Whilst laying a legitimate claim of being the original capital of England Tamworth is not famed for being a tourist destination. I would argue however that a trip to the market town in Staffordshire is not without its merits.
Forget nearby Woeley Castle or Castle Bromwich or even one of those irritating inflatable bouncy castles which are a magnet for unruly youngsters, Tamworth has got an actual castle right in the middle of the town centre..
…impressive eh?!! Please note the St George’s flag you see flying was not put up as a result of the Operation Raise the Colours movement!!
If retail therapy is your thing (come on fellas I pride myself on the inclusivity of this blog!!) then Ventura Park will give you the opportunity to shop til you drop. Folk genuinely come from as far away as Derby, Lichfield, Burton, Leicester and Birmingham the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield for this retail outlet on the outskirts of the town centre…
…Yes, that’s all well and good I hear you say but is there a non league football team? Not just any non league team, Tamworth is home to the 1989 FA Vase winners who ply their trade (on a part time basis in the National League) at The Lamb on a 3G (that’s third generation not a poor quality internet connection) pitch..
…‘I’m bored Dad’, fear not Tarquin, Drayton Manor Park is located just outside of Tamworth. Stormforce10 is the current number one white knuckle ride so I’m told and for the ankle biters Thomas Land pays homage to kid’s favourite Thomas the Tank Engine not forgetting his friends Rosie and Percy. Please check in advance before booking as Thomas and his chums may be impacted by leaves on the line, the wrong type of snow, shortage of rail personnel, industrial action etc !! Unfortunately I do not have any pictorial record of said theme park as it’s not walking distance and (confession time readers) I couldn’t be ar*ed to get the bus !!
If it’s spectacular churches you want then they don’t come much better than St Editha’s..
‘Bo-ring’ !! Okay Tarquin, who’s that I see literally nextdoor to the church? None other than Tik Tok sensation Spudman..
Where are you going with this? I hear you ask. Well, number two tourist attraction in Tamworth according to Tripadvisor is the Snowdome…
This was the first full sized recreational ski slope to be built in the UK, I know what you are thinking, there’ll be a (Franz) Klammer for me to slope off and fill this post with ski related puns. There’s snow chance I’ll resort to that, I won’t go off piste !!
Other than doing a Todd Carty on Dancing on Ice whilst wearing a pair of work shoes in icy conditions I’ve never done anything snow related but I’d heard there was a bar at the Snowdome so I donned my salopettes and went to investigate.
According their website the bar must be running at peak performance because Aspen’s is where ‘the magic of the mountains comes alive’ !! I was somewhat confused therefore given that, as I climbed the entrance steps, I heard Toto telling me that they are blessing the rains down in Africa !!
Almost immediately I was confronted by a witch who’s peculiar looking shape suggested she hadn’t been on the Ozempic jab..
I discovered that the Snowdome is holding some Halloween events entitled Hocus Snowcus, a pun arguably worse than most of mine !!
It’s not just a ski centre the Snowdome has climbing facilities…
…a swimming pool…
…and an adjoining hotel if travelling by dinghy is your thing..
Okay it’s time for confession number two of this post, I actually undertook my review at 10.30 am on a Monday morning in school term time. I was scared that a middle aged man skulking around on his own taking photos that could possibly incorporate children may raise a few red flags !!
Aspen’s wasn’t actually open as a pub hence the reason it looks uncharacteristically quiet meaning I didn’t have to slalom my way through loads of kids to get to the bar (okay, okay that’s it for the ski related quips!!)..
…However the apres ski drink selection was probably better than I expected…
…no surprises to see the usual suspects, Carling, Guinness and Madri. and, given the alpine peak in its logo then Coors undoubtedly had to feature but I certainly wasn’t expecting to see Alpacalypse session IPA.
As views from a bar go you probably weren’t expecting to see this a few miles off the A5 in Staffordshire..
Aspen’s bar is a great place to go on the piste (okay I’ll get my coat or should that be brightly coloured ski jacket?!!).
The reviews suggest that the food (with a skiing related theme obviously) is fairly decent though I did chuckle when I read that the snowboard pizza was ‘freezing cold’ !!
In conclusion I recommend you visit Aspen’s you need to ski it to believe it !!
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