Short breaks: Indoor skiing and Shakespeare festival
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Check out these fun activities to do in England
SKI LIKE KINGS
If you can’t get to the Alps to ski, head for Chelsea.
Indoor slopes go upmarket with high-tech Chel*ski (020 3829 6961/chel-ski.uk), a cool new spot to learn or finesse just off the King’s Road.
The novel rolling turf carpet, with range of gradients and speeds, sits in front of an almost life-size mountain backdrop in a setting that is contemporary ski chalet.
There’s a cafe with trad ski fare (think melted cheese) and, of course, a bar for apres-ski (the slope is open until 10pm daily).
All sessions are with instructors and there’s tuition for those from five up. One-hour, £39.95, with equipment.
Chel*ski has opened their indoor slopes for everyone to enjoy
BIRTHDAY BARD
Stratford-upon-Avon is going even more Shakespeare crazy than usual to celebrate the 400th anniversary of his death on April 23.
A week of events, including a parade, will culminate in a weekend of family entertainment; full details are still under wraps but there will be appearances by stars of literature and theatre, shows and plenty of dressing up.
Stratford-upon-Avon where Shakespeare was born is celebrating the 400th anniversary of his death
New Place, the playwright’s final home, has had a makeover, the Guildhall has been renovated and the room at King Edward’s School where he may well first have put pen to paper will open to the public.
There’s a major Royal Shakespeare Company exhibition at the Swan Theatre while The Other Place, RSC’s research and development hub, will take visitors inside the RSC’s store of 30,000 costumes for the first time.