To wish there was a MN Center Parcs support group?

[BoffinMum]

So I appear to have paid £1000 to stay in a damp bungalow and to be bossed about by unsmiling teenage staff members telling me off or telling me I can't do things, right, left and centre. I feel like I am back at boarding school, rather than on holiday. I've actually had a little cry, I'm so frustrated and feel so fleeced and got at. Hold my hand while I pretend to have s good time, people. I may need gin. And Pombears (which I noticed they sell in the Parc Market).

I have just read the Center Parcs and Anal Sex thread in MN Classic whilst drinking wine and eating the crisps from the Welcome Pack.

Suffice it to say that I wept with laughter, and I can't wait to show DH.

Thanks, whoever pointed me in that direction. I'm considering signing up for Field Archery in case that's a euphemism as well.

I'm not mad about CP. All those gloomy trees as one poster said. I did find all the advance booking of sports etc. tedious, and the whole thing a bit contrived. But it was a couple of quiet, calm days I guess. But then I went at February half-term a few years ago when it was about £100.

p.s. re. other European countries higher standards, I have heard that in Germany even the most basic council swimming pools are amazingly clean, comfortable and generally all-round great! And Spanish trains are apparently fab. I dunno whats wrong here, OP - and there is little worse than being bossed around by a sulky teenager in a uniform, so you did great to cope.

OP....have skimmed the thread looking for the one you are in...if it's Elveden, that's very close to me. It's an incomprehensible shit hole with inedible food and grot everywhere. I have about 6 day passes which I've won in local fete raffles etc sitting in my kitchen drawer as I've had the misfortune of staying there once, and actually left after the first night. Beyond hideous. I don't know what on earth another poster referred to it as "Boden Parcs" for?? It was perhaps slightly better 10yrs ago, but it's now predominantly full of "Chavs-Dun-Good" who swagger around very pleased that they can afford "Posh Butlins." Innit.

If you want to eat, then definitely go to the Elveden Estate next door. Main restaurant in the courtyard area is actually nicer than the Elveden Inn across the road. Bury St Edmunds is not too far and is nice too. A lot of local takeaways will deliver to CP too, there is a fantastic indian, which you will have a lovely meal from for half the price of the durge served up in any CP restaurant.

I really do feel for you. If there's anything you need to know about places to go locally, please message me and I'll try and help wherever I can.

Boffin,

I didn't think your point was snobby. We have stayed at two Pierre et Vacances places in France, one with less to do than CP, one with about the same but different, and the service was excellent. Food ok, but it was assumed that either you were cooking for yourself or you would find a local estaminet.

My husband had a bad accident when we were at one, and the management was outstanding, let me stay on and were just wonderful.

We've also done Eurocamp, v successfully, in a much more down market environment, admittedly before the main English holidays began so only Dutch and a few English there. Unpretentious, not pricey,.and if you complain it is acted upon. It did exactly what it said on the tin. The boys adored it, go karting around, buying their own pretty manky pizzas in their pretty manky French, going into the several pools.

I find CP gloomy, claustrophobic and expensive. But it gave us time with my DM, when she wouldn't have been up to coming to France with us anymore.

Ds, a teen doesn't want to go anymore. He wants city breaks with WiFi, pref a beach or swimming pool, failing which s gym, and a football stadium if poss. So much easier. Or a gite with pool and excellent local food. He now finds CP too organised.

I don't get the British need for childcare on holiday

Because it's nice for parents to spend a little time on their own sometimes.
Because it can be nice for an only child to play with other kids on holiday and not just mum and dad.
Because it is great to take each child out for a few hours on their own for some one-on-one attention while the others are looked after.
Because it allows people to follow different interests, or for eg skiing your children can be taught how to ski and be looked after while parents get to go off for a few hours.

Thank you, Sugar Hut. We are leaving today (if the roads are open - the idea of being stranded here in an Armageddon type scenario would be too, too much). I am comforted.by the fact that the kids really liked it, as did DH. Hits were the field archery, the high ropes, and the soft play. I quite liked sitting in the Lakeside coffee shop. However I will write a letter about the damp and I have taken pictures as well.

