We visited on the last Saturday of the month, so b...

We visited on the last Saturday of the month, so being after payday, expected it to be busy. It was very busy, with about half the visitors with push chairs which made for an unpleasant journey through the installation. The route down hill is narrow most of the time and is entirely too small. Many areas where poorly lit, little thought had gone into parents keeping an eye on their toddlers and young children, squeezing through adults , and keeping track of our three year old was definetetly a task for 2 parents. The content falls into three categories, displays, fish/fauna and play. The displays are a little dated and not really 21st century, with buttons not working properly or at all on 10-20%, the fish displays were adequate but by no means exceptional. In all I thought the layout of the whole aquarium was poorly conceived and felt a bit like being at an Ikea store, being hearded from start to finish without any flexibility in the route. Maybe good in concept but in reality our 3 year old got tired before the end and we where stuck behind 200 people to get out. Fortunately a member of staff allowed a group of parents with young children to exit though a emergency door. The play area was just a standard play area with little theme relating to the the aquarium. All in all I was disappointed with my visit. We have been to several other aquariums, London and Scarborough, and found that the experience was better in both cases. I would say that the aquarium visit experience would be far better in an off peak period, but would definitely advise to stay clear in peak school holidays. Arrive early at the opening if possible or after 3. The other positive aspects of the aquarium, if you live locally ish is that the entrance gives you 12 months access. My daughter did get something positive from the visit, but I would not go again unless in term time, first thing in the morning. The cafe has tasty food at reasonable prices (but by no means cheap).