5:00 slot but 4:00 was open so I snatched it!

    We had the chance to make two cocktails, a mojito and a blue badger margarita. Everyone was assigned a small bench with all the ingredients for the drinks (and a few troublesome wasps). It was great fun muddling mint, crushing limes and getting to know our fellow bench mates. My mojito was much more sour than Mr Fluskey’s as he had really gone to town on the sugar syrup but both were tasty. Not as good as the blue margaritas though! These were citrusy and had the twist of orange from the curaçao that took the edge off. I timed my glass with salt and sipped happily on the result.

    Finally, we all played a game which involved free pouring a single shot. The closest pour won…mind you, we all got to drink our shot of passoa so we were all winners really.

    Patrol Games Finale

    Going into the last Patrol Games, the Hawks were very much in the lead. There was a 5:00 deadline for depositing any last Patrol Points and a small crowd gathered to add their winnings to the jars. We hoped that our fellow Swuirrels had been true to their name and were hoarding them all for winter (or until now). Then it was time for the final showdown. The first round was the epic Camp Wildfire lip sync. Every performance was pitch perfect (can you be if you mime) with backing dancers, air guitar and costumes all making appearances. I got a bit picky about the group performance, wishing that each person only did their own part but I am probably just bitter because the Hawks were already in the lead.

    Next came the games proper with the two leading patrols, The Badgers and Hawks, going head to head in a fiendish final game. This involved several difficult stages (filling a high tube with water, solving jigsaws etc) and the whole finished with a target shootout. The beanbags flew towards precariously perched bucked of water which were ready to descend on to two patrol leaders below. It was nail bitingly dramatic with the payoff everyone wanted, one soaked and sopping but smiling patrol leader.

    The Badgers won and flares, confetti and songs erupted.

    Well done Badgers!

    Burger and Pizza

    In another classic combo dinner we ordered a venison burger and a pizza from two different stalls. I tried and failed to convince Mr Fluskey that as we were two people, we needed a double cheeseburger but he was having none of it.

    We got blue cheese sauce and olives on half the pizza and munched the lot whilst watching the talent show.

    The Camp Wildfire Talent Show

    The talent show was a new addition to the Camp Wildfire lineup and it was great fun but put on at a rather strange time. The whole thing started with the sign language choir. To be honest, I had forgotten LOTS of the song but followed along as best I could had a blast doing it.

    Then it was the turn of the plucky performers. By this point, the gorgeous pink sky had faded to black and the lighting was tricky as it flashed through different colours. Some of the acts were brilliant and some a bit ropey. It was difficult to hear most as the Lycra 80s Party (the awesome dance troupe/aerobics instructors from last year) were performing in the tent nearby. Im not actually sure who won…or if there was meant to be a winner as it all ended in a huge group singalong. Lots of fun but not a slick show by any means.

    The Jenga Grudge Match

    We caught the end of Lycra 80s Party and then spend around ten minutes popping smoke filled bubbles to the side of the tent. Then we decided it was drink time and made our way round to the games tent for what we hoped would be a shorter queue. We had a date with a hot tub and didn’t want to be late. It was correct to seek out the shorter queue but we ended up completely transfixed by a game of giant Jenga that took the tent by storm. It was so tense and watching people almost walk straight into he towers added a whole new level of danger.

    When it finally collapsed, we hit foot it to The Sanctuary, ready for a soak.

    The Sanctuary

    The Sanctuary is the spa on site at Camp Wildfire. There are glamping tents for massages, wood fired hot tubs and even an old fashioned caravan converted into a sauna. We had a managed to get a last minute slot for 22:30, the last of the night) and waited outside for our turn. Turns out, there were about 20 people in our slot and we all we to change into our swimmers in the big tents, one male and one female. (If I’d have been clever, I’d have put it on under my clothes earlier in the evening).

