Hampshire: Beaulieu National Motor Museum

The boys enjoyed a day out at the Beaulieu Motor Museum. Despite it being situated just up the road a bit from his was my first visit in over twenty years. It's not changed that much in two decades - still as quaint as ever and stuffed with cars! A new attraction: 'Wheels':

Step into Wheels, a space age pod ride taking you on a fascinating journey through 100 years of motoring history, from the dawn of motoring through to a vision of cars in the future.

Which was, in fact, a rather lame ride sitting in an old Ferris wheel cradle where you were forced to watch a 15-minute parade of dusty, animated and abandoned ex-Madam Tussauds wax works in unairconditioned discomfort.

The disappointment of this was countered by the joy on Billy's face when he saw Bluestreak (he used to read about it continuously), by the rather beautiful Beaulieu house and by an amazing falconry talk given within the grounds of the near-derelict abbey.

All this for £45 entrance fee. Our second day out that week - Marwell Zoological Park - at the same price. Not cheap England.

M