Center parks - a bit tacky?

[9uygjk]

Just back from our first trip to center parks. Went to the one in Woburn and honestly I just thought it was a bit tacky. Apparently it's middle class Butlins but is it? Maybe am being particularly picky but I still thought it was a bit like Butlins. Is it just me?

🤣🤣🤣

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

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

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 I've never been myself and my hearsay knowledge of the place is largely 20 years out of date, but I expect it might be the sort of place that very much appeals to the lower middle class, whereas the upper middle class would never be seen dead there.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.

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.

Centerparks is just expensive and cra and it's the crap bit thats annoying more than the expense.

Come on. The Byron Burger of holiday parks

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?!

Seriously?!

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?

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.

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).

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.

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

Yup

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. 🤷🏻‍♀️

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.

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.

not tacky, but overpriced certainly. I think it aimed more for the active family; that was the thinking behind it

I've been to Sherwood forest, was quite a while ago, but that had a small supermarket type shop if you fancied some milk and bread etc. The pool was really good, and cycling routes weren't too hilly.

I agree with you OP - I've done CP and many a budget caravan holiday (Parkdean/Haven) and they're really not that different. Would take the caravan any day as a quarter of the price and just as (more!) fun. I'd say the demographics are not that dissimilar too.

I think it works well as a mini break for people who can afford it but it’s not so good if you go in a budget and don’t want to/can’t afford all the extras.

Actually by now, you can get nicer coffee, bread and food at quite a few camping places in the south of England.

You seem a bit obsessed by what is perceived as middle class lol

Just do things you enjoy, don’t worry if it’s ‘tacky’ or ‘aspirational moddle class’ or ‘real middle class’ or ‘cliche middle class’

The CP abroad are so much better. Bigger and cheaper. Plus you’ve got your car so you can explore the country, it’s great.