Just got back from here. This was the first Sonic World…read moreFestival held from Friday 18th until Sunday 20th July at Lumb Farm near Ripley in Derbyshire. The line-up for this year included some of the Rock and Psychedelic acts Alan Davey's Gunslinger, Harvey Bainbridge, Dumpys Space Nutz, Tubilah Dog, Omnia Opera, Drhasbeen, Earthling Society, Bruise, Xoo, Wind Of Change, The Higher Craft, Hashtronaut, Dreamspirit, Kog, Partmanpartbeard, and The Kozmic Ken Experience. All the musical performances were indoor so weather proof. Tickets were priced at £30 or there were family tickets (2 adults 2 kids under 15) £50. The ticket price included free camping, with on site toilet facilites, Bar, & restaurant. They intend this to be an annual event but not sure if the venue will be the same. A star lost for pricey drinks and no real veggie food option other than chips but there was no outside catering just the venues. It was limited to 400 tickets and so a very friendly festival. The highlight was the incredible Omnia Opera performance..excellent and so much energy. I did get amazingly drunk on the Friday..got hiccups and was rugby tackled off my chair by Plum (one of Omnia Operas vocalists) to shock me..it worked for 2 mins. Spent the rest of the weekend recovering but had a great time. One to go to next year.

Standing in a field for three and a half days is pretty boring,however throw in around 100 Metal…read morebands and field standing turns into the best thing you can do in the middle of August in Derbyshire. This was my 4th Bloodstock in a row,and it keeps getting better and better. One of the main draws for me is it's size,it's not stupidly big like the Downloads and Glastos of this world,this years attendance was 11000,and whilst this means they will never be able to afford the Iron Maidens and Metallica's they still sign up some decent headliners,Alice Cooper and Machine Head being 2 of the 3 headliners this year. Expect to pay the usual festival prices for things,or take your own food and booze and pop back to your tent in between bands,the size of the fest means that you are never more than 5 mins away from where you pitched. There are plenty of diverse food stalls and a decent amount of merch to buy,there are four stages,all within staggering distance of each other,and most importantly Me! If you are already a MetalHead then you may have already been to Bloodstock (Gold star for you) but if you are yet to attend a Metal fest then may I suggest you give Bloodstock a try next year? £125 for 100+ bands is money well spent,and the mighty Anthrax have already been announced for 2013! Bang your f*****g head \M/

Had a really good time at this rock/metal festival. My friend had raved about it for years so I…read morethought I'd give it a go-for one day anyway! I only knew a few of the bands but the good weather and company made up for it. I would call it a micro-Download. In comparison the site is tiny, but this makes it feel more safe and friendly and obviously much easier to get around. £70 was a lot to pay for a day ticket, plus there's £20 in parking which I think is cheeky! Also they don't take cards like at download which was annoying. I would go back if lots of bands I knew were playing/had plenty of money/guarantee of good weather! I know my friend will go back regardless!;)

We visited this place totally by accident and loved it. The nature trail was so unexpected and…read morereally impressive. We were so surprised by the size of the anthill and ants that actually lived by the ant sculptures The rest of the village also really impressed us, the reconstruction of the houses was very good, the streets most realistic. And of course the tramways were in beautiful condition and it was a real treat to go for a ride. A great day out, with or without children. For a similar experience you could also go and visit the black country museum in Dudley.

I took my small son to Crich Tramway Village for their special Thomas the Tank Engine day. Wow!…read moreWhat a great day out. From the moment we arrived by a very good bus service from Matlock, there was plenty to see and do. The Thomas scenarios - short stories with activities - were spread out through the day so we could explore the rest of the museum in between. They involved the kids in the scenarios, for example helping to fill Thomas' boiler with water from little buckets. If I have one criticism though it was the commercialism surrounding Thomas. A stall selling toys and souvenirs took pride of place by the engine and of course was impossible to avoid. There is a good, safe indoor play area which saved us from a brief shower of rain and gave me a sit down. A woodland walk with fantastic wood sculptures including a giant ant - great for photos - which can walk the legs off any lively toddler. There is an adventure playground for older children too. The entrance fee includes unlimited tram rides all day and with tram stops along the way walking is optional. The staff are friendly and helpful adding to the experience. The indoor museum is very big and has been tastefully arranged to show off vintage trams from all over the uk aswell as period architecture. Outside there are plenty of wonders from a bygone age, a 'tardis' police telephone box, post box and an a b button phone which is in working order. Everywhere we went there was something to do and see. A full day which made me very reluctant to leave! I chose Crich for a day out because Thomas the Tank Engine was there, not expecting to have so much fun myself. I can recommend it highly for kids and grown ups of all ages. I think my mum would like it, she's in her 80's and remember riding on trams to work in her youth so next time i will take her too especially as they have excellent facilities for less able individuals.

