View Full Version : The great British Holiday
Arthurgray50@blu
25-02-2011, 20:01
:(I was watching some great films of the great days of British holidays on youtube, and my god, where have the british holiday centrest all gone.
We have old Butlins Barry Island, and Filey gone into disarray, with Barry Island now a housing estates, Why can't someone find a new holiday centre where we can go and have fun, and not think about the problems we have, and it being cheap.
A lovely thought, Arthur.
Unfortunately, it can be as cheap to go abroad, with guaranteed (mostly) sunny weather, so this is probably why....
Try John Fowler Holidays they are in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.
http://www.johnfowlerholidays.com/
We used to use Haven (chalets and caravans) then the prices went stupid.
A UK private hiring holiday home ended up twice the price of a similar property in France, but then the ferry prices went stupid.
No holidays for us then....
techguyone
25-02-2011, 20:10
I think as a nation we've evolved from the halycon days of the 50-70's and people are a bit more sophistacted now, plus too, Freddie Laker started the trend for cheap flights abroad, where you have to admit, the chance of better weather/cheaper prices for commodities is very appealing.
I suspect the likes of Butlins/pontins has really had its day, and won't return to the height pre cheap airflights.
---------- Post added at 20:10 ---------- Previous post was at 20:09 ----------
I used Haven too in the past, and they were fine, I haven't actually been on holiday for some years now, apart from the odd camping trip so I don't know if prices in general for these thngs has skyrocketed.
papa smurf
25-02-2011, 20:43
i went on a hoseasons boating holiday every year for 20 years but it was ridiculously expensive -so i bought my own boat. now i have many holidays on the broads each year for a fraction of the price of one holiday -i love it :tu:
Arthurgray50@blu
25-02-2011, 20:45
I used to go to a caravan park in Norfolk, when the prices were reasonable, then the following year, the price doubled.
So we went to Richardsons, who are cheap, and the price we paid for this year is the same as last year £214.00 but you can get bored going to the same place.
Any others ?
papa smurf
25-02-2011, 20:57
A lovely thought, Arthur.
Unfortunately, it can be as cheap to go abroad, with guaranteed (mostly) sunny weather, so this is probably why....
yes but .......... you can't get a proper cup of tea or a decent brecky in that abroad place ,and the dinners:shocked: no bisto no yorkies no mash :td: .
yes but .......... you can't get a proper cup of tea or a decent brecky in that abroad place ,and the diners:shocked: no bisto no yorkies no mash :td: .Obviously never been to Magaluf or Benidorm.........
yes but .......... you can't get a proper cup of tea or a decent brecky in that abroad place ,and the dinners:shocked: no bisto no yorkies no mash :td: .
That would be half the point of going abroad would it not? New experiences and such :) Personally, although I do miss things like proper cups of tea, I enjoy the foreign aspect of holidays. I.E Difference.
papa smurf
25-02-2011, 21:09
Obviously never been to Magaluf or Benidorm.........
no never ..but i do go for the traditional Norfolk tapas --sliced Bernard Mathews/ sliced spam/ wedge of dairy-lea /couple of pickled onions :)
Prestatyn Holiday Camp (known by poor Salfordians as the "Jam Butty Camp".
Ignitionnet
25-02-2011, 21:24
A lovely thought, Arthur.
Unfortunately, it can be as cheap to go abroad, with guaranteed (mostly) sunny weather, so this is probably why....
Indeed - staycations can easily be as expensive or more so than going abroad. Food and drink is substantially cheaper elsewhere, add that to the cost of fuel to get to the resort, compare it to a no frills flight and usually much cheaper hotel and staying in Britain is soon a false economy.
Arthurgray50@blu
25-02-2011, 21:38
I have been to some great british holiday camps, bare essentails mind you, but they were brilliants.
The foriegn holidays l have been on Tennerfie total crap, Florida brilliant but both were very expensive - i say bring the British Holiday back.
Ignitionnet
25-02-2011, 21:43
If the demand for it is there someone will provide it. The reason it isn't provided is precisely because the demand wasn't there.
The UK is, compared with many other places, expensive. That's unfortunately just how it is.
In my opinion, the UK is great for vacationing, but incredibly expensive. Hotels, food, even basic grocery shopping is horrendously expensive compared to most of mainland Europe. I'm not even going to mention the weather.
Fifties style places unfortunately are still far too common. Coffee that's lighter in colour than tea. B&Bs where you are forced to have breakfast with other guests. Sadly, Fawlty Towers is still alive and kicking. Some might claim there's a market for it. Personally, I think it's due to a deadly cocktail of inertia and xenophobia. ;)
papa smurf
25-02-2011, 22:21
In my opinion, the UK is great for vacationing, but incredibly expensive. Hotels, food, even basic grocery shopping is horrendously expensive compared to most of mainland Europe. I'm not even going to mention the weather.
Fifties style places unfortunately are still far too common. Coffee that's lighter in colour than tea. B&Bs where you are forced to have breakfast with other guests. Sadly, Fawlty Towers is still alive and kicking. Some might claim there's a market for it. Personally, I think it's due to a deadly cocktail of inertia and xenophobia. ;)
that sounds like some foreign place i wouldn't like very much, i bet the foods bad in xenophobia as well :)
Apparently it's better in Xenophilia.....
that sounds like some foreign place i wouldn't like very much, i bet the foods bad in xenophobia as well :)
The food is atrocious to be honest. They use spices! Can't beat it for boating though. :)
Apparently it's better in Xenophilia.....
