Swim Star Opens Devon Splash Pad

Posted on June 26, 2018

Swim Star Opens Devon Splash Pad

Olympic Gold-medallist swimmer Liam Tancock took time out from the fast lane recently to open the new Splash Zone at Ladram Bay Holiday Park in East Devon. Set alongside the park’s main swimming pool, the 160m2 zone includes interactive water features, spray guns, and even a sea serpent that sprays water. The ocean-themed Splash Zone is part of a £1 million investment made by the family-owned park in the run-up to the 2018 summer season when its 75 anniversary is being marked. With its own private beach and longstanding appeal to young families, Ladram Bay has prided itself on continually expanding its range of attractions.

In 2017 Ladram Bay Holiday Park approached Ustigate Waterplay to request a design and build program to establish a splash zone outside their indoor pool complex. The splash pad consists of 19 products to please all ages. There is a low level interactive fi sh, six jet stream geysers and six wave geysers to tickle small children and a boat feature, tipping bucket, cannons and a sea serpent to cater for all those that love nothing more than being soaked in splash. One of the wonders of a splash pad with zero standing water is the creation of an environment where children of all ages and abilities can access aquatic recreation and play together safely.

Ladram Bay director Zoe House, who is a member of the parkowning Carter family, said it was a great privilege to welcome Exeter-based Liam to Ladram Bay: “Although the Splash Zone is all about having fun, Liam knows that youngsters just enjoying themselves in the water can be a great introduction to swimming as a sport,” she said. “We have many guests which return here year after year, and we’re often told that one big reason is the wealth of things to do for all ages, no matter what the weather. “Our main aim has always been to create amazing holiday memories with fi rst-class facilities, and I think that our new Splash Zone comes right up to the mark,” added Zoe.

Ustigate Waterplay
Telephone: 01322 424445
www.ustigatewaterplay.co.uk

Fairy Tale Story

Posted on May 17, 2018

Fairy Tale Story - Wyldecrest Parks' Alfie

The story of Alfie Best’s rise from a humble childhood to multimillionaire businessman reads like a modern day fairy tale. Born into a Romany Gypsy family in 1970, Alfie started working at the tender age of eight, labouring and laying tarmac alongside his father. By 14, he was buying and selling vehicles and just a few years later, he already owned several mobile phone shops across London. By 2001, entrepreneur Alfie had made enough money to invest in his heritage, purchasing his first mobile home park in Romford – Lakeview Residential Park – for a significant £1.7million. Lakeview Park, with its 132 homes, is still one of the most popular parks in Alfie Best’s portfolio - the Wyldecrest Parks Group, now valued at over £230 million. As one of the most successful park operators in the UK, the award-winning Wyldecrest portfolio includes 52 residential parks for the over 50’s and six holiday parks offering homes for rent and sale. As the only ISO 9001 accredited operator within the parks sector, Wyldecrest Parks is also the only parks group to have nationwide coverage in 24 counties across England, Scotland and Wales.

PHENOMENAL GROWTH

Fairy Tale Story - Alfie Best The phenomenal growth of Wyldecrest Parks is undoubtedly a product of Chairman Alfie Best’s personal drive to succeed. Although numerous, his park investments are testament to quality over quantity with carefully chosen locations, safety and security provided by on site staff, and the highest operational standards. Saltmarshe Castle Park is a particular jewel in the Wyldecrest crown. Homes are set amongst the picturesque grounds of a former 19th century country house and estate close to the market town of Bromyard in Herefordshire. The original castle was demolished in the 1950s but parts of the outer walls and turrets remain, alongside several outbuildings and stables. All are being restored to their former glory to add to the park’s unique atmosphere. Saltmarshe Castle Park started life as a holiday park and was acquired by Wyldecrest Parks in 2015. It still has some 300+ holiday homes but the park is currently in the midst of a massive upgrade with 60+ residential plots being developed in the initial stage.

According to Alfie Best, Saltmarshe Castle Park’s many natural assets made it a natural choice for residential development. “The park’s premier location and its outstanding beauty are impossible to deny, Fairy Tale Story FOUR ” says Alfie. “It would have been a shame not to take full advantage of that. Now people can live in this astonishing site permanently, and enjoy its beauty full-time.” Out of the initial plots being developed in the Tower Court area of the park, more than half are ready to receive happy new owners, whilst further availability is limited, especially for those plots which offer exclusive and unrestricted country views.

