parents

My maternal grandmother, Marcela Miranda, was born in Arizona’s copper country in 1914 and lived in the United States until she was about 7.

She was part of a generation whose parents were from the rancho of El Cargadero, Zacatecas, and started families in el Norte while waiting out the Mexican Revolution in the 1910s and the Cristero Revolt in the 1920s. Many returned to their home village when things calmed down.

After growing up in Mexico, my grandmother moved to California with my grandfather and their children in the 1960s. Only the American government considered her a native-born U.S. citizen, while society dismissed her as a Mexican. We grandchildren always considered our Mama Chela a doña — a grand Mexican dame who never wore pants and frequently covered her hair with a veil out of modesty. All she remembered from her early childhood in Arizona were snippets of the nursery rhymes “Did You Ever See a Lassie?” and “The Bear Went Over the Mountain.”

The El Cargadero diaspora, which mostly settled in Anaheim, saw our forebears’ American birth as a stroke of provenance allowing them to legally enter the U.S. and give their progeny a head start that other Mexicans could only dream of. It’s a story I’ve repeatedly told over my decades-long journalism career, and no one has yet challenged my description of my grandmother as an immigrant.

If they did, I’d think they had too much time on their hands, or maybe that they were a wackjob contrarian.

Cue Steve Hilton.

The Republican candidate for California governor is trying to make a scandal out of his Democratic opponent, Xavier Becerra, portraying himself as the son of Mexican immigrants. Twice last week during their CNN debate, Becerra said his parents came to California “with $12.” In previous interviews during his decades in the political spotlight, Becerra has shared that his father, Manuel, was born in Sacramento in 1928 and moved to Mexico as a child during the Great Depression, eventually returning to the land of his birth.

Hilton, who has been endorsed by President Trump, has as much a chance of becoming the Golden State’s next governor as Stephen Miller. But he and his supporters have latched on to Becerra’s statement like it was the borderlands version of stolen valor. Critics combed through Becerra’s family genealogy like Indiana Jones searching for the Holy Grail, then posted their findings online — Becerra’s dad grew up in Tijuana before coming back to California, then married in Guadalajara before returning in the 1950s to Sacramento, where Xavier was born — to claim that Becerra is one giant, pandering fraudster.

“Unlike Xavier Becerra, I am an immigrant,” the British-born son of Hungarian refugees harrumphed on social media. He followed up by declaring that Becerra is “LYING” about his family’s American experience “in order to score identity points.”

What more proof do California voters need that Hilton is laughably out of touch with how we live? Many Mexican Americans, including my cousins and me, consider family members raised in Mexico to be immigrants, even if they were born in the U.S. Growing up down south forever shapes your language, work ethic, appreciation for how hard life can be and so much more. When they return to the U.S., such people often find themselves ostracized as paisa — country — and must learn the mores of American life, just like those born abroad.

To argue that calling them immigrants is technically wrong is like getting angry at people who don’t pronounce Los Feliz the Spanish way. For Becerra’s critics to claim he’s stretching his immigrant roots to appeal to Latino voters is an insult to Latinos. We know a cultural faker when we see one, and the Becerra family story isn’t an anomaly; it’s our lives.

Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton addresses patrons at Victorio’s Ristorante in North Hollywood in September.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s a weird gotcha,” said Cal State Fullerton Chicano studies professor Alexandro José Gradilla, whose wife’s grandmother was born in California and raised in Mexico, then bounced between the two countries for the rest of her life. “What’s the dis? Where’s the dunk? It’s so normative, especially of that generation. We cannot have the 2026 definition of immigration, the border and policy apply to a completely different landscape.”

Becerra’s critics subscribe to “this very American bias that an immigrant only moves once to the U.S., the land of opportunity, of hope — all that mythology,” Gradilla continued. During the Ellis Island era, he noted, European immigrants returned to their home countries with their U.S.-born children, and then those children faced many of the same hardships as first-time arrivals when they came back to the U.S. as adults.

“‘We don’t call those people expats or returnees — ‘immigrant’ is the only intelligible label we understand,” the profe concluded. “Until we come up with a better label, Becerra’s dad is an immigrant.”

There are many legitimate reasons to bash Becerra, from his refusal to participate in more debates to his paltry number of public rallies to a platform that sounds like more of what created California’s current woes. His family history isn’t it.

