Wicksteed Park is situated in the town of Kettering in Northamptonshire. To call it a theme park is a bit of a stretch but it can be a fun day out for all of the family, depending on your personal tastes.

The park itself has been around for just short of a hundred years and I first visited it as a child over 30 years ago and although the mind does play tricks on you it doesn’t seem a great deal different now to how it did then. Anyhow, if you’re intersted in the associated bumf then why not pay their website a visit at www.wicksteedpark.co.uk

As the parents of four typically unappreciative children (ages 15, 13, 11 and 6) my wife and I had relatively low expectations when we decided to treat the kids to a day out from the usual routine of arguments and fighting that make up the school holidays and to be honest I think we set our expectations too high.

That’s not to say that Wicksteed Park doesn’t offer a reasonable range of entertainments but it’s not really a Theme Park in the sense that somewhere like Alton Towers, for example, is. It has a range of rides, including a log flume, new for this year, but those that would interest the older children are few, there is no massive, heart stopping rollercoaster but there is a smaller not unacceptable version, a pair of Pirate Ships, some tired looking dodgems and one or two other rides, in the main though it is disappointing fare for children brought up on the high octane thrill of queuing for an hour before boarding a ride that will make you feel like your stomach is being wrenched out of your throat whilst your heart tries to exit the other end.

There is also a selection of the traditional smaller rides for the smaller children but in the main these attractions are only a small part of what the Park has to offer. If planned properly and with the unlikely helping hand of the great British weather this can be a good and relatively cheap day out. The Park is situated in extensive, attractive grounds with many great spots for a picnic and with lots of play areas for the kids, there is plenty of room to bring a ball, even a bat and some stumps for the more refined among us. There are various entertainment shows to attend if that’s your thing and you can take a rowing boat out on the water too if feeling energetic or even go fishing.

For us it wasn’t a great day, the weather was not great but could have been worse and whilst the older three kids had a reasonable time on the attractions our youngest was far from impressed with his day, our children are of the generation that feel the need to be entertained and baulk at any suggestion that occasionally they might take responsibility for their own entertainment though. As for us, there is only so much pleasing scenary you can take in before trudging round the grounds becomes a chore. If you’ve never been and you’re prepared to temper your expectations, then I would recommend it as a day or maybe even a half day out.

At the time of writing the cost for the day, exculding petrol and food was £81, £6 for parking (steep), £45 for 3 older children wristbands, £20 for 2 adults and £10 for the youngest child. There are various discounts, group tickets etc on offer, details on the website I’d have thought.

A little piece of Dutch heritage in Coffs Harbour

Having Dutch in-laws means that I have probably stopped at The Clog Barn in Coffs Harbour more times than most would have.  There are plenty of reasons to stop, not the least the chance for a coffee and something to eat and a break from the driving madness.

For those visiting for the first time there is literally a whole world to discover at this attraction, namely the miniature Dutch world built on the other side of the gift shop.  Everything from old style Dutch buildings to windmills and a miniature railway has been lovingly, and no doubt painstakingly, created for the viewing pleasure of tourists.  Whether you have a Dutch background or not, this is a surprisingly interesting attraction for the whole family.  My kids seeem to love anything miniature and it proved to be a great way to show them some of the landscape that Oma and Opa recalled from their childhood.  

Perhaps the thing I most looked forward to over the years has been Big Omas Dutch Kitchen.  I really looked forward to my croquettes with mustard on a bread roll.  Truth be known, they are better with a decent Dutch beer, but as I was normally driving, coffee wasn’t too bad an accompaniment either.

I have to confess to being a little disappointed on my last vist to Big Omas Dutch Kitchen.  While the look and feel hadn’t changed much at all, it was a little disappointing to note that none of the staff spoke or understood any Dutch and the famous croquettes on bread rolls has been seriously downgraded.  While I can’t speak or understand much Dutch, it does make you feel a little more comfortable if the staff, or at least the cook, can speak Dutch in a Dutch kitchen.  To make matters worse, my much loved croquettes with mustard on bread rolls had been relegated to a single croquette with a squirt of mustard and half a slice of bread – seriously disappointing.

Having said that, the rest of the facility was just as good as I remembered, and the break was just as important.  I recommend it as a break location for anybody travelling through Coffs Harbour.