    Everybody made straight for the hot tubs so we dived into the sauna, staving off the evening chill. We had it to ourselves for around ten minutes and indulged in the wooden-clad solitude. Once others started appearing we left to claim their spots in the hot tubs. We joined another first year CW couple, who had been surprised at how friendly and relaxed it all was. It was really lovely to hear as we now felt some sort of ownership over it (silly, I know).

    Sat in the toasty tub with the sound of the House Gospel Choir rolling over was an amazing feeling.

    Obviously we had FOMO, not seeing the performance but I was thrilled that we could still hear it. Their voices were so powerful, even from afar.

    Once we were ushered out, everybody dried off before heading back to their tents or to the last dance music blasting through the night.

    A Bedtime Boogy

    We planned to go to bed due to a shift each on Monday, but tunes got the better of us. We ended up dancing until 02:00, celebrating with the badgers and busting some sleepy but happy moves.

    DAY FOUR

    A Sunny Morning

    Mr Fluskey had to go to work on Monday so we packed up, ready to leave quite early. I thought it best to fuel up properly for the drive and long shift ahead so we made our way to the crepe stand in general camping. He opted for a sweet Biscoff-laden beauty while I stuck to my normal habit of ham and cheese. It was a lovely end to the weekend sitting in the sun munching something delicious. Then we grabbed our bags and wandered away feeling oh so wistful.

    Final Thoughts for This Camp Wildfire Review 2023

    I was a little scared that our second year at Camp Wildfire wouldn’t live up to my own hype. I had such great memories of Camp Wildfire 2022 and have been gushing about it to everyone. Thankfully, it was just as fun, just as rewarding and just as mad.

    We are crossing everything to get an invite for 2024. We can’t wait to see what they dream up for those special, secret woods down in Kent because we reckon Camp Wildfire is just going to get better and better!

    Rosie xx

  • Our Full Camp Wildfire Review 2022 – A Weekend of Sun, Fun and Squirrels!

    Our Full Camp Wildfire Review 2022 – A Weekend of Sun, Fun and Squirrels!

    Camp Wildfire has been popping up on my Instagram for years. A blend of festival, summer camp and al around good time, I was thrilled to be invited to see what it was really like in 2022. Well, I wasn’t quite prepared for just what a wholesomely good time we were going to have. Read on for my full Camp Wildfire review.

    Camp Wildfire photo

    This post may contain sponsored content or affiliate links that help support the blog. All opinions are our own.

    This review is going to be all about our experience of weekend two, 2022. If you are looking for a little more information, check out our Complete Guide to Camp Wildfire.

    What is Camp Wildfire?

    Part music festival, part arts and crafts circle and part fitness camp, Camp Wildfire is totally unique in the adult space. Campers get to try out all kinds of activities from making terrariums to learning the Dirty Dancing routine via juggling and zorbing. These activities run throughout the day and then, in the evenings there is free entertainment. You can dance to a DJ or a band, or listen to talks and comedy. The whole thing is super wholesome and tons of fun!

    Day One

    Getting to Camp Wildfire

    Being carless wonders, we booked tickets from London to …. station in Kent. This is just 45 minutes from London From here, we were due to catch the shuttle bus to the campsite. It was raining a bit and there wasn’t a working toilet at the station which was a shame as the coach didn’t arrive until about 50 minutes after the train arrived. It would have been good for the timings to match up a little better but we took the chance to meet some of our fellow train goers. Once the bus did arrive, we piled on and eventually left for a 15 minute drive to the campsite.

    Settling In and Initiation

    Arriving, we showed our tickets quickly on the way in, ducking out of the rain as much as possible and then found the pre-pitched tent area. We opted for a pre-pitched tent as we don’t own a tent, didn’t want to buy one just for this trip and as mentioned before we don’t have a car so it made travelling much easier. Boy, were we glad we did. The rain was still coming down and nobody likes putting up a tent in the rain.

