Heavenly scent that summer is on the way

I love this time of year when Cornwall really comes alive with the trees in blossom, lambs in the field and everywhere you turn bluebells.  Now I am no gardening expert but I suspect that the winter weather is the driver behind the stunning carpets of blue which seems to be everywhere you turn in Cornwall right now, and the scent of the bluebells is just wonderful and really raises hopes for the glorious summer I am certain is just around the corner.    A short stroll along the river bank that hugs the park you will find stunning carpets of flowers and if the wind is in the right direction the smell drifts over the park.  Luxulyan Valley is a bit of a locals secret,  but worth a visit this time of year.  The old woods are littered with mining history and is a brilliant place for dogs and children alike and must for bluebell lovers right now.

Talking of woods, I was excited to see that Tehidy Woods, about a 30 minute drive away is, hosting the Wild Woodland Summer Ball, by the fantastic Rogue Theatre Company.  The magical woodland experience will have little  people and grown ups too enthralled in the magic of fairies, dragons and mermaids.

Closer to home is the exciting summer of theatre promised at the Lost Gardens of Heligan.  The 20th August sees the grounds play host to The Tempest by The Miracle Theatre Company - a show not to be missed.  We have had the enormous pleasure of seeing two productions by the Miracle Theatre Company and they are without fail brilliant.  So funny and wonderful actors.  If that was not enough we then see the arrival of the Kneehigh Theatre Company with Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs).  The Kneehigh are a well known theatre company who normally play to sell out crowds so book early to avoid disappointment.

The bank holiday here has been beautiful and we have enjoyed welcoming so many of you to the park.  As the children return to school we enter a time when it is mainly only adults on site making the most of our brilliant 7 nights for the price of 5 offer - which makes us the best value campsite in the valley.  So why not pop in, enjoy our great location, well stocked shop, WiFi access and onsite facilities for as little as £40 for 7 nights.

Many of you have been asking how our new little arrival is getting on, which is most kind thank you.  She is now four weeks old and getting on nicely. In fact she is asleep next to me at the office desk as I type - giving guests who check in a little startled when she moves and they notice her!  Big sister is enjoying her new role, but more importantly is loving having people back on site to meet again, as we are too!

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!

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.

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!

Egg-static

Doreen or Shelia laid an egg!!  This is such exciting news, I am certain this is the start of lots of eggs (hopefully!).

So weeks like this is while we live in Cornwall.  Summer has most certainly arrived here.  The days are warm with a gentle cooling breeze and the evenings are glorious.  I am working this week, but tomorrow day I shall mostly be having a picnic on the beach - perhaps punctuated with a little paddle just to cool off.  We are either going to Pentewan beach which you can walk to from the site or we might head for Porthpean.  Both are pretty quiet and ideal for children.  The more adventurous of you can bike to Porthpean from the site - ask us for directions if you would like to pop there.  Then Wednesday we are having a BBQ.  In the day I shall walk up from Little Winnick to Lobbs Farm Shop.  It is one of my favourite farm shops and does brilliant meat.  Their meat balls are amazing - and easy to cook on a camping stove it you are staying :-).

This week also sees the Royal Cornwall Show - a must for the locals to meet each other and a fantastic insite in the Cornwall way of life.  At present I am not going but someone from the Clemo clan will be going so hopefully pictures will follow next week.

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.