Boston Bowl

Ten-pin bowling in Boston might not sound like a trip to write home about, but Boston Bowl is exactly the sort of place that keeps the kids occupied for a solid couple of hours when the East Midlands weather turns grim. It's a proper sports venue with lanes, arcade games, and the standard bag of fried food you expect from these places. You'll roll up, pay your entry fee, grab some shoes that smell of decades of feet, and get going. Families find it useful. Adults after a casual evening out find it decent enough.

The appeal here is straightforward - it's indoors, it works when a walk around Fens feels less appealing, and it breaks up a holiday at nearby Orchard Holiday Park or Long Acres if you need a half-day activity. Don't expect sophistication. This is functional leisure, the sort of venue that's been around for years doing the same job well enough. A couple of hours is about right before everyone's ready for something else.

It's worth knowing that Boston itself is a proper historical town - the Pilgrims sailed from here - so a bowl session pairs reasonably with exploring the wider area. Appletree Holiday Park is close by too, if you're plotting a break in Lincolnshire. Check opening hours before you drive over, and ring ahead if you've got a group booking in mind.