secret dates

What is social volleyball?

This secret date involved playing volleyball! We attended the Social Volleyball session of the Newcastle Staffs Volleyball Club, at Madeley High School. Social volleyball is basically an excuse to just play volleyball, without the hassle of joining a team and training. There is a really friendly atmosphere to the club. A huge range of abilities all play together. Some of the players are England standard, whilst others are complete beginners. Others still used to play competitively but are now a bit older.

Learning the basics

We arrived to a large and busy sports hall, full of people playing volleyball. We were soon approached by a lady who knew we were coming. She introduced us to a great player called Mark, who graciously agreed to show us the basics. We spent a good while at the beginning of the session having a personal training session with Mark.

He started off by showing us the standing position you should take when ready to receive the ball, and then how to dig. This was rather complex at first, since you have to sort of cup your hands in a slightly unnatural way, and point your thumbs down, keeping your arms straight as possible. He threw some balls at us, which we had to dig back to him. Many of them came off one arm only, leading them to go astray.

When he felt like we had got the hang of it, we learned the setting pass. This is used for higher balls. You want the ball to almost hit your forehead, and sort of push the ball upwards using a triangular hand shape. This method was by far the least painful of the two. At one point though, I pushed the ball up high and it got caught behind a basketball net. Once we got the hang of it, Mark threw some balls at us, having us decide which of the two moves to use. It was harder than it sounds, since you have to remember different bits of information, and process them all quickly. When it doesn’t come naturally, it takes time to work it all out.

The final skill Mark showed us was how to serve. I took to this very easily, since it just involves belting the ball up with one hand. It is rather painful on the hands though. Amy did ok from closer to the wall, but as we got progressively further away she really struggled to get enough power on the ball.

We were playing in a game with great players in no time

After this, Mark got us involved in a real game. There were seven players on our team, so we took it in turns to sit out. One of the hardest things to do is to work out what position you are supposed to stand in. Each time your team took the right to serve from the other, you all rotated. Sometimes it was our turn to serve, then we were in defensive positions, and finally up at the front by the net.

It was particularly hard to remember when it was our turn to be the setter, which involved having our back to the net, ready to receive the ball from the defence. At one point, it hit me on the head on its way down! I have no idea who won the game to be honest, but it seemed to be over very quickly. It was great fun! Despite our lack of skills, we were made to feel very welcome, and got plenty of encouragement for good passes.

Soon after, a second game took place, against a different team, who were playing on the other court. This was great fun too, and we were both feeling more and more confident. Still the main issue was positioning, and we strayed out of position a couple of times. We were just watching the person in front of us to know where to go next, but it didn’t always work!

So good we stayed for more

It was the scheduled finish time of 8pm now, and a birthday cake was brought out for two of the members. To our surprise, Mark said they would stay and play another game if we wanted to join in. I readily agreed, to extend our evening further, but Amy said she would sit out. She ended up sitting out the whole game, while I had figured it was just a temporary thing. I had great fun playing it though, and Amy didn’t seem to mind. Our first session was free of charge, with future sessions costing £3.50 each. We left with a lot of adrenalin after a really fun activity, but our hands were killing! The next day they were black and blue with bruises!

So how does it rate?

All in all, it was a great date idea, and I don’t think we were the only couple there. Playing volleyball is a fun, competitive activity that will get your hearts racing. After the match, you can spend some time chilling out together over a nice relaxing drink, or even a romantic bath. Check out if your local area has a social volleyball club, and get stuck in. If not, then hire a sports hall with a bunch of friends and get a game together. We have done this in the past too, and it is also fun. However, we much preferred having the guidance that we got from the club, which made the date much more pleasurable as a result.

Have you ever played volleyball on a date? How did it go? 

