upgrade

A HUGE new playground has just opened in the UK as part of a huge multi-million revamp.

Forget it’s football team and towering transmitting station – Crystal Palace Park in London has opened a new playground right by the famous dinosaur sculptures.

The park features “hands-on play” with a “world shaped by scales, skeletons and stories from deep time”.

‍There are a number of pathways to explore with dinosaur-details as well as a few different shaped slides on the embankment.

A huge dinosaur-like skeleton also offers kids the chance to climb and hide, with the curving tail forming a play trail.

In the sandpit, which is shaped like a dinosaur’s footprint, young children can also dig and discover fossils.

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There’s also jumping discs, a log scramble and swings.

And a lot of features in the park are accessible including a wheelchair accessible roundabout, accessible swing and tactile games.

For parents wanting to rest and watch whilst their children play, there is a picnic area too.

The Dinosaur Playground is close to the main park toilets, as well as the cafe.

The new playground replaces an old one that had become rundown over the years.

After enjoying the new play park, make sure to head on the dinosaur trail to see around 30 Grade-I listed statues scattered across the park.

These are the world’s first life-sized prehistoric animal sculptures which were all inspired by fossils found by Victorian palaeontologists over 170 years ago.

Many of the dinosaurs look rather different to how we imagine dinosaurs now and that is because the statues were created from the scientific information Victorians had at the time.

It is free to visit the park as well as the sculptures, which can be found across islands and lakes in the park.

And by this summer, there will be a new £17.75million Visitor Centre.

It will be a single-storey and will have an ‘Interpretation and Activity Room’ which will showcase the park’s history and future through a number of displays, objects and information panels.

The park’s Grand Centre Walk is also being restored to create more space for events, with the path becoming wider and a new entrance being built at Penge Gate.

In total, the park’s revamp is expected to cost around £52million.

For more free attractions in the UK, these are the 20 most-visited attractions in England that are completely free to enter.

Plus, one of London’s most popular free attractions to get massive £231million upgrade.

WORK has officially begun on a major expansion project at a regional airport in the UK.

Bristol Airport has started its £30million upgrade with a new two-floor extension to connect the existing terminal and the departure gates.

The airport upgrade will include 17 new shops and restaurants including premium brands and a hidden speakeasy bar in the terminal.

Overall floor space at the airport will nearly double (45 per cent increase) as well.

In the newly created floor space, there will be more seating as well as the new ‘island’ shops, meaning shops will not just be at the edges of the terminal.

When it comes to arrivals, there will be a new reclaim area with an additional baggage carousel.

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When it comes to accessibility, the assisted travel lounge will double in size with new tables.

It will be located near the middle of the departure lounge and also have accessible toilets and a changing places facility.

A baby feeding room will be added as well.

Accessibility will be improved to the immigration area too, with new stairs and lifts.

The transformation to the airport is set to take place over the next three years and is part of a wider £400million investment plan to transform passenger experience at the airport.

By the end of it, the airport will be able to cater for up to 12million passengers, up from 10million currently.

The airport already has completed a number of improvements as well, such as “next generation security” and a new Public Transport Interchange with bus stops, bus bays, a car park and a larger M&S supermarket.

The departure lounge also has a new executive lounge called Escape.

Andrew Goodenough, Infrastructure Director at Bristol Airport said: “We have ambitious plans to transform our customer experience over the next couple of years, and we really appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding while all of these massive improvements are taking place.”

Gerard McNamee, Project Manager at Farrans – the building and engineering firm carrying out the works at the airport – said: “This is an exciting project which will be completed in a live environment in which all passenger routes need to remain open at all times.”

Last year, the airport announced how as part of its upgrade, it hopes to offer flights to the east coast of America and the Middle East in the future.

The airport is also planning to increase the number of flights from 85,990 per year to 100,000, which would mean an additional 35 flights per day in the peak season.

While the airport is planning to keep its night restrictions, it does want to increase night flights to 1,000 a year, which would mean four per night in the peak season.

In other airport news, a major airport could become the second biggest in the UK thanks to huge expansion plans.

Plus, these are the best and worst airports in the UK – with a regional airport coming in number one.

FANCY a pint? This new heritage pub is set to become a popular spot for a post or pre-train journey tipple.

The boozer has just opened as part of an enormous multi-million pound refurb at Carlisle Station.

Called The Scott & Brassey, the new pub officially opened on 25 February inside Carlisle Station at Platform 4.

It was formerly used as a First Class waiting room and at one stage even welcomed Queen Victoria.

The Grade-II listed space has been used as various different outlets over the years and was a cafe for decades – but has just opened as a pretty pub operated by Lancaster Brewery.

It has undergone a £400,000 renovation delivered by Network Rail, backed by Avanti West Coast and the Railway Heritage Trust.

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Its name ‘The Scott & Brassey’ comes from novelist Sir Walter Scott and Victorian railway pioneer Thomas Brassey.

Inside, the pub has period features like a large fireplace, and vaulted beam ceilings.

The walls are a mix of deep blue and bright yellow, in the corner are cosy booths with low lampshades.

Upstairs on the mezzanine level is additional seating at smaller tables.

The bar area is sleek and modern with a wooden top and dark grey tiled front along with lots of greenery on shelves and of course, drinks offerings.

