Driving fun for all the family at Brooklands
Peter Carroll jumped at the chance to take his teenage boys on an off-road driving trip at Brooklands, even if they didn't at first...
Parents with teenage boys don't need to be told how hard it can be to motivate them during the summer holidays. If it doesn't involve zapping aliens on a games console, they're not particularly interested writes Peter Carroll.
So when the chance came to take my lads off-road driving - with them at the wheel instead of me - I jumped at it, even if they initially didn't.
It took some time to explain that, yes, they could legally drive a big 4x4, provided they were accompanied by a qualified instructor.
Eventually, I elicited a grunt out of the older one, which I took to mean that he was keen. And so was little brother too.
To take part in the activity we needed to get to Brooklands, the historic birthplace of British motorsport (and aviation too).
Brooklands is just off the M25 in Surrey, around two hours from the West Midlands, and much of the site is owned by Mercedes-Benz these days.
The central part of the complex is occupied by swanky Mercedes World – part museum, part showroom.
It is flanked on one side by Brooklands Museum and on the other by the new Brooklands Hotel, which was to be our base for the weekend.
The hotel opened as recently as March and is smart and spacious, with Art Deco design flourishes. There's no pool but a spa is located on the third floor, with hot tubs out on the balcony. My wife booked a beauty session there and loved it.
The restaurant looks on the posh side but the staff are welcoming and laid-back - and there's no pressure to have a full-four course blow-out if you don't want it.
The hotel prides itself on the size of its rooms and and the top two floors contain 'super suites' which each probably have more floor space than the average house.
After a relaxing night and a giant breakfast it was time to take the boys off-roading at Mercedes World, a short stroll from the hotel.
As well as displaying Mercedes cars, both past and present, the facility offers hands-on driving experiences to people of all ages.
When it opened in 2006 no-one was sure how it would fare but Mercedes World is now providing up to 180 driving sessions a day, which means booking is essential.
Once you have checked in at reception you wait to be escorted to your car. My eldest jumped into an M-Class 4x4 and, after a clear, informative briefing by his instructor, was soon tackling obstacles like rocky paths, railway sleepers and elephant steps.
For an additional £29 you can have the entire lesson filmed, as the cars are fitted with twin video cameras.
His younger brother was not so fortunate, however, as he fell foul of the strictly enforced height limit of 1.5 metres.
All was not lost, however, and one of the instructors took him for a high-speed spin on the track in a six-litre V8 AMG Merc, followed by an introduction to off-roading.
It's well worth dropping in to the museum next door if you have the slightest interest in historic cars or aviation. The staff are volunteers and enthusiasts, which helps bring the exhibits to life.
Visitors can take a tour round Concorde, sit in the cockpit of a Harrier Jump Jet, read instructions for dropping bombs, or test their driving skills on an F1 simulator (which also simulates a historic Napier-Railton racer).
The Wolverhampton connection with Brooklands is highlighted in the cafe, with a display outlining the links with John Marston and Sunbeam, arguably the McLaren of its day.
During the summer holiday, a deal remains on offer featuring B&B accommodation at the hotel for a couple plus child; an off-road youngster's driving experience; plus a family ticket to the museum for £200. This looks pretty good value when you consider the off-roading alone would normally be £44 and it's £25 for a family ticket to the museum.
There are plenty of other summer driving activities taking place at Mercedes World this summer, including a competition where the winners will get the chance to pit their skills against Lewis Hamilton at a grand finale event in September.
We'll be back too, I suspect. Just as soon as the little one has grown that extra inch.
