Fluming at the Coatbridge leisure center

I always believed that a time capsule was a collection of bits and bobs, sealed and buried for 100 years before being dug up and re-examined to see how things have changed. But it turns out that The Time Capsule is in fact a large swimming and leisure complex in Coatbridge, ideal for a family adventure.

At first glance the building appears to have part of the Large Hadron Collider strapped to its exterior. This is actually the workings of the terrifyingly named flume Tornado Thunder, one of the watery delights on offer inside. It is worth getting there early, as it gets pretty busy.

Accompanying me are my partner Graham, our two daughters Eve and Hope, and Cara, one of Eve’s chums from swimming. Just as well we brought her along as Cara has been before and knows how to work the lockers. They require colour-coded locker wristbands, which look like teleporter bracelets, but hold them next to the locker button and they magically open or lock the door.

After a quick change and shower we head straight in to the tsunami pool. This is a large lagoon with fairly sizeable undulating waves, and Eve and Cara are off like rockets, diving beneath them and coming up for air, with huge grins. Cara comes to the rescue again when Graham manages to lose part of his goggles.

Hope, too, was relishing being buffeted by the waves, but we decided to race off to try the splash down zone. Here you gaze at the rocket suspended from the ceiling and play around with the water jets before climbing up the tower. However, the highlight of this area is definitely the huge bucket, containing two tonnes of water, suspended then released with an epic splash.

Before I know it we are all in the queue for the Tornado Tantrum. You need to carry an inflatable ring up some stairs, either for two people or up to four before you are launched down a chute with quite a drop. Thankfully it’s all over relatively quickly and we emerge in hysterics. Next we zoom down a series of blue slides, which are part of a canal system, before taking it in turns to try the yellow Lighting Flume, leaving the purple Thunder one, as expert guide Cara said it was a bit tame.

All too soon our time was up and as we were all famished, we made a beeline to the cafe bar for a spot of lunch. It’s safe to say, we won’t be waiting a hundred years for our next visit.

•The Time Capsule, Coatbridge, tel: 01236 449572; adult waterpark tickets cost £4.50 off peak, £5.75 for peak times; tickets for children (age 5yrs+) cost £3 off peak and £4.50 at peak times. A range of family tickets are also available. Child to adult ratios are strictly adhered to for safety reasons, check the website for details, click here for www.thetimecapsule.info/