A Witch, a Boggart and a Badger…

With the long summer holidays now upon us, as a parent I always struggle to think of how to keep the kids entertained on a budget. Having fun really doesn’t have to cost the earth, all it takes is
organisation and imagination as I was about to discover when I visited Victoria Park, Nelson, there’s something very strange going on there…

In conjunction with ‘Up and Active’, Pendle Council have created a spellbinding family friendly trail based on local legend and there are a few Lancashire folklore characters thrown in for good measure. The one mile route encompasses various activities for the kids (or you!) encouraging them to play games and hunt for items, whereas for the older ones there’s nature challenges a-plenty.

The trail is primarily based on Vicky the Witch, who has had a particularly bad day. Not only has she lost her wand and spell book, her cat has also gone missing. The challenge is to find them…

After collecting the quiz and anagram puzzle from the park’s pavilion, we were off, my son Frank excitedly leading the way, while I opted to stroll quietly behind taking in the stunning location. After living in Lancashire for over 20 years I was slightly miffed that this was my first ever visit to the park. How had I missed this gem?

Located in the centre of the park is a rather impressive bandstand set off beautifully by the colourful array of mature plants and trees, with Pendle Water gently cutting through the landscape. This place is paradise.

On entering the tunnel under Carr Road, be  sure to look out for some of Vicky’s pals. There’s Unsworth the dragon. Rumour was he once got so angry that he destroyed a whole village with his fiery breath. See if you can spot Vicky’s naughty sidekick Bargvest; he’s a boggart (and an ugly one at that!).

There’s a chance of winning vouchers to any of Pendle Leisure Trust pools if you manage to solve the anagram. We didn’t. Even on day two we came home with one letter still missing, one lousy letter, but then we’ve got the summer holidays to attempt to find it, and find it we will…well, that’s if Bargvest the boggart hasn’t eaten it!

The Vicky Witch trail can be downloaded from Vicky Witch.