Summer 2020 Staycation Fun
*disclaimer – no children were harmed in the making of this holiday*
After all the hard work of the previous few months taking care of my clients, home schooling the kids since March, & 12 weeks of my other half on furlough, I love him dearly but ladies you know where I am coming from.
I was now staring at the 6 long weeks that come with the ‘official’ school summer holidays. Compounded by the fact that I have reverted to working from home daily – I knew I’d crack if we didn’t do something with the kids to entertain them at some point.
I can’t lie, I don’t have much time to strategically plan my own holidays like I do for my clients so I literally ran through the UK suppliers I deal with frequently, found the first 3 bed lodge that looked like there was some fresh air, noticed there was no WiFi & thought this could work. Then I noted not a lot of 4G either which gave me a wry smile - I love to watch them squirm with discomfort when they have to have a conversation with a human being that’s in front of them & not virtually connected!
Booked it Packed it – Peter Kay style!!
After mentioning it to one of my clients, Nic, who was looking for a UK break, she asked me could I book that for her too. If, of course, I didn’t mind her being on holiday there at the same week as me – who am I to refuse, after all there are 40 acres of parkland on the site of the lodges alone so more than enough space for us to both enjoy our week away. I told her that I had plucked it out of think air, suggested she do some recon & check it out, she came back & booked it.
I digress – the road trip wasn’t too bad & we decided to drive over the peak district route which would allow us to stop for lunch at Eyam, affectionately known as the plague village – apt for our current climate wouldn’t you agree!! It was a sweltering 32degrees & just walking from the car to the top of the village was a serious chore. I love this village, the history of it, the stories of the families who lived in the pretty cottages during the time of the black death, it sounds morbid but it’s actually a really poignant place to visit.
I think it’s a really big teaching lesson for the kids – but with Daisy & James at 14, Alfie at 11 & Darcy turning 11 while we were away, all they wanted to do was get a butty, can of pop, bag of crisps & get back in the air conditioned car – job done, we hit the road again.
As we neared our final stop, we rounded onto Rufford Lane, we were faced with a beautiful forge in the road – the river on either side & the bridge was lined with children, a look of anticipation on their faces – excitement at what this beast of a Land Rover was going to do, how much water would splash them??
The echo of the booing when Paul drove through at a mere 3 miles an hour will haunt me & the kids forever.
We pulled into the driveway of the park, as we approached reception it was clear that this was a beautiful location. We could see the forest off to the left & the reception on the right. I hopped out & approached reception We arrived at 5.30pm on Friday 31st July, we followed the guidance at reception & within 10 mins we had paid our deposit for the gas/electric, got our loge location/keys.
We were in lodge 41 at the top of the lake, so we drove round the little road, dropped our luggage on the deck & opened up the lodge. True, the smell wasn't the greatest, but this was a log cabin that had been cleaned top to bottom, then left shut up in the sweltering temps of this hot summer Friday. After 15 mins of all the windows & the door open it was fine.
There was more than enough space in the Forrester 3 we were staying in 3 beds, 1 double with en suite (double shower, toilet, sink), second double, twin, family bath with shower over, toilet & sink. Each bedroom had more than enough space for clothing with rails & shelving. Beds were comfortable & the bedding was clean.
The kitchen area was extremely well equipped with all the essentials, under counter fridge-freezer & microwave. More than enough storage with crockery, pots, pans as well as kettle toaster, teapots, & mugs. The dining area was in the kitchen space backed by the lounge, all open plan. Table big enough for family of 6 & the lounge had a blue ray DVD with 43" LCD TV a corner leather sofa & additional 2-seater leather sofa
The deck outside was ample with picnic table, as well as a boot rack which was handy & at the front of the cabin was a concrete BBQ stand great for using our disposable BBQs.
The lake area was safe for the kids to play on their skateboards & roller skates, they soon found their way around the woodland area. They loved the freedom they don’t get at home to wander off, explore, play & just be children.
We chased Robin hood through Sherwood Forrest, enjoyed BBQ’s at our lodge, Picnics at Rufford Abbey & Newstead Abbey Country Parks, pitched ourselves up in some of the most beautiful parks for rounders, boules, aero-bee, games of man hunt, watched our children spend time together with no mobile phones required, cards on the decking & when our guests had left, the kids were all tucked up tired from their adventures that day – Paul & I got some much needed grown up time together to really decompress and enjoy a glass of vino on the decking of an evening.
This week away cost us around £1300 as a family of 6 for 7 nights in the summer holidays. Which we are really happy with given this cost considers the following expenses: Lodge for 7 Nights Utilities at the lodge (paid £10 deposit, got £4.97back at check out) Diesel, 1 really decent week’s food shop at ALDI, 1 meal out, 1 take away, loads of snacks & treats like Ice Cream & coffees on days out, parking costs & entry to attractions with fair rides A whopping £30 for 6 ham barms, 3 packs of crisps and 6 cans of pop in Eyam en-route– my advice, pack a picnic
If you want to chat about how you can make the most of our wonderful country and coastal areas, get in touch, we love staycations - so I am happy to make some personal recommendations or tailor something just for you and your family.