It will have seven cask ales on hand pull, five from Lancaster Brewery and two from local cask brewers, and one cask cider – there will also be eight keg lines.

The pub said it aims to spotlight ‘regional and national producers with one of the largest selections in Cumbria‘.

On Facebook reviews, one visitor to the new pub wrote: “Had a great afternoon with my mum and sister today! lovely staff and a fabulous asset to Carlisle.”

Another said: “What a fab job you’ve done. Stunning renovation and fantastic atmosphere.”

The pub is open every day from 11am until 10pm Sunday-Thursday and 11pm Friday-Saturday.

It’s dog-friendly too.

The new pub is inside Carlisle Station which is around 179 years old, and is in the middle of a huge overhaul.

Carlisle Station cost just £53,000 to build at the time, which in today’s money is around £4.6million.

It now welcomes around two million passengers a year with trains to London and Manchester as well as Edinburgh, Liverpool and Newcastle.

Cumberland Council previously announced it would be spending £28million on redesigning Carlisle Station.

The new designs include the creation of a new forecourt entrance to the north of the station.

The north side will have improved links to the city centre, and parking outside the already standing Griffin pub.

It will also see a new piazza space, called George Square created to the south of the station.

This will mean improved access for passengers, and secure cycle parking, as well as plenty of green spaces.

The work is set to be fully complete in early 2027.

For more on train station’s, this is one of the UK’s busiest that’s set to undergo a huge transformation.

And the seven new train stations are coming to UK under £14billion plans.

I MIGHT be biased when I say my seaside town is the best in the UK – but this year is set to be an exciting one for it.

From restored funiculars to new beach saunas, there are lots of new openings to be excited about.

Named one of the UK’s best places to live in 2024, and the top place to visit in the UK last year by Time Out, Folkestone has been on the up in recent years.

Folkestone West train station is also one of the fastest growing in the South East, welcoming more than 970,000 passengers from 2024/2025 – compared to 678,000 the previous year.

And one of the biggest transformations to the town will be the creation of the Bouverie Square park, set to become the town’s ‘green heart’.

Converting the current bus station, the new landscaping and seating are part of the mega £20million renovation of Folkestone.

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Fountains, bike stands and a small playground are also part of the plans.

Councillor Clive Goddard (Con) said: “To me, this is the up-and-coming part of Folkestone.

“Yards to the left, you’ve got Guildhall Street, with all the fine development happening down there. This seems to give the businesses a new lease of life.”

Folkestone’s Lower Leas Coastal Park is also getting a huge renovation after 25 years.

One of the largest free playparks in the region, the £750,000 project will see a huge new wooden climbing structure.

More seating, bike and buggy parking and landscaping are part of the plans, while the original pirate ship and sand diggers will remain.

It hopes to be complete in time for the summer holidays this year.

Cllr Connor McConville, Cabinet Member for Assets and Local Government Reorganisation, said: “We wanted something that would make people sit back and go ‘wow’ – this incredibly impressive design with fun equipment certainly does that.”

And opening next month is the Sea Scrub sauna – the largest beach sauna in the country.

Opening from March 14, guests will be able to book sauna sessions in the seaside pods.

It joins their current beach saunas in Margate, Faversham and Whitstable.

Guests can book an hour session for £20 at either the Scandinavian Sauna or Shepherds Hut Sauna.

And finally, after years of delays, the Leas Lift funicular is set to reopen.

Forced to close back in 2017, the restoration of the lift will connect the clifftop to the beach.

A new upgraded cafe is also part of the plans with a waiting room and outdoor terrace.

Estimated to cost up to £6million, the 138-year-old lift is one of only three water-balanced funiculars remaining in the UK.

So if you are planning a trip to a seaside town this summer? Folkestone is looking better than ever.

Trains from London take 52 minutes from St Pancras train station to Folkestone.

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TWO major UK train stations are shutting down for 22 days over the summer.

Southern Eastern Railway will carry out engineering works which will affect journey time for 10,000 commuters.

From Sunday 26 July to Sunday 16 August, Charing Cross and Waterloo East stations will be closed for essential track and bridge repairs.

Officials say the closures are part of a £20 million overhaul that’ll see nearly 1,800 metres of old, worn-out track ripped up and replaced between Waterloo East and Charing Cross.

Customers have been advised that their journeys might be different and take longer.

Routes to London will remain open but will instead be diverted to other stations.

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Southeastern services into Charing Cross will be redirected to Victoria, Cannon Street and Blackfriars stations.

Some trains will be terminating at London Bridge while tickets will be accepted on alternative rail routes, London Underground and buses.

The ageing track, which was last replaced more than 35 years ago, has caused repeated faults on the approaches to Charing Cross.

This has led to hundreds of hours of delays, leaving frustrated commuters stuck on platforms or stranded on packed trains.

As well as ripping up and replacing worn-out track, engineers will tackle drainage upgrades at Waterloo East and carry out vital structural repairs to Hungerford Bridge.

The three-week closure is expected to prevent future shutdowns during bank holidays and weekends and will deliver more reliable service.

Scott Brightwell, Director of Operations and Safety, South Eastern Railway, said: “We know closing Charing Cross and Waterloo East for 22 days is a significant change and we’re sorry for the disruption it will cause.

“This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly. We’ve looked long and hard at every possible option and although none of them are without impact, a single summer closure is the least disruptive and most efficient way to carry out this vital work.”