Strava segment up referring to the difficult brown

Who has the KOM/QOM?

So Center Parcs is on out doorstep. Sherwood.

Two stories spring to mind:

1) All of my dodgy mates had a secret door to get in for ‘free day passes’- by climbing through a pre-constructed gap in the wire fence.

2) I used to film random stuff (Make-up guy from GMTV) there and would often exchange pleasantries with Mr Motivator as we passed through the stage door at the same time – he having had a good session with bored Mums.

My then 4 year old got knocked off his bike by a car driving the wrong way down a one way road in the middle of a saturday (traffic free time) at centre parcs. Came round a tight corner, only clipped him but stil hurt. I was bouncing. Staff did nothing.

We’ve gone to Longleat CP pretty much every year since 2007, midweek between March and June outside school hols when it’s a lot cheaper… ~£400 for a 3-bed villa.

We love the lack of cars, undulating forest campus and going in late March the feeling of nature waking up again after winter. I’ve enjoyed it more in recent years since ramping up the cycling, there’s wonderful rolling cat4 hills right outside the campus, in 2017 I did a loop from Warminster train station to The Mendips and back to CP on the first day.

Even without a car it’s so easy, train to Warminster and then a ~£10 taxi to Longleat.

Centreparcs, its the modern Butlins, what do you expect?

My mate refers to it as Posh Butlins without the fun.

He’s forced yearly to endure it with his family in-laws 🙂

Mibbe your mate should grow a pair of testicles?. 😁

Spending time with your wife and kids, awesome pool and slides, pretty much every activity you can think of for them to have a go at, aye it’s really no fun at all!.

Spending time with your wife and kids, awesome pool and slides, pretty much every activity you can think of for them to have a go at, aye it’s really no fun at all!.

Agreed, if you don’t manage to have some fun you’re doing it wrong or a miserable ****. I should know, I am a miserable ****. There are as many things for adults to do as there are for kids. Obviously it’s a family/kid centred holiday, but that’s no reason not to do something for yourself too (i’m also informed by my other half that the Spa is actually very, very good). Riding-wise….going to Whinfell? Quick ride up Dun Fell. Sherwood? Head out into the forest proper.

Disclaimer – I’ve got young kids so go off-peak, not sure I’d stomach school holidays prices so well!

mattyfez

I’m definitely in the camp of “not my cup of tea” and “how bloody much? You could go all inclusive to the carribean for that”

Hmmm. We have booked a 4-bed lodge in May at Woburn for £529 – so split between me, my parents & in-laws it’s costing us ~£180 each.
I’d be interested to see some links to all-inclusive Caribbean holidays for similar cost – your Google-fu must be better than mine.

dudeofdoom

My mate refers to it as Posh Butlins without the fun.

I suppose it depends what your mates idea of fun is.
We mainly go because it’s a great environment for our daughter to have fun & we get to spend some quality time together in a peaceful, quiet setting. Not having to worry about cars & traffic is really nice.
In the last few visits we have spent countless hours in the kids adventure playground areas, spent time in the pools, done a falconry session, a kids high wire session, kids off road experience, picnic & sandcastles on the beach, ten-pin bowling, last time we went the grandparents took my daughter off to do some pottery painting & I think the grandparents enjoyed that more than my daughter did. It’s also a perfect place for young kids to gain confidence on bikes – the first time we went my daughter went everywhere on a weeride seat, the next time she was on her first small balance bike & last time she was whizzing around on a new, larger balance bike.

For people that aren’t tied to kids all the time, there is the sports cafe with pool tables & tons of screens, there’s the sports halls with all sorts of activities from badminton to yoga & climbing. There’s also a spa where you can book sessions.

I also like holidays where you can just book a cottage or something & do your own thing in the ‘real world’ and last year we booked ten days camping in the Loire valley which was a really good holiday.
But, there’s a lot of positives to Center Parcs. I used to be a real sceptic, but am pretty much a total convert.

stumpy01 nails it.

Yep, he does.

I’ve been once and my opinion of it was pretty polarised.

I liked the ease of everything being relatively close by and the ease of getting about, quality of the a amenities etc. But I did feel it all very sanitised and too controlled, like it’s for city folk to feel they’re doing something wild and adventurous.

I might go back if I got a deal or as part of a bigger group but for me I’d rather just book an Airbnb up in the highlands and take our own bikes and do what we want, when we want.
But then I have in the past been accused of being antisocial, which is partly true as I can’t stand large groups of people as I think it brings the worst out of people.

stumpy01 nails it.

That’s what “going to Centre Parcs” is all about.

For people that aren’t tied to kids all the time, there is the sports cafe with pool tables & tons of screens

Delightful when the football’s on.

perchypanther

stumpy01 nails it.

That’s what “going to Centre Parcs” is all about.

Pah. Chance would be a fine thing…🙄

But I did feel it all very sanitised and too controlled, like it’s for city folk to feel they’re doing something wild and adventurous.

Or, you know, for kids to go wild and free (or at least feel like they are). An Air BnB would absolutely be my preferred choice, going to struggle get many Munro’s out of under 3s though

Riding-wise….going to Whinfell?

Good riding near Whinfell you say? It’s become a tradition of ours that whereever my wife books a holiday, I’ll manage to find an excuse to take my bike.

First time at CP coming up, I just went along with whatever my wife wanted to do, but based on previous all-inclusive trips, I think it should be a success, doubt we’ll get the wee man far from the pool for the first few days, especially since the biggest slide he has experienced to-date was about 3ft high…

Wee fella will love it Iain!, Lots of good riding straight from the door too.

Good riding near Whinfell you say?

Not sure if good, definitely a beast of a climb. Unfortunately my rack decided to expire when I was already loaded up to take the bike along

Have just done some research, surrounded by hairy big road climbs, normally I’d be delighted, but since this will be my second week back on my bike after rehab from a discectomy, perhaps I should be leaving the bike at home… Such a waste!

You always hire one of their e-bikes and try to smuggle it off-campus, I didn’t try a couple of years back after signing a big dodgy waiver, but I always take standard hire bikes off-campus without issue at Longleat.

I’ve never been to a CP, nothing in this thread has convinced me that I’m missing out on anything enjoyable.

I listened to classic FM on the way home tonight.

Radio 3 myself. What car do I drive?

I sometimes put Scala on when I’m driving my Discovery and pretend I’m posh, or cultured. I’m neither.

I also recently wore my shades, wound the windotw down, put NWA ‘**** the Police’ on full blast, and pretended I was a right dickhead in my Audi. That one was easier to pull off….

Radio 3 myself. What car do I drive?

old volvo