Castle Mooch

Posts Tagged ‘bad ideas’

For the final day of the Easter holiday – which I’d already extended by one day because four days off work is just one too few – Gillibobs had picked three activities for us to choose from.  These were: Speke Hall (not keen), Martin Mere Wetland Centre (keenish), Jodrell Bank (my choice and where we ended up going).  The most effective way to sum up my choice is this: I am no longer allowed to choose.

Jodrell Bank is located amid the lovely green scenery of Cheshire, close to Alderley Edge and Knutsford.  I was rather hoping we’d see some celebrity WAGs; they would have been much more interesting than Jodrell Bank.  Upon arrival – only £4 entrance fee – and taking in the sight of the imposing Lovell Telescope, hopes were high.  I shall now dash your hopes of reading about how my hopes were satisfied by listing what Jodrell Bank offers:

• a gift shop
• a cafe
• some grass
• some trees in the arboretum
• a display case with some rocks in it (although one of the rocks was so rubbish it had been encased in green plastic in order to jazz it up a bit)

There was also a 3D theatre showing, well we’re not sure what because there was as much indication of what was on offer as in a political party’s manifesto.  Yep, we had no clue what was in the theatre.  In fact, we almost queued up to enter but luckily a PA system warned us that theatre entry required payment, which was our signal to give up on the idea altogether and buy some crisps instead.  Oh, and I had a wee.

How long did it take you to read all that?  About as long as we spent at the Jodrell Bank Visitors’ Centre then.  We did think of going for a look around the Arboretum – trees and grass – but it was too cold and we couldn’t really be bothered, so we went to Knutsford instead and had lunch.  Which was both warm and interesting.  And then I spent a fortune in Fat Face, but it was worth it because it made Gillibobs happy.

To be fair, Jodrell Bank is to undergo a big transformation as the old Visitors Centre is replaced with a new one.  Hopefully, they’ll sort out all the problems that left us feeling what a shambolic mess it had been.