Wet weekend proves fun for all the family
Jul 21 2008 By Brian Daniel, The Journal
YOUNG and old got drenched at Alnwick Garden over the weekend as the attraction hosted the world’s biggest family water fight. Crowds armed themselves with free water pistols both on Saturday and yesterday at 2pm for 15 minutes of wet outdoor play, in Wet Yourself Weekend.
Around 200 joined in the fun in a field near the attraction’s Treehouse on Saturday, with the heavy rain not posing a problem at an event where people came expecting to get wet. Between 300 and 400 took part yesterday.
Children fought their parents, girls went against boys and families took on families.
But by the end, it was a general free for all with people filling up their pistols from buckets.
Attending yesterday’s event was Gillian Edgar, 29, of Lisburn Court, Alnwick, with her son Kyle, 11, daughter Ellie, eight, and stepson Jordon-Lee Lorimer, 13.
Gillian, who works at the town’s Lilburns’ restaurant and cafe, said her young companions were engaged in a spot of sibling rivalry.
She said: "It has been good fun, we have been fighting everyone. I think it should be a regular thing. We would definitely come again."
Ewan Borthwick, a 35-year-old sales rep from Henley Close in Cramlington, went with his wife, two children and some friends.
He said: "It was absolutely fantastic, really well organised."
The Garden’s marketing and communications manager Clare Ralph said yesterday: "It is great, everyone is having a fantastic time. The families are all outdoors having a good time together." Of the previous day, she added: "It went really well yesterday, there was that huge rain storm, but everyone came along and still had a really good time."
