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bigdawg 
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Post subject: best for kids learning - hemel or MK
 Posted: Nov 18, 2011 - 11:23 AM
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First post: Feb 03, 2005
Total posts: 417
Status: Offline
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Been away from boarding for a bit due to having my kids, but now my little boy is 4 its time for skiing lessons - obviously HH or MK are the nearest, and being in essex any slightly cheaper prices at mk are offset by petrol.
Used to go to MK for myself, never been to HH, but im seeing some not very good reviews about the place.
Anyway my question is has anyone had experience of the kids lessons at either place (not for themselves obviously!) - did they enjoy it, did they get bored, cold..?!?!
any comments observations please.... |
_________________
And jesus said come forth and I will give you eternal life....
But I could only manage 5th and ended up with a toaster...
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winterfunman
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Post subject: RE: best for kids learning - hemel or MK
Posted: Nov 18, 2011 - 07:40 PM
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First post: Apr 20, 2008
Total posts: 8914
Location: BANSKO ..........Bulgaria
Status: Offline
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Primar
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 18, 2011 - 10:08 PM
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First post: Oct 19, 2010
Total posts: 21
Status: Offline
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Only real differences:
Hemel has always had a nicer slope/snow whenever I've been.
Last time I went, Hemel's hire gear was a lot nicer (due to having opened up more recently than MK).
MK has a lot more shops + restaurants in the Xscape building and nearby, and you can walk over to the main MK shopping center quite easily as well.
Hemel only has their cafe and a Snow + Rock on the bottom floor, and isn't within walking distance of the town center (plus I've no idea what's in Hemel town center anyway).
I've always seen people say good things about the quality of lessons + instructors at both places, so no real worries there. No idea about the kids lessons specifically though, so can't help with that, sorry.
Prices are about the same once you take SCUK discount into account, but you'll get a massive saving on Hemel membership if you're gonna go regularly enough to make it worthwhile.
Oh yeah, and the lockers at Hemel refund your quid, the MK lockers eat it. 
Basically, Hemel if you're just going to hit the slope then head home, MK if you want to head elsewhere afterwards and go shopping or for a meal. |
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Shrimps
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 19, 2011 - 08:00 PM
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First post: Mar 12, 2008
Total posts: 739
Location: Milk N' Beanz!
Status: Offline
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| mk does have a magic carpet tho! |
_________________
If you had a factor tree of the factors that caused my girl to leave me,
You'd have a tree full off Asain P*rn
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bigdawg
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 - 11:13 AM
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First post: Feb 03, 2005
Total posts: 417
Status: Offline
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cheers guys - Ill give hemel a go, I like milton keynes but its an extra hours driving at least both ways...
Ill post up let you know how little'dawg's lessons went once hes done them - He's dead excited though, almost as much as me...  |
_________________
And jesus said come forth and I will give you eternal life....
But I could only manage 5th and ended up with a toaster...
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FredTheShred
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 - 11:19 AM
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First post: Jun 06, 2011
Total posts: 27
Status: Offline
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I have just put my kids through lessons at both Hemel and MK. (Switched half way through course for no good reason from Hemel to MK other than variety - same driving distance for me).
No problem with instructors, great at both locations and the kids enjoyed their company (Alex at MK, worth calling out here, thanks) and we seemed to get "private lessons" frequently for snowboarding at MK due to no one else booking. Ski lessons for kids seemed very busy though at weekends.
As stated by the poster above, the carpet ride is quite a big deal, that rope pull at Hemel is horrible. I gave my 4 year old a ski taster session, can’t imagine she would have used the rope pull, but magic carpet was no problem.
One positive for Hemel though, if you are not riding whilst your kids are in lessons, the viewing gallery is way better at Hemel (very poor at MK, you can hardly see the learner slope).
Also, I have walked out on the snow at Hemel with a camera before, and they clearly don’t want you to do that at MK.
Hope that helps. My boys are both now riding with me, took a lot of time and money, but its worth it... |
_________________
http://www.snowboardingtunes.com/
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bigdawg
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 - 11:28 AM
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First post: Feb 03, 2005
Total posts: 417
Status: Offline
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thanks for that -may start him off in hemel and then pop up to milton keynes too, if only for a bit of variety...
