Englands

ONE of England’s largest aquaparks has reopened, but its glamping overnight stays now come with a twist.

Camping enthusiasts can now enjoy an overnight stay in a converted helicopter, as well as tonnes of new activities.

North Yorkshire Water Park has undergone a massive makeover, and it is a hit with thrillseekers.

Based in Wykeham, near Scarborough, the park showed off its fresh new look back in March, welcoming visitors throughout the Easter holidays.

Now, families can get stuck in to the great outdoors, with archery, axe throwing, outdoor laser tag, climbing and a 250-metre zip line all on offer.

For a mental retreat, visitors can also tackle an array of brain teasers in its escape and puzzle rooms.

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This revamp also marked the grand reopening of the upgraded Wipeout Aqua Park in April.

One of the largest aqua courses in England, this course has brand new inflatables, slides, swings and extra challenging obstacles.

This joins the current Warrior Aqua Park and toddler-oriented Splash Kingdom, with the Warrior and Wipeout parks combining for an extra long course in the summer months.

A more peaceful retreat can also be enjoyed with kayaking, wakeboarding, paddleboarding and pedalos on offer.

Most excitingly, for those wishing to book an overnight stay after a long day of the great outdoors, there are new glamping experiences available.

In addition to the existing accommodation, adventurers can also stay in two helicopter glamping pods.

Originally built for RAF Search and Rescue, the Sea King helicopter glamping experience offers guests the chance to sleep in a converted aircraft.

Both helicopters are fitted out for the whole family, with double beds and bunk beds inside both.

Guests will also have access to the cockpit area, which has been transformed into a dining area, equipped with a microwave, toaster, kettle and fridge.

The winch operator’s sliding door also works, leading onto a gravel landing pad with a picnic bench.

Prices to stay start from £130 per night to experience this one-in-a-lifetime stay.

IF your Great British getaway needs a glow-up, look no further than England’s most easterly town.

Lowestoft in Suffolk has had a mega refresh, with millions of pounds poured into its seafront, caravan site and theme park.

When I headed there with my family of five, the town’s revival was apparent from the moment we rolled into Park Holidays’ Pakefield caravan park.

It is tucked away in a quiet patch south of the main town centre where it overlooks the sea and is surrounded by open fields.

And it has had more than just a lick of paint.

A £6million cash injection has seen the addition of a heated indoor pool, toddler splash zone, playground, arcade and bar/restaurant.

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Wandering around the park, one notices an upmarket vibe.

The lobby has a high-spec finish and the attention to detail here is fantastic.

The luxe feel then continues in the new caravans, with large beds and master en-suites.

If your goal is to unwind, then you won’t be disappointed.

The park is less about pumping out late-night music than delivering holiday-site staples — pool, arcade, bar and karts — to a high standard.

The Coastal Bar and Restaurant hosts Saturday night entertainment for the whole family — which includes furry friends, with dog beds dotted around the terrace.

The spongy floor of the new pool felt lovely underfoot and made the splash area very safe for little ones, while the changing rooms were the cleanest I’ve ever encountered.

If you fancy heading out for the day, the lovely seaside village of Pakefield, near Lowestoft, is well worth a visit.

You can walk straight out of the caravan park on to the King Charles III England Coast Path.

Keep your eyes peeled for Salty Sauna, a mini wood-fired sauna that can be booked for public or private sessions.

If you wander along the beach up to Lowestoft, you’ll come to the Jubilee Parade pavilion, which is on the cusp of completion.

The two-storey restaurant-and-cafe complex includes a lift connecting the upper esplanade to the lower promenade, making access easier.

It’s set next to the futuristic Eastern Edge beach huts, which can be hired for the day.

Another spot that comes highly recommended by locals is the overhauled East Point Pavilion, an ornate glass Victorian-inspired venue that overlooks the sea and hosts concerts and makers’ markets.

And new art gallery Messums East is just about to open at the site of the old Post Office.

