Visit the forge at Elton in the Peak District for a day of blacksmithing with the talented team ...

H&-forge a Blacksmith or Kitchen knife to take home with you ...

Get mixing those botanicals on this gin blending experience! As the gang at Dr Hardwicke's Gin Emporium says: ' It's been a long & winding road to redemption from the gin craze of the 18th century' & now bespoke serve gin is all the rage. This experience gives you the chance to concoct your very own bespoke gin & take it home with you! Dr Hardwicke's Gin Emporium has been designed in a 1920s Art Deco style as part of the renowned Sadler's Tap House at the Windsor Castle Inn in Lye in Stourbridge which is owned & run by fifth generation brewers. As well as producing fine ales this lot love a glass of gin which is why this bar dedicated to gin has been created. It's also where your gin blending experience takes place. & your time at gin school starts as it means to go on with a nice G&T over introductions. As you go on to hear about gin how it's made & what you'll be doing over the course of your session a classic gin cocktail will be being freshly prepared for you. As you sip away it's your turn to procrastinate cogitate & ponder over which botanicals you'd like to use in your bespoke gin blend. So many flavours & aromas to choose from it's going to be a tricky task but your ginstructor (lovin' the name!) will be on hand to assist so there's no chance of your coming up with gin that's undrinkable (perish the thought!). Once you've decided on your personal recipe it'll be written down & stored so that you can re-order your bespoke blend whenever you like. In the meantime the gin mixologists will be off working their magic behind the scenes to produce the blend you created. & whilst that's all happening it'd be rude not to amuse yourselves with yet another gin cocktail to help while away the wait in a gin emporium in the best possible way. When it's ready your 70cl bottle of gin will be presented to you along with a 50ml of Dr Hardwicke's delectable Hop Gin to take home with you. & if you want to make a full day or even a weekend out of your gin blending experience The Windsor Castle offers rooms & as well as serving it's own superb craft ales & those gins also serves delicious food too. ...

Explore the Blenheim Palace & estate with tea served in The Orangery for two! ...

Great value heli tourism trips with bubbly & chocolates included from helipads & airports around the UK. ...

Fancy driving the i 8? This is BMW's fancy pants electric sports car & it's coming to a race track near you! These experiences at a selection of race circuits around the country give you the chance to feel all that electric power under your feet. You know how concept cars usually bear no resemblance to the actual production car? In this case the BMW i 8 coupe is as delightfully futuristic looking in the flesh as it was back in 2008 when the idea of a plug-in hybrid high performance BMW was first introduced to the world. Back then you'd have probably said: " It looks great but it'll never catch on". & now look at us. From plug-in city cars to Formula E racing electrified motoring is everywhere. The i 8 neatly shows us that eco-responsible doesn't mean boring as you'll find out when you get to take the impressive i 8 for a spin. Funky butterfly doors open to reveal a typically neat precise & gadget-filled cockpit. This car certainly has style leaning on the sporty heritage of BMW.... ...

Your BMWi 8 driving thrill is going to be thoroughly electrifying! These very unique super driving experiences available at North Weald Llandow & Blyton Park will see you driving BMW's big plug-in hybrid car the i 8. This is your chance to taste the future of motoring. Indeed electric cars of tomorrow are right here right now. They're making a serious impression on the tracks at the likes of North Weald in Essex Blyton in Lincolnshire & Llandow race circuit in South Wales. & not only that these Lithium-powered cars are actually giving quite a few supercars a run for their money. Could this spell the end of the traditional internal combustion engine we've known for decades? Well yes & no. As well as the onboard battery this car actually has an engine. & this gives you the best of both worlds as you'll find out when you get behind the BMWi 8 on your driving thrill. If you've never driven an electric car before we can bet that you'll be impressed by the acceleration. Many of us think an electric car will be slow & sluggish. But far from it. Think back to the last time you drove a Dodgem. As soon as you put your foot down you're off maximum 'speed' from the word go as you lurch off. & although it's simplistic (apologies to BMW i 8 boffins) it's kind of how an electric car works. In a normal car engine the mix of fuel air & spark builds up gradually to build up torque gradually. In an electric car it's all about electromotive force. You hit the throttle fully & you've got maximum voltage instantly & therefore maximum torque straight away. That's why when you accelerate in the BMWi 8 it goes straight away. & very quickly at that. You'll hit 0-60mph on the likes of the North Weald circuit in around 4.4 seconds. Impressive isn't it? Erase the image of little city cars pootling around on a full charge this is fully-charged electric motoring with some serious spark as you'll find out on your three or six lap BMWi 8 driving thrill. ...

