This indoor UK attraction could just be the heatwave hack you’ve been waiting for as families swap hot beaches and overcrowded swimming pools for some cold snow
These attractions offer the ideal escape from the hot weather(Image: Birmingham Live)
As temperatures continue to rise, with no promise that the UK won’t be thrown into a heatwave again this summer, this unlikely family day out may just be your saving grace.
As much as the UK loves to complain about rain, as soon as those summer temperatures soar, we’re really not different. As the fans are pulled out of storage and paddling pools assemble, there’s somewhere even cooler that you can escape to.
Families can turn the sun into snow by visiting indoor ski slopes this summer. SnowDome, which has dubbed itself the ‘Midlands’s biggest fridge’, is a good place to start.
Smack bang in the middle of the country, based in Tamworth, just 30 minutes from Birmingham, the indoor activity centre offers a whole load of snow-based activities. From ice skating to slope activities such as skiing and snowboarding, as well as climbing and swimming, there’s plenty to keep you busy all under one roof.
Kirsty Tucker, the head of marketing at SnowDome, said: “The UK isn’t always prepared for extreme heat, and when temperatures climb, families are often looking for fun ways to stay cool. SnowDome offers a unique escape, where guests can enjoy everything from snow slides and skiing to ice skating and swimming.
“Combined with our June Sale savings, it’s the perfect opportunity for families to enjoy a refreshing day out this summer.”
The indoor ski centre is offering 55% off selected activities in June for bookings made by 28th June for visits before 19th July 2026.
Having paid the place a visit in June, one recent skier shared on TripAavisor: “As we were visiting the area from Kent, we decided to book a beginner snowboarding lesson, having never tried before, and what an awesome 2hrs! Staff were friendly from the reception area right through to equipment hire helping guide us on correct equipment fitting.”
Alternatively, elsewhere in the country is The SnowCentre, which has two locations, one in Manchester and the other in Hemel Hempstead, for those both in the north and south of the country.
At both SnowCentre locations, visitors can enjoy a whole host of different ski and snowboard lessons, lift passes, and freestyle options.
The UK’s largest indoor snow centre can be found in Milton Keynes, called Snozone. The company has another site in Yorkshire, offering visitors a gateway from the warm summer, transporting them to a snow-filled day of fun. It works as the ideal space for sharpening up your snow-sports skills, all while providing a unique day out at this time of year.
It may not have been at the forefront of your mind, but it’s never too early to get the skis back on. In fact, there may be no better time to hit the snow as you find yourself slowly melting under the UK sun this month.
For dry activities, you can go climbing or have a spin at the roller disco.
A three-night stay from June 26 to 29 costs from £215, working out at £17.92 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
Appletree Holiday Park has a nine-hole golf course as well as a splash padCredit: Away Resorts
Appletree Holiday Park, Lincolnshire
Found in Boston, Lincolnshire, Appletree Holiday Park sits in the countryside, with a nine-hole golf course and a splash pad for little ones.
While at the park, you can also have a go at the driving range or even explore by hiring a bike.
Little ones needing to burn off steam can also drop by the play area.
Guests can choose to stay in either a lodge or caravan, with the premium lodges boasting hot tubs as well.
A two-night stay from June 26 to 28 costs from £189.60, working out at £23.70 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
Glendale Holiday Park has easy beach accessCredit: Glendale
Glendale Holiday Park, Cumbria
In Cumbria, you could stay at Glendale Holiday Park, which overlooks the Solway Firth – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The park has both the countryside and coast to explore.
At the site itself, there is a swimming pool, an entertainment bar and an onsite restaurant as well.
There is also easy beach access.
A three-night stay from June 26 to 29 costs from £139, working out at £11.59 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
At Broadland Sands, you can head to the indoor heated swimming poolCredit: Park Holidays
Broadland Sands, Suffolk
For a Suffolk break, you can head to Broadland Sands Holiday Park, sitting on the East Coast border.
Near Lowestoft, the holiday park is home to a heated indoor swimming pool with its own water flume.
