Autumn arrives in Cornwall...but the sun is still out

I think most campers will agree that there is certainly a chill in the air, however I can confirm when the sun is out it is still very powerful and warm.   If I am honest with you we are moving into our favourite time of year here.  Don't get me wrong, summer in a sunny Cornwall is awesome, however hot days in September and October feel extra special, especially as everything is a little bit quieter and calmer.  

As locals we know that there are some brilliant events in the coming weeks and we also know the best places to find a roaring fire to snuggle up next to after a long bracing walk.  My favourite fire to nestle in to is at the Polgooth Inn.  The fire is in the heart of the pub, and with a pint of local ale warming your insides you can't go wrong.  The Eden Cafe in town also has an amazing fire.  The large open burner has sofas all around it so you can enjoy a lovely treat off their menu whilst being tucked into cosy chairs.  Right now, at this time of year when it is still warm enough to enjoy the lunch time sun but you want to feel like winter is coming my all time favourite place to go is the Duchy Nursery just outside Lostwithel.  Their food is brilliant, their plants are fantastic and their shop will want you make to buy everything.  But my favoutite thing is sitting outside in the sun whilst smelling their wood burner that burns away inside...there is something about that smell that gets me ready for the winter!

If you are planning a visit to Cornwall before we close for the winter on 31st October why not plan it around one of the many events up and coming over the next few weeks.  In fact I found something on every weekend - all of which are worth a visit.

Roseland Festival - 21st September - 6th October.  The full programme can be found here, but with lots of community events, talks, shows, dining and a quiz you are sure to find something of interest.  The Philleigh Way Cookery evenings looks particularly good.

Cornwall Food & Drink Fair - 27th - 29th September.  We loved this last year with all things foodie and Cornish showcased in one location.  We would advise going early though as it does get very busy.  If you don't manage to fill yourself up on all the tasters then why not treat yourself to lunch at The Old Grammar School - we love their food.

Boscastle Food, Art & Craft Festival - 5th - 6th October.  This small village knows how to enjoy food -and this year the programme looks even better than usual with famous chefs, cooking demonstrations, talks, barn dances and concerts this is one not to be missed.

Falmouth Oyster Festival - 10th - 13th October.  Love them or hate them oysters are a bit like marmite. But the festival celebrates the start of dredging season and brings together music, food and crafts to celebrate.

Seed to Sow - Lanhydrock - 17th October.  Join the garden team to collect seeds in the Herbaceous Border and learn how to sow them and care for them in the Plant Nursery.  Maybe you can get a garden looking as good as Lanhydrock!

Spooky Halloween Trail or Tour at Pendennis Castle - 26th October - 3rd November.  Enjoy following a spooky trail around this impressive English Heritage property.

Little Winnick News - we look forward to welcoming our first Rally to the park later this month and are looking forward to the numerous rallies we have booked in for 2014 both in our purpose built Rally Field and within the park itself.  

We have a comprehensive list of works for the winter - some of which we have already started including putting in pitch dividers on certain pitches.  We will be sprucing up the toilet blocks, developing the planting, installing a new booking system, and a few other things!  In between on this we hope to have a little holiday ourselves.

The chickens have already gone on their hols.  Currently they are at our holiday cottages in a warm stable whilst we clean their pen as they have red mite which is very common at this time of year.  They will however be moving to our back garden fairly soon for their winter break.  I am most pleased about this - Richard is less than pleased that they will be spending the winter with us!

Bank Holiday Fun in the Sun

Well, despite it being a bank holiday it looks like the weather is not going to rain on our parade.  After a mixed day yesterday today it is bright with a slight breeze and tomorrow is set to get even better; which is fantastic news for our full camping field - and for our guests in the Rally Field.  On site we have the normal touring field but we are also very lucky to boast a Rally Field too.  The large field is a fantastic space for people to gather for celebrations, club events, reunions or just for a weekend away.  We already have a number of caravan and motor club rallies booked in for 2014, friends coming for a long weekend in the field, a possible football tournament and even interest in a wedding being held there.  If you would like to use the Rally Field please do get in contact with either Heidi or Richard who can discuss options with you.

As the bank holiday comes and goes we say goodbye to the summer season which has been just fantastic and welcome in our seven nights for the price of five which begins from Sunday 1st September.  That means over the coming weeks you could stay seven nights for as little as £40.  Please do give us a call or email us if you would like to make a booking with us.

