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Kris D tries out the Shredders at Market Harborough

There’s nothing we love more than a new activity here at Activity HQ, so when we came across a couple of clips of an insane all terrain vehicle known as a shredder, we knew we had to give it a go. Now, if you’ve never seen a shredder in action, they’re part tank, part skateboard and part off-roader – so you can imagine why we were so desperate to put them through their paces! Thankfully we didn’t have to wait too long though, and when we got the chance to visit Off-Road Shredders Market Harborough we were there in a flash!

Taking on the task of taming the shredders were Mike, Kris, Karen, Marcus, Alex and Dom, but as the office daredevil we thought Kris was the perfect person to speak to about their awesome day at Off-Road Shredders Market Harborough. Here’s what went down..

“We’ve been offering shredder experiences for a couple of months now and it’s the one activity I’ve been desperate to try, so I couldn’t wait to get down to Market Harborough and finally give it a go. We had to set off pretty early to make it down to Leicestershire for our 12 o’clock start, but trust me shredders are worth sacrificing a bit of sleep for!

When we arrived at at the site we could see the shredders lined up ready to go, but before our experience started we headed over to the main building to sign in and meet some of the guys from Off-Road Shredders Market Harborough. Our instructor Rob and his team were all really friendly, and we even had time for a quick brew and tour of the grounds before our event, which gave us the chance see some of the other activities that are available at our Market Harborough venue.

You can try everything from 4×4 driving to clay pigeon shooting at our Market Harborough venue, and the facilities are some of the best around. So by the time we’d had a proper look at all the different activities we couldn’t wait to get on the shredders. After working our way back to the main building Rob took us to get kitted up, and the kit for shredder riding is basically what you’d wear for skating. Once we’d changed into a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads, we were finally ready to be unleashed on the shredders.

Rob started things off by showing us how to ride the shredders and he made it look ridiculously easy, after teaching us the basics he was even pulling off wheelies! We quickly found out it wasn’t quite as easy as it looked though, the only thing I can compare it to is snowboarding.. on a tank, and even that doesn’t do it justice. Steering the shredders is all about shifting you bodyweight and leaning in the right direction, which was tricky at first but after a cautious start I just thought I’d go for it and put the shredders power to the test.

I think we were all fairly nervous at first just because we’d never tried anything like shredder riding, but after a couple of laps of the track we were all absolutely loving it. The shredders were a lot faster than I imagined, and they’re definitely more fun the faster you go. Because the course was laid out in an open field you could be a lot braver too, and if you went of the course you didn’t have to worry about hitting anything. There were a couple of wooden bridges to cross as well which was pretty cool, but what really made the experience for me was popping a wheelie. Rob told us all just to give it a go, and after a couple of attempts I managed to smash it. I might not have been in the air for long but it felt awesome!

The shredders do take it out of you and it’s a very physical activity, but it’s so much fun and I’d definitely love to give it another go. As long as you’re prepared to throw yourself into it you’ll have a blast!”

It sounds like the guys had a brilliant day at Off-Road Shredders Market Harborough, but could you tame a shredder?

 

If so, then why not take on an incredible shredder experience at one of our 7 venues across the country. Find your nearest here..

Skydiving Salisbury is venue of the month!

With thrill seekers from across the country joining us for everything from bungee jumps to bubble football, April was the month of the adrenaline addict – and it made for some great feedback! One venue in particular stood out though and we’re delighted to name Skydiving Salisbury as May’s venue of the month.

 

Taking the plunge from 15,000 feet isn’t for the faint at heart, but hundreds of you have headed to our sensational Salisbury venue to experience the thrill of free fall, and it’s easy to see why! With an unbeatable combination of first class facilities and expert instructors, there’s nowhere better to sample skydiving.

Based at one of the UK’s most historic airfields, a skydiving experience at Salisbury Skydiving is far more than just jumping out of a plane. The state-of-the-art training facilities are undoubtedly some of the best around, and they guarantee every jumper the highest level of tandem training before they head for the sky. With a team of experienced tandem masters to teach you everything there is to know too, you can rest assured you’re in safe hands as you get ready to embark on this unforgettable aerial experience.

