A couple of weeks ago we made our way back to the Island for a welcome weekend break at Fairway Holiday Park in Sandown.
The weather was excellent for late October and the entertainment was as good as it's always been - James hasn't lost his touch after all these years. For those who prefer the smaller, independent site to the larger and more corporate operation Fairway really is the place to go.
We visited the Calbourne Water Mill for the first time, which just goes to show that even after all these years there is always something more to surprise you. The staff give a demonstration each afternoon of a mill in operation, and there are various pieces of wartime and antique machinery which will be of interest to the historically minded. The web address is http://www.calbournewatermill.co.uk/, although the link wasn't going anywhere when we tried it.
Shortly before we left we paid a visit to Gurnard Pines, where we will be staying in December. It looks pretty good - sports club and everything - but I'll report further after we've had our stay there.
Showing posts with label Fairway Holiday Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fairway Holiday Park. Show all posts
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Autumn holidays in the Sun
Just booked up with The Sun for a weekend in the autumn and we've been assigned to Fairway Holiday Park in October, just at the start of the half-term holiday. A quick visit to Bebo confirms that star entertainer James Matthewman is still there. Last time we called by he was doing a double-act with Bruce Jones (Les Battersby to some), who holidays there himself.
It will be nice to see Fairway again as it was our first "base" on the Island. If we can find somewhere available during that fairly busy period for a couple of extra nights, either by remaining at Fairway or locating somewhere to move on to, it should make for a nice little break.
Me, I'm quite looking forward to it.
It will be nice to see Fairway again as it was our first "base" on the Island. If we can find somewhere available during that fairly busy period for a couple of extra nights, either by remaining at Fairway or locating somewhere to move on to, it should make for a nice little break.
Me, I'm quite looking forward to it.
Friday, 9 January 2009
It's that time again
The Sun newspaper is running the first of its regular £9.50 holiday promotions for this year as I write.
For us unless we are lucky enough to secure a half-term week that means a short weekend, leaving London on Friday afternoon after the kids have finished school, and returning on Sunday night in time for them to go back on Monday. I always feel a tad cheated when this happens, missing the last night of our booking, but one mustn't be selfish.
This time we decided to let the kids choose and interestingly both of them opted for Landguard, a neat little site in Shanklin of which more another time. Other choices (one is required to list a minimum of four) were Fairway, Rookley Country Park, Thorness Bay and Whitecliff Bay.
There was a time when I felt disappointed not to draw our site of choice out of the hat. Now we feel at home at any of them.
Our tokens go off in the post next week and all will be revealed soon, no doubt.
For us unless we are lucky enough to secure a half-term week that means a short weekend, leaving London on Friday afternoon after the kids have finished school, and returning on Sunday night in time for them to go back on Monday. I always feel a tad cheated when this happens, missing the last night of our booking, but one mustn't be selfish.
This time we decided to let the kids choose and interestingly both of them opted for Landguard, a neat little site in Shanklin of which more another time. Other choices (one is required to list a minimum of four) were Fairway, Rookley Country Park, Thorness Bay and Whitecliff Bay.
There was a time when I felt disappointed not to draw our site of choice out of the hat. Now we feel at home at any of them.
Our tokens go off in the post next week and all will be revealed soon, no doubt.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Where We've Stayed (Part Two) - Thorness Bay, nr. Cowes
After a few years at Fairway The Sun decided in its infinite wisdom to consign us to a different holiday park.
We were so displeased that we booked up a few days at Fairway independently, to run concurrent with our Sun holiday, but when we arrived at Park Resorts' Thorness Bay site we were pleasantly surprised. Although a larger site, it seemed well organised and there were plenty of activities on offer, even if our children were not by nature inclined to join Sparky the rabbit and his Krew Club on his morning adventures. The caravan was smart, even though it was Bronze Standard, although we discovered after several subsequent visits that the difference in quality between the various classifications does on occasions become blurred - we have had some excellent Bronze caravans and some unspectacular (but never bad) Gold ones.
