Stormy but safe

Happy New Year from all at Little Winnick Touring Park.

The South West has featured heavily in the news over recent days about baring the brunt of some fairly unforgiving storms.  It has been a wet and windy few days; this morning we were awoken at 5am by a fierce thunder storm, which was directly over head - the lightning show was pretty spectacular.  Richard and I live in St Austell, a short drive from the site.  Opposite is our road on Friday when the hail came down so hard it was like a flowing river down the road - we are only thankful we live on top of a hill.

As for Little Winnick -  it is fairing okay.  Each morning there have been some pretty large puddles, and a couple of pitches are water logged but the work on the drainage is paying off already - and lets face it if it can cope with the weather we have been dealt in the last few weeks then summer storms will not be a challenge!

Locally there are reports of isolated flooding - I am sure you will have seen that Looe was flooded on the National News and in Newquay the loss of so much sand has revealed a shipwreck no one knew existed.  Other than that the area was well prepared and we are coping pretty well.  The sun today was a welcome relief to a tough few days.

We are pleased to report that bookings are coming in for the 2014 season so if you are thinking about coming during the peak times or would like a specific pitch then we would recommend to book early to avoid disappointment.  You can book online or give us a call on 01726 843687.

One of my favourite things about Cornwall is how the mild climate makes the plants come to life earlier after the winter.  Despite the aforementioned weather the bulbs are well and truly sprouting and the first snow drops are about to come into flower.  For some reason this gives me hope that soon we will be in full spring here and then it is not long until we open and welcome many of you back again!

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.

2013 season has come to a close

Well that is it, today we finally close the 2013 season - as I type I am in reception waiting for the last guess to hand in their barrier pass for what has been a wonderful 2013 season.  Whilst waiting I inputting details of all our 2014 bookings into our shiny new booking system which will go live very soon.  In the meantime if you would like to book for 2014 please do give us a call on 01726 843687 or email mail@littlewinnick.co.uk.

As I mentioned in the last blog we could not have asked for a better start to our new venture with fantastic weather and brilliant guests and hope that 2014 will be equally as good if not better!

Although the season has come to an end we will still be down here beavering away with a long list of work.

As a treat to ourselves once we lock those gates shortly we will be off for lunch at the Market Cafe in Mevagissey and a walk around the harbour - Cornwall in the winter is just fantastic with rough seas, dramatic skylines and bracing walks - I will take come pictures for the next blog, which will continue throughout the winter.

Storm in a tea cup

Hello,
Sorry it has been so long since my last blog, Richard, Jessica and I have been on our holidays; after our first season here we were in need of a bit of a holiday.  Some may say that it was a bit of a bus man's holiday as we stayed in a static caravan in Weymouth - but static vans are just perfect for little people into everything!  We managed to time it just right with great weather meaning will could enjoy the likes of Portland and Chesil Beach.  Never fully off duty we had a look round the touring park and checked out their facilities!  We are back now for a few weeks then off again in November to see family who didn't get to see much of us over the summer.

I am very pleased to report the storm seemed to pass through Cornwall last night without too much damage - we have no fallen trees to report and just a few more puddles after the heavy rain that the wind brought with it.

As for us, we have our hands full with Jessica who is, as of last week, walking.  We hoped she would wait until the end of the season to do it as having a crawling baby in reception was one thing, having a running toddler seems like a whole different kettle of fish.

Last time I told you about the work in the bottom field that is happening.  It is still going on and it is amazing how huge the field is now at lot of the dead wood and bushes have been removed.  The work has allowed us to clear out the leat that runs along the boundary of the site.  Until this week it hasn't really been flowing, however after a lot of hard work removing bathes and such like which had been dump in there many moons ago and the leat is running really well which can only be a good thing for the drainage of the whole site and surrounding area.

In the coming weeks Richard and his dad will be digging trenches on the site in preparation for more water points and hook ups in the rally field.  The hope is to get as much ground work done as possible before Christmas to allow time for the ground to recover.  I shall be planting hundreds of daffodil bulbs to compliment all the daffodils that are already here.  I shall also be looking into what trees we plant in the bottom field to replace all the dead wood.

As our final week of 2013 season approaches we find ourselves reflecting on our first year.  We are so grateful to so many of you who have come to stay here and hope to welcome you and your families back for years to come.  As the site changes over the seasons it is a pleasure to see our vast and differing collection of guests come and go.  From the German tanks that scared the life out of me when they arrived, to guests who come for a few nights and end up staying weeks, to the couples with their dogs wandering down to the local pub to the children who arrive knowing no one but leave in tears not wanting to leave behind their new best friends.  The site feels quite strange with only a handful of people on it now.  We could not have asked for a better start to our new venture and a huge thank you goes to you for helping is enjoy every minute of the 2013 season.

Great autumn offers

It seems that there are some great offers to make the most of autumn sun.  Heligan is offering a new Winter Pass.  You pay to get in once and for just a £1 upgrade you can go back as many times as you like between now and February.  And if that is not enough children get in free.  What a brilliant idea especially as it is such an interesting time to visit the gardens with the fabulous Harvest Festival taking place too.

The Ship Inn in Pentewan is now offering a Thursday night carvery for just £4.99.  Famed for their delicious carvery this is a real bargain - you might even see us there!

Yesterday Richard went to The Eden Project to attend an event publicising cycling around Cornwall.  Not only are there some new routes opening there are more opportunities for people to enjoy a cycling break in Cornwall.  Locally the Pentewan Cycle Hire will deliver bikes to the site for the day, however the Re:Source Centre in Bodmin will be offering weeks hires from £50.00 next season with them delivering the bikes to you and collecting them at the end of your stay.  We think this is a brilliant idea as we know only to well how hard it is to squeeze everything in when you come on holiday especially with little people in tow!

This weekend saw a Rally on site with guests coming from all over Cornwall.  The Cornwall District Branch of the Caravan and Camping Club enjoyed their stay so much they have already booked up for 2014.  The group arrived on the Friday and spent Saturday decorating their vans for a window dressing competition on Saturday night which was judged by our Wardens followed by complimentary pasties.