Sherwood Forest

Having a 4 night stay at Sherwood Forest Center Parcs. http://www.centerparcs.co.uk are family orientated holiday parks where you stay in a massive holiday village with all sorts of facilities and activities. It's amazing really. There's a village square with shops, restaurants, a nature centre,a badminton arena, golf driving range, a sports bar, all manner of kids playgrounds, a massive indoor water park with heated pools and water slides, a bowling alley, ice skating, a 5 a side astro turf football pitch, all complete with squirrels, rabbits and all manner of birds wandering around. And you hire bikes to get around everywhere with bike racks at all the facilities And it's all so new and modern despite having been here 25 years. From our villa to all the facilities.

There are hundreds of people here but it is so well run and laid out that's you don't notice. Nothing is overcrowded. You book activities online or at one of the terminals or booking stations. Each has a fee but the prices are all reasonable.

Here's just some of the activities we have signed up to. Ben has done the soccer clinic each day conducted by the excellent Les McJanet, a former pro who now manages Carlton Town up the road. He is so good with the kids and a very funny scotsman. We've done an early morning guided woodland walk, kids aqua jet skidoos. And we're booked in for the Owl experience, father & son archery, junior fencing and bird feeding where you make your own bird feeder and seed mix.

Center Parcs is highly recommended.

The four photos are

1) getting some pointers at the soccer clinic
2) coming down the kids slide at the water park
3) with the ranger at breakfast after the woodland walk
4) cracked ice on the lake