Days out ?
 

We dont go away on holiday until the 21st of Aug so need days out to keep the kids happy :)

These are all within a nice distance and can be done on repeat journeys so good for days out but really need the sun if not spendng a fortune on the fair.

Edisford Bridge 20 mins away
Blackpool 40 mins away
Southport 50 mins away
Morecambe 40 mins away

Also have Clitheroe castle on the list.. Kids want to go they reckon plenty to do.. I ahve never been.

Ligh****er valley anyone? its 65 quid for a family ticket..(same as camelot) will be going one day over hols..


Can anyone think of anywhere else.. reasonable distance but doesnt cost the earth.... Already done Jodrel bank and Eureka in Halifax (Both highly reccomended BTW)

Its two young boys mainly....age 8 and 11


PS Just noticed on preview what the censor did to light water.... Roy add spaces to the keywords mate then it wont do that :)

Re: Days out ?
 

Bolton Abbey is a good cheap day.

South lakes Zoo - Good day for about £30

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have you tried wordon park at leyland, take a picnic, i was spent 5hrs there with 8 kids 3mums & 2 nans, plenty of food & juice to drink the kids loved it & so did we, we hardly saw them, ha ha ha

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Rheged discovery centre Penrith. Currently showing Everest on the Imax (amongst other films,) free admission to Rheged but the films cost about £5.50 for a ticket. You can buy cheaper family tickets there. They have loads of cafes and shops and it's not too far from Keswick and other Lakeland attractions. Took me about 1 hour 40 mins to get to Rheged last Wednesday. :)

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Pendle hill is a nice place for a walk, why not take a picnic and buy a few kites.

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townley hall sat and sun this week is the hot air balloon festival, on all day from 6am to late at night
see here

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Go to liverpool Dock there is plenty to see museums ect
when you have had enough of that you can take a ferry trip across the mersy to the other site if you get off and walk down the road a bit there is a ship yard you cant miss it there is a big German Submarine in the front area

2 subs a distroyer and other ships you can look round its not a guided tour and you can spend all day going round them
i think its £5 to enter the dock but all the ships and one of the subs are free H.M.S.ONYX is the sub its realy good
The big German sub has to be booked in advance to go round it

Re: Days out ?
 

Some excellent suggestions THANK YOU

mick
Liverpool dock.. Done that last year same time as all the tall ships where there... nice free day out:) However I had no idea about the ferry trip to the docks and submarines.. thats exactly the sort of thing my lads would be interested in and probably the wife.. trip round a sub.. worth booking in advance.... nice one.


K.S.H.
Wow.. how many locals know about that... thats a brilliant event for sunday (footy on saturday) we will all like that and its a good one for the old camera.. Not seen owt about that in observer..... top one....thanks!:)

lumberjack
wlak? with my knees? hehe my brther is well into kites in a big way..in clubs and such like so the kids watch him on occasion

lettie
Never heard of the place. dont know how two little lads would take to it though... gonna do some research on it and see if I can get more info...ta:)

mez
Worden park.... my families name is Worden and i was dragged up in leyland so i seen enough of that park to last me a lifetime...Sorry :) ....do they still run the little train?

Doug
Bolton abbey? whats that... has it got enough to keep two little lads happy for the day? Never been to that zoo... we are going to chester zoo while on holiday in north wales..... yer gonna sigh at this but..... that zoo dont allow photographs... chester zoo has a photogrph compotition.so for me its chester :) But I do intend to visit that zoo at some time and had competely forgotton about it..ta:)

Re: Days out ?
 

yes , kipax as far as i know they do still run the little train, o wot a shame your sick of it we love it sorry

Re: Days out ?
 

hehe why sorry? its an excellent suggestion...may not be for me....But remember other people are reading this thats the whole concept... other who may nt like to ask. may not thought of asking or maybe just needed a prompt will I daresay be getting as much if not more days out of it than me :)

Re: Days out ?
 

Also the concept of the internet message system be it forums or usenet is that messages are saved and searchable from the whole internet.. someone on google looking for days out will find this thread one day and get something out of the answers.:)

Re: Days out ?
 

Just came across this place, don't know if it will be any good, but it sounds it. Don't know how much it would cost but it could be a fun day out. :)


Marston Moor Autodrome, , Tockwith, North Yorkshire, England, YO26 7QF
Tel: (01423) 358501 Fax: (01423) 358865


Private road layout for drivers aged under 17 years. Go-karting on a proper race circuit (race your friends!), auto test facilities, skid pan, quad bikes, Honda pilots, JCBs, large goods vehicles, formula Fords, Escort Cosworths, rally cars, corporate hospitality facilities. .........

Re: Days out ?
 

Here's another suggestion as I'm sure plenty of our members have kids to amuse this summer..

The old farmyard. Ripley


A traditional old farmyard with original buildings and heavy horses and most kinds of farm animals. A special 'hands on' experience for all the family. Many farm bygones and rural life museum. Various craft displays throughout the season.

