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Cemaes Bay Tel: 44 (0) 1407 733733
Anglesey
Gwynedd
LL67 0DH
KIDS entangled beneath your feet? Credit crunch making you wary of traditional attractions and the endless opportunities for plaintive pleadings of "can I have?"
Then why not take them to your local, friendly nuclear power station? I kid you not.
This is not the Homer Simpson solution to keeping the youngsters entertained on the cheap, but a practical and educational day out that should prove a lot of fun.
And it's true it'll cost you nothing, except for a few bob for snacks or an ice cream.
Homer's skinflint boss Montgomery Burns would be horrified.
Leaving aside the politics, the Visitor Centre is a fascinating hands-on experience that at least explains how the whole shebang works. Pop into the audio-visual Powerhouse theatre, where a 20-minute presentation tells you the basics of what you're about to see. And then you're off.
You'll meet a virtual Michael Faraday, who'll explain how he accidentally stumbled across the process of creating electricity by electro-magnetic induction.
And a rather stereotypically portrayed Otto Hahn, the German scientist who first split the atom in 1938, will regale you in his typically if overplayed Teutonic manner with tales of how he hit upon his discovery.
Hands-on exhibits and interactive displays labelled in Welsh and English show how radioactivity is naturally present in many everyday items, how a nuclear power station works, and tells how Wylfa provides more than 40% of Wales' electricity needs.
You'll be told how it will be decommissioned after 2010, having being generating since 1971, and of the strict safety measures. Step inside a giant fuel tank to watch a spectacular safety test film showing a train crashing into a huge flask containing nuclear waste at more than 100mph.
Understandably, given the sensitive nature of the subject, I find no mention of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, nuclear accidents that had far-reaching consequences. It's obviously for others to bang that particular drum.
The café is a delightfully light and airy affair, offering soft drinks, hot drinks, baguettes and sandwiches (from £1.80) to more filling fare including filled jacket potatoes (from £2.20) and a Big Breakfast for £5.
Many opt to make the most of the spring sunshine by eating outside at the picnic tables on the somewhat windswept patio area.
Then there's a hugely photogenic nature trail around the site to Wylfa Head, through beautiful woodlands and coastal heathland to the dramatic craggy coastline for which northern Anglesey is noted. Do be aware that dogs are not allowed on the trail.
If the kids' energy still hasn't been expended, a few minutes in the exterior play area should burn off those extra few calories to send them into a deep and restful sleep.
However, tomorrow's yet another day...
