Center Parcs

Good news. I'm at Center Parcs that weekend so can watch it legally, without the possibility of my VPN being rumbled.
And for @NorthernMonkey 's sake I'd like to emphasise that I would otherwise have gone to Crewe had I not been away on a family weekend

 

I wasn't aware that the weekdays were any cheaper TBH. We've been going to Sherwood Forest CP for decades now - I reckon this is about our 25th visit. We go with three or four other families in adjacent villas. The party this year is 27 strong.Our kids have all grown up with the tradition and their kids are now enjoying it too. We all love it.
But the weekday slot has never been an option because we would never have all got time off work together. Going before Easter makes it cheaper though, but still an arm & a leg.

 

I guess it's a question of priorities. I admit I can afford it fairly easily now, but that wasn't the case when we first started going, twenty odd years ago. Other people drank more, smoked, went on expensive nights out, had more foreign holidays etc. We prioritised it over other things because we really liked spending quality communal time with our friends and their families.

 

Depends what you want to do. Where else do you have access to this sort of activity range - tennis, table tennis, badminton, snooker, pool, swimming, water slides, football, archery, adventure playground, water sports (after Easter) off road biking, ten pin bowling, spa, gym,several restaurants & takeaways, bars, dance classes, kids' club, horse riding (off site but near) golf & go-karting (ditto) etc etc. - all in a compact, pleasant wooded environment with wildlife everywhere?
I don't personally want to do all those things, but between the 27 of us going we will do plenty of them. It's a great place IMHO.

 

Yes, it probably is cheaper to go abroad on a package deal. But it depends what you want. It's not meant to be a relaxing holiday or a cultural trip. It's a weekend of sporting activities with friends. You won't get a long weekend packed with the range of activities I posted above for any less money abroad.

 

Yeah, there's no doubt that it's not cheap. But it is unique in providing such a large range sporting and other activities - both indoor and outdoor - in a compact area.
To keep the cost down a bit we tend to avoid using the restaurants or takeaways. We usually pre-cook a couple of one pot dishes for main evening meals, take breakfast stuff and a range of other foods that people can use for quick lunches, as everyone is coming in and out at different times depending on what activities they're doing. We also take our own booze and all get together in one villa in the evening for drinks after eating.

Actually, there is one big attraction that doesn't cost extra - the 'sub tropical water paradise' or 'the dome' as we call it. Several pools, the rapids, water slides, jacuzzi etc. It's great fun all bombing down the rapids as a big group. And the outside pool can be magical at night. It's lovely being in the warm water outside at night looking up at the stars - the sky tends to be pretty clear of light pollution there. I've also experienced being in the heated outside pool a couple of times when it was snowing and that was lovely.

 

Explain. What makes it any more 'Tory' than any other holiday/hospitality outlet?