There’s also a dinosaur-themed adventure golf course, as well as more sporty activities including a climbing wall.
For those wanting to spend some time outdoors, you can also head on a nature trail.
Then in the evening, sit back and enjoy some of the entertainment, including cabaret and live bingo.
A three-night stay from June 26 to 29 costs from £179, working out at £14.92 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
Tarka Holiday Park Devon is just a short walk from the beach tooCredit: Tarka
Tarka, Devon
Tarka Holiday Park is less than five miles from the popular Devonshire town of Barnstaple.
The holiday park focuses on being a more peaceful retreat, so instead of pools, you’ll find a paddock and children’s play area.
Ideal for enjoying the warm weather, there is also an onsite picnic spot.
And for adventures outside of the park, you can head to the Tarka Trail, which stretches 180 miles and follows the steps of Henry Williamson’s Tarka the Otter.
A three-night stay from June 26 to 29 costs from £159, working out at £13.25 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
South Bay Holiday Park in Devon is about 10 minutes from the beachCredit: South Bay
South Bay Holiday Park, Devon
Set on the English Riviera in Devon, you can head to South Bay Holiday Park.
The Brixham-based holiday park is home to an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and even a toddler pool.
There’s also a host of entertainment at the park, including a kids’ club and evening shows.
From the park, there is a direct path to the beach, which takes about 10 minutes to walk.
A three-night stay from June 26 to 29 costs from £199, working out at £16.58 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
Summerfields Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth has a soft play area for little onesCredit: Summerfields
Summerfields Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth
Close to Norfolk Broads National Park, you could stay at Summerfields Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth.
The holiday park boasts a heated indoor pool along with a sauna and for a bite to eat, you can head to The Boathouse.
If it gets too hot outside for the little ones, inside you’ll also find a soft play area, as well as arcades.
A three-night stay from June 26 to 29 costs from £160, working out at £13.34 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
Tattershall Lakes in Lincolnshire is a great spot for water sport-loving familiesCredit: Supplied
Tattershall Lakes, Lincolnshire
Set across 360 acres, Tattershall Lakes Country Park features woodlands and lakes.
The holiday park is a great spot for water sport-loving families, with activities including jet-skiing, water-skiing, wakeboarding and even an inflatable Aqua Park.
If that wasn’t enough water-based activities, there is also an indoor and outdoor pool and spa.
In the evening, you can head to the clubhouse as well for entertainment.
A two-night stay from June 26 to 28 costs from £199.20, working out at £24.90 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
Lower Hyde Holiday Park has both an indoor and outdoor poolCredit: Parkdean Resorts
Lower Hyde Holiday Park, Isle of Wight
Lower Hyde Holiday Park in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight is a great spot if you want to feel like you are travelling abroad but without the long-haul flight.
At the Parkdean site, you can head to the outdoor pool, which has its own flume, as well as another pool inside.
For some entertainment, there’s Squires Showbar.
And if that all wasn’t enough, the park is also only a 20-minute walk from Shanklin Beach.
A three-night stay from June 26 to 29 costs from £189, working out at £15.75 per person per night, based on a family of four – book it here.
The war that Donald Trump declared won last month looks rather different from the inside of the Pentagon. The resulting stalemate has drained American military stockpiles, emboldened Iranian commanders, and left the US with far worse options than before the conflict began.
The administration’s triumphalist framing has struck a jarring note among those who have spent careers studying the Iranian military and the limits of American power projection. Declaring victory when the enemy is still standing, still armed, and still controlling the waterway you went to war over is not a strategy. It is a wish dressed up as a press release.
At the heart of the impasse are two demands that Tehran has consistently and categorically rejected. Iran will not surrender what it regards as its sovereign right to develop its uranium program, and it will not yield control of the Strait of Hormuz. Those two positions were Iran’s red lines before the fighting started. They remain Iran’s red lines now. Nothing in between has changed.
