Blink Margate.

Location: Margate Beach, Kent, England.

A town close to my home some of you may feel cheated. After all, it's not a exotic location or an attraction like Alton Towers. But, I believe in promoting local towns in hope to create interest in our once busy seaside area.

Margate has long been in disarray. The Scenic railway, the oldest wooden roller coaster of Dreamland still stands in two parts. Gaps remain along the sea front from buildings that have failed to been replaced. The old cinema, once decadent and popular is surrounded by scaffolding. Not to mention the town center itself, with boarded up shops caused by Britain's recession. But last night none of that seemed to matter. Margate was back from the past. Dreamland car park was full. Crowds filled the beach, the pavements and the bars, all anticipating the nights gift to the town.

Dancers, firework displays, music and lights filled the star lit night. It was a glimpse of hope for Margate, a hope that with the right funding and events the rejuvenation of the town is possible.  The Turner Center and the many art galleries that continue to come into the town are great, but not enough. Dreamland needs to re-open, buildings need to be re-built and the town needs shops that will be of interest to visitors. But, most importantly, they need events like this. Events that pulls locals and tourists alike, events that create good memories of Margate, events that make people want to visit again. Blink Margate was an example to follow, a spectacular that used that beautiful beach to its advantage.

However, any stage performances on the beach in the future needs to be higher, as it is very hard to see through the crowds. Also, the car park at the end of the event was unorganised and took ten minutes to get into the queue.Then once on the road there was more traffic. An event of that size needs better traffic and car park control to make the evening less stressful.  

However, there is hope for the Isle of Thanet yet! Our old traditional Broadstairs known for its connection with writer Charles Dickens; historic Ramsgate harbour; Ramsgate WWII tunnels hopefully opening as a heritage site and venue and WWII museums in Manston. All we need is to bring back Margate to it's former glory, and we could be an English tourist destination to be rivaled with.

Wildwood

Location: 
Herne Common, Herne Bay,
Kent, CT6 7LQ

Prices:

Adult: £9.95

Child:  £7.95

Family: (2 adult, 2 children) £32.50

Under 3: Free

Disabled: Concession rate, carer goes free.

I would assume you expect me to discuss animals? After all this is a wildlife park....

And yes, I will discuss the many British wildlife they have on display, but for me this isn't the main attraction of Wildwood. 

It's all about the drop slide! A slide for not only children but adults too! It is Kent's tallest drop slide and is likely, if like me, you have forgotten how to ride a slide properly, a dangerous slide. I have the war wound left to prove it! It requires that you hang over the edge, push yourself forward as you hurtle down a vertical drop for about half of the way down. The injury comes with the friction burn when you forget  that you have to raise your arms. But the pain for a week was worth it! 

Remember, you need socks for this slide!

Catch the you tube video of the making of the drop slide here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9iy_51lMd0

Also, for the little ones the play area is amazing, it was just a shame I couldn't go on the swings. I wasn't prepared to fight a five year old, for fear they might have won!

OK, so the cute and cuddly animals? 

As you can imagine there are lots of them. But, if you can try to catch the badgers when they are playing. They scamper around with the workers and have a surprising amount of energy!  

Other animals to see include:

Wolves, deer, reptiles and many more! 

The negative part about this park however is the lack of bins! As a wildlife park you understand the damage rubbish may cause and I was very annoyed by the fact that myself and the people I went to the park with had to carry the rubbish until we reached the play area. 

Also there are only a few places to eat along the way, so pick your picnic spot wisely! 

Alton Towers

Adult- £30.60
Child- £24.30
Family of four- £100.80. (Online prices only)

The Alton Towers Resort situated in Staffordshire, England, is an exciting fun packed day with lots of fun for thrill seekers and children alike. Here is just a few highlights, for more information follow the link at the bottom of the post.

Be sure to check out one of the newest attractions- Thirteen.
Fly around the trees and race through the forest on this fast rollercoaster, but your journey is not over there! As you enter the crypt be prepared for a  thrilling surprise!
But, also be prepared for a long queue!

Air. An experience like no other. Fly head first as you face the floor on this high speed rollercoaster. Again, this is a very popular ride so be prepared to wait.

Nemesis. A G-force rollercoaster that loops and twists.It looks daunting but don't be put off, it is worth the wait for thrillseekers. Not advised for those who hate loops, as there are many of them.

Rita. A fast rollercoaster that has you sticking to your seat as you launch. Lots of fun!

Hex- The Legend of the Towers. A creepy ride, but one of the best. You walk through many rooms watching  TV screens about the legend of the Towers before you enter a large room. Here, you will have a lap bar for safety as you experience a disorientating ride. It is an amazing showcase of allusion, but not recommended if you feel sick easily.

The Flume. A must for any theme park. This classic attraction is great fun, and unlike some flumes this will get you wet!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- The ride. A cute and adorable telling of the classic story by Roald Dahl. You travel through each child's experience in the factory on a gentle water ride, followed by a journey on the glass elevator where you feel like you are flying with Willy Wonka and Charlie.

Alton Towers offers a pass to avoid the long queues, but it comes at an extra price. The fasttrack tickets range from £10- 84. The best idea to avoid as many queues as possible is to look at the boards for the most popular attractions and plan your day around them. 

Follow the link for opening times and additional information to help plan your perfect day at Alton Towers.

http://www.altontowers.com/events/opening-times/