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  1. Moonfleet Manor is a wonderful family friendly hotel situated on the Jurassic Coast in Weymouth, boasting views of Fleet Lagoon and Chesil beach.  This Georgian Manor is very impressive and at Christmas time the building is fully festive with beautiful trees and decorations in every room.

    Myself and a friend had booked a Nourish Facial and Body Ritual which included full use of the facilities and an Elemis Expert™ package.  We also booked Afternoon Tea which is always an absolute treat for us.

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    When we checked in we were warmly greeted and given a dressing gown plus door code for the leisure facilities and treatment building.  Since we had different times for our treatment we decided my friend would go first while I went to explore the leisure facilities.  The swimming pool is a good size and has views of the garden outside.  The changing facilities are well equipped for little ones and once I was changed I swam a few lengths while day dreaming about much needed summer sunshine.

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    After my swim I had a wonder around the lawn and looked down onto the lagoon.  Chesil Beach and the Fleet are important areas for wildlife and have national and international protections.  Chesil Beach is 18 miles long and The Fleet Lagoon is the largest tidal lagoon in the UK and one of the most important Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in the country.  I could see several birds and swans from my vantage point but without my glasses on I couldn’t tell you if they were pigeons or geese haha.  There are many birds that reside here which include dunlin, oyster catchers, little egret and ringed plover as well as hundreds of brent geese and other migrating and wintering wildfowl.  In spring, there is a rare colony of little terns which breed on the beach.

    I still had time to explore while my friend was having her treatment and I found a pool room, cinema room and the amazing Play Barn which I know my children would love to explore.  The large entertainment complex boasts arcade games, climbing walls, football court, slacklining tight rope, table tennis and an under 5’s area with soft play shapes, sensory activities and sofas.  On a raised section at one end there’s lots of comfy seating so the adults can sit and relax while the children play.

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    The hotel takes pride on being family friendly and this is clear to see as they have trails for the children to enjoy and even wellies and crabbing buckets to borrow.

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    Outside the hotel I noticed tennis courts and the garden has a lovely play frame and sand pit for children to play with.  If you’re feeling energetic you can take the coastal path down to the waters edge where I’m told you might even find a fossil.

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    When I met up with my friend we sat in the leisure lounge and enjoyed a cuppa together before going for a walk and then heading off for Afternoon Tea.  A waiter asked if we would like to dine in the restaurant or a lounge and we chose the latter because we could sit on a sofa and be surrounded by pretty Christmas decorations.

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    After we were asked about our choice of tea or coffee our Afternoon Tea soon arrived and we couldn’t wait to get tucked in.  My friend had vegetarian sandwiches while I had delicious finger sandwiches with salmon and rocket, cheese and chutney, egg mayo, and ham and mustard.  In addition to this I had a lovely sausage and apricot roll.  For me, the scones and cakes are the best part and the ones we received were delightful.  We had one plain and one fruit scones each with jam and clotted cream, a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, a cherry chocolate dome with an amazing chocolate mousse, and a bannoffe pie dome.  As much as we tried, we couldn’t quite finish everything and our waiter kindly brought us over a box to put a couple of scones in.

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    Now it was my turn for my treatment and I was so excited.  My therapist Charlotte was really welcoming and very professional which made me feel relaxed in her company.  The treatment room smelt amazing and for a full 1 hour 45 minutes I was in sheer heaven.  Charlotte started with a facial and the scents would change as she cleansed and massaged my face and shoulders.  I could feel myself melting further and further into the bed while I was having my body massage and scrub and I’m pretty sure I slipped in and out of consciousness a few times!  I have honestly never in my life felt so relaxed and would of quite happily curled up on that bed and stayed there for the rest of the day.

    For a full list of products I received, please see below.

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    When I recovered from my amazing treatment in the lounge my face felt incredibly smooth, radiant and refreshed, and although my body was like jelly, I felt restored from head to toe.  We sat drinking tea and watched the sun go down which was the perfect end to a perfect day.

    The Moonfleet Manor Hotel have only recently started using Elemis Expert™ award-winning ultra-indulgent products and treatments and these are designed to drive glowing results for your face and body.  You can also purchase their products from the hotel if you wish to take them home or buy a gift for someone special.

    It’s worth noting that aside from the hotel offering child and dog friendly accommodation, you can also book a day pass for pool access, or pool and play barn access.  Both passes are reasonable in price and you’ll also receive a discount in the restaurant.  I’ll definitely be back with the children in the summer because I know they’ll have great fun in the pool and barn.  If they still have energy then I’ll take them down to the lagoon for a walk and maybe a nice ice cream after.

    Elemis Expert™ Products We Received:

    • Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm
    • Pro Collagen Energising Cleanser
    • Soothing Apricot Toner
    • Pro Collagen Marine Mask
    • Pro Collagen Vitality Eye
    • Pro Collagen Rose Oil
    • Pro Collagen Complex Serum
    • Pro Collagen Marine Cream
    • Rose Skin Bliss Capsules

    If you would like to read more about treatments and stays, please visit Moonfleet Manor.

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  2. Dick Whittington is a truly entertaining pantomime with comic brilliance, audience participation and non-stop energy from the cast.

    CBeebies and pantomime legend Chris Jarvis is back, sprinkling his magic as the hilarious Dame Dolly Doughnuts.  The creative storyline is easy for kids to follow and you’ll find lots of funny references to Poole throughout the show.

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    The story goes that Dick travels to London to find his fortune and the first friend he makes is Tommy the Cat who stays by his side and delivers some awesome gymnastics on stage.  Dick then meets the lovely Alice Fitzwarren and instantly falls in love.

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    Dick needs money so Alice tries to get him a job in her dads shop but they need to buy more chocolate to sell and they only have a bar of gold to use as money.  Dick is supposed to be watching the gold in the safe but King Rat steals it and tricks everyone into thinking that Dick took it.  When the family find out they send Dick on his way but it doesn’t take long for them to realise it was all an elaborate set up and so they make up and start their travel to Poole so they can purchase the chocolate.

    After the interval, the crew are on a big ship travelling to the Isle of Wight and King Rat is trying to sink it!  Luckily, Fairy Bowbelles is on their side and she helps save the day.  I wish the Fairy had been on stage more though because her incredible voice gave me goosebumps.

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    The cast are clearly having a lot of fun in this panto and there was never a dull moment.  All of the actors were exceptional and of course the young rats and dancers were brilliant too.  We laughed so much throughout the show and when it ended my daughter just looked at me confused because she hadn’t realised how much time had passed.  Time really does fly when you’re having fun!  We both left the theatre absolutely buzzing, it's most definitely one of the best pantos I've ever seen.

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    Dick Whittington is running from Thursday 11th December 2025 - Sunday 4th January 2026.  A relaxed performance is on Friday 2 January 2026 at 6pm.

    For more information and tickets, please visit Lighthouse Poole.

    Image credit: Jayne Jackson Photography

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    Dorsetmums was invited to the performance for the purpose of a review however all words ae my own.