Horseback riding is a date idea that is as tranquil as it is adventurous

Being outdoors and at one with nature is always a romantic way to spend time with your partner. Horseback riding is a simple date idea that requires little in the way of planning. Just find a local company that offers horseback riding treks, trail rides, or even lessons, and book in. They will normally provide everything that you need. Being on horseback is a romantic image in itself. It is easy to think of the damsel in distress, being rescued by her Knight in shining armour on horseback.

Most trail rides take in stunning scenery too, like the one we just did in England’s Peak District. If you can, find a company with a relaxed cancellation policy, since wet weather will seriously dampen your enthusiasm. Be sure to wear layers, so that you can cope with changes in temperature. Don’t worry if you have never ridden a horse before, since more or less all trekking companies will cater to complete novices. It is a great way to spend some time together.

Horseback riding in the UK’s highest village

We headed to the village of Flash for our most recent secret date, Horseback Riding. Flash is the highest village in Britain, at 1518 feet above sea level. They proudly boast this fact on their welcome signs. The village church, St. Paul’s, contains a very old graveyard with graves dating back to the 18th century. We even saw a gravestone for John Wain! Also in the village is one of the first Wesleyan chapels (Wesley was the founder of Methodism), and the highest house in the UK, called Far View Cottage.

Next to Far View Cottage is a public footpath leading to a very daft gate. It was daft as there was a gap next to it that was wide enough to pass through! As well as stunning Peak District views, there is an abundance of old, beat-up cars up here, which is odd. The highest village pub in Britain, The New Inn, was closed. We were intrigued though, by its sign that looks like a cross between Jesus and a Highwayman. Flash was once a den of iniquity, famous for counterfeit money and cockfighting. Nowadays, it appears to be a much sleepier place.

Two hours of escapism

We had booked on to a two-hour trail ride from Northfield Farm, which cost £50 each. This is a much longer ride than we have had previously. However, at only £14 more than a one-hour ride, it seems daft not to. It was a beautiful day for it, really warm and sunny. There were four of us on the ride, as well as two more experienced riders. It was a confusing start with no-one really giving any clear guidance as to where to go, but we eventually got kitted out. We had to wear a riding hat and a hi-vis jacket. Amy got a pink one though, so she felt a bit more girly.

We noticed that the terms and conditions banned cameras or mobile phones to be taken. We asked if we could attach our camera to our jeans belt. They agreed under the condition that we take responsibility for any injuries. I had it first, as I struggle to get the tie correct when on the move! My horse Bonnie was relatively big, though still one of the smallest out today. She seemed keen to take me over to the trough, but when she was there, she didn’t drink. She just stood staring at the wall. Amy then mounted her horse, Jimmy. She was a bit worried that her horse was a bit of a trouble maker, as he was the only one who got tied up after being mounted!

Riding a horse on a busy main road?

Unfortunately, for the first half of our two hour ride, we hardly saw each other. This was due to us being taken in different groups on a lead, by two separate guides. They did this as the first part of the ride takes you actually onto the A53. This is a very dangerous though scenic main road, famous for speedy cars. Our horses were kept on the grass at the side of the road, but the staff had to ride on the road itself. Soon enough, we were heading onto a country lane towards Knotbury, where cars, cyclists, and even a bunch of lads riding dirt bikes had to wait for us to pass.

Despite Amy being nowhere to be seen, I had the camera so had to take some pictures as best as I could. It wasn’t easy to do with it being attached to my jeans belt and so bright that I couldn’t see the screen! Not to mention the fact that I was riding a horse as well! Although we were disappointed that we couldn’t see much of each other, the scenery was breathtaking! We were heading through paths carved between two grassy hills, with pretty brooks on the side. Our leader got us all trotting for a while, which was great fun.

Three Shires Head – a stunning location where three counties meet

We stopped briefly to open a gate, and finally got close enough to talk to each other, which was great. Amy even took the lead for a while, as our horses clambered down a very rocky outcrop. This resulted in us leaning backwards to keep balance and holding on for dear life! For most of the ride, we were told to steer the horses with the reins. However, we were advised to just let them find their own way down here! There were pretty steep drops to the side as well, so it is a good job that Bonnie, Jimmy, and the others knew what they were doing!

