Royal Carols - Together At Christmas - Westminster Abbey 2023

The most beautiful, breathtaking and special day, attending the Royal Carol Service!

The boys were in absolute awe of the beauty and acoustics of Westminster Abbey, they couldn’t believe the amount of famous people that were there and they were just spellbound by the whole experience!

Being in the presence of Princess Catherine was amazing! She has such a beautiful ora and she is such a genuine, loving and absolutely stunning Princess! 

The choir was just so beautiful! The depth and immersion you felt when they sang was indescribable. Hearing the little voices of our 3 boys singing along to the beauty of the choir was a memory we will never forget.

We listened to Adam Lambert, Beverly Knight, Freya Ridings, Jacob Collier and James Bay sing Christmas songs.

We heard Prince William, Jim Broadbrent, Roman Kemp, Emma Willis, Micheal Ward and Leonie Elliott and The Dean talk and share experiences and read from The Gospel.

After the service we were invited to explore the Abbey and the boys had the special opportunity to feel lots of special objects and specifically feel and sit on the same chairs that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis had been sitting on for the service! Our little royals!

As we left the Abbey, the boys posted their handmade cards they had written for special children nominated by the Princess Of Wales Foundation and we walked out feeling so extremely lucky, proud of our boys and very festive indeed!

Thank you so very much to Wisbech Tweet and the Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire Julie Spencer for arranging such an incredible experience xx 

We had the most amazing bank holiday weekend at Camper Calling!

Every day full of fun, amazing artists, family time, rain, mud and fabulous festival living lol!!

We saw so many amazing artists including: The Ed Sheeran Experience, Whatever Oasis, Campervan Live Lounge, Tom Dibb, Pink Tribute, The Rifles, Gabrielle, McFly, Dick and Dom DJ set, Daytime TV, Women in Rock, DJ Luck and MC Neat and Ocean Colour Scene

Arthur had the time of his life at the Bear Grylls Experience!

He completed the army assault course so many times and had a go at everything going!

Finally, we both got into the shark pool and snorkeled with the most incredible array of fish and of course.....sharks! Some were babies, some were the size of Arthur and there were even a few bigger than me!!!

We are so proud of ourselves!! 

Our darling Rich family joined us from Newcastle and we had a truly royal day at Sandringham House, Gardens and Estate. We loved walking around the house and gardens and learning lots about the beautiful building and the lifestyle the royal family live whilst spending time there. The staff were amazing and the children were able to touch and explore so many items so it became a very immersive experience too!

We had the most amazing day in London watching The Wizard, The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz at London Palladium!

Such an incredible production and Jason Manford and Ashley Banjo were absolutely brilliant!!

We love London and the talent of the buskers in Leicester Square was fantastic too!

What a day!!

Harrison loved meeting some reptiles, holding a snake, stroking a lizard, holding a sugar glider and then meeting his beloved Meerkats. He was able to feed them , stroke them and play with them in their home. He loved the day so much and smiled from ear to ear!

 The Orbit Accelerator Slide and lots of fun and adventure!! Finley was so impressed with how fast he went and Daddy was so impressed with Finleys bravery! 

The kids had a great time being little Ninja Warriors with our darling Rust family and even us adults joined in - although we struggled to keep up lol!

The kids all gave it their all and watching the determination and have a go attitude was just amazing!

Fun, knackered families!

The boys explored and cracked padlocks, codes and clues and the staff were so auditory with instructions, hints and letting the boys manipulate sample locks beforehand it was just so great! 

Get Out donated a prize for the Robert Goddard Raffle and also a room for us 5 to enjoy too so thank you so so much for being so generous and kind we really do appreciate it xxx 

We had never thought of an escape room as a family activity but honestly it was just brilliant for all of us!!

We were able to purchase Merlin Passes again this year and have enjoyed fun filled days at so many of the Merlin Attractions.

We have had days in London on the Eye, at Madame Tussauds and the Aquarium, spent hours non stop on rides at Alton Towers and had so much pure fun together - the boys are such dare devils!!!

A holiday of a Lifetime!

After meticulous planning by the wonderful Lisa Brady, we embarked on what has been the most adrenaline, excitement and cultural filled incredible experience so far!

We stayed in both Agadir and Marrakesh and spent time exploring all these beautiful places have to offer as well as relaxing in the stunning hotels.

We were very brave and experienced a stunning hot air balloon ride, let ourselves go and threw ourselves off a cliff and paraglided over the ocean, had so much fun and competitive laughter sand boarding and enjoyed the unique experience of riding camels along the river and watching the sunset. We were spoilt with love and care and were able to experience the Souks with a wonderful guide and the boys were just spellbound by the atmosphere and culture.

Thank you all so much  xx

We were so lucky to have been invited for a fun photoshoot with Jo Kelly again this weekend and the boys had such a brilliant time!! We first met Jo a few years ago when she read our story through Pedal4Memories and got in contact wanting to gift us a photo shoot which we were so grateful for and which are still some of our favourite ever photos. Jo lovingly then got in contact again when we had Sonny join our family and gifted yet another fabulous shoot. 