Admission is £2.50 for adults and £2 for kids. It's roughly 4 miles from Harrogate. :D

Re: Days out ?
 

Kipax, theres a karting place behind the train station in Blackburn. I don't know if there is any age limit or even what it costs but I drove past it this week - didn't know it was there myself.

Got a leaflet through the door today - Family Sports Come & Try Day, Peel Park Primary School, Sunday 8th August 11am-3pm, Footbal, Rugby, Table Tennis, Athletics, Cricket, Angling? Call Lee or Mel 01254 380202. Don't know if thats what you are looking for but it has literally just dropped through the letterbox.

Re: Days out ?
 

The German U-Boat near Albert dock is absolutly fasinating. Went round last year, it took a couple of hours and the guy taking the tour holds you in the palm of his hand. If the kids are into classic cars, Southport classic car spectacular is tomorrow and Sunday, the Rover club is at the East Lancs Railway on Sunday and there is a big meeting at Woodvale Aerodrome, Southport two weeks tomorrow. Say hello to the Wolseley Enthusiasts.

Re: Days out ?
 

Its footy tommorw at accy of course..saturday:)

that bg baloon thing n Burnley is a must.. going to that.. may even go to the evening shw on saturday night :)

Re: Days out ?
 

Have you considered going to Knaresborough for a day out Kipax. It takes just over an hour to get there. It is often overlooked, because of its close proximity to the larger attractions of Harrogate and York.

The most famous point of note of Knaresborough, is Old Mother Shipton's Cave. It is a cave and petrifying well, rich in local folklore. It incorporates a small museum and a 3/4 mile walk through woodland alongside the River Nidd. The prices for this are a little steep, at £4.95 per adult and £3.75 per child, but a family ticket covering 2 adults and 2 children can be had for £14.95; this also provides all day parking at no extra cost. the most enjoyable part of this sojourn is the stroll back down the opposite bank of the river, past an Italian Gelato Shop, which sells some exotic flavours of ice-cream, (the rum & raisin comes highly recommended).
At the eastern end of the walk is Old Mother Shipton's Inn. This is a child friendly pub, with a large secluded beer garden out the back. Traditional Sunday lunch is served alongside an extensive food menu. They also have on tap a decent range of real ale, including Theakston's Old Peculiar.
All the points of interest are well signposted and it is easy to navigate around the town.
I would imagine that market day is one of the best days to visit; Wednesday I do believe.
On the opposite side of the road to the main entrance Old Mother Shipton's cave is Henshaw's Arts & Crafts Centre.

More information about Knaresborough can be found at: http://www.knaresborough.co.uk/.
This site is very informative, and has lots of links to items of interest; it sells Knaresborough very well

Re: Days out ?
 

very informative post sparks, been doing your homework i see, it really does sound interesting, thank you.

Re: Days out ?
 

Here is something that sounds very interesting, at least to me.
Hack Green Secret Bunker.. in Cheshire. Hack green was the location of a secret nuclear bunker, and it is now open to the public. Apparently the place is as was during the cold war and is a maze of bomb proof rooms, bunkers, radio rooms etc.. Includes a lot of history and information on the cold war.

I think I'll make a trip down and have a look. For more info visit the website:
http://www.hackgreen.co.uk/Hack_Gree...en_history.htm

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Not the best kept secret bunker is it :)

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If you nip across to old mother shiptons (used to be free untill Paul Danies bought it) call in at Thirsk, loverly market place,:) good chippys and pubs:D then go to Ripon cathedral and make your way back over blubberhouses, a great day out.

Re: Days out ?
 

Had a cracking day out today, Bradford, yes Bradford!!!!!
Visited the Museum of Film and Photography, you could spend a full day in that place. Free admission but you have to pay for Imax (currently showing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.) There is a section giving the history of photography up to the digital age, a Kodak section. A TV studio which has cameras that the kids (and big kids) can use, step by step on how to edit film and how video and TV works. An animation section and advertising section with lots of interactive attractions, I was very please to see the Smash Martians from the old advert there. There is a news section showing newsreels and gives kids the opportunity to read the news and be seen on the tellys there. It's completely ace...:)

The best bit was a ride in one of those simulator things which had a film of a rollercoaster type thingy inside. There were 2 little girls in there with their dad and they laughed all the way through it. Unfortunately, as it appeared we were going over a very steep incline Sparky shot forward and shouted "Oooooh S**t!!!! (very loudly) I couldn't stop laughing, definately the best simulator ride ever, just don't take Sparky on there with your kids...:D This ride costs £2 for adults.

Re: Days out ?
 

Lettie, that sounds good and has similarities to the old Granada studio's tour which unfortunately no longer exists.

Re: Days out ?
 

A bit too far for a day out thiss one but we called in at Cadbury World on the way back home from Bedfordshire and had a very interesting tour of the factory plus freebies of chocolate which of course went down well with the kids. There's also an outdoor play area for younger children and a very well stocked chocolate shop with bargains as well as souvenir pottery. Remember thos mugs made like a cube of chocolate? I bought one but found it extremely difficult to drink from.