Adding to their investment in the local region, last year Wyldecrest Parks also acquired the nearby Sapey Golf Club. Alfi e Best believes that the popular Club offers huge potential as a lifestyle venue. The rebranded Sapey Golf and Country Club is shortly going to be offering a select number of exclusive golf lodges. “Our main goal is to bring the golf club up to its former glory, at the same time we create more jobs, invest in the region and bring revenue to the local community,” explains Alfi e. Giving back to its communities is at the heart of Wyldecrest Parks’ ethos and to this end, the company recently launched the Wyldecrest Parks Charitable Trust. The aim of the Trust is to deliver family support, equipment and health care to those who are facing life-threatening health conditions in and around their park communities. The charity will also be supporting holiday breaks for families in need. Through the Trust, the Wyldecrest Parks Group hopes to inspire some of its 120 staff and many thousands of homeowners to organise their own fundraising activities and get involved in volunteering opportunities within their own communities. “As a company, we are really excited about this development. We feel it’s our duty as a successful, growing company, to make a positive contribution to worthy causes and this is our expression of that deeply held commitment”, says Alfie Best. If Wyldecrest Parks’ recent growth (30% expansion over two years) is anything to go by, the business is assured of a bright future. Over the years, Alfi e has also built up a number of other successful businesses within the hospitality and leisure, events, trading and finance industries including Vinyl Bar, Best Park Home Finance, Kyoto Clearance and Wylde Events.

Memory Makers – Hafan y Môr

Posted on May 16, 2018

We dip a toe into Haven’s award-winning Hafan y Môr resort…

Above : New investment will include significant accommodation choice upgrade.

Boasting a continuous re-investment schedule into its 36 nationwide locations, Haven is the UK’s leading provider of family holidays. Part of Bourne Leisure, the company is the Sunday Times’ sixth ‘Best Big Company to Work For in the UK’ and Haven was the winner of the Best Family Holiday Company of the Year 2017 at the British Travel Awards. Bourne Leisure’s main ethos is to simply give guests a great time, with memories that last a lifetime. Hafan y Môr gets that customer seal of approval with in excess of 200,000 visitors every year between March and November. If you think, with such high visitor numbers, that the park feels crowded then you would be mistaken. Hafan y Môr is spread over 500 spacious acres with a stunning beach and coast line, offering guests an irresistible great escape from and a fantastic launching pad to explore the local area, which boasts rich culture and awarding-winning tourist attractions. Hafan y Môr is the largest single self-catering holiday provider in North Wales and is the biggest employer in Gwynedd.

Above : The resort boasts 1400 caravans across its 500 acres.

The park is critical to the success of the local economy and the tourism industry. At peak times, the park doubles the population of the local town Pwllheli. The park employs 430 team members at peak, with over 50% of them being native Welsh speakers. The holiday resort is home to an outstanding array of great family friendly activities and facilities including 1,400 caravan pitches. This is combined with a whole host of on-site activities from an Aerial Adventure high ropes course down to the relaxing boating lake and fun indoor SportsDrome to expert led outdoor Nature Rockz sessions. The Old Butlin’s Starcoast World closed in 1998 and was refurbished and re-opened as Haven’s Hafan y Môr in 1999 transforming it into a stunning family park on Llyn Peninsular. Featuring extensively in the latest Haven television commercials, Hafan y Môr’s fl agship pool complex, Splashaway Bay, has undergone a £4million transformation over the last two years, culminating in the completion of the new £1million Changing Village.

AWARD-WINNING

ABOVE: The flagship attraction at Hafan y Môr is its award-winning pool complex.

Recently winning the coveted UK Pool & Spa Awards’ Holiday Park Swimming Pool Of The Year, the pool serves as an all-weather venue where families of all ages and abilities can feel safe. The holiday park pool is often the first time families will have been in the water together and this memory is one that lasts a lifetime. The refurbished water complex hosts a brand new fresh design alongside an array of exciting family friendly water features. These include an exhilarating new flume slide, exciting wave machine, a fully-fited, themed children’s pool with fun features such as tipping buckets and new water slides together with a multilane pool for committed swimmers. To top it all off guests can enjoy a new Milly’s coffee and cookie bar. There is no question of Hafan y Môr resting on its award-winning laurels. The management team has just unveiled its next ten year Strategic Development Plans that include over £21million of investment, including additional facilities, restaurants, Owners Club and more caravan and lodge developments as well as the demolition of the remaining apartment accommodation. This is in addition to the continual investment in the park environment and landscaping, and supporting the diverse ecology on the park.

