I am BU. Holiday parks and 'chavs'!

[Waltermittythesequel]

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!

How old are the dcs? Our childminder really kindly took all the children they minded to Haven in Hastings when they were little, ( obv we paid) and had a blast. But they didn't do evening entertainment and self catered.

I took DS to a park holidays on the IoW once and was a bit disappointed, pool out of order, had to ask for caravan to be cleaned with new sheets. But People fine, both staff and campers, v friendly types, joined in our BBQ. Cheery crew. And I have an accent that makes me a laughing stock to my colleagues. I'm not into entertainment and nor was DS.

My hairdresser takes her kids somewhere in the new forest, with her parents. The kids roam freely, emerging for meáls.

Most successful equivalents we did when DS was small were in France. Pierre et vacances, who also run CenterParcs, and a place near the Bay of the Somme. That was great. Kids safe, go karted, swam, there was a beach in easy car distance, and they practised their French buying pizza.

I hate CenterParcs, other than the spa. Overpriced, shut in, ersatz. Much better to have cheap fun going down market IMV.

We went to one just outside Morpeth in Northumberland a few years ago when DC were little. My memory is walking through the clubhouse to get to the shop at about 10am and seeing 2 parents drinking blue WKD playing bingo whilst their 2 children were strapped into buggies at the side.

Having said that, we just used it as a base. The children loved the 2p amusements and the little children's disco so had a great time.

Also the weekend made its mark - it was raining so hard, the noise on the roof was so loud we couldn't hear the TV even on maximum volume so had an "early night". Number 3 arrived 9 months later

I've had a niceish Haven holiday. Nice because there was tons of stuff for the kids to do and they loved it.

Drawbacks- I was disappointed in the caravan as it seemed pretty tatty and grubby for what we'd paid. The entertainment at night was bloody awful but once again the kids loved it. I didn't notice anything about who else was there other than it was very busy. The food was okay.

I've had nicer and cheaper holidays in privately owned caravan parks. There's less organised stuff for the kids to do but I find they're more liable to go off and amuse themselves especially if it's beside a beach.

I've got friends who go to Centre Parcs and love it. They are busy all the time but it is pricy.

That place in Germany sounds lovely!

What was it called??

Thanks to those who have made suggestions. I have an evening of research ahead of me! :)

PS: Mocha sounds like we had very similar upbringings.

We really like Haven and we aren't rough or chavs. In fact, I love that your Dsis think that as I won't have to encounter her or anyone else with that attitude whilst I'm there on holiday

The dc are 9, 7 and 5.

I think booking a private van might be the way to go.

The entertainment definitely wouldn't be our thing but I like the idea of the dc having the option of partaking in some of it.

ooh that will be me you are talking about :) I'm delighted to see that Witsender thought Perran Sands was fabulous, that is where I'm going for my summer holiday.

When my DC were toddlers we did a Sun £9.50 holiday to Haven in Prestatyn. While they were toddler go-karting etc I noticed what looked like press photographers & then paid no more attention to it, too busy with a 2 & 3 yr old!

My Dad phoned me the next day to tell me he had seen me in the paper on the edge of a photo.

It turned out Rio Ferdinand had taken his toddler kids there for a holiday at the same time.

When he was asked why he was at Haven rather than somewhere else he replied there is nowhere better for kids.

I'm camping this summer. Booked in Feb £308 for a family of 4 to camp with full access to all facilities.

Haven sites like this mean my kids get a summer holiday

I love haven type holidays.

walter

www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjJ4Pa2hPHMAhUEidsKHYb4AOgYABAA&sig=AOD64_20MgNUyLtOMG9ROhJdwyI4u0TFaA&ved=0ahUKEwiM4vO2hPHMAhVjIsAKHYTTCQEQ0QwICg&adurl=

Hope the link works. If not it's called Landall Wirftal in Germany. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions! X

Thank you!

And this is where we stayed in Brittany 😊

www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwityd_ShfHMAhUlc9sKHbxUBr0YABAA&sig=AOD64_1VHGLIK_1SHD8OcfTALw4_UEelVQ&ved=0ahUKEwiH0NzShfHMAhViDMAKHcrwAZIQ0QwICg&adurl=

We go to Haven every year as having a larger family has pretty much priced us out of going abroad. Hafn Y Mor was nice but a bit tired, Greenacres is lovely with a stunning beach and plenty to do. Quay West is also lovely.

One year we went to Cala Gran near Blackpool and OMG it was like ´Shameless by the Sea´ - never ever again will I set foot in that one. I think get the right park (and the good weather) and all is good.

The entertainment is a bit naff but we only go once or twice during our stay and just mooch about on the beach or in/around the van otherwise.