The site has a shop, which is well-stocked unless your holiday happens to occur at the very tail end of the season, a decent swimming pool, a play area for toddlers, and a small basketball-type court. For socialising it had a pub (now gone) attached to the Reception area as well as the Regatta Bar, where both house and visiting entertainment is offered until late in the evening. Over the years in which we returned the Regatta Bar became a bit tatty, but last year Park Resorts spent a considerable amount refurbishing and redesigning it, and it has now been enhanced with a pleasant lounge and eating area as well as making for a more salubrious atmosphere in the main bar itself.
On our first visit there was a house band called Exodus who were truly excellent, playing a frighteningly diverse range of material which seemed to drift seamlessly from Abba to Black Sabbath to the Spice Girls. The lead vocalist was a guy of about my own age called John who came to our table for a drink during the interval and we enjoyed quite an interesting chat about music, Margate (whence he originated) and lots besides. John was concerned that the owners of the site wanted a female vocalist and indeed on our next visit he had been replaced. Although the young lady who stepped into his shoes put on a good show it wasn't quite the same. I was pleased to discover when googling recently that John still seems to be playing with Exodus, and I make no apology for giving his website a plug.
Anyway, back to Thorness Bay - anybody who is a beer-head like myself with a long-suffering family who occasionally opt to return to the caravan before the evening is properly finished will appreciate the value of having somebody to engage in admittedly laboured conversation whilst dispensing the drinks. The large majority of the staff that I've encountered at Thorness Bay and indeed at Park Resorts in general have been friendly, sociable and very professional (not to mention tolerant).
Thorness Bay became our next "base" on the Island from then onwards, which we would usually opt for when filling out our Sun coupons as well as on those occasions when we booked up separately such as during the peak season. I would recommend it to anyone.
We were so displeased that we booked up a few days at Fairway independently, to run concurrent with our Sun holiday, but when we arrived at Park Resorts' Thorness Bay site we were pleasantly surprised. Although a larger site, it seemed well organised and there were plenty of activities on offer, even if our children were not by nature inclined to join Sparky the rabbit and his Krew Club on his morning adventures. The caravan was smart, even though it was Bronze Standard, although we discovered after several subsequent visits that the difference in quality between the various classifications does on occasions become blurred - we have had some excellent Bronze caravans and some unspectacular (but never bad) Gold ones.
The site has a shop, which is well-stocked unless your holiday happens to occur at the very tail end of the season, a decent swimming pool, a play area for toddlers, and a small basketball-type court. For socialising it had a pub (now gone) attached to the Reception area as well as the Regatta Bar, where both house and visiting entertainment is offered until late in the evening. Over the years in which we returned the Regatta Bar became a bit tatty, but last year Park Resorts spent a considerable amount refurbishing and redesigning it, and it has now been enhanced with a pleasant lounge and eating area as well as making for a more salubrious atmosphere in the main bar itself.
On our first visit there was a house band called Exodus who were truly excellent, playing a frighteningly diverse range of material which seemed to drift seamlessly from Abba to Black Sabbath to the Spice Girls. The lead vocalist was a guy of about my own age called John who came to our table for a drink during the interval and we enjoyed quite an interesting chat about music, Margate (whence he originated) and lots besides. John was concerned that the owners of the site wanted a female vocalist and indeed on our next visit he had been replaced. Although the young lady who stepped into his shoes put on a good show it wasn't quite the same. I was pleased to discover when googling recently that John still seems to be playing with Exodus, and I make no apology for giving his website a plug.
Anyway, back to Thorness Bay - anybody who is a beer-head like myself with a long-suffering family who occasionally opt to return to the caravan before the evening is properly finished will appreciate the value of having somebody to engage in admittedly laboured conversation whilst dispensing the drinks. The large majority of the staff that I've encountered at Thorness Bay and indeed at Park Resorts in general have been friendly, sociable and very professional (not to mention tolerant).
Thorness Bay became our next "base" on the Island from then onwards, which we would usually opt for when filling out our Sun coupons as well as on those occasions when we booked up separately such as during the peak season. I would recommend it to anyone.
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Where We've Stayed (Part One) - Fairway Holiday Park, Sandown
Fairway Holiday Park in Sandown is a fairly small, independent site comprising about 120 units, all of them six or eight berth caravans which are well-maintained and always clean.
