Lincolnsfield Centre, Bushey, Herts, UK (near Watford). (Children, animals, day out)
Aug 18th 2003, 12:24 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Lincolnsfield Centre, Bushey, Herts, UK (near Watford). (Children, animals, day out)
Well - we did indeed vsiit the Lincolnfield Centre - many thanks for
the suggestion.
For the record (ie google groups) we had a wonderful time... but its
a bizarre place!
I called them for directions, not being at all au fair with the
area... and the first person I spoke to couldn't give me any! The
second person told me to use the Watford Ring Road and take the A45...
(then more directions). Of course, once we got rolling and I looked
at the road atlas - there isn;t an A45 there!!
We did find it eventually with the help of a petrol station or three -
for the record, in Bushey centre, near the railway station, there's a
sort of circular one-way system (quite compact). You need to be on
this 1-way system, and as you approach the "exit" from the 1-way
system for Bushey Heath, a left turn for the B462 is signposted - take
that... and then just follow the road over a mini-roundabout, then
stright over a big roundabout ... and then just follow the
track/pacth/road until you pick up the signs.
Arriving there was interesting too - Activity World is a big soft play
indoor place... heaving with children. Bear in mind Sunday was a
lovely sunny day but "not too hot" - a glorious day to be playing
outside ... we paid fopr our entrabce to Animal World - a bargain at
£1.50 a head!! We were directed to the Animal Worl;d gate alongside
the activity world building... to find our tickets didn't work the
space age turnstile. Eventually a worker appeared and let us in
through a side gate and explained the automatic ticket machine thing
didn;t work!
The entire place has the air of genteel - advanced - delapidation, but
the animals seem well cared for and the green shorted
attandants/workers/staff were kind and helpful. Lots of rabbits and
guinea pigs for the hands-on experience, and fish, and pigs and sheep
and goats, and the "Rodent Ranch" - a building in name but liable to
collapse at any moment! - packed with rats and mice and guinea pigs
and chinchillas... who were all being kept abreast of worldwide
events by the playing of the VBBC World Service for some bizarre
reason :-) Favourite rodent was the chinchilla nearest the entrance
whose perch would wobble alarmingly when the door slammed shit and the
entire front wall of the shed moved ! Plenty of birds too -
pheasants, pea-cocks and hens, owls, a vulture, and a cornucopia of
chickens. And not to forget the bug house which wasn't so much full
of bugs (a few stick insects) as lizards, monitors, skimks, water
dragons and toads - oh and a few bats!
There's also a mini adventure playground area which proved a hit - but
the most bizarre thing was amongst all the esoteric slightly round
down appaearance of cages and sheds atec, there's a brand spanking new
"flying fox" contraption (breeches buoy/flying ropeway thing) and a
splendid wooden adventure climbing frame thing that is enormous :-)
All in all it felt like a Spanish Motorway Service Area!
There are plenty of signs around informing you in no uncertain terms
that only food and drink purchesed there could be eaten on site - but
we met a family that had tried and possibly failed to order something
from the canteen (which the pea-cocks and hens walked in and out of at
will :-) - we asked if theer was anywhere near where we could eat our
pre-packed picnic lunch and were told we could eat in the place as
long as we bought a drink or something ... which we glad top do (we
bought ice lollies in the end) - the place was hardly heaving (5
familes in the time we were in there - circa 4 hours - including
ourselves) which might have had something to do with it!
We really liked the place - it grew on us during the visit and for the
admission price its a compekete bargain. Our children were happy as
could be, and the use of the flying fox/breeches buoy/zip-wire alone
was worth the entrance.
In all I'd say if you are the sort of family that likes everything
pristine and laid on, with "happy eater" style cafetrias and state of
the art displays etc then the Lincolnsfield centre probably won't be
for you - or you could always waste a wonderfully sunny day by
spending it instead indoors in the soft play area instead. If
however, you can enjoy an off-beat experience that is still
fundamentally a load of fun, for an outlay of probably less than one
pub meal for a family, then the Lincolnsfield Centre will probably
fulfill your requirements for a day.
As for its future the staff member we spke to there said some building
work was going to be going on .. but didn't say they were expecting
to close.
Great place. Highly recommended.
Just take your Salvador Dali head :-)
Ian
the suggestion.
For the record (ie google groups) we had a wonderful time... but its
a bizarre place!
I called them for directions, not being at all au fair with the
area... and the first person I spoke to couldn't give me any! The
second person told me to use the Watford Ring Road and take the A45...
