To wonder if family days out used to be a lot cheaper

[mrsbeeton999]

I’m sure days out like zoos and theme parks must’ve been comparatively cheaper when I was a child (I’m in my 40s). I remember my aunt who didn’t have much money taking us to Chessington and the Tower of London and they’re about £100 for a family now. Any show or day out is always £100. Luckily we love outdoor stuff and beaches and do lots of really low cost days at weekends mixed with the odd treat day but I was just thinking where my aunt used to take us and feeling guilty!

Reading about the picnics has stirred up a long buried memory of weak orange squash in an old Robinson’s bottle poured into old Tupperware beakers with furry chewed rims - yuk

Obviously the museums in London were fab and free

Not until 2001 they weren’t

@Comedycook

You're right. Days out are expensive. Even taking your kids to a panto at Christmas will cost the better part of £200 for a family of four

Wow! We paid £17 per head!

Anyway, growing up my parents were always skint so we went on very few day trips. We had a 2 week holiday to the caravan and another few weekends there every year and I think they saved up for it all year so we could go swimming, to the theme park and to one or two other places. We were never able to go on the open top bus, the miniature railway or to the soft play because they couldn't afford it. I think it was possibly a bit cheaper than it is now but not by much.

We used to go to Chessington fairly frequently but that was in the days when having a blue Peter badge got you in for free. Properly for free, not "with an adult paying the overinflated on the door price they do at blue Peter attractions now (Merlin stopped years ago)
As a teen in the 90s I used to go to the theatre in London loads, my friend and I saw Buddy about six times and Grease about four times. We had no money to speak of do it must have been super cheap compared to now.

@GTAlogic
We are only in suburban London/Kent...but yes, a panto ticket is about 40 pounds plus . It's shocking really

70s/80s childhood...I didn't eat in a restaurant until I was 17 and then only as major occasion. Pub lunch once or twice a year (to be fair as a child pub lunches weren't so much a thing as now but became so by late teen). We didn't go to the cinema as a family but did as kids only- Saturday morning cheap tickets. My parents took me to a theme park perhaps 3 x in my entire childhood, we did zoo once, safari Park once. Lots of camping bucket and spade holidays on the cheap (chips n ice lollies etc) maybe 1 or 2 rides on a funfair 2p slots. Castle type things must have been cheaper as we did a lot of them. I first went abroad aged 19 (excluding French school trip for 48hrs).my parents still won't pay for expensive days out anywhere and always go to cheap places or national trust. They love sitting in a bus shelter with a flask and a ham sandwich! My teen DC will now not really do things with them and to be honest I don't blame them. Sure lots was fun but even in the 80s it wasn't a lot of fun.. sorry to say. I think many of us had similar childhoods to be honest. I certainly never felt deprived. It's always been expensive. I avoid theme parks as hate them, but my DC probably do 1 a year. But we eat out, go to the theatre and cinema and have lovely trips to places. My dc do more in a month than I did for most of my youth! Yes a day out is expensive its even more so to an attraction. Which is why we don't do it. (Nice day out in Windsor but not paying 100 quid or whatever to go in the blooming castle when you can see it from the outside...Castles are pretty samey!)

@mrsbeeton999

Yes yes yes ... you forgot WARM squash

And squashed sandwiches.

But did restaurants actually cater much for dc in those days. I'm a 80s/90s kids & the restaurants we went too were Wimpy, McDs, Pizza hut etc then later Harvester, Pizza express etc so not fine dining at all 😆

In the 80's being taken to the Little Chef was a big deal!

McDonald's opened where I lived when I was 12. That was a massive novelty. (Mid to late 80s). In fact it was 5 miles away...but we'd go for a birthday (they used to do parties..it wasn't like an every day thing)
We didn't have wimpy etc.
Really people only had fish and chip shop meals. As a child we wouldn't have been allowed Fish. Would be battered sausage at best.
Restaurants were Italian Indian or Chinese but my family never ever went to them. My parents are quite limited food wise and couldn't afford it. We weren't poor. Just average working class
Swimming was very cheap and apart from the park and Saturday cinema, the ONLY thing to do. A pound would get you into swimming, a hot chocolate from vending machine and a bag of chips on way home. I did that twice a week in school holidays.

