A Hot Drink for Mum and a Play for Baby, all for Under £1 at Mega Play

I’ll be honest, there were plenty of days, especially when Esmé was younger, when I felt isolated as a first-time mother. With my family all living over the pond in Ireland and my extended family Macclesfield way, I didn’t have my mum or step mum to pop in to visit like most of my friends do. What made it even harder sometimes was when I’d phone home and my nephew, 6 weeks younger than Esmé, sister-in-law and my sister with her boys were all having coffees, chats and laughs in my mum’s kitchen. Even though I know a lot of people in Bradford, I’d find myself texting friends to arrange meet-ups only to find on many a day that they were all off doing other things. Bring out the violins.

Not that I’m one to wallow in self-pity. You always have to make the most of what you’ve got. Instead of looking at the clock – were there really 8 hours till John returned from work, was it really only 10am and 10 mins since the last time I checked? I got myself out there (I sound like a Gok Wan for mums) and decided I’d make some baby gym friends. Generally an outgoing person, I always chat to new mums when I go out and about. Having a baby is such an easy conversation starter. There are so many other mums on their own out there too who are delighted to have someone strike up a conversation with them. The babies are also more  than happy  to find a new little playmate rather than gawping at your Blue Peter face all day.

Mega Play is just off Thornton Road (behind Lidl and turn left in by Dilbag Cloth House). With plenty of free parking outside, it’s a huge warehouse building renovated into a play gym with lots of run around space. It only costs £1 for babies under 1 and mums/dads get a free hot drink with that. Or you can upgrade to a latté for 50p extra. A great alternative to a coffee shop, you can enjoy a cuppa and a chat in peace while your little one can crawl around. Everyone wins.

There is a separate soft play area for the under 4s including foam steps (where Esmé first learned to climb by herself), a wendy house and a mini slide. The main play area is bigger than any other I’ve been to in Bradford and babies are welcome there too. This is a huge plus for me as Emsé has often got a right lambasting from older children in play centres with tighter spaces. A firm favourite of Esmé’s is the ball pool. I’m sure I’ve lost her in there once or twice. She's had a go at the 4 lane astra slide and the spiral slide too. It’s also a good option if you have children of different ages. Lots of play gyms seem overcrowded and more geared towards toddlers whereas I’ve seen many a ten year old bashing around in here later in the day. An enclosed football and basketball area is a major pulling point for the older ones and there’s even a small go-karting section. Mainly I see the dads try to run their kids off the track on that one.

About 4 or 5 comfy 2-seater leather couches line the walls and there are plenty of highchairs and tables for having your lunch. The adults’ menu has some decent baguettes and sandwiches too – as far as play gyms go. Baby food is allowed and they will heat it up in the microwave, though other than that they are strict about bringing your own food in as they have their own ‘chef’. Wonder what training he underwent to produce those hash browns, mini pizzas and nuggets. Esmé has never eaten pureés, I’ve done lumpy food from the word go and the first time I went there, they wouldn’t allow me to feed her food I’d brought from home (cottage pie). My friend, however, had brought a jar, which they were happy to heat up. I tried to explain that I was doing baby-led weaning to the gormless teenage boy at the counter. He looked confused. My food wasn’t baby food because it didn’t come from a factory. So I got a fork, mashed it in front of his face into a dollop of beige and said, “There you go, now it’s baby food.” They’ve been happy to warm up my mush ever since.

The owner of the place is a good guy too. On a freezing December day, my car (an automatic) was stuck in park and wouldn’t budge. Back into the play gym I went playing the role of damsel with vulnerable, dependent other in distress. Out he came to the rescue. Turns out he was a mechanic for 14 years prior to opening up the centre. Within about 30 mins he had the problem solved and we were on our merry way again. Now ladies, don’t be going down there just to get your car fixed, a coffee and a free play for under a pound.

On the down side, because it’s so big, it can be cold from time to time. It’s also not as bright as other more primary-coloured gyms. I’ve had a few friends pooh-pooh the play gym because of the location. But I’ve never had a problem with that. I used to teach in the school right across the road and as far as I remember, I’ve never seen a flash of a knife or the polish of a barrel. And I would know. You can take the girl out of Limerick…www.megaplaycentre.com