Since the cancellation of the Hampshire County Council Culture All Pass, we’ve been looking into cheap days out with the kids.
If you are a parent yourself, you’ll know the following equation:
Happy Children = Happy Adults
So this cheap day out may not be for everyone, but it will work for a lot of you.
You’ll need:
- Tesco Clubcard with loads of points (purchases on a Tesco Credit card also generate points)
- One or more children
- Transport to Port Solent
- Good weather
Step 1 : Have one or more children available. If you do not have a child, preparing a child can be good fun but will take a minimum of 9 months to complete.
Step 2 : Cash in the appropriate number of Clubcard Points to purchase Pizza Express Vouchers. £15 of Clubcard vouchers buys £60 of food. The vouchers are normally emailed within a day or so.
Step 3 : Go to Port Solent, park for free.
Odeon Family Screenings
We went to see ‘The Penguins of Madagascar’. The tickets were £3 for an adult, and £3 for a child. This came to £15, and is part of the ‘Family Screenings’ that take place at the weekend. We booked on-line which cost an extra 21 pence, you can also pick up tickets from the box office.
The film was actually okay, wasn’t too long, and I’d watch it again. As we were eating after the film, we didn’t purchase any food or drinks from the Odeon kiosk.
Pizza Express Port Solent
After the film we went to Pizza Express for our meal.
The Pizza Express voucher covers food only. It does not cover drinks. As always when we dine anywhere, we got a jug of tap water. Amanda and I decided to purchase a few coffees.
The children were given coloured pencils, and their menu also doubled up as an activity pack.
Amanda and I ordered a sharing platter of dough balls. They were yummy.
Our children had their own starter which they also enjoyed.
My pizza was huge!
Amanda’s Pizza was huge too!
Here’s a cheeky selfie of me, I’m very happy with my Pizza! Nom nom nom.
The children had a pudding each.
They could choose what they liked from the children’s menu.
The staff were attentive, polite at all times and we were made to feel welcome. The food was top notch, good and hot.
The amount payable came to £13.45 as we decided to have 4 coffees (£9.80) and we took away a couple of adult desserts to eat later. We also left a tip for the waitress (not shown). We could have forgone the coffee’s and extra desserts and kept the bill within the £60 voucher (shown in the receipt below) to do Cinema and Pizza for five for just £15.
Port Solent Play Park
The weather was a little warmer than expected and so we spent 30 minutes in the play park with our three children before heading home. There’s plenty to do here, including a climbing wall, play house, slides and a bridge + toddler toys.
Conclusion
With the cancellation of the BAE Leisure Park, Port Solent will remain the nearest Multiplex Cinema Leisure Park to Waterlooville. For those with their own transport, Waterlooville to Port Solent is just a 15 minute drive. For those that rely on public transport, at least two buses are required.
We got 4 hours entertainment, a huge lunch, and quality time with our family for very little cash. If only all days out were this inexpensive. We’ll do this again in the future, though next time I’ll choose a Pizza that is a tad less fiery!
Disappointed at how this appears to make light of waterloovilles needs and lost opportunity .
Mark – please can you explain more? Thank you!
To me this is saying waterlooville has lost out on a leisure park ! Oh well you can always go down the road , not like we needed one our self :-( Feel we should have been saying 6 months until the BAE site will look like this
I want that pizza. Now. ;) My little boy is too little for cinema, but we went to Port solent for lunch and playground, nice day. I used to go (when my son was tiny and mainly asleep) for mummies screenings on Tuesdays mornings. It would be great to have cinema closer, but it is not a huge deal, as Port Solent is just around the corner.
Its the only option for now, and the near future Mark. We’re on a budget, and so are many other families and it is important to make every pound count. Hopefully we’ll save a few pounds for Mums & Dads that follow our blog. We’d love to see the developer do a U-Turn and our prior posts regarding the BAE park ought to state our position.
Ania- oh it was delicious! We only started going to the cinema 2 years ago, pre-kids the last film we was was “A Bugs Life” in 1998. We found that around from 4 years old our boys were okay-ish. Getting to Port Solent on public transport is very difficult, and for those folks Gun Wharf is closer in time, if not distance.
1998! way too long! I love going to cinema! We will have a datenight soon, cinema is on the cards! I can’t wait to take my son to cinema! 4 years old seems like a good age! i would not dare to take him now, as he is 2 :/ it would end up in tears on both sides
Port Solent is great! I like the free parking best. You can get vouchers for everywhere and my work does %off deals for a lot of restaurants (I am sure lots of workplaces have corporate deals too) It is 10 minutes down the road – I am sure for a lot of W’ville people the BAE place would take longer to get there, especially if you live closer to Horndean(more small roads, traffic lights and r’bouts)
We ate in pizza express on Saturday and I have to say I won’t return to the port solent one as the service was terrible and topped off with a very rude waitress!
You can see the advertising: Move to Waterlooville, leave it if you want entertainment. Remember there is no Waterlooville in HAVANT Borough Council.
Lesley – the council aren’t at fault. The developer withdrew the plans.
Not everyone can drive or have a car!! it is not easy to get to!! Plus think the withdrawal of Cinema for Waterlooville is disgusting all those new houses being built by there and nothing for children or teenagers no wonder they get into mischief!! The council should be ashamed!