The ride took us on the old pack horse trails to Three Shires Head. This remarkably beautiful area is a series of small waterfalls underneath a packhorse bridge built in the 1700s. It was stunning. This is the place where three counties meet – Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire. However, we didn’t get a lot of time to spend admiring the view. The main complaint we had with the activity was that the lady leading the walk seemed like a woman on a mission to get us all done as quickly as possible, and not really interested in getting the most out of the day for us. She also had a rather unusual mannerism of addressing us by the name of our horse rather than learn our actual names. This might be understandable if there were loads of guests, but there were only four of us!

Astonishing Peak District views

As it was, then, I didn’t even get the chance to even take a decent photo of Three Shires Head, much less let the views sink in. Worse still, Bonnie veered off a bit, so another horse got in the middle of us again. The views from up here were astonishing. We were high up on the hills overlooking a winding stream, with ancient walls and farmhouses surrounding us. One former farmhouse was now just its four outer walls, with a tree growing right in the centre of it!

Trust the horse and hope for the best

The terrain was extremely rocky soon afterwards, which again led to some hairy situations where you kind of had to hope for the best! We were extremely high up, so it would have been disastrous to come off the horse at this point. The more accomplished riders broke off here to have a gallop. Our path turned into a mudbath at one point, which would have looked pretty cool for a photo. Just as I was struggling with the camera, Bonnie decided she had had enough of the mud, and jumped up onto the grass verge above it. Typical! I got told off for it!

A sharp turning soon after, again got us trusting the horse’s instincts to get us down a steep bank and onto a tiny path that had barely enough room for the horses legs to get through. It led to a brook where the horses got a well deserved drink. Finally, I got the chance to pass the camera to Amy for the final part of the trail. The home stretch was up the steepest hill possible. We really felt for the horses trying to get us up there. We had to lean forward to make it easier for them. Overall, we had a fantastic time horseback riding and we’re sure it is a date idea that we will come back to, again and again!

Have you ever been horseback riding on a date? What were your experiences?

A guitar lesson is a recurring date idea for us

One date idea that we have done on three occasions since starting our ‘secret dates’ is for me to teach Amy how to play the guitar. Even in our early days, I would teach her to play a song. To this day she can play the riff from Ben E King’s Stand By Me, which I taught her in the first years of our relationship. I am a singer-songwriter, and have achieved a fair bit with it over the years. One of my biggest skills is playing the guitar, which I have done since the age of thirteen. Since playing the guitar is a very cool skill to have, and one that has many amazing benefits, why not teach Amy to play too?

A lot of guitar lessons start with the different parts of the guitar, and the names of the strings. However, this time, I figured that it would be best to teach Amy four chords. This would mean that she could play many different songs – G, Em, C, and D. As expected for any total beginner, she struggled a bit. It was hard trying to get the position right, and putting the right amount of pressure on the strings. The G chord came more naturally than most for her.

After I had taught her the shapes and given her time to practice, we had a break from the chords for a bit. I taught her the riffs to Seven Nation Army (White Stripes), and Satisfaction (Rolling Stones). She did a pretty good job of both of these.

Amy even learned our blog anthem!

I then went back to the chords to try and teach her a few songs. These included His Latest Flame by Elvis, Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, and our very own blog anthem, Planet Full Of Love. Yes, you read that right, we have written an anthem for our blog! We both love it too, so maybe with a bit of encouragement we will record and share it.

The main problem was the strumming. She really struggled to get a clean strum, especially when going up then down. I think this was partly due to her arms not being quite long enough for the guitars. Her hand was pointing down rather than remaining straight. This resulted in an uneven strum. I left her to practice for a bit on her own. However, her hands were hurting a bit and she had given up practicing by the time I came back.

