A park I've visited many, many times, ever since I was a kid. Now when we're up visiting family…read moreit's where I take the nephews as there's so much to do here (as long as it isn't raining - Wacky Warehouse further down the promenade is our go-to place for those days). In recent years it's had a major refurb with new facilities (which was long overdue). So alongside the historically well-maintained flowerbeds and woodland walks, there's a great crazy golf course (the old one was well past its best), swing boats, a play area for younger children, trampolines, merry-go-round, tennis and basketball courts, aqua play area, miniature train and a large 'natural' adventure playground. There's a cafe near the crazy golf which sells Lewis's Ice Cream which is fantastic. A lovely place for a stroll on a nice day, with lots of different activities for the nippers (just remember to bring a pocket-full of pound coins - they'll want a go on everything!).

Most of the rides were closed, although those that were open were good. However, do not eat at the…read morevintage American diner. The cup had lipstick stains and the plates that the food were served on were filthy and unwashed. The salad was dry and looked unwashed also.

Flamingo Land is our local park and we always have a great time whenever we visit. The new Sik…read moreroller coaster is fantastic, a great addition to the park. We follow the Attractions Near Me Facebook Page to get notifications of the half-price family passes to help save on our tickets. https://www.attractionsnearme.co.uk/category/offers/flamingo-land-resort-offers/ The Zoo is also great with lots of animals to see and the sea lion show is always a highlight for the kids.

You may've seen the really annoying adverts for this one. I've never reached for my remote control…read moreso quickly in my life. Having said that, Lightwater Valley is a grand day out. Wow I sounded very Yorkshire even by my standards there. This is one of the more known amusement parks in the North and it will soon be open for the upcoming season. That means rides galore and silly funfair related fun. For the bigger kids (and we're included in that) there are ten adrenaline rides. We're not talking quite in the same realms as Alton Towers but they really aren't bad. The Ultimate used to be their crown in the jewel but you'll find other newer attractions to add to this now. It is still the longest rollercoaster in Europe though. For smaller people there are even more rides and I love the skate and go-karts. Ace fun regardless of your age. Everything is included in a one off admission as well so once you've shelled out to get in it's play time unlimited. The eateries are basic at best and very expensive so smuggle some pack lunch in. I also recommend trying to plan your visit around the school holidays as it does get very busy. That can't be helped and they will try getting you on the rides as quick as possible. An adult ticket costs £20 which for a day isn't too bad really. Family tickets are cheaper and they also have some special offers. Praiseworthy value for money. Bring on some oooohhhh and arghhhhs.

I want to step out of another closet here. I am a fun junkie. Ok I've said it!…read more In a previous life I was a regular visitor to theme parks as, sadly, it was part of my job. Because of this I gained a little experience of rides and theme park structure and i wish to bring all my awesome skills to bear in the case of Lightwater Valley. Discounting the great weather (which was a plus but for which I am giving LWV no credit) I am still enamoured of this wonderful place. We went for a family day out and being a family of 6 (now comprising 4 adults and 2 children) these trips are never as cheap as a miserly Yorkshireman would like but we had come by a discount voucher so admission for the whole family was £89.70. The pricing structure seems fairer than some other parks as it is based on height and therefore on how many rides a person can use (this is good as my son is quite petite for his age) A great selection of rides meant that every member of the family left happy (and in some cases quite shaken) and it's always a plus that the whole thing is set in nice countryside. I dropped a star because the catering (in common with most theme parks) lets them down portions being small and prices high. I couldn't finish without a word concerning the staff. I imagine that operating these rides over and over again can become quite disheartening and perhaps downright boring and indeed this is often clear by the facial expressions and demeanour of the staff but I am pleased to say that all the staff here seemed happy and even at the end of the day they allowed 'just one more ride' rather than sullenly chasing everyone away.

