Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World, Telford have been named second best zoo in the UK for the second time. The Shropshire Star talk to visitors to find out what makes it so special.
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00:00 So Will, second best zoo in the country, ninth best in Europe, how are you feeling?
00:04 Yeah, we're delighted as you can probably imagine. It doesn't quite feel real.
00:09 We're only a small place in the middle of Telford and to feel that we've been acknowledged by Truth Advisor as one of the best,
00:18 the second best in the country, is incredible really.
00:21 Why do you think you're so popular? What keeps bringing people back?
00:24 Well, we try to be different. We try to be unique. Ever since the start with things like sheep racing and stuff like that,
00:31 we've always tried to do things differently and we've steered away from the corporate and commercial side of things.
00:38 We've been down to earth and as a lot of our Truth Advisor reviews say, rustic and family friendly.
00:44 We keep that family-run approach as much as possible.
00:46 Tell me how you got started back in the 90s because it was quite a family approach right from the start, right?
00:51 Yeah, so back in the 90s when we first started, well 1991, it was obviously my parents who set it up back then.
00:57 They came from a dairy farming background, dairy farming and horse racing background.
01:02 At the time there was a bit of a push for a farm park in Telford and they sort of jumped on the back of that and developed here.
01:11 Who Farm had been here as a bit of a sort of tree plantation for a while for the local council
01:16 and they sort of moved in and turned it into a farm park then and we've sort of expanded since then.
01:22 I came into the business back in the late 2000s, having grown up literally in the business all the way along.
01:28 And yeah, ever since then my wife and I, we've pushed more down the zoo route.
01:32 We've been zoo licensed since 2004 and now obviously we're big on the dinosaurs and all that sort of stuff as well.
01:37 So it's always a case of trying to keep things different and keep people coming back.
01:41 And you're raising your two children here on the zoo?
01:44 We are, yeah. So it's the third generation in it now and I don't think yet they quite realise the sort of mentalness that they've been born into.
01:53 But they love it. We do have a slight issue that they seem to take it for granted a little bit.
02:00 We have to kind of point out that it's not normal that you can just walk down and go and see your dinosaurs, as my son tries to put it.
02:06 So yeah, it's been a bit of a case of trying to keep them grounded.
02:10 And could you have envisioned back in the 90s growing up that it would be what it is today?
02:15 Oh no, absolutely not. Back in the 90s when my parents first started, when I was growing up here,
02:20 the drive was always just to create something that people in the local area would want to come to and enjoy.
02:26 So the fact that we're sort of recognised all around the country now and get visitors from all over and that we are what we are is kind of insane really.
02:38 Amazing, thank you Will. No problem, thanks very much.
02:40 I quite like it because it's all outdoors and it's quite nice when the weather's nice.
02:44 It's nice to be able to see lots of different animals and then there's the play areas as well which is really good,
02:49 especially for these ones who don't want to sit still for too long.
02:51 Can we go to the play area? Yes we can darling.
02:54 How many times have you guys been, have you come before?
02:57 We've come before, we bought her when I think she was about one, when we bought her last time.
03:01 And it's expanded loads since they didn't have Dinosaur World.
03:05 They didn't have Dinosaur World last time we came and now they're opening a new bit we've seen so we might come back again for that bit.
03:12 We were considering West Middles of Fire Park today but we thought it would be too confined in the car so that's why we came here
03:17 because it's a bit more outdoorly for the kids so yeah they can see more.
03:20 And they like to feed the animals, she loves it.
03:22 We timed it well so we went up to when it was deer feed so she was there with two massive bucketfuls in her hands.
03:27 How many times have you been? A few times over the years.
03:31 Because it's been going since '91 I think, have you kind of seen it growing that time?
03:35 Yeah. I've got two older children, 10 and 12, so we've been here quite a few times.
03:40 It's always good to come out in the summer or spring and see the different animals
03:46 and they're doing lots of new stuff all the time which is really good.
03:49 And a few years ago then they made it kind of Dinosaur World as well, is that something your kids have enjoyed?
03:55 Yeah, my son likes it. My daughter who's the older one doesn't like it as much but she's just moody as typical teenagers are.
04:03 What keeps bringing you back if you've been several times?
04:07 It's close by and it's not too expensive and there's always something new to come and visit.
04:16 I used to come when my children were really small and now I've got a little granddaughter with a child
04:23 that I used to bring up here when she was small so it's just a nice day out for all ages really.
04:31 So it's nice to bring the grandchild and reminisce from when mine was small.
04:37 Are there favourite parts of the zoo?
04:40 We haven't actually been all the way around yet but obviously this is a new bit to me so this is pretty good.
04:47 I like all aspects of it really, just the animals in general, they're all well kept and really nice to look at when you come up.