I really like Nottingham racecourse. I've only been midweek but found it had a good atmosphere…read morewithout being too busy. Nicely laid out venue so it is easy to get from watching the horses parade round the ring then to the front to put a bet on and to watch the race. When we went we booked a fairly priced deal where you got a bite to eat included - think it was sandwiches and a drink etc. You can also buy other food such as hot roast sarnies on site. I would recommend here for an enjoyable day out.

It's an ok night out to be had here, they do good special offers for food and admissions…read more Its supposed to be laugh having a bet on the dogs. however the tote staff can be a little on the impatient and rude side. Other than that the rest of the staff are lovely. The Booze is a bit pricey and the food is so so but it can be a right laugh especially if you go in a big group.

A Fascinating Day Out…read more We got a discount vouchers for this place and thought it might be interesting and it certainly was. Our guide whose name escape me just now was an absolute joy to listen to as using his knowledge he brought the whole tour alive. From the ingredients in beer to the brewing process through the ages including some beautiful vintage vehicles to the steam engine what was supposed to last 11/2 hours ended up being at least 2 hours not that it seemed to be that long. All in all we had a great time so much so that we intend to return and would certainly recommend it.

This has recently re-opened as the National Brewery Centre and has had a bit of a facelift. It is a…read moresmall museum which shows the history of brewing in Burton with a mix of machinery, video displays and wall boards. A family ticket - two adults and two children - is £27.50 which covers the museum and four drinks tasters (1/7th pint each) per person (squash for the kids, beer for the grown-ups). There is plenty of free parking. Sadly the whole thing was a bit of a disappointment. Most of the video displays were broken, the shire horses were out, and there was very little actually to experience. Anything interesting was cordoned off, so we could look at the outside of a bus, a train, some machinery, but not get close. Basically it is a small museum, with a couple of rooms of stuff in but not much to engage with. It is hard to see how they justify the new grander name of "The National Brewery Centre" and £27.50 is even harder to justify. When I was there they were doing some development work, so I hope they are expanding and improving. As of today though, one to miss.

Haven't been to be a Panthers game but probably will plan on it because in fairness they do look…read moreexciting, despite Nottingham not being my city. The ice rink however is a good place to come to and the NIC has to be one of the best in the country. Ice Locker is convenient and has plenty to offer, there have a fair amount to offer as far as drinks and snacks. The ice is also in good condition and brilliant for skating on, would recommend to everyone for ice skating and will be visiting again hopefully for another session, had a good time here. I think this venue is good for ice hockey as wel and hopefully will be able to do some scrimmages. Great rink.

This is an excellent Ice centre for skating and a great venue to see live bands and the Nottingham…read morePanthers. There is more than one ice rink and there are skating lessons as well as public skating sessions. The prices are reasonable. There is skate hire available and a cafe to get food from. There are enough toilets, vending machines and lockers around the place. The centre is easy to get to by bus and not far from car parks. There is a shop inside selling Nottingham Panthers gear. Lots of great bands visit this centre and you from lots of queues inside and wait till the arena has opened. They have lots of places to buy merchandise and food and drinks.

One of the biggest antique fairs in europe, it is vast with both indoor and outdoor stall's to…read moreview.Arrive early for the best buy's.Wear good walking shoes you will need them to try and cover all this fair.You can get plenty of refreshment's on site and boy will you need them. It is held 6 times a year, Happy shopping.

The Midland Railway Centre is a lovely half day out for anyone who likes trains, no matter what…read moreage! There is a small cafe on the site offering hot and cold food and drinks. There is also a small play area for kids, although it is just a collection of unused childrens toys and slides in a penned off area. There is a tin church that has been relocated to this site, which is fascinating to see and read about. The Centre is accessed via Butterley or Golden Valley, and both sites are linked by a nature walk. There is no entrance fee, only if you want to catch one of the trains, then it gets expensive! They have regular outings of Thomas, and host a Santa Special at Christmas (obviously!) Personally I think the train trips are too expensive, and its definitely something to do as a special occasion, rather than a regular outing.