On the 3rd worst holiday ever - pity party

[BlowDryRat]

TLDR: we are in Cornwall, staying in a caravan with walls so thin I can hear the DC breathing at night. All the pre-planned, booked months ago activities have been cancelled because it won't stop F-ing raining. Everywhere else is rammed or fully booked and wonders why we didn't book months ago We resorted to taking the children to the cinema on Tuesday, then to an English Heritage place exactly the same as every other English Heritage place that doesn't take me 5 hours to drive to. Today we are at the Eden Project. DD keeps trying to steal leaves and flowers and whining for ice cream. DS just wants a rest or to go on the zip wire,which is fully booked and I didn't pre-book because we did zip wiring last week. I'm allergic to all the rare plants and keep sneezing. All the ice cream is made with weird stuff.

I've paid a grand to live in a caravan, doing things that I could do within an hour of home. I can't wait to go home. I know lots of people are 'going on holiday' by camping under their imaginary dining table this summer but

It's real, people's disappointment. Some people have worked their socks off in stressful jobs right through COVID, putting their own health at risk. They have done extra shifts, or done overtime for nothing just to get through the extra work caused by COVID regs. They can't risk going abroad because their work doesn't permit them to do the required quarantine etc so place a lot of importance on their one week away to try and get some fresh air and sunshine and relax on a beach for a few hours with a warm breeze in their face.

Its real people's total unrealistic expectations.

It doesn't matter how hard you have worked. That doesn't change.

Being able to sunbath in the uk and go swimming in warm water isn't realistic. If you go with that expectation you are always going to be disappointed.

If you didn't think to book places to eat, knowing it was going to be extra busy this year, more fool you (and yes you could get bookings last minute - but probably not in the tourist traps for obvious reasons).

If you go to the SW in the summer holidays and think you are going to avoid jams you are frankly off your rocker. Also see places like Windermere. Not happening. It doesn't happen in normal years.

Enjoy somewhere for what it is, not what you wish it was. It SW England in Summer in a pandemic.

We came home early from our camping trip too. The rain was awful. This is the third rainy summer in a row now (though possibly the worst of the 3) and it's crap. Today has been like autumn, pouring with rain and cold enough to need the heating on. I feel for you OP, it's such a disappointment when your longed for holiday is ruined by the weather. And whatever the hot choccy snuggling brigade say there is such a thing as crap weather, all the coats and wellies in the world can't make thunder storms ideal for camping and caravanning. Let's hope for some decent summer weather and soon.

Agree @RedToothBrush . Spent many summer holidays in the West Country as a child . Sometimes glorious weather and long beach days, sometimes wet with activities such as cattle markets and museums, Boscastle/Clovelly, drives over the moors etc. In fact we probably went to the beach even in the rain. I suspect the difference is expectations of a high paced entertainment culture as at home, rather than slowing down for a week or two.

Yes to this @RedToothBrush !!

Cornwall doesnt ‘owe’ anyone sunshine and a warm breeze as a reward for working hard!! Its not Disneyland with fun in a tin, its a real place all year round with limited resources of all kinds, not to mention the wettest part of the UK!

Absolutely unrealistic expectations. The reality is its wet, its cold, its deprived, its extremely crowded, its over subscribed with minimal wet weather options especially in Covid times.

This thread certainly makes a refreshing change from all the advertisements for wonderful Cornwall we’ve been inundated with for about a year.
We went to Cornwall about 20 years ago and never returned- never known a place where the locals are so resentful towards tourists

Eden project Ice cream is disgusting. We bought 4, normally just get them for the kids but treated ourselves after standing in a massive queue for it and threw them all away 😭 have you been to flambards and the national maritime museum? The weather everywhere in UK seems rubbish so at least you aren’t missing out.

There's a virtual reality place in Truro - I recommend it for a rainy day and it doesn't seem to be very well advertised so might have availability.

I'm going to sound smug, but we've just come back and had a great time. We have spent every day on the beach. The secret has been having a beach tent. It's a game changer. Doubles up as somewhere to shelter from a downpour, a changing tent, somewhere to warm up after a swim etc. Although the weather hasn't appeared great, we've actually only encountered a couple of sudden downpours lasting ten minutes, so we've been able to ride it out. I think that kids enjoy being on the beach/playing games rather than being dragged around attractions.

How is edens icecream disgusting! what! its icecream!
And thankyou Hugoslavia for being sensibly prepared and understanding of weather , you are allowed to be smug for that! Agreed that playing on the beach is best ever for kids no matter the weather!
Cornwall is epic. Even its storms are phenomenal and its about enjoying it that makes it fun! (excluding all those people rescued from tents/boats etc last night! That must have been a proper worst holiday ever)

I have had a good week. We are happy juat pootling around. The traffic out is horrendous. We cross countried, called in to see a friend, then cross countried some more. Beautiful countryside and avoided a lot of the jams before we got to the m5 which is a complete mad house.

I saw a tweet this morning from someone about storm evert saying there were two types of people in their camp site. Those with flattened tents (who clearly don't know wtf they are doing) and those drinking wine and just getting the fuck on with it.

If you wanted Spain but in the UK and you went to Cornwall, you are dumb and didn't do your research. Go on a uk city break instead and soak up some culture and food. Or just go to bloody centre parks. Or stay home and whinge about how life is so unfair because you can't have the holiday you wanted. You'd enjoy it more. And ruin it less for everyone who actually wants to go to the SW this year.

These type of threads are going to go on for the next 5 more weeks. I think i will have even less sympathy by the bank holiday.

Its a holiday. Its not a life entitlement.

I live in Cornwall and I don’t want to be here either. This place is wasted on me.

