Drayton Manor: not just for little ones (by Robert)

Robert, aged 11, writes:

In half term we went to Staffordshire for a short holiday and on the final day of our trip we went to Drayton Manor, which is a very cool theme park. There was loads to do for all different ages. Here’s what I thought.

Scary, Exhilarating Rides

Shockwave is one of the two main roller-coasters in the park. It is one of the few attractions that go upside down and is unlike any ride I’ve ever been on. It’s actually one of only two roller-coasters in Europe in which you stand up. The carriage adapts to your height, so your feet are on the ground, before sending you on a course of fast loops and turns. I really enjoyed Shockwave althoughI felt like I was going to fall out. This is only because I was one of the smallest people in the ride and the bar didn’t go any lower.

G Force is the other big rollercoaster in the park and was one of my favourite rides. At the beginning you slowly go up a large ramp before starting a loop the loop very slowly, which means you are dangling upside down for a small amount of time. Then you rush down quickly and go through a series of turns, twists and drops, not mentioning a few more loops. G Force is very popular and was one of the only rides at Drayton Manor that I had to queue for. I did really enjoy it though and it was worth the wait.

[caption id="attachment_3426" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The terrifying Maelstrom ride![/caption]

Maelstrom is a brilliant thing to go on if you’re a thrill seeker who isn’t scared of heights. The ride swings you up and down, every time escalating until it gets to the maximum height which is around 74 ft. Whilst spinning like a pendulum you are also spinning around so at some points you are falling forwards, sometimes falling backwards and sometimes falling sideways. I loved this ride and in my opinion it was one of the best attractions in the park.

The Bounty Pirate Ship is like a less scary version of Maelstrom. It still swings you up and down but it is not as high and you don’t spin around. There are people on both sides of the boat so you still go backwards and forwards but going backwards isn’t scary at all. The further to the side you are the higher you will go, so if your child forces you to go on you can let them go at the back and you can sit in the middle where it won’t be so scary.

Air race is a very fun ride which some could find quite scary. Don’t be fooled by the colourful aeroplanes: the ride basically spins you around for the entire time, one loop the loop after another. The ride gradually gets faster and fasters until you are whizzing around. Funnily enough it didn’t make me feel queasy at all although I’m sure some people didn’t get off so lucky!

There were a few of the scarier rides that I didn’t go on. Pandemonium looked very good but was closed when we went and In Stormforce 10 you get absolutely soaked, which I couldn’t face in the British winter time. Apocalypse was the only one of the big rides I chose not to go on as I couldn’t face a 177 ft drop.

Family Rides

I didn’t go on that many of these kinds of rides that weren’t very scary but one attraction that was very scary was The Haunting. Drayton Manor’s haunted house doesn’t actually have anything that should scare anyone over the age of six yet, after going to countless places like The London Tombs and The London dungeons I was expecting a different scenario than what actually happened. At the beginning we were shown a video in which a man told us “Some people see things, some people smell things and some people feel things.” I felt that implied that people were going to touch me and from then on was very scared. The whole thing actually turned out to be some models of ghosts and a chair that moved. Although it wasn’t that scary it was very fun and would recommend going. It is quite long so we had to queue for ten minutes or so.

I didn’t find Ben 10 Ultimate Mission Coaster that great or thrilling, but all the younger kids seemed to love it. In the ride you go quite fast at the beginning before reaching the end of the track and doing most of the ride again backwards. I did quite enjoy it and is perfect for younger children as it is fast but not too scary.

I enjoyed Yogi Bears 4D adventure as you can’t beat a free trip to the cinema. There wasn’t as many special effects as in ones I’ve seen before but we were still squirted with water and I found the film funny and a good way to let my queasiness go away from all the previous rides I had been on.

There are loads of other rides in the park that I didn’t go on. If you want to find out about them go to the Drayton Manor website  

Thomas Land

[caption id="attachment_3428" align="alignnone" width="675"] If you've got younger kids, they'll love Thomas Land![/caption]

A large chunk of the theme park was taken up by attractions all about Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. As you would’ve guessed I spent nearly all my time in Thomas Land going on Bertie the Bus and Harold the Helicopter. Just joking! There are loads of calm rides to go on and the toddlers and kids seemed to be having the time of their lives. We did pop in for 10 minutes or so and it was very enjoyable.

Overall,  Drayton Manor is a brilliant place to go. Most of the people who go are there for Thomas Land so most of the other rides had no queue. There was so many things to do including a zoo with monkeys and a great reptile house. I loved going and would definitely recommend it.

Drayton Manor is open from November 19th for for its "Magical Christmas season". A family ticket for the park costs £98.