Later on, I got Amy to play what she had learned including a pretty decent attempt at Planet Full Of Love. However, she didn’t want to learn any more as her fingers were still a bit sore. I definitely think that it was more fun for her to actually be able to play something real, rather than learn a load of theory. However, t was quite an intensive lesson to get her to that stage. Not easy on the fingers.

Here’s a picture from a previous time I have taught Amy to play the guitar!

You don’t have to teach your partner to play the guitar

However, what if one of you doesn’t know how to play the guitar? Then think about what things you do know how to do. Perhaps you can paint, or make a website, or speak another language, or cook, and your partner can’t. There are literally hundreds of things that you can teach your partner. Others include a sport, photography, or DIY skills. Have a think about what you are good at, compared to your partner, and share your skills with them. It will help bring you closer together, and bond over a shared experience.

Another option, if you would actually both like to learn to play the guitar, is to book a lesson with a local teacher. Most areas will have a good selection of tutors with all the required qualifications. If you have a guitar at home, but don’t know how to play it, you could search YouTube for beginners’ lessons.

Have you ever taught your partner to do something as a date idea? How did it go?

An Oil Painting Class is a challenging and fun date idea

This week’s secret date was an oil painting class, at MazArt Studio, in Scholar Green. We came for a painting class here around two years ago. As we really enjoyed it, it was a bit of a no-brainer to come back again. There doesn’t seem to be anything else like it locally.

An oil painting class is a brilliant date idea! It allows the two of you to spend some quality together, whilst getting your creative juices flowing. You will also end up with your own piece of artwork to be proud of. More than likely, you will come up with your own interpretations of the painting, which will be a great conversation point. You will surely love taking them home to show your friends and family too. For most of us, it is a chance to learn something new. Who cares if you are not the next Van Gogh or Rembrandt? You will surely have lots of fun at a painting class without feeling that you have to keep talking to impress your date.

There were nine of us in total, including a mixture of ages and genders. Nobody should feel that they wouldn’t fit in here. All you have to take with you is an apron, a kitchen roll, and a packed lunch. MazArt is the business name of Marion Dutton. Marion is a fantastic artist who not only makes everything look easy, but shows you how easy it can be too. The studio is annexed to her house, and has its own separate entrance at the back.

Pick a painting from the website which you would love to recreate

The way the classes work is that Marion chooses a painting (you know which one it will be before you book), and then paints it step by step. She shows you how it is done, and you then go off to your own workstation and do your best to recreate it. The slight problem I had was that she taught us maybe three or four small parts at once. I then struggled to remember what was what, and had to ask Amy, which was a bit annoying for her. I saw one lady had a notebook, which she was writing notes in, which seems like a brilliant idea.

The painting we chose was called ‘Bleak Mid Winter’, and featured a river running through snowy banks. The scene contained a few dead trees, a small house, and a sun setting in the background, as well as a canoe parked up. We started by covering our canvas in liquid white. This helps the oils to run more freely. You then cover it in a coat of blue, which is actually made up of a few different colours mixed to your own taste to provide a background sky. The whole painting is done in layers like this, and is a fascinating process.

Maz then got us to draw a line to symbolise the horizon, before painting in the sun. She gets you using different colours to get the haze of the sun spreading out. Of course, we had to reflect this in the water too. Clouds were next, though mine got described as bananas by both Amy and Maz. Maz gave me a bit of extra help to blend them in a bit. Amy went much darker on the clouds than me, so obviously was going for very bleak.

People of all abilities will enjoy an oil painting class

Next we painted in the background trees using a rough triangle shape. The bloke next to me was brilliant at this, as he was a landscape painter, though he normally used watercolours. You then used the pallet knife to scratch out some detail for the trees. We stopped for lunch at this point. Maz did provide some snacks, but we didn’t get chance to look what they were.

