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After the exams: what to do this summer
Thousands of pupils across the city have just sat their GCSEs and are now starting a long summer holiday. But after a few weeks, trying to find something to do that doesn't cost the earth can be a challenge.
Thousands of pupils across the city have just sat their GCSEs and are now starting a long summer holiday. But after a few weeks, trying to find something to do that doesn't cost the earth can be a challenge.To help combat this, Ellie Swire, a 16-year-old Peterborough High School pupil who came to The ET on work experience has put together this guide.
I can't believe that the holidays have arrived so soon.
Having spent two years constantly working towards my GCSEs, it has always been hard to imagine what could possibly come after exams and now that it's finally here, all I can think about is how unreal it seems.
You work away for months on end, ploughing through revision guides and trying everything and anything to make facts stick in your mind, the pressure building up, and then suddenly, it's all over.
I can't say that I mind very much.
The thought that I will never have to sit through another maths lesson, trying desperately hard to understand angles and their bisectors comes as quite a relief.
Even so, the summer seems almost infinite and it's a very long time until the results come out in August. I might have forgotten even doing the exams it's such a long wait.
And what is there to do with all this extra free time, now that I don't have to revise?
It might be quite enjoyable at first, having to do absolutely nothing but after a while I can imagine that boredom will all too easily set in.
I don't know about other people but I like to feel as if I've actually done something with my day. It need not be particularly important or useful, but I like to feel that I've not just wasted 24 hours.
I have some things to do already. I'm going on holiday, which is definitely a good way to spend your time.
I'll be in Peterborough as well, and as I'm quite sporty, I'll certainly be taking advantage of the good weather (hopefully) and getting out on my bike or playing some tennis.
I'll be meeting up with some friends when I can, as well, but the problem after a while is deciding what to do and where to go.
Shopping in town can soon get boring, especially when you don't have a huge amount of money to spare.
Having said this, Peterborough really does have a lot to offer and you don't have to go very far at all this summer to discover this.
What with the festival, new films and loads of sports clubs and holiday camps, maybe August will come around a lot faster than I think it will. I might even start to wonder how I managed to do all that revision before the holidays arrived.
More from peterboroughtoday.co.uk:
The Guide: Leisure & places to go - www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/leisure
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Healthy body, healthy mind
If you have been inspired by the start of Wimbledon, there are plenty of places around Peterborough to get on court.
You can hire tennis courts in locations all over the city, call 01733 452643 for more information.
Alternatively, if you are looking for someone to play with, there are several clubs in the city and surrounding area. Check out the community groups section on Peterborough City Council's website at http://tinyurl.com/lyx5zt.
For something with a real adrenaline buzz, whizz down to Peterborough Raceway in North Bretton, and race your mates round the go-kart track from 10 for 10 minutes.
The track is open every day from 10am. For more information, call 01733 333777 or visit www.peterborough-raceway.com.
For a striking good time, go down to AMF Bowling, in Bretton, which is open everyday from 10am to midnight. Prices start at 4.40 per session (per person) and this includes shoe hire.
On Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays AMF runs "Bowl your Brains Out" evenings. For 5 per person (minimum of four people per lane) you can bowl from 9pm through till midnight.
For more information, call 08448263027
Lastly, get your skates on and get down to Planet Ice, Bretton. Prices start at 4.40 per session plus skate hire. For prices and opening times, call 01733 260222 or check the website at www.planetice.co.ukExplore great outdoors
If you have spent most of the sunny days so far stuck inside revising or sitting in an exam hall, now is your time to make up for lost time.
The Lakeside Leisure Centre, Ferry Meadows, will also be open over the summer and canoes, dinghies, pedaloes and row boats are all available for hire, at prices starting at just 3.75 for half an hour.
Alternatively, you can watch the boats from the safety of dry land and enjoy refreshments in the Lakeside Caf. For more information, visit www.lakesideleisure.com.
With the weather improving, now is a great opportunity to get out on your bike.
We are lucky in Peterborough to have a huge cycle path network, the Green Wheel, which takes you around the city and out into the surrounding countryside.
You might not feel up to the full 45-mile outer route but there are lots of shorter routes to choose from as well. Plus, it's completely free, so there really is no excuse for not packing up a picnic and getting out and about.
For more information, visit www.pect.net and search for the Green Wheel, or visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/page-5252 Alternatively, maps can be bought for 2 and are available from Queensgate Bus Station, Peterborough Tourist Information and most local bike shops.