Disclosure: We went to Drayton Manor as part of a "Staffordsheerescape" package, courtesy of Enjoy Staffordshire, although they had no input at all into this blog post. The Drayton Manor package starts at £170 for a family of four, and includes an overnight stay (we stayed at the fabulous Hilton St George's Park, which you will read about soon!), plus admission to Drayton Manor Park and two other attractions. There’s a basket of 10 to choose from in all, including the Snow Dome and Trentham Monkey Forest - so you'll have a fun packed time. You can see the details of the Drayton Manor package here. 

Read what I thought of:

Thorpe Park

Siam Park (the best waterpark in the world!)

Cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco (by Lucy)

My lovely friend Lucy had an amazing holiday in California with her husband and two sons. Here she shares one of her highlights - cycling across the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge.


San Francisco was the first stop on our three week tour of the West Coast of America. We arrived in Fisherman’s Wharf, staying for four nights at the Argonaut Hotel and the highlights were Alcatraz and of course The Golden Gate Bridge, which we were going to cycle across.

San Francisco can only be described as a hybrid between Camden Town and New York City!  The Wharves were heaving with tourists with every shop catering for them. We found all the Alcatraz paraphernalia you can imagine, from snow globe Golden Gate Bridges to Alcatraz prison pyjamas!

When it came to cycling, we found a bike place next to the hotel (there's one on every corner) and our two boys, aged 7 and 11, and my husband and I were fixed up with helmets and a fairly basic bike each. It cost around $50 per adult per bike.

We were then pointed in the direction of the bridge and that was it! I don’t think we would have attempted it had our 7-year-old not been a competent cyclist but he’s coordinated and fearless, so off we went.

Now the bridge wasn't really where we thought it was going to be. It’s so huge that it was a good hour of cycling from our hotel before we actually reached it, even though it looked so close! It wasn't a bad hour, but it seemed to last a long time, as you could see the bridge in the distance but it didn't seem to be getting any closer. On our way to it there was a thong of people all headed in the same direction, and all cycling along the side of the river. Everyone was excited to see when the entrance to the great bridge would appear.

[caption id="attachment_3413" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Lucy and her two sons after cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge[/caption]

We finally reached a point where we were were directed up a very steep path, leading to the entrance. And there it was: The Golden Gate Bridge, in all it beauty.

But (there had to be a but)...getting onto it was quite tricky. There were just so many people and groups all trying to stick together and claiming right of way. Fortunately, the cyclists and pedestrians were separated from the cars by a barrier but I’d say the whole experience was, for me, rather hairy.

Having said that, though, the Bridge is awesome, rusty red in colour (definitely not golden!) and impressive and massive, and thrilling to be cycling across. It's quite an experience.

However, once you are on that Bridge, it’s every man (or person) for themselves. If you are in a group, as we were with two children, you want to stick together but it’s single file with a few trying to get in front whilst continually dodging the pedestrians.

[caption id="attachment_3412" align="alignnone" width="1200"] View of the Golden Gate Bridge shrouded in mist[/caption]

The Bridge is so vast that, when looking up, it disappears into the clouds. Looking down? Well we didn’t do much of that as it was so high up it was just a bit too scary, particularly for the adults!

Cycling across took us about half an hour and once over we felt exhilarated and excited. We then continued cycling down into a place called Sausalito , a beautiful and picturesque town where we caught the ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf. We felt it was too much to cycle back over the Bridge and the 20 minute ferry ride was great fun after such an achievement. It was a fantastic activity and something the whole family will never forget.

More from America:

Three days in Washington DC with kids

Opening the Magic Kingdom - being family of the Day.

Three great places for families to self-cater in the UK

[caption id="attachment_3381" align="alignnone" width="1200"] On the terrace at the Sherwood Hideway, in Nottinghamshire[/caption]

Travelling with a family means that accommodation is more vital than ever. And while hotels are one option, they can bring with them a whole host of problems including a lack of space and privacy, as well as a lack of flexibility (you can't lie in and have a late breakfast, for example!).

So, we thought it might be useful to share three of our favourite places to self-cater with kids in the UK. All of them have different advantages and are all in places which are full of things to do for families. Plus, all three are very near supermarkets or shops which make them extremely convenient too.

 

The Sherwood Hideaway, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire

This is a gorgeous place to stay, nestled within Sherwood Forest with its hundreds of trees. It's quiet and beautiful and our lodge even had its own hot tub - which was great fun to use.

The accommodation, which is cabin style, is fabulous - with large rooms, an ensuite for the master bedroom and separate bathroom for the kids, a large living room/kitchen area and balcony.