The next bit was to create the lay of the land where the river would run through. We initially lightly scratched this out using the pallet knife, then used some oil paints to paint in the edges of the land. We had two different types of snow; warm snow, which is made with white and a hint of yellow (where the sun is hitting it), and cool snow. This is white and a hint of blue (where the sun isn’t hitting it). The next bit was my favourite, which was creating the little house on the banks. My house looked very cute, with little windows and a door that looked like a baby owl to me. We used the snow over the top of the roof, which really made it stand out.

You will learn lots of effective techniques at an oil painting class

The trees were next, and we had four in total. First, we just made the basic shape with burnt umber paint, before dabbing on some yellowy colour and then more brown. We used a new and effective technique that Maz had discovered, which really made the trees look more realistic with little effort. We also added both types of snow to the trees. I really struggled with the branches, as I forgot what she said to do. It was clear that my initial efforts didn’t look right at all. Eventually it turned out that I had forgotten to add extra oil to the paint, which helped the branches to flow easier. We added a bit of snow to the branches too.

Next, we added some bullrushes on one of the banks of the river. This was rather simple really, just brushing some paint on, and then using the brush to define some of the stalks. Not forgetting the reflection too. The last tree was the largest one, that was in the foreground of the picture. We did this in the same way as before, but just did it wider. In between, while waiting for our next instruction, we added some more of the snow on the banks to fill out some of the empty space.

Finishing your painting is one of the hardest things to do

The last bit of instruction was the most rushed. We were already coming up to the scheduled end of the session, and there was quite a few bits left to do. Maz wasn’t at all rushing us to finish, but we had to be careful of the time as we were going to an event that night. Therefore, it put a bit of pressure on us. First off, we added in a canoe that was parked up on the banks of the river by the largest tree. I had messed up a bit here, as my banks came out further than the tree. Therefore, the canoe couldn’t park up like it was supposed to do. Maz came up with a solution to park mine up on the land, which looked fine. I wasn’t happy with my canoe though, and was kind of kicking myself for adding it in.

We also added some rocks to the bottom of the picture. Amy’s looked much more impressive than mine. However, I think I was just a bit too conscious of the time to put too much effort into it. Amy certainly wasn’t rushing though! The last bit was to add some shading onto the banks, and add some ripples into the water. Our finished paintings can be seen in the featured image, here is Marion with hers.

Taking home an artwork that you created yourselves is very cool!

Once we were happy that we had finished, we had to clean up the pallets and brushes, and get our photos taken for MazArt’s Facebook page. We took our own pictures too, and Amy even got one of Maz with her artwork. We were both impressed with what we had done. However, we kind of felt it was a bit less complete than the tulips one we did last time (pictured below). Having said that, it was a much more challenging oil painting class this time we felt, which added to our sense of achievement.

What do you guys think of our first oil painting efforts? Have you ever been to an oil painting class? Would you like to? 

A science centre is a fantastic place to go to on a date. It offers you the chance to participate in experiments. You will constantly have new topics to discuss without any pressure on the conversation due to there being so much going on all around. There are often hands-on displays too, where you can maybe work together to build something. Or alternatively, for the more competitive amongst you, you could compete to complete the activity in the shortest time!

Some science centres might even open in the evenings just for adults, which might be a little more romantic. Another romantic thing that many science centres offer is a planetarium. Planetariums offer a cosy stargazing session without the worry about how chilly the night may be.

Magna Science Adventure Centre – Rotherham, UK

We recently visited Magna Science Adventure Centre, which is in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. It is extremely close to the major city of Sheffield (literally down the road). Therefore, it can be easily combined with a short stay there.

During the winter months, Magna opens at 10am, and closes at 4pm. As usual, we did as much research as possible before our visit. Most people suggested that just a few hours would be plenty. Therefore, we didn’t stress about getting there fifteen minutes after it opened. However, we would definitely recommend you allocate a full day (10-4) to enjoy this attraction to the fullest. We say this as we didn’t have time to see everything and we were there for nearly six hours! Be sure to wrap up warm too. Due to the size of this building, it can get very cold, even indoors.

