Brad Barnes visits the park with daughter Sasha (3).

It was a first visit to the park for dad and daughter, just down the road in Kettering, and for daughter a first real experience of rides, albeit at the lower end of the thrill scale. I chose a day when the weather forecaster predicted it wouldn’t be baking hot and they were right... but a little drizzle wasn’t going to spoil our day. We actually arrived before the rides opened so the traditional playpark with climbing frames, slides, swings and zip wires certainly put her in the mood for some fun. There are height restrictings in place for the rides, but just nudging the 1m mark meant there was plenty of enjoyment to be had - with and without me for company. The roundabout with all sorts of vehicles and the carousel

provided a gentle introduction to what Wicksteed has to offer the young, and they were quickly followed by every little one’s favourite, the teacups. The clown coaster added a little speed, the mini jets a little height as they soared into the air and the Rockin’

Tug - a crazy boat that goes back and forth whilst twisting and turning - was greeted with roars of approval. Her favourite - and I know this from the squeals of excitement - was the surprisingly fast astroslide; Quite an adrenaline rush for a three year old and something which took me back to my childhood. Arriving early on a damp day meant queueing was at a minimum and second and third turns on the rides wasn’t a problem. Getting up really close with the meerkats in their burrows was an experience not to be missed before we explored the rest of the park - it is nicely laid out in zones suitable for different age groups - and we enjoyed lunch from one of the handy fast food outlets - talking about which of the bigger attractions we would go on when we returned. For more go to www. wicksteedpark.org