To celebrate the release of “Dolphin Tale”, available on 3D Blu-rayTM, Blu-rayTM Triple Play, DVD and Digital Download from 13th February, Have A Lovely Time are offering three lucky winners the chance to win a copy of “Dolphin Tale” on Blu-ray!

Dive into the heartwarming, inspiring story of Winter the dolphin in “Dolphin Tale,” starring Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman, Alcon Entertainment’s “Dolphin Tale” is inspired by the amazing true story of a brave dolphin and the compassionate people who banded together to save her life. “Dolphin Tale” is an uplifting, fun adventure about the healing bonds of family, both human and animal.

Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, severely damaging her tail. She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter. But her fight for survival has just begun.

Losing her tail may cost Winter her life. It will take the expertise of a dedicated marine biologist, the ingenuity of a brilliant prosthetics doctor, and the unwavering devotion of a young boy to bring about a groundbreaking miracle—a miracle that might not only save Winter but could also help thousands of people around the world.

The real Winter, who plays herself in “Dolphin Tale,” today serves as a symbol of courage and hope to millions of people—especially those facing their own physical challenges—who have been touched by her remarkable story of recovery and rehabilitation.

Arrives onto 3D Blu-rayTM, Blu-rayTM Triple Play, DVD and Digital Download on 13th February 2012 “©2012 Alcon Film Fund, LLC. All rights reserved.”

For your chance of winning this amazing prize, leave a comment at the end of this post answering this simple question:

In “Dolphin Tale” this Oscar® winner, plays Dr. Ken McCarthy, the person faced with the daunting task of crafting a prosthetic tail for the injured dolphin.  He has starred in such films as The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Knight and Invictus.   Please leave a comment telling us the name of the actor who plays him.

Closing date: 24th February 2012.

Also, when you sign in to comment, you will be asked for an email address – please ensure you use a genuine address, and check you have entered it properly, or we will be unable to contact you if you win.

Terms and Conditions
•    Competition open to UK residents only
•    No cash alternative is available
•    Please allow up to 28 days prize delivery from competition close date

Millions of British children have never been to an art gallery, theatre or stage show, according to research from Visit Birmingham. We find it shocking and sad that the home of the wonderful Thinktank museum, Birmingham Hippodrome and so many other brilliant attractions should be in the position of reporting on such disappointing findings.

It’s not about money – with so many offers, deals and discounts at such attractions, there’s often a way of getting there if your family budget is tight (whose isn’t these days?) Activities may also be free. Yet unbelievably, a fifth of parents reportedly assumed their children wouldn’t be interested. It’s hard not to get hot under the collar about when you think how many are interested in reality TV, computer games, mobile phones and even social networking at a younger and younger age.

TVs in bedrooms cost money, so do hand-held games and other gizmos – I’d be interested to know how many of the parents claiming their children couldn’t possibly be interested in more ‘cultural’ pursuits have splashed out on the latest consoles. And then I could mutter some more.

What’s wrong with people? I know none of us are perfect parents but to think that anyone could completely ignore firing their children’s imagination and enriching their entertainment experiences in this way, is just a little heartbreaking.

What has been dubbed a  ’culture starved’ generation emerged in a study carried out among 2,000 parents of five to12 year-olds throughout the UK.

Four in 10 children have reportedly never seen the inside of an art gallery, while 17 per cent haven’t visited a museum with their parents. This makes me want to scream – and not in a good way!

The research also revealed that a quarter of children haven’t been to the theatre, while six in 10 have never heard or been to a classical music concert.

One in 10 kids hasn’t even left their home town to visit other sites in the UK.

And half of parents admit they make little effort to educate their children on culture or history, relying on schools to do so.

These results make for sad reading.  For the team behind Have a lovely time, taking our children to museums, galleries and shows – and often in Birmingham – has been a firm favourite. I remember my mum taking me to the ballet at the Hippodrome from a young age and how much we loved it. Without exception in our office, the Thinktank (and see how great it is in the video above) is named as the preferred museum for children. It’s amazing.