Learn the basics of motoring on a BMW Mini first drive! These sessions operate from several different driving circuits around the country & offer kids from the age of 10 years the chance to get behind the wheel early to get a head start in driving. We are offering 30 & 60 minute junior Mini driving lessons for your little ones. Youngsters will get to sit in the driver's seat start the engine move off & drive. Then there's cornering braking & changing gear skills to master too not forgetting the all important part
- how to stop the car safely! The kids will also get the chance to try reversing in their Mini. & if you remember the first time you tried that on a driving lesson you'll recall it's not easy. All this takes place in the very safe & controlled environment of a motoring circuit. You might think airfield tracks & race circuits with all those high performance cars whizzing about would be the last place to take a child on their first drive in a little Mini but actually it's ideal. These junior sessions are scheduled apart & mostly use a separate area. There's no other traffic no traffic lights junctions or anything else to distract the mini drivers. & we should mention the cars your children will be driving. The BMW Mini is a proper funky little motor that kids will love to boast was their 'first car'. This driving operator has a rather nifty fleet of Minis including the Mini ONE the Mini Cooper S & even convertibles. So if the sun's shining it's top down first driving fun in the open top Mini. Very cool. Of course there will be an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) in the car at all times & every Mini used is actually dual-control so the safety aspect is very much there. All kids taking part need to be accompanied by a responsible adult whilst on site & spectators can watch the action from the adjacent viewing areas. The BMW Mini first drive school will be coming to a track near you soon. We've got a clutch of former airfield circuits & actual motor racing tracks offering these experiences from Llandow to North Weald just outside the M25. Book your youngster in & watch them with pride as they zoom off in their Mini.
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What makes a BMW i 8 drive so different to all the other sports car experiences we have on offer? Well to put it simply the i 8 is an electric car. But make no mistake this is not a teeny car that pootles around to the supermarket this is an eco-car that has serious sports car looks! Undoubtedly BMW has pushed the technology boat well & truly out with the i 8. Originally appearing on the scene as the Vision Efficient Dynamics' concept car no-one thought the actual production version would bear any resemblance to that crazy design but we're delighted to say this road going green car does indeed look incredibly futuristic right down to the amazing butterfly-opening doors. & just look at those seemingly 'floating' rear panels. Nice. And if you've seen the film Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol you'll know just how cool this BMW looks at night. As hero Ethan Hunt played by Tom Cruise cruises the streets of Mumbai in his newly acquired BMW i 8 he is most definitely upstaged by th... ...

When you head out into the open sea with your body board it's the surf versus you in a wet suit & a set of fins! Lying on the board just above the waves means that you can get closer to the power of the sea & enjoy the thrill of wave riding. Body Boarding is real surfing as you are powered along by the breaking waves but it's also a great introduction if you want to progress to standing on a board. Both are fun but body boarding is an easier way to start for beginners. We could say it's the perfect solution for wannabe surfers who have yet to find their balance but it is in fact a wave sport in its own right.A body board is a lot shorter than a traditional surf board making it easier to control in the water. You choose a strong-looking wave from those rolling in & as it approaches you pull your upper body onto the board & kick hard with your fins. If your timing is right you catch the wave & the result is a noisy foaming high-speed ride as you sweep in towards the shore. With no standing up (and less falling off) you can maximise your time just riding the waves. You'll be taught by a qualified coach how to paddle your way through the breaking waves & catch the perfect roller to hurtle you towards the beach on your board. Waves may be easy to catch & ride
- but body boarding is a tough sport to master. That's where the skills you will be taught on your lesson come in as they will equip you to get off to a flying start in the water. The instructors for this activity are mobile in & around the Newquay area so you can be sure that they'll select the beach with the best body-boarding conditions on the day as you'll soon learn weather conditions (especially on & off-shore winds) play a massive part in where the bodyboarders go to play. Intothe Blue offers a selection of surfing related activities please see our main surfing lessons page for more information on this thrilling water sports.
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