Painting and digging

I am currently sitting in reception surrounded by piles of files, books, stationary and other bits and pieces as the back office is given a lick of paint - a job we have been trying to do for a while but time has not allowed. The back office is Richard's domain; as the accountant of Tregongeeves Farm Cottages, River Valley Holiday Park and Little Winnick he has a great deal of paper work and organising to do so he deserves a snazzy new office to do it in!  Along with that outside there are holes being dug and drains up, with a small project to improve drainage on the site.  We are already blessed with excellent drainage here so it is not a huge worry, however we have noticde a bit of standing water when we have down pours so John is busy digging French Drains (I always thought a drain was a drain) and inspecting existing drains to work out where they go.

This week has been fairly quiet for us in terms of outings.  We did visit The Eden Project on Friday for a wander - it is magically there at the moment with Father Christmas and reindeers.  Jessica is still a little bit too young to understand it all but we really enjoyed watching lots of excited children.  It is worth keeping an eye on the Eden website as they organise such brilliant events and activities for the whole family - we are looking forward to the World Pasty Championships in March!

Jessica and I headed into Charlestown on Thursday.  We took our flask and biscuits again and sat on the beach watching the waves crash and the tide coming in. Which was all very lovely until the sea got a little too close to us and the pushchair for my liking - I had to work out who to move first to avoid complete soaking.

Having been away a bit recently we are appreciating even more how child friendly Cornwall is and how much places cater for little people.  In St Austell Tengo Cafe now has an upstairs playroom which parents can sit and enjoy a coffee whilst the little ones play with the good selection of toys.  The Eden Cafe, also in St Austell run a huge amount of free sessions which you can drop into such as Tots Rocks (we love this) and nursery rhymetime, always a hit with children especially if you need a little bit of a break.  A short walk from Little Winnick Touring Park, Pentewan Sands has a soft play area which you can use for free if you buy a coffee - it is huge and a great way to burn off energy.  If you are planning a visit don't hesitate to ask us about child friendly places - we have a long list of recommendations.

Christmas Cheer - why not visit Cornwall?

Little Winnick has all sorts of uses; this week I raided the hedges to make my wreath for our door at home.  I had great fun searching the hedges for my holly and chopped the bottom off the fir tree for the base.    I am also loving being in the office with the radio on and all the festive tunes.  However it does make me think that soon the New Year will be here and with it the start of season two.  With only 16 weeks until we reopen the winter season is whizzing by as quick as the summer season did.  We do hope to welcome many of your back and hope you will take advantage of our 7 nights for the price of 5 offer.

We are still having lots of little adventures.  On Sunday Richard and I had morning coffee and biscuits down on Trenarren Beach.  A bit of a hidden gem I can't rave enough about it.  You wander down through a small hamlet passed Trenarren House which used to be the home of acclaimed poet A.L Rowse down a steep track to small beach.  The tide was in for our visit so it was a tiny beach but there is a seat  with the most breathe taking views.  We sat there enjoying our coffee and homemade Christmas biscuits and didn't see a soul - it was magical - just the sound of the waves in the background.

This week I am actually working on the information folder for our cottages.  Tregongeeves Farm Cottages are a coupe of miles from Little Winnick and offer luxury accommodation all year round.  Due to a couple of cancellations with have two cottages available over the New Year - why not pop down and recharge your soul in Cornwall.

Online booking is LIVE!

We have now returned after a two weeks away up country - one week in London and one week in Cricket St Thomas - which was just wonderful and we feel almost fully charged.  Jessica is being looked after by Granny so I have the afternoon to crack on at Little Winnick.

Despite being closed we still have lots to keep us busy here.  As I type I am in reception doing the blog and updating the website and information sheets for when you arrive whilst Richard is busy tucked up in the back office paying bills and sorting out energy suppliers.  We are both snuggled in our winter coats as a wooden reception building is not the warmest at this time of year!

Perhaps the thing I have been most excited about over the recent weeks is the new booking system and we are pleased as punch to say you can now book directly online and make payments through the system.  To say it will make life easier is an understatement.  Of course you can still give us a call at anytime to make a booking or with queries but hopefully you will find booking online and checking availability a help.  We do very much look forward to welcoming you and your families to Little Winnick.

One of our guests who flew to Cornwall in their own plane took the picture of the site which we are so very grateful for.  You can see how well we are situated to access the wonderful Kings Wood and miles of paths that connect to the South West Coastal Path and down to Pentewan Beach.

Work in the bottom field is finally nearing completion after months of digging, flattening, chopping and general tidying.  Pictured is the work in progress - it looks a lot different now.

Richard and his Dad have spent this week digging holes to establish better drainage around the arrival area. At times the work has been like a needle in a haystack with no plans to help however they have successfully managed to locate all their drains.

Whilst it is a little bit quieter we are getting to enjoy the festivities around Cornwall.  St Austell had its lights switch on last week and I have to say it is looking lovely.  We also went to Fowey Christmas light switch on and then their market the following day which was very Cornish and lovely!

2014 seems like a long time away but it is approaching fast and it is wonderful to start to plan days out for the future or perhaps even a holiday?  Visit Cornwall is a brilliant source for what is on when so why not take a peek and plan a stay with us around one of the many foodie, literary or traditional Cornish events that happen throughout the year.