More from peterboroughtoday.co.uk:
The Guide: Leisure & places to go - www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/leisure
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Make the most of what's on your doorstep
Top up your tan and maybe even get a bit of exercise with the wonderful open air pool in the city centre, the Lido.
The pool is open from 9am daily, and 7.30am on Sundays if you fancy an early morning dip.
It includes three heated outdoor swimming pools and grass sunbathing area. Admission for under 15s is free, and for over 16s it is 3 with an @ctive card or 4.10 without.
Unleash your creative side at the Key Theatre this summer by signing up to one of their three summer school courses this year. Each course lasts a week and is open to young people aged eight to 18.
Students can expect a fun – but intensive – training in a number of areas of theatrical work. Based on the musicals, the programme gives young people an opportunity to work with top professional performers while furthering their knowledge of acting, singing, movement and other theatre techniques.
Participants will have an opportunity to perform their work to parents each Saturday.
The first course starts on Monday, July 20, the second on Monday, July 27, and the third on Monday, August 3.
For more details, e-mail key.theatre@peterborough.gov.uk or call 01733 207239.Going out
Most gigs at the Met Lounge welcome over 16s, provided they have proof of age. Some gigs also welcome over-14s, and for these gigs, everyone under 16 needs to have an adult with them.
The next gig is set to take place tomorrow, when Me My Head plus support will be playing a 14 plus show. For more information, visit www.metlounge.org.uk.
The Park in Peterborough also has a 14-plus show this week, with Bury Tomorrow and Evita on Friday, June 26.
For more information, visit www.thepark4music.com.
Liquid nightclub, in New Road, is hosting four under-18s nights this summer.
The events are for 13 to 17-year-olds, and weekday sessions will take place on Wednesday, July 22 and Wednesday, September 2.
There are also two Saturday events, on July 4 when up-and-coming R'n'B star Chipmunk takes to the stage, and August 8 when Liquid hosts DJ Talent.
For more information, call 01733 898005.
Lots of summer blockbusters
Outdoor activities not your thing? You can tuck yourself away in a nice air conditioned room and transport yourself to another world with one of the summer blockbusters which are making their way to the big screen.
The Transformers sequel, Revenge of the Fallen, comes out on Friday, and looks set to be just as action-packed as the first.
Sacha Baron Cohen's new film Bruno comes out on Friday, July 10. After appearing as a wannabe gangster in Ali G and a Kazakhstani news reporter in Borat, Cohen brings a gay Eurotrash fashionista to the big screen.
And for all the Harry Potter fans, the wait is nearly over. The sixth instalment of J K Rowling's magical tale makes the silver screen this summer. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes out on Friday, July 17.
Fun for families
Take your family, including the four-legged members, to the East of England Showground from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12 for the Just Dogs Live! show.
Just Dogs Live! will incorporate the East of England Championship Dog Show, and will include the traditional Crufts qualifier showing classes.
The new show will also feature additional attractions, including demonstrations and competitions.
There will be about 200 breeds of dogs, and a fantastic opportunity for visitors to discover more about owning a dog, including which breed is best for you, nutrition, welfare and training advice. Plus there will be plenty of tradestands so you can spoil yourself and your doggy companion with lots of treats.
Entry costs from 2 for a child's advance ticket, and gates open 8.15am each day. Dog entry fee costs 3 and will be donated to Pets As Therapy. For more information, call 01733 234451.
Enjoy all the fun of the festival activities
The 2009 Peterborough Festival has just started and there are all sorts of events happening right across the city.
Forthcoming highlights include the Spaces Short Film Festival which will be held from Monday, June 29 to Friday, July 3. Tickets are just 3.50 per film or 8 for the week, and the shows start at 7.30pm each night at the Key Theatre.
If you fancy something a little spooky, the Peterborough Ghost Walk Festival Special will take place tomorrow at 7.30pm starting at the museum. Call 01733 864663 for details and booking.
Stanground College is staging We Will Rock You on Monday, June 29, Tuesday, June 30, Thursday, July 2 and Friday, July 3. The show starts at 7pm each day, and tickets cost 5. Visit the school website, www.stangroundcollege.co.uk, for more information.
More from peterboroughtoday.co.uk:
The Guide: Leisure & places to go - www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/leisure
------------------------More from peterboroughtoday.co.uk:
The Guide: Leisure & places to go - www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/leisure
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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