Dear (Chester) Zoo,

You’ve watched my children grow from babes to schoolkids, with plenty tantrums along the way.

Glimpses of animals between playground pilgrimages and promises of ice-cream.

Penny press steering wheels.

Poonamis in the butterfly house.

Nappy changes in the buggy.

Wet winter afternoons sneaking into the rhino house for our picnic.

Or jostling for a table with fluorescent school parties.

Monsoon forest – all to ourselves. Orangutans pressed to the glass, but little one just wants to head through the next lot of ropes…

Crocodile!! No that’s a turtle.

Freezing our butts off on the boat. No animals, only the odd moorhen. Will it ever end?

Opening all the illegal wildlife doors. Lift me up mummy.

Penny press steering wheels.

Occasional animal interest.

Giggles at pink chimp bottoms.

Assuming he can’t get lost in the willow tunnel – flip, where is he?!

Measuring up with the baby giraffe.

Learning to walk, to run, to jump, to take turns.

Snacks in the tropical realm.

Asking the peacocks politely to PLEASE show us your beautiful feathers.

Rumbling up the ramp to the orangutans. Thunder!

Do you need a wee?

Penny press steering wheels.

Parks.

Big baobab slide park. x1000

Climbing the spiderweb (in the right shoes).

Shoes off in the sand pit, sailing to Antarctica, get in mummy!

No the water bit’s not on cos it’s winter. We’ll come back when it’s a warmer day.

Obstacle course park.

Wooden park.

When you’re a big boy you can do the huge tunnel slide.

Teasing the penguins.

Penny press steering wheels.

Falling off the step in the aquarium.

Snacks in the jaguar house.

Feeding bark to the bears.

Holding hands in the bat house, in and out as quickly as we can.

Mummy’s just looking for the giant anteater.

Snacks in the rhino house.

Hand sanitiser (COVID kids, can you tell).

DIGGERS.

Penny press steering wheels.

Sitting on the tiger cubs, the piglets, the Komodo dragon, the elephant – watch it’s hot!

Choosing a picnic bench – cue ducks.

Being more excited by the ducks than the giraffes.

Not finishing the picnic.

Hungry ten minutes later.

Snacks in the monkey house.

Shall we get an ice-cream? Don’t tell Daddy.

Better get back to pick up your sister!

Running down the big hill – watch where you’re going!

One last penny press steering wheel.

And snacks in the car (obviously).

Dear (Chester) Zoo,

We will miss you. This special place, where we’ve learned so much, and had all the best days together. 

The animals won’t miss us.

But the playgrounds, the steering wheels, the diggers just might.

xxx