Yet a third of the parents included in the poll say they rely on schools to take full responsibility for site seeing trips and educational visits to local attractions. It’s hard to believe and a real shame. I also remember when my girls were 11, they went on a school trip to the cinema in Walsall. For more for more than one child in their class, it was the first time they had been to see a film. I just couldn’t believe it – again in my own childhood we would watch so many big screen releases – from Candleshoe to the Cat from outer space – and I still look back on those times fondly, even if we seldom got there on time – I thought it was usual to sit and wait for the film to come around and watch the first half an hour after already sitting through the rest of the film.

Emma Gray, Director of Marketing Services for Marketing Birmingham, which runs the Visit Birmingham campaign, said it was important for all generations to embrace cultural activity.

She said: “Culture can take many kinds of forms and it’s essential our children are encouraged to get involved with this at any early age – whether that be attending a pantomime, visiting something like the Staffordshire Hoard or getting involved in dance.

“There’s no doubt that cultural activity enriches day to day and it’s important that children embrace our history and culture now, to ensure that is it passed on through the generations.

“A few trips during the year to museums, landmarks or even cultural festivals will prove to be memorable, informative and fun occasions for youngsters.”

The survey shows a quarter of children have yet to be taken to stage shows such as George’s Marvelous Medicine, The Gruffalo, or The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

They are just as likely to be ignorant of well-known artists such as Monet, Rembrandt, Van Gogh or Picasso – unless covering them in the school syllabus.

And as for seeing historical sites across the UK – by the time they reach their teens, the average child won’t yet have set eyes upon famous landmarks such as the London Eye, Angel of the North, the Houses of Parliament or Stonehenge.

And kids are more likely to recognise a McDonalds than Madame Tussauds – being more familiar with local attractions such as zoos and theme parks than famous theatres and museums.

Indeed, today’s children are more likely to think of ‘culture’ as modern technology such as computer games, the rise of the digital age and fast food restaurants.

When questioned on why they make no effort to make their children more ‘cultured’ and knowledgeable about past history, a fifth of parents claim their offspring simply wouldn’t be interested.

Emma continued: “We would like to encourage parents to sight-see with their children, as it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

“Many attractions in Birmingham and the wider region have free entry, particularly for children, and you can learn much from visiting landmarks and exploring the history about them.

“Modern children would really benefit from including more cultural activity in their lives, which is invaluable to their learning.”

Here at Have a lovely time, we couldn’t agree more. For me, times have often been tough – but the laughs and fun you find at museums, in theatres and art galleries have been priceless.

We’re all about helping and inspiring families to find fun stuff to do without breaking the bank and hope this research is a real eye opener and kick up the bum for some parents! You don’t need oodles of cash to enjoy many of the finer things in life and you don’t need to be a high-brow culture vulture.

Just get out there together and have a lovely time!

A lovely story about Winter the dolphin, mixed with an all star cast made this a really enjoyable family film which kick-started our Sunday really well.

Sawyer, to his family a worryingly quiet young boy, is on his bike one morning, when he hears a shout from a fisherman on the beach asking him to help, as a dolphin had been washed up on the beach and it’s tail was caught in a crab trap.  He helped as much as he could, and they called the Clearwater Marine Hospital to rescue it.

Intrigued to know how it was, Sawyer heads over the hospital and creeps in to find that the dolphin has been called Winter and that severe damage to Winter’s tail meant that it had to be amputated and they are not sure whether she will survive.   Sawyer should be spending his summer at summer school but begs his Mom played by Ashley Judd to spend his summer helping out at the hospital.   At first, she’s not happy about it but then realises that she’s never seen him so animated about anything in his life, so after visiting the staff, agrees that he can help out.