One thing I would say about Germany though is its a rural location and there were lots of flies, but we got used to them 😳, the location, food and beer made up for it! X

Dione did you post about your shocking cream tea at the time? I still remember that one . Marmalade? Wasn't that it? Reason enough not to go I'd say

My friends would find it hilarious that you think people who holiday at haven are chavs, rough and generally Jeremy Kyle types. I am far from any of those types. We have an average income, 3 children, 2 cars and a hefty Morgagte, so just a normal family who enjoy going to haven. We have been to six of their sites, some are nicer than others, but generally they are fine. They can be packed, depending on the time of year (summer holidays are going to be rammed, a week in May, less so), but they seem to generally clean and the facilities up to date. The kids like the entertainment, I like that they will go and sit on the dance floor and watch the show for half an hour while I enjoy a glass of wine.

I think they can work out quite expensive, can roughians afford to paying out for such treats?
Btw, the nicest one we have been to was perran sands in Cornwall if you were after a recommendation.

We've been to the Hastings Haven caravan site a few times ( it is the one next to the landfill site!)

It is rough and ready but the kids loved it. We didn't go to any of the evening entertainment (my idea of hell) and the changing rooms at the pool had questionable hygiene issues. We tended to use it as a base to go on days out.

We went using the Sun vouchers so they were extremely cheap holidays. I certainly wouldn't pay more.

As to the question of there being any "chavs" there, if that means loud, lairy parents shouting/swearing at their kids, yes, unfortunately, there were a few

Dione what happened with the tea?!

I agree with velvetspoon I still have am urge to shower when I think of the one night we spent at Pontins Camber.

Haven Weymouth is terrific, and really you won't find a bigger snob than me. Everyone's just there to have fun, might not be your kind of fun, but when you look around they're all genuinely having the best time and it's contagious. The children love it, and as long as they're having a great time so are you.

We went on a Haven holiday to Heysham near Morcambe. The place was very nice, the pool was lovely, clean and warm. There was a big play area Dd went in and had a great time. Probably as she was all alone in it, it was before the school holidays started so only people with pre school age kids there and old people.
We liked the place but caravans are so small, and the weather went bad, the beds were so narrow we didn't enjoy that part. We went to Lancaster for the day, that was nice as was Blackpool.

I love Haven parks. Have always found them to be spotlessly clean and well looked after. We don't tend to do the clubhouse stuff though so can't comment on chaviness. Haven't noticed though. Now Pontins on the other hand........

We go to Butlins. Love it, so much for the kids. Although I have noticed an increase in chavs on our last couple of trips. I don't care, we like the place not the people.

I wouldn't go to Centre Parks. Sounds expensive and full of snobs. I'm somewhere in the middle .

We go to Perran Sands every year. The kids love it, it's got all your usual park holiday type events, but the improvements to the Surf Shack mean the food is great as well. You can for down the cliff path to the beach (and tire the kids out walking back in it).

Perranporth itself is lovely, the beach is stunning and the Watering Hold bar on the beach does a brilliant Sunday lunch as does the pub in the village (think it's called the Tywanhale or something similar).

We are about to go back to Perran Sands in Cornwall next month, we went last year and loved it. It is a great base for us to visit family and good for the children, both are autistic so caravan holidays are easier.

We don't do the pool or entertainment but the children loved the playgrounds and amusement arcade. It wasn't noisy at all and the other people there mainly to be families like ours with small children or older couples. Everyone seemed nice and friendly as we were happy to book again.

The caravan was clean, the park was well maintained and the staff were helpful.

Had great times in holiday parks when kids were little, really happy memories
As they got older they started to get a little bored so we tried Center Parcs, they liked it there too ( although me & dh were bored stiff )
Looking back, we had the best laughs at holiday parks ( always stayed in spotlessly clean 8 birth caravans )
As for the people, can't say we took much notice, but they were certainly more of a laugh than the people at CP's.

We went for the day to the one at Hastings (db and family were there on holiday) never again! I thought it was dirty and over priced and some of the clientele were very rough indeed ( and we come from SE London).

And can posters stop saying that chav = WC! It absolutely doesn't. I'm solidly WC and we have standards and don't behave badly. There are some people ( both with money and without ) who behave in a terrible way but they are not WC.

I love Haven. My parents had a caravan for a few years when I was a kid, so we used to go down to Devon every holiday. I now take my kids for weekends off season, and we tend to go to Butlins for our main holiday.

We're not chavs (DH and I both went to Oxford Uni, now have a nice sized house with mortgage, so can now only afford cheap and cheerful holidays). If we didn't have kids, it's probably not what we'd choose, but they have a whale of a time which makes the holiday so relaxing and enjoyable. Don't knock it, until you've tried it.