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Original poster

BIBIC - question for those of you who have been

35 replies

loueytb3 · 22/02/2011 16:23

We're going to BIBIC in May for DS1. I've just received some basic info from them and it says that you need to bring food with you for lunch as there is nothing available on site. So we were thinking that maybe it would be better to stay in a cottage (or similar) so that we have catering facilities and can make lunch to take with us. However, having had a quick look at accommodation in the area, all the cottages are either ridiculously expensive or only available for 3 day rentals over a weekend. We need to be there Wed-Friday.

Just wondering what others have done in this situation and if there was any accommodation that you could recommend.

TIA

OP posts:

ScramVonChubby · 22/02/2011 16:32

I would speak to briidgwater Tourist Info Tel: 01278 436438
Fax: 01278 436480

The thing about that area is that the villages are lovely and the town is (largely ) skanky (before anyone shoots me I was born there and lived there for 34 years so qualified to have an opinion - great people, miss my family and friends very much, not so much the town). So very few palcecs to rent in the cheaper town area BUT the tourist office will know what is available and will ahve lots of ideas from their records for the busy season which strangely is November. Well, not strange for me- come then I am made up and floating it with the best of them- but for people who do not know the town.

HTH

BialystockandBloom · 22/02/2011 16:56

We're going in a week's time!

Going self-catering, as we thought it would be more flexible, and work out more cost-effective than paying more for meals which we wouldn't be there for. And we're all lazy not too bothered about getting up early for breakfast, so would rather take things at our own pace.

We're staying in a lovely-looking cottage here. It's not cheap but by far the most suitable for us, and it's very very near Bibic itself. I suppose we were quite lucky that early March is off-season so we got a bit of a deal on it. And we're making a mini-break of it (we live in London so great to get out to the country).

You might be able to get short breaks (Mon-Friday usually) at other places. I spent a while looking at lots of self-catering (searched family-friendly cottages, brought up loads of sites).

I'll let you know more after we've been

ScramVonChubby · 22/02/2011 17:05

Grange is lovely Bialy, though not that near (although definitions depend I guess).
If you get a clear day do head over to the little beaches around Cannington (Live, or for a less populated walk, stockland) for a walk and a quiet moment.

Mum and Dad rate the pub in the village very highly indeed. If you're more cheap oub meals types, try Quantock Gateway which is on the road out from Bridgy for that.

BialystockandBloom · 22/02/2011 17:16

Thanks for the info Scram

What village is the nice pub in?

Yep, anything less than half an hours drive is near for us (busy central-ish part of London)!

LL12 · 22/02/2011 17:22

I took my DD to Bibic earlier this month from a Sunday until Tuesday. We had booked into a B&B www.cannsfarm.co.uk for £80 in a family room for the two nights as we said that we were going to Bibic, unfortunatly, they had to cancel our booking at the last minute due to a family bereavement, they had said that we could keep a box with butter, ham etc for our lunch in their fridge.
We instead booked into a restaurant/hotel for £90 for a family room with breakfast for two nights. I was pleased with the hotel and price, but meals were quite expensive we thought. www.admiralstablepubbridgwater.co.uk
On our first day at Bibic we went to sainsburys at lunchtime and brought some ham, butter etc and kept it in a box in the fridge in the family room so that we did not have to worry about finding lunch on the 2nd day.
We did have a sausage & bacon roll from the van in the layby at the entrance to Bibic for £2.70 which was very yummy.

ScramVonChubby · 22/02/2011 17:30

Cannington.

Although there are loads of nice pubs about; Puriton (just outside BIBIC) has a couple, Poper'sInn at Shcott, Knowle Inn is nice for oldie worlde.

We don't go out in Somerset much now, just an annual pilgrimage to Prezzo for DH's birthday (3 weeks yay) as parents can then babysit, but there's usually somewhere nice around a corner pub wise.

Unless you stray by the Bristol & Exeter (B&)> for teh love of all that is good, no .

Admiral's Landing in Bridgwater quite nice now according to Mum- forgot that, Admiral's Table in Dunball used to be OK.

If you make a rebooking between September and November do amke it a Friday, and stay for teh Staurday night as there is almost always a carnival somewhere and theya re worth seeing (google and you will see what I mean).

ScramVonChubby · 22/02/2011 17:32

Ahg yes Bridgy layby food is fab LOL.

