Prescot is a small town in the borough of Knowsley, in Merseyside, England. There has never really been a lot of things to do in the Prescot area for children, unless of course, if the sun is shining. There used to be a large swimming pool, but that shut down a few years ago. Since then, a new, bigger, better, leisure centre, with swimming pool, has opened in Huyton village, but that is still a little inconvenient when it comes to taking your toddler.
I was looking for somewhere a little more... Well, a little less 'wet', and somewhere where I didn't have to drag a toddler, and a large changing bag in hand.
I had seen yellow signs for Spaceworld around the area, and I had often wondered what it actually was. So, as most people do, I eventually Googled "Spaceworld Prescot", and their website came up. It looked really good... It was a large warehouse, that had a play centre and cafe built inside. The play frame looked colourful and sturdy, and there was even a separate area for toddlers (0-3 years).
The lady who was on the reception was friendly, and she stated that if my son wanted to go on the larger play frame, there was no problem for me (or the hubby) to go on it with him. We thanked her, paid the £5.45 entry, handed in the little mans' shoes, and we headed straight for the toddler area.
Large mats, soft play equipment, soft blocks, little ride-on bikes and cars, and a mini climbing frame with a little slide at the end... William immediately fell in love with it. And because it was his first time in a place like this, I took my shoes off and went through the mini frame with him. I found it a little amusing when I almost got stuck, halfway down the slide...
The cafe was lovely. From juices, slushies, teas and coffees to sandwiches, hot meals, pancakes and ice creams; the prices are very reasonable. There are even speciality teas on the menu. Personally, I prefer the large caramel latte!
The staff are mostly friendly... I say mostly, because I noticed on our trip there yesterday, a rather sour-faced woman. She must be new there, as I had never seen her before. I would say she is in her forties (mid to late), and the looks that she gave the children were unbelievable. On the risk of sounding really nasty, she really did look like a bulldog chewing a toffee!
My little man needed a change before we left, so we headed to the baby changing room. The 'bulldog' was in there, cleaning...
I have previously worked in a play centre, and I know that the job is an all-rounder. You have to do reception duties, serve refreshments, do the cleaning... Everything. But you always do it with a smile on your face.
A couple of minutes later, the bulldog emerged from the baby changing room carrying two binbags, and kicking a bucket full of cleaning bottles. I smiled, friendly, as you do, and what did she do in return? Glared at me.
I wouldn't have minded, but her cleaning was a lot to be desired. There was bleach still in the toilet bowl, water all over the floor, and the smell... Wow. I needed a peg for my nose! (Wasn't a clean smell either)
Rules of the centre clearly state that shoes should not be worn, and socks should be worn on the equipment for hygiene reasons. Photography was also "strictly prohibited".
Parents were walking and running around on the equipment with their outdoor shoes on, and kids running around, screaming, with no socks on.
Whilst the next is not a rule as such, I would expect people in this day and age to know better. There was a woman, standing all over the kiddies playmats in her outdoor shoes (which were heels), and very obviously taking photographs of her kids, with no care as to whoever else was in the photograph. Normally I wouldn't complain about the photo side of things, but she was standing at the bottom of the slide, getting in the way of everyone else coming down the slide, with her phone in her hand, and taking pictures... I even heard her say (very loudly, as obviously she couldn't control her volume...), "do it again and I'll video you this time.." There she stood with the phone recording from the start of their climb to the end... And whilst she was recording, several other kiddies (including my little man) came down the slide... The staff heard and seen this, but never said anything.
In spite of this, I would recommend anyone with a child, of any age, to visit Spaceworld in Prescot. The entry is reasonable I suppose, the cafe prices are ok, and the drinks / food delicious, the staff (most of them) are lovely, friendly people, and it's a great place to allow your little ones to blow off some steam. Just make sure to watch the other children and parents around your own, as they can't seem to follow the rules. read more