The "Great Leeds Valentines Fair" is back again folks, for the 19th year running, Leeds is cashing…read morein on the Valentines Day madness and holding a fun fair in it's honour. oh lucky Valentine!! All jokes aside it's a grand idea! It's £1 to enter on to the site, admission goes towards the payment of security around the fun fair limits, which is an excellent point, considering the amount of kidlets and families and potential for disaster sort of scenarios these type of events often have. The fair starts today, and runs until Sunday 21st of Feb this year, and it's open from 1pm and closes at 10.30pm. There are some exceptions to this, due to the football fixtures and Elland Road being Leeds' home ground. So what's there? Well, there are Roller Coasters, Dodgems, Ghost Trains, Fun Houses, the crazy claw looking thing that hurls you (safely) in every direction, Carousels, the Crazy Mouse, prize games, novelty stores, candy floss, toffee apples, greasy burgers, fries, hot chocolate, and all that other childish brilliantly fun stuff fun fairs generally have to offer. This year's chosen charity of choice is Martin House Hospice, which is dedicated to providing support to children with life limiting illnesses and their families.

Love is in the air, every time I look around. That's not strictly true but go on spread some love…read moreand hug a neighbour. No, okay then maybe try the ever increasing Valentine Fair at Elland Road. Now I must admit, fairgrounds and romance aren't the first two things to spring to mind when I think about it but any excuse for some thrill seeker rides, candy floss and hook-a-duck in my book. It really is becoming a big event in the city and I've now come to expect the resulting queuing traffic off the M621 and gaggle of school children milling around each time it rolls into town. Plenty of attractions to get your teeth into and I suggest the bungee if you like a bit of adrenaline action, or even the buzz mouse. Enough sugar rotting treats to shake a stick at and of course your entire usual fair ground games and over-sized teddy bears to win. Do watch out for pick pockets but that is the same at any large gathering of people. It's a shame to have to say that when the whole point of the event is to give a little love. Also look out for the special promotions to save on those pennies. Not exclusively for those in love, that would rule quite a few of us out, so don't let the name put you off.

The Forbidden Corner is one of our favourite days out. It is an attraction that appeals to all…read moremembers of the family, with so many hidden surprises to uncover. You must pre-book your tickets because availability is limited in order to help prevent the attraction from getting overcrowded. You can discover a whole lot more about what's on offer at The Forbidden Corner on Attractions Near Me - https://www.attractionsnearme.co.uk/places/activities/the-forbidden-corner/

A quirky, creepy, corner, hidden away in deepest darkest Yorkshire? I'm sure you're wondering what…read morethis is all about? The Forbidden Corner takes twisted imagination, and turns it into genuine childlike wonder. It's a take on traditional country gardens, walled around the outside, with some interesting things on the inside. Within the twists and turns, there's lots to see, including bears playing cards, frogs on a fountain, a talking crow, and so much more. I'm not going to go into more detail there at risk of spoiling the surprise. So, why should you go? You should go if you want to rekindle your childhood sense of whimsy, of discovering hidden things, of exploring, of secret passageways and concealed paths. You're bound to find something here that makes you smile! There's both a café and a restaurant on site. The café serves the usual sandwiches, pies and pasties, wholes the restaurant has a more extensive menu. You can also take picnic, but can't eat it inside - there is a picnic area outside, and your ticket let's you go in and out as many times as you want. To go, you have to book in advance and pick a time slot. There isn't a limit on how long you can stay in, just when you can enter. I'd suggest booking as soon as you can, and picking out an early time. We spent about five hours, and that felt like a good length of time to be there. I'll be going back in the future - it was great fun, and well worth the trip.

No town would be complete (or would it?) without a local arcade to watch the hours fly by and loose…read morea few pence here, try and figure out the system of a fruit machine there. These quite dark and mysterious looking places remind me of 'adult shops, as the fronts are all covered up, is this so wives cannot see where their husbands have escaped to? A small local business, not like the Teddy's Amusements that populate almost every small and large city, is a very busy popular place.

