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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I am BU. Holiday parks and 'chavs'!

426 replies

Waltermittythesequel · 23/05/2016 19:47

My dsis has informed me that I would be mad to book a Haven holiday in the UK since it will be full of rough people and chavs.

I have never been so I have no idea of the type of clientele.

I'm honest enough to admit that the thought of being surrounded by Jezza Kyle types is a little daunting.

There'll be dh and I along with our 3 dc and I just don't want to fork out a lot of money and feel uncomfortable and unable to use the facilities.

I hate judging people based on how they look/sound etc but she's been before and has really worried me!

OP posts:
Philoslothy · 24/05/2016 22:47

Why not just camp in a tent OP either here or doing a Eurotent style break in France?

Philoslothy · 24/05/2016 22:47

Eurocamp sorry

GreenGoth89 · 24/05/2016 22:55

In my experience it's more where they are and the size of them - smaller family run ones are often best IMO. But...I would stay away from "certain" popular resorts - even a lot of my friends from Norfolk will avoid Gt Yarmouth like the plague, but we stayed at a lovely family owned on a few miles away in land - look out of sites that have some units owned rather than all rented out as they're keener to keep behaviour in check rather than lose longer term tenants. Saying that, I would never go on a butlins or haven holiday as I have a pathological hatred of agadoo!

thewavesofthesea · 24/05/2016 23:05

Nothing to do with the clientele but I would avoid these places personally as they are just not my scene. I prefer spending time without lots of people around; our last holiday was in a v small campsite in Wales. No clubhouse, not even a toilet block in sight. And it was perfect for us, we are v unsociable when on holiday!

IPityThePontipines · 25/05/2016 00:07

How on earth is Pontins still open? I've never heard one nice thing said about them and their appearance on Watchdog was the stuff of Bad PR Legend.

Also Shock at £1400 for a caravan stay. No slight on the owner, just that people are happy to pay that.

KERALA1 · 25/05/2016 06:43

The worst behaviour Dh and I came across was a group of hooray Henry's who visited our secluded island hotel for the day while we were in Africa for a wedding. Pre kids when we took lush holidays (sigh).

We knew they were super posh as they were friends of friends and at the wedding. Shrieking, shouting, utterly selfish. All the other guests at the tiny hotel left for the day as they were unbearable to be around.

Being loud and disturbing others on holiday is unforgivable in my book class irrelevant. Wonder if they know how much everyone else hates them?

MiracletoCome · 25/05/2016 06:57

Pontins at Camber Sands is the worst place ever, we went on a Sun holiday and it was truly awful. We have also been on many Haven and Hoseasons holidays and they are fine. It does vary with the type of site and I have queued for linen also. They were working out rather expensive though, so we bought our own touring caravan for us and DS, we still have it though DS has long left home and enjoy many caravan holidays so well worth buying it.

ForalltheSaints · 25/05/2016 07:07

I am sure that the two people who I know have gone to Haven Holidays are not chavs.

pouncehill · 25/05/2016 07:15

I remember going on a "haven" holiday when I was around 11/12. It was awful. The people there are actually all quite lovely and pleasant as I recall, but the park itself was tacky and actually quite cringey.

Best part of the holiday was when the whole park had a massive power cut and we all had to go sit in the main hall/stage area with glow sticks until they got it sorted again.

liz70 · 25/05/2016 07:55

£1400 for a week is steep. We pay around £1200 for a fortnight in early July. Beds made up for arrival, and none of the horror stories I'm reading here, even staying in the slightly older vans as you do with pets (no furries in the brand spanking new vans obviously). The entertainment is cheesy but enthusiastic, I've found, so we don't mind it for a couple of nights.

liz70 · 25/05/2016 07:57

That's always been Parkdean, though, not Haven or elsewhere. It can't be that bad or we wouldn't keep using their parks, I guess.

Mov1ngOn · 25/05/2016 08:04

If I was paying over a grand I'd book a cottage somewhere! I honestly thought Park type holidays were cheap.