This time we got a message saying right, about time I photographed those boys again but I have something different in mind lol…..and these are a taste of what to expect! We just loved it! 

There are so many more to come but these are the costumes the boys chose for themselves!! 

We love them so much! Jo is such a talented photographer but much more than that she is a beautiful soul that the boys feel so relaxed with and enjoy her company so much xx 

Thank you yet again for priceless memories Jo they honestly mean the world, it’s not very often the boys look down a lens anymore but with some little tricks and a lot of patience Jo smashed it!! Much love always lovely lady xxx

Wow what a day!!!

We were invited to The Jockey Club at Huntingdon Racecourse today by The Barrie Wells Trust - Box4Kids and enjoyed the most incredible experience.

The boys had the use of a box, a delicious lunch and refreshments and so much fun betting on the geegees!

We were joined by host Dai Greene and he was such great company- he showed us his gold medal and was more than happy to let the boys explore it and even wear it while he told them all about his experience of becoming a 400m hurdle gold medalist! He chatted with the boys all day about their hobbies, things they loved and I think he was kept entertained by their competitive gambling and constant talking lol!

We all had so much fun and the boys all had at least one win each!!! Yay!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who made today so special xx

The boys were chosen by their football idol Toby Allen to be his mascot for a big cup game!

They loved warming up with the team, walking out with Toby and then screaming and cheering the Badgers on!

David McGovern and The Batten Disease Families Choir reached Number 1 in the Official UK Physical Charts with This Ones for the Children!

The boys received an official award and it takes pride of place in our home. 

What an incredible experience, recording and producing a CD! Thank so much David for all of your efforts and to everyone who purchased and streamed the single. 

What a magical way to start Christmas celebrations. 

We heard the bells, we met the conductor and we got lost in the magic of hot chocolate and the Polar Express!

All enjoyed, of course, in our pyjamas!

We spent a fun filled day with Auntie Hollie, Uncle Jamie and the girls at Spurs. The 2 big boys completed the DareTheWalk with Auntie Hollie and Daddy before we all joined and enjoyed the tour of the stadium and meeting Chirpy! 

Jeffreys Long Ride Home 

A lovely group of bikers rode the length and width of the country visiting all Battens families and delivering each child a special DaBear to raise awareness of Batten Disease and funds for Jeffrey, a darling little boy with Batten Disease. What a noisy, love filled visit. 

The boys had a roaring good time with their little cousin Maximus and entered the world of Dinosaurs!

Watching shows, meeting baby dinosaurs and being chased by a T-Rex were just some of the events of the day!

A magical trip to Disnleyland!

We had the most wonderful 4 days immersed in everything Disney, from food to rides, from meet and greets to shows. Our feet didn`t touch the floor and we fit so much in but it was truly the most magical experience for us all.

What a weekend!

The Mount Drive family went to Newquay for the Boardmasters Festival and had the most amazing time!

We saw: The Lathums, Damian Marley, Freya Ridings, George Ezra, Declan McKenna, Bombay Bicycle Club, Bastille, Disclosure, Joel Corry, The Wombats, Tom Grennan and Kings of Leon to name but a few!

We spent time on the beach, watched the surfing championships and experienced all elements of a festival - both good and smelly lol!

Wow!  

The lovely Steve and Alison surprised the boys and turned up in a Lotus Sports car for them to explore. Steve then took each boy in turn for a drive and they all came back exhilarated and full of excitement!

What a night!

We took the boys to Wembley to see their idol........Ed Sheeran!

It was a night full of singing, dancing and pure joy! He even had Stormzy on stage with him as a guest appearance and the boys could not believe their luck. Ed was incredible and his performance is just out of this world.

Something, none of us will ever forget!

We have always wanted handcasts of our darling boys to treasure forever and this year our wish came true with your help.

Storm Sentimentals were amazing with the boys, came to our home, gave them sample tubs of casting so they could feel and explore and most of all, created the most incredible hand casts for us.

We took our beloved campervan to Wales and had the most amazing amount of fun exploring our surroundings, going on train rides and we spent lots of time on the lake kayaking! Even Sonny loved it!

The boys have been brought up on a wide range of music, The Beatles being one of their favourites! So, we went to see the Mersey Beatles show at the theatre and they sang their little hearts out to every song!

The boys loved rocking out at Leicester Theatre watching the School of Rock stage show!

What incredibly talented youngsters performing, acting, singing and playing instruments!

We all just loved it!

Thank you to Andrew Mayor of Wisbech for the fundraising you did to allow us to do this xx

We had the most incredible, fun filled and busy few days in Edinburgh exploring! We ate haggis, tatties and neeps, scones, treats and gigantic sausages. We visited the iconic castle, rode on the open top bus, enjoyed a Harry Potter walking tour and walked miles and miles in between. 

