Merry Christmas - Experience Day Voucher

What did you get up to? The meeting point for the tour was Hampton Court train station, which is a cute little station, located next to the palace. Once our group all arrived it was time to set off and collect our bikes. The tour started behind a pub over the bridge called the Prince of Wales. Each bike had its own royal name ranging from Anne to Henry. The bikes were vintage and had a spacious basket for us to pop our belongings in. Within our group there were 8 people which is the average sized group for the tour. Here is where our guide introduced herself and allowed us to test out the bike, all seats were adjustable to suit our needs. Hampton Court is located on the edge of Richmond upon Thames due to the fabulous weather the streets were buzzing with people coming to visit the palace. The guide advised us it would be better to walk our bikes over to the palace instead of biking due the busy streets and narrow bridge. As soon as we reached the palace grounds, our guide informed us of where were going during the tour – through the gardens, along Chestnut Avenue, through the parks which were Henry VIII’s hunting grounds to the pub for a nice refreshment and back along the palace grounds via a bike trail next to the Thames. Our guide led the tour, and everyone could go at their own pace, she would stop at different places and wait for everyone to arrive before telling us stories and the history of Hampton court. The ground was flat and easy to bike around however the bikes do take a little getting used too. The pub is called the White Hart which has a lovely beer garden full of flowers and live music which made for a perfect pit stop. Everyone had time to enjoy the scenery and a much-needed drink before setting off back to Hampton Court whilst riding along the river Thames. The tour ended at the palace where the guide told us about Henry and his many wives. After which we were welcome to spend the day in the grounds or exploring the facilities. What did you enjoy the most? We really enjoyed the relaxing pace and seeing sites of London we wouldn’t normally get to see. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable to it felt like we came away knowing so much about London’s history.

What did you get up to? We visited Loch Fyne in Twickenham on a busy Sunday afternoon. Even though the restaurant was busy, the staff were very welcoming and showed us to our table with ease. Upon sitting at the table I was presented with the Activity Superstore set menu. The menu contained a wide range of seafood dishes to suit peoples tastes. I choose the Goan seafood curry and the Crème Brulee which were both delicious. We also had a glass of white wine each to accompany our meal. Once we had finished we presented our voucher as payment, without any issues. What did you enjoy the most? The Goan seafood curry was delicious and I highly recommend!

What did you get up to? I booked my experience online using the Twinwoods adventure booking system, all I needed was the Activity Superstore voucher number. The staff were very lovely and briefed us on safety procedures and how to take on the wave. We rehearsed all the tricks and turns beforehand which made it easier once we were on the FlowRider. Once the wave got going, we got started with bodyboarding and slowly progressed to standing. Everyone was challenged to the best of their abilities, 5 out of 7 people in the group had never participated in any board-based watersport before but equally enjoyed it. There was plenty of options and tricks for everyone to try out from flips, jumps, turns, knee stunts and just relaxing and enjoying the wave. I definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to do something different or as a family activity as most ages can ride. What did you enjoy the most? I loved how real the waves felt. This definitely got the adrenaline going, great way to surf without the cold weather.

What did you get up to? Upon arrival at the DoubleTree by Hilton in London West End my friend and I were immediately in awe of the venue and décor. The hotel is absolutely beautiful and very welcoming. We were seated by staff straight away and asked what type of tea we would like. We were asked whether we would like our champagne served before or after we had eaten – I think it was great that you’re given a choice so your champagne remains chilled for when you're ready to enjoy it. After a short wait our afternoon tea was served! We enjoyed a large plate of sandwiches with different fillings such as cucumber & soft cheese or honey glazed gammon & grain mustard, they were all delicious! The homemade sultana scones were served slightly warm with clotted cream and strawberry jam. We then enjoyed various delicious cakes such as mini Victoria sponges, raspberry mousse, chocolate mousse and pecan sponge cake. We had the most amazing day in a lovely venue and I would certainly recommend the afternoon tea to anyone! What did you enjoy the most? The cakes were delicious and stood out for us!

What did you get up to? This experience was a very merry evening out in London. We were greeted with a free sampling glass and a programme where we could rate and order all the wines we sampled, with generous discounts across the board! With an assortment of wines, spirits and snacks from across the world to sample, we were kept busy for the 2 and a half hours that we were there. What did you enjoy the most? All the servers were incredibly passionate about the wines they were serving, and we met a few vineyard owners who were happy to share their top tips on pairing their wines with different types of food.

What did you get up to? We visited Delta Force Upminster to take part in their paintballing for four people. I brought my family along with me as I knew they would enjoy the experience. As soon as we arrived we were kitted out with overalls and given our bullets. We decided to get the recruit pack, which gave us extra padding and bullets for the day ahead! We were then put into teams and given our safety briefing, before heading off to 3 amazing game zones. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. The games lasted about 20-30 minutes each and were so much fun! What did you enjoy the most? Our favourite part of the experience was the last game, capture the flag! Some of us had run out of bullets, but still kept shooting to scare the other team, and one of our group even managed to secure the flag!! We went from being slightly scared at the beginning to thoroughly enjoying the day and being on the winning team.