If you haven't heard of Chill Factorᵉ, it's a massive indoor ski slope and Snow Park near to the Trafford Centre and just off the M60 Manchester ring road. This Spring they have a new campaign 'Fresh' and want to encourage people to learn a brand new skill. It just so happens my partner and 9 and 10 year old boys have never been on skis before, and Chill Factorᵉ reckon they can teach just about anyone to ski with their beginner ski lessons...


The course includes 6 hours tuition plus breaks. If you are over 10 years old then you can complete the course in one long day, but our youngest is only just 9, so we signed them up for the Ski Beginner 2 Day Course.

Our sessions were over two evenings from 6pm-10pm, which was a little late for the boys, but these are the latest sessions offered. Mornings, afternoons and daytimes are also available. I didn't join in on the slope, but it meant I could enjoy the comfort of the cafe (with free guest wi-fi) and keep an eye out from a distance.


Beginner Ski Lessons at Chill Factorᵉ must be booked in advance and remember to add clothing hire if you will need it.

It's Easter and the weather is likely to be predictably unpredictable. Inside or out, here are some of the things you could be getting up to in Manchester, Liverpool and the rest of the North West UK during March, April and May - for families with children of all ages...

The second of my 3 posts from our day in Blackpool is Sandcastle Waterpark - the UK's largest indoor waterpark. We were guests for the Blackpool Has It All campaign with Visit Blackpool, Merlin Entertainments and Blackpool Pleasure Beach. We've been intending to go for ages, but never quite managed it before...


Sandcastle is really easy to find, a huge building on the seafront just South of the South Pier. There is a busy car park nearby, the tram stop is very close and it's a nice 1 mile walk from SEA LIFE Blackpool and Madame Tussauds, the two other attractions we reviewed. We went by tram, included with our Blackpool Resort Passes.