Hilton’s fixation on Becerra’s immigrant bona fides shows how desperate he is to gain some traction, any traction, with Latino voters. He at least has picked up on Latinos’ regard for immigrant success stories. But after bragging about being the candidate of legal immigrants, for Hilton to hold being born here against someone who went back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico is a weak salsa pendejada.

Hilton would have been better off with his conservative base if he had labeled Becerra the son of an anchor baby.

At a press conference with elected officials to oppose Proposition 39, which would mandate voter identification, my colleague Nicole Nixon asked Becerra about Hilton’s attacks on his dad. Becerra finally unlocked the inner cholo so many of us have been waiting to see, instead of the Chicano Ned Flanders he’s been projecting for decades.

“So this is what happens when people who don’t understand immigration start to pontificate,” he responded, summarizing his family story once again and pointing out the discrimination his father faced as someone of Mexican heritage, birthright citizenship be damned.

“Steve Hilton may not know that [Mexican American history] because he’s not from the U.S.,” Becerra said. “Steve Hilton may not know that because even though he’s an immigrant, he hasn’t taken the time to research.”

Wow, the brown Democratic candidate calling the white Republican candidate a dumb immigrant — California politics sure have changed!

But Becerra’s smackdown had a point. Conservatives deeply misunderstand what it is to be Mexican American. We’ve never fit into the American assimilation story and so have created our own narrative, one that people like Hilton refuse to accept at their own peril.

Hilton needs to take a Chicano studies class, where discussions about the fluidity of Mexican identity inevitably come up.

And, wouldn’t you know it, Gradilla planned to bring up that very subject with his students this week — he didn’t even know about Hilton’s attacks against Becerra until I told him.

The profe has had to update his lectures about the forced removal of upward of a million Mexican Americans south of the border during the Great Depression. He relates that history to the present, when many undocumented Latinos are returning to the countries of their birth with their U.S.-born children, either because they’ve been deported or to avoid being arrested and locked up under Trump’s hellfire immigration enforcement regime.

“For Hilton, anyone of Mexican heritage in this country needs to be grateful, you need to be loyal, and you need to be here,” Gradilla said. “Who would ever want to leave the U.S.? Well, some people have to.”

SHE’s the nepo-baby that has already got everybody talking – now Scarlett Thomas’ bid for fame continues and this month proves to be her most pivotal yet.

The daughter of soap’s most fractious real-life couple, Ryan Thomas and Tina O’Brien, Scarlett, 17, has been hellbent on using her parents’ fame and status to turn herself into a star ever since she became a teenager.

Keen to soak up the spotlight and be more well-known than her parents could ever be, Scarlett has taken on various public-facing jobs since her early teen years – first as a TV actress on Waterloo Road and now she’s determined to make it as a popstar.

But the young star has already seen herself embroiled in plenty of controversies.

Having decided not to take ANY GCSEs in hopes of pursuing a showbiz career, she has also found herself at the centre of plenty of teenage TikTok drama that has seen her relationships questioned and even seen the star accused of being at the heart of a cheating scandal with a member of Simon Cowell‘s boyband, December 10.

But all this talk is secretly being used by Scarlett and her savvy team in order to give her career a major boost – and The Sun can reveal why October 2026 is pivotal for the budding fame wannabe as she looks set to make her biggest career move yet with a series of music singles.

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Whilst Scarlett has been teasing a music career for the majority of the year – we can tell how she has been waiting until this month as she turns 18 years old before unleashing herself to the world.

Scarlett is due to enter adulthood on 26 October and is expected to go full-throttle – especially after dropping her first single, Onezies.

Our insider said: “Scarlett and her team have come up with a well-crafted plan.

“She knows she gets people talking – the plan is to capitalise on that as soon as she hits 18.

“Scarlett’s plan is to be more famous than her parents and has been keen to get a head start.

“She wants to be more than a cosy Brit TV star – she wants to be worldwide and eclipse that of the success of her parents.”

Our insiders have revealed that Scarlett’s 18th birthday will be a turning point for the star and she is aiming to have a full Miley Cyrus-esque rebrand from child star into a pop performer.

They tell The Sun: “Scarlett is planning to go fully wild when she hits 18.

“She wants to get everyone talking and is hoping to carve out something like Miley did when she left Disney behind.

“Scarlett looks at these popstars going all out and desperately wants a piece of the pie.

“Sabrina Carpenter is another inspiration of hers. She plans to emulate her showgirl-esque outfits and dance moves to help propel her career.