He makes great friends with the daughter of the marine biologist played by Harry Connick, Jr. and discovers that the hospital is struggling to survive and after a hurricane hits the town, they are unable to rebuild the damage and have to sell out to a businessman and rehouse all the animals – all except Winter who nobody wants due to her disability.

While all this is happening, Sawyer’s cousin is injured in the military and is at a specialist military hospital where there are many people overcoming various disabilities and they enlist the help of an amazing prosthetics doctor who works there, played by Morgan Freeman to make Winter a new tail.  She rejects the first couple of attempts, which worries everyone even more.

Sawyer and his friend try to think of a solution, to to save this wonderfully inspiring marine hospital and they also plead with Dr McCarthy to persevere with creating a tail that Winter will accept.  Will they succeed?

You’ll just have to watch the film to find out – I can’t possibly spoil the ending for you can I?  Although I can go on to tell you that this film was inspired by the real Winter, who plays herself in the film, and she encourages and inspires people the world over, including those who have their own physical challenges, with her amazing story of rescue and recuperation .  There may be a clue there!  I can also tell  you that when you watch this wonderfully warm and enjoyable  film you may need a box of tissues!

We are giving our readers the chance to win a copy of Dolphin Tale on 3D Blu-ray^TM over at Have A Lovely Time this week.  Watch this space for more details.

Encourage your kids to appreciate the natural world around them this half term with our great photography competition.

You can keep them entertained for hours as they try to capture the perfect picture to put them in with a chance of winning a four night stay in a tipi! (yes a tipi – check them out at Tipi West.)

Have a lovely time has teamed up with Daioni, the UK’s only organic flavoured milk drink, to run a nature photography competition just for children.  We’re looking for pictures of nature in all its forms, from wildlife at the bottom of your garden to exotic beasts, greenery in the urban landscape to traditional countryside scenes.  It’s all about helping kids to enjoy the wonders of the great outdoors, so get them snapping. Sounds brilliant fun, and the prize is pretty great too. It’s great to see it’s not limited to a family of four as so often is the case.

The budding young photographer behind the winning picture will win a four night family stay at Tipi West overlooking Aberporth bay on the beautiful Ceredigion coast in West Wales. They will also receive a half day photography lesson and a hamper of strawberry, chocolate and banana flavoured Daioni! (Aberporth really is beautiful, by the way, Have a lovely time’s Linda has been there many a time and loved it.)

This competition is open to children aged between four and 16 years, and will be judged in three age categories: 4-8 years, 9-12 years and 13-16 years.  There will be one overall winner and three runner-up prizes of a month’s supply of Daioni.

To enter, youngsters need simply take a photo of something in nature that has  captured their imagination and email it to helen@trioni.com.  Photos must be submitted as Jpeg files and be 300DPI or 1-5MB in size.  All entries must be received by 31 March 2012. Terms and conditions apply.

Introducing Daioni

Daioni means ‘goodness’ in Welsh, and this drink lives up to its name. The delicious award-winning recipe is produced from nutritious Welsh organic semi-skimmed milk.  Daioni is low in fat and sugar, and only contains natural ingredients.  Daioni can be bought in handy 250ml cartons from www.abelandcole.co.uk, www.ocado.com, Tesco stores in Wales, farm shops, delis and health food stores across the UK.

Terms and Conditions

The overall prize of a four night stay in a Tipi at Tipi West is limited to eight people.  It must be taken between 16 April 2011 and 31 August 2013, excluding all weekends.  There is no cash alternative to the prize and accommodation is subject to availability.  For more information about Daioni and Tipi West visit www.trioni.com; www.teepeewest.co.uk

I’m such a big fan of Butlins - boy have we had some good times there. It never ceases to amaze me when people (and by that I mean friends!) turn their nose up at this great British institution. Perhaps some brilliant-sounding activities for young bookworms may finally win them over.

Next week, Butlins is welcoming top children’s authors to its resorts for special free storytime sessions as part of World Book Day celebrations.

