Forest freedom

If Robin Hood and his band of merry men were around today they'd be impressed with what has happened to their old stomping ground. We certainly were. As Center Parcs virgins, so to speak, we didn't really know what to expect.

We knew the forest resorts were extremely popular, especially with families, but never really knew why. Now we do, and we're hooked.

The Sherwood Forest complex in Nottinghamshire - Center Parc's first UK village - is just one giant nature reserve, teeming with all kinds of flora and fauna.

The 400-acre site is designed so that you can hardly see the buildings - they're all cleverly hidden by trees and dense woodland. This is great, but it can make finding your way around rather difficult, especially in the dark.

It's crucial that you carry a map with you. On our first night there I left the apartment without one. A big mistake!

We needed some milk and a loaf of bread, so I popped to the village supermarket - a return trip, I thought, of about 15 minutes. But I managed to get totally confused on the way back and ended up wandering aimlessly through the woods.

After about an hour, my worried wife, Jayne, was all for calling a search party when I staggered in through the door, cursing Center Parcs, trees and anything else I could think of.

The size of the apartments and villas on the complex varies considerably, depending on the number of guests.

All have modern, fitted kitchens with a microwave and conventional oven, bathroom with shower, TV, plus open fireplace and central heating. A nice touch is the private patio area.

As our apartment was close to a pond and stream we had a whole host of wild visitors including ducks, swans, rabbits and squirrels, much to our baby son Elliot's delight.

One of the great features of Center Parcs is that they are virtually car-free zones.

Once you've unloaded your vehicle at your apartment, you drive it to the car park and that's where it stays.

You can then walk, or cycle, about the place without having to dodge traffic.

We hired a couple of cycles, one with a rear trailer for Elliot to sit in, and spent many hours touring the 400-acre site.

Elliot was in his element, being driven around like a king.

He was so relaxed by this form of transport that on one trip he fell fast asleep, although that may have had something to do with boredom as I was pointing out every wild animal and bird we came across.

What we loved about Center Parcs was that you can do as much, or as little, as you want.

For those who love the great outdoors there's archery (well it is Robin Hood country after all), falconry, horse riding, golf and fishing to name but a few.

I had a go at laser clay pigeon shooting which was great fun, and surprised myself by leading at one point. I ended the contest in third place, narrowly beating a boy who was just out of shorts.

For those who like to create waves there are plenty of watersports available on the lake, such as windsurfing, canoeing and sailing.

And if it is raining, which it did a fair bit of the time during our stay, there's a whole host of things to do indoors, including squash, badminton, ten-pin bowling, snooker and five-a-side football.

For children the activity list is endless. There are special Time Out clubs where youngsters can get up to all kinds of supervised fun, computer zones, discos, play areas, and a creche.

You do however have to pay for the majority of activities, so don't forget your wallet.

One attraction which is free is the subtropical swimming paradise. Here you can ride the waves in the pool, have fun on the flumes and slides, take it easy in the hot whirlpool or simply put your feet up and read a book. It's all undercover and the temperature, as the name suggests, is sub tropical - a wonderful 29.5 Celcius.

If pampering and relaxation is what you're after then the new Aqua Sana is a must - part of an £18m investment at Sherwood.

Here, you can enjoy a whole host of spa experiences including a Japanese salt steam bath, a Greek herbal bath and an ice fountain, where you can rub yourself down with ice flakes!

For those who fancy pampering there are facials, body wraps, mud baths, massages, leg waxes and pedicures to be had. You can even have your eye lashes tinted.

The resort has a vast selection of restaurants and eateries, serving French, Italian, American and Indian cuisine.

And if you want to do a bit of cooking yourself, the supermarket has well stocked shelves and is competitively priced.

If you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life then Center Parcs is the place to be. It's no wonder people return year after year. We will be joining them.

Updated: 10:21 Saturday, January 18, 2003