At soft play, for which we ended up spending £20 for 45 minutes in a room like a school gym supervising our own kids (free and available all day long at Kinderhotels) the child care person came up to me and asked me if I was having a good time, like a lot of people do here, but if you respond with anything other than 'it's wonderful' they are genuinely surprised. Stepford wife territory this. My standard reply is a moderate 'not too bad, thank you' which does not go down well. Then they asked if I had managed to do any activities to which I had to respond 'no, because obviously I had DC4 in tow, so we've been watching TV a lot in the villa or sitting waiting for DC2 to finish things' and then they seem surprised again. I despair, I really do. What do they expect me to say?? I think that's half the problem. People say they are happy as that's the line of least resistance, and the staff believe it.

Anyway, if I have to come back I will leave DH and DS1 here and bugger off to Bury shopping or whatever, I think.

If your DC like it, why not send them to camp on their own? You can go somewhere much more comfortable and civilized....

You can't do that for an October weekend, and especially not with a four year old, sadly,

There are week long camps in October. We always found something for the boys when they were younger and took DD somewhere civilized like Florence/Venice/Antwerp. Now DD likes camp and the boys are at a different stage. I do think that trying to please everyone together is a tough call.

Boffin sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it, we've been a few times with DD (4 next week) and we're going again in a few weeks.

We really enjoy it, I typically get a day off to go do spa stuff, DP goes and does archery, DD loves the free activities and play areas, I actually look forward to our trips there.

Have only done winfell and logleat though

The paid soft play at Whinfell is a rip off given that it's about twenty yards from the free toddler soft play in the Sports Bar but that is more limited. The great advantage of it is if you can get a table right outside and enjoy a big fat ice cream sundae while the DC let off steam

Seriously, mold on the walls - how much have you paid for this?

I've done a few cursory searches on CP and it's always been really quite expensive. Surely you can find a five star manor house where the kids can roam, and even one that has an indoor pool, for the price of CP?

I live within walking distance of Het Heijderbos. If any of you go there, just PM me and I can tell you where the supermarkets are, which microwave meals are edible and where you can go for day trips in Germany and The Netherlands - the park is practically on the border.

That said I've never actually been there. In fact, I think I'd lived here at least four years before I even knew it existed!

Leonine, that was the alternative offered when they kicked us out of the Time Out club (no refund). In terms of playing outside, the storm and tipping rain made it all pretty tedious after an hour or so, despite waterproofs. Swimming pool was heaving - literally hundreds of people fighting for space, so a bit oppressive. 11 showers for about 500 guests (no exaggeration) all turfed out of their accommodation at the same time in the rain, so even queues for those, then queues for changing rooms, queues for lockers, queues for hair dryers. Mental.

BaronessBomburst I thought it was a lovely area.
We stayed at Het Hejderbos when DC were about 11 and 9. Food was much cheaper in the restaurants than the UK CP and children ate free in school holidays. Don't know whether that's still true.
We had lots of days out, took them to the Liberty Park and the Marshall museum, also a WWII war cemetery. All highly recommended.

the best kept secret of CP - use the single sex communal changing rooms - plenty of lockers in there and is usually empty even in the height of summer hols when we have been.. people seem to insist on having the whole family stand in an 8 square feet "family" cubicle and change together....

never bothered with the verruca pit showers or with hairdryers either - lodge has both (hopefully not verruca infested after a spray of Dettol.... I know... I know.... but I take it to hotels too.... and DM's house)

we have done landal in holland- £1200 for 3 beds for 2 weeks last 2 weeks of school summer hols. this is the right amount to pay for such a holiday- 1 step up from a caravan park.

we did cp when the kids were little- pre school so during term mon to fri not bad- BUT by the time you have added in all the endless stuff it costs a fortune.

Just had a look at woburn for next christmas £6500 for a week in a 4 bedroom place with a hot tub. You could go to bloody florida for 2 weeks for that.

Yes, it is a lovely area. And there's lots to do that's either free, or very cheap. Like this petting zoo, giant adventure playground and water park which is only 5 euros and 20 mins drive away. You can take you own food in and charcoal and they provide free BBQ areas.