Children’s authors are coming along to Butlins in Bognor Regis and Skegness this half term.

Families attending can meet children’s authors Holly Web and the Alien Invaders crew for special readings and activity sessions.

Butlins gives the following information:

Tuesday 14th February 2012, 10:30am: Holly Web, author of the Animal Magic and Animal Stories series will be at Bognor Regis on 14th February to charm youngsters with a reading of Magic Molly: The Clever Little Kitten – a specially published book for World Book Day. Young fans will get the chance to quiz Holly on her inspiration behind the cute furry characters.

Wednesday 15th February 2012, 11.30am: The power of the universe is coming to Butlins in Skegness on 15th February as the authors behind the Max Silver Alien Invaders series host an activity session that’s out of this world. The exhilarating event will be packed with readings, alien costumes, games and non-stop space fun.

If you’re not already booked in to Butlins for half term, you can visit the website or call 0845 070 4730 to book a day pass.

Matt Rake, Head of Entertainment at Butlins, said: “Butlins is all about creating magical moments for families, so we’re thrilled to be joining forces with World Book Day to help let children’s imaginations run wild this half-term. With some inspirational authors on board, we look forward to getting children discovering the fun of reading.”

To help kick-start storytime this spring, Butlins has already distributed 180,000 World Book Day £1 Book Tokens to families across the UK, giving kids the chance to read for free.

Day passes can usually be picked up on the day from the Butlins resort, however during peak-times (such as half-term) it’s better to ring first, or go online – see below for more details.

Bognor Regis

Print off a 25% money saving voucher at http://www.butlins.com/day-visitors and a family of four day pass is only £54. To book, call 0845 070 4772

Skegness

A day pass for a family of four is £46.

Visit http://www.butlins.com/day-visitors or pre-book by calling 01754 614445

Oi, get yourself to Wimbledon Centre Court Shopping Centre - it's much better than watching Jurassic Park again - and less scary.

Prehistoric fun for youngsters is planned at Wimbledon’s Centre Court Shopping Centre this half term including a chance to get crafty with dinosaur-inspired arts workshops.

The centre’s adopted charity, Volunteer Centre Merton, is also set to benefit from a packed week of activities with shoppers asked to make a small donation to take part.

Art and craft workshops run throughout half term for children of all ages and can be found on the lower mall from Monday to Friday at 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm.

Other fun activities include face painting and balloon modelling which are available each day.  There’s also a dinosaur quiz competition for children to tax their brains about creatures which used to roam the earth. Prizes are a selection of dinosaur goodies.

Centre Court Shopping Centre marketing manager Samantha Brown said: “Children can have great fun with dinosaurs, it’s something a bit different – we hope youngsters very much enjoy our activities to help them discover a lost world.”

“It would be great to see plenty of people come and support our local centre with the chance to try out our activities, we’re proud to be able to offer them and support a great local charity at the same time.”

* This post is a press release written by Have a Lovely Time’s Linda on behalf of Centre Court.

Photo by bortescristian on Flickr

My family has always loved the carpet of snowdrops to be found at Cound, near my home town of Shrewsbury, around about this time of year.

It’s our first blast of make-believe springtime to help us through the last throes of winter. Nearby Attingham Park also has swathes of these delicate flowers on show.

This year, as icy conditions and snow flurries have taken grip in our neck of the woods (more below freezing conditions are forecast) the prospect of getting out and enjoying such a spectacle is especially appealing.

There’s  a host of places to head across the UK to feed a snowdrop habit as well as in Cound.

This list from Saga has some impressive resources, including the wondrous Chirk Castle. Snowdrop walks from across the UK are listed.

The National Trust also has a wealth of places to visit to get some fresh air in your lungs and enjoy the early blooms. The trust’s Mike Calnan tells us: “There’s something magical when the ­snowdrops are in full bloom. It’s a sure sign that spring is on its way and a perfect opportunity to get closer to nature.”

