Fun for all the family... just take the plunge
IT was the kind of childhood experience that would live long in the memory – and whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was yet to be determined. Hurtling down a fibreglass tunnel in a torrent of water, gripping onto his father’s legs, my two-year-old son let out a primal scream that I couldn’t quite place – but it certainly sounded like abject terror.
So, as we plummeted down the stomachchurning descent before the landing pool at the bottom of the flume, I was prepared for a meltdown of extraordinary proportions.
I winced as he spluttered from the depths, blinking water from his eyes, before he turned to me and yelled: ‘Again!’
It was to be the first of many journeys to the top of the 160ft-long flume that day, Ruaridh too young to go down by himself, me not old enough to have a valid excuse for not escorting him. While it was Ru’s first time on the water slide, it wasn’t for his sister, Isla, who had quickly graduated from dad’s lap to speeding down by herself.
A simple trip to the flume was just one of the highlights of our family stay at Ribby Hall Village, the five-star resort in Lancashire, near beautiful Lytham St Annes and Wrea Green (a repeat winner of Lancashire’s Best Kept Village award) and the altogether different delights of Blackpool.
Our lodgings for the week were a smart cottage on the edge of the 100-acre site, near the imposing spa hotel.
Comfortably appointed with kitchen/diner, an en suite double bedroom downstairs and two twin bedrooms plus bathroom upstairs, it was the perfect place to rest after a busy day at the pool or the myriad other activities organised. Every day our little ones enjoyed a new activity. Given it was Easter, a bonnet-making contest and egg hunt featured prominently. It probably won’t come as any surprise, even though now it’s summer, but the resort, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, is already gearing up for Christmas. The village will be transformed into a winter wonderland, with real reindeer and a gingerbread house for Santa and his elves. For guests staying at New Year, there will be children’s New Year’s Eve parties in the afternoon, plus special evening events for families and for adults only.
Not that you would struggle for things to do. From softplay and laserquest to bowling, fishing and, of course, the pool, Ribby is bursting with activities to keep children – and adults – happy.
There are gym and fitness classes, racquet sports, a ninehole golf course, cycle hire, rowing boat and pedalos, a climbing wall, archery, fencing, Segways, inset left, body zorbing (Google it) and Water Walkerz (Google that, too). And that’s not an exhaustive list.
They even put on tremendous evening entertainment beside the grill restaurant. Speaking of which, there are enough restaurants and takeaways to keep even the hungriest holidaymaker happy.
There’s also more than enough to keep you entertained off site if you wish. Lytham St Annes is beautiful. We didn’t make it to Blackpool this time, but it’s a 15minute drive from Ribby and little kids and big kids alike won’t be disappointed with its charms.
Given the choice, our two little ones would choose the flume over the Big Dipper – for now, at least.