(Updated 27/2/05 – I removed the full anglo-saxon version of the reported comments. I’m starting to think of language a bit more now that my eldest is starting to read it)
Autumn is drawing in, so we took the opportunity to take ourselves away for a few days. Being extremely poor, me and Jude decided to head off somewhere very cheap, the idea being that we don’t need to show the boys any sights, historic buildings or any of that claptrap, we just needed a change of scenery.
Cheap the holiday was. £80 or so, when booked online, for a week in Somerset at the internationally renowned Doniford Bay resort in West Somerset.
Hmmm.
We arrived late on the Monday (It was a monday-friday holiday) due to a viewing on the house we had (they didn’t buy, but at least they told us they weren’t going to. Better than the usual silence). When we got there, our discovery that we had a ‘silver’ chalet was tempered by the lack of bed-linen. Lucky that we brought our own.
Once tea was had by the two boys, we switched into full ‘council’ mode and brought them to the ‘entertainment’ centre, also known as the bar. We wheeled in Mark in his pram, sat Luke down on a chair and Daddy went to the bar, returning with a big glass of white white (‘sovingyon blank’), a pint of Grolsch (sp?) and an orange squash for Luke. After the bingo finally wrapped up, we got to see Rory the Tiger doing the goodnight parade (the bloke in the tiger suit walks around the hall tripping up on the steps despite his minders best efforts and waving to the kids). At least it put Luke in the mood for bed. Mark was flat out knackered at this stage and slept through it all.
Tuesday started as most days do, with Luke waking us up too early to do a weewee. We ended up in the poo-free zone after 2pm on a steam train chugging from Watchet to somewhere else – total cost £18, but the kids went free after a slight row with the ticket master about Luke’s age (I confirmed he was under 3 many, many times. He’s a big boy and we get this a lot). Luke loved the trains, but the stupid, stupid woman who sat next to us on the way back and then proceeded to complain about ‘Children being allowed on the train’ could have done with a slap. Hello love, you sat next to us, not the other way around.
Tuesday night was back to the bar for the Rory tiger goodnight parade. Luke loved it, but Mark’s cold was kicking in so we left early. I’d sussed (cleverly) that the whole thing was mimed by the suit-wearer. The idea was that at 8:45 Rory would say goodnight to the little ones, then they piss off and get to sleep the sleep of the innocent. I’m sure the idea wasn’t that the Dad spots the little kid spilling her drink and then he takes a good 20 minutes to bollock her out for that. quote.
“You f***ing stupid little bitch, you always ruin our f***ing holidays, don’t you, you stupid little cow. What did I f***ing say about your f***ing drink? I said don’t spill the f***ing thing and what have you f***ing done?” etc. etc.
Very, very depressing. He was more concerned about the fact he’d have to go home and change his daughter’s clothes while his pint got warm that the damage he was doing to her esteem. We both learned a lesson that evening. I’ll never do that to Luke or Mark, so help me God.
On the whole the holiday was good and worthwhile. Luke charmed two very good looking girlies in the nearest shop with his ‘harrow’ style of waving to people. We saw the good spots and bad spots of holiday breaks in the UK. The staff at Doniford Bay were great, but the clients were a very mixed bunch. Would we do it again? Probably, but we’d know what to expect the next time.
Pikeys.
Always amazing how some parents speak to their children in public ins’t it?
Hi.
I’m the guest support manager at Berwick Holiday Centre in Northumberland. I’m sorry about the lack of consideration from one of our guests at one of our parks. If you had brought it to the attention of the security staff they would have dealt with the situation but I understand the damage may already have been done. I hope you will use are parks in the future.
Hi Debbie
Thanks for the comment. I would go to a Haven centre again, for the very reasons we went in the first place – It’s easy, family friendly and achieves what it sets out to do. The fact that one idiot chose that night to show the world just how bad a parent he was can’t be helped by anyone – you get it everywhere these days, I’m afraid.
Pete