September is a wonderful time to visit Cornwall, not only is it quieter but it is also often very warm too.  Dates to put in your diary include:

• 8th September - World Bellyboard Championships at St Agness
• 12th - 15th September - Heritage Open Days with free entry to
• Lanhydroch
• Gribbin Daymark
• Glendurgan
• Godolphin Garden
• Porthcurno Telegraph Museum
• East Pool Mine, to name but a few
• 14th September - St Ives September Fest, with exhibitions, poetry, walks and festivals
• 21st September - Roseland Fesitval - a community festival celebrating all local things.

Wonderful walks on your door step

Goodness me, we have had a wet 24 hrs, however I am very pleased to report the sun is out and it is looking bright and feeling warm.  Luckily the rain has drained away very quickly and left everything looking nice and refreshed now.  The outlook for the week is good too, so we are looking forward to a bit of a bright week now (fingers crossed!).  Which is brilliant news for the Charlestown Regatta and the Fowey Regatta.

I always think after a good dumping of rain is a good time to get put and go for a walk as everything is lovely and refreshed and looking at it's best.  There are so many brilliant walks in Cornwall it is hard to know where to begin but we we stumbled across one that strokes the edge of the site.  Why not start it from Little Winnick and enjoy a beautiful circular walk?  If you would like to explore a little more how about the Hall Walk - my all time favourite walk I have to confess; taking in a magical cove and the village of Polruan, with a river taxi back to Fowey at the end -  it is real adventure walk.  Or why not venture onto the North Coast with a circular walk from Rock.  The tiny village has become 'the' place to be seen in Cornwall with exceptionally high house prices.  The circular walk will let you enjoy some stunning houses.

As for our day off on Sunday; the rain stopped play so we didn't make our day out.  Instead we had our friends round for a big hearty breakfast and let Jessica play with her friends.  In doing so we got to eat whole heap of the Kittows Bacon I keep raving about that we sell in reception and eggs from the chickens we have outside reception.

Talking of chickens we have some news.  We recently acquired Joan to keep the others company, sadly both Joan and Doreen decided to sit on eggs and refused to eat, which is very common in bantams, so sadly they passed away.  However the very, very exciting news is that Shelia is proud Mum to 7 chicks.  We are keeping an eye to see how many are girls and how many are boys but so far mother and chicks are doing fine.  They are in a small run until they are big enough to walk the ladder up in the big pen.

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.

Not a good place for the diet

So I have concluded the Little Winnick reception/shop is the worse place to be when on a diet.  I made a Victoria Sponge that has a layer of some of the local black current jam in it and scones using Trewithen Dairy yoghurt.  I have never made scones with yoghurt before but my mother in law (who some of you may have met at the site) assured me it was how she did it each week for the cottages - she was right it is amazing  - this is the recipe in case you want to make some.  Anyway, it means I had to have a slice a cake this morning (quality control) and it is only 11am.

As I was uploading things for the website and blog I was amazed by the super fast broadband, it still amazes me how quick it is.  This is true across the whole park which is covered by 5 points to ensure you can access the WiFI wherever you are.  If you would like to connect up just pop into reception to purchase log in codes.

My first guest in reception this morning made an interesting comment as I was rushing around unloading the papers, bringing in the fresh milk and sorting out the bread.  He said 'I bet you can't wait until this place closes and we (the guests) all go home'.  My answer was NO!'.  We love our lives, it is a lifestyle that is our families way of life.  We fail to get through a meal without debating things or making plans.  We thrive off seeing guests enjoying the park and everything that is near by - the park feels like it has lost it's soul a little in the winter when it is empty.  On rare summer days out we are busy snapping pictures for the blogs and bursting with enthusiasm to share with people.  Next week we are going out for Richard's birthday to Bedruthan Steps for lunch- a very child friendly local hotel that does yummy lunches...I will update you what it is like in due course.

Talking of the winter and the rest of the season (obvioulsy not meaning the two are the same!) we have had interest recently in seasonal pitches for the rest of the season and storage over the winter.  Currently we are offering seasonal pitches 1st July -1st November with winter storage for £1400 on a hard standing pitch - this includes your electric and use of the facilities.  Please give Heidi or Richard a call if you are interested.                                                                          

Something fishy going on

Guests are brilliant!  Today a guest walked into reception with three trout for me; he caught them yesterday.  I have always wanted to try proper fresh fish. By that I mean, just landed and cooked within a few days. I am currently swatting up on what to do with a whole fish via YouTube - my kitchen might end up a bit of a mess by the end of the evening but I am hopeful I might be able to gut them...maybe.  Surprisingly down here it is not that easy to get fresh fish over the counter.  The best place to head to is Mevagissey where there is a little stall on the quay selling fish caught that day.

