Bluefins - Pool

Your kids are going to drag you to Bluefins whether you like it or not, and honestly, that's not the worst problem to have on a rainy Dorset afternoon. It's a proper swimming pool complex just outside Ringwood, the sort of place that keeps families sane when the weather turns and beach trips are off the table.

You get your standard indoor and outdoor pools - lap lanes if you're the type who actually swims, and shallow bits for the little ones to splash about in without you having a heart attack. There's usually a kids' pool with slides or some sort of splash feature, though these things come and go depending on what they've invested in lately. The changing facilities are decent enough, though pack your own lock if you've learned anything from twenty years of UK leisure centres.

It works brilliantly if you're staying at one of the caravan parks dotted around Ashley Heath or Forest Edge way - you're talking ten minutes maximum from most of them. Perfect for that forced activity when the novelty of the Monopoly board's worn off by day three.

Admission varies depending on whether you've got a pre-booked ticket or just rock up, and honestly, you'd want to check their website or ring ahead before you drive over. Opening hours shift seasonally too, so don't assume summer schedule applies in May. Allow a good two to three hours if you're serious about it, or just an hour if you're there to tire out restless children and call it a win.