Splashdown!

As any parent of a 14-year-old will tell you, coming up with activities that meet with even a hint of enthusiasm gets more difficult as adolescent hormones start to kick in.

The transformation from beaming, fresh-faced child to sullen, moody teen, who can suck the joy out of any given occasion, is well on it's way.

So it was a relief to find the idea of a weekend away involving two theme parks and a friend of his choice was still able to put a smile on my son's face.

Alex, his friend Chaez and myself jumped on the motorway and headed north for a two-night stay at The Moat House, a comfortable Best Western Hotel in Stoke-on-Trent, which became our base as we sampled some of the finest thrills and spills England has to offer.

On Saturday, after a hearty breakfast, which I hoped we wouldn't be seeing again, the magical world of Alton Towers beckoned.

Sitting in the middle of the Staffordshire countryside, this daddy of all theme parks is home to some of the most gut-wrenching, gravity-defying rides imaginable - a thought which filled me, if not the boys, with horror.

The park opened in 1980, changing hands every few years or so as mega-companies such as The Tussauds Group and Merlin Entertainments grabbed a slice of the multi-million pound action - which now sees 2.5 million people trooping through the gates every year Thankfully, the long, hot slog from the sprawling car parks (beware: you have to pay to park) to those very same gates didn't dampen our enthusiasm or that of the crowds of fun-seekers trudging along with us.

Using the Skyride cable cars, which criss cross the 500-acre site, we managed to get to most of the rides we wanted.

That said, we were put off by the two-hour queues at Air, which suspends riders under the track as if flying, and Oblivion, the vertical drop ride (yuk!) .... well, that was my excuse anyway.

The park is divided into themed areas with intriguing names such as Forbidden Valley, the X-Sector and Ug Land, where you'll find the infamous Rita - Queen of Speed, a launched rollercoaster which turns your face to putty as it accelerates to 60mph in 2.5 seconds.

Highlights of the day included Chaez's drenching on Ripsaw, inset left, which was as entertaining to watch as it was to ride, and drew quite a crowd.

The real high point though was Hex in the park's semi-ruined gothic county house. The climax, particularly for first-timers like us, was quite literally hair-raising.

If you just can't stand the thought of shuffling along in queue after queue, you can buy shortcut tickets, allowing you to go to the head of the line at certain rides - although I'm not sure how popular queue jumping will make you with your fellow riders.

Back at the hotel, we found Stoke-on-Trent's Odeon cinema conveniently placed just around the corner so we flopped into a seat with popcorn and coke to watch The Simpsons Movie.

Dragging two tousled and bleary-eyed boys from their beds next morning, it didn't take long for them to perk up at the thought of more rides - this time at Drayton Manor Park, just off the M6 near Tamworth. Hailing from the Midlands, Alex and I have visited this park many times and were both very happy to be back. On a smaller scale than Alton Towers, Drayton Manor is exceptional for the fact that since opening in 1950, it has been run by the same family.

And although smaller than its rivals, (and with smaller queues to match) it's still big on thrills, introducing Shockwave, Europe's first stand-up rollercoaster, in 1994.

So, having wimped out of any rides likely to separate me from my stomach the day before, I felt duty-bound to try out one of the famous rides. Chickening out of Apocalypse, inset right, Shockwave and Maelstrom, I picked G-Force, which looked horrific but reassuringly short. And it actually proved quite exhilarating, albeit in a can't-move-my-head-or-breathe' kind of way.

My bravado was shortlived, however, as a turn on the new swinging ship ride, The Bounty, made me so nauseous it was all I could do to wobble off and collapse on to the nearest bench.

The boys, in the meantime, sampled most of the rides, also managing to slurp down slush drinks and munch burgers. (To cut costs, take your own food - both Alton Towers with its beautiful gardens and Drayton Manor with its zoo and grounds are perfect for picnics).

After three goes on the Splash Canyon rapids and two on the Storm Force water flume, we were all soaked to the skin - creating that rarest of creatures: damp, tired but obviously very satisfied teens.

WHERE WE STAYED

The Moat House Hotel, Stoke-on-Trent: A large comfortable hotel with all the mod cons, a good restaurant, friendly staff and conveniently placed for the attractions of Stoke-on-Trent as well as Alton Towers. It's also just off the M6.

Single, double or twin rooms rooms are available from £64 to £179 a night.

See www.bestwestern.co.uk

FACTFILE

The Thrill Hopper Pass, which runs from April to October, gives you the chance to go to Alton Towers and Drayton Manor, as well as The Snowdome in Tamworth, where you can have a go at snowmobiling, tobogganing, tubing, sledging and skiing on real show, and Stoke-on-Trent's Waterworld with the Twister and water rollercoaster the Nucleus, for a reduced price for two adults and two children under 12. Call 0870 5004444