Have a Spooktacular Time this Halloween!

Here at Shorefield Holidays we're getting ready to welcome our guests arriving for half term, of course this half term is extra special as we will also be celebrating Halloween. We've got lots going on at all our parks, so come and join in with the fun.

At Shorefield Country Park we have a whole host of events including kids club activities such as Pumpkin Carving, Freaky Finger Puppets, Trick or Treat Bags 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 Elvis Tribute act on Thursday 30th October. There will also be a chance to create your very own caravan as part of our George Clark Competition on the 30th October at 1pm, so come along and get creative.

Nearby, at Lytton Lawn Touring Park, be prepared for Halloween Fancy Dress on Friday 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 25th October until Saturday 1st November with the winner being notified after half term; so even if you are not here for the whole week you can still enter.

If you're staying at Merley Court Holiday Park this half term, join the team for a Halloween fancy dress trick or treat around the park. There will then be a disco at the Merley Inn and also a prize for the best fancy dress costume. Also, as a guest at Merley you're welcome to enjoy all the entertainment we have going on at Oakdene Forest Park, including some great kids club activities running throughout half term including Zombie Boot Camp, Pumpkin Carving, Ghost Walks 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 on Halloween night on Thursday 31st October. 

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

The New Forest Wildlife Forum

Here at Shorefield Holidays, we are always looking at ways to help all the fauna and flora that reside at our parks; making us incredibly proud to have received a Gold Standard David Bellamy Conservation Award once again having been one of the only parks to receive this award since its inception in 1997. 

Bobbie Lawrence, Marketing Assistant, receiving the Gold Standard Conservation Award from David Bellamy. 

We were thrilled to receive the following comments from David Bellamy about our environmental work at Shorefield Country Park; "I’d just like to say that I am particularly impressed by the work you have done to improve the ecological management of your park by reducing your mowing regime. The fact that this has resulted in more windflowers shows that you are doing the right things. It’s also good to learn that you have used old concrete bases to provide footings for verandas – heavy-duty recycling in action!"

As well as all the work we do on our parks, we also like to involve ourselves in what conservation efforts are going on in surrounding areas such as the New Forest. This Saturday I attended the New Forest Wildlife Forum, the first event of its kind in the area, which bought together local conservation groups for presentations and discussions. The event was entitled 'Growing the Forest - Bigger, Better, More Joined Up' and focused on bringing together ecosystem groups to work together.

Speakers from the event doing a Q&A session.  

Ten presentations were planned from wildlife and conservation experts ranging from the National Trust to smaller charities such as New Forest Woodcock Group. Each focusing on specific projects, surveys and research going on in the forest; all of these provided some fascinating facts and definitely reinforced the importance of the New Forest as a haven to many species of wildlife. For example, 70% of all dragonfly species, 80% of all bat species and a quarter of all fungi species can be found in the New Forest. The tadpole Shrimp, the oldest animal species in the world, is currently found at only two locations one of these being the New Forest. We were also told that the New Forest has the highest number of ancient trees in Western Europe. Interestingly, at Lytton Lawn Touring Park we have a yew tree that is thought to be over 300 years old. In fact not only is it old but it is planted in the same way they grew yew trees when they were used for long bows; three saplings, twisted together to grow as one tree.   

Yew tree at Lytton Lawn which is thought to be over 300 years old.

Of course, work continues to make sure wildlife continues to flourish in the forest. Much work is being done to banish non-native invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam which can take over large areas. Training is also important and courses such as timber extraction with horses which  promotes old fashion methods which not only encourage growth of new trees but is also less damaging than using vehicles. Education in schools and local areas also helps to promote the ecological benefits of the forest, long term outreach programmes have been set up as well as bioblitz and pond dipping events.

This was a very educational day and I'm sure this event achieved what it set out to do; to bring groups who care about the future of the New Forest together and join up the many projects for the long term benefits of this beautiful place. WI  

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.

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