A day trip to Richmond Park and Pembroke Lodge

After driving for 40 minutes with Baby Boy screaming on and off and then waiting another 10 minutes trying to get a parking space, we were finally ready to go look for deer in Richmond Park and see the Grade II-listed Richmond Park mansion Pembroke Lodge.

I couldn’t wait to get out of the car, and enjoy a day outdoors exploring nature with the kids. Big Girl had kept asking if there would be a playground, and I had excitedly explained that there would be a natural playground with lots of fun wooden ‘balancing beams’.

I had just about managed to get her interested in the natural version of a playground and the opportunity to spot deer and see a beautiful historic building when we exited the car and noticed she couldn’t actually go anywhere in her current state.

Four-year-old Big Girl had spilled a bottle of water all over herself, meaning it was practically impossible to get out of the car on a windy autumn day. We ended up having to search the car for any spare clothes, or other alternative solutions, and I was getting increasingly annoyed with myself for being unprepared for our road trip.

Bad packing or spillages, however, are not the top excuse for being late. According to research by breakdown cover provider the AA, the UK’s favourite excuse is car problems. It is apparently common to tell white lies about car issues, and many exaggerate and add specific car details to excuse their delays.

To help alleviate excuse anxiety for breakdown customers now that an increase in breakdowns is predicted as it gets colder in coming weeks, the AA launched a Proof of Excuse’ service yesterday, offering customers to take a roadside selfie with an AA mechanic.

The AA is trialling the ‘roadside selfie’ service with a selection of AA mechanics, and the selfie can be requested via Twitter or email once the driver reaches their destination. The image will then be sent to them, complete with an official time and date stamp as proof of their on-the-road mishap.

I really wish I’d had a a roadside selfie to refer to when I was half an hour late for a lunch on Tuesday and then again half an hour late for physio on Wednesday. A cool selfie with an AA mechanic would have been a much better excuse than simply forgetting to write down my plans in iCal!

Disclaimer: This post was a collaboration with the AA

Tags: Day trip, Deer, Nature, Outdoor activities, Outdoor play, Park, Pembroke Lodge, Richmond, Richmond Park, Road trip, Selfie, The AA