“Scarlett has never been a shy girl.

“She knows she can hold her own and crucially does not care what anyone says.

“She knows a lot of people will say she is acting beyond her years but she is laser-focused on her career goals.

“Controversey sells and Scarlett could care less what anyone thinks.

“Some may call it selfish but ultimately she does not care how she is viewed to the world – as long as people are talking about her, that is all thar matters to her.”

Already, she has bragged about having no GSCEs and underage drinking in one of her tracks.

Appearing at a gig last weekend, Scarlett’s lyrics included: “Baby do you like having no GCSEs in the alpha, but you’re gonna listen to it one more time.

“We’ve got buzzballs swimming in our tummy.”

She has also previously hit back at suggestion that she does not act her age in an appearance on her father and uncle’s podcast, The Thomas Bros.

Scarlett said earlier this year: “It’s a weird thing, people say you can pass for like 21 and like 12 at the same time.

“I’m 17. And I don’t know. I think my fan base is a little bit weird.

“People think I’m a lot younger than I am and I don’t think many people are ready that I’m growing up. It’s a bit weird.”

When directly asked if it frustrates her, Scarlett’s facial expression says everything as she rolls her eyes.

“It’s so frustrating. But a lot of like influencers my age, which is still the same kind of topic, don’t get the same kind of comments as I do.

“Like “why are you growing up so fast?

“But it can be a bit frustrating because, you know, I want to be taken seriously. I’m not a child.”

And it seems she mostly has the backing from her family when it comes to chasing fame and her dreams.

Our source says: “The Thomas side of the family have always backed it.

“They see Scarlett becoming famous and well-known a boost for their own brand anyway.

“The brothers have always had a very relaxed approach when it comes to parenting and family life.

“Ryan and his brothers back her completely – they are always cheering her on from the side.

“On the other hand, mum Tina has always been a bit more reserved.

“Whilst she does want Scarlett to be famous – she would have probably rather her stuck to the Waterloo Road and small scale TV circuit like her.

“Tina does not post about Scarlett as much as Ryan but it is a conscious decision.

“But she will always support her daughter and encourage her to do what makes her happy.”

The Sun has reached out for comment.

PARENTS will no longer be stung with rip-off fees just to sit next to their children on flights.

Airlines will be forced to seat under 14s beside a mum, dad or an accompanying adult for free.

It could save families up to £104 on a return trip.

Passengers will also be able to fix simple spelling mistakes on bookings without being hit with charges of up to £40.

PM Andy Burnham said: “People are fed up with these little charges that add up.

“So I’m putting a stop to them.”

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“This is what our everyday fixes are all about.

“Giving people room to breathe by tackling the small irritations that catch people out.

“They waste their time and cost them money.”

Ministers are also drawing up a system to help airlines identify repeat troublemakers.

It comes after more than 1,000 serious disruptive incidents were logged last year.

It could make it easier to extend bans on passengers who repeatedly cause issues.

Holidaymakers will also be given greater flexibility to correct simple name errors including spelling mistakes on bookings for free – rather than facing charges

Rip-off airline charges including hidden fees for parents to sit next to children under 14 will be banned under government plans.

Holidaymakers will also be given greater flexibility to correct simple name errors including spelling mistakes on bookings for free – rather than facing charges.

Under the proposals unveiled today, airlines will be required to seat children under the age of 14 with a parent or adult accompanying them free of charge.

Andy Burnham said: “Charging parents just to sit with their children is a rip-off, plain and simple. And being hit with a hefty fee for a simple spelling mistake on a booking form isn’t right either.

“People are fed up with these little charges that add up, so I’m putting a stop to them. This is what our everyday fixes are all about. Giving people room to breathe by tackling the small irritations that catch people out, waste their time and cost them money.”

Earlier this year the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) investigated budget airline Ryanair over such charges costing around £8 each way.

Under the airline’s old policy parents had to book a “mandatory family seat” to sit with their children aged 2-11 in order to secure a seat when they flew.

But Ryanair – which the CMA said was the only major operator to charge such a fee – changed its policy in June with kids up to the age of 11 seated next to their parents free of charge.

It’s website now states: “For safety reasons, children aged between 2 and 11 years must sit next to an accompanying adult, and infants (8 days to 23 months inclusive) must sit on an accompanying adult’s lap. Families may choose either to reserve seats or select free random allocation.