As well as the incredible facilities and top class tuition, all equipment at Skydiving Salisbury is also meticulously maintained to the highest standards required by the British Parachuting Association, which means you’ll not only feel like a seasoned skydiver, you’ll look like one too! That’s not all though, when you’re not taking the plunge you can take advantage of Skydiving Salisbury’s excellent on-site café, peaceful picnic area or spectacular viewing zone – they really do have it all!

Enough of what we think though, here’s just some of the five star feedback we receive for Skydiving Salisbury..

“Amazing service the day was amazing thank you.”

Sean Wain, Skydiving Salisbury, 23rd April 2017

Introducing Bi-Plane Flights in Coventry

Beautiful weather, clear blue skies, not a cloud in sight – it must mean only one thing…it’s got to be the flying season! So, why not step back in time and partake in a truly unforgettable experience as you learn how to be a Cold War spy whilst enjoying 100-miles of breath-taking views of the Midland countryside below at our amazing Bi-Plane flights venue in Coventry!

Providing as the perfect activity for both historian enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies, our Coventry Bi-Plane flights venue aims to provide you with an exhilarating and authentic military experience as you follow in the footsteps of Cold War spies, taking part in ‘covert close protection’ experiences as you hide behind obstacles in our gigantic hangar whilst spying on the enemy.

If that historic experience isn’t enough to tickle your fancy then don’t worry, you’ll be able to take to the skies too! You’ll step foot in a variety of famous and historic aircraft’s, such as the 1961 Vintage Piper Colt or the Classic Cessna 172, soaring through the skies at breath-taking speeds as you explore over 100-miles worth of World War 2 and Cold War Airfields in the process! Afterwards, you’ll be given a full debriefing of the photo’s and locations that you’ve seen from above – you’ll also be given full access to the prestigious museum that is located on the site too!

As well as offering you a truly incredible and truly unique military experience, Bi-Plane Flights Coventry is also able to offer you a wide range of state of the art facilities to fulfil your needs including conference facilities and refreshments!

Visit The Activity People website to find out more about the amazing Bi-Plane Flight Coventry venue!

Mike tries Archery at our fantastic multi activity venue in Durham

Here at Activity HQ we’re full time adrenaline addicts, so when we got the chance to master the art of archery on Easter Sunday, we polished off the last of our Easter eggs and headed straight for the target range at Archery Durham.

For the inside scoop on all the day’s action we caught up with our resident Robin Hood, Mike..

“Over the past 10 years I’ve tried most of our activities, but I’ve never got round to giving archery a go, so I couldn’t wait to finally try it.

We arrived at our Durham Archery venue fairly early, which meant we had time to squeeze in a bacon butty before our experience, and if you’ve got time I’d definitely recommend visiting the on-site café for a bite to eat.

After our butty break we made our way to the archery range where we were met by an instructor, who gave us a full safety briefing and taught us how to use the bows. Mastering the basics was fairly easy and thanks to the instructor we all knew exactly what we were meant to do – putting his advice into practice and hitting the target was another thing entirely though..

With a bit of practice it wasn’t long before we were all hitting the target, and I could definitely see an improvement because my arrows were getting closer and closer to the centre of the target. The best advice I could give is to relax, I just closed my eyes and imagined I was Robin Hood or The Arrow, and that somehow seemed to work – it’s probably best to open your eyes before firing though!

Overall the experience was really good, but what really made it for me was when the instructor decided to run a bit of a competition between us all. We’re all fairly competitive anyway, so when we got the chance to take part in a shot-off things got really interesting. It turns out watching The Arrow doesn’t automatically turn you into a master archer, but I still managed to come third which I was pretty chuffed with to say it was my first time. I was definitely a lot better than I expected.

The only thing I can really compare archery to is axe throwing or clay pigeon shooting. If you’ve tried either activity you’ll know there’s quite a bit of skill involved, and you need plenty of patience to hit the target – archery’s exactly the same. If you rush your shot you nearly always miss, but that’s all part of the fun if you’re a beginner.

Would I try archery again? Hell yeah!”

If the teams’ trip to the archery range has inspired you to grab a bow and take on the targets, we visited Archery Durham and sampled the 1 hour Archery Action package, which we can’t recommend enough! And before we sign off we’d just like to say a huge thank you to everybody at Archery Durham for an awesome day.