[caption id="attachment_3382" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The master bedroom at the Sherwood Hideway, in Nottinghamshire,[/caption]

We loved staying here because it simply felt relaxing and quiet. It has fewer activities available than the Valley (see below), although there is badminton and lots of places to run around, as well as cycle paths to enjoy. It was the kind of place where I didn't even mind doing a bit of cooking on holiday as it still felt as if I was away enjoying myself. My kids also enjoyed the fact that there were biscuits on the pillows when we arrived (and I liked the complimentary Molton Brown products).

[caption id="attachment_3383" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Enjoying the hot tub at the Sherwood Hideaway[/caption]

We all really enjoyed looking out into the woods and felt that this was a place which families would love - you can snuggle up and watch TV, play board games or read.

We also found it extremely convenient for travelling around as it's located just outside Nottingham and nothing seemed very far away.

Read about all the things we got up to on our Nottingham holiday

Disclosure: Our stay in the Sherwood Hideaway was complimentary. However, all our views and comments are made honestly and we were not given any suggestions for what to write. The Sherwood Hideaway offers self-catering luxury lodges in the heart of Sherwood Forest. There are often special offers on the site, but for example, a weekend stay in a Woodland Rustic lodge (like ours) in November, costs from £520

The Valley, Cornwall

[caption id="attachment_3384" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The kitchen - with outside view of the pool - at The Valley[/caption]

The Valley Cornwall was excellent for families who want a home from home. It had a good sized kitchen with a balcony and living room, two bathrooms plus a spare extra toilet, a freezer and washing machine. We were very impressed by the space on offer, although if you have very small children or toddlers be aware that there are steps down to the bedrooms and quite steep steps up from the living room to the kitchen.

The second bedroom is small, but fine for two kids to share, as it has twin beds in it. The master bedroom has its own ensuite bathroom, which is always appealing!

But the Valley's main selling point, or at least from my point of view, is all the extras it offers.

[caption id="attachment_3385" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Using the space to play outside[/caption]

It has an indoor and outdoor swimming pool (the indoor is small, but we managed just fine by not going when everyone else was in there), plus lots of grassy areas to play on, including a football pitch and small activity area. There is a restaurant on site for those who don't want to cook all the time, activities for kids (from art to meeting strange pets) and table tennis, squash and snooker.

We really enjoyed taking part in the activities when we stayed, and thought these really enhanced our experience. It was lovely to go out in the day and then come back and have a swim or game of table tennis!

The Valley is located around 10 minutes drive from Truro, Cornwall's only city. It's also conveniently located for pretty much all of the places we wanted to visit in the area...

Robert has made his own video of The Valley - please take a look:

[kad_youtube url="https://youtu.be/ZU2ODI05ezs" width=200 height=100 ]

 

Read what we got up to in Cornwall.

Disclosure: A week in a Villa Gallery (which has accommodation for four) at The Valley, Cornwallcosts £1770.We were fortunate enough to be offered a discounted media rate, but that has not influenced our review in any way.

Herbert Woods, Potter Heigham, Norfolk

[caption id="attachment_3386" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Outside our Herbert Woods Cottage[/caption]

This was a very different experience for us as it involved a cottage right by the water in the Norfolk Broads, a network of rivers and lakes. And it was great fun, especially as we took our own boat out for a trip too.

Potter Heigham is a village which is about 20km away from Norwich and is a huge site with lots of different cottages - and boats.

Once again we were really impressed by the accommodation as it had good sized rooms, a lovely living room and kitchen.

The cottage is right on the water and it was fabulous to see swans and boats glide by. There is a lovely terrace if you want to eat outside, but be warned that there is nothing between the terrace and the water, so this probably isn't the best place for inquisitive toddlers, or indeed those under around eight I'd say.

[caption id="attachment_3387" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Main bedroom at the Herbert Woods Cottage[/caption]

It was a lovely location, not far from Horsey Beach, where we saw seals lolling on the sand and swimming in the sea!

[caption id="attachment_3388" align="alignnone" width="1200"] On the veranda outside our cottage by the Norfolk Broads[/caption]

The village is also very handy, as it has a huge shop, Lathams, which seemed to stock everything, from clothes to food, plus two pubs, a post office, a fish and chip shop and a magnificent bakery (which offered huge, delicious cakes!)

Disclosure: We stayed in the Broadlands Cottage at Herbert Woods on a complimentary basis, although the company had no input into this post. A three night break in Broadlands cottage (off peak) is £328. We were also given complimentary hire of the picnic boat, which usually costs £140 for a day’s trip.