We're going to one next week for the first time. We wouldn't have gone if it had been over a grand (or over 500). We'd go to a cottage or away for that.

OhMyGoddess · 25/05/2016 08:19

This thread is horrible. So bloody sneery.

As for the hilarious husband joking about forgetting his shellsuit while apparently queing for bedding (I've never had to que for bedding at any site)...words fail me.

Helmetbymidnight · 25/05/2016 08:20

You'd be very lucky to book a three bed cottage anywhere in the country in the summer holidays for under a thousand pound.
I've certainly never been able to.

KERALA1 · 25/05/2016 08:58

That is why we house swap. Free accommodation in school holidays.

Jayne35 · 25/05/2016 09:18

We always used to go to these type of sites when DCs were small, not so much haven (thought they were too big and too pricey), usually John Fowler in Devon, various places. All were pretty good with varying types of people (we are wc by the way, and from a council estate in a semi rough area).

Went on a massively expensive adult only cruise last year and some of the people on board (middle class +) were so bloody rude I would have preferred a haven site at times!

As others have pointed out, a holiday is what you make it.

Original poster
Waltermittythesequel · 25/05/2016 09:41

And it was perfect for us, we are v unsociable when on holiday!

I think this is true of me, too. Except I do have to consider the dc who are extremely sociable.

I was just looking for a few days when we could jump on the ferry and have a change of scenery.

I definitely think a cottage or something is the way to go. I wouldn't mind paying around £1k for that. But not a caravan!

OP posts:
wannabestressfree · 25/05/2016 09:51

Helmet look at staithes in north Yorkshire you can definitely book a cottage for under a grand. Half of that in fact. Loads to do and no cars so kids can wander around..we love it there.

Mov1ngOn · 25/05/2016 10:08

Hilton farm cottages has a small cottage for 6 people, pool, Cornwall. Just the first one I checked that I knew of.

I don't really get spending thousand (+) on a park holiday but maybe after I've been on one I'd see the appeal. I think I'd still tend to do cottage/away for that money even if not in the 6weeks summer

PunkrockerGirl · 25/05/2016 10:11

We went to the Haven one in north Wales. Tbf this was a few years ago but my goodness, it was rough.

RhodaBull · 25/05/2016 10:38

I am quaite mc and I have no objection to a park holiday. I went with the dcs to one last year. We loved it. Just like stepping back to the 70s. Three television channels, a gas stove, Brentford nylon sheets...

But... as others have said, it really does depend on the area and type of park. If it offers entertainment, a kids' club, swimming pools, then there is the risk of there being, er, loud families. Friend went to one on Isle of Wight and said she put her foot on a used condom in the bed Shock and that the bar was full of tattooed men in vests.

Mind you, I can't stand any loud family groups, and in fact the very worst I came across was in a horrendously posh holiday place in Portugal where there was this awful Bodeny group who dominated everywhere and had bratty "free-range" kids.

gingerboy1912 · 25/05/2016 10:48

Have only been to one and yes it was not great, some of the static vans were privately owned and had large groups staying there playing music and bbq until the early hours we got barely any sleep all week. And the club house was awful. Wouldn't go again. But also went to centre parks and bike stealing was rife and we had to vacate the pool because a kid shit in it so.....

TipsyandT0m · 25/05/2016 11:23

For anybody looking for a quieter caravan/camping experience, I highly recommend highlandsendholidaypark.co.uk/

Candypops14 · 25/05/2016 12:12

Iv been and it was full of chavs, kids and parents screaming and swearing, I could smell weed by our apartment, no idea how these chavs afford to go there though as it is really expensive! And just looking at the majority of people that were there they didn't look like they had a lot of money, dirty clothes, greasy messy hair, not every day messiness but looking like they Havnt washed for a good month

poorbuthappy · 25/05/2016 12:15

A lot of people said this to me when we booked Butlins many years ago.

And yes, there was a massive mixture of people there, but if you ask DD1 who was 6 when we went, she preferred it to Disneyland!