Short break in ... Didcot
Discussion
I am going on a last minute short break next weekend with my daughter. All she has asked for was that we find somewhere with a pool with slide and beach (though she had initially asked for Spain/Canary Islands! 
) .. I wanted midlands/home counties to keep travel times down, so Didcot fits the bill with it's Wave pool with flumes and beach area and I've located a local hotel with pool also (she loves swimming).
I've noticed there also a steam train place nearby - is it any good and if worth a visit how long do we need to allow for this? Didcot Wave has sessions at set times so any other activities would need to be scheduled to fit around these. Are there any other attractions or amenities there, e.g. kids playgrounds etc?
Are there any decent places to eat? After the hotel bill (thankfully with breakfast), there's not much left in the budget so inexpensive is good - even supermarket cafes would be great.
) .. I wanted midlands/home counties to keep travel times down, so Didcot fits the bill with it's Wave pool with flumes and beach area and I've located a local hotel with pool also (she loves swimming).I've noticed there also a steam train place nearby - is it any good and if worth a visit how long do we need to allow for this? Didcot Wave has sessions at set times so any other activities would need to be scheduled to fit around these. Are there any other attractions or amenities there, e.g. kids playgrounds etc?
Are there any decent places to eat? After the hotel bill (thankfully with breakfast), there's not much left in the budget so inexpensive is good - even supermarket cafes would be great.
Edited by oldbanger on Sunday 15th February 12:43
The Milton Hill House Hotel supposedly has a pool. All booked now so too late to worry really.
We have visited coventry a few times and my 8 year old thinks Coventry city centre pool with it's rusty water slide and lazy river is great, so hopefully Didcot Wave will be a step or two up from that.
I did look at the Bracknell one but it's futher away from home. If we do this again, that would probably be a good bet though, particularly as I've been requested to go to Legoland at some point. (It's not open that I can see right now)
Thanks for the recs for food.
If it's a steam day at Didcot will it be worth a full day, do you think?
We have visited coventry a few times and my 8 year old thinks Coventry city centre pool with it's rusty water slide and lazy river is great, so hopefully Didcot Wave will be a step or two up from that.
I did look at the Bracknell one but it's futher away from home. If we do this again, that would probably be a good bet though, particularly as I've been requested to go to Legoland at some point. (It's not open that I can see right now)
Thanks for the recs for food.
If it's a steam day at Didcot will it be worth a full day, do you think?
Hey don't knock Coventry ... it has a half decent (free) motor museum for a start!
As for Didcot, yes it's completely random - I had been intending to go to Oxford but the kid wanted a pool with slide and waves etc and there doesn't appear to be one in Oxford itself. It'd be no worse than going to Bracknell or Guildford for a short break
Besides, having grown up in Kent, I quite like the idea of holidaying next to a power station.
As for Didcot, yes it's completely random - I had been intending to go to Oxford but the kid wanted a pool with slide and waves etc and there doesn't appear to be one in Oxford itself. It'd be no worse than going to Bracknell or Guildford for a short break
Besides, having grown up in Kent, I quite like the idea of holidaying next to a power station.
Welshbeef said:
I'd recommend Port Talbot 
Does it have a pool? I have a relative who used to regularly travel from Northern Finland to stay in Port Talbot, but that was for work admittedly
Corby has quite a busy distribution hub. So that's lorry spotting covered if she ever takes it up as a hobby.
... And why do these places have hotels if people don't visit them? Hmm?
As a quick follow up, we did the short break last weekend. The hotel was good, particularly the kitchenette and lounge area with free tea, coffee and fruit. Hotel pool was of a reasonable standard.
Didcot Wave was pretty yucky though, even though we went first thing. Didn't look like it has a regular cleaning programme. My daughter enjoyed the wave machine though.
All in all we spent 5 hours in the 2 pools in total, so didn't manage the railway centre as we were too knackered. We ate at the hotel (good) and at Didcot Wave (poor) so didn't get to try any of the food recs, though they were very appreciated. Thanks
Didcot Wave was pretty yucky though, even though we went first thing. Didn't look like it has a regular cleaning programme. My daughter enjoyed the wave machine though.
All in all we spent 5 hours in the 2 pools in total, so didn't manage the railway centre as we were too knackered. We ate at the hotel (good) and at Didcot Wave (poor) so didn't get to try any of the food recs, though they were very appreciated. Thanks
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