 

The End of the UK: Visiting Land's End

Jess, aged 14, says: On our week long trip to Cornwall, our family drove to Land's End: the western and southernmost point of England. I had expected there to be nothing there except for the famous sign, but I was shocked by how much there was to do! The whole family (especially Robert) had a great time, and it was really exciting to see the "end" of England.

[caption id="attachment_2717" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Outside the Land's End complex[/caption]

We had driven for about an hour from our cottage near Truro, and had driven through miles and miles of nothing to get there. We had passed England's "First and Last Inn" in Sennen, and found ourself in a large car park.

As soon as we walked into the centre, we were greeted with posters of the exhibitions that were there: a 4D film, the Shaun the Sheep Experience, Arthur's Quest, the End to End story, and Greeb Farm. I was quite surprised by how commercialised the area was although Robert didn't seem to mind. He quickly dragged me and dad to the 4D film, entitled "The Lost World".

The film was centred on a man named Bob, who meets a crazy Scottish woman named Professor Lizzie on an island. The island is inhabited by dinosaurs, and they have to run, drive, and fly away to escape. The film was especially special as our chairs moved, and we were blasted with air, water, and bubbles. Whilst I found the plot a bit predictable, Robert and dad loved it, and said that it was their favourite parts of the holiday. It certainly was very funny, and the 4D aspect was really cool.

[caption id="attachment_2718" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Inside Arthur's Quest[/caption]

Afterwards, the whole family headed to Arthur's Quest, where we explored the world of King Arthur. It was narrated by Brian Blessed, and the exhibition began with a narration of the tale. The tale was also stuck up around a small alley, but this was quite difficult to read. There was a big rope bridge to walk across, a large model of a dragon, and an interactive quiz, and I really enjoyed the exhibition. Robert was disappointed that it wasn't as exciting as the signs had made it out to be, but I thought that it was really well done and lots of fun.

[caption id="attachment_2649" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Inside the Shaun the Sheep exhibition[/caption]

The next exhibition we visited was the Shaun the Sheep Experience, which, in retrospect, we were too old for. This involved walking through a house, looking at models, and throwing "poo" at a bull. This wasn't too enjoyable, although the house was styled really well and I definitely would have enjoyed it had I been younger. The subsequent room was full of Aardman's history, and we learnt all about how the company animates its characters. There was also an opportunity to draw your own Shaun the Sheep characters, which I tried (and failed) at.

[caption id="attachment_2647" align="alignnone" width="1200"] It was amazing to visit the iconic Land's End sign![/caption]

After enjoying a slushie, it was time to visit the famous Land's End signpost, which was established in the 1950s. The signpost is run by a photography company, and you can pay to get your picture taken with it. What makes these pictures special is that you can customise the signpost to show the distance to your hometown, but we chose not to do that. We had to wait until people were changing the sign to get a picture outside it, but this was fine. It was really cool to see the famous sign, and this certainly made my day.

[caption id="attachment_2719" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The views around Land's End were gorgeous[/caption]

Subsequently, we enjoyed a walk across the cliffs of Land's End. The views were astonishing, and there was a lot to see. We walked for about forty minutes, and while it was steep at times, it was very manageable. Mum absolutely loved the views.

Next was time for lunch, which I thought had quite a few options and was reasonably priced. Mum had a jacket potato, Robert and I had pizza, and dad ate a pasty. The pizza was delicious, and the serving was very decent.



Finally, we walked through the End to End Story exhibition. This exhibition is dedicated to the people who have walked the entire length of Great Britain: Land’s End to John O’Groats. We found out which cities the tour takes you through (this was displayed on a 6000mph video), and learnt about people who completed the journey in all sorts of wacky ways. One man was mailed there in a giant envelope, and one man was frequently arrested on the way for making the journey while naked! This was probably my favourite exhibition, as everything was really interesting and I loved the graphics.

Overall, the whole family had a really great time visiting Land's End. It really was thrilling to go to the "end" of England, and there was a lot to do. Even though it was really commercialised for such a quiet area, it was nice that there was so much to do (it really would have been boring for kids without the exhibitions). The views were gorgeous, and we had a really fun and interesting day.

Please watch the video below to see more about our trip to Cornwall:

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oWmvduevzM" width=200 height=100 ]

 

Need to know: It is free to go to Land's End and see the beautiful views and walk around. If you want to visit the attractions, however, you do have to pay. They are usually open from 10am daily, although do check the website to confirm times. The attractions are open from March 12th to October 28th (perfect for half-term). You buy one ticket for all of them (including a farm which we didn't visit) and a family ticket  costs £30 for two adults and two children and £27 if booked online.

More in Cornwall:

Visiting the Eden Project, Cornwall

A Week in Cornwall (by all of us!)

Playing football golf