“If random allocation is selected, children will be seated next to an accompanying adult on the same reservation free of charge. Other adults and teens on the booking may be allocated seats separately.”

The government said that while some airlines already offer protections on fees, the reforms will guarantee the same rights for passengers – despite who they fly with.

British Airways policy already makes clear children up to the age of 12 will be seated for free. It states: “To ensure your family has the best seats when you fly, we recommend choosing yours in advance when you book. There may be an additional fee for this.

“If you don’t choose your seats in advance, we always do our best to seat your family together based on flight seat availability. This may mean that you’ll be seated in adjacent rows or across the aisle. All children under 12 will be seated with an accompanying adult.”

EasyJet’s policy adds:”If you leave it to the last minute it’s possible that there may not be enough seats left for us to seat your family next to each other.

“We’ll still make sure each child under 12 is seated close to an adult on your booking. However we may only be able to arrange this at the airport or on board, which can cause delays for you and other passengers, and not everyone may be seated together.”

The government said the move was the latest in the PM’s attempts to give people breathing space, including action already unveiled on costly subscription traps and school uniform rip-offs.

Heidi Alexander, Transport Secretary, said: “Parents should not have to feel the pinch just to sit next to their child on a flight, or for amending a simple booking error. That’s why we’re scrapping these unnecessary charges for all airlines – another everyday fix to help put money back in people’s pockets and give households more breathing room.

“And everyone deserves to travel knowing their flight isn’t going to be disrupted by bad behaviour from a small minority. These common-sense reforms will make flying safer for staff and passengers and protect people from unnecessary charges, whoever they fly with.”

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, added: “It’s clearly unfair to force parents and children as young as three to pay an extra fee just to sit together. Airlines that have separated families are putting profit ahead of passenger peace of mind.

“Which? has successfully pressured many airlines into dropping these fees over the past ten years. So it’s welcome to see the government taking firm action on this by outlawing these charges completely and finally putting an end to this rip off.

“It is also positive to see greater flexibility to amend simple mistakes, protecting consumers from unnecessary charges.”

CENTER Parcs has been blasted for offering a 45-minute Christmas activity – which costs an extra £300 per family.

The “Twilight Elf Visit” involves two members of staff in elf costumes visiting a family in their lodge for less than an hour.

The visitors will tell stories and share “festive surprises” and “magical moments”, including making a wish for Santa, posing with the elves and receiving keepsakes including a festive ribbon and bauble.

The activity is now available to book in November and December across all locations – but for a very steep price.

For one child, the cost is around £300 while for two it’s £350, with the price rising by £50 for every extra child – up to £550 for six kids.

It’s not clear if these prices will change as Christmas approaches. 

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One said on a Facebook post: “Wow. That’s crazy money.”

Another added: “It’s only 45 mins! It’s a shocking price.”

A third moaned: “What in the name of Scrooge is this? Surely those prices can’t be correct?”

But some families said they would go for it, with one explaining: “Ooh my child (adhd/autistic) would have ADORED this as they loved the elves etc and we’d have happily paid it as they struggled in most settings.

“I think it sounds great!”

The activity description states: “When dusk begins to settle over the forest, a very special Christmas adventure awaits.

“Gather in the comfort of your lodge as two magical elves arrive with an enchanting tale to tell. 

“Through personalised storytelling, festive surprises and magical moments, you’ll discover the secret connection between the forest and the North Pole, and the important role Christmas wishes play in keeping that magic alive.

“Together, you’ll create a special Christmas wish, enjoy thoughtful keepsakes and share magical moments designed to capture the wonder and belief of the season. 

“With personalised touches throughout, it’s a truly memorable way to spend an evening together, creating festive family moments you’ll treasure for years to come.”

The cost comes on top of the holiday itself – we’ve found four-night stays on December 7 for £779, in a basic Woodland Lodge in Sherwood Forest (or £859 for Longleat).

Center Parcs has also revealed the return of its Winter Wonderland from November 6 until January 4.

Taking place every Wednesday and Saturday at 5pm, Santa’s Parade sees his sleigh glide through the village accompanied by a festive cast of entertainers.

Meanwhile, the Enchanted Light Garden invites guests into twinkling light displays, where storybook characters come to life daily from 4pm to 9pm. 

Children can also enjoy Elf Playtime, collect their Elf Explorer Passport, and dance along at the Elf Disc.

Lee Carpenter, Head of Leisure at Center Parcs, said: “We’re passionate about creating memorable experiences for families, especially during the festive season.