Parking is free of charge and there is plenty of it. It is also worth purchasing your tickets online. This works out to be £1 cheaper per person, which is worth it if you are on a budget. Your ticket is valid for an entire year if you live close enough to take advantage of this. This makes the £10.95 fee great value for money.

Housed in a former steel works

The science centre is housed in the former Templeborough Steel Works, which once held the world record for steel production. This is a very iconic and atmospheric location for it indeed. The first room you come to is an exhibition on the history of the steelworks. It offers a great way of understanding the history of the site before you tour it. It actually went as far back as Roman times, as a Roman fort was found underneath the site. The history goes through to the advancements of the steelworks, aided by the World Wars, in which so much extra steel was required.

Head for the interactive areas first

It is mainly information boards giving you the information, with a handful of interactive bits like flaps to lift. There is also a video at the end which shows vintage footage of the steel making process in action. Although interesting, I would advise anyone without children to head straight for the highly interactive science areas. These are themed after the four elements needed for steel production – fire, air, water, and earth. By doing this, you will have a lot more freedom to play around, without having to wait in line with a bunch of kids to have a go on the super soaker! You can then return to this exhibition later, as it will rarely get busy.

From here, you enter a huge, dark, and cold hangar. Massive steel hooks linger above your heads, that are actually pretty scary, such is their size. At the far end of the room is a staircase up a tower which leads to the main exhibition area. There are also a couple of artefacts down here, including a vehicle and some machinery. Don’t miss the swinging chime, which you use a hook to pull back. When you let go, it swings and hits pieces of steel to make a nice sound. However, if you are anything like me, then the chimer will do everything possible to avoid the chimes!

Room of sparks

Leave the ‘people of steel’ exhibition for now, located on the walkway, though do stop to have a go on the huge spotlights that help to light up some of the features of this dark and ginormous room. It feels like being in a 1980’s sci-fi film to be honest, especially when you enter the Transformer House. This is a room of sparks, which flash on and off while making that familiar hum of a spark. From the walkway, you can see a few of the stunning pavilions, including the blimp-like air pavilion, as well as the most-anticipated Big Melt. This is a huge display of the equipment needed to produce steel.

Don’t miss the Big Melt

The Big Melt is shown on the hour, in the ‘E’ furnace, which was one of the original electric arc furnaces that once powered the area’s booming steel industry. However, it has been unused for many years now. Get yourselves a good place on the walkway, in the centre. From here, you can listen to the narration, which tells you the details of the steel making process. There are lights illustrating the machinery that is being talked about, but the immense noise of the works, and some pyrotechnic effects help to bring the experience to life. Of course no actual steel is involved, so the room remains cold, rather than the immense heat that would have been felt by the workers. They used to have to drink lots of beer to keep cool.

The furnaces are now rather rusty looking, but immensely scary and imposing. You would not want to have worked here, yet many ex-workers tell very fond stories about the camararderie that they shared. It is all very well done, though Amy feels that she built it up too much in her head as something spectacular. This was mainly as a result of many of the reviews we read saying that it was the attraction’s saving grace.

The Fire Pavilion

The Fire Pavilion begins with a great sound and vision display with thunder and lightning encompassing all of your senses, before you see the ‘Fire Tornado’. This really had the wow factor. Pressing the button starts a chain of events that begins with some oil being poured onto a metal surface. It is then heated until the oil evaporates, before being set alight with a spark, and uses fans to make the flame rise and twirl like a tornado, five metres high. It was hot, beautiful and exciting. Another exhibit let you heat up some wires to glow red hot and create the shape of a face. We were wowed by the crystal lattice.

One of the most popular machines uses nanotechnology to create an image of a tiny object, which you then had to guess what it is. We didn’t get Amy’s, which was a human hair, but Amy managed to get mine, which was velcro. They also have a steel bridge, with a bouncy centre, to illustrate the longetivity of steel. Another fun exhibit involves putting one hand on a hot surface, and the other on a cold one. You then put both hands on a warm surface. It results in the opposite feeling in each hand, despite the temperature now being the same.