The Visit Northumberland blog shows us a lovely display of snowdrops at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens.

English Heritage is reported to be playing cupid as it encourages people to start their love affair with its North East properties open this Valentine’s Day, including beautiful Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, Lindisfarne Priory and Warkworth Castle.  Belsay  is home to thousands of snowdrops. In Essex the snowdrops at Audley End are undoubtedly well ream.

There’s a brilliant A-Z list of sites with snowdrops from the Where can we walk blog. Its experts also advise:

Apart from these collections, snowdrops are regularly seen in great profusion in old cemeteries.  Again planted near loved ones’ graves, especially in the 1800s, these groups have been left in peace to naturally colonise the church yards.

Here’s a selection of some specific events from the National Trust:

• Ickworth House, Park and Gardens, Suffolk:  Self-guided tours until February 20, open ­11am-4pm: Admission £3.60, call 01284 73613.
• Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill, Cambs: February  7-11, 14-18, 21-25, tours 2pm: Admission £5.68, booking advisable. Call 01223 810080.
• Dunham Massey, Cheshire: Garden tours every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout February at 11.30am, 1.15pm and 2.15pm: ­­Admission £6.35, 15 spaces per tour. Call 0161 941 1025.
• Chirk Castle, Wrexham: Self-guided tours February, 12-13, 19-27, 10am-4pm:  Admission £6.48, call 01691 777701.
• Belton House, Lincs: Snowdrop specials February 26-27, 12-4pm: Admission £3.32, call 01476 566116.
• Peckover House and Garden, Cambs: Snowdrops & Oranges, February 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27 and March 5-6, 12-4pm: Admission £3.90, call 01945 583463.
• Ankerwycke, Berkshire: Snowdrop spectacular, February 13, 11am-1pm: Tickets £5, booking essential. Call 01784 432891.
• Cliveden, Bucks: Spring snowdrop trail, February 19-22, 10am-4pm:  Admission £8.15, call 01628 605069.

Happy snowdrop spotting!

To celebrate the release of Jack and Jill, Sony Pictures UK and Have A Lovely Time are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a Sony Bloggie Cam and you can win this fabulous prize here.  We thought it would be nice to take the opportunity to take a look at the various looks of the lovely Katie Holmes who looks as gorgeous as ever in this film.

From slightly geeky, hopelessly in love and full of teenage angst Joey Potter in Dawson’s Creek to Erin in her latest film Jack and Jill, Katie Holmes has had a string of on-screen styles and to celebrate the release of her new film on the 3^rd February 2012 we’ll be taking a peek at her fashion wins and faux pas through the years.

Dawson’s Creek 1998 – 2003

At the age of 20 Katie starred as female lead Joey Potter in Dawson’s Creek.  Off set Katie’s fashion stayed close to that of her character’s when she wore jeans and a t-shirt to the 2002 MTV Movie Awards. With flared jeans and colour blocking never far from her wardrobe Katie had a long way to go to make it to the style icon we see today

Katie’s next big role came in the form of playing the daughter of the President of the United States of America in First Daughter (2004).  In this role Katie plays a poised, elegant young lady.  Katie’s on screen style has definitely upped its game; featuring a variety of chic dresses and elegant poises.  But has she found her off-screen style yet?

She has!

Taking tips from her on-screen counterpart Katie  has come a long way from her jeans and t-shirt look at the MTV Movie Awards two years previously.  Working the classic LBD Katie stands out from the crowd at the Vanity Fair awards in 2004.

Batman Begins

2005

Starring alongside the gorgeous Christian Bale in Batman Begins Katie plays legal crime fighter extraordinaire Rachel Dawes.  Smart and sophisticated Katie brings office chic to the big screen.

Never one for bright colours Katie keeps it simple in this elegant ensemble at the Batman Begins Premiere.  Sticking with the classic LBD Katie looks as sophisticated as her on-screen character, leaving us excited for future red carpet appearances.