    We sheltered and unpacked for about half an hour and then the sun made an appearance. We had a little wander around the campsite. The rest of the site is only opened up for the parade and so we grabbed a quick drink and awaited the gathering of the four patrols. These teams are self-assigned and we had picked to join the squirrels sporting yellow clothes and ginger ears. I was weirdly nervous and the hyper energy was spilling out everywhere! Luckily, some veterans took us under their wing and kindly gave us carabiner clip to attach our mugs to our bags.

    “Oh, you are so organised”

    “It’s not our first year”

    …Rosie looks on in awe

    We learned the patrol chants/songs before getting a hype speech from our Patrol Leaders and making our way into the magical forest. Everybody paraded through the woods with a samba band stomping their way behind us. It was so exciting! We walked to the Patrol Games Ground ready to kick the weekend off with some games.

    Check our complete guide to Camp Wildfire including a full packing list for Camp Wildfire HERE.

    Patrol Games 1

    The Patrol Leaders took to the floor and pumped up their supporters before embarking on a few example games to get everyone started. The first game involved putting as many pegs as possible onto somebody’s face. I think we were all quite glad not to volunteer for this torture. I mean, forget the pain of the pinching, but the Squirrel tactic of pegging around the mouth would have made me gag so badly!

    Then it was the turn of the campers to compete. There was a mass limbo which everybody who felt flexible got up to tackle. It got incredibly low before the hawks took the title. Then there were a couple of cool games, one involving wooden spoons and eggs. It was a game of self defence and attacking but it’s awfully tricky to explain!

    Dinner Time 1

    We walked straight out of the games and into the queues for dinner. At Camp Wildfire there is a collection of food trucks serving all kinds of delicious street food. On day one we opted for the pan-Asian spot partly due to the fact Gyoza are delicious and partly because it had a shorter queue. The gyozas were very tasty but a little oily and possibly a little overpriced at £8. The noodles (maybe) tasted good but not they weren’t super memorable.

    80s Lycra Dance Party

    I’ll admit, we misunderstood the assignment here. We thought they were having a costume disco with lots of neon and 80s tune. Turns out, 80’s Lycra Dance Party is a music and dance act and they are the most fun! Along with a DJ, three dancers in their full spandex glory bust out some classic 80s jazz and aerobics. We all danced and sang along, warming up the audience for the weekend perfectly.

    Eddie the Eagle

    Eddie the Eagle is a British icon. He is the hero in one of those quintessential underdog stories. You may have seen the film about him that came out a few years ago but the guy himself was even more charming in real life when he took to the stage at Camp Wildfire 2022. He had the whole audience in giggles in his enjoyable and inspirational talk. I mean, he is one of the reasons we booked weekend 2. The curiosity was just too strong and it paid off.

    Bedtime…or Not

    I was pretty tired so I ditched at around 23:00, leaving Mr Fluskey to the stand up comedy. I wandered back through the forest on a pleasingly well-lit path, popped back to the tent and grabbed my hot water bottle and headed to the cooking area to fill it up. There was quite a long queue for the two kettles who were working overtime! After about ten minutes, someone tried the hot tap and found out that it was really very hot. I decided to cut my losses with the electric kettles and filled the hot water bottle with the hot tap instead. “Haha, I thought” “I have hacked this!” Well, turns out that it went cold quite quickly once I was in bed so it wasn’t quite the genius idea I’d thought it was. The combo of hot water vs boiling and the mini hot water bottle as a full size one meant I was quite chilly all night. Lesson learned, on day two I made my hot water bottle at around 21:00 before we went to the dance tent meaning there was no queue for the kettles.

    Mr Fluskey appeared an hour or two later to a very grumpy wife who was cold and couldn’t sleep. Sadly, sleep was elusive that night and I shivered my way through the next six hours. Luckily, I’d packed a red bull or two and so I was able to fuel up ready for day two…..

    Check our complete guide to Camp Wildfire to find out all about Camp Wildfire’s activities, accommodation, tickets and more.

