WITH a 160m main slope as well as the largest indoor ski lesson slope in the UK, The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead certainly has appeal to day trippers.

Eager to see what it was like, Reporter Brendan McFadden visited the Centre on a Sunday afternoon last month and enjoyed an hour skiing lesson along with his companion.

After collecting our ski equipment and warm clothing in the changing area, instructor Simon Longstaff directed us to the nursery slope which is just off the main slope.

 My heart sunk when I realised that I would not be sampling the main slope, but when I remembered how rusty I was, I knew it was for the best.It had been five years since I last set foot on a ski slope so to be honest it is likely I would have hurtled down the slope out of control, with people screaming and fearing for their lives around me...

Due to my lack of recent slope time I was a tad nervous at the start of my lesson but Simon soon put me at ease.

He went through all the basic techniques of skiing and walked us a few metres up the first slope before asking us to show what we could do. It was a reassuring gentle introduction and exactly what I needed.

It soon became apparent that me and my companion were at different abilities. To counter this Simon spent several minutes with tutoring us on areas we needed to improve in. For me, it was balance and turning with control; for my companion, who had not been on a slope in 20 years, it was stopping and being able to turn at all...

By the end of the lesson, I was able to go down from the top of the nursery slope with ease and I am sure that that was because of the great one-on-one tutorial I had with Simon throughout the lesson. Simon explained things to me in a clear and coherant manner and often accompanied me down the slope, giving me advice constantly as I made my descent and this gave me great confidence.

Simon marked me as a level 4 skier at the end  of the lesson and much to my delight told me that I was ready for the main slope!

All that was left to do was enjoy a beer and a bite to eat at the alpine themed restaurant which offers a most wonderful panoramic views over the slopes.

The Snow Centre is a fantastic place to visit, whether you are an experienced skier or snowboarder, who just wants a few practice runs before hitting the French Alps, or a complete novice who needs lessons from qualified instructors.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon at the Snow Centre and it is fair to say that I have the skiing bug and will be visiting again soon. When I do, my one mission will be to succesfully take on the beastly 160 metre main slope – gulp!

The Centre is 10 minutes drive from junction 20 of the M25.

For more information and prices visit thesnowcentre.com