Forgot you had to pay for lockers and parking at milton keynes...  |
_________________
And jesus said come forth and I will give you eternal life....
But I could only manage 5th and ended up with a toaster...
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CjKit
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 - 12:01 PM
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First post: Nov 01, 2010
Total posts: 2056
Location: NW London
Status: Offline
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bigdawg wrote:
....
Forgot you had to pay for lockers and parking at milton keynes...
Yeah, that puts me off quite a lot about going to MK. I have a habit of popping back to my locker 2,3 or even 4 times if I'm there for a few hours. Either because I've got snacks or water in it, or because I need to get my wallet out, or left my gloves in it etc.. etc.. But at MK that would mean spending another £5 or so just for using a locker!! Won't be going there then. |
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CjKitPhoto
Flickr
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snowbadger
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 - 12:08 PM
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First post: Jun 01, 2011
Total posts: 737
Location: Warwickshire
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CjKit wrote:
bigdawg wrote:
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Forgot you had to pay for lockers and parking at milton keynes...
Yeah, that puts me off quite a lot about going to MK. I have a habit of popping back to my locker 2,3 or even 4 times if I'm there for a few hours. Either because I've got snacks or water in it, or because I need to get my wallet out, or left my gloves in it etc.. etc.. But at MK that would mean spending another £5 or so just for using a locker!! Won't be going there then.
that is something that annoys the living hell out of me when you need to keep finding more money for a locker. would be so much better if they could include it in the slope price |
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Sno news is good news
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AdamA9
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 - 01:06 PM
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First post: Nov 04, 2010
Total posts: 978
Location: Hove
Status: Offline
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| I'm taking my brother to learn to snowboard. He is 8 years old so about right to start him now. Was thinking of doing this at Hemel. Assume you just turn up, drop the kids off, then I can go play safe in the knowledge that he is okay with an instructor? |
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Bananarama
Nearly New GoPro HD for sale
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FredTheShred
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 - 02:13 PM
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First post: Jun 06, 2011
Total posts: 27
Status: Offline
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| You will need to book well in advance - and the lesson times are not always that convenient. (I'd been getting up at 6:30am on a Sunday!) Then you have an hour to yourself, yeah. |
_________________
http://www.snowboardingtunes.com/
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bigdawg
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 23, 2011 - 03:00 PM
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First post: Feb 03, 2005
Total posts: 417
Status: Offline
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| fred just out of interest how long till your boys were comfortable riding?? Im under no illusions of taking him to the alps this season and he'll be skiing initially, just wondered what kind of timescale you had... |
_________________
And jesus said come forth and I will give you eternal life....
But I could only manage 5th and ended up with a toaster...
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Mjb22001
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Post subject:
Posted: Nov 24, 2011 - 01:15 PM
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First post: Nov 07, 2011
Total posts: 15
Location: Nr MK
Status: Offline
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Heh I doing the same thing.
My girl is just 7.
I took her to a dry slope for 1 on 1 lessons as they were cheap, the place is really quiet. This was good for getting her confidence up and not being affraid of the slope.
She was good enough to use the horrible button lift and go down the slope by her self after about 3hrs tutition.
I took her to MK last week and put her on a level 3 lesson, she struggled a bit getting off the magic carpet but passed the lesson fine, so its level 4 next which will give her main slope access if she passes. We did the level 3 on a friday eve which was quiet, I've seen the learner slope on a saturday and it can be absolutely rammed, to a point its just silly in my opinion. I think if they have a school or a large group doing a taster session its really bad at the bottom half of the learner slope.
Hoping for my girl she'll be on the button next lesson and after a couple of runs be on the main slope hence avoiding the saturday carnage on the learner slope, Can't imagine hemels much better in that respect.
I put her in some salopettes, t shirt light fleece and d2b ski jacket she was baking at the end of it!
My next worry is can I help her learn on the main slope while I'm boarding, i.e. can she follow my line etc? Really dont' want to have to put some skiis back on! |
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