For my second post on Bishopston Mum, I have decided to write about visiting Lashings Coffee House.  This is a fairly new cafe, situated on Gloucester Road and is somewhere where myself and the kids go often.  On Tuesday this week, after Jolly Babies, I was was invited along for lunch there by some other mums.

Venturing out into different facilities with two young children can be quite hard, I find, especially cafes.   Lunchtimes at Lashings is generally a bit chaotic, it is often packed out and extra buggies don’t help the matter (ours included).  

After queueing up for a while and generally getting in the way of people entering and exiting through the main door, I ordered lunch and then we all (mums and children) squeezed in around a small table.

It’s hard trying to do several things at once, supervising two young children eat their lunch, trying to join in conversation with the other mums and trying to eat myself.  I did manage to have a small conversation with one mum next to me which was nice!

Then things did start getting a bit difficult.  My son finished his lunch so left the table but kept insisting on standing on the buggy which worried me (he has done this before and it has gone over with him with it).

My daughter was getting quite distressed and was trying desperately to get out of her high chair, I was also trying to move myself and the buggy out of the way of people trying to get passed, all the while trying to be polite to the other mums and catch a few slurps of tea at the same time.

The other mums (all mums to just one child apart from one of them whose older child attends nursery) were all very nice, trying to help but I just felt stressed and a bit embarrassed; you know when you just feel like crying?

It was a bit stressful but I am glad I made the effort to make some new friends and my son had a good time, too.  And of course it saved me making lunch at home (and clearing up the wreckage afterwards).

I really do like Lashings, it’s such a nice big, smart cafe and obviously geared at kids with the baby changing facilities, play area and Wendy house outside, though I personally find it more difficult if you have toddlers, especially two of them!

The front door is often propped open, and even when it’s not, I worry about my son with his penchant for escaping, so have to keep my eyes on him every second.  And obviously, the high-chairs are not very effective at containing wriggly one-year olds.

Lashings Coffee House has a good range of simple snacks and meals for adults, although I do find the range of suitable food for young children more limited (I got mine crumpets with cream cheese).

There are, however, a great choice of drinks (I do plan to order that mint matchmaker milkshake one day), the staff are always friendly and helpful and of course, the cakes are fabulous (and I should know, cake connoisseur that I am ;-).

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