BTW my kids love Worden park and not only for the play area - I did an extensive nature trail challenge a couple of years ago where they had to find various trees etc which kept a bunch of a dozen or more 8 - 12 year olds occupied for most of the day. The spanish chestnut proved to be the most elusive although I would have expected it to have been the ginko biloba.

Re: Days out ?
 

Hi

Can highly recommend Williamson Park & Ashton memorial in Lancaster;if you drive thru the Trough of Bowland its right there at the end of that road[sorry if thats a bit vague].Fantastic day out;great gardens,jungle gym,butterfly house,mini beasts[!]aviary and superb views over Morecambe bay if you pick a good day.Reasonably priced last year and the ticket got you in free at the Maritime museum too.
Also a bit nearer and a bit more appealing for youngsters is Rockwater Bird sanctuary at Cliviger;plenty of exotic stuff to see,chicks to pet etc.Don't think they open till March though.
Blue Planet at Ellesmere Port is also superb;massive sharks,a diving exhibition and a long perspex tunnel to walk down under the sharks.You can even pet manta rays and crabs[if you so wish.....]Family ticket was about £17 last time I went & its not a guided tour so you can stay as long as you want.
Have fun!

Re: Days out ?
 

What about Formby? They have a wonderful beach and Squirrel trail, (need a fine day though). Also it is close to southport but you can spend all day on that formby beach!

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oh and knowsley safari park..............what a fab day!

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Why not try something different. Watch Stock car racing It's on at Sheffield on bank holiday monday during the day & Belle vue stadium at night. I'm sure two young lads would love it. If you go to BV you can go round the pits see the cars & the drivers will talk to you. There are family tickets to make it cheaper. Good food a bar or tea/ coffee. We will be at BV come monday My 7 yr old loves it.

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kipax have you ever been to mother shiptons cave in knaresborough,i think the boys would like it,plus knaresborough is a beautiful place,sorry there is a entrance fee but not sure of price its been a few years since we where there.if you go hope you enjoy!

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have a drive up to caton and if its a nice day take the kids and BBQ with you its free apart from getting there, but you have miles of river bank for the kids to explore, paddle and watch the wildlife very relaxing until a jet fighter flys over...lol.

Re: Days out ?
 

Well we went to the museum of science and industry last week and that was good. Loads to see, old steam train and an air and space centre. Its worth a look............oh and its free admission!

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that sounds ok steph,but where the hell is it?lol

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yes it would be nice to know cashman, wouldn't it .

Re: Days out ?
 

The Museum of Science & Industry is in Manchester, on Liverpool Road.

Wanna know how to get there...? :rolleyes:

Walk to the bottom end of Deansgate, the opposite end from the Arena & Harvey Nick's.
Turn right at the last set of traffic lights before the railway bridge. The museum is on the right hand side of Liverpool Rd opposite a pub called The White Lion.

I hope this helps. The museum has items of interest for people of all ages, and there are plenty of inter-active exhibits for kids of all ages.

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Thats right it is on liverpool road manchester sorry. I took my 3 year old daughter and my 7 year old cousin. I don't know who enjoyed it most, them or me

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Yeah we went a while back when the dinasaur exhibition was on & we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

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ta sparky n steph will have a look over at some stage(when i can afford a parking ticket in manchester lol)

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mr kipax i would love to recommend heaton hall m60 junction 19 the old way in to manchester follow signs .old hall to look inside,play area boating lake and lots of green to run riot in cost buck she.took a picnic there and had alovely day

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ooooo we went to wensleydale cheese factory today. now no laughing it was fab, the home of wallace and gromits favourite cheese and you get to eat as much cheese as you want for free. ( the reason why my dad took us so he didnt need to pay for dinner) it was so good and its free parking and free entry. it is in hawes yorkshire and its a great little place to visit with a small river running thru where the kids can have a paddle and its a good picnic spot to!!! :D

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forgot to tell you boo? you owe me 56.00 in petrol?

Re: Days out ?
 

For younger kids, I'd say under 12's, Gullivers world at Warrington is a great & reasonably cheap day out. I took my 7yr old yesterday he wasn't too big for a lot of the gentler rides but was big enough for the bigger ones. For £9.50 each to get in we certainly got our moneys worth and will definitely be going back again. Food on site was reasonably priced as well 2 piece chicken chips and either a hot or cold drink £3.75

We have also spent a nice afternoon at Clitheroe Castle. Taking a picnic we spent the afternoon wandering round castle and museum playing on the park and watched a bit of bowling. Nice relaxation on a hot sunny day all for a tenner (including bus fare to get there).

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We found a great place to take the kids on a nice weekend. The wild boar park in Chipping. What a fantastic day we had. Theres plenty of animals to see and feed and a great walk, the resturant is ok and pretty cheap.

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That sounds nice, how do you get there? Always looking for somewhere new to go.

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Im no good with directions but i can give you the telephone number 01995 61554.

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Thanks Ellie.

Re: Days out ?
 

grego have a look at the web site here