Having visited Freeport in West Yorkshire several times, it never ceases to amaze me at the growth rate of the venue.  This massive designer outlet is situated on the outskirts of the ancient town of Castleford on the M62 and is an ever growing popular retail/leisure village.  Since the introduction of Xscape and the re-branding to Junction 32 this has all the ingredients for the ultimate day and night out incorporating retail designer products in an easy to get to place close to both Wakefield and Leeds.  Both areas in recent years have benefited from substantial new investment in housing, retailing and leisure.

At Freeport or 'Junction 32' as it has now been revolutionised, you'll discover a terrific range of designer products within the 90 and more shops, selling at up to 60% off high street prices.  There's everything from big-name fashion brands to kitchenware, china, furniture and beds. What's more these great, low prices are not one offs, they're available every single day!  Put all that together with masses of free parking, a huge selection of comfortable, inexpensive places to eat, superb play areas for the kids, and you'll feel totally liberated at Junction 32.

There's B.B's Cafe, Bakers oven, Burger King, Hansens and Bradwells to name but a few so you'll always find somewhere to eat.  Other additions include Starbucks coffee, Café Thorntons and a few crepes and cappuccino outlets which makes choosing somewhere to have a 'retail therapy break' somewhat difficult!

As a parent one of the features that appeals to me is the Junction 32 'Safety First for Families'.  There is nothing worse than that sick feeling you get when you turn around and realise your child isn't there. Anyone who has experienced this will know how important it is to have safety systems in place, to help both parents and children become reunited as quickly as possible.  With this in mind, Junction 32 has joined the national child safety initiative, displaying Child Safe Zones.  Brightly coloured window stickers are displayed in every store window which helps provide shoppers with simple safety information and contact details should a child get lost. The emergency number displayed on the sticker puts worried parents or lost children directly in touch with the security team.  On entering the Village a wristband can be collected from Toyworld or Elle. The wristband is bright, waterproof and tough. It allows a parent/guardian to write a mobile number inside the band, so if a child is lost they can quickly become reunited.

Xscape at Junction 32 opened in October 2003 and boasts the country's biggest REAL snow slope providing the ideal location for beginners and serious boarders discovering the thrill of snow sports without a passport!  This is combined with a 14 screen cinema, 20 lane computerised bowling, 2 rock climbing walls, the UK's biggest ice climbing wall, skate and air parks, bars, clubs, restaurants and urban-lifestyle shops!  With an impressive selection of restaurants including Pizza Hut, McDonalds and Brewers Fayre, one of the hardest decisions will be choosing where you are going to eat!

Chief Executive of X-Leisure PY Gerbeau is well known as the man who helped ‘fix’ Euro Disney and subsequently turn the Millennium Dome into the UK’s most successful ever paying visitor attraction.  Under his leadership X-Leisure has implemented a comprehensive programme designed to enhance and grow its portfolio of entertainment and leisure destinations and, as a result, has become the market leader within the leisure property arena. PY’s extraordinary vision on the subject of entertainment, and his determination to enhance the visitor experience has proved hugely successful.

Directly opposite the leisure and retail village is the 119 bedroom three star Tulip Hotel, which promotes a perfect leisure or business location.  Offering modern facilities and stylish rooms yet affordable rates the hotel attracts both business and leisure guests and caters for both equally.