“As we look ahead to Winter Wonderland this year, we want to continue building on our incredible offers to create something truly immersive and unique, and the Twilight Elf experience brings that vision to life.

“Together with the return of guest favourites and a selection of newly enhanced activities, it offers even more opportunities for families to embrace the magic of Christmas and enjoy a festive break they’ll never forget.”

It remains illegal in California for a school district to force teachers and other staff to alert parents about their child’s gender identity, but parents must be told when they ask about it, a judge ruled Tuesday in a widely watched case dealing with parental rights.

San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Sachs, weighing both state law and a Supreme Court order, rejected an attempt by the Chino Valley Unified School District to reinstate its mandatory parent-notification policy.

“There is no requirement that the school district, on its own, after learning of transgender issues, contact parents and let the parents know of them,” Sachs said in court. At the same time, “in the event a parent makes an affirmative inquiry of a minor child regarding their status, whether transgender or not, that will trigger an obligation by the school district to respond.”

Under the Chino Valley policy, approved in July 2023, a school would have to notify parents of any request by a student “to use pronouns that do not align with the student’s biological sex or gender listed on the student’s birth certificate or other official records.” The same notification rules applied to the use of bathrooms or participation in sports.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta immediately challenged that policy in court and it was put on hold. In October 2024, Sachs had ruled that most of the policy was discriminatory — and therefore illegal — because it singled out a group of students for treatment that was different than the treatment of other students.

As an example, he cited the possibility that a student would come out confidentially to a school counselor — and then that counselor would immediately be required to alert the parents, even against the student’s wishes.

A policy that could result in mandated actions by a school employee continues to conflict with the intent of a 2025 California law that barred a school system from forcing teachers to tell parents about a student’s gender, Sachs concluded.

“That’s inappropriate and it’s still inappropriate,” Sachs said Tuesday.

New rules, new rulings

What has changed in the legal landscape, he added, is what happens when a parent requests information about their child’s gender status or sexual orientation or any number of other issues affecting that child.

Trial court rulings — affirmed by a Supreme Court majority in March — said that parents have the right to demand information about their child’s gender identity at school. School staff cannot lie to parents — including matters that a student wishes to conceal from their parents.

Attorney Emily Rae, representing Chino Valley, said Sachs was correct to acknowledge that parents had the right to information about their child, but that his ruling did not go nearly far enough — and that parent notification should be mandatory statewide.

Chino Valley also has a separate pending court challenge to the 2025 California law, contending it is at odds with the direction of the Supreme Court, which should take precedence.

Dept. Attorney General Delbert Tran, representing the state, declined to be interviewed Tuesday, but in his exchanges with Sachs, it was clear that he saw the ruling as about as much of a win as would be possible, given the Supreme Court’s recent directives.

He also said that supporters of parent-notification policies misstate or misunderstand the parent-teacher relationship that exists in practice and under state law. Parents, he said, have the legal right to observe classes and meet with teachers, and the expectation is that teachers will communicate freely and often with parents about a child’s needs and progress.

Chino Valley champions its view of parent rights

Chino Valley, a school district of 26,000 students in San Bernardino County, has adopted and defended a series of policies favored by parent activists, religious conservatives and President Trump under the leadership of school board President Sonja Shaw, a Republican currently running for the office of state superintendent of public instruction.

Under her leadership, the school system has taken a stand for a flag-ban policy in schools and classrooms, widely viewed as targeting gay pride flags; for removing school library books with passages deemed to be sexually obscene, and for working to ban trans athletes from girls sports and girls locker rooms.

Shaw attended Tuesday’s hearing and criticized Sachs’ reasoning.

“When he talks about a parent has a right to know now only if they ask, how do you know you’re being lied to or secrets being kept?,” Shaw said after the hearing. “That absolutely makes no sense.”

Shaw said the judge should have done “what’s right: Upheld parents’ constitutional right to the upbringing of their own child.”

In anticipation of Sachs’ ruling against the original policy, the Chino Valley school board revised the policy, expanding it to all students. Under the current policy, if any student “requests a change to their official or unofficial records, parents/guardians shall be notified to ensure that parents/guardians are informed and involved in all aspects of their child’s education.”

In other words, if a straight male student named William suddenly decided he wanted to be referred to as Robert on the class roll sheet — an official record — his parents would be notified.