Then there are the green trucks/tanks/very impressive vehicles that left this morning.  With a top speed of 42mph and real diesel guzzlers it is no wonder their owners took to their tandem  to get anyway.  For some reason the big green trucks made me smile every time I walked past them - I just hope you don't get stuck behind them.

One of my favourite  jobs is to walk around the site.  Steve, one of the site wardens does this a lot with his dog Tia, but I love doing it admiring all the different styles and equipment people have.  Last night we watched with a rye smile the Apprentice where the candidates had to sell at the Caravan Show.  Of course down here you don't have to go far to get all your essential camping items.  Within walking distance is White River Outdoor who are one of the best supplies of camping and caravan equipment in the area.

A bit of good news for the TV fans amongst you, we have install aerial points to a number of pitches so you can get perfect signal when on site.  If you would like a pitch with a aerial point please do let us know.

PS it may have rain over night but it is glorious today, really sunny again - I have completely the wrong clothes on today!

The return of the ice cream bike

My wheels!

Now hopefully I will not curse the weather but  it is gorgeous at the moment.  Two days on the beach this week have resulted in a house full of sand but it is worth it to hear the crashing of the waves and see our little one exploring the sand.  Day one was spent on this coast at Porthpean - I have mentioned it before but it is such a lovely little spot and a little bit of a hidden gem.  The car park is £3 for the day and there is a small shop on the beach selling ice creams and bits & bobs.  There are also toilets.  As for the beach itself it is clean and sheltered and has a large selection of rock pools to explore.  If you fancy a change whilst there you could venture up onto the coastal path; Duporth and then Charlestown are only a short walk away.

Treyarnon Beach - stunning!

Our second beach this week was Treyarnon Bay which is on the north coast.  The large sandy expanse was very quiet and sheltered but the waves were big.  The beach, which has lifeguards present is stunning and bigger enough to hold the crowds I am sure it would attract on a Saturday.  Again the car park was £3 for the whole day and there were toilets and food on offer - we took a picnic which was just lovely.  After the beach we strolled along the flat cliffs taken in a bit more of the coastal path - it is such a different coast to the south coast.

Jess & Daddy enjoying Treyarnon Beach

After a visit to the north coast why not pop into Kingsley Village - this shopping outlet stocks locks of local bits and bobs and has a fantastic food hall that does amazing cakes and meat for the BBQ.

The sun also means the ice cream bike is having her first official outing of the year.  She is my little project that I invested in when I first moved here - she used to go around our other campsite - River Valley.


 But she has been promoted this year to a spot on the trail.  I will be selling Callestick Farm's finest soft scoop ice cream, along with some of the more traditional ice creams and cold drinks.  A guest has just this minute come into reception at 10.11am and asked if I am going around the site with the bike - keep you eyes peeled for me I may give her a test run around!  If not we have a freezer fully stocked with yummy ice creams in reception - the new Lemon Curd flavour is yummy scrummy (we tested it to make sure it was okay for you!).

Dog friendly all season

Having watched our dog being born (he was a puppy from my Nan's dog - our Dad said we could have a dog if there was a black and white one - Henry was the runt of the litter and had a black white tail!) he became embedded into our family life.  We had 18 wonderful years with him and he really became part of our family.  Currently our family here in Cornwall have Ginnie who is a scatty black Labrador - abused as a pup we rescued her, but she is still very scared and frightened of things however she loves running around on glorious walks.

Basically we love dogs and welcome them with open arms here at Little Winnick.  With direct access from the site to miles of walks whether through the Kingswood, on the Pentewan Cycle Trail, or National Cycle Way or onto the Coastal Path your four legged friend(s) will be spoilt for choice.

We even have a dog walking field, where you can let your dog have a good old run around and explore.  Within walking distance you can enjoy a meal at The Ship Inn which welcomes dogs, or slightly further away is the Polgooth Inn - both serve fantastic food.

We hope to welcome you and your four legged family members soon!

Snap shot of bank holiday weekend

As promised here are some of the pictures from the bank holiday.  We had a brilliant weekend, it was lovely to meet lots of you and see all your lovely tents, vans, motor homes, pets and children.  My favouirte was the VW camper van with matching trailer!

This weekend is a lot quieter as half term comes to an end and the children return to school.  As I mentioned in the last blog though we are now offering 7 nights for the price of 5, meaning you could have a weeks stay with us from £55.  

After a mixed week of weather, I can confirm as I sit here in the office typing it is glorious - blue skies with a slight breeze.  Fingers crossed it stays that way as my brother gets married this weekend (we are very excited!).