Center Parcs

the playing mantis
the playing mantis Posts: 2,129
edited March 2013 in The cake stop
i love it sort of. seems to have got a bit chavvy recently though.

however when i say im going, a lot of people think its sh*t.
do you?!

Comments

  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,480
    Who cares what anyone else thinks as long as you and yours enjoy it?
    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

    Desmond Tutu
  • manoirdelourde
    manoirdelourde Posts: 133
    The cricket must be really shite . . .
    Got a place in the Pyrenees.
    Do bike and ski stuff.
  • the playing mantis
    the playing mantis Posts: 2,129
    indeed it is.
  • the playing mantis
    the playing mantis Posts: 2,129
    Slowmart wrote:
    Who cares what anyone else thinks as long as you and yours enjoy it?

    :roll: this isnt one of those handwringing is it right to wave/wear rainbow/where trade kit threads. im after peoples own experience.

    f**k it, we are going to lose plus i forget its monday tomorrow. im going to bed. delete all these sh*te threads plz mods!!!!
  • 5tew ST
    5tew ST Posts: 16
    I don't mind it the mrs goes doing spa stuff I ride round on my bike everyone is a winner :)
  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,480
    the playing mantis wrote:
    Slowmart wrote:
    Who cares what anyone else thinks as long as you and yours enjoy it?

    :roll: this isnt one of those handwringing is it right to wave/wear rainbow/where trade kit threads. im after peoples own experience.

    f**k it, we are going to lose plus i forget its monday tomorrow. im going to bed. delete all these sh*te threads plz mods!!!!


    I've done the one in the lakes which had a great water park and that's the best thing I can say about it. We then went to Clumber Park where the accommodation was grotty and dirty. One looonng weekend. I'll never go back there.

    Having said that if you stay at the Four Seasons in Mauritius the set up is the same, except they have villas, better scenery, service and food. Same business model, different costs.
    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

    Desmond Tutu
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    We took the kids last weekend to the lakes as a surprise for them. The accommodation was much improved over last time 3 years ago. Water park was great. Everything else extortionate. We just ate in our lodge.
    It was a nice break.
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  • jezzasnr
    jezzasnr Posts: 225
    i/we love it, although it's a few years since we last went. It suited us down to the ground, plenty for the kids to do, inside & out, nice and relaxed, very safe & only a couple hours up the road, no planes with little ones.
    Also went once with another couple, no kids. all the good bits were still good, but a very different place.
    ....like it's golden
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    been a couple of times, the center parc ideas nice, just an expensive 3 days, all of the extra costs to do any activity, but you know that before you book. Nice in winter or out of school holiday times as you can get some better deals. A friend went to center parcs in Holland, ferry across from Hull and said it was a lot cheaper to do it that way than go 60 miles down the road to Whinfell.
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • the playing mantis
    the playing mantis Posts: 2,129
    as the mods ignored my request to delete these crummy threads i started, i will carry on!!!. i havent been to the whinfell one (lake district) but it wasnt orignally a centre parcs. it was opened by oasys (whoever they are) i think, and centre parcs bought it off them as they were effectively ripping off the idea. i have been to the others

    if theres a crowd of you and you are into playing sport its good fun. if not extortiante in places, and a little run down these days.

    the ones ont he continent are by all accounts better but slightly different.
  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    One i went to in France was pretty much same as the UK ones I've been too except they didn't shout at you if you took young kids in armbands down the rapids ride in the swimming pool.

    Its a good place if you are meeting with other families as you can be together but have a bit of your own space too. Not teh ebst value in the world and woefully under capacity for restaurant etc so you end up waiting ages
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  • natrix
    natrix Posts: 1,111
    mumsnet, center parcs, snigger, snigger............. 8)
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  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    natrix wrote:
    mumsnet, center parcs, snigger, snigger............. 8)

    made the mistake of a google :lol:

    Will look when i get home :wink:
  • AchillesLeftKnee
    AchillesLeftKnee Posts: 713
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    natrix wrote:
    mumsnet, center parcs, snigger, snigger............. 8)
    made the mistake of a google :lol:

    Will look when i get home :wink:
    Working from home, although currently reduced to tears of mirth. I'll never be able to drive through Elvedon again without thinking of the Bakerloo Line.
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  • pease
    pease Posts: 150
    Been a few times with the mrs before we had kids, we've done the sherwood and longleat ones. Both nice enough if you go in term time for a bargain. Essentially its 3* at best and not so 'quiet retreat' as both have had the eurofighters flying over daily.

    Will consider taking the kids once they are older.
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  • Tim Farr
    Tim Farr Posts: 665
    Went with the family last Summer to Whinfell in Cumbria. As a family we enjoyed most of the activities especially the ten pin bowling and the pool. However the putting facility was of poor quality; and expensive.

    My wife has some mobility difficulties and was looking forward to the bowls as an activity she could do. However the bowls was in a pit which was impossible for her to negotiate. Any steps available? No! Any help or even sympathy from staff? None. Even though we were happy with most aspects the 'bowls incident' may be enough to put us off visiting Center Parcs again.
    T Farr
  • EKIMIKE
    EKIMIKE Posts: 2,232
    pease wrote:
    Been a few times with the mrs before we had kids, we've done the sherwood and longleat ones. Both nice enough if you go in term time for a bargain. Essentially its 3* at best and not so 'quiet retreat' as both have had the eurofighters flying over daily.

    That's unlucky. I've lived literally a few miles from Longleat for the most part of my life and it's very rare to have the fighter jets flying daily. Even then it's maybe no more than 2-5 times per day. Artillery fire is far more common but not very loud - just a series of low thuds.
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  • Yellow Peril
    Yellow Peril Posts: 4,466
    I've done a couple of Center Parcs, they're ok but the additional cost for other activities I thought was a bit of a rip off. Lots of Wayne and Waynettas and meaningless chinese writing tattoos on display.

    A couple of years ago we were really skint and ended up on a PGL family break in Shropshire. It was 5 days all activities and full board (fairly basic but wholesome) included for £400 for 2 adults and 2 children! Lots of great activities (you need to be up for activity -I am and be ok with heights-I'm not!). We enjoyed it so much we went back to one in Devon last year during our Olympic holiday. This year we are going to their frenchbase in the Ardeche for the canoeing break.

    As a side note I do...ahem...feature in this year's brochure which is available online or by post.
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  • Gazzaputt
    Gazzaputt Posts: 3,227
    Gazzaputt wrote:
    natrix wrote:
    mumsnet, center parcs, snigger, snigger............. 8)

    made the mistake of a google :lol:

    Will look when i get home :wink:

    Classic mumsnet.

    Reading that site makes me so grateful for my other half!
  • the playing mantis
    the playing mantis Posts: 2,129
    Yellow Peril wrote:
    I've done a couple of Center Parcs, they're ok but the additional cost for other activities I thought was a bit of a rip off. Lots of Wayne and Waynettas and meaningless chinese writing tattoos on display.


    Yes its bno longer the bastion of middle england as it was in the late 80's mid 90s's when i went as a kid!!

    its somethign i definetly noticed going again as and adult in the last few years... a lot of wayne/waynettas and a lot of fat people too.
  • Philly8mt
    Philly8mt Posts: 552
    They've improved the quality of the kitchen appliances in the chalets/villas now though ;)
    Still thinking of something clever to say!

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