In 2024, Sachs accepted this version of notification because students were not singled out for different treatment on the basis of their gender.

That form of the policy remains in effect.

Since that time, Shaw said, the district has been “transparent” with parents regarding important issues in the lives of their children. And Tuesday’s ruling would not change that.

Moving forward, she added, the district could assertively ask parents if they want to be informed about their child’s gender issues and that permission — if given — would continue to apply as the student proceeds through grade school.

If you’re planning a weekend in Windsor with a trip to Legoland included, this fancy hotel is a treat for the grown-ups but still has everything you need for the kids

“Oh no, this place looks fancy,” I told my partner as we drove up the winding path towards the De Vere Beaumont Estate in Windsor.

With its stately home feel and landscaped gardens, it had all of the makings of a lovely romantic getaway. Except we’d turned up with our two-year-old toddler, and now I worried that, despite promising to be a family-friendly hotel, this might be one of those properties where ‘family friendly’ means ‘as long as your kid sits quietly in the corner’. Thankfully, I was wrong.

De Vere Beaumont Estate is quietly family-friendly; at a first look it doesn’t feel like children are welcome, but once you actually settle in, it’s very accommodating.

The hotel may feel grandiose from the outside, but it’s not pretentious. It’s modern with quirky artwork, cosy armchairs, and a parlour bar serving an impressive array of drinks, with a large outdoor terrace.

My only quibble was the check-in process; there was a wedding onsite which caused a long queue at the reception. We actually gave up for a while and went to the bar for about an hour before returning, and even then we still had to wait 20 minutes.

Still, when we did get the keys to our room, it wasn’t disappointing. It was a decent size with a double bed, two armchairs and a table, a desk, and a large bathroom (shower only). If, like us, you’re travelling with a little one who still needs milk at night, be warned that rooms don’t have mini fridges – but we had prepared and packed an ice cooler.

The estate is very picturesque with large landscaped gardens, patches of woodlands, and a playground for older kids. It felt like we scratched the surface when we went for a wander, but there are some longer walks for those who aren’t tied to taking a pram along for the ride.

When it came to dinner, we decided to stick onsite at the hotel’s 1705 Restaurant & Bar. Again, at first glance I wasn’t sure if it would be stress-free with a toddler.

For a start, there wasn’t a children’s menu which had me instantly panicking about whether we’d need to convince our two-year-old that he did in fact want the likes of salad or soup for dinner, but thankfully the staff were incredibly accommodating when we asked if there was anyway we could get some sort of simple pasta dish, and they made us a special portion of mac and cheese.

The menu for grown-ups did tick all the boxes though. We went for the scallops and mozzarella salads as our starters, and steaks for the main. Prices range around £14-£35 per person so it’s not a particularly cheap meal, but the overall vibes, good food and friendly staff made it feel like a holiday treat.

With a toddler, it was time to head back to the room for an early night. However, after an hour of him resisting sleep, we admitted defeat, and headed back down to the terrace for a drink, taking the toddler in his pyjamas, in the pram. Nobody batted an eyelid, we easily found a table, and ended up enjoying some nice wine in the last of the sunshine.

The next morning, after making the most of the hotel’s extensive breakfast and dropping off our room key in a very quick check-out process, we made the most of the hotel’s location just a 15-minute drive from LEGOLAND Windsor.

Our toddler was under 90cm which meant he could enter for free, but also meant he was too short for a few of the bigger attractions. Still we managed to tick off more than I expected including a submarine ride, a train, and the iconic Fairy Tale Brook boat ride. There were also heaps of playgrounds throughout the theme park. As for queues, the longest we saw was 35 minutes for a NINJAGO ride, but generally we were impressed at how quickly everything moved – a very welcome feature when you’re waiting around with a toddler.

The theme park allows you to bring your own food and drink in the park which was very helpful for snacks (our little one, like most his age, is spectacularly picky about what he will eat), but I wish we’d packed more for ourselves too as when we did decide to just get some nuggets and chips for lunch, as well as some ice creams, it set us back about £30.

Overall, De Vere Beaumont Estate proved an ideal base; a lovely space for us grown-ups to enjoy, and a handy location to one of the UK’s biggest attractions. It’s definitely one we’ll be returning to!

• Rooms at the De Vere Beaumont Estate start from £129 a night based on two people sharing. Book at devere.co.uk.
• LEGOLAND Windsor day tickets start from £32pp when booked online in advance at legoland.co.uk.