 

Zorbing arrives in Newcastle

Nothing comes close to the rush of climbing into a zorb ball and hurtling down a hill, so we can almost guarantee you’ll be head over heels for our new venue Zorbing Newcastle!

Situated in rolling countryside a short distance from Newcastle city centre, Zorbing Newcastle is the perfect place to experience the fun of Zorbing. Unfortunately you won’t have much time to admire the views though, because instead of taking in the stunning surroundings you’ll be bumping and bouncing down one of our steepest hills!

Secured safely inside an inflatable 12ft sphere you’ll have your whole world turned upside down – and trust us Zorbing is every bit as bonkers as it sounds. So if you’re ready for a truly one-of-a-kind experience, Zorbing Newcastle is the perfect place to get to grips with this insane activity.

For more information on Zorbing in Newcastle visit The Activity People website.

Venue of the month is 4×4 Ilfracombe

Spring may have finally sprung, but thankfully there’s still plenty of mud about for all you 4×4 fanatics to enjoy – and after a quick look at our most recent feedback it seems there’s plenty of you out there! Over the past month we’ve heard from hundreds of off-road enthusiasts who’ve been taking on 4×4 courses across the country, and by the sound of things you’ve been having an absolute blast. There was one venue that stood out though, and the deserved winners of April’s venue of the month are 4×4 Off-Road Driving Ilfracombe.

When it comes to planning the ultimate off-road experience you need three things: challenging terrain, expert instructors and lots of mud – 4×4 Off-Road Driving Ilfracombe has all three in abundance! In total you’ll find 200 acres of rugged north Devon countryside to explore, and trust us it doesn’t come any bumpier. During your stint at the wheel you’ll encounter everything from loose rocks and deep ditches, to water hazards and impossibly steep hills, pushing your off-roading skills to the limit. In fact, you can never really be sure what’s lurking behind the next bend at 4×4 Off-Road Driving Ilfracombe, but that’s what makes taking on this challenging course so much fun!

Conquering the axle-twisting terrain on offer at Ilfracombe takes some serious skill, but thanks to the team of expert instructors even first time 4×4 drivers can overcome the obstacles. With years of experience to call on and a serious passion for all things off-road, we guarantee the team of ever friendly and extremely patient instructors will have you conquering the course in no time, and from what we hear their easy-going attitude is quite infectious. Don’t just take our word for it though, here’s a look at some of Ilfracombe 4×4 Driving‘s most recent feedback..

“The 4×4 experience in Ilfracombe was brilliant, the staff were very friendly and welcoming and the instructor was very patient, easy-going and knowledgeable. I would thoroughly recommend this as a great afternoon out!”

Sarah Matthews, 4×4 Off-Roading Ilfracombe, April 1st 2017

“Really enjoyable experience and great fun too.”

Nick Bellfield, 4×4 Off-Roading Ilfracombe, March 4th 2017

Karen goes Sky Diving

With spring in the air and summer almost in sight we decided it was about time we escaped the office for our annual adrenalin rush, and after calling on all of our courage we thought it was the perfect time to try a skydive! After all, we’ve conquered karting and perfected paintball, so why not see what it takes to survive a skydive? Taking up the challenge on behalf of everybody here at Activity HQ were activity experts Karen and Marcus, here’s how Karen got on..

“When I got the chance to try a tandem skydive I couldn’t resist, plus the boys in the office aren’t exactly the bravest so I thought I’d show them how it’s done! The only thing I’ve done which is remotely similar is a reverse bungee, and that was awesome so I couldn’t wait to try skydiving.

In the lead up to our skydive I was scared and excited, but I think that’s fairly normal. Thankfully we were booked in for the first jump of the day, which meant there wasn’t too much time to let the nerves kick in – but to be honest my only thoughts were death!

We arrived at Skydiving Bridlington just before our start time of 7.30am, and the instructors were already there so we went straight in. Before our training we had to sign a couple of disclaimers and medical fitness forms, but they only took a couple of minutes to complete and after that we got straight down to action. The training was really simple and easy to understand, and because the instructors were so relaxed it really put us both at ease. After we’d got our jumpsuits on and been harnessed in the reality really started to kick in though.