    Day Two

    Tie-Dye-Tastic

    We decided to start day two with a session of tie-dye. We figured it would give our items a chance to dry properly if the weather wasn’t ideal. I brought a cheap cotton dress from Vinted with me and a cheap cotton t-shirt for Karl from Primark. The leaders explained how to do the tie dye (the order to dip the dyes and some cool techniques) and then left us to our own devices. I wanted to pay homage to a fire candle I made at summer camp as a kid so went for yellow and red. Mr Fluskey decided to tackle all the colours. We began to dip with more hope than skill and rinsed out our creations. I was really pleased with mine and though it wasn’t half as impressive as those hanging on the line but it was better than I thought I could do! Mr Fluskey’s came out a little more army green than planned, not quite like the one he was inspired by but he plans to wear it in the future so I call that a great success!

    Zorb Wars

    We signed up for zorbing assuming that we would be popped in a ball and rolled down the hill next to general camping. Well, we were quickly earning that you can’t assume anything with Camp Wildfire. The zorb balls were in a giant inflatable ring and there wasn’t a slope in sight. Instead, there were two zorb balls in a large inflatable ring which were swarmed by shouting campers. It looked like chaos but people looked like they were having fun so we took a seat and waited for our session.

    Everyone was advised to take absolutely anything that could become lost, earrings, bracelets, watches and bags, and to remove their shoes. We dutifully started removing these items as the previous session came off the pitch (pitch?). One person had a bloody face and another was limping. What on earth had we signed up for?

    We were divided into two teams and the first game was a relay race. One by one we dived into the zorb and ran, using our hands to propel us to the other side of the arena and back. So far, so easy. Then, the madness began! We took turns inside the ball again, but this time, ran at the other team’s ball, bouncing off and pushed on our way by our team. It was crazy and hysterically funny. Inside the ball, it was near impossible to stand up after impact and for those pushing, the balance between driving the zorb forward and avoiding the reound took some practise.

    We came awya pretty sweaty but, happily, not bleeding at all.

    Flying Trapeze

    Mr Fluskey has previously taken two flying trapeze lessons so it was with mild confidence he climbed the long rope ladder to the high platform. I watched from below, wondering what the faraway blob I was looking at was. Then, all of a sudden, he was swinging, his legs were up and the trick was on. It was kind of surreal watching him, remembering how scary stepping off the high platform is. From a long way off, it looked so serene! He swung a couple of times before doing a controlled fall to the net below. Then he rescaled the ladder, ready for a trickier manoeuvre. The next swing involved getting his legs up and over the bar. To be honest, I don’t think our core strength is what it was. Observing his attempt at swinging up to the bar, and my static trapeze later in the day was really quite embarrassing.

    Rifle Shooting

    Not only is Mr Fluskey a superior athlete, but also a keen marksman…apparently. Being a blind lady, I didn’t join him for the rifle shooting which was just as well, as the targets were miles from the shooting posts. The air rifles were long and fire little black pellets so a steady arm and a good eye were definitely required. Not only did he get a bullseye but he snagged a patrol point for the squirrels too!

    Aerial Skills

    Whilst Mr Fluskey was busy doing his rifle shooting, it was time for me to prove my circus skill prowess with a session of static trapeze and aerial hoop.

    Spoiler: I did not manage it

    We were all given a warm up and then the group was split into two. We were assigned to the static trapeze first. I think I underestimated how much the swing of the flying trapeze helps get your legs up and onto the bar. Turns out my arms are weak, my stomach muscles have turned to jelly and there is a lot of bulk in the way. I miss my fit pandemic moment! We were taught the way to hoist ourselves up onto a bar and then stand up. It was surprisingly wobbly when you stood up but I really liked sit up there. (It was all of a metre off the ground).

    Then we swapped and got to try out the hoop. I was surprised at how tricky it was to wiggle into the right position without bruising your inner thighs. I tried to do the things we were shown but as soon as I was on the hoop, I totally forgot what I was meant to do. Added to this, my hoop was swinging in time with the one next to us and my head was narrowly missing the head of my fellow workshop participant.

