Mum's The Word - August 9, 2016

If you’re an 80s child like me, you’ll fondly remember Terry Nutkins, Chris Packman and Michaela Strachan exploring the world to find the most amazing animals of the natural kingdom.

So when we heard Michaela was opening the new Wild Discovery centre, at Ribby Hall Village in Wrea Green, we just had to go – although I strongly suspect I was more star-struck than William, who had no idea who the smiley lady was (yes, she really is as lovely as she seems on TV.)

I was pretty confident he would enjoy meeting her though. After all, he’d held his first newt in his Grandma and Grandpa’s garden the day before. And he’d been out in the long grass by the park catching grasshoppers to look through his magnifying glass the previous week.

A David Attenborough in the making?

Well, I think he’s still got a long way to go.

We put our heads close to the first stable we came across at Wild Discovery and up popped an emu – so close we were literally nose to beak!

Then climbing the side of the stable door was a small spider, which William spotted, making him leap into my arms, burying his head into me. It came as no surprise... he doesn’t even like going on a slide before I’ve cleared the steps of cobwebs!

But he loved the rest of the fabulous farm – especially the goats, donkeys, pigs and chickens, as well as the alpacas and wallabies on the safari walk. And was just as happy to meet Michaela as I’d hoped – even telling her about his recent encounter with a newt.

We’ll just have to work on him braving the exotic house to meet the tarantula!