Spring is springing!

It is finally here - Spring started on 1st March officially and according to some it will be barbecue weather next week which is so exciting.  And I have to say when the sun is out it is glorious and so many of Cornwall's Tourist Attractions are coming to life.  Jessica and I had lunch at Heligan last week, not only was the food delicious but the lambs they have to pet are adorable.  There are also pigs onsite now too.  We also popped into The Eden Project recently.  That was a lovely day out with so much for children to do and of course dogs are now welcome at both.  

We are busy bees with only a few weeks until opening.  We are cracking on with sprucing up the early arrivals area with new tarmac and the ground work is being done for additional site lighting.  There is also a great deal of painting going on and ordering of new site maps and such like.  Today I will be turning my mind to the shop and getting the huge shopping list ready to restock in the coming weeks and I shall begin the arduous task of choosing ice creams for the freezer!

Perhaps most exciting is the news that we have been granted planning permission for improvements to the exisiting toilet block.  Whilst the facilities that we currently have are very good, with great showers and very clean and tidy, especially the current new block, we would like to consolidate everything under one roof and provide more facilities for our disabled guests and a family bathroom suite to make life easier for parents.  So with that in mind at the end of the coming season we shall be making major changes to what we currently have.  We will have full plans on display at Reception throughout the season so please do come and have a look and ask us any questions you may have.

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.

Summer season begins

The summer season well and truly starts this weekend with the children breaking up and what stunning weather to welcome you with.  Having run River Valley Holiday Park for almost 20 years as a family we have a wealth of experience and love the summer season - even if is a little busy.  So you can be reassured that when booking with us we can offer you all sorts of nuggets of information gathered throughout our lives here and from visitors; including interesting places to visit, places off the beaten track, secluded beaches, how to get cheap entrance tickets to attractions, local garages should you need one (hopefully you won't), camping advice and numerous local walks.

With so many of you arriving in the coming weeks I guess now is a good time to introduce the team we have.  So, the Clemo family own the site, made up of John & Judith and their grown up children Alison (who looks after River Valley) and Richard.   You will see John and Judith around the site. I am Heidi and I am married to Richard, and along with our daughter Jessica who will be one in a few weeks, we are at Little Winnick most of the time. Steve & Jude are our on site wardens who live in the park home with their dog Tia and are always very happy to help.  We really look forward to welcoming you to the site.

So how can you get the most out of Cornwall?  Firstly, we are always here to help, with reception open 8.30am - 8.30pm we can point in the direction that you are thinking of heading - even look up things such as whether the Mevagissey to Fowey Ferry is running or as proper locals, give you directions which your Sat Nav might miss!

You might like to consider planning you stay a little and booking things in advance to save some pennies. For example you can book Eden Project tickets here and save nearly £10 per ticket.  Or if you are thinking about visiting some of Cornwall's stunning gardens pick up a Great Gardens of Cornwall leaflet in reception. You pay full price with the leaflet at your first visit then after that you get discounted rates at all other featured gardens.  As Eden is the most expensive visit one of the other gardens then head there to enjoy a discounted rate! To see the featured gardens click here.

A number of places offer a 7 day ticket once you have visited one, such at Newquay Zoo, Kidworld, Springfield Fun Park and Pony Centre or an annual past if you Gift Aid at The Maratime Museum in Falmouth or The Eden Project.

Don't forget if need supplies for your days out we have freshly prepared sandwiches, fresh bread, rolls, cakes, drinks, cheese, tuna, crisps and much more do keep you going on day.  Perhaps most importantly in this weather we have a very well stocked ice fridge.

Bonkers bank holiday

Wow, what a bank holiday weekend!  With well over fifty pitches booked out the park really came to life (and brought a little proud tear to our eyes in doing so).  I have left my camera at home, but I promise some pictures soon.  With a VW party in, which was connected to the Cornwall Camper Company, a local group and many people making the most of the fab weather the site felt like it had found it's old mojo.  Bread, milk, papers, homemade cakes, retro sweets and ice creams were flying off the shelves faster than we could restock them - we hope to see many of you who celebrated the bank holiday back again soon.  Don't forget if you did stay you can leave a review for fellow campers at UK Campsites or Pitchup.com.

With the busy bank holiday out of the way our attentions turn back to the 'to do' list which we do seem to be making some head way on.  Last week we drained the swimming pool...we didn't find anything exciting at the bottom of the murky water.  There is some debate around the family dinner table as to the plans for it - we will keep you posted when we know.  We hope to have the new toilet block painted in the next few weeks having painted the old toilet block prior to opening.  The laundry was officially opened on Friday (we forgot the ribbon to cut!) we have washers that cost £3 a go and dryers that are 50p a dry.  Or you could make the most of the washing lines and the glorious Cornish sunshine. Other than that it is just small jobs left on the list - for now!

Does anyone know how to encourage chickens to lay?  Bernard, Shelia and Dorren have been on strike recently.  They are malting so we think they might be a little stressed and will hopefully start laying again soon.  Any suggestions welcome though on a back of a post card - or email them to us!

Don't forget we have our seven nights for the price of five offer running from 1st June - 12th July - why not make the most of it and come and have a weeks stay with us?

Half term ideas

With the half term upon us it is time to start thinking up ideas of things to keep little people happy.  Here is my top ten:

1. Learn all about the Beast of Bodmin Moor at Lanhyrock.  Should be fun for children and adults alike!
2. On the 26th May visit Kernow Fest at The Heartlands in Redruth.  Not only is there a free event celebrating all things Cornish, Heartlands is also home to the mothership of play areas
3. Have a little pamper at The Cornwall.  A short drive from Tregongeeves the Spa is well worth a visit and a great escape from little people.
4. Visit Lappa Valley.  We went before we had children with friends who had a two year at the time - now it is a firm favourite of ours - where children come first and life is all about having fun.
5. Enjoy breakfast at The Eden Cafe and then take a stroll around St Austell.  The breakfasts are a real treat and the family friendly cafe means you can relax in a safe environment.
6. Visit the impressive National Maritime Museum in Falmouth - with Seahorse Rocks activities for children you can make creatures inspired by the Cornish Coast.  For lunch why not indulge in a hearty feast at Gylly's Beach Cafe.
7. Visit the small precinct of shops opposite Tesco's known as Holmbush.  Here you will find the best local butchers (in our opinion) selling great pasties - why not pick up some 'bangers' for the BBQ whilst you are there, grab a cake from Niles (custard doughnuts are our favourite), then head out for a walk.  We recommend visiting the bluebells at Luxulyan Valley at the moment.
8. Explore Porthpean Beach.  This local haunt is small secluded beach with rock pools to explore - it's an ideal location for a picnic.
9. Hire a bike for the day and cycle the Camel Trail.  You can cycle into Padstow and enjoy the small fishing village without the hassle of finding somewhere to park.
10. Do nothing at all!  Just relax at Little Winnick with a glass of wine in your hand whilst the BBQ smokes away in the back ground - perfect.