(then more directions). Of course, once we got rolling and I looked
at the road atlas - there isn;t an A45 there!!
We did find it eventually with the help of a petrol station or three -
for the record, in Bushey centre, near the railway station, there's a
sort of circular one-way system (quite compact). You need to be on
this 1-way system, and as you approach the "exit" from the 1-way
system for Bushey Heath, a left turn for the B462 is signposted - take
that... and then just follow the road over a mini-roundabout, then
stright over a big roundabout ... and then just follow the
track/pacth/road until you pick up the signs.
Arriving there was interesting too - Activity World is a big soft play
indoor place... heaving with children. Bear in mind Sunday was a
lovely sunny day but "not too hot" - a glorious day to be playing
outside ... we paid fopr our entrabce to Animal World - a bargain at
£1.50 a head!! We were directed to the Animal Worl;d gate alongside
the activity world building... to find our tickets didn't work the
space age turnstile. Eventually a worker appeared and let us in
through a side gate and explained the automatic ticket machine thing
didn;t work!
The entire place has the air of genteel - advanced - delapidation, but
the animals seem well cared for and the green shorted
attandants/workers/staff were kind and helpful. Lots of rabbits and
guinea pigs for the hands-on experience, and fish, and pigs and sheep
and goats, and the "Rodent Ranch" - a building in name but liable to
collapse at any moment! - packed with rats and mice and guinea pigs
and chinchillas... who were all being kept abreast of worldwide
events by the playing of the VBBC World Service for some bizarre
reason :-) Favourite rodent was the chinchilla nearest the entrance
whose perch would wobble alarmingly when the door slammed shit and the
entire front wall of the shed moved ! Plenty of birds too -
pheasants, pea-cocks and hens, owls, a vulture, and a cornucopia of
chickens. And not to forget the bug house which wasn't so much full
of bugs (a few stick insects) as lizards, monitors, skimks, water
dragons and toads - oh and a few bats!
There's also a mini adventure playground area which proved a hit - but
the most bizarre thing was amongst all the esoteric slightly round
down appaearance of cages and sheds atec, there's a brand spanking new
"flying fox" contraption (breeches buoy/flying ropeway thing) and a
splendid wooden adventure climbing frame thing that is enormous :-)
All in all it felt like a Spanish Motorway Service Area!
There are plenty of signs around informing you in no uncertain terms
that only food and drink purchesed there could be eaten on site - but
we met a family that had tried and possibly failed to order something
from the canteen (which the pea-cocks and hens walked in and out of at
will :-) - we asked if theer was anywhere near where we could eat our
pre-packed picnic lunch and were told we could eat in the place as
long as we bought a drink or something ... which we glad top do (we
bought ice lollies in the end) - the place was hardly heaving (5
familes in the time we were in there - circa 4 hours - including
ourselves) which might have had something to do with it!
We really liked the place - it grew on us during the visit and for the
admission price its a compekete bargain. Our children were happy as
could be, and the use of the flying fox/breeches buoy/zip-wire alone
was worth the entrance.
In all I'd say if you are the sort of family that likes everything
pristine and laid on, with "happy eater" style cafetrias and state of
the art displays etc then the Lincolnsfield centre probably won't be
for you - or you could always waste a wonderfully sunny day by
spending it instead indoors in the soft play area instead. If
however, you can enjoy an off-beat experience that is still
fundamentally a load of fun, for an outlay of probably less than one
pub meal for a family, then the Lincolnsfield Centre will probably
fulfill your requirements for a day.
As for its future the staff member we spke to there said some building
work was going to be going on .. but didn't say they were expecting
to close.
Great place. Highly recommended.
Just take your Salvador Dali head :-)
Ian
Aug 18th 2003, 4:27 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Lincolnsfield Centre, Bushey, Herts, UK (near Watford). (Children, animals, day out)
I hope that our French Mistress does not read this posting:-)
Derek.
"Ian Diddams" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well - we did indeed vsiit the Lincolnfield Centre - many thanks for
> the suggestion.
> For the record (ie google groups) we had a wonderful time... but its
> a bizarre place!
> I called them for directions, not being at all au fair with the
> area... and the first person I spoke to couldn't give me any! The
> second person told me to use the Watford Ring Road and take the A45...
> (then more directions). Of course, once we got rolling and I looked
> at the road atlas - there isn;t an A45 there!!