Truro wasnt rammed. Surprisingly quiet actually considering. Everyone wanted the beaches and wanted the well-known beaches at that.

I would also say , if you have to holiday in the UK again next year( hopefully not) and hate the pouring rain your best bet is Norfolk/ Suffolk. It might not be hot but it rarely rains like the west. Not nearly as busy either.

Not sure why people want to go to cornwall. It always looks rammed with people and cars on TV and grumpy locals complaining about tourists. Much nicer, quieter, cheaper places in wales

@dreamingofsun

Not sure why people want to go to cornwall. It always looks rammed with people and cars on TV and grumpy locals complaining about tourists. Much nicer, quieter, cheaper places in wales

We have decided to go to north Wales this year, we love Cornwall but can’t deal with the crowds and the traffic jams. Hopefully Wales will be more civilised.

@dreamingofsun

Not sure why people want to go to cornwall. It always looks rammed with people and cars on TV and grumpy locals complaining about tourists. Much nicer, quieter, cheaper places in wales

Because it’s beautiful.

We once rented a holiday bungalow in Newport (not the one in Glamorgan). It had wonderful views across the bay, but everything else was terrible. It was grubby and looked like it had been furnished with what was left at the end of a jumble sale. The kitchen was tiny, dark and grimy and the cutlery was plastic (?) handled stuff like your great grandmother would have thrown out. As we lay in bed one night, I saw a huge spider's web in the corner of the ceiling. We packed up and left the next day.

@LAS123

Yes to this *@RedToothBrush* !!

Cornwall doesnt ‘owe’ anyone sunshine and a warm breeze as a reward for working hard!! Its not Disneyland with fun in a tin, its a real place all year round with limited resources of all kinds, not to mention the wettest part of the UK!

Absolutely unrealistic expectations. The reality is its wet, its cold, its deprived, its extremely crowded, its over subscribed with minimal wet weather options especially in Covid times.

Oh give over! It's not about anywhere "owing" anyone anything and you know it! No-one goes to Cornwall expecting Disney type of attractions. They go because of the beautiful scenery and the idea of traditional English seaside holidays with crabbing, rockpooling, sandcastle-building, eating chips while fighting seagulls off, having a coffee overlooking the beach, crab sandwiches etc etc. People are quite willing to wrap up and get on a blustery beach looking for shells in a bit of drizzle. But when it's a FULL WEEK of cold wet weather, every day, it gets a bit much after a few days, especially if you're camping and can't really warm up afterwards or get dry. I do enjoy Cornwall and we are walkers and not into indoor entertainment type of places but I have to say it looks far less appealing in the grey drizzle when you can't see very far into the distance. Some of the museums/art galleries are great but everyone else has the same idea so there are just queues and crowds once in there.

One of our best holidays in Cornwall was in a small flat overlooking Porthminster beach in St Ives. How I loved that view out of the window, watching the activity on the beach & out at sea, the changing tides. I often looked at it through rain-soaked windows, admittedly, but it was interesting to look at and I could have watched all day. I do remember thinking of those in campsites in that kind of weather and hoping they were managing to keep the kids occupied.

We contemplated a UK holiday this year but there's no way in hell I could justify £1000 to spend a week slightly further south than my house where it would probably still rain. Can't wait for proper holidays again. Hope you manage to make the best of it OP!

You are in the wrong bit of Cornwall! I live in Cornwall, and apart from last nights storm, we haven’t had rain for weeks 😊 Certain parts really do have their own weather that the forecasters always get wrong!!!

Unpopular opinion, but Cornwall is massively overrated. It takes forever to get there and when you do, there are MILLIONS of people. We had one holiday there about 9 years ago and have never been back. I honestly don’t see the attraction.
My family are from Pembrokeshire and I think it’s much more geared up for crap weather tbh. Plus you don’t get the traffic jams.

@BlondeCornish

You are in the wrong bit of Cornwall! I live in Cornwall, and apart from last nights storm, we haven’t had rain for weeks 😊 Certain parts really do have their own weather that the forecasters always get wrong!!!

Yep me too. Bit of a blow last night but my (Cornish) garden has been gasping for bit of rain. And tomorrow is looking good too...in fact, we've a lovely red sunset just now.

Mind you, I can't go out anywhere - too crowded!

I think the issue is with the current weather pattern actually. I'm in NW England and we have had weeks of drought and high temperatures (was 32 last week!). That can only mean one thing. A build up to storms and rain/cold following afterwards. I guess sometimes you get lucky and are away in England on a good week, and sometimes you are unlucky and go away on a week full of rain and cold weather. I don't know why people can't have sympathy for those who pay the same amount for a rainy cold week which restricts their activities as those who go on a great week and don't need to go looking for indoor activities, with all the extra expense that brings.

Solidarity, OP. Just arrived at our holiday cottage in Kent with our 14 month old. The cottage is beautiful, the grounds are beautiful and the pool is beautiful, what a shame it's going to piss it down for the whole stay. Nothing in the cottage is baby-proof and a quick scout of the surrounding area revealed that the only things within walking distance are a Shell garage, motorway, Indian restaurant with terrible TripAdvisor reviews and a Hair and Scalp treatment centre. We don't drive. So we are basically locked down in a one bed cottage, having paid the thick end of a grand for it. I could have got two of my frugal city breaks for that!

I am currently in Polzeath and the weather has been on the whole - good. The crazy storm hit at 3am but was gone by 11am today so went to a local leisure centre swimming but were on the beach again this afternoon. Definitely worth visiting other places.
We’ve been coming to Cornwall for 5 years and absolutely love it even in the rain.