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Original poster

message for bossy kate about bedruthan steps

43 replies

madgirl · 23/01/2004 08:23

hello from the july thread! dh and i are thinking about taking ds away for a week before baby comes- due 9 july. ds will be 3 next month. seeing as this is really about giving him and us a real holiday family before all hell breaks out in our household (of course i could have an angel baby but....) i was thinking of either sands or bedruthan in mid-late May. what do you reckon? too expensive for what it is- warm enough to enjoy cornwall- not too grim for adults? i am not a snob but i do like my looxuries but i am fast of the opinion that if ds is happy then i am too. be grateful for any other ideas you might have. i wanted somewhere with loads to do for him, which is why we ditched the continent idea. never been to centerparcs but dh turned pale when i suggested it. thanks

OP posts:

Crunchie · 23/01/2004 16:11

I know loads of people who go for girly weekends ther. They book a couple of villas (for 12 in total) for a weekend and it works out at £50 a person a weekend. I think that is B***Y good They avoid the pool, use the spa, eat in (bar one celebration meal) and have a great time

We go to the Elveden Forest one, it is about 1hr from home, so we get full advantage arriving mid-morning on the monday and not leaving until lunch time on the friday

DSW · 23/01/2004 16:14

I've had a few girly weekends there too - great fun!! (Some parents weren't too impressed about us "wobbling" out of the sports bar though!!! (Was 10.30pm - children should have been in bed IMO)

Quackers · 23/01/2004 16:16

Wayhay!!! CenterParcs R Us!!!!!

Madgirl if you're in center Parcs same time as us then I would LOVE to see you!! I'm going 26th April!
I agree Crunchie, you can part with loads of cash if you're not careful! You have to sit down with your big book of activities they send and choose what you'd most like to do. It's amazing how much is free though isn't it! I'm like you - LOVE playing board games and having drinks and treats in front of the log fire or out on the patio with the BBQ! I think the babysitters are exceptional. V professional.
I have been to Sherwood and Oasis windfell. We're going back to Oasis this time. Oasis is centered under mainly one roof and the indoor tropical pool is the better out of the 2. I liked sherwood though as it has the 'posh' restaurant - fab food, great price - adults only. It's not as hilly either.
BTW, kids under about 4 yrs can travel in a little buggy attached to DH/DP's bike!! They love it!

Quackers · 23/01/2004 16:17

BTW, how did you wangle that Crunchie???
You just made a new best friend! !

Crunchie · 23/01/2004 16:23

Quackers I used to work for Mother & Baby magazine, and we reviewed CP!! Yes I am a lucky b*h, but I am paying this time honest (!) Perhaps not the full cost, but if you've got strings it would be silly not to pull them Since I work for a magazine that CP advertises in and my manager is great friends with the PR blokey

PS I would still go and pay full price, we wanted a holiday that had a swimming pool and a playground - they were my dd's criteria - and we save in the summer as we go camping in Cornwall where 10 days is the less than 4 nights at CP!!

Quackers · 23/01/2004 16:28

Ah I see!!!! Lucky you Crunchie!!!! When are you going and which one??? Sorry if you already said!!

Madgirl, I'm not sproty eitehr. Was before had DD but the sports side of things is only a small part of it. We put DD in the kids club very well run BTW just once or twice at the most and we go and have 2 hours on our own in the spa - it's bliss!!!

Quackers · 23/01/2004 16:30

Oh dear - IT' CATCHING - need to go home!

Quackers · 23/01/2004 16:34

Sorry for taking over this thread! I've just been on the Bedruthen Steps website, it looks great! Just for a change when I'm fed up of CP!!! I stayed at the Tredragon Hotel years ago in Mawgan Porth and that was v child friendly too!