> We did find it eventually with the help of a petrol station or three -
> for the record, in Bushey centre, near the railway station, there's a
> sort of circular one-way system (quite compact). You need to be on
> this 1-way system, and as you approach the "exit" from the 1-way
> system for Bushey Heath, a left turn for the B462 is signposted - take
> that... and then just follow the road over a mini-roundabout, then
> stright over a big roundabout ... and then just follow the
> track/pacth/road until you pick up the signs.
> Arriving there was interesting too - Activity World is a big soft play
> indoor place... heaving with children. Bear in mind Sunday was a
> lovely sunny day but "not too hot" - a glorious day to be playing
> outside ... we paid fopr our entrabce to Animal World - a bargain at
> £1.50 a head!! We were directed to the Animal Worl;d gate alongside
> the activity world building... to find our tickets didn't work the
> space age turnstile. Eventually a worker appeared and let us in
> through a side gate and explained the automatic ticket machine thing
> didn;t work!
> The entire place has the air of genteel - advanced - delapidation, but
> the animals seem well cared for and the green shorted
> attandants/workers/staff were kind and helpful. Lots of rabbits and
> guinea pigs for the hands-on experience, and fish, and pigs and sheep
> and goats, and the "Rodent Ranch" - a building in name but liable to
> collapse at any moment! - packed with rats and mice and guinea pigs
> and chinchillas... who were all being kept abreast of worldwide
> events by the playing of the VBBC World Service for some bizarre
> reason :-) Favourite rodent was the chinchilla nearest the entrance
> whose perch would wobble alarmingly when the door slammed shit and the
> entire front wall of the shed moved ! Plenty of birds too -
> pheasants, pea-cocks and hens, owls, a vulture, and a cornucopia of
> chickens. And not to forget the bug house which wasn't so much full
> of bugs (a few stick insects) as lizards, monitors, skimks, water
> dragons and toads - oh and a few bats!
> There's also a mini adventure playground area which proved a hit - but
> the most bizarre thing was amongst all the esoteric slightly round
> down appaearance of cages and sheds atec, there's a brand spanking new
> "flying fox" contraption (breeches buoy/flying ropeway thing) and a
> splendid wooden adventure climbing frame thing that is enormous :-)
> All in all it felt like a Spanish Motorway Service Area!
> There are plenty of signs around informing you in no uncertain terms
> that only food and drink purchesed there could be eaten on site - but
> we met a family that had tried and possibly failed to order something
> from the canteen (which the pea-cocks and hens walked in and out of at
> will :-) - we asked if theer was anywhere near where we could eat our
> pre-packed picnic lunch and were told we could eat in the place as
> long as we bought a drink or something ... which we glad top do (we
> bought ice lollies in the end) - the place was hardly heaving (5
> familes in the time we were in there - circa 4 hours - including
> ourselves) which might have had something to do with it!
> We really liked the place - it grew on us during the visit and for the
> admission price its a compekete bargain. Our children were happy as
> could be, and the use of the flying fox/breeches buoy/zip-wire alone
> was worth the entrance.
> In all I'd say if you are the sort of family that likes everything
> pristine and laid on, with "happy eater" style cafetrias and state of
> the art displays etc then the Lincolnsfield centre probably won't be
> for you - or you could always waste a wonderfully sunny day by
> spending it instead indoors in the soft play area instead. If
> however, you can enjoy an off-beat experience that is still
> fundamentally a load of fun, for an outlay of probably less than one
> pub meal for a family, then the Lincolnsfield Centre will probably
> fulfill your requirements for a day.
> As for its future the staff member we spke to there said some building
> work was going to be going on .. but didn't say they were expecting
> to close.
> Great place. Highly recommended.
> Just take your Salvador Dali head :-)
> Ian
Derek.
"Ian Diddams" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well - we did indeed vsiit the Lincolnfield Centre - many thanks for
> the suggestion.
> For the record (ie google groups) we had a wonderful time... but its
> a bizarre place!
> I called them for directions, not being at all au fair with the
> area... and the first person I spoke to couldn't give me any! The
> second person told me to use the Watford Ring Road and take the A45...
> (then more directions). Of course, once we got rolling and I looked
> at the road atlas - there isn;t an A45 there!!
> We did find it eventually with the help of a petrol station or three -
> for the record, in Bushey centre, near the railway station, there's a
> sort of circular one-way system (quite compact). You need to be on
> this 1-way system, and as you approach the "exit" from the 1-way
> system for Bushey Heath, a left turn for the B462 is signposted - take
> that... and then just follow the road over a mini-roundabout, then
> stright over a big roundabout ... and then just follow the
> track/pacth/road until you pick up the signs.
