6 DAYS OUT FOR SUMMER
"I'm bored" has been a cry heard by parents over the generations.
So, why not amaze the kids this summer by getting them up
and organised early one morning and going somewhere different.
Here are six ideas to take you through the summer.
The West Midland
Safari and Leisure Park in Worcestershire promises to
take you from the plains of Africa to a sea aquarium via a
tropical rainforest full of creepy crawlies. It has a drive-through
4 mile safari with lions, elephants, rhinos and a hippo lake.
There's a funfair and plenty of catering and shopping outlets.
Also in Worcestershire, not far from Bromsgrove, is Avoncroft
Museum. It's a huge, open air museum of rescued and re-erected
historic buildings (over 20 set in 15 acres). They range from
a 15th century merchant's house to industrial workshops and
furnished houses. There's an original toll house and the children
will love the outdoor communal lavatories ..... not actually
to be used!
Poole's
Cavern at Buxton in Derbyshire gives a fascinating and
beautiful display of stalactites and stalagmites. Ancient
remains show that the Romans worshipped and traded there.
Next door to it is Grinlow Wood and Buxton Country Park which
is great fun for an adventurous ramble to work off a bit of
energy before getting back into the car for the return journey.
If science is more your thing, you can visit Jodrell
Bank, near junction 18 of the M6. The Science Centre and
Planetarium (the largest outside of London) are both educational
and fun. If the weather's on your side, you can take time
to enjoy Jodrell's nature experience - a 35 acre arboretum.
Take a different direction and spend a day at Ironbridge
in Shropshire - ten museums in one beautiful valley. You can
spend time in a Victorian town, see the Iron Bridge itself,
and their latest hands-on attraction - Enginuity - where you
can become an apprentice engineer.
Admittedly, all these days out require a car. But you can
get to Nottingham for a day on the train. You could spend
a couple of hours in the morning ice skating at the National
Ice Centre. After lunch, visit the Caves
of Nottingham and The
Tales of Robin Hood Museum, where you can test your skills
at archery. Or scare yourself at the Galleries
of Justice with 300 years of crime and punishment. There
are also two great shopping centres!
Contact numbers:
West Midland Safari and Leisure Park: 01299
402114
Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings: 01527
831886
Poole's Cavern and Country Park: 01298 26978
Jodrell Bank Science Centre & Arboretum:
01477 571339
Ironbridge Gorge Museums: 01952 432166
Nottingham - Ice Rink: 0115 853 3000
Nottingham - Caves: 0115 924 1424
Nottingham - Tales of Robin Hood: 0115 948
3284
Nottingham - Galleries of Justice: 0115 952
0555.
TRY SOME REAL HOMEMADE LEMONADE
It's a lot cheaper than the bought stuff, and it's really refreshing on a hot day.
Ingredients to make about 1.5 pints: 4 lemons + 6oz sugar + 1.5 pints boiling water
- Scrub the lemons, halve them and squeeze out the juice. Use a fork to scrape out the pulp - as much as possible.
Keep the lemon halves.
- Place juice and pulp into a large bowl. Add the sugar and pour .5 pint of boiling water over. Stir until the sugar is
dissolved.
- Add the lemon halves and the rest of the boiling water.
- Stir well. Cover and leave to cool.
- Strain well, squeezing out the juice from the lemon halves.
You can serve it like this or mix it half and half with sparkling water and ice for a really fizzy refresher.
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