to not want to go on a caravan park holiday DH won through work?

[electrofagz]

I've checked out their website and I just don't think I can do it. Basically, the caravan home is owned by another employee through a sort of time-share scheme (?) so it is not possible to upgrade to one of the nicer homes in the park. I know that it is only a week and I am effectively passing on an almost free holiday but I absolutely hate that kind of set-up having discovered the world as an independent traveller over the years.

If we don't go, the 'owner' would probably know as his friend 'owns' the plot next door and will be there when we are meant to go. He keeps telling dh about the karaoke nights, "the best cabaret shows in the UK" and the huge breakfast buffet - these are things I would actively avoid in a holiday of my choice. Dh has already confirmed that he does not have any annual leave booked for those dates.

Is there a polite way of getting out of it?

ButI would be a bit careful, don't eat or drink anything anything in the caravan - the "sweet little man in the post room" will have picked up that your dp has been stringing him along and put laxatives in it!

" ..... not going to Peru and Thailand to that that darling little place that Candida and Marcus went to the other year."

What's the betting that Candida and Marcus had to downsize their holiday plans last year and went to a holiday park, where they won the karaoke competition with their perfect rendition of Ain't No Mountain High Enough?

It's on the coast, is it in the summer?

i have two little boys who would sell my right tit for a week at the sea side, and as for buffet breakfasts - they'd think they'd dies and gone to heaven.

Seriously, if you don't want it, throw it over here.

DD would love anywhere that had a dancing competition.

TrowelandError - well they're not going to win this year. I've been practising the descant I'll have you know

LadyBiscuit! I'll focus my efforts on the knobbly knees competition, then!

Electro-just use it as a base to explore the area. Under tens will find it a novelty. Avoid the club/buffet if you like. I have very happy childhood memories of caravan holidays. Its traditional UK bucket and spade stuff. Who cares if the caravan is not to your taste or if it doesn't have an espresso machine- its a laugh, its new, and your kids will always remember it. Put your tongue in your cheek and try a Vesta curry whilst your at it! (trad caravan food in my book).

You're no worse than anyone else and no better either.

if you have got other plans for your holiday this year, just don't go

by the way, you don't have to go to see cannon and ball in the cabaret or gorge yourself on all you can eat fry ups. parks like this are usually located on fabulous beaches and have great set ups for kids

I am pmsl at the idea that featherdown farm etc is more culturally acceptable to you - it's just the same (actually possibly less comfortable), except with farrow and ball paint

and double double pmsl at "having discovered the world as an independent traveller"

ROTFL

You sound like a right snob tbh.

A caravan holiday is all we can afford, and thats by collecting tokens from the paper. We just don't go to the club and stuff in the evenings as that isn't really our thing. Maybe some of the people there are also not 'our type' but we don't actually have to mix with them so we don't. We use the caravan as a base and go out on day trips. We get to go to places that are not near where we live that I have always wanted to go to. Plus we go for places that are near the beach in the hope the weather will be good enough. Went last year when DS was 20 months and he loved it as we could go to the park all the time, plus a free swimming pool on site. This year he will be older and be able to get even more out of it.

Pretty surreal though as I will be the first person in my family and friendship circle to have experienced such a holiday and I may need a proper holiday to recover from it all!!

Ermm yeah- sure

Why is everybody calling her a snob?

She just doesn;t want to go on a caravan holiday in a bracing UK resort on the North Sea.

Why should she waste precious annual leave on something she knows she won't enjoy?

It may be someone's idea of a lovely summer break, but it aint hers, so we should she feel obligated to go?

OP - just tell the bloke you are going to see your mother that week.

I was once treated to a five start break in a hotel on the beach in Dubai - I hated every second and wanted to kill myself and others. Doesn't make me a miserable bastard, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Actually I am a miserable bastard. Scratch that.

Please tell me this is a joke - it's too funny!

If not a joke, OP you are priceless. Please go. Children will learn how the other half lives if nothing else.

Thanks for all the replies - well, dh has chickened out now - he thinks that his car would get stolen there so we have decided to donate the prize to a local charity for lone parents. He has come up with the excuse that he is allergic to dogs (the owner has a dog who holidays with him). I have just ordered a Fortnum&Mason hamper for the guy who donated it by way of thanks (and to make sure there are no ill feelings).

It is a shame as I had actually come round to the idea and the dcs could have gone rockpooling I suppose. However, taking into account the cost of hiring a car for a week, fuel, buying suitable clothing from Sprts Direct in order to blend in, I think it would have cost as much as a European break in the end.

Just needed to clarify that I have stayed in the north of England a few times - we actually stayed in Stoke when we visited Alton Towers last year and spent a few nights at the Best Western where the food was fine (you could actually toast your own bread so all very fresh and dcs loved it). They did have a Full English smoking under a heated lamp but we ignored it (although at one point ds asked for scrambled eggs from out of there but dh fudged the issue).

"well, dh has chickened out now - he thinks that his car would get stolen there"

This has to be a wind up surely.

Sorry, you do sound a bit snobby. Just because you have done a bit of 'independent travelling' doesn't mean that you and your family won't enjoy a free holiday at a caravan park! My kids like all sorts of things which I'm a bit snobby about and they would absolutely LOVE a caravan holiday. If you go, I'd bet you'd be pleasantly surprised. And, to be honest, it does sound if like your DH is actually keen to go!

ok, scratch that. i see your DH thinks his car will get stolen. now that is funny.

I don't get why everyone is scared to state the obvious - a week on a holiday park in a cold part of Blighty is not as much fun as, say, a camping holiday in France / week on the beach in Spain / somewhere hot!

Not being snobby - and I bet most people on here (if they were prepared to be honest) could think of much nicer holidays.

Go on - honestly - week in Cleethorpes / Skegness / Blackpool or week abroad?

deffo a wind up then

Ifancyashandy, because

1. Some people can't afford to go abroad.
2. some people genuinely like going on holiday to these places. I love Blackpool and would love a week there but have to go to Northumberland because of the dogs.
3. Some people (like me) work abroad a lot and going abroad on holiday feels like a busman's holiday.
4. This thread is really nasty. If someone does not want to go on a holiday, fine, but there is no need to make unpleasant remarks about the kind of people who do want to go to a caravan park. Nasty and ignorant remarks about working class people have been rife on MN recently.

OP is talking about going to sports direct so s/he can buy clothes to blend in. Of course it's a piss take fgs

"buying suitable clothing from Sports Direct in order to blend in"

either this thread is a jok, of the op is a thick as shit snob