An enterprising Brentwood couple have opened a £1million indoor adventure play centre for children, believed to be the tallest of its kind in the world, in Basildon.
The Playtopia centre, in the Pipps Hill retail park, boasts first-class facilities for both children and parents, and has got off to a flying start in its first week of opening.
It is the brainchild of Jacqui and Ashley Smith, of Vaughan Williams Way in Warley, and their business partners, a couple who live in Cheltenham. Together they formed Funtastique Ltd, the company behind Playtopia.
"We've been planning it for two years," said mother-of-three Mrs Smith, 42. "We are parents, and we were fed up with sitting on plastic chairs when we went to indoor play centres for children. We just felt that the adults needed to be addressed in these places as well."
Playtopia has leather sofas and coffee tables to allow parents to relax while their children have fun, and there is also a dining area with a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The giant play structure, which has a space theme, is five levels and nearly 10metres high. According to the manufacturer, it is the tallest indoor play structure in the world.
It is padded for safety and has a range of interactive features for youngsters to enjoy including slides, an obstacle course and a 'cannon zone' where they can fire soft balls at each other.
Published Thursday January 15, 2004
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