    The whole thing was a bit of a mess so I will leave it to the experts from now on and just enjoy Cirque de Soleil with a new respect.

    Lunch

    Being a very organised bunny, I had premade a couple of portions of pasta and pesto. I thought it wouldn’t do too badly at room temperature and pesto is the best. We scarfed it down and then went back to the ice cream van for dessert. The flavours were good and we demolished the ice cream in seconds as we dashed into the woods.

    Ukulele

    I always thought I was pretty musical. I can sing and pick out a simple tune on a fair few instruments. However, it seems my downfall is chords. Mr Fluskey and I were both signed up for ukelele and we arrived (just) on time to see a nice big group. We found Mr Fluskey a lefthanded ukelele and squeezed onto a hay bale, ready to let our newest musical hobby take shape.

    Well, we started out just fine. The A minor, C and F were all OK…not great, but OK. We strummed our way through a few simple songs and we were feeling pretty cocky. However, we were then intorcued to the G chord. Now, I am going to make an excuse here. I have three weirdly long fingers (numbers 2, 3 and 4) and trying to cram them all onto a tiny fret was darn near impossible. The calm facade fell apart! We spent the rest of the lesson in fits of giggles and swearing gently to ourselves as those around us strummed away with aplomb. It was so much fun but boy, we sucked!

    Patrol Games 2

    Before getting down to the business of group games, there wads a spectacular show. One person from each of the patrols did a lipsync to a full song. We had performances of Lion King, Bruno Mars and Beyonce. Our squirrel singer did Single Ladies and the whole patrol got to join in with the dancing. It was such fun. I am thrilled to say that we won the lip sync!

    Next came the most stressful game I have ever watched. Four people from each team ly on their backs and balnceda big tub of water on their feet. OK, stressful enough right Well, they then had to take off their socks one by one. I could barely breathe! After a slow practise round, they then mad e it a race. I was dead! It was such a coool game but how the contestants managed it just blows my mind.

    By the end of the second round of Patrol Games, the squirrels were in lead. Roll on day three’s final.

    Dinner 2

    It was treat time! I had been craving halloumi fries all day since seeing someone munching on them at lunchtime. We queued for the halloumi fries and got the last portion. It was fate! Then we meandered over to the mac and cheese truck, opting for a pulled pork dish. The halloumi fries were perfection but the mac and cheese was pretty meh.

    After our food digested a bit, we danced for a little in the main music tent but we were both exhausted so didn’t last long.

    Bedtime!

    Day Three

    The Pain

    Oh my lord! We were STIFF! My shoulders, my tummy and pretty much all my other muscles were aching like mad. The combination of zorb wars, hoisting my big bottom on the aerial hoop and my poor choice of pillow had left me broken. Karl was no better, creaky and sore.

    Burlesque for Breakfast

    There isn’t a lot that can get you out of bed early on a Sunday but going to dance burlesque should be one of them! There weren’t many people around when I turned up for the 09:0 session This was probably a blessing as the dress I was wearing was a little shorter than i had thought and there was plenty of bending over in our burlesque dance lesson. We started by learning some basics and improvising in couples a little. It was really fun messing about and experimenting. Then, by the time we began to learn a routine, the area had filled up with people getting a hangover-curing hot breakfast. We learned a dance to “When You’re Good to Mama” from Chicago, which I love I thought I was smashing it but looking back at the recording, I am awfully stiff. Turns out, I’m a better burlesque singer than dancer. It was the best start to day three I could have asked for though. My aching muscles were stretched out nicely and I was buzzing with performance energy, ready to tackle the rest of the day.

    Choir

    At just five points, choir was a no brainer. We have both sung in choirs and really enjoy it. This was quite a relaxed workshop with a lot of call and response, but I guess that’s par for the course if you’re in the woods! It was nice to be welcomed into the circle whilst everyone sang around us, a very calming moment but overall I don’t think it was for me. As much as I love singing, it was too reminiscent of a previous choir experience that was rather tedious.