The Air Pavilion

The Air Pavilion is also very impressive indeed. The first thing you come to is a massive set of fans which blow large wind forces out. This may well be popular, but it is well worth waiting your turn at feeling the forces. It is great fun to pretend to be blown back by it, though it will freeze your teeth if you open your mouth! They have a set of pipes you can talk through, to people at the other end. You also get the chance to make ripples in metal tiles by blowing air at it. The musical pipes are great fun to make a tune on, while you can spin ball bearings around a drain-like thing, and blow to disrupt a wind tornado too.

The Water Pavilion

The Water Pavilion has a beautiful and dramatic entrance. It consists of two pools of water either side of the walkway which overflow down the sides to create the illusion of you walking through the water. Every five minutes, the room ‘rains’ as well, though you won’t get particularly wet from it. You can put your head into a plastic hole and get shot at by water cannons on the other side. It is great fun for couples, though the actual cannons are quite hard to get to from here. I recommend going back out, and in through the exit, as it is much quicker.

You can have a go on a contraption that you place plastic balls on, and they shoot in the air being powered by air, which was probably in the wrong pavilion. Don’t miss the chance to play a computer game as a fish, see your weight in terms of water, and play with a huge display which shows different ways of powering and manipulating water. You can also create waves with a machine, and have a go on the super soakers yourselves. Don’t miss the canal locks experiment, using model boats, as this is great fun. However, I didn’t understand it as well as Amy did, so my boat kept capsizing!

The Earth Pavilion

The final pavilion is the Earth Pavilion. Here you can play games and quizzes, control JCB diggers, and raise each other up on a hydraulic platform! There are three JCB diggers, so if one doesn’t work perfectly, just try another. You will have loads of fun picking up little bits of steel and letting them drop to the ground with the digger. Other interactive bits include lifting huge weights with pulleys, and demolishing something with a lever. This results in some rubber rocks falling out. You can then take them over to a conveyer belt system where they are sent around to where they need to be.

Lunch options and other features

The cafe is in a large room next to the main entrance. We had penne pasta, which was frozen and poured into an individual fryer, and topped with bolognese sauce. It came in a pot for a reasonable £3.25 each, which isn’t bad at all for a tourist attraction. They also did sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and curries. Check in advance that they are open, as in the winter it may be open at weekends only. Picnics are allowed though.

The major disappointments of our visit were that the attraction did not offer any sort of map, or guidebook. Instead, they had a picture of a map on the wall which they encouraged you to take a photograph of. This seemed a bit mean. However, it is very easy to find your way around despite this. They also offer ‘History of Steel’ tours with a former steel worker. However, we were told that these only happened on weekdays, though the official website made no mention of this. These tours are free of charge, and last for just under an hour. I’m sure they would be a fascinating addition to your day. In the warmer months, you may also wish to allocate some time to Aqua-Tek, and Sci-Tek. These are two outdoor playground areas, that we didn’t get time to check out.

Our overall thoughts

As the reviews on Trip Advisor weren’t exactly gushing, we were half-expecting a lacklustre experience. However, we absolutely loved it at Magna, and could have spent longer there. Many people complained of a large number of the hands-on activities not working or having ‘out of order’ signs everywhere. However, we didn’t find this to be the case at all. I think there were only a couple that didn’t work. For a place like this that has so many experiments to do, is pretty impressive!

What To Do Afterwards

• Maybe nip over to the fantastic Meadowhall Shopping Centre. It is just one mile away, also has free parking, and lots of dinner options too.

Best Photo Op Locations

• By the large shiny steel bull statue, with the building in the background. Be warned that this involves traipsing over a bit of rarely-used ground to get to.
• In the ‘hangar’.
• By the wind tunnel, with your hair blowing everywhere.
• With the ‘Fire Tornado’.

Is a science centre an ideal date idea for you and your partner? Have you ever been to Magna Science Adventure Centre?