To wonder what sort of person goes to Featherdown Farms?

[MamaVoo]

I received the brochure this morning and if I had to describe it I'd say it was over priced 'camping' for the posh. I'm imgaining that the brouchure is aimed at families who have houses in affluent parts of London and children who spend all of their time sealed into mummy's 4x4 being ferried to a variety of extra-curricular lessons.

Things that made me particularly were the 'slow food packages', whereby you pay £32.50 and they give you the ingredients for a stew which you then have to cook yourself over a fire. Then there is 'private bunny hire'. £15 to look after the farmer's rabbit for a week - not forgetting to clean the hutch out before you leave. Is it just me who can't see the appeal?

I prefer the idea of Featherdown Farm to Centre Parcs TBH.

I can imagine Featherdown Farm being a fun way of camping without roughing it too much (glamping I suppose) and the DCs enjoying it.

To me, Centre Parcs is just a glorified Butlins for the middle classes

A bit pricey (but then all holidays are to me!) but looks great! An old-y world-y take on luxury camping. Can't see a problem with that as a concept myself; some of us used to enjoy camping but are a bit too - well, old and achey quite frankly! I also quite fancied tee-pee camping at some point, also hardly a truly authentic experience in wildest wales! Methinks some of you take the blurb a little too seriously..! Isnt it just meant to be a slightly out of the ordinary holiday??

But then I do drink 'posh' coffee so I guess thats me pigeon-holed and dismissed

Meant to add that I don't agree with the stupid overcharging for stuff, renting a bunny etc though

Oh god we would so rent a bunny, that must make me a total sucker
Pity I have a pathological terror of camping.

Just looked on their website... I've never seen such a "tent"!!

That is just horrible. Sorry to all those who have been and had a lovely time, it probably is actually nice when you are there . But the marketing is awful - real pretentious nonsense. They are trying to sell an unrealistic idyllic lifestyle which just doesn't exist. From their website:

"What is nice to see, is when a group of people take a number of tents for a family party. Before the meals the tables are put together and it suddenly looks like a scene from Italy. Everybody talking, adults eating and the children having fun at the water pump, in the playground, and in the paddock with the animals."

Whereas actually what would be happening is strained silence between the adults who had had enough of each others company, at least three of the children having tantrums/whinging; the teenagers copping off with each other behind the rustic outhouse and some baby screaming somewhere in the background while mum wondered why she had ever agreed to this ridiculous holiday.

Sorry I HATE things like this. It reminds me of those articles in magazines like Red about "perfect" celebs like that dreadful Sadie Frost who take their kids out for amazing picnics and everyone has so much fun and everything is so perfect. And then we all wonder why our kids don't behave like this and our picnics aren't as wonderful as theirs....

Norbrt you are so right about Centre Parcs being a glorified Butlins for the middle class, but I still like it. It's a bonus for me that I get to see and hear so many examples of ponceyness. I bet I'd love Featherdown Farm for that alone ;)

"In the Feather Down farm tent cupboard you will find old children books, as well as long-forgotten ones. Reading aloud is something that was done a lot in the old days."

"The evenings with Feather Down farms are just like the old days"

"In the old days, people had no fridge,"

"you can all cook just like you would have done in the old days"

"the water can be heating up nicely for the dishes (just like in the old days,"

"In the old days after this, sugar and clove was sprinkled over"

WTF??

I do get the feeling it might be like the generic "old days" dunno why I get this feeling!

The relaity is it would pee down the week we went and it would be a mud bath and a worm fest and utterly miserable and then we woudl burn the tent down anyway. I so would hire the chickens though

I go to Butlins

in Skegness

lol at comparing this with Centerparcs! The only similarity is that they are both self-catering.

For Centerparcs you are paying inflated prices for the facilities and centrally-heated accommodation. For Featherdown Farms you are paying inflated prices for er... fresh air?

You have to hand it to the farmers though. £500 for a weekend - they must be rubbing their hands in glee!

Haven't a clue what it's all about and the 'slow food' nonsense sounds bonkers, but I like the idea of posh camping

I can't be doing with tents and cold and grotty shower blocks.

Yes, I am from London

definitely would prefer 'glamping' to camping properly.

I like beds and have a dodgy back.

It was all sold out when I tried to book this year and we have next year sorted already or I would happily pay £800 for a posh tent for a week - tis a heck of a lot cheaper than going abroad.

I am not posh - I'm scum me....

I have to admit to getting the brochure for Featherdown Farms last year. I was trying to convince a very reluctant DH to give camping a go in the least painful way possible. Needless to say, once he saw the prices he went out and bought a state of the art tent plus all the gubbins for half the price. Oh, and as for hiring animals...why?! I would also wonder at the welfare standards if you're letting random holiday makers look after rabbits/ chickens, but maybe that's just me.

But do you like the old days?!?!?

I know it looks quite over the top in the brochure, but all holiday brochures over exaggerate to some extent. They are selling a product afterall. There are a small number of tents, so the prices have to reflect that otherwise they wouldn't make a profit. The 'extras' are taking the p*ss a bit, but if people are prepared to pay...

I wouldn't pay £1000's a night for a suite in a fancy hotel, but I don't have a problem with people who do or the fact they (the suite, not the people!) exist at all.

What an odd place. Had never heard of it until this thread. All seems terribly contrived on the website. Badly crafted piece of marketing I think, it's probably perfectly nice but the tone of voice just put me right off.

I'm all in favour of "posh" camping (own a trailer tent!). But surely nobody really pays £30 for meat and veg they could pick up in tesco for £15?

You know the one thing that put me off is that for posh camping i would expect my own bathroom and hot shower .

I would go.

There's no way I'd ever go normal camping again - I'm too old for sleeping bags and bad backs, thanks. If I had to camp, I would want a bed, with a duvet, and I'd want it to be lovely.

What's so wrong with wanting things to be as nice as they can be?

Im to young to remember the old days

Yeah yeah, anyone can say anything online!!

"Trust is still very normal in the countryside"

God knows where the idyllic countryside they live in is - but it's not the bit of rural England I used to police - where trust was about as common as hens' teeth.

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