How can I get my son a 'go' on a real digger?

[Sickboy]

Hi everyone. Seems strange registering with a place called Mumsnet when, technically, I'm a dad. Anyway... My son is two in a couple of weeks and, shockingly, he's absolutely obsessed with Bob The Builder and big diggers/cranes in general. I'd love to surprise him with a quick ride on a real JCB - preferably while the driver is operating the front digger. Does anyone know how I might go about this - in a safe and 'official' way (as opposed to trawling round the streets and asking a surly workman)? Cheers.

Sickboy - have you heard of Diggerland. It's great fun. There's one near Taunton, one in Kent, and one in County Durham. There are all sorts of different sizes of REAL diggers, and little ones can sit on the laps of adults. I bought my dad an 'all day pass' for his 60th birthday, and he took his two grandsons and they had a fantastic day.

There is a website - can't remember the address, and can't do links, but I'm sure any search engine will pull it up. Do post again if you want more details.

Hi Sickboy - be warned, once you post on here, it's a dizzy spiral into addiction. Anyway, with regards to your question, there's apparently some theme-park type place called "diggerland" (I think). I'm not sure exactly where, but I think there may be 2 or more of them. If you do a search on diggerland, you should find something

Great minds think alike, eh, KMG?

Missed the fact that you're a bloke .. I'm sure you'd enjoy it too!

(Must admit not my best every day out, but the kids and dp loved it).

Big thanks to the both of you. Diggerland does indeed look fantastic. And yeah, emsiewill. I'm addicted already.

Where are you Sickboy? My dh drives a digger for a living, if you bung him a tenner I'm sure he would drive round and give your little 'un a go in the driving seat (under full instruction of course!)!

Welcome to mumsnet sickboy. DAds are always welcome.
And hey, don't knock trawling the streets chatting to surly workmen...I used to do that a lot in my single days ...

Go on, ask us another question...

Wow, there's a diggerland?! We must go, dp would love it and my nearly 3 yr old dd is obsessed by diggers. Of course I have NO problem whatsoever with her saying she wants to be a builder when she grows up. (I just sly away and cry into the yellowing remains of my barbie dolls, poor little things, abandoned forever - sniff sniff.... )

BTW Sickboy - have you read your character's new-ish book yet? Is it any good?

just incase any one wants it...the website is www.diggerland.com (not dure how to do links but at least you know know the address)

Ive been to diggerland several times, and on one discussion thread here there's lots of info and reviews on it. I can't remember which, if you type in diggerland on search hopefully you'll find it, sickboy.

I go to the site in Rochester - it's not huge or very picturesque and IMO a little on the expensive side for a half day's worth of entertainment. However I understand the other sites around the country are bigger. My sons really like the attractions so on that level diggerland is perfect for us.

Please, please, please don't take this the wrong way, sickboy, but you're not by any chance connected to diggerland yourself are you? ( haven't seen you post here before). If so, you need to make a subscription to mumsnet in order to advertise.

We visited Diggerland in Co Durham with my nephews aged 6 & 8 and my daughter nearly 4. It is expensive, we'd bought gift vouchers for nephews for Xmas. When you first get there it's a bit 'underwhelming', just a long path with some diggers parked on each side, but once we got into it, it was great. I personally think that it may be a bit wasted on under 3s, but I suppose it depends on the individual child. In the literature they make a lot of the 'other activities' which are included in the entry fee. These aren't really worth bothering with. Also we went on a not very nice day and the crowds were ok. I think on a really nice day the queues would be really long.

Hehe. No, tigermoth. I can assure you that I am in no way affiliated with the good people at Diggerland. If I was, I hope I wouldn't be so cheap as to plug the place in a forum. I'm sure they've got a half-decent marketing budget.

Not sure I'm going to go now, anyway. As THERESA says, I get the feeling it'll be wasted on a two-year-old. And it's a bit of a drive...

Rhubarb - I'm in Northwest London. If, by some joyous quirk of fate, you're anywhere nearby, I'd love to take you up on your dh's offer (that's 'darling husband', I'm guessing?). Maybe it won't be practical, but thanks for the thought anyway.

Lizzer - yep. Porno is good. The book by Irvine Welsh, that is.

Sickboy - alas I live in the North-West, of the country that is, not London! However I'm sure that if you telephone any plant hire company they would accommodate your little boy for an hour or so on one of the diggers in the yard. Dh says there is always someone in the plant hire yard milling around with nothing to do!

Sickboy, yeah - good idea to point that one out, hehehe

sickboy, don't let your son's age put you off diggerland. Other things might, but not that

My youngest went there when he was just over two and he loved it.

DS is nearly 3 & has 3x been invited into digger cabs this summer; plus once into the cab of a diesel at the local steam railway. We hang around building sites a lot (cheap entertainment for the kid) & after awhile get to know the drivers. None of these machines were in operation while DS played - nor would I want them to be!

Sickboy probably too far away for you in London but for anyone else further north try Magna near Meadowhall in Sheffield. Its a converted steelworks, now science adventure park which won the RIBA award (architecture) this year.

Its absolutely fantastic, so atmospheric as all the original equipment is in there with walkways in between these Zones, Earth, Fire, Wind and Water. Its brill for kids (small ones love the water play area. There is a fire tornado and in the earth section in the basement there is a "working" quarry with rocks to move around and also real JCB diggers you can have a go on. No I'm not connected in any way but we've been twice now and I love the place. Great use of an amazing site.