Crunchie · 23/01/2004 17:09

Suffolk!

bossykate · 23/01/2004 20:26

hi madgirl.

ds was 21m when we went, so still cot-bound (i.e. i wasn't worried that he could get into a dangerous - inaudible - situation while we were out of the room, like wandering off somewhere). we had inter-connecting rooms so he would have woken up "alone" in any event. ime the baby listening was assiduously monitored by a member of staff specifically assigned to the role. we didn't worry about leaving him in the care of baby listening. however, if you are worried, baby sitters can be arranged.

as someone else mentioned, there is also the evening kids club.

we are in london, so the drive is the worst bit of the holiday. we went down on easter sunday, and the roads were practically empty, but it still took us 5hrs. toyed with the idea of flying but it was v. expensive/difficult when i added in transport to stansted, car hire down there and cost of flights (even ryanair expensive at easter).

enjoy it whatever you decide.

Quackers · 23/01/2004 20:34

Which airport would you fly to in Cornwall BK???

150percent · 23/01/2004 20:52

We've done both Bedruthan and Centreparcs so far with just one child. Also done Mark Warner too which is my favourite, if you do want the continent btw.

Downside of Bedruthan for us was the fact that ds was in our room - it seemed very expensive to put him in a separate room. Centreparcs definitely wins on that front. I don't think that the rooms were grim particularly ,and certainly the refurbsihed ones were fine - the others were simply dated (I seem to remember a blue bathroom suite?). While ds stayed in creche at both places, Bedruthan won hands down on the personal touch - Christine was superb and fairly flexible with ds (17 months at the time) incluidng moving him up a group to see if he woudl settle better there. We used the baby listening with no problem, but as he wasn't asleep one night they took him into creche whilst we had our meal (he was very happily watching tweenies videos with the big boys in his pyjamas!).

BS has a spa area so you can get pampered. The pool is a bit schoolish, but it is all connected up. CP has a great Aqua Sana - if you go DO NOT MISS THIS! Even whilst PG I still enjoyed a relaxing mum-to-be treatment.

We liked both and it would still be a tough call to decide which to do - both have ennough indoor activities for kids (including the stuff you bring yourslef if you see what I mean). For us the deciding point is probably the room factor - we were looking at May too but it would be £1500 before creche costs....

Quackers · 23/01/2004 20:57

I love Aqua Sana too! The new one at Sherwood is just bliss!!!! Funnily enought CP and BS both use Elemis treatments which are divine! I sent a link of BS to DH and he thought it looked fab! So we're considering for next year, even though will probably take 2 days to get there!!

bossykate · 24/01/2004 07:29

quackers, you would fly to newquay airport which is 5mins from bedruthan.

Quackers · 24/01/2004 15:48

Thanks BK. It would be such a long way from the Isle of Man, I think we would be wise to fly! I just have to research the best connection airport now! Probably cost alot, but it would be wort it!

charlize · 24/01/2004 18:28

Just wanted to add to everyones messages about center parcs. We LOVE it!!!!
We go to oasis every yr , first week in september. we stay in a 4 bed forest lodge which is brill, our own patio area with barbie, in the woods. We always stay in the same house as being lazy sods we chose one v near the butterfly centre.
My parents come my sis my brother and his girlfriend and we have a ball.
Totally agree about the treatments but it can be xpensive especially as we eat out every night.
Honestly if you go u won't regret it you will fall in love with the place, and so will the kids.
I look forward to it even more than our holiday abroad every yr, as its so much easier with the kids.

Original poster

madgirl · 26/01/2004 08:07

BossyKate and everyone, thanks so much for all your posts. I have sent away for centerparcs brochure, spurred on by your enthusiasm! Quacks, think the whinfell one is a bit far for us (we're in London) but I'm keen on the others. BK - really appreciate your input on Bedruthan, we are thinking of visiting a friend in Cornwall soon so thought we would "test" it for a long w/end instead of staying with the friend for a whole week. Now don't go away everyone i am waiting for the brochure and then will plague you again for tips on getting the most out of your centerparcs holiday

OP posts:

Quackers · 26/01/2004 08:56

Hey madgirl! Come over to July for a chat!! (If u get chance of course)!!
Glad you sent for a brochure!!When you thinking of going?? Make sure you have that 'Mum to be' massage!
We're going to go to Bedruthen Steps next year. Decided over weekend. Be a long way from where we are (Isle of Man) but we can stop off each way. I would fly but with 2 little ones I think the car would be essential!

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