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Full Monty Tank Driving Day - Activity Gift Experience
When we headed off at 4am for the 150 mile drive to Banbury, north of Oxford, we couldn't help wondering if we should have stayed at home watching TV with the heating turned up!
We arrived in good time for the 9am start to be welcomed by around a dozen staff and hot drinks. Spectators are welcome and for just £15 per person includes everything apart from actually driving the tanks which is a real bargain.
The tank drivers were split into competitive teams of eight which rotate around the various activities as the day unfolds.
Our first stop was to meet an English musketeer who, in full unform and in character, demonstrated how to load and fire muskets and mortars with amusing anecdotes. The team gets to fire the mortar and everyone gets to fire the musket, our team even managed to hit the fort with our mortar!
Next up was the chance for Zak to drive an ex-NATO military vehicle, a Lance missle launcher, and he'll always enjoy telling people about the first vehicle he ever drove. This station also included a drive and ride for spectators in an amphibious Hauggland personal carrier which were used as military vehicles in the Gulf.
The next station is a mission through booby trapped woods, learning the role of the SAS following a briefing about landmines, trip wires and everything associated with jungle warfare.
We broke for a most welcome piping hot lunch with choice of menu before heading back into action for the main event - Zak and his Abbot tank driving experience - great fun and he wants to go again, enough said! We bought him a Russian Tank Commander's hat as a souvenir which not only kept him happy it's also incredibly warm.
Our final station was a talk about firearms with genuine weapons and equipment and a chance for all the nerds to ask questions and Zak was in his element, I was yawning but both Deb and our daughter Natasha went one better and dozed off!
The tank driving day was rounded off with the winning tank driver crushing a car with a 56 ton Chieftain tank with the winning team on board the tank for a great photo opportunity. The Tank driving experience was a great family activity day out!
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