Wacky Warehouse - Lakeside - There are indoor and outdoor play areas for the younger visitors, the Wacky is a purpose built building with safe play equipment for kids under 4ft 9ins tall.

If there is a parent in the UK who has not at least heard of Wacky Warehouse I would be surprised. These indoor play places added to pubs are everywhere. The owners, Spirit Group, claim they keep 4 million kids entertained each year and the formula is simple – let the kids go mental in big play areas while mum and dad can keep an eye on them, grab a coffee (or beer) and then head home or through to the pub for meal.

Lakeside is a very good execution of this formula and a great example of how these places can be a bit of a life (or sanity) saver. The Lakeside has a large car park and being out of town means you are not paying extra for it. Inside there are two distinct areas – one for over 5’s and one for under 5’s. The under 5’s area is notably smaller than the over 5’s area but they are both similar - - climbing bits, slides, ball-pits. Considering that when I was in there, the place was holding two parties on a Saturday, neither of the two areas was crammed.

Birthday parties are pretty much the litmus test for these places – they require fast and accurate organisation and individual attention, and on this occasion they acquitted themselves well. The party area is a mezzanine floor so there is a tangible sense of purpose, even exclusivity. Menu choices were accurate and included healthy options, and the team was quick to respond to requests.

One other bonus point to be awarded is that Lakeside is one of the newly revamped Wacky Warehouses. Out go the plastic chairs, aircraft hangar feel and bringing your beer though from the pub. In come coffee shop styling, a plasma TV running News 24, healthier menus, five types of coffee and security buzzer doors. This makes a huge difference. Spirit has finally twigged that whilst the little ones are the consumers for Wacky Warehouse, it is parents that are the customers.

Downsides? The layout of these places still needs tweaking: this is a matter of details but things like dark corners need to be sorted. Likewise I would seriously recommend all of the new places have a dedicated relaxation type room for mums who may need to breastfeed. The ultimate test is would I take my little girl again? At £2.50 an hour, absolutely.

- Crawford Warnock 04/07

http://www.pub-explorer.com/nhants/pub/lakesidenorthampton.htm