Scarborough has, for as many years as I've lived here (almost ten now) been in desperate need of a…read morehalfway decent amusement park. It wouldnt have to be anything on the scale of Alton Towers or Blackpool Pleasure Beach, it'd just have to be something of a reasonable size with a few good rides and so on. For years, there was a small and basic park on the North Bay, but thats been an expanse of wasteland since the mid 90s. Since then, if you dont want to travel to Flamingo Land, Luna Park is the only option in town. ....and its not very good, sadly. For starters, its tiny - really, really small. It basically consists of some ropey old dodgems, a little ferris wheel, a couple of arcades and stalls such as hook a duck and ring toss, and a spinny around ride which always looks dangerously unsafe. Thats the extent of what you get. Given 15 minutes, you can go on each ride and have a go on each stall. Its overpriced for what it is, but its usually pretty busy in the high season with families and teenagers. The sad thing is - as theres no alternative, people will come and spend their money here.

PLEASURELAND!!!…read more Sorry, just had to get that out of the way, I turned into my seven year old self again for a moment. This was the theme park I attended growing up; I'd not yet seen the wonders of Disneyworld and Alton Towers and Camelot just doesn't count, so I loved this place. It was your average traditional seaside funfair complete with rickety rides, a few high budget thrills sponsored by soft drinks (Blackpool had the Pepsi Big One and the Irn Bru Revolution, we had the TraumaTizer) and typically bad ghost trains and whiplash-inducing waltzers. That's a misleading name if I've ever I've heard one, they're far from a gentle dance. 1912 this opened! Oh, just imagine Southport back then, the promenade, the period costumes. Well, they weren't period or costumes back then, but never mind. This was the place where as a wudgy little whippersnapper I'd love to bop around on the carousel, and there was a Fun House (whole lotta fun, prizes to be won) for playful silliness - something you don't see many of nowadays. We used to bring dates here as teenagers too for that typical idealised American movie vibe, and it even had a go-kart track we used to make idiots of ourselves on. Unfortunately, Pleasureland as we knew it closed down in 2006, oh the horror! What were we all going to do? Well, for two years we didn't know. Then in March 2008 it reopened, but redevelopment was planned from those innovative people at Sefton Council. Would you believe it, New Pleasureland, yes, that is its name, opened for the 2009/10 season. New Pleasureland? Perhaps Pleasureland: The Next Generation would have been more appropriate. No more TraumaTizer, however we do have brand spanking new waltzers, a number of twisty, speedy and crazy rollercoasters and plenty of silliness for the kids alongside classics like dodgems and of course the Haunted Inn, although a fire destroyed that earlier this year. Oops. I'm sure it'll be back. If you want the authentic fun fair experience in a lovely seaside location look no further. It's not perhaps as thrilling or sophisticated as say Alton Towers, but it's got a cute kitsch value and it tries very hard. The kids will love it, and so will anyone with a sense of humour and a strong thanatos.

