a round-up of some of the best events taking place this spring around the bmibaby network
BY MARK ROULSTON & GINNY CUMMING
SURF’S UP!
NEWQUAY
Hip sounds, cool custom cars and the best surf this side of Waikiki Beach are the reasons to fly to Newquay this May. Held over four days from May 28 to 31 at the Trevelgue Holiday Park in Porth (just 3km north-east of Newquay), the Run to the Sun festival sees Europe’s VW-owning hordes descend on the Cornish coast for the very best in live music, DJs, and, of course, an exhibition of vintage Beetles and camper vans. Festival-goers this year can party the night away to the likes of Sub Focus and MC Jakes, Stereo:Type and Lisa Lashes, or simply chill out on the nearby golden sands with a glass or two of Pimm’s. www.runtothesun.co.uk.
ROCKIN’ BLOCKS
MANCHESTER
Kids and parents alike will be transformed into master builders after an afternoon spent at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre at the Trafford Centre (Barton Square, 10km west of central Manchester). With more than two million pieces of Lego, entering this interactive, educational theme park is like jumping into a giant box of these famous building bricks. Kids can do battle with mythical beasts of Lego to save damsels in distress, or take a trip through toy-brick versions of the North West’s most iconic buildings and locations – including a miniature Coronation Street (Fred Elliott not included). www.legolanddiscoverycentre.co.uk/manchester
DURRELL DANCEATHON
JERSEY
Visit Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey this spring and you’ll not only discover exotic and endangered animals in a beautiful landscape – and an ongoing global campaign to save species from extinction – but you can also take part in a 12-hour dance session! The first-ever “Durrell Danceathon” takes place from 8am to 8pm on 31 May. The idea is simple: enter a team (maximum eight people) and then bust some moves! Experts will be on hand to teach you routines in different dance styles, including disco, Lindy-hop, cheerleading, salsa and Irish dancing. It all culiminates in a final “dance-off” after 12 fun but exhausting hours, with a prize for the winners. You don’t need to be a good dancer, but you do need to be a good sport and willing to have a laugh! For more information about this and other great events at Durrell, go to: www.durrell.org
NEW ROUTES!
bmibaby has just announced two fabulous new destinations in Germany: Munich and Cologne!
With the first flights to Munich taking off (from East Midlands) on 17 September, the timing couldn’t be better: the world-famous Oktoberfest runs from 18 September to 4 October this year, so book now for two weeks of drinking and general debauchery! Check out www.oktoberfest.de for more information about this brilliant event.
You can also fly to Munich from Cardiff from 31 October – and don’t worry, there’s so much more on offer than just beer in Bavaria! As well as galleries, museums, palaces and gardens, the city is also home to the world’s first “geo-zoo” (with approximately 460 species), the futuristically designed football stadium (home to Munich’s two Bundesliga clubs, TSV 1860 München and FC Bayern München)… and of course Hofbräuhaus, the world’s most famous beer hall. bmibaby flights to Cologne, meanwhile, commence on 31 October (from Birmingham and East Midlands). Germany’s oldest city is also its fourth-largest, with more than 12 million inhabitants. Famous for its thriving arts scene, Cologne is considered the cultural capital of the Rhineland. A don’t-miss event is the Cologne Carnival, the city’s so-called “Fifth Season” which starts every year on the 11th day of the 11th month at precisely 11.11 am.
These great new destinations in Germany mean than Autumn will be a sehr gut time to travel with bmibaby! They follow hot on the heels of the other new destinations recently added to bmibaby’s network: Lourdes, Dubrovnik, Malta, Venice and Sardinia. Go to www..bmibaby.com for more information and to book a getaway to one of these fantastic hot spots.