Surprised the table was costly; Somerset prices can be though. Depends on where you come from I guess.

zzzzz · 22/02/2011 19:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ScramVonChubby · 22/02/2011 19:20

There's a motel type place by brewsters on Express Park, closest I can think of.

mumgoingcrazy · 22/02/2011 19:59

We always stay here:

www.farmstayuk.com/

It's about 10 minutes to BIBIC and it has great facilities.

We find it suits us much better to be self catering, and definately as you need to take your own lunches to BIBIC.

Would definately recommend
HTH

lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 22/02/2011 21:42

we camped at a nearby site called broadway house, which was sweet enough and they have caravans and lodges to hire too. its about 20-30 mins away from bibic. There are loads of travel lodges ect.

I would happily leave food in the fridge in the family room, and they are great.

ScramVonChubby · 22/02/2011 21:46

Broadway house has statics as well so well worth considering, and they do meals on site. Go there quite often (hello Lisa)

devientenigma · 22/02/2011 21:52

We stayed www.haven.com/parks/somerset/burnham-on-sea/index.aspx
again not far away.
We also left edibles in the fridge. Again staff are great. Hope you have a nice time!!!

devientenigma · 22/02/2011 21:55

BTW BIALY how did you get your link here, IYSWIM lol TIA

silverfrog · 22/02/2011 22:04

devient - you put the then the web address, then leave a space before typing a word or phrase, then

and it will put the link as the word/phrase you put in at the end

lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 22/02/2011 22:04

hello scram :)
we had a few problems when there but nothing major just that we promised dd1 she could go to childrens club (she has autism so hates changes) and both weekends they decided to cancel for football matches!!

devien you need to put 2 square brackets at start, then link, then space and write here, then close with 2 square brackets

devientenigma · 22/02/2011 23:34

here
Just giving it a go sorry, if it works I hope I remember lol.
silver I have no secrets lol, cheers anyway, Lisa too.

BialystockandBloom · 22/02/2011 23:41

devient yes that's worked

God, don't worry, I had to scroll down the side of the MN page to remind myself how to do it.

Am slightly galled about the places linked to here - would've been fine for us and much bloody cheaper!

scram thanks so much for the local knowledge

devientenigma · 22/02/2011 23:54

We also saved the tokens in the sun, we don't bother with the entertainment passes as DS doesn't enjoy entertainment, especially if it's busy, so all in cost about £60!!!

Original poster

loueytb3 · 23/02/2011 13:23

Sorry - meant to get back on here last night and was thwarted by roaming children....

Thank you for all the suggestions, I am slowly going through them. scram your local knowledge is invaluable - esp on the pubs

mumgoingcrazy did the farmstay place let you stay for 2-3 nights or did you have to book for a week?

bialy how long are you going for? I might contact them and they will let us do a shorter break during the week. We are also in London BTW so definitely too far to go there and back again.

Having spoken again to DH last night, we definitely want somewhere where we can safely put DS1 in a separate room to sleep. So although we could get a hotel room with a fridge, he just wouldn't go to sleep if we were there. Also it means we are totally stuck in the evenings. Hadn't even thought about Haven!

OP posts:

Original poster

loueytb3 · 23/02/2011 13:51

Like the look of the lodges at broadway house.

LL12 I can't get onto the website for Canns Farm I wonder if they are still open?

OP posts:

ScramVonChubby · 23/02/2011 16:19

Broadway House IS nice: bit further on but then you are close to Wells / Glastonbury / Cheddar so a really nice place to be in itself.

mumgoingcrazy · 23/02/2011 20:37

Hi Louey, we always do 3 or 4 nights so we can have a nice family day after BIBIC (we always take DD1 as well).

They are now on the BIBIC accomodation list, and as far as I'm concerned if you are on the list you should be prepared to have guests for only a couple of nights.

HTH

FrenchFlo · 30/03/2011 17:49

bibic are charging from May 1 and its not cheap, believe they have serious financial problems hence the charging, one of the therapists told me that they don't know one month to the next if they are going to get paid.
The facilities are not much and its always cold so not sure how they can charge the money they are asking, also worried because of their financial situation whether we will lose the money we have to pay up front

Chundle · 30/03/2011 18:31

Didn't realise bibic were in financial trouble- I was going to apply for dd2 is it perhaps not worth applying at the moment then? Do you need to pay much up front? Sorry for thread jumping! We wouldn need accommodation as only live 20 miles away

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