If there is one place that you can always have a great day out and enjoy lots of different activities then it is somewhere like a theme park. I started visiting Thorpe Park at a really early age, as young as three I think, it was not that far up the road so it meant that it was a perfect day out. I do not have many memories but there are photos of me on the rides and next to the mascots that they used to have at the park – one of them was a giraffe, another a monkey and a rabbit – I am sure there was more but these re the ones that I remember.

Maps: on the left 2022, on the right 1998

One thing that I know has changed dramatically over time at Thorpe Park is the sort of rides that are on offer – when I was a toddler, I know that there was a lot of rides for young children – I remember the Ladybird ride which was in the Octopus Garden that went round in a circle going up and down (which I remember being near the water so I think it was near where the Tidal Wave is today) and a log ride called Mr Rabbits Tropical Travel (I am trying to work out where this used to be and I thin it is where Stealth is these days) that went round and then into a shed that was full of frogs blowing bubbles that I always found really magical.

L-R – The Rangers club mascots I remember and the Mr Rabbits Tropical Travel ride

Even though I have great nostalgic memories of the park from when I was a toddler, it has still played a part of my life growing as we used to do school trips there, adventures with friends and much more. To be honest, I have not been in quite a long time, I think the last time I remember going was maybe about ten years ago with my friends I met at university.

Thorpe Park is a fun place to go for a day out and it can be a great day out for all members of the family – I think these days a lot of the rides are for older kids rather then young, but there is still a little bit of something for everyone. I find that a lot of the rides these days are themed on films and television shows so it has in some ways lost the original charm that it had.

Saying that, there is still so much to see and do! Thorpe Park is located near Chertsey and it is open between March and the end of October. Tickets are £59 but if you book online you can purchase them in advance for £37, there are even family tickets available.

A day at Thorpe Park is fast paced, energetic, adrenaline built which makes it good fun, the only thing that can be a bit irritating is queuing for the rides. Do not let that stop you though because the rollercoasters also are some of the best in the country and are so fun you