Something for the Weekend - No Tricks Just Treats this Half Term

It's Friday, which means the weekend is almost upon us as well as half term! Of course it's extra exciting because Halloween also falls in the same week as half term. So we thought for this weeks 'Something for the Weekend' we would let you know what spooky activities you can enjoy at our parks.

At Shorefield Country Park we have a whole host of events including kids club activities such as Pumpkin Carving, Spell Books, Creepy Critters and many more. Then in the evening get the whole family together for fantastic fancy dress themes, Family Prize Bingo, Resident Entertainers Shows and much more including the fantastic Soul Party Band on Wednesday 30th October. There's also Pumpkin-Fest in the Country Pumpkin, a beer festival with a spooky twist on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th October from 6pm till midnight. There will be various ales, ciders and nibbles for you to try as well as a fantastic atmosphere.

Nearby, at Lytton Lawn Touring Park, be prepared for Halloween Fancy Dress on Wednesday 31st October which will be followed by a trick or treat wander around the park. Once again there will be a small prize for the best decorated pitch during the week so bring along your fairy lights and make Lytton Lawn shine. The fairy light competition will run from Saturday 27th October until Saturday 3rd November with the winner being notified after half term; so even if you are not here for the whole week you can still enter.

Next on to Oakdene Forest Park; we will have some great kids club activities running throughout half term including Goosebump Story Making, Pumpkin Carving, Trick or Treat Bag Making and much more. Then in the evening, as usual there will be lots going on to entertain you including Halloween Gameshow Bonanza, a Rocky Horror Tribute Show on Tuesday 29th October as well as the very spooky Horror Walks running throughout Halloween night on Thursday 31st October. You can also take part in some Halloween themed Go Active activities including Killer Crossbow, Zombie Archery, Swamp Water Walkers and more.

So let us know what you got up to this Halloween half term at our parks and don't forget to post your pictures on our Facebook page.

Dog Friendly Holidays

With a canine population of eight million and rising, it’s no surprise that the UK has a burgeoning market in dog-friendly holiday accommodation. From B&Bs and campsites to luxury hotels, more and more establishments seem keen to embrace four-legged guests.

At Shorefield Holidays we welcome dogs at our parks; being a company of dog lovers, we draw on our own experiences so we can help provide a fantastic experience for our four legged guests as well as their owners.

Lesley Lawrence, the Shorefield Holidays Marketing Director, says that we sold 14,000 ‘dog nights’ in the first nine months of 2013, across five of our six holiday park sites in Dorset and Hampshire. So popular have these breaks become, that dogs are now permitted in some of our top-of-the-range lodges with hot tubs, rather than being restricted purely to the more basic accommodation. “It is extremely popular and fifty percent of our guests return year after year,” she says.

Of course, it’s usual to impose a supplement to cover the costs associated with clearing up after pets, such as dehairing, carpet shampooing and disinfecting. At Shorefield, all units that accommodate dogs are equipped with a Dyson dog hair vacuum cleaner.

It's not only our accommodation that is great for dogs; the local area is full of places for dogs to explore including fantastic beaches and the nearby New Forest, a dog walkers favourite. Some beaches, such as Milford on Sea, allow dogs all year round but generally you will find most will allow dogs from October to April.

We've got a whole page on our website dedicated to pet friendly holidays, so you can find out more about what our parks offer to you and your four legged friend.WI

The Marathon Man

You may remember a couple of weeks ago I was going to meet Simon Reed, who is in training for the next London Marathon. Simon is currently being trained by Jon and Maggie, two of our Fitness Instructors at Shorefield Country Park; Maggie has given us an update on how Simon is getting on with his training.

"I started training Simon Reed about seven months ago. He came to me asking for my help! Simon had to pull out of last year’s Marathon 2013, at the last moment, due to injury.

Since March 2013 I have been working with Simon to reach his goals and one of those is to running the London Marathon 2014 injury free, with in four hours. We have been working on improving core strength, increase flexibility and improving muscular tone in a functional (day to day life) way.

Simon and I are just about to embark on his cardio training for the marathon and Simon also attends running club with Richard Penn in a Saturday morning. Simon is very committed to his training sessions with me every Sunday morning at 7:30am and so far we are on track. Well done Simon for sticking with your training".

Good luck to Simon and we'll be catching up with him in November to see how his training is going. WI

Hurst Castle

On Saturday I visited Hurst Castle, a place full of history as well as beautiful views of the South Coast and the Isle of Wight. There are two ways you can get over to the castle, you can walk the 1.5 miles from Milford-On-Sea on the shingle spit or take a ferry which leaves every 20 minutes from Keyhaven or Hurst. We opted for the ferry from Keyhaven which took about 10 minutes and cost £5.50 for a return each.

Once we arrived we were amazed at the size of the castle; two large wings were built in the Napoleonic wars and they surround the original castle built by Henry VIII. Due to its diverse history there is plenty to explore, including barracks and shell stores from its time as a manned fortress during World War II, large 38 ton guns from the Napoleonic wars, the area that Charles I was thought to be imprisoned before his trial and execution in London and much more.

It took us a good hour and half to make our way round the Henry VIII part of the castle as there was a lot to look at. Most of the rooms were accessible and once you had climbed to the top of the castle there were amazing views over to Milford and the Isle of Wight, making it the perfect photo opportunity. We then made our way over to the other wing which featured more of the World War II historical items and rooms such as the laundry, barracks and a theatre which is thought to be the only surviving World War 2 ENSA theatre.

I would recommend Hurst Castle as place to visit if you are staying at one of our parks; it does take quite a while to explore fully and some of the rooms are completely empty which means you do have to use your imagination a bit. However, it is a very important historical landmark and very much worth a visit especially for the views.

 You can see more photos on our Facebook page. WI    

Something for the Weekend

It's Friday which means it's that time of the week again where we let you know what we're up to this weekend. 

I will be heading to Hurst Castle which is located a short drive from Shorefield Country Park and Lytton Lawn Touring Park. The castle has had a long and varied history; built by Henry VIII in 1544 and also where Charles I was imprisoned in 1648 before his trial and execution. In the 1870's the castle was modernised during the Napoleonic wars and during World War II it was manned with gun batteries and searchlights. It is now opened to the public and has great views over to the Isle of Wight, making it ideal for photo opportunities.

On Sunday I will be meeting one of our dedicated leisure members,Simon Reed, who is currently in training for the London Marathon. He will be running in aid of the Stars Appeal, a fantastic cause which aims to raise £650,000 to provide a much needed second CT scanner for Salisbury hospital. We look forward to updating you about his progress each month.

We hope you have a fantastic weekend, make sure you check back next week for pictures from this weekend's activities. WI