Tourist hotspots get sunny boost

Tourist attractions around the region enjoyed an unexpected boost as families made the most of blue skies, glorious sunshine and above-average temperatures.

Latest weather news from Expressandstar.com

Families flocked to parks, museums, and stately homes in the area as spring sprung early this weekend. The average temperature for this time of year is 43F (6C).

But Express & Star weatherman John Warner said that Saturday and Sunday's temperatures topped the chart at 57F (14C).

And, with half term starting today, the dry and sunny weather is set to continue – for the next couple of days at least. Families in the West Midlands woke up to a beautiful sunny and frosty morning, although temperatures were again set to be around double the seasonal norm later in the day.

Richard Simkin, owner of Essington Fruit Farm, said his customers were around 15 per cent up at the weekend.

He said: "We definitely noticed an increase. I also checked my records for this time last year – and it was snowing then."

"The good weather always brings people out to the farm as they can walk around in the sunshine and look at the animals.

"In fact, I even had my first request from someone wanting to pick their own strawberries. They'd seen the foreign ones in the shop and thought the British ones were out too, but, good weather or not, it'll be a few months before that happens," added Mr Simkin.

Rangers at farms in Sandwell were also celebrating a bumper weekend, after more than double their expected visitors poured through the doors.

Sandwell Park Farm, in West Bromwich, welcomed more than 600 people on Sunday, compared to 295 on the same day last year. And Forge Mill Farm, in Forge Lane, clocked up more than 1,000 visitors.

Scores of people also flocked to Cannock Chase, Stafford's Amerton Working Farm and Dudley's canal network.

June Hodgetts, from Dudley Canal Trust, said: "We had to put on six extra boats over the weekend because we were so busy.

Peter Suddock, chief executive of Dudley Zoo, said the Castle Hill attraction, had seen hundreds of extra visitors. "It was absolutely superb over the weekend," he said.

Express & Star weatherman John Warner said: "It was unusually mild for this time of year. London and Manchester were warmer than places such Majorca and Athens.

"There will be more of the same for the next few days but by the end of the week it will return to the normal conditions, cloudy and rather cold," he went on to say.