    “I sing” “You sing” “I sing” “You sing”

    Lunch 3

    Anotherchance to prove my amazing organisation… I was doing some googling about food that you can eat whilst hiking and found out that microwave rice doesn’t need heating and is shelf stable. Well, that was a win. We picked a pouch of rice each which sounded tasty. Then, we took a can of sweetcorn and poured it in. Et Voila! A flavour bomb of rice with vegetables in.

    Forensics

    True crime is a pandemic discovery of mine. I have always enjoyed learning about grizzly crimes and how they were solved (or not) but the world of podcasts really opened it up. When I saw a crime scene forensics workshop on offer I jumped straight on it. Mr Fluskey wasn’t bothered so I did this one solo.

    We had a series of evidence items that we got to explore, learn about or puzzle our way through. The room worked through suspect interviews, learned how to dust for fingerprints, examined a crime scene and reconstruct brown evidence.

    The whole workshop ended in a mock trial with all the suspects we had considered in the dock. I got to play the barrister and had a whale of time overacting with the guy playing the judge. Oscars all round!

    Nerf Wars

    The forensics workshop was two and a half hours so Mr Fluskey had time to go and do his own activity. He chose to join the Nerf Battle! The attendees were divided into two teams and then shot at each other with those iconic foamy nerf bullets. There were some fun hay bales and other obstacles to play around. It looked fun but I was far too blind.

    Juggling

    For just a few credit, the juggling lesson was a no brainer. I was convinced I could juggle three balls but very quickly found out that this was NOT true! The lesson started with light scarves and I had that down pat however, we were then offered a selection of rings, clubs, balls and other fun juggling accoutrement. I trie all of them with varying levels of failure Luckily, Mr Fluskey was also really quite terrible so we could laugh our way through the hour together, running after wayward balls and apologising profusely to people we had almost hit. The tutors, in desperation, taught us some fun tricks that required a little more showmanship and a little less skill.

    Swing Dance

    One of our buddies, in fact the lovely lady who choreographed our wedding dance, works for a fun swing dance class company called Swing Patrol. We were super excited when we reached our swing dance lesson to see it was being run by two more of their teaching staff.

    Now, I left the filming of this one to Mr Fluakey and he failed to record any of it so yiu’ll just have to use your imagination.

    We very quickly started swapping partners as we learned more and more steps. There were a few people who looked stricken when they lost their original partners but it was really fun teaching people or being flung around by confident dancers. By the last round, we had made it back round to each other and it was really cool to see how we had both progressed. I wonder how we compared to our wedding dance!?

    Pre Gaming

    The dance class was right next to the Patrol Games ground so we head straight over, ready for the final! Going in, we were winning and so ready to take the title!

    Before proceedings began there was an amazing surprise. Two people made their way into the centre of the arena, the guy holding a mic. They were from different patrols and we all wondered if this was another lip sync or something. He brought the mic to his face and made a beautiful, heartfelt speech which ended in a proposal!

    She said “YES”!

    It was so lovely and all rather Romeo and Juliet-ish…but with less tragic death at the end.

    Then we were treated to ta performance from the sign language choir. Throughout the weekend, classes had been perfecting the sings for a Pink song and everyone who knew it it joined in. I am 100% doing it next year. So cool!

    And with that, the games began.

    Patrol Games 3

    The final involved an obstacle course of sorts which looked so difficult . I have no idea how my fellow patrol members felt brave enough to volunteer,. We both sat, very quietly, as other people yelled and waved their hands to be selected. Im goihg to be honest, i can’t remember/couldn’t see all the stage but there was throwing a thing into a bucket, throwing a hoop over a person and other such shenanigans!

