BMW Touring Experiences ... Snowboarding
It’s called recreational snowboarding. And you can learn how to do it at the Snow Dome in Birmingham. It’s a thrilling sport and those who already ski should find very easy to do. Organisers of the indoor Snow Dome claim to be able to teach you how to snowboard in just one day. The main slope is 170 metres in length with real snow, two junior slopes and an ice rink. The venue also boasts the only indoor snow mobile slope in the world. We sent our reporter Kylie Olsson off to Birmingham to test the “learn to snowboard in one day” claim.
It’s our final BMW touring experience so we’re going back to our roots. Apparently, most people in the UK can trace their ancestry back to the Mendip Hills in Somerset and, more specifically, Cheddar Gorge. Underground, once you’ve passed the remains of Cheddar Man in the enchanting surroundings of Gough’s Cave, it’s time to go off-piste and explore the intricate and exhilarating system of underground tunnels and caverns. Cheddar Caves and Gorge is the only place in the UK where you can literally turn up and try your hand at potholing, so we sent our reporter Kylie Norman to take a step into the darkness and back in time. For more information, go to the Times Your World website
The days of giving up your old life and running away to join the circus are over – because the previously secretive circus is now running workshops! So you can keep you old job and still learn a trick or two from the experts, with a set of circus skills that as a kid you may only have dreamed of doing. At the Circus Space in London – based inside a disused power station – they run a practical degree course. And they’ve now opened their doors to the public for weekend workshops. For more information, go to the Times’ 
It’s often the case that we don’t appreciate places and events that are on our own doorstep. We might fly off to, say, Barcelona for the weekend for a spot of arts tourism … but here in the UK there’s a place that’s just as good – if not better. The Scottish capital Edinburgh is awash with a fascinating cultural and musical heritage. And it’s so easy to get to with good transport links from all parts of the country. For more information, go to the Times’ 
The World Heritage city of Bath is known for its architecture and expensive shops. But what is not so well known is that it’s also the home to the UK’s only natural thermal spring. After all, following a long, cold winter we all deserve a little pampering! The Thermae Bath Spa prides itself on offering total relaxation – with every type of water massage imaginable, including a rare treatment known as Watsu. It all leads up to the ultimate chill out experience! Charlotte Hanna from the Thermae Bath Spa has been telling us more about the relaxing properties of natural thermal spring water.