Although it no longer appears to have a shop on site, there is a grocer's store immediately opposite the entrance to the park which sells a reasonable selection of all the basic foods, as well as newspapers and most of the usual provisions. If what you are looking for can't be found there then Sandown itself is about 15-20 minutes away on foot.
Fairway boasts a small swimming pool, a mini-arcade, a launderette and a children's play area. It also has an excellent clubhouse where one can purchase food, which is of a pretty good quality.
Later in the evening the entertainment is well worth the experience. Although it being a small site Fairway doesn't enjoy the range of visiting acts that some of the bigger holiday parks can call upon, its own resident entertainer is hugely versatile and more than a match for many if not most of the guest cabaret acts that you'll see elsewhere on the Island.
Having spent our first few years as regular visitors to the Island staying at Fairway, by accident rather than design we ended up broadening our portfolio of holiday venues. Nevertheless when The Sun sent us to Fairway again in June 2007 we were very happy to be going back, and very pleased to learn that in spite of some welcome asthetic improvements to the site itself the entertainment that we had been so fond of was still the same.
I'd be extremely interested to learn of others' experiences at this very pleasant holiday park.
Although it no longer appears to have a shop on site, there is a grocer's store immediately opposite the entrance to the park which sells a reasonable selection of all the basic foods, as well as newspapers and most of the usual provisions. If what you are looking for can't be found there then Sandown itself is about 15-20 minutes away on foot.
Fairway boasts a small swimming pool, a mini-arcade, a launderette and a children's play area. It also has an excellent clubhouse where one can purchase food, which is of a pretty good quality.
Later in the evening the entertainment is well worth the experience. Although it being a small site Fairway doesn't enjoy the range of visiting acts that some of the bigger holiday parks can call upon, its own resident entertainer is hugely versatile and more than a match for many if not most of the guest cabaret acts that you'll see elsewhere on the Island.
Having spent our first few years as regular visitors to the Island staying at Fairway, by accident rather than design we ended up broadening our portfolio of holiday venues. Nevertheless when The Sun sent us to Fairway again in June 2007 we were very happy to be going back, and very pleased to learn that in spite of some welcome asthetic improvements to the site itself the entertainment that we had been so fond of was still the same.
I'd be extremely interested to learn of others' experiences at this very pleasant holiday park.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
A dedication to my Island bolthole
The Isle of Wight has long held a special appeal for me. Ever since the mid 1980s, when I helped a couple of friends move away from my home town in London to start a new life in Ryde, it has served as a kind of sanctuary for me whenever I want to escape for a few days from the pressures of work and everyday life. Maybe it is the psychological impact of crossing water that instills in one a sense of liberation, but being on the Island relaxes me in a way that I don't quite achieve whenever I stop at the South Coast.
Back in those days I would travel across on my own, or with my late friend and drinking partner. More recently I have married and become the father of two children, and thus most of my visitations now are family affairs.
As a family, the Isle of Wight became our regular holiday destination about ten years ago. We enjoy staying in holiday parks in a chalet or a caravan, often on a cheap Sun holiday but also at times on a private booking whenever we are given to venture across in peak time. Now that the kids are a bit older, I even manage to get across on my own once or twice a year for a spot of fishing.
The first park we encountered was Fairway in Sandown. A smallish but well-kept independent site, Fairway has for many years enjoyed the services of talented resident entertainer James Matthewman, who basically takes care of every aspect of the evening's programme, from singing and telling jokes to calling the bingo. The last time we visited the site he was performing an impromptu double act with Bruce Jones, better known to some as Les Battersby from Coronation Street, who himself holidays at the park.
After a couple of years at Fairway we were offered a Sun booking at Thorness Bay, a large Park Resorts site near Cowes. We found we liked Thorness, which boasts some splendid views over the sea and a pleasant coastal walk, and this became our "base" in the few years that followed.
Other parks we have stayed at have included Lower Hyde and Landguard in Shanklin, both Park Resorts although the latter only recently so, and Orchards in Newchurch. Lower Hyde is essentially a smaller version of Thorness. Landguard is smaller still, but classy and with a personal touch. Orchards, independently owned, is a nice, pleasant site but with little for socialites such as us to do in the evenings.