    Next two giant wooden frames were put in place and large catapults were constructed. The two winning teams, the Squirrels and the Hawks were both given a tub of water balloons and patrol leaders were dressed in large bullseyes. Then each team frantically began firing the water balloons across the field. It was mad! Both teams took a while to work out a good technique and adjust their angle. It was with a dramatic burst of water against the bullseyes that the hawks took the crown. They rushed onto the field in celebration and a blue smoke bomb went off to declare the winners. It was so cool and even my hyper competitive ass was pleased for them.

    Dinner 3

    Saving the best dinner for last, we opted for a pizza on the last night. These freshly baked lovelies had been tempting us the whole weekend but we wanted to wait until we weren’t hanging upside-down any more to eat one. It was a great Napoli style pie. To go with it, we went to the Indian street food truck and ordered tikka masala fries. Oh my lord! These might not look all that much but the curry was rich, spicy and indulgent. I want them all over again writing about them!

    Boogie Time

    Feeling all full of curry chips and happy vibes we decided to pop into the dance tent. We had a great boogie to some banging GJs and there was actually an organic dance circle. That NEVER happens! We even had the chance to dance with our Patrol Leaders who were all such lovely souls.

    Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon

    The weekend ended with a bang in the main music tent with Charlotte Church and her awesome band. |I thought it was so much fun! Charlotte was shopwing off her range in a set full of popular covers. Mr Fluskey thought she was quite self indulgent musically but I think a lot of people (including me) would have been disappointed if she didn’t get to show off a least a little. The backing singers were ACE and each got their own solo song too which whipped up the crowd even more. thought it was a fantastic end to the entertainment and walked out of the tent with a big grin.

    Day Four

    Home Time

    There wasn’t much to do on our last morning, just get packed up and ready to go. We waited for the bus just as it started to rain again….which was a nice bookend I suppose. Again, the bus didn’t match up brilliantly with the train schedule and we waited for 40 minutes or so for the once-hourly train to London. It was nice to only be slightly hungover and not feel too worse for wear but I was definitely looking forward to my bed and electrical plugs.

    Check our complete guide to Camp Wildfire to find out all about Camp Wildfire’s activities, accommodation, tickets and more.

    What I Wish I’d Known Before Going to Camp Wildfire

    Camp Wildfire was such an awesome weekend but there were few things that I got a little wrong and will do differently this year. Turns out:

    I am a phone addict

    I never realised just how much I rely on my phone. The battery hemmourage so quickly (especially as the signal is bad in the woods so it was constantly searching for a whiff of 4G). Next year I intend to take a camera separately to my phone so that I can turn it off and save it for the important things.

    I need more bedding

    The cold was real and I am a total wimp! We had airbeds and sleeping bags, along with a mini hot water bottle and thick PJs but even so, I got cold and couldn’t warm myself up again. I am going to pack lots of blankets and a full-sized hot water bottle next year! The days were nice and warm but once my feet are cold, I am doomed.

    I need a nose gay

    The toilets really weren’t bad and on the whole they were very clean and didn’t smell. However, one morning I turned up at the bathroom just before it was cleaned and after a bad night’s sleep, the smell was slightly too much for my delicate stomach. I gagged and had to vacate the fancy bathrooms sharpish. Next time, I fully intend to take a little face wipe or similar with some nice smelling spray on it just in case.

    I want to try more things that I might suck at

    Ukulele is NOT my forte, static hoop was slightly embarrassing and our juggling was truly laughable but boy, did I have fun trying these new skills! I am going to spend next year’s credits on a few more activities that I’ve never considered before and not those I think I might excel at. It is not a competition and the chance to get the synapses firing is so exciting. It isn’t something we get to do as adults very often and it feels pretty exciting.

    Check out our 2023 review Bungees, Beats & Badgers

    Final Thoughts for this Camp Wildfire Review

    I am now a Camp Wildfire devotee. We loved the weekend so much. It was wonderful to be surrounded by people that were there to learn new skills, have some wholesome fun and then have a boogie at the end of the night. It didn’t have the boozy undertone of many a music festival (until it was time for a bevvie in the evening) so it felt super safe, and super-duper fun!

    Rosie xx

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