“GOTCHA!” Enthusiastically slipped from my lips as I looked down the sights and pulled the trigger of a laser gun.

The fifth life was taken from my opponent on the blue team who stood about 35 metres away unaware of my hiding point behind a strategically placed tree.

It was made that little bit sweeter with the fact it was also my husband.

He knew he was being shot at and his lives were being blown away but he could do nothing.

I had one son as support on the red team and the other son trying to shoot me. But neither took any prisoners.

It was a good time to take stock. I was stood in the New Forest, wearing a camouflage onesie, wearing a red headband complete with two big sensors as the target for the opposition to shoot at.

This was a far cry from just 90 minutes before when I was sat in the sumptuous and grand surroundings of the Best Western Forest Lodge, eating a delicious breakfast after an early morning swim in its pool after sleeping in a four poster bed. I had been surrounded by royal history as it was once a hunting lodge stayed in by Kings and dined like one of them in their restaurant.

But as I held scouted out the game area, with covering fire from a former Captain in the Royal Green’s whose son was having his birthday party roaring around the forest, I stood with muddy wet trainers, wet knees and sweat – a scene I would not usually be seen dead in. Except I didn’t care that I was red faced sweat dripping and running, yes running, around a forest.

The Battlefield Live was part of New Forest Activities, based in Beaulieu, that puts on exhilarating activities on the agenda whilst enjoying the tranquillity of the protected forest.

It included canoeing for more than two miles along the tidal River Beaulieu. We got the hang of it after fathoming out how to turn around quickly as not to crash into the beautiful and not to mention expensive, boats and yachts moored there. The instructor Daniel was not only there to advise us on keeping afloat but interesting snippets about the only private tidal river in the country and the celebrity owned homes on it. Nearby Bucklers Hard where we dismbarked to find save haven in a pub also played a big part in the naval history.

The weekend had began with lessons and attempt at archery, also a sport of kings, where we took pot shots at the target pretending that when the arrow went into the centre it we had aimed for it. Lyndhurst was the perfect quintessential English centre for the staycation - just over an hour from Reading - and of course for the adults there were the gorgeous New Forest pubs.