Gates Tops Bunn Leisure Entertainment

Posted on May 15, 2018

Gates Tops Bunn Leisure Entertainment

Bunn Leisure has confirmed Gareth Gates as one of its headline entertainment acts.

Pop star Gareth Gates is one of the top acts in West Sussex holiday park Bunn Leisure’s 2018 entertainment line-up. On May 12 this year, the 33-yearold singer will be heading to the south coast holiday park to perform an eclectic mix of pop classics including Spirit In The Sky, Summer of 69, and Suspicious Minds. It’s been 16 years since Gareth Gates won the hearts of the nation on the UK’s first Pop Idol, wowing the judges and finishing a close runner-up to Will Young. Since then, the Bradford-born star has carved out a hugely successful career, selling over 3.5 million records worldwide, with four UK No1 singles. He’s starred in West End musicals, come fourth in Dancing On Ice, made a TV documentary about the struggle faced by people who stammer – and has recently launched the world’s first range of coconut teas!

Award-Winning Welsh Park For Sale

Posted on May 15, 2018

Award-Winning Welsh Park For Sale

The Willows, a multi-award winning caravan and camping park near North Wales’ seaside resort Abersoch, is up for sale.

Offers close to £1.375m are being sought for The Willows, a multiaward winning caravan and camping park near North Wales’ seaside resort Abersoch.

The 9.2-acre (3.7 hectare) park has 54 pitches including four exclusive ‘glamping’ or glamorous camping units, a static holiday hire caravan, reception/office, three-bedroom owners’ accommodation and another 3.7 acres for development subject to planning. Located beside the village of Mynytho and overlooking the Llyn Peninsula and Cardigan Bay, the park offers easy access to Abersoch and Pwllheli, some of Europe’s best beaches and activities including walking, sailing, water sports, golf courses, Surf Snowdonia and Snowdonia Zip Wire.

Being offered through Colliers International, The Willows continues to benefit from ongoing investment by the owners, achieving a turnover in excess of £115,000 and ‘very strong profits’ in the financial year to the end of February 2017. The park has won numerous awards including 5 Star Visit Wales & Britain accredited, the National Tourism Awards ‘Best Place to Stay’ (Touring and Camping), Top 100 Practical Caravan, Top 10 Glampsite and Premier Parks Award.

Sixtieth Anniversary Park Acquisitions

Posted on May 15, 2018

Sixtieth Anniversary Park Acquisitions

Shorefield Holidays, one of the UK’s leading family-run holiday park businesses, has started its milestone 60th birthday year by adding two major, strategic investments to its portfolio with support from HSBC.

The first of its two acquisitions was officially opened by Cllr Barry Dunning, the Town Mayor of Lymington and Pennington Town Council.

New Forest Lodge Retreat, Shorefield Holidays’ seventh park on the edge of the New Forest, was acquired last year and has been turned into an exclusive, gated community of 12 luxury boutique holiday ownership lodges. Homeowners will have access to luxury facilities including an exclusive health and fitness club with heated indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, steam room and spa bath.

Shorefield acquired its eighth and latest park at the beginning of this year. Wilksworth Caravan Park is in Dorset and offers both holiday ownership as well as award-winning camping and touring facilities.

Five-Star Family Break Winners

Posted on May 15, 2018

Five-Star Family Break Winners

Rob & Hilary Hedison with Holiday Sales Co-ordinator Rhiannon Morris, left.

Lucky couple Hilary and Rob Hedison are celebrating after winning a luxury break at Park Leisure’s fivestar holiday home park, Brynteg, a popular holiday park with exclusive owners-only communities, nestled in the foothills of Snowdonia and surrounded by spectacular scenery.

The couple, from North Killingholme, took part in the leading holiday home provider’s nationwide competition to ‘Win A Luxury Break’ at last year’s Motorhome and Caravan Show at Birmingham’s NEC.

Retired teacher Hilary (56), her tanker driver husband Rob (56), their daughter Katie and her partner Reece, enjoyed a two-night stay in a beautiful holiday home, which comprises of three bedrooms, a spacious open plan living area, modern kitchen with integrated appliances and large outdoor decking area with a hot tub as well as an array of on-site leisure and pleasure facilities.

Top Of British Holiday Survey Pops

Posted on May 15, 2018

Top Of British Holiday Survey Pops

Above : The Away Resorts Survey showed Brits still want to head for their annual holiday getaway.

