Learn to be a pilot with this fascinating half day experience. You'll be based out of Coventry Airport for this most comprehensive of days that'll show you just what being a qualified pilot involves with exercises both in the air & on the ground. Before any pilot starts their shift there is a briefing. This will be where you meet your instructor pilot host & get a rundown on how the day will unfold. & will quite possibly include some essential fuel that's to say a cuppa! Then it's out the aircraft to carry out pre-flight checks. You'll do a walkaround of the plane before climbing into the cockpit to verify all the onboard systems & controls. After that it's time to discuss where your flight is going & in what conditions. Back in the classroom for this you'll be shown how pilots plan their routes check current weather check for safety concerns on your planned route with what pilots call the NOTAMs system & create a flight plan including diversion routes & airports. I... ...

Go to Rutland Water fishing & enjoy lessons with top fly fisherman Rob Waddington at his home in Rutland

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If you've always wanted to learn to play polo but have never even held a mallet before these polo experiences in Lincolnshire are for you! We are offering a two-hour taster & a full day polo workshop to teach you all the basics of this most noble of sports on horseback. The first question beginners always ask about learning polo is if you have to be an accomplished horse rider. The answer is no as the the skills you need to develop to play polo are quite different to the traditional English style of horse riding so everyone from total beginners to those with riding experience are very welcome. Learning to play polo starts on the ground as you are shown the polo swing on foot. Once you've got the four essential types of shot sorted it's time to learn the polo riding techniques. Time to meet your Argentinian polo pony who'll be your trusty mount. As well as the fast & furious match ponies this polo school has calmer training ponies so you'll be building confidence as you ride. The next stage of your polo lesson is to combine the two sessions. You'll be on horseback doing some 'stick & ball' manoeuvres where you ride & hit the white polo ball. This all takes coordination & concentration but with the wise words of the professional instructor to teach & encourage you you can hope to be assertively striking the ball. For those on the two-hour taster your experience rounds off at this stage. Pupils on the full day course cover all the same skills in the morning & break for a convivial BBQ lunch (there are excellent facilities at this renowned Leadenham polo club including clubhouse & hot tub!). Refuelled & ready the afternoon session of the full day polo experience will be spent learning the rules of polo play. You'll then head out to that perfectly levelled & maintained polo field to play your very first chukka (that's a period of play in polo
- see you're even sounding like a polo player now!).
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Learn to play snooker in Sheffield with pro player coaching at the UK home of snooker. ...

Get your RYA Level 1 sailing award on this two-day course in Dorset at Poole Harbour ...

The chance to cycle at Lee Valley Velo Park home to 2012 London Olympic cycling events ...

Olympic-standard white water rafting rides at the London 2012 Lee Valley complex near London. ...

Take on the rapids on these Lee Valley white water rafting sessions! This is where canoe slalom events were held during the London 2012 Olympic Games. It has now been transformed into the Lee Valley White Water Centre & it’s open to everyone who fancies making a bit of a splash in the fast-moving flow!

As this is Hertfordshire (and not the Bahamas) you’ll get a wetsuit wet boots & buoyancy aid to keep you warm on the rapids. You’ll listen to a safety briefing talk on dry land & then you’ll carry out essential safety tests with experienced raft guides before taking to these Lee Valley waters.

These exercises include things like working together in the raft to shift bodyweight & adopting the ‘down’ position on the floor of the raft. You’ll then have a short swimming assessment where you’ll learn to lie on your back with your feet up & pointing downstream. After that there’s just time to have a go at catching & using the line to get back to the water’s edge.

Now it’s Raft o’ Clock & you’re off riding the white waters of Lee Valley with your comrades & onboard guide. It’s exhilarating fast-paced & gallons & gallons of fun out there. Anyone coming along to watch can hang out at The Terrace Bar & Café which boasts a funky design & great views of this Olympic course.

Lee Valley white water rafting takes place within the River Lee Country Park which is just outside the M25 bordering Hertfordshire & Essex. As well as top-notch water sports there are loads of other activities in & around the water; from children’s play areas & farms to a winter ice rink. So paddles up & enjoy your Lee Valley white water rafting day out!







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Go on a Wigwam holiday in Lee Valley & stay in a funky timber cabin! These domed wooden cabins built by Wigwam are totally cute. It's all about being at one with nature in the lovely Lee Valley but not without your home comforts. The ' Wee Brave' Wigwam cabin sleeps two people whilst the slightly larger ' Big Chief' version can comfortably sleep four. They're just as you'd imagine inside with wood cladding & an all-in-one sleeping dining & living area. There's heating & electricity too (and even a TV with DVD player). You've got a little kitchenette with a small fridge (for keeping the Prosecco cool) a kettle for the all-important cuppa & a microwave for a cheeky bedtime snack. Big Chief Wigwams also have a small hot plate so you knock up a simple meal or two. If you can manage to tear yourself away from your cosy Wigwam cabin there's lots to do & see in the Lee Valley. Right on your doorstep is fishing miles & miles of car-free tracks & trails a children's play par... ...

Early Bird deals
- Segwaying before the crowds arrive at Leeds Castle ...