“I wish we’d gone skiing instead of to the beach,” my 10-year-old daughter announced, as we landed in the UK to find it blanketed in snow. “I wanted to,” I remind her, “but you guys voted for the beach!”

“Maybe we can get our skis and snowboards out when we get home?” her 12-year-old brother asks. I point out to them that, while there’s plenty of snow on the hills that we’re driving through, the UK isn’t exactly littered with ski lifts. They seem to understand, but I can see their faces in the rear-view mirror, gazing wistfully at the snow.

The following Friday I return from work to find myself looking out at the snow in our garden and contemplating digging out our skis and snowboards from the garage. We could head up to Yad Moss, one of England’s only ski tows, for a weekend break. A quick check on their Facebook group tells me that, while conditions on the slopes are excellent, they’ve sold out day memberships and aren’t selling any for the following day.

Then I remember that about 50 miles from where we live is the UK’s longest and widest indoor ski slope, and it’s certainly a lot shorter than driving up to Yad Moss in Wearside.

The kids are overjoyed when we get in the car the following morning and head to Manchester for a skiing mini-break.

King of indoor ski centres the Chill Factore complex boasts the longest indoor real snow slope in the country, stretching an impressive 180 meters from top to bottom. It’s also the widest indoor ski slope in the UK, with a whopping 100 metres being split between the main slope, the beginner slope and the sledging area.

All our equipment is included in the price of our family lift pass, which cost £139, and was £45 cheaper than the equivalent pass for two adults and two children at Snozone, on our own side of the Pennines. It’s a significant difference in price, but it’s the sheer size of Chill Factore and its proximity to so many other attractions that made me opt for Manchester on this trip.

Chill Factore caters to all ages and skill levels, offering skiing, snowboarding, sledging, and even snow play for children. There are snow camps for kids during the school holidays and learn to ski-in-a-day courses for anyone in a rush to learn before heading off to the Alps. Hire of boots, helmet, skis/snowboard and poles is included in the price with all lessons and lift passes, while anyone without jackets and trousers can rent those separately.

Beyond the slopes, there is plenty more to do in the area. For starters, it’s just 4 miles from central Manchester but there’s also one of the UK’s most popular shopping centres right next door, as well as indoor skydiving, a Legoland centre and Sealife, where you can even snorkel with sharks.

There’s even a climbing centre situated immediately after the entrance to the Chill Factore building, which the kids naturally ask about visiting.

“Maybe in the school holidays,” I tell them. “We’re here to enjoy the snow!”

They let out a cheer and we pick up our passes and get ourselves kitted out.

It’s been a few years since we last visited Chill Factore and I’d forgotten just how big the main slope is. I can sense a little trepidation in both kids, when they first set eyes on it, especially ten-year-old Ella. At 180 metres long, the main slope looks daunting to novices of any age let alone through the eyes of a ten-year-old. But they soon calm down once they realise that it’s possible to alight from the lift about a third of the way up, where the slope is very gentle.

Ella is also a little anxious about the poma-style drag lift because it’s been a long time since she last used one of these. Luckily, I let the staff member know that she might need a hand on the first attempt, and he helps her onto the lift, with a few words of encouragement to ease her worries.

Despite this being peak season, and a weekend, the queues are not particularly long and within a couple of minutes of putting on our skis and boards we’re all on the lift heading to the first station.

It only takes three or four runs on the gentle lower slope before Harrison has built up the confidence to take on the full 180 metres, so he and I head to the top while his mum continues to help Ella build her confidence on the lower slopes.

Then a couple of parties of learners arrive, and the queue on one of the lifts gets a little longer. It’s not particularly long, but it’s long enough to make Ella decide she’ll use the second lift that heads directly to the top – with no learners to slow her down.

And for the next two hours, it feels, almost like we’re back in Lapland, where we enjoyed one of our best-ever family holidays last year.

We took a skiing mini break ... in England