According to a recent survey by market-leading holiday park operator Away Resorts, 55% of Brits are taking their main holiday at a UK lodge or caravan park this year. Away Resorts is a UK holiday park operator, with six parks in Lincolnshire, Isle of Wight, North Wales, Hampshire, Hayling Island & Essex. It was the 35 – 44 and 45 – 54 age groups that picked lodge and caravan parks the most, suggesting that families and empty nesters are interested in an experience where the facilities and entertainment within easy reach. Carl Castledine, the Chief Executive of Away Resorts, said: “It’s great to see that the great British holiday continues to go from strength to strength. We British are taking more and more domestic short breaks throughout the year, but to see that a third of consumers are taking their main holiday in the UK just goes to show that our fabulous island can inspire people to stay here over far-flung destinations. “Away Resorts has six lovely resorts in stunning locations throughout the UK. From the vibrant coastal surroundings at our Mersea Island park to the luxury leafy tranquillity at our New Forest resort and from the serene waterscapes at Tattershall Lakes to the dramatic landscape of Barmouth Bay in Wales, it’s easy to see why we’ve seen an increase in visitors to our resorts too.”

BEACH LOCATION

In terms of where Brits will be holidaying, 44% of respondents will be taking their holiday next to the beach. So, if your holiday park is right near a beach, you’ll likely attract more bookings. Location has also proven to be a determining factor, with 60% saying the local area influences their decision to book in a certain place, followed by the accommodation type and thirdly, the facilities. This suggests that although accommodation is important for holiday makers, where they stay is mostly used as a base to explore the local area and get the most from their holiday. The majority of holidaymakers are willing to travel over four hours to reach their destination and most will be staying for six nights. Considering the beach is where most will be heading, this suggests Brits are willing to travel further to reach a beauty spot. Over 43% of those having a staycation return regularly to where they’ll be heading in 2018. Unsurprisingly, most respondents said they will be going away in the summer months. When asked how much their UK holiday will cost, most respondents, 32%, said they will pay £250 - £500 per person, excluding spending money. With only 14% of respondents saying their UK holiday will cost up to a maximum of £100 per person.

Thumbs Up For Beach Lodges

Posted on May 15, 2018

Thumbs Up For Beach Lodges

Above : Lodges on Bournemouth Beach are proving a five star attraction.

Business is booming for the Bournemouth Beach Lodges now entering their second season. Waking up to the sounds of the sea with stunning views of the Purbecks and Isle of Wight, many guests have commented their Lodge stay has been typical of a five-star experience. Designed and built by local New Forest craftsmen, each Lodge is heated with a fully equipped kitchen and shower room, can sleep up to four adults and two children, all of whom can stay connected via wifi and great local 4G coverage.

The 15 contemporary overnight stay Lodges are situated a stone’s throw from the water’s edge, a short walk east of Boscombe Pier, and include bespoke interior details which complement the natural warmth and look of the Lodges. Since their launch last April more than 1,250 bookings have been made and more 12,500 Dorset biscuits have been dunked into more than 7,500 cups of Dorset Tea, both found in the complimentary Beach Lodge welcome packs.

Sixty Years And Still Shining Bright

Posted on May 15, 2018

Sixty Years And Still Shining Bright

The Jeavons family celebrate six decades in business.

Reaching the major milestone of 60 years is no easy feat for any business, but family run Beverley Holidays is bucking the trend as it celebrates six decades of shining bright on the holiday park scene in 2018. Situated on the sunny English Riviera, Beverley Holidays was founded by Joseph Stanley Jeavons and his wife Marion in 1958 after they transformed 20 acres of farmland into their holiday park dream. Born in Wolverhampton, ‘Stan’ crowned the site Beverley in homage to his beloved Wolverhampton Wanderers FC who’s then captain Billy Wright was married to a member of the ‘Beverley Sisters’. Regarded as Britain’s first female pop group, the ‘Beverley Sisters’ became familiar faces at the Paignton-based holiday park where they regularly performed to its growing number of guests. Fast forward nearly half a century and while you won’t find the singing sisters treading the Beverley Holidays boards today, the forward-thinking philosophy of its founder ‘Stan’ remains the same. Now in its third generation of the Jeavons family, its owners continue to provide guests with the same holiday magic as it did more than six decades ago by constantly refining the guest experience. The last few years have been no exception, with a cool £3million invested in a fleet of super stylish hot tub holiday lodges and caravans for those seeking a seaside staycation with a sprinkling of glamour. As a fitting tribute to its 60 years of success, family run Beverley Holidays was officially named one of the top three best holiday parks in Britain at the prestigious 2017 British Travel Awards.

Holiday Park Scene Magazine

UK Holiday

Swim Star Opens Devon Splash Pad