What has changed is the arithmetic of munitions. The United States entered this conflict with a military built around expensive, technologically sophisticated weapons systems, precision instruments that take years to design, years more to manufacture, and that have now been expended at a rate the American defense industrial base is poorly positioned to replenish. Iran, by contrast, relies on a dispersed network of robotic small boats, undersea mines, tactical ballistic missiles, and unmanned systems. These weapons are cheap, simple, and easy to produce at scale.
The United States essentially deployed a Ferrari into a demolition derby. The Iranians didn’t need high-end technology; they just needed a relentless volume of cheaper assets to overwhelm the defense.
Trump, for his part, has shown no appetite for nuance. “We have totally obliterated their military capacity, there’s nothing left, believe me, nothing,” he told supporters at a rally in Georgia. Pentagon planners reviewing the same battlefield data have reached a rather different conclusion.
The American strikes produced mixed results. Iran does not maintain a conventional naval fleet or a modern air force in the Western sense. Its control of the strait rests not on destroyers or fighter wings but on a distributed, resilient system of asymmetric capabilities. The Iranian systems that dispersed into the terrain absorbed the strikes and began reconstituting almost immediately. Defense analysts point out that the Iranians have adapted from what they observed, replenished their stocks, and may now be better positioned than when the conflict began.
The strategic picture is further complicated by the political pressures that shaped the original decision to go to war. Analysts describe a decision driven less by tactical opportunity than by commitments made to Israeli leadership and to influential pro-Israel donors whose support was central to Trump’s political coalition. The result was a military campaign calibrated to political timetables rather than operational logic.
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a member of the Armed Services Committee, called the conduct of the conflict “a case study in how not to use military force.” Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, before his defeat in his primary, was more pointed: “We went in without a declaration of war, without a clear objective, without an exit strategy, and now we’re supposed to celebrate because we used up half our missile inventory and the Iranians are still there.”
The regional picture adds further complexity. Saudi Arabia and the smaller Gulf monarchies are acutely aware of their own exposure. A major Iranian strike on above-ground oil and desalination plants could critically impede the GCC’s government’s ability to maintain economic prosperity. The GCC states have no appetite for an escalation that leaves their vital water infrastructure in ruins. While they favor the containment of Iran, preventing a regional war is a matter of sheer survival.
The broader strategic damage extends well beyond the Gulf.
The conflict has exposed, with uncomfortable clarity, the brittleness of an American military model that prioritized theoretical sophistication over the practical demands of sustained combat. The long-overlooked vulnerability of the missile supply chain has now emerged as the primary constraint on future American options. Restoring that capacity, according to officials, will require years of industrial retooling.
Washington has come to realize that Iran acutely recognized US vulnerabilities, designing asymmetric systems specifically to deplete America’s most expensive capabilities with its cheapest assets. This is not a temporary setback; it is a structural crisis.
For now, President Trump appears caught between the political cost of acknowledging stalemate and the military risk of a second round of strikes that the Pentagon itself doubts would achieve different results. The operational pause is not a logistical necessity. The forces are forward-deployed and ready. The pause is a search for a rationale, a way to resume the fight that does not require the White House to explain why the first attempt failed.
By most accounts, the search has not yet succeeded.
Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and Zach Neto hit home runs, Ryan Zeferjahn worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning and the Angels held on for a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
Zeferjahn hit a batter and walked two in the ninth before retiring Edgar Quero on a groundout for his first save this season and his third in 10 career opportunities. The right-hander struck out rookie home run leader Munetaka Murakami — tied with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge at 14 — with a runner on first to get the final out in the eighth.
Trout hit his 11th homer of the season and the 415th of his career with one out in the first off Erick Fedde (0-4) after Chicago scored two runs off Sam Aldegheri in the top half.
Neto homered for the first time since April 10, a tiebreaking two-out shot in the fifth for his sixth of the season. Trout walked for the second time before scoring from first on a double by Nolan Schanuel to make it 4-2 and chase Fedde. Trout reached base four times with a single in the eighth.
Neto ended an 0-for-23 slump with a third-inning single before getting picked off.