This year, for the first time, we founds ourselves at Whitecliff Bay in Bembridge. The chalet was modest but fit for purpose, and we found that we were very impressed with the site and its facilities, as well as its location at the top of a quite beautiful beach which boasted two lively cafés.
Although we found that we were sad to leave, we didn't as it happens have far to travel because I had booked us an extra four days at Rookley Country Park, which is really the jewel in the crown of Island View Holidays' portfolio of sites. This year I have had the pleasure of staying at Rookley no fewer than three times, and it seems to have edged its way to the top of our list of choices. It has been seriously upgraded and improved since we first visited it a few years back; the newly-built bungalows are actually superior to the much-heralded executive villas at Center Parcs, where we spent a few days back in March, and it boasts two superb fishing lakes. When a two-bit occasional angler such as myself can land a 20lb carp on what is essentially Woolworth's tackle, you know you are in a good place.
Some of my friends think we are unadventurous, even cheapskates, for spending most of our holidays in the modest environs of Vectis. We don't agree. We visit other places, we even have a timeshare on the Algarve, yet when I'm stressed and overworked it's always the Isle of Wight that is calling.
This blog is dedicated to my peaceful and unspoilt bolthole on the opposite side of the Solent. Long may it remain that way.
Back in those days I would travel across on my own, or with my late friend and drinking partner. More recently I have married and become the father of two children, and thus most of my visitations now are family affairs.
As a family, the Isle of Wight became our regular holiday destination about ten years ago. We enjoy staying in holiday parks in a chalet or a caravan, often on a cheap Sun holiday but also at times on a private booking whenever we are given to venture across in peak time. Now that the kids are a bit older, I even manage to get across on my own once or twice a year for a spot of fishing.
The first park we encountered was Fairway in Sandown. A smallish but well-kept independent site, Fairway has for many years enjoyed the services of talented resident entertainer James Matthewman, who basically takes care of every aspect of the evening's programme, from singing and telling jokes to calling the bingo. The last time we visited the site he was performing an impromptu double act with Bruce Jones, better known to some as Les Battersby from Coronation Street, who himself holidays at the park.
After a couple of years at Fairway we were offered a Sun booking at Thorness Bay, a large Park Resorts site near Cowes. We found we liked Thorness, which boasts some splendid views over the sea and a pleasant coastal walk, and this became our "base" in the few years that followed.
Other parks we have stayed at have included Lower Hyde and Landguard in Shanklin, both Park Resorts although the latter only recently so, and Orchards in Newchurch. Lower Hyde is essentially a smaller version of Thorness. Landguard is smaller still, but classy and with a personal touch. Orchards, independently owned, is a nice, pleasant site but with little for socialites such as us to do in the evenings.
This year, for the first time, we founds ourselves at Whitecliff Bay in Bembridge. The chalet was modest but fit for purpose, and we found that we were very impressed with the site and its facilities, as well as its location at the top of a quite beautiful beach which boasted two lively cafés.
Although we found that we were sad to leave, we didn't as it happens have far to travel because I had booked us an extra four days at Rookley Country Park, which is really the jewel in the crown of Island View Holidays' portfolio of sites. This year I have had the pleasure of staying at Rookley no fewer than three times, and it seems to have edged its way to the top of our list of choices. It has been seriously upgraded and improved since we first visited it a few years back; the newly-built bungalows are actually superior to the much-heralded executive villas at Center Parcs, where we spent a few days back in March, and it boasts two superb fishing lakes. When a two-bit occasional angler such as myself can land a 20lb carp on what is essentially Woolworth's tackle, you know you are in a good place.
Some of my friends think we are unadventurous, even cheapskates, for spending most of our holidays in the modest environs of Vectis. We don't agree. We visit other places, we even have a timeshare on the Algarve, yet when I'm stressed and overworked it's always the Isle of Wight that is calling.
This blog is dedicated to my peaceful and unspoilt bolthole on the opposite side of the Solent. Long may it remain that way.
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