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?

Clara- not potential advertisers but already paid-up in effort to target Mnetters who are "aware of their surroundings" see here

i ordered the brochure at some point but i just didn't 'get it' - dh hates camping anyway (i probably would too though i would be perpared to go if dd twisted my arm hard enough). it seemed expensive and inauthentic.

Very funny thread.

My mum has chickens. I'll charge £20 [£15 for registered mnetters] for a night in the garden. Bring your own chicken food. Nearest pub is 2 miles across the estate fields, and at £1.37 a pint, all will be merry. It's a better brew too, as it's made in the town. Hurrah!

Transport to the pub is provided by a bloke who lives at the gatehouse called Nobby, who has a beard and runs his car tractor on red diesel. Fully authentic.

Disclaimer: the chickens are loons who will try to get in the tent with you, and enjoy perching on the bath you will be using whilst you are in it. T'was the way in the old days.

"a bag of chips after bonfire night can hardly be described as a regional dish now, can it ?"

But we don't eat chips at every bonfire night. Only Hastings.

My dd and family went last year and had a wonderful time with their ds1 aged 2.8 and ds2 aged 5 months.They took their own food and had a rent a hen which they returned to the flock on the first evening.The location was stunning-yards from a safe beach andd the lodge/tents were comfortable,dry and warm.They enjoyed it very much as a stop gap until the tent reappears this summer when ds2 is a bit older.They are keen walkers,campers,cyclists and neither wealthy nor pretentious.

Charging £30 for some veg then getting people to cook it themselves???? £4 for a tea towel?????
I love it!!!
This is going to be my way out of the credit crunch. I can't believe that people are so gullible, but they clearly are.
I shall get me off to the printers and make up some brochures. We've got a paddock out the back, we can charge punters a fiver to look at the odd random pheasant.

Truly - sign me up for the deluxe paddock-based pheasant-gazing package.This is going to be the holiday of a lifetime!

We have gone here several times and it is worth every penny.In fact,it was pretty normal bunch of people.However,I could only consider posh camping so for us it was wonderful.

We were tempted but then realised I could tie some sheets around some poles in my own back garden, pinch next door's chickens for DS to harrass interact with and drag a mattress outside. That way when we realised we were cold and miserable, we'd only have to walk back into through our own back door, rather than spend 8 hours stuck on the M5.

If anyone fancies this, I live in a very (allegedly) posh area with authentic yokels and will happily recreate this experience for £250. If you want bunnies, I can supply a gun for you to pick them off when they come out in the evening.

But then I love Center Parcs and Butlins, and will never holiday (other than long weekend in either of those) in this country again after last year.

I went rent a tenting here this summer. It was fab, only 10 pitches - we went in june and only 2 other pitches being used, everything provided, a campfire for a fiver, chickens, a goat. Huge pitches covered in bark so when it pissed down like it did most off the week there were no mud issues. They are upgrading to bell tents for next year, but still only £30 a night for 2 in high season! The owner didn't even laugh at us for arriving in a downpour and telling him we'd forgotten to bring coats!

We don't live in Islington nor do we drive a 4x4 or have blonde curly haired beautiful children from the Boden catalogue However when I was 7 mths pregnant with DS my Mum took us to a Featherdown Farm in Devon and it was lovely not pretentious at all. The farmers were friendly and the whole place was relaxing, DD loved it espeically watching the cows being milked and feeding a calf.

We live in the country too.

I got my brchure yesterday, and am still reeling at the £32.50 for a stew. Do you get to keep the pot?

I don't care if I can afford Feather Down Farm or not...I refuse to pay such stupid prices.

Well I have to say, (and I live in the countryside in Devon), that I'd prob enjoy one of those holidays. On the face of it, and without all the pncey extras. At least one is paying for precious quality time, and not for quality 'good's, as in those Pedlars goods etc... No rowdy teenagers pissing it up in the tent next door, no cold aching backs from sleeping on a crappy lilo!

if you're not a seasoned camper, and don't want to be then it seems like a great holiday.

it looks peaceful, and the farms seem to be basic good working farms, where you get to see the reality. Hope the farmers are earning a good stack too!!

tacky - that sounds like our ideal holiday

Hello,

Have a look at this campsite, it's great - www.luxurydevonyurts. And the tea towels were free and the cost is about half the price of Featherdown. We love it and the people who were staying were nice, normal types. And hen nights aren't allowed.

Hophop- that looks great!

We went- our first holiday attempt after years. DS1 is severely autistic and we hadn't dared try a holiday with him for about 5 years before we went to Featherdown. We did a long weekend.

Chose it because we could just turn up, and we knew he liked the outside. Also had it's own toilet - very helpful with ds1, so it was an opportunity to try camping and see how he got on. And also see how we managed the other 2 as well whilst having to look after ds1. DS1 needs constant supervision, so somewhere without 4 walls and locks isn't a guaranteed success.

It was very very hard work, but the boys loved it- including ds1 who took the brochure to bed with him for months afterwards. The farmer took ds1 completely in his stride - which also made life easier.

We now do very short camping trips with ds1 to wildish places (no laid out campsites- too stressful). But wouldn't have tried it without trying Featherdown first.

With NT kids only it would have been utterly idyllic, although of course yes it's a bit contrived.

Oh the other place we did (without ds1) a number of years ago was yurtworks. That was pretty good too. Looks like it's expanded now.

oh god I'd go if I could afford it. But then we go to Centreparcs every year and love it so I'm obviously the type . What's worse, the type without the money - oh the irony...

yes - we have been to that tipi place down in Cornwall - this was before ds was mobile though; still down trust him around open fires and bubbling pots!!

northern version

Wow, have no idea of the reality but the marketing is total wank.

As for rent-a-bunny, you would be setting yourself up for trouble when the tinies get too attached and you have to leave it behind.

tackyChristmastreedeliver - wow! had a nose at your link; i am considering going there. have you been yourself - would you recommend?