Center parks - a bit tacky?

All of the CP’s on-site supermarkets have an in-store bakery with loads of different breads, pastries and baked goods, baked fresh throughout the day.

We are going to try Ribby Hall in December. Got a good deal with Blue Light Card , hope that's better but CPs I was disappointed in last time, the accommodation we had was excellent though and we did self cater.

I think it is for people who would never dream of going to a caravan park.

We do CP each year with a group and generally do a caravan park trip with a few family friends too. Also camp, visit family holiday home in France & love Cornwall. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yup

It's just a means to an end - I had no idea it was a source of status anxiety.

My kids loved it, I found it over priced and poorly
maintained. Won’t be going back. The pool at Sherwood was a decent size and the slides were good but there were plasters in the water and all around the pool edges, people had broken parts of the plants off and leaves were all in the water. The floors were filthy. And it was packed even though it wasn’t school holidays. The cabin was very dilapidated, the patio door didn’t even shut at the bottom. We paid for a cabin with a log burner as it was February when we went. It was boarded up as broken, no where else to move to, we got £50 voucher despite the fact the upgrade cost more than that. And we only got that by asking they wouldn’t have given it if we hadn’t complained about the fire.

Absolutely wouldn’t go back even for the pool. We went to Alton Towers water park, at least as many slides and didn’t see one plaster or bit of debris in the pool.

As others have said no idea where all money is going but it’s not into maintenance and updating.

I love the Woburn one, only place I can take my 8 Yr old DS (adhd) and feel like I have had a holiday. Have been to loads of caravan parks incl. Haven and find it better for us in most ways (although I wouldn't eat at the restaurants).

But they do go there though, there is pages and pages of threads of middle class people going for 4 nights in Half term etc. I have never been i could never justify the price I think it is for people who would never dream of going to a caravan park.

When I compared St Ives to Center parks - partly it's because Cornwall in many ways is basically also just an overpriced middle class destination that people go to because it's a marker of being middle class. However, some of the things like food etc is actually half decent. I wouldn't say Cornwall is all that special either especially if you live in London and can take the Eurostar abroad.

Do people actually just go to St Ives because they want to feel mc?

Seriously?!

but I expect it might be the sort of place that very much appeals to the lower middle class, whereas the upper middle class would never be seen dead there. (I think this division is often more cultural than money-based.)

I thought the main thing that separated the upper mc from the mc was money?!

Come on. The Byron Burger of holiday parks

Sounds like we might be seeing a bit of an exposé of the complexities of the British class system here! I've never been myself and my hearsay knowledge of the place is largely 20 years out of date, but I expect it might be the sort of place that very much appeals to the lower middle class, whereas the upper middle class would never be seen dead there. (I think this division is often more cultural than money-based.) So you can simultaneously have people thinking it's fancy and other people thinking it's tacky.

Right? Like a town - but just super, super tiny and without any residents, history or traffic 😁

There is no where to get decent fresh bread or coffee.
I must be really low class. This wouldn't even enter My head.

🤣🤣🤣

Who on earth would equate St Ives and Center Parcs?

@9uygjk I was in St Ives this summer and CP earlier in the year. To me the people were pretty much the same but more Europeans in St Ives.

Trying to tie in a class with a holiday is surely outdated these days. Particularly when the middle classes are shrinking! Somewhere like Carbis Bay would cost almost the same per night as 3 nights in CP so that only caters for a very small strata of the middle class.

I can see why your 8 year old didn’t like Woburn. I think it’s much better for small children. Elveden or Longleat is better for that older age group. The pool in Woburn is tiny.

Gail’s 😂😂😂

I think you need to get out of London more.

”We have a lots of woods near us…” So what exactly were you expecting going to CP based in a forest? Are the CP trees too tacky for you? Are the woods not middle class enough?

I’ve been once and hated it. I wouldn’t describe it as tacky but would describe it as overpriced, very over rated and poorly maintained. The ‘lodge’ we stayed in had black mould around the windows and was damp. Not enough chairs to seat everyone around the table and a very basic kitchen with limited number of plates and cutlery. It was packed everywhere we went. Not enough seating by the pool or poolside cafe area. Expensive (and very short!) activities. You couldn’t pay me to go back.