@Baystard I went to little chef ONCE I still remember it!! (I had a posh only-child friend for a while, went with them).

As a Child of the 60s we played out a lot but did do a lot of trips out. My parents liked going places. We often drove to Blackpool for the day or to Southport. We didn’t really do zoos or theme parks though. We went to the cinema at the local leisure centre on a Saturday morning and went roller skating a lot at the local skating rink (before the owner burnt it down). We went swimming in the local pool but mainly did that without parents.

My kids were born in the 90s and we went to gullivers world and camalot which I can’t remember being that expensive! We went to the local zoo a lot as we had an annual pass for that.

@Epiphanies did you have a jubilee pancake?! Looking back it probably came from a microwave but I thought it was the height of sophistication

In fact it was 5 miles away...but we'd go for a birthday (they used to do parties..it wasn't like an every day thing)

yep Ronald Mcdonald came out at mine.

Oh gosh yes the Little Chef!

Used to stay over at grandparents every so often (even though they loved in same town) as a treat. We'd go to little chef for tea and I'd have a kids meal of burger (no bun) chips n beans and a stodgy pancake with ice cream and tinned cherries. Heaven. All washed down with Coke, and a free lolly from the till. Oh the excitement!!!

I agree though, we had far fewer trips out. My kids get to the zoo etc once or twice a year. We do far fewer trips to trampoline park etc too as I not drag them round national trust places with the dog 🤣

@BonnyandPoppy I think we are from similar places. I'd forgotten about Camelot!!

My mum used to volunteer at a playscheme in the summer so we could go to themeparks free whilst little. We used to take snacks from home for the coach and a packed lunch. As I got older I went to alton towers through school for being on the gifted and talented scheme or for 100% attendance. We didn't have softplay I don't think and it wasn't a thing to be doing something with your kids every weekend like it is now, there wasn't such a big onus on entertaining kids. I remember playing with my siblings and entertaining ourselves. It's always been expensive.

@Baystard it was a pancake!! I kind of remember tinned blueberries (blueberries also weren't a thing you had then!)

@dorkfink yes! I actually mentioned Ronald Mcdonald the other day and my DS said 'Who?!?' I hadn't noticed they'd got rid but must have been ages ago as my DC hadn't heard of him.

@GuyFawkesDay a closed down camalot was still there like a spooky ghost amusement from scooby do until about 2 years ago. There's some great YouTube of it. You can stay in a hotel that used to be part of it (i did...its strange...)

According to local media Camelot is reopening as some sort of zombie experience

I think he was retired as the clown thing was bad PR

We used to go to little chef on the way to our holidays when they did kids eat for £1 breakfast as it meant we could all eat

As a child it was picnics meeting relatives at a beauty spot, ball games, kite flying.

Once a year we might go to a air show or Navy day on a coach trip..no idea how much it cost but again it was sandwiches and a Flask.
When DC were little we were experts at free days out with vouchers, picnics etc ..unfortunately we couldn't do theme parks or attractions it was infuriating how expensive they were. Occasionally a museum visit if it was cheap. My brother and his wife took my DC to London to see the attractions.

DD and I went with some of her school friends and their mother to the London Eye on a inset day. It broke the bank account for the month!
I always felt there needed to be concessions for low income if it had educational value. The very children who miss out are those who often would most benefit.

Kids go for £1 rail ticket and all the free London museums and sights were a regular day out when my son was young.

I'm always really surprised when families i know who aren't well off do a theme park day and buy drinks and queue jumps etc. The getting in can be 2 for 1 but then all the things inside cost a fortune. I am in no way judging people, as you can spend on what you like. But one old friend I know does this and says they can't afford holidays. Yet a theme park day must be at least £200. You can do a weekend at say Haven with swimming and entertainment for that.... but maybe I'm tight. I don't like theme parks either. Too crowded and the queues.
Definitely there are days out to be had that stretch money further and don't have to be of the sheltering from the rain with a packed lunch and flask type.

We barely ever went to these places! I went to Alton towers once at about age 14 for a friends birthday. The zoo with school. I don't really remember ever having paid days out - I remember being desperate to go to legoland and never being taken. I've still not been!