Chase Meidroth hit his second homer leading off the seventh against Sam Bachman to get Chicago within 4-3. Both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas extended their on-base streaks to 18 games for the Sox.
José Fermin (1-1) pitched a scoreless fifth for the win. Aldegheri gave up two runs on four hits in four innings in his sixth career start.
Fedde yielded four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
The top four hitters in the Angels’ lineup drove in a run for the first time since June 18, 2021, against the Tigers.
First, it was Barcelona, Venice and Dubrovnik. Now, Florence has joined the most overtouristed destinations in the world: its 365,000 inhabitants shared their city last year with 4.6 million visitors. The director of the city’s Accademia gallery – home to Michelangelo’s David – talked in 2024 about “hit and run” tourism, describing visitors “on a quick in-and-out mission to take selfies … trampling the city without contributing anything”. Local author Margherita Calderoni describes Via Camillo Cavour, a street leading to the Duomo, as a “rancid soup” of chain restaurants and “shops selling plastic trinkets from who knows where”.
Although steps are being taken – the city council has introduced a ban on new short-term lets and is promoting sights in lesser-known neighbourhoods – tackling overtourism is a challenge. And other Tuscan cities, such as Siena and San Gimignano, are suffering too. But beyond these honeypots, Italy’s fifth-largest region is full of glories, with not a takeaway chain or selfie stick in sight. Here are six of my favourites.
For architecture: Monteriggioni
To hit Monteriggioni during its medieval festival in July is to be transported to the middle ages: the whole town becomes a stage on which local re-enactors recreate 13th-century life, with artisans, entertainers, soldiers and musicians in the streets, and inns serving ancient recipes. Festival apart, this tiny town is remarkable for its intact architecture. It was built by the Republic of Siena around 1213 to ward off Florentine aggression, and it is still possible to walk around its 570 metres of wall, with two gates and 14 watchtowers. Inside there is a church, a museum and gardens once used to grow food in case of a siege. All cobbled streets and panoramic views, it feels intimate but rarely crowded. On the square, Il Tagliere Medievale is the place to people-watch over cured meats and cheese and a carafe of chianti. Stay at Il Piccolo Castello, doubles from €115 B&B
For idealists: Pienza
The hilltop town of Pienza. Photograph: Fani Kurti/Getty Images
Is there such a thing as an “ideal city”? In 1459, Pope Pius II rebuilt his birthplace, Corsignano, according to the scientific and humanist criteria architects and planners believed cities should fulfil, with harmoniously proportioned streets, buildings and fortifications. Naturally, he then renamed the town after himself. Pienza is tiny – about 2,000 inhabitants – and best explored on foot. The main square, Piazza Pio II, is a small space shared by the cathedral and the honey-coloured Piccolomini Palace, Pius’s summer residence. The three colonnaded loggias (covered walkways) facing the Piccolomini’s garden suggest the harmony architect Bernardo Rossellino was aiming for.Human harmony is evoked by street names Via dell’Amore and Via del Bacio (kiss): both lead to a walkway with panoramic views over the Val d’Orcia. Foodwise, Pienza is known for its pecorino cheese: try it atLa Terrazza del Chiostro, run by young chef Massimiliano Ingino. Stay at Agriturismo Casalpiano, doubles from €135 B&B
For Renaissance art: Arezzo
The Piazza del Duomo in Arezzo. Photograph: PK Photos/Getty Images
On a hill where eastern Tuscany rises to the Apennines, Arezzo is rich in history and art, but sees a fraction of Florence’s visitors. Many come for the monthly antiques fair on Piazza Grande, the sloping main square. The city’s treasure is the 15th-century artist Piero della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross frescoes in San Francesco basilica, but I also love his serene Mary Magdalene in the cathedral up the road. From there, it’s a short walk across Passaggio del Prato park to the fortress built by the Medici family in 1540. Its ramparts offer great views over red roofs and rolling countryside. In pedestrianised Via Cavour, three friends recently took over a former corset shop and turned it into a deli selling filled focaccia, wine, chocolates and olive oil. Stay at La Corte del Re, doubles from €79 room-only
