Friday, 18 July 2014

Hi there, i'm Victoria and here at Little Winnick I've been doing my work experience this week. I have had a great time getting stuck in and meeting lots of new people, working on reception and greeting the guests. The owners are really friendly and welcome everyone as if they've known them forever! The site is looking great in time to welcome the summer holidays. The park is a fabulous place to spend your holiday or even a great place to stop by for a few nights; near to the local pubs, beaches with easy access to nearby shops and restaurants, Little Winnick really is the place to stay. With easy access to cycle paths, the site is the perfect place for those of you who love dogs or if you fancy a stroll by the River Winnick.  With lots going on in the local area, Little Winnick is an ideal place with easy access to the surrounding area- why not say here and visit Fowey regatta, for the chance to see the Red Arrows, The Eden Project and Charlestown Ship Wreck and Heritage Center? The park even offers a selection of information on the activities in the area and so is fantastic if you fancy getting involved in the events nearby or if you just want to relax on the beach. What a great place to spend your holiday. Back to school for me but I wish I could stay for longer!

Victoria

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Trains, penguins and beaches

Hello there campers,
We hope you all all keeping well and enjoying this fabulous summer.  We are very busy here at Little Winnick Touring Park, with lots of people making the most of the great weather and our fantastic location.

Last week saw the Scottish and Irish Schools break up, so we warmly welcomed many younger guests to the park, many of whom have been making the most of the goal posts and footballs available to borrow from reception for use in our big field next to the park.   Do pop in and borrow whatever you would like from Reception or swap books.

Whilst Richard is busy at Little Winnick I have been testing out a variety of local attractions so we can give you a first hand account of what they are like.  Along with my weekly trips to Heligan, which is walking distance from the Park I have been off with our two girls (2 years and 14 weeks) testing out Lappa Valley.  Having visited before we had children I knew it was a lovely place, but really appreciated it this visit.  Lappa Valley is a children's delight, with miniature steam trains, electric trains, canoes, a play ground, maze and much more.  Before going check the train times to avoid a wait.  We arrived to catch the 10.30 train, it was nice and quiet.  Jessica loved the 'choo-choo' train up the valley to the park.  Once we had taken the ten minute ride we quickly hopped on to the electric train.  We then treated ourselves to bacon sandwich and a cuppa whilst Jess whizzed around on the peddle tractors.  The whole place is really fantastic for little people and I can not recommend it highly enough for young families.  The ticket price includes everything so there are no hidden extras.

If feathered friends are more your thing then why not check out Paradise Park in Hayle.    I will confess to not being overly excited about visiting a bird park - I am not the biggest bird fan.  However Paradise Park was a pleasant surprise.  The whole park is immaculate and has a nice selection of birds in beautifully maintained enclosures.  Jessica's favourite without any doubt was the penguins.  Especially the feeding time.  Followed closely by the tractor in the farm area where there were animals to pet.  The bird display on the lawn was very impressive and informative.  The day was topped off by a pasty from Phelps which you can get in the way...no Cornish day out is complete without a pasty!

In this weather all Cornish Beaches are pretty stunning.  If Jessica gets even a glimpse of the beach all I hear is 'bbeeeeeeeee'. So as you can imagine we are at the beach a lot.  Last week on Richard's day off we had a lovely day on Charlestown Beach.  We left the grandparents with the children whilst we nipped to Wreckers for a birthday lunch.  We had a delightful meal with the sea in view.  After lunch we headed back to the beach to see how much the tide had come in.  It really is a lovely little beach in a pretty village full of history and heritage.

We finally got round to visiting Healey's Cyder Farm - it is beautiful very much like time has forgotten it.  There are animals to pet and a great guided tour of the farm and best of all free cyder tasting which has resulted in us purchasing a selection of cyder matured in oak barrels - trust us it tastes good.  We finished this day out with a visit to Chapelporth Beach - what a find.  I read about it in my Wild Cornwall book.  The drive down is a bit hairy - especially when you meet another car but the small cove is quintessentially Cornish.  The life guards keep watch as the crashing
waves break whilst families play - the car park is £3.50 so make sure you make the most of the day.