Oh, PleasureLand! You will forever be remembered for being the most unique and otherworldly…read moreamusement park I have ever had the *pleasure* of visiting. I stumbled upon you by accident on a day trip to Southport, England. But as soon as I walked inside I felt like I stumbled upon an amusement park from the 30's--- in Afghanistan! Indeed, the gates looked like barracks from the Taliban. It was surreal. The park was barely inhabited and most of the rides were shut down. It was like a ghost town! We both gaped and wondered aloud how an amusement park this OLD was even still running! The majority of the rides were literally from the 30's. They had a hodgepodge of different Disney characters painted on the exterior of the attractions, including Steamboat Willie! However, my favorite attraction was the cutest artisanal carousel that possessed an EXTRA touch of magic! Instead of generic plastic horses arranged in a circle, there were several different modes of transportation a young child could choose from! For instance, the red fire truck was made out of sturdy iron and if you rode in it you also got to wear the fire helmet! Another was a spaceship with designs lifted from the Sputnik era. Unfortunately, the seat space in the spaceship was so cramped I think only an infant would have been able to fit in it. Lastly, the bulky army tank was complete with camouflaged helmets! It made me forlorn to see how much work went into making this amazing carousel. The creator really took the time to create a special world for these children. It's a shame the same love, attention, creativity, *and* quality isn't shown in rides nowadays. I also deeply regretted the fact that I left my camera home! It would have been so interesting to take pictures of all of these "ancient" theme park rides. I munched on "Candy Floss" (American translation: Cotton Candy) and enjoyed walking around looking at all the rides and laughing at the outrageousness of it all! I can't even describe all the strange things we saw there. I also couldn't wait to go back, this time with the camera! One of the best parts about PleasureLand was the endless jokes one could make *without* the presence of children nearby; "I really hope you enjoyed going to Pleasureland with me, baby." We made a million jokes that day and Pleasureland and Jolly Jack were certainly some of the highlights from my England trip! [This review was written back in 2008. I understand that Pleasureland has since been renovated so I'm not sure if some of the rides that holds a special place in my heart are still there.]

I love this place. It is lonely, lovely and quite exhilarating to visit…read more The maze commands a panoramic view over the Humber countryside. One theory is it was created by medieval monks, it sits adjacent to the site of an older 7-ringed celtic maze .The relic is 44ft. Also nearby is the old 'Kell Well', now nicely renovated, and a very curious stone in the village churchyard (said to be the remains of a stone cross, carved into a 'spiral' by years of sword sharpening!).an earthwork known as Countess Close above it. No-one knows who originally cut this 12 metre maze (technically a Labyrinth - as it has a single entrance and path), The idea of the maze comes from the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens used a ball of wool given to him by Ariadne to mark his way through the labyrinth of the Minotaur in Crete, slayed the monster and retraced his steps with the aid of the thread and so to safety. The nearby Alkborough church has a copy of the maze inlaid into the porch floor, and this is used as a template for the periodic re-cutting of the turf. There is also a copy in the east window,The 44ft relic cut into the landscape has many interlocking rings, and the theories surrounding its origins are just as complex. Some have observed how Alkborough's maze is strikingly similar to a floor design in the 13th century French cathedral of Chartres. In 1697, the Lincolnshire diarist and antiquarian, Abraham de la Pryme, noted: They have at (Alkborough) two Roman games, the one called Gillian's (for Julian's) Bore, and the other Troy's Walls. eg The name Julian's Bower may have been inspired by Julius, son of Aeneas of Troy. In legend, the walls of the ancient city of Troy were built in such a confusing way that an enemy who entered would never find a way out. Shepherds too are said to have cut similar mazes. It will remain a mystery. Free to get in and not too difficult to find though a little out of the way unless you are in the area. Fascinating and well worth the visit..and YES I WAS the one running around it whilst a lot of, not particularly interested kids looked on. My dad was proud of me.

Amusement Arcades come in all shapes and sizes. Most people…read moretoday think of an amusement arcade as something like a hall consisting of one-armed bandits, small kiddies roundabouts and a sitdown bingo link. Or maybe something more alabrate like Alton Towers Theme Park. But years ago in the somewhat posh area of Hunters Bar, Sheffield, people found their amusement in different ways. At the rear end of the Botanical Gardens you will find, hidden from view by dense trees and bushes, the remains of a Bear Pit. A large circular pit dug out off the soft earth, then lined with sandstones. It looks like they laid the stones as drystone walling because there's no sign of any motar between the stones. There's a large entrance at the rear, where obviously the bear was lead into the torturous pit, where we can assume the poor animal was torturously ill treated by the gawping men and women who leared over the top of the open pit. Thank God we've learnt to treat wild animals with respect these days and done away with these hidious amusement arcades of the 19th. Centruary. But having said that, if you're into historic amusements it's still interesting to see The Bear Pit, a true historic gem from days gone by.