For history: Volterra
A Roman amphitheatre in Volterra. Photograph: Robert Harding/Alamy
Volterra was founded about 3,000 years ago as part of the Etruscan league of 12 cities. Its Guarnacci museum features hundreds of fantastically decorated funerary urns, but they’re outshone for me by an elongated male nude in bronze called Shadow of the Evening which, though believed to have been made in the third century BC, wouldn’t look out of place in a modern sculpture show and is said to have inspired Giacometti. A short walk away, the Porta all’Arco is an Etruscan gate still standing after 2,300 years. More recent monuments include a Roman amphitheatre and a Medici fortress now used as a prison. The town is also known for alabaster carving: check it out at the Ecomuseum, or buy at local cooperative Artieri Alabastro. In a picturesque alley, La Sosta del Priore (Prior’s Pitstop) offers sandwiches with fillings such as wild boar, melted pecorino and lampredotto (tripe). Stay at Villa Nencini, doubles from €65 B&B
For port city vibes: Livorno
The Quartiere Venezia in Livorno. Photograph: Roberto Nencini/Alamy
Tuscany has so many sights that its ancient port is often overlooked. Originally fortified by the Pisans, Livorno was ruled by Florence’s Medicis from the 1500s, and today’s multicultural vibe is thanks in part to that dynasty. Under Medici law, newcomers of any nationality or faith were encouraged to settle here, and a diverse population – Greeks, Armenians, Jews fleeing the Inquisition – helped Livorno thrive. Today, this politically leftish and greenish city is home to populations from Senegal and Morocco as well as eastern Europe.
Get a lungful of sea air at the checkerboard seaside promenade Terrazza Mascagni, then walk up to the Quartiere Venezia, Livorno’s Little Venice, with bridges, coloured houses and two Medici fortresses, Nuova and Vecchia. Other sights include San Francesco Cathedral and one of Italy’s biggest covered markets, the Parisian-style Vettovaglie. Livorno is known for its chickpea pancakes (torte di ceci), and Torteria Gagarin by the market sells them hot from a wood-fired oven to eat in a roll as a cinque e cinque sandwich. Stay at Dogana d’Acqua Rooms & Art, doubles from €75 room-only
For coastal charm: Porto Ercole
The harbour at Porto Ercole. Photograph: Stevan ZZ/Getty Images
A port since Roman times, this village on a promontory in the south of Tuscany was fought over in 1555 in a proxy war between Spain (supporting Florence) and France (Siena). Spain won and built the forts that still guard all approaches. Climb up to Forte Stella for views over the picturesque harbour and north to one of three causeways linking the promontory to the mainland. The walk into town passes the botanical garden. Farther north is the unassuming cemetery that is home to Caravaggio’s simple tomb, an odd finale to a life of brawls, murders, arrests and exile. Mystery surrounds the painter’s death, but he was said to be heading for Rome in the hope of papal forgiveness when he succumbed to “fever” – probably infection from a sword fight in Naples.
For a beach day, head out on the SP66 and take the signposted footpath just before the crossroads leading to Forte Stella. Sandy Spiaggia Lunga is mostly undeveloped, but in high summer there’s a bar with sunbeds to hire. Right on the harbour back in Porto Ercole, Grano offers top-quality sourdough pizzas by the slice. Stay at Alba sul Mare, doubles from €91 room-only
In the first of several significant flashbacks in “Over Your Dead Body,” Samara Weaving’s unhappy Lisa complains to a friend about a hunting trip her equally miserable husband Dan (Jason Segel) is taking her on. “You know how much I hate guns,” Lisa fumes. “So dangerous.” Turns out, she’s actually telling two lies, which is par for the course for this twisty yet underwhelming dark comedy that views marriage as both a hyperviolent blood sport and a battle to the death.
