Family, funky, Cornwall. Design me a holiday please!

[treedelivery]

Further to this thread [[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=_chat&threadid=749396-I-REEEEEEEALY-want-a-vw-campervan#153071 09 here] - we are now renting a camper for a week. We are picking it up in Devon, after a good 7 hour drive .

Then whadowedo?? I have been to Newquay, but was too drunk to remember if it was nice for families or not.
We have a 4.5 and a 4 month babe, we are looking for nice cafes, beach, maybe some local organic farm shops to get provisions, few kids activities, want to live the dream!

Do NOT want arcades, slot machines, cheesy coastal 'shows', boy racers, big rides [leaving all that at home in our town!]

I know this has probably been done to death and I'm sorry for not researching this myself - but my baby is bonkers so I get little time.

Ideas of Cornish/devon towns, campsites, stuff to see, insider tips would be just brill. We go in a few weeks and I haven't so much as a sleeping bag!

Arghh!

Have booked 1st night here [or am about to]. Looks lovely. Very excite. Did I mention how excited I am?

campsite north Devon

Oh fab . I've looked at that site before, it looks great. I can see you falling in love with the van and the whole lifestyle, and coming back to buy one of your own.

We stayed at Sun Haven Valley Mawgan Porth last year, it ticks a lot of your boxes, there is a kids play area, guinea pigs you can feed, an organic farm shop next door, the beach is stunning with a stream for the kids to play in and a lovely sea front pub with small kids play area including a sand pit.

However on a less positive note there was some weird environmental contamination event whilst we were there, which resulted in many people including me at 2 months pregnant getting vomiting virus from the stream on the beach!

Other than that a great holiday! We also loved padstow and crealy.

Surfermum - [grin[ I need to speak to flamesparrow actually I want to know which nappy lanolin her site has is best!

Checking out your recomendation pipsy76, although less good on the d&v front. Am convinced will pour the whole time so not too worried about the sea.

ahh treedelivery we stayed here the year before we went to sun haven valley. Hidden valley was lovely we loved woolacombe and saunton sands beaches.

Padstow/"Padstein" had the most average yet expensive cornish pasty I've ever had! St Ives is just gorgeous, the shallow water around it makes for the most beautiful turqoise sea, lovely light, attract arty types.
Def worth a visit.

We also drove around the Helford River area, very Swallows and Amazons in places.

So....

we go on Thursday morning!

Levaing 3 am-ish in hopes the 4yo and 4mo sleep on the way.

We have my mums orange [70's?] tent, an airbed, a few duvets and a camping stove. Two cooking pots and the party box full of plastic plates etc. And bunting for cheerful decoration in the face of rain/snow.

We have 2 nights booked at Hidden Valley [hope they let us in with embarrasing The Good Life era tent, it's greener to reuse and all that]. It's expensive but has treatment rooms......

Then we pick up the camper on Ssturday and scoot off to Cornwall. No plans for that bit, but we have a guide book so will head for Padstow and take it from there.

DH has been made redundant [again] so we have no money. But at same time we have no time contraints, hence we are going in the week rather than weekend.

So if anyone is in the region in the next fortnight and sees a woman sat on a fallen down tent bf a baby - that'll be me.

Any last min tips warmly appreciated, as we are packing tomorrow.

Tree you'll love it

We just got back from a post-redundancy no cash break in Pembrokeshire and lved every minute; money not really an issue when you've got space and such fab beaches (thought of surfermum a few times LOL)

Have you thought about joining camping and caravanning? You'll get far mroe access to sites in Cornwall that way, not much time now but you can check online for sites so a few days is enough.

You too Peachy?

Will see how this jaunt goes, and maybe join up if am not a jibbering wreck at the end of 10-14 days!!

TBH camping without a cuppa [dairy free yah boo sucks] is pretty frightening. Also no wellies as none will go over my calves.

Lordy! Less surfermum more sofamum.

Ah tree not too bad for us, cut in income but DH had a tiny business which he is expanding and has been offered a lpace on a Uni course he was desperate to do and couldn't justify before so we're OK. And at least it's summer, soooo much beter to be at home when the sun is shining.

Wellies are over rated you know, anything that can be dried off and not go soggy wil do- crocs are a fab if less than MN Style group acceptable alterntaive (and I think they're fine on campsites anyow), you can get ankle wellies as well but tbh crocs are easier.

I gave up on tea when I went DF but i make sure I have decent cofee instead, it took ages to adapt to black coffee but am now addicted. I take little disposable filters on camping trips, but am trying to get DH to allow space for the machine when we go to a site with EHU later n in the season

How's your DH coping tree? It's everywhere atm isn't it, I think we'relucky as DH was able to claim carers and had a tiny income from his small bsuiness (well its an ebay shop but expanding LOL) so can get WTC...... I feel for anyone stuck without that

He was quite bitter really Peachey, he had been at the firm 15 years or so and the manner they were laid off was awful. So he had made an appoinment to see the GP about getting someone to talk to about it all, as it has been taking away his enjoyment of cycling and family.

Then this 2nd one, well. I don't know how it will go. On the negative it is financial disaster when on mat leave, it was probably the one job in the whole of Yorkshire, we have moved house a year - when we really need to move out of here and near a city.....and so on. On the positive the crazy baby is better for dairy free bm, he hated his 2nd job anyway, I can go back to work early [heart tears out and falls on floor]....and we are going on holiday so sod it!