> Arriving there was interesting too - Activity World is a big soft play
> indoor place... heaving with children. Bear in mind Sunday was a
> lovely sunny day but "not too hot" - a glorious day to be playing
> outside ... we paid fopr our entrabce to Animal World - a bargain at
> £1.50 a head!! We were directed to the Animal Worl;d gate alongside
> the activity world building... to find our tickets didn't work the
> space age turnstile. Eventually a worker appeared and let us in
> through a side gate and explained the automatic ticket machine thing
> didn;t work!
> The entire place has the air of genteel - advanced - delapidation, but
> the animals seem well cared for and the green shorted
> attandants/workers/staff were kind and helpful. Lots of rabbits and
> guinea pigs for the hands-on experience, and fish, and pigs and sheep
> and goats, and the "Rodent Ranch" - a building in name but liable to
> collapse at any moment! - packed with rats and mice and guinea pigs
> and chinchillas... who were all being kept abreast of worldwide
> events by the playing of the VBBC World Service for some bizarre
> reason :-) Favourite rodent was the chinchilla nearest the entrance
> whose perch would wobble alarmingly when the door slammed shit and the
> entire front wall of the shed moved ! Plenty of birds too -
> pheasants, pea-cocks and hens, owls, a vulture, and a cornucopia of
> chickens. And not to forget the bug house which wasn't so much full
> of bugs (a few stick insects) as lizards, monitors, skimks, water
> dragons and toads - oh and a few bats!
> There's also a mini adventure playground area which proved a hit - but
> the most bizarre thing was amongst all the esoteric slightly round
> down appaearance of cages and sheds atec, there's a brand spanking new
> "flying fox" contraption (breeches buoy/flying ropeway thing) and a
> splendid wooden adventure climbing frame thing that is enormous :-)
> All in all it felt like a Spanish Motorway Service Area!
> There are plenty of signs around informing you in no uncertain terms
> that only food and drink purchesed there could be eaten on site - but
> we met a family that had tried and possibly failed to order something
> from the canteen (which the pea-cocks and hens walked in and out of at
> will :-) - we asked if theer was anywhere near where we could eat our
> pre-packed picnic lunch and were told we could eat in the place as
> long as we bought a drink or something ... which we glad top do (we
> bought ice lollies in the end) - the place was hardly heaving (5
> familes in the time we were in there - circa 4 hours - including
> ourselves) which might have had something to do with it!
> We really liked the place - it grew on us during the visit and for the
> admission price its a compekete bargain. Our children were happy as
> could be, and the use of the flying fox/breeches buoy/zip-wire alone
> was worth the entrance.
> In all I'd say if you are the sort of family that likes everything
> pristine and laid on, with "happy eater" style cafetrias and state of
> the art displays etc then the Lincolnsfield centre probably won't be
> for you - or you could always waste a wonderfully sunny day by
> spending it instead indoors in the soft play area instead. If
> however, you can enjoy an off-beat experience that is still
> fundamentally a load of fun, for an outlay of probably less than one
> pub meal for a family, then the Lincolnsfield Centre will probably
> fulfill your requirements for a day.
> As for its future the staff member we spke to there said some building
> work was going to be going on .. but didn't say they were expecting
> to close.
> Great place. Highly recommended.
> Just take your Salvador Dali head :-)
> Ian
Aug 18th 2003, 8:12 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Lincolnsfield Centre, Bushey, Herts, UK (near Watford). (Children, animals, day out)
"Derek F" <[email protected]> wrote
> I hope that our French Mistress does not read this posting:-)
err.. why "French" Mistress Derek ? :-)
Ian
> I hope that our French Mistress does not read this posting:-)
err.. why "French" Mistress Derek ? :-)
Ian
Aug 18th 2003, 9:30 pm
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Lincolnsfield Centre, Bushey, Herts, UK (near Watford). (Children, animals, day out)
"Ian Diddams" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Derek F" <[email protected]> wrote
> > I hope that our French Mistress does not read this posting:-)
> err.. why "French" Mistress Derek ? :-)
> Ian
Sorry, an 'in joke' to the NG as Marie picks up on any wrongdoings in French
and you mistyped au fait as au fair.
Derek.
news:[email protected]...
> "Derek F" <[email protected]> wrote
> > I hope that our French Mistress does not read this posting:-)
> err.. why "French" Mistress Derek ? :-)
> Ian
Sorry, an 'in joke' to the NG as Marie picks up on any wrongdoings in French
and you mistyped au fait as au fair.
Derek.