If you’re looking for more thrills, head to the Pleasurewood Hills theme park which sits on the coast between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.

Brothers Freddy, Spencer and Davis Stokes took over the site at the end of last year and have already installed three new rides, with a spinning coaster on the cards for later this year.

The park has something for everyone.

We stayed for most of the day and still didn’t make it round all the rides, despite there being next to no queues.

The chairlift that carries you from one side of the park to the other was a throwback to my childhood holidays, while my boys loved the adrenaline rides, including the 30 metre-high Riptide and huge, looping coaster, Wipeout.

As the easternmost point of England, Lowestoft celebrates welcoming the earliest sunrise to our shores, with its First Light beach festival in June.

Likewise, there is definitely a new dawn afoot for this coastal town.

An interesting quirk to Corteen-Coleman’s selection is that she is one of three left-arm spinners, with England already boasting Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith.

It presents a selection dilemma for Edwards, with off-spinner Charlie Dean an almost nailed-on pick in the starting XI as vice-captain, and with Ecclestone being one of the world’s best, it is likely to be a straight shootout between Smith and Corteen-Coleman.

So how do the three compare, and what could Corteen-Coleman offer as a point of difference?

Ecclestone is the tallest of the three and has mastered her craft of using the extra bounce she generates from a release height of 2.2 metres, while Smith delivers the ball from 1.8m. Corteen-Coleman, who has a release point of 2m, sits in the middle to give captain Nat Sciver-Brunt plenty of variation.

There is little difference in pace, with all three hovering around an average of 50mph, and it is unsurprising that Ecclestone leads the way in the amount of drift, turn and control she gets.

Corteen-Coleman (1.75 degrees) turns the ball far more than Smith (1 degree) who relies on drift, which makes her such a success in the powerplay – a role that both also fulfil in domestic cricket.

In their T20 careers, both Smith and Corteen-Coleman have bowled just under 40% of all their deliveries in the powerplay.

For England, Smith has taken 11 wickets in the powerplay in T20Is at an average of 16.54 and economy rate of 5.87. In 14 games for Southern Brave, Corteen-Coleman has taken seven wickets at 16.42 with the new ball.

The vast majority of her T20 wickets have been recognised batters, with just three of her victims batting at numbers eight to 11. In contrast, she has taken 23 wickets of batters between numbers one and three at an average of 21.39, and 17 wickets of numbers four to seven at 22.58.

Another day, another emphatic win for England.

The Red Roses jamboree roared into Bristol, attracting a record crowd for their third consecutive match at this Six Nations and bringing with it a sea of white shirts, red cowgirl hats and rose-petal headwear galore. And, most importantly, tries.

Fresh from crossing 12 times against Scotland at Murrayfield last week, England scored another 10 tries in a 62-24 victory over Wales – a result that leaves John Mitchell’s side top of the table with maximum points from three matches.

With a fifth consecutive Triple Crown secured, they remain on course for a record eighth straight Women’s Six Nations title.

Impressive statistics. But attack coach Emily Scarratt told BBC Two the dressing room was a little “muted” after the game.

Yes, England won comfortably and without ever losing control to extend their record unbeaten run to 36 Tests, but this wasn’t the steamrollering many expected, with Wales – to use Mitchell’s word – “surprising” them.

The visitors scored four tries – including two in the final 10 minutes as England’s concentration wandered – to pick up a valuable bonus point, and twice profited after bamboozling England with their line-out routine.

England were, at times, guilty of poor discipline – giving away nine penalties – and sloppy handling. Improvements will need to be made by the time they face title rivals France in round five.

“You’re always in a Test match when you play a team like Wales,” said Scarratt. “I thought they really brought it today and posed some different challenges for us, which is pretty awesome in our development.

“We still got a pretty good job done. There’s a muted sense in the group, which is obviously a really good feeling when you put a score on like that.”

But while Wales fired a couple of warning shots, this was another routine win for England and one that does little to assuage concerns the Six Nations is too predictable and their dominance may not benefit themselves and the game.