GP last night diagnosed mild depression and prescribed cycling and St Johns Wort!! Sensible woman. I nearly started a thread I was so impressed! Lol.

Blimey don't know where that lot came from! I'm glad your business is going well, that is great stuff. It's unbelievable brilliant the government help has worked well for you. Hurrah!

Thank you Peachy.

Sorry to hear about both redundancies. My last partner was made redundant 3 times so I know how it feels. And we're pretty skint, as we're just getting our campervan rental business up and running - we just did France on a budget.

But honestly, there is nothing like sitting in or out of the van looking at a fantastic view and sipping a glass of wine and heating up tinned curry.

If you are in the area go to Perranporth and to the beach car park (it's actually facing the beach). But don't go in the car park continue up and round the bend to the top of the cliff and park there for an amazing view.

Flip flops (or crocs) are just as good a wellies if the weather is like it is now. Easy to get on and off. We pop ours by the van door so that when you wake in the morning desperate for a wee you can get them on quickly.

Take some 3/4 length trousers (or just roll the legs up) as first thing in the morning the grass is still wet.

Surfer is right about flip flops (and infinitely nicer), I need to wear super unsexy insoles so can't wear them- pah!

if you have a summer break, enforced or other, the best way to spend it is in a tent or van. Many people never get one between school and retiring, and it's easy not to spend much, esp. if weather is hot.

Agree about 3/4 length triusers.... I have many pairs from M&S at about a tenner or so each and they are a staple uniform for me between now and whenever I can no longer feel my feet in the cold. Those and the fairtrade t shirts.

Oh anyway Cornwall- whenever we go there it rains which has taiinted my opions some what (unfairly no fdoubt but then we have Pembrokeshire 2 housrs away which IMO is pretty similar). I found Fowey a bit stuffy but loved the ferry over from Mevagissey (I love being on water- I even have a thing about water rides at theme parks LOL). Bude is nice and en route from North Devon, sandymouth bay has a good rep as a family beach. My boys loved the Eden Project if you get down that way.

The Heligan Woods site is supposdly nice if you can get a space. We camped at the sister site which is far too commercial but Heligan is apparently without those detractions.

Tinned curry Surfer? Dh would be . He got a Cobb for christmas, decided to test the advertised blurb about a full roast last week- we had perfect roast beef with yorkshires on a picnic table in a field LOL. Only time he cooks anything mind, but then it has to be local and top notch.

Oh I am sooooo excited. Meant to be packing car and sorting stuff generally. But am here researching mning and having a sausage sarnie in bed.

Rough night with dd2 so much needed.

Tinned curry - check
3/4 cankle revealers - check
yorkshire pud mix - errrr. Peachy you will know this, can dairy free people have yorkshires? How do you do yours?

Yopu can indeed make yorkies rfom scratch with pretty much any milk in place of cows- goats, soya (unsweetened), whatever you use nomally.

I was naughty and broke the diet mind

Our local fr4ee from does freefrom gf df batter mix for the easiest opion....

Toad in the hole for tea.

Hurrah!! By the power of mumsnet I will eat well. But not drink tea

We all tried some of the hypoallergenic formula the paed prescribed yesterday. Bleeurgh.

I am sooo jealous Tree...hope you have a blast.
If you get up as far as Tintagel, be sure to visit a tiny beach (4 miles from Tintagel) called trebarwith Strand. Is gorgeous and has 2 food options and a surf shop. The campsite at Tintagel is very nice and quiet too actually, and 5 mins walk from pubs/restaurants etc. Also Boscastle near and worth a visit.

Can you print off threads? I need to take this with for inspiration in --the- rain ideas when we get there.

Def going to Eden Project. We are happy driving about to stuff because we arein a camper. And so driving is good!

Bruuuum!

By the power of Peachy you will eat well - don't listen to me and my talk of tinned meals . They're our stock items - enough dry/tinned food for 2 nights so we can just get in the van and go without having to worry about buying food or finding a chip shop. Anyway for me it's something to soak up the alcohol!

Yes you can print threads, just click on the printer icon somewhere around the top of your screen.

Trebarwith Strand is great

West Pentire (Newquay) is another place where I love to sit and look at the view (over Crantock one way and Fistral Beach the other)

The drive from St Ives to Lands End via the coastal road is lovely.

Has anyone suggested Old MacDonalds Farm yet?

We camped here a couple of years ago when DD was 5 and she loved it. The campsite is attached to a low key farm 'attraction' and campers are able to go and pet the guinea pigs and feed the other animals whenever they like. There are also some fab trampolines (which we grown-ups also used) and they do pony rides, and tractor rides some evenings. DD thought she was in heaven!

Washing facilities are a little on the basic side, but the fields are nice and spacious. As you will be out of season should have plenty of space. Website says you need to book in advance but again you might be able to wing it as it's not high season yet.

Portcothan beach is just down the road - lovely beach, stream, rock pools, caves etc.

Also close to Padstow and to good surfing beaches (Constantine Bay etc).

Details are here:
www.oldmacdonalds.co.uk/index.htm

Sounds lovely Gori, will bookmark it

Will check it out asap! I think I saw it advertised somewhere [Junior/Green parent mag?].

Printing this thread before we go!

DD2 has screamed mightily for last 3 days. Me thinks Fri morn will be like 28 days later, we will wake up to a completely empty campsite, and possibly Cornwall - everyone having packed up and left by 3am due to noise pollution from the orange tent.

Nope, she'll be exhausted from all the fresh air I expect, far better for kids than what we offer them nowadays in my opinion.