We found a lovely little gem in Wareham yesterday called ‘Not Just Sundaes’.  It’s a fantastic child friendly community café and ice cream parlour which sits near the Quay, opposite the library in a converted historic Church.

As we went in we were immediately met with smiles and after promising my son ice cream I quickly checked they had some and then found a lovely big table to sit at and peruse the menu.  I didn’t notice at first but in the corner there was a lovely sofa and some toys, books, colouring in pictures and crayons and it didn’t take Sam long to spot them either.

I’d presumed by the name of the café that we were able to purchase an ice cream sundae and we were certainly not disappointed.  There are a few different options to choose from and we went for a ‘mini sundae’ which contained one scoop of ice cream, sauce, cream, a choice of topping and all for an incredible £1.50!*  I couldn’t resist having one too while nanny had a delicious cappuccino.

There’s plenty to choose from on the menu with various sundae options, hot and cold drinks, yummy looking cake plus breakfast and light lunches including paninis, sandwiches, salad and a children’s special containing ½ a sandwich, cucumber sticks, crisps, a carton of juice and a scoop of ice cream.

I noticed on the back of the menu that the community café offer a suspended coffee/soup service for a person in need.  They write that it is not their premise to judge or ask if a person is in need and sometimes that person may not be homeless but simply a mum who has had a very tough week and desperately just needs to sit and relax with a hot drink for half an hour.  I’m always touched at businesses with community spirit and bought a suspended coffee for the next person who asks.

Any parent knows how nice it is to sit and relax while the children are happily playing and the toys and colouring in certainly provided us with a bit of time to do just that.  

For further information on location, menu and opening times please visit the Not Just Sundaes Community Cafe Facebook page.

Good to know………..

• The staff are happy to provide jugs of hot water to warm milk and they are able to microwave baby food if you ask.

• There is a baby change table in the toilet and a highchair if required.

• If you are travelling from out the area then you’ll find parking on the high street (check restrictions) or pay and display car parks nearby.  The cafe is also easily reached by bus or train with a 10 minute walk from Wareham station.  

• If you are a frequent visitor then pick up a loyalty card which gives you a free hot drink for every 6 hot drinks purchased.

*Please note, prices stated are correct at the time of writing and may change in the future.

If you have children at home who enjoy learning and discovering new things then please take a look at the Royal Signals Museum. 

The museum is well signposted and very easy to find in Blandford.  The most important thing to remember if you do visit is that every adult over 16 MUST have photo ID as the museum is located within Blandford Army Camp Base and therefore you must show your ID to gain access.

I had already looked at the website and read a little about Army Communications but honestly I had no idea that there would be so much to discover on the subject.  I didn’t have the chance to read as much as my husband and father (mainly because someone had to make sure the 3 year old isn’t breaking anything) but I’m told all the plaques, signs and leaflets were very informative.

Myself and my son Sam had the pleasure of playing with all the interactive activities and he especially loved sending a message in morse code and driving the truck through a virtual world.  There’s so much for little one’s to discover including tanks and military vehicles, displays and videos plus they can go on an animal discovery trail to find the little critters in the display cabinets.  For the older ones you can pick up a trivial pursuits quiz as you enter and see if you can find all the answers within (I love that there are little clues on which area you will find the answer).

It took us nearly an hour to wonder through the downstairs part of the museum and I thought that when we went upstairs we would only find the Comms Café but as we got to the top of the stairs we saw there was even more of the museum to discover.

My son and husband found the truck you can sit in and drive on a big screen and they were there for ages so I left them to it and found a table in the Café.  We’d said we’ll stop for a little bite so when the others joined me we had breakfast baps and hot drinks which were very tasty and also reasonably priced.  There’s plenty to choose from on the menu including sandwiches, baguettes, breakfast, burgers, pastries, hot meals and cake.  The ladies who served us were very friendly and helpful, as were all of the other staff and volunteers we’d encountered.

After elevenses we had to go back to the Truck AGAIN and then went on to discover more vehicles and displays.  After a couple of hours my darling son turned from a well behaved and interested little boy into an exhausted little monkey and even though my husband hadn’t had the chance to read every single piece of info I knew it was time to go and promised him we’ll come back another day.  

This really is one of Dorset’s best museums and well worth the entrance fee.  For more information, please visit the Royal Signals Museum.

Good to know………….

• The museum is now open every day up until the end of October when they will change to a winter timetable.

• The Café is very child friendly and the staff will happily warm any baby milk or baby food for you.

• Guide dogs are allowed in the museum.

• There is a disabled access ramp at the front entrance of the museum and a lift which provides access to the 2 floors.

• If you are taking a pram with you then you will have no problems navigating the museum and 2 floors as there is plenty of space.

• Toilets are on the ground floor and there is a baby change table within the disabled toilet.

Thanks Royal Signals Museum for a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours with the family, we’ll be back again one day.