Based on Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola’s 2021 “The Trip,” “Over Your Dead Body” concerns a couple whose wedded bliss has faded along with their professional prospects. Dan directed a moderately successful sci-fi film several years ago but is now stuck shooting cheesy pop-up ads. Meanwhile, Lisa’s nascent acting career is flailing. As the movie begins, Dan conspicuously informs his production team that he and his wife are going hiking in the middle of nowhere — something, he insists, the risk-taking Lisa wants to do, despite how perilous that might be. What we soon realize is that he’s creating cover for his nefarious plan, which is to kill Lisa at his family’s forest cottage, making it look like she disappeared without a trace in the woods.
But director Jorma Taccone eventually reveals that it’s not just Dan who has murder on his mind. That first flashback rewinds to Lisa’s simultaneous scheming, claiming to those close to her that Dan longs to go hunting — when, in fact, she’s secretly brought a rifle so that the authorities will assume he accidentally shot himself. (Whatever fears she once harbored about firearms are, clearly, no longer an issue, if they ever were.) Dan is offended when he uncovers her plot: Why would she want to kill him? At least he’s justified, he believes, having caught Lisa in an affair with her scene partner.
More surprises are in store as Dan and Lisa engage in a deadly standoff in the cabin, only to discover that they’re not alone. Another flashback details how two convicted killers, Todd (Keith Jardine) and Pete (Timothy Olyphant), escaped from a local penitentiary with the help of Pete’s girlfriend, prison guard Allegra (Juliette Lewis), and are seeking refuge at the cottage. Suddenly, the feuding married couple must work together to stay alive.
One-third of the comedy troupe the Lonely Island, Taccone previously directed the big-screen adaptation of the “Saturday Night Live” sketch “MacGruber” and co-directed the endlessly rewatchable mockumentary “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.” For “Over Your Dead Body,” he teams with producer David Leitch, whose 87North shingle specializes in R-rated action-comedies like “Nobody” and “Violent Night.” Taccone’s irreverent, slyly shocking style would seem a good match for a story in which the pain of romantic discontent is paired with myriad scenes in which a variety of weapons wreak grisly havoc, including lawnmowers, sports cars, gardening equipment and a sock with a pool ball in it.
But despite Segel and Weaver’s best efforts, they can’t make this bickering duo deliciously awful, the characters proving more grating than hilariously combustible. And when Pete and his cohorts arrive, they’re too broadly quirky to be either menacing or hysterical, although Olyphant’s long-suffering leader has some nice moments slowly processing how dumb Todd and Allegra are.
Other than one queasy homage to “Deliverance,” the film’s handling of the showdown between this drab married couple and the cartoonish criminals is rarely gripping. Instead, “Over Your Dead Body” delivers over-the-top fight sequences emphasizing grimaces and gross-out laughs. People aren’t simply shot in the head — the bullet transforms it into a gooey slab of meat. Fingers get sliced off, stakes are driven through hands and a foot is reduced to bloody tatters. Taccone handles all this with gleeful excessiveness but once you’ve seen one pulverized face, you’ve seen them all.
A droll irony is intended to unfold alongside the rising body count. Dan and Lisa embarked on this getaway to murder one another, but they’ll end up rekindling their love. To be sure, Segel and Weaving are much more winning once their characters start warming to one another. Still, the film feels like a missed opportunity for Weaving, who became a scream queen in the “Ready or Not” films. In those movies, as an unsuspecting bride thrust into a life-or-death situation, she appealingly balanced a convincing physical performance with an understated comedic streak, her beleaguered character enduring one absurdity after another.
Weaving finds herself in a somewhat similar role in “Over Your Dead Body” and this uneven action-comedy is anchored by her had-it-up-to-here performance, which provides a witty insight into marriage that the film otherwise ignores. It’s bad enough that Lisa has to deal with Dan’s insecurity — now she’s got to tangle with some dopey crooks? Women have to do everything in a relationship.
‘Over Your Dead Body’
Rating: R, for strong bloody violence, gore, sexual assault, pervasive language, and sexual content
