As easy as one, two, ski

Tamworth, north-east of Birmingham, has never claimed to be a major cultural centre but it did witness two important 20th-century inventions. In 1973, the first Reliant Robin emerged from a Tamworth back garden and, in 1994, the UK's first realsnow indoor ski-slope was opened.

While the three-wheeler found favour with Princess Anne, The Snowdome received the attentions of ski jumper Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards, who taught there even before his notorious Olympics debut and still visits occasionally.

Now attracting a crowd of skiers, snowbladers, boarders and tobogganists, The Snowdome offers good snow, created and maintained using a secret technique developed by ProSnow International. Those wanting to learn to ski have several options. Before getting onto the slope, everyone must reach the recreational standard, which involves learning how to turn, stop and use the lifts.

You can book one-hour group lessons (£24, members, £16.80) or take the Learn To Ski In A Day course, which crams all four beginners' lessons into eight hours. The latter consists of eight pupils per group and includes ski equipment, coffee, a twocourse lunch and tea.

Hoping to transform myself from hopeless beginner to fully-fledged recreational skier, I joined the fast-track course led by instructor Jim Lyons. Learn To Ski In ADay is used mostly by people wanting to get a head-start on ski trips, although some come simply for the fun.

After coffee, we were taken to the ski hire and shown how to fit and carry our skis, how to choose the correct length of ski pole and, most importantly, how to get up off the floor without taking the skis off. This involved getting them parallel and putting your head between your legs, though even on matting this seemed impossible without cast-iron stomach muscles. Jim added we would be skiing without poles because beginners tended to clutch them in fear: a habit that made it difficult to learn the correct posture.

We were led into The Snow Academy - a small space underneath the main slope. It was originally intended to be a skating rink but is now used for teaching. When we had got used to the snow, Jim lined us up and demonstrated the right posture, explaining that our upper bodies should remain still, legs should be slightly bent and hands should be on our knees.

Then he showed us the most basic technique - the snowplough - which involves pushing out the heels until the skis are in a V-shape. Throughout the morning, things got more difficult as we incorporated jumps into the short downhill run and touched our heads, shoulders, knees and toes. These exercises were punctuated by moments of comedy as members of another beginners' class skied uncontrollably across our practice area.

Lunch is served in the bar from 12.30pm to 2pm while the piste is groomed. Back in the snow, Jim warmed up with a few games, then took us about 50m up the main slope.

There are two methods of transport at The Snowdome: the travelator or the rope tow. Using the tow, we were taken up to some small cones, where Jim recapped on the morning's lesson then showed us how to make snowplough turns. My padded gloves helped me get a good grip on the rope, but getting off at the right spot was not easy. I also learned that, unless I wanted my arms yanked from their sockets, it was best not to grab the rope when falling over. We did a lot of falling over.

Once the group had practised speed control and turns, Jim edged further up and asked us to follow him in a loose slalom. This was easier said than done, with children whizzing across the front of our skis on snowboards. At about 3.30pm, we broke for tea - although most of us were too tired to eat the cakes provided. Back outside, Jim said it was time to ski down the whole slope, so we boarded the travelator - a large conveyor belt which grips the skis - and nervously inspected the full 170m run.

After a few hair-raising moments on patches of ice, we achieved some decent downhill runs, weaving around other skiers and picking up speed. At 5pm, Jim reminded us of what we had learned and said we could use the slope unsupervised on subsequent visits. Although not quite Olympic standard, I was finally a bona fide recreational skier.

? Tamworth Snowdome, Leisure Island, River Drive, Tamworth, Staffordshire, 9am to 5pm, £109. Tel: 08705 00001 or www.snowdome.co.uk