The perfect holiday home from home...
HOLIDAY PARKS AND CARAVAN SITES HAVE STARTED RE-OPENING. WARREN GUNN RECALLS HIS OWN PRE-PANDEMIC FAMILY FUN IN NORFOLK
THE last night of a holiday on the Norfolk coast saw my family watching a pop star of the 1990s belt out his set to a delighted crowd in the showbar. Sure, we had already spent time there on previous evenings, laughing our way through shows and competitions; even a move or two on the disco dancefloor had been attempted. But on this final night headline act Chesney Hawkes – yes, the one and only – was the ‘icing on the cake’ of the fantastic entertainment programme.
As I clapped, toe-tapped and attempted to sing along with some of his lesser-known numbers, I thought about how I’d enjoyed every minute of my stay at Hemsby Beach Holiday Park.
I wondered whether the rest of my party – two teenage sons and wife Julie – shared my delight.
The location of our ‘Platinum Lodge’ accommodation on the park was perfect for us.
A short walk to the heart of the action but far enough away to be out of earshot of said action!
I feel reluctant to describe it as a home from home, as it sounds clichéd and, in this case, untrue!
The apartment was better than my own home, recently decorated and tastefully furnished. It comprised two bedrooms, each with en-suite bathroom separated by an openplan kitchen, dining area and lounge, with french doors opening onto a spacious decking area.
The boys had the room with two single beds and we took the double bedroom, again with a set of french doors opening out onto the deck complete with a hot tub!
In all my 52 years I’d never been in one. I have friends who have them but I have always made my excuses. But here I was in the privacy of our holiday home, with what I thought of as my own small pool.
After a couple of discreet attempts getting in and out of the thing, I felt confident enough to use it. And it got used well, whether it was all four of us in, two in, Julie in and reading, drinking prosecco – double bubble! – or my favourite: lying in it late one night during a downpour!
It was a real tonic on one of the hottest days on record.
As designated chef for the duration, the kitchen pleased me.
It boasted a large fridge, which we filled with food from the nearby supermarket, and a freezer big enough to stock up with ice cream and other holiday goodies; there was a microwave, dishwasher and even a washing machine. No need to for that ‘big’ wash on the day we got home then!
There were enough utensils to create some decent meals although on our first evening, I abandoned the kitchen for an evening out at one of the two sit-down eateries on the park. There’s the Yacht Club, complete with its own fish bar, and the Quarterdeck. All very nautical.
We chose the Quarterdeck restaurant, part of the main complex. It’s a spacious dining area that looks out onto a large patio for al fresco diners, and a small bar.
The menu offered a reasonably priced selection of evening meals but also catered for breakfast and lunch.
We sat at a table by one of the large windows at around 7.30pm, with just another 20 or so customers in for dinner.
We enjoyed a drink at the table while we made our choices for dinner. Two colas, a single gin and tonic and a pint of lager came in at around the £13 mark, which is about what I would expect to pay in a pub or restaurant.
We shared a couple of starters between the four of us – salt and pepper squid with garlic mayo (£6.95) and BBQ chicken wings with piri piri sauce (£4.95). Both were very tasty and the portions were more than enough for us all.
Our mains arrived 20 minutes later, in what I can only describe as a twin serving formation. That is, our server was joined by a colleague so that all four meals ‘touched down’ on the table together.
For mains, both sons opted for pizza – Margarita (£8.50) and pepperoni (£9.20) – with a bowl of sweet potato fries (£2.50). They are pizza lovers and never afraid of giving honest feedback.
The verdict was a double positive with both agreeing the base was cooked to perfection with the correct quantity of topping.
Julie ordered the Quarterdeck burger with salad, red onion chutney and chips (£8.40) while I had an 8oz rump steak which came with grilled tomato, peas, mushroom, onion rings and salad garnish (£9.95). Both were fantastic plates of food, with the steak cooked exactly the ‘medium rare’ I requested.
There was plenty of space around our lodge for a ‘kickabout’ but the on-site MUGA – Multi-use Games Area – gave the boys their daily fix of running around, kicking and throwing. We’d packed football and rugby balls, knowing they would get well used but we also took advantage of the ‘Go Active Plus’ activities offered on site.
Around a dozen or so activities are offered ranging from snorkelling and canoeing at the indoor pool to scaling the outdoor climbing wall – and all reasonably priced at around a tenner per person.
I had booked online before the trip and picked six activities from the programme. It was great to see my boys having fun during their sessions of Zorbing, laser clay shooting and climbing – but you can’t beat the enjoyment of joining in with them, as we did for the fencing and archery sessions.
Instructor Andy made both experiences extra enjoyable with a humour that appealed to adults and children alike and, despite none of us having picked up a bow and arrow before, he had us
shooting balloons from 10 metres by the end of the session.
I found the fencing lesson just as exciting, alongside my sons and a handful of other young ‘musketeers’. After a safety briefing and donning of safety gear I discovered – to the amusement of all others in the group – my slow and somewhat ‘chunky’ frame was an easy target for the young swordsmen. Zorro, I am not.
The sea was just five minutes on foot from the park entrance and our stroll to the beach brought all the sights and sounds of a familiar English seaside spot.
Flashing lights, coins going in – and sometimes out of – arcade machines and the odour of deep-fried food filled the air.
We paused to pop in to one of the amusement arcades for our compulsory ‘Gunn family basketball competition’ with Julie retaining her title for the third holiday in a row.
The beach itself is a fantastic example of a well-maintained stretch of the Norfolk coastline with cleanliness the key. As we paddled along a mile or so stretch of the beach and back, we struggled to see litter at all.
Back in the showbar, as I looked across the table at my wife and sons’ smiling faces, I was certain I’d given them all a holiday experience they had enjoyed. The kids had been introduced to more sporty experiences and had entertainment on tap every day, while Julie had partied and rested in equal measure.
Just then Chesney broke into the chorus of THAT number one hit. “I am the one and only!” he sang. “Nobody I’d rather be!” he continued.
Well, Mr Hawkes has been making his claim to crowds for nearly 30 years but just at that moment, I allowed myself a moment of self-congratulations and thought to myself – maybe even muttered under my breath – “I AM the one and only and there’s nobody I’D rather be!”.