Lions For Lambs Premiere – 2007

Tropic Thunder Premiere – 2008

All My Sons Premiere – 2008

Knight and Day Premiere – 2010

Jack and Jill

2012

In her most recent role, Katie stars alongside Adam Sandler in family comedy Jack and Jill.  Keeping to her classic look Katie keeps it simple in her on-screen role as mother of two whilst shining in a purple and black Holmes and Yang criss cross dress at the US Premiere of her latest film .

A far cry from her more simple of outfits Katie has seen a red carpet come back alongside the boost in her career following time out to look after her gorgeous daughter Suri.

Jack and Jill hits cinemas this Friday.

We all know lots of little (and not so little) people who are very eager to see this – LEGOLAND is allowing us a sneak peek at it’s brand new hotel.

You can take a virtual tour around the 150-room, fully-themed LEGOLAND hotel, which is due to open at  the Windsor resort in March 2012.

LEGOLAND says the hotel is “Dedicated to interactive family fun” and will “bring LEGO to life with imaginative theming and a host of child friendly features.”

“There will be three types of themed bedroom – Pirate, Kingdom or Adventure – all with interactive challenges to keep children entertained for hours on end.  For the first time ever, children will be nagging their parents to go to bed!”

Want to see more?  Find out what you can expect by taking the virtual tour. There’s also full booking details on the website.

To celebrate the release of Jack and Jill, those really nice people at Sony Pictures have given us a fabulous Bloggie camera to give away to one lucky reader.

Jack and Jill hits cinemas on February 3 – a family comedy starring Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes and Al Pacino, and offering an hilarious insight into family life.

Like the Facebook page 

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Prize

The bloggie™ touch Mobile HD snap camera shoots brilliant photos and Full HD videos.  Uploading images is quick and easy so you can share your pictures in an instant.

12.8MP stills, Full HD, 360 Video, 8GB, USB arm and sharing software, 7.6cm/3″ touchscreen, HDMI®

All you have to do is leave a comment below, answering this easy question:

Which celebrity takes a shine to Jill in the film Jack and Jill?

a)       Al Pacino

b)      Dustin Hoffman

c)       George Clooney

Closing date : 24th February 2012

When you sign in to comment, you will be asked for an email address – please ensure you use a genuine address, and check you have entered it properly, or we will be unable to contact you if you win.  

TRAILER:

Synopsis

Jack and Jill is a comedy focusing on Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler), a successful advertising executive in Los Angeles with a beautiful wife and kids, who dreads one event each year: the Thanksgiving visit of his identical twin sister Jill (also Adam Sandler). Jill’s neediness and passive-aggressiveness is maddening to Jack, turning his normally tranquil life upside down.

Katie Holmes plays Erin, Jack’s wife.

Terms and conditions

• The winners will be drawn at random from all the correct entries, and only they will be contacted personally. Prize must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred. There will be no cash alternatives.
• Sony Pictures UK and Have A Lovely Time do not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries due to the Internet or email problems. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entrants must supply full details as required on the competition page, and comply with all rules to be eligible for the prizes.
• No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently.
• Unless otherwise stated, the Competition is open to all UK residents of 18 years and over, except employees of: (a) the Company; and (b) any third party appointed by the Company to organise and/or manage the Competition; and (c) the Competition sponsor(s).
• This competition is a game promoted by Have a Lovely Time. Have A Lovely Time’s decision is final in every situation and no correspondence will be entered into. Have A Lovely Time reserves the right to cancel the competition at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.
• Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and to agree to be bound by them when entering this competition. These rules are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
• Prizes unclaimed after 28 days will be deemed to have been forfeited and Have A Lovely Time reserves the right to either offer the prize to the entrant whose name is next drawn at random or to re-offer the prize in any future competition.

If you’re keen on finding more competitions, look here:

ThePrizeFinder – UK Competitions

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