Barks Holiday Cottage self catering accommodation 3 miles from Alton Towers, sleeps 4/5. 3 nights £295 and 7 nights £450. Winter walking weekends available for £185 until Alton Towers opens again for 2010 season. Call 01538 703436 or email barks@btconnect.com
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We went to Alton Towers on Friday afternoon for the final visit of the 2009 season. It was so busy. We had to queue everywhere. Don't ask me why, but we waited for 30 minutes to go on Squirrel Nutty. When he was three my son thought this was a lovely ride, but now he is six I knew that he and his friend were wasting time. We moved onto the Dragon which was much more thrilling, but still a horrendous queue. Then I sent them off on their own into the queue for the swings at Cloud Cuckoo Land, and they waited patiently for a really long time to get one short ride.
I consulted other local mothers with similar age children about their tolerance for adrenalin rides and most agreed that Runaway Mine is the turning point. While your children are the age when this ride is still a thrill, a relatively cautious mother is still within her comfort zone to accompany her offspring. Beyone this age, these mothers have cannily roped in friends or dads to do the accompanying. After all, someone has to carry bags and sound impressed by all the bravado.
I have made it clear to my son that I shall not be accompanying him onto Oblivion and Rita etc. He said he thought next time he would be brave enough to go on Submission. Is there seriously a ride called Submission? Surely he means Oblivion. Thank goodness for the height restrictions.
On our way out, soaking wet as a result of an ill-judged ride on a galleon that was being fired on by water cannons, we stopped to enjoy the flame-throwing, juggling entertainer. I enjoyed his act better than all the rides and, despite the fact that we were shivering with cold, we cheered and clapped as he threw flaming batons into the night sky.