...not to be confused with Xenaphilia...
Ignitionnet
25-02-2011, 23:35
The food is atrocious to be honest. They use spices! Can't beat it for boating though. :)
No match for the canals in Birmingham to be honest.
Mr_love_monkey
26-02-2011, 09:14
In the UK, it's incredibly expensive, the weather is awful & the service is appalling.
Abroad, I can get far better for less money - it's a simple as that.
Centreparcs seems to be the main "British Holiday" these days, they're even building a new one about 9km away
papa smurf
26-02-2011, 09:39
Centreparcs seems to be the main "British Holiday" these days, they're even building a new one about 9km away
don't you mean 5 mi. and 1042.5 yds away ;)
RizzyKing
27-02-2011, 21:56
We go to a lovely site in skegness every year the prices have always been reasonable, plenty of facilites on site and literally even for an old cripple like me a ten minute walk to a major attraction area we have fantastic week long holidays there :). It isn't gone Arthur you just have to look a little harder for it and if my last experience of butlins is anything to go by for the love of all that is holy please no one on here waste their time or money on the place.
In the UK, it's incredibly expensive, the weather is awful & the service is appalling.
Abroad, I can get far better for less money - it's a simple as that.
Unfortunately, with ever increasing prices on flights, going abroad is becoming less attractive.
Centreparcs seems to be the main "British Holiday" these days, they're even building a new one about 9km away
Park Dean are popular and reasonable, as are Park Resorts. Haven were good years ago, but not so now. Butlins are far too expensive (and Centreparcs are very expensive). We also know a good privately owned site just outside Great Yarmouth that we have used about 10 times in the last 20 years.
Centreparcs seems to be the main "British Holiday" these days, they're even building a new one about 9km away
Center parcs is middle class Butlins. ;) We've been a few times though, and loved it ... Even if staying in a wooden cabin in the middle of a forest isn't quite the novelty for us that it is for most of the people who go there. :D
As I said in an earlier post if you are looking to holiday in the south west this year in Cornwall, Devon or Somerset then John Fowler Holidays are quite good and reasonably priced.
Ignitionnet
28-02-2011, 07:56
We didn't go on holiday together last year so will be taking an extra special trip this year, will be our last before leaving the UK for good, and no it's not to a British resort :)
Some nostalgia kicking in here I have to think. Like many other 'Great British' things this tends to lean towards wanting more of the same and not being interested in too much that is new - not really the point of a holiday I tend to really want to try new things in a new culture but YMMV.
I suspect the likes of Butlins/pontins has really had its dayNot as far as I can tell. I know quite a few people who have been to Butlins in the last year or so.
Butlins seems to be competing with Centre Parks and appears to be offering a better holiday.
RizzyKing
28-02-2011, 10:36
"appears to be offering a better holiday" Butlins last time we went wasn't a very good holiday at all we scrimped and saved hard to give the kids one brilliant holiday they would remember for years and butlins ruined it. Customer service was lousy our bed was bust in the apartment day we arrived took them three days to sort it out, we had paid extra for the meals and the portions were so small it was stupid and while they made big play of being able to go back and get as much as you wanted the staff attitude towards you was appaling.
Site itself wasn't maintained very well litter was very common outside the main dome and even that was leaking and large areas of it were off bounds and so many of the staff couldn't speak english it was frustrating at times trying to deal with them. Now granted that was three years ago at the skegness resort but it really was that bad we said never again would we go back even if we could afford it. In contrast we went to a family run site up the road from butlins paid a hell of a lot less got a cleaner site less disruption and even better standard of accomadation and that was for £120 for the week.
Saaf_laandon_mo
28-02-2011, 13:18
Cost seems to be the major factor of not holidaying in the UK. I'm fortunate in that the places I've been to recently, I've had friends/family that I can stay with or who have been able to sort out discounted rates at hotels (through their connections).
Having said that I would still love to visit Cornwall, and do a long weekend break in the Lake District as well as the Trossachs.
My next holiday though will be in Malaysia as my brother in law works there and they have an awesome flat in KL so hotel costs will not be a factor!
"appears to be offering a better holiday" Butlins last time we went wasn't a very good holiday at all we scrimped and saved hard to give the kids one brilliant holiday they would remember for years and butlins ruined it. I think they have improved since....sorry for your rubbish holiday :(
Cost seems to be the major factor of not holidaying in the UK. I'm fortunate in that the places I've been to recently, I've had friends/family that I can stay with or who have been able to sort out discounted rates at hotels (through their connections).
Having said that I would still love to visit Cornwall, and do a long weekend break in the Lake District as well as the Trossachs.
My next holiday though will be in Malaysia as my brother in law works there and they have an awesome flat in KL so hotel costs will not be a factor!
KL is great! Don't forget to eat Wong Ah Wah's chicken wings at Jalan Alor :tu: :)
Saaf_laandon_mo
28-02-2011, 14:05
KL is great! Don't forget to eat Wong Ah Wah's chicken wings at Jalan Alor :tu: :)
The thing I am looking forward to the most is the food! I will be there in Sept time so still a long way to go.
The thing I am looking forward to the most is the food! I will be there in Sept time so still a long way to go.
You definitely want to go to Jalan Alor. It's lined with restaurants and hawker stalls. The food is great in Malaysia. It's only surpassed by the friendliness of the people. :)
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