This trip was gifted by our beautiful friends Lisa and Sean and was a big tick off Harrison`s wish list xxx 

The boys have always dreamt of having Christmas with our best friends the Kowbas family. We are more than just friends, and as the name Dodbas suggests, we are one big happy family and so creating an early Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day in a rented house by the sea, big enough for us all, was a dream come true. It was madness, it was festive, it was perfect xx

We had a sleepover at Alton Towers and spent such special time exploring the winter wonderland, meeting the big red man himself, warming up in the pool and enjoying a Christmas party and rides!

Thank you so much Ben Burgess for this wonderful festive memory!

The boys had a very cheeky, very funny visitor to deliver their advent calendars this year!

The Grinch played games, had hugs and even spent time getting to know Sonny!

Wow - the arrival of the boys hug in a blanket delivery was a complete surprise for them and they were overwhelmed how strangers would make them something so unique and beautiful and how they would know what they each absolutely loved. These blankets will be a lifelong comfort and we are so grateful for them, especially Arthurs, and send much love to the creators and supporters of the charity - Hug in a Blanket.

The lovely Jo at Gingersnaps Photography got in touch with us for the second time and asked if she could gift us another photoshoot. We were overwhelmed by her generous and loving offer and had the most enjoyable day with her yet again. The boys (and Sonny) all respond to her so well and we just love the photos she captures and will treasure them always xx

Wizarding World!

The boys absolutely loved dressing as wizards for the day and exploring the incredible land that is Harry Potter Studios London. They were in their absolute element and we had the best day!

The boys got to explore a real life batmobile! The lovely Sidney arrived with his very cool super car and allowed the boys to go wild! Great fun had by all!

The boys had a dream day of all access in a comic book shop! The lovely Steve at Mad House Comics not only invited the boys to visit and explore, but he sent them home with bags full of amazing comics to share and enjoy! Lucky boys!

We had another special visitor but this time he was cool, he was very funny, he was Deadpool!

Thank you so much x

Our family is complete!

The arrival of our darling puppy, Sonny.

We nominated Finleys incredible teaching assistant Mrs.Elliott for a Linking Hands Charity Hearts of Gold Award and she won!

The work Mrs.Elliott did providing work and support for Finleys education throughout Covid was out of this world and she deserved to be acknowledged and thanked and we are so proud and grateful that she has been!

The boys had a very exciting surprise visitor this Easter Sunday!

Not only did the Easter Bunny visit, they brought so much chocolate and goodie bags full of easter themed toys with them too! Such lucky boys xxx

When we moved into our beautiful forever home, we knew that the garden was going to take a labour of love to get it perfect for the boys and Covid gave us the opportunity to absolutely gut it! Once we had done that and Covid allowed, we had the most incredible work completed which included leveling the whole garden from the back door, 2 beautiful patios, a sensory raised flower bed, a ground level trampoline, a climbing frame and the most incredible den designed totally by the boys! Its covered in camo nets, has a pool table, a climbing wall and is locked with a number code so only children allowed lol!

Arthur chose to take his lovely friend Evie on a special day out to see Cirque De Soliel at the Royal Albert Hall!

What a mesmorising memorable day!!

We were lovingly gifted the most incredible day to see the Lion king at the West End!

We were collected from home in a very posh chauffeur driven car filled with treats and sweets. We were taken to the Rain forest Cafe for a magical lunch and then watched the most spellbinding show of The Lion King!

We had always dreamed of taking the boys to Lapland and with funds raised by Pedal4Memories we made that dream come true in 2019!

We had the most incredible 4 days in nothing but snow! We visited Father Christmas and his elves. We tobogganed, rode snowmobiles, rode sleighs pulled by reindeer's and went mushing on huskies!

The best 4 days ever!!!!!  

All 3 boys had dreamed of seeing their beloved superheros in the flesh and when we were gifted tickets to Marvel LIVE they were over the moon!

KAPOW!

We were gifted tickets to go and watch England Vs Montenegro at Wembley (Harrisons first live football match) and had front row seats close to the dugouts. It was a brilliant game finishing 7-0!! 

Finley chose to take his special friend Faith on a fun filled day out and they conquered climbing the O2! 

We were lovingly gifted Merlin passes for a year and what fun we are having with those! We have visited Alton Towers, Chessington World Of Adventures, Blackpool Attractions, Legoland and Sealife Centres more than once with friends and family and have made some awesome memories with many more planned! 

We stuffed ourselves silly and were made to feel like royalty when we were invited to Pippas Pantry in Sutton Bridge for a very special gift of afternoon tea - yum yum yum!

We were given the most beautiful gift of a Photoshoot by Jo at GingerSnaps Photography and had a fun filled day and have hundreds of precious photographs to treasure forever xx

Most of the photographs we use of the boys for Pedal4Memories are photographs taken on that wonderful day.