Monday, 30 June 2014

No internet or phones

Hello
We are so sorry if you have been trying to contact us at all.  We have no internet or phones at Little Winnick as someone crashed into a telegraph pole further down the valley.  They are working to restore it ASAP.  Apologies if we have not been back in contact with you -we will contact you as soon as we have been re connected. (In case you are wondering at our house in the town we do have internet so are able to get on our blog at home!)
Many apologies Richard and Heidi

Saturday, 21 June 2014

Hot Hot Hot

When I married a Cornishman and three days later moved to Cornwall I thought we would be enjoying wall to wall sunshine all year round.  I had a bit of a shock the first year; it rained quite a bit and felt more like monsoon season over the first Winter.  Richard had to buy me a posh raincoat just to persuade me to stay.  As a Cornishman of course he knew how unpredictable the weather is down here, but when it is good it is REALLY good.  And here we are, three years since that fateful move and dare I say it we are 'living the dream' that so many people imagine it is like living in such a stunning place.

It has been gloriously hot and sunny for a few weeks now.  After a busy check in today we headed to Mevagissey for a fish and chip supper.  We strolled to near the Harbour Office side of the little village to tuck into our feast, the quieter area of the village.  It was without any doubt glorious.  So, so, so hot and the views that postcards are made of with the brightly coloured houses nestled into the steep hills with the fishing boats bobbing in the harbour.

With two small children I am all for easy to access walks right now and the stroll from Respryn, just past Lanhydrock proved perfect for us with a pushchair for the 10 week old and the toddler strapped to my back.  The walk follows the river to Bodmin Parkway station along what used to be the carriage drive to Lanhydrock House.  We were lucky enough to see a steam engine pull out of the station, the noise and sounds that such an engine makes are wonderful.  Park at the small car park in Respryn which asks for a £2 donation and follow the footpath from the car park.  You can also cross over the road and head into the woods towards Restormel Castle.

Whilst I am off on exciting adventures with our two girls Richard is hard at it at Little Winnick.  It is so busy at the moment, with lots of advance bookings coupled with a good number of people checking in for a night or two without booking. The park is looking lovely, with the grass growing well and a fantastic buzz created by all our guests.  For those of you who have been following the blog you will know over the winter we cleared the bottom field to aid drainage and tidy the area up. The next stage which recently took place was to spray the field to prevent the development of some serious weeds, once the field has died back (hence it looking brown) we will be reseeding the area.

The bookings continue to come in thick and fast for the summer holidays - don't forget to book to secure the dates you would like.


Saturday, 14 June 2014

Happy Campers

Wowie it is hot hot hot here and according to the weatherman this is set to last.  As a result last night we were full and tonight we have just a handful of pitches available.  It is just wonderful to feel the buzz around the park and to see so many people having a lovely time.  The first three weeks of the August are full now too and limited availability throughout the rest of the holiday period so please do book to avoid disappointment.

Apologies for the lack of blogs recently we have had a number of large rallies in and have been away ourselves introducing our nine week old to family in Norfolk. .  We are well equipped to cater for rallies of all shape and sizes so please do contact us if you would like to discuss coming to Little Winnick.

The best place to enjoy the sun right now has to be the stunning Cornish coast.  Yesterday we enjoyed a stunning day at Caerhays Beach.  The beach has a car park (£3.50), a small cafe and is dog friendly.  The sheltered cove is ideal for people who don't want a long walk to the beach.  From Little Winnick you can walk to Pentewan Beach.  The beach does not allow dogs, but has a lovely cafe, play area and small harbour.

Tomorrow we are off to The Kingswood Bar and Restaurant for Father's Day after work - I will let you know what we have.  The restaurant is highly regarded locally and walking distance along the trail from Little Winnick and child friendly.

Monday, 5 May 2014

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!

Thursday, 1 May 2014

Happy Birthday to us!

one of first jobs was to install a new play area
Well campers, we have made it through our first year.  A year ago today we officially opened for business having taken over the business just a few months before.  We opened with some trepidation, with no one booked in and just a hope that everything worked after hours and hours of rigorous testing.  To our delight one year ago, one person came in off the road - what excitement it caused - the poor person was a bit taken aback by our excitement.  But a year in and we are truly blown away by the popularity of the site and the numbers of you already returning or re booking with us.  To all of you who have stayed or are planning on staying - thank you for making this a truly memorable year for our family.  obviously we hoped we could make the old place a success like it's golden days - we wouldn't have taken the business on if we didn't believe in it, but the rate in which we have built up customers is humbling to us.

improvement works to the bottom field
The year has seen the full board up in August, two rallies, a fantastic  summer of heat waves and much improvements.  The improvements include redesigning the shop and reception, new hook ups, installation of tv aerial points and hard standing pitches, drainage work, lots of new tarmac, pitch dividers to name but a few jobs that have kept us all busy!

As a family we thank you for your support and look forward to seeing many of you in 2014.

**UPDATE** We have very limited availability for the last week of July and first week of August so please do contact us if you are hoping to book up then.


The park 2013