Once we’d finished our training and harnessed up it was time to climb into the plane, which is a lot smaller than you’d imagine! Getting to 10,000ft took about 20 minutes from take off, but time seemed to absolutely fly by and before I knew I was sat in the doorway of the plane waiting to start my skydive. As soon as the green light appears it’s time to go, and all of a sudden you’re in the air free falling, it’s crazy! The sensation of free fall is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before either, it was exhilarating, heart-racing and absolutely breathtaking. I just wish it could have lasted longer, apparently you fall over 5,000ft in 30 seconds, so by the time you’ve caught your breath it’s time for your instructor to pull the parachute. Gliding back to the ground gives you the perfect opportunity to admire the views though, and you really can’t beat the Yorkshire coast when it comes to spectacular scenery!

After touching back down on the ground I was absolutely ecstatic, and as amazing as skydiving is, there’s definitely a sense of relief when you feel your feet on the ground again. To make sure the day really ended on a high we were both presented with a certificate, which was a really nice touch. I don’t think I’ll have to rely on my certificate to remember my first skydive though, it’s still just as vivid as when I did it!

Overall our experience was even better than I expected and I’d definitely do it again. What really made the experience for me was the beautiful views and amazing instructors. If you’ve got a good sense of humour you’ll love the guys at Skydiving Bridlington, and I’d just like to thank them for giving us such an incredible day.”

Karen and Marcus took on a 10,000ft tandem skydive at Skydiving Bridlington, to find out more about this incredible experience visit our website.

Skydiving – why we love it

Synonymous with bucket lists, skydiving is one of the most adrenaline-filled activities imaginable. Incomparable to other so called ‘extreme’ activities you’ll take the leap of faith out of a plane placed about 10,000 feet in the air, plummeting to the ground below at speeds of up to 120mph – covering 5,000ft in about 30 seconds! You’ll have to put on your best Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible expression to overcome the free fall before our qualified and experienced instructor opens up the parachute…hopefully!

Looking for excuses not to take part after reading that? Well as long as you’re over 18 and in good health you’re qualified jump – even people like Paris Hilton and our colleagues in the office have taken part, with our very own Marcus taking the plunge having previously never stepped in a plane before! You’ll be able to find our colleagues’ thoughts on their life changing sky diving experience later on this week.

So, what happens when you turn up? Well when you arrive at the skydiving venue, you’ll be kitted out into the oh so fashionable skydiving safety equipment whilst being provided with a full safety briefing from the qualified instructors that will be diving with you in your tandem sky dive- then it’s time to squeeze yourself into the small planes as you make your way up into the clouds!

Oh, and before you whip out the “I’m sure there’s not a skydiving venue near me” excuse, we are actually the UK’s largest skydiving provider and have 28 fabulous skydiving venues located across the UK and Ireland, so there’s sure to be a skydiving venue near you! Don’t believe me? Check out the list here and take part in a truly unforgettable experience as you enjoy the truly picturesque views and exhilarating thrills that skydiving offers!

Introducing 4×4 Off Roading Wyboston

Spring is definitely in the air, but there’s still plenty of mud about which means now is the perfect time to take on a 4×4 course. So, if you think you’ve got what it takes to conquer an all-terrain 4×4 course, why not head for our new venue 4×4 Off-Roading Wyboston!

Providing both beginners and petrol heads with the off-road driving experience of a lifetime, 4×4 Off-Roading Wyboston features some of the trickiest obstacles and natural terrain in the country. But don’t let that put you off though, this incredible experience is as fun as it is challenging, and with the help of an expert instructor you’ll discover how to make light work of even the hardest obstacles.

Manoeuvring your way through the array of obstacles on offer at 4×4 Off-Roading Wyboston requires a combination of determination and skill, and as you explore the rugged landscape you’ll encounter everything from steep drops, to mountainous ascents and even axle twists. Looking for more of a challenge? You can even choose to take on the 4×4 course in the dark – and trust us it doesn’t get any trickier than navigating this awesome all-terrain track under the cover of darkness!

As well as the incredible course and team of expert instructors, 4×4 Off-Roading Wyboston also boasts a selection of first class facilities including the excellent Lakeside Kitchen and Bar, which offers a wide range of hot and cold drinks as well as freshly prepared meals.

To find out more about the truly top-notch 4×4 Off-Roading Wyboston, visit The Activity People website today!