The return of afternoon tea, knitting circles and seven-night holidays for a family of four for less than £350... the great British holiday is back for 2014
 
    
 

The great British holiday is alive and kicking at Away Resorts’ holiday parks around the UK this Easter, with the return of a Ritz-inspired afternoon tea, knitting circles, entertainment with its roots firmly in traditional seaside holidays and a seven-night break for a family of four for just £306 from 11 April at Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight.

The leading UK holiday parks operator, which was recently listed in the London Stock Exchange's 1,000 companies to Inspire Britain, has set itself the challenge of serving up the best cup of tea at any holiday park in the UK when it introduces its afternoon tea menu at its Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight and Tattershall Lakes Country Park in Lincolnshire.

Afternoon tea at the world-famous Ritz in London will set you back £90 for two people, but Away Resorts guests can expect to be tucking into plates of finger sandwiches, mini pastries, scones, jam and clotted cream and of course a pot of tea or two with loose-leaf tea – and a strainer of course – for a budget-busting £8.95 for two.

Away Resorts managing director Carl Castledine says: “We pride ourselves on being the home of the great British holiday that specialises in offering quintessentially English, retro experiences, so afternoon tea really should be on our menu. And like afternoon tea at the Ritz being considered to be one of the great British institutions, a UK holiday with Away Resorts is inspired by some of our country’s much-loved traditions.

“So many other UK holiday park operators have opted to go down the American route and introduce coffee franchises from high-street chains on their parks, we thought it was time that the great English afternoon tea made a comeback as part of the whole, traditional seaside holiday experience. We have definitely got our sights on serving up the best cup of afternoon tea at any UK holiday park.” 

And guests who know their cross stitch from their double crochet will be interested to know that they will be in with the chance of getting an afternoon tea free if they hand-knit a tea cosy that can be used on the tea pots at the park.

The holiday park operator is also investing in the refurbishment of the park’s main entertainment centre, the Culver Club.

The refit will be inspired by many of the elements of a great British seaside holiday. There will be a new Punch and Judy-style staging area and a tardis entrance to the Club that pays homage to the beach at Whitecliff Bay that provided the backdrop for an episode of Doctor Who. Guests can expect to see the odd ‘Kiss me Quick’ hat, bucket and spades, deckchairs and seaside “head through the hole” photo screens.

Easter activities at Whitecliff Bay

There will be a wide range of Easter-themed activities for all the family including Easter egg hunts, Easter egg painting, chocolate nest making, Easter card making, Follow the Whitecliff Rabbit trail and Easter Mask and badge making.

Things to do at Whitecliff Bay

• The park’s main night-time entertainment hub is the Culver Club. The shows get started early for the toddlers with a pre-dinner Play Live on Stage shool for pre-schoolers between 4pm and 5pm.
• The night entertainment starts at 7pm with another Play Live on Stage show for slightly older children, followed by games and a mini-disco. From 9pm, there are musicals and shows performed by the park’s entertainment team, followed by live music and a disco.
• There is a whole raft of My Active and My Play activities to keep the children and teenagers entertained from dawn ‘til dusk. There is also an outdoor cinema during the peak seasons.
• My Play activities at Whitecliff Bay include: Junior Geo (kids can pan for gold, make their own fossils, they also get sand-pouring souvenirs, dig for dinosaurs and a membership pack), Crack Pots (painting pottery, puppets, faces and hands) and Science Bugs (children can try out a collection of experiments and nature discoveries).
• My Active scheme for three-year-olds and upwards feature activities such as pool snorkelling, abseiling, archery, kayaking, flying remote control helicopters, water walkerz, walking trails, cheerleading school, geocoaching (high-tech treasure hunting game using GPS devices), archery and body zorbing. There is also Cheerleading School and football coaching.
• For teenagers, the Holiday Youth Club will be run by the operator’s leisure teams, and will have lots of activities for teenagers to get involved in for free, including archery, body zorbing, cheerleading, football, laser gun competitions and Safe Archery.
• Facilities at Whitecliff Bay include: indoor heated pool with flume, bubble pool and toddler pool; outdoor heated pool with sun terrace and toddler pool (open late May to end of August); indoor softplay; outdoor playground; mini golf; free wifi in the Nab Bar; food served all door at the Nab Bar and Culver Club; and park supermarket store.

To book, www.awayresorts.co.uk; booking number 01983 872671

Easter days out from Whitecliff Bay, Isle of Wight

• Head along the beaches at Yaverland and try to find yourself a fossil or two in the fossil-rich cliffs before all the crowds arrive. The Zoo and Dinosaur Museum is also close by.
• Osborne House in East Cowes. Once the holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s holiday, it is now owned by English Heritage and gives a real insight into how the royals lived in the 19th century. 
• Alum Bay, which is home to the iconic Needles, and is a fantastic day out for all. You can take the chairlift ride over the cliff edge if you are brave enough down on to Alum Bay beach where you can hop on a pleasure boat ride out to The Needles. Visitors can also create their own souvenirs of Alum Bay’s famous coloured sands and there are some rides for the kids to enjoy.
• Blackgang Chine on the south of the island is home to a theme park packed roll of rides and experiences, including lots of rides for the pre-schoolers and roller coaster, waterslides, mazes and a real-life game of snakes and ladders that involves lots of slides and stairs for the more grown-up visitors.

About Away Resorts

• Away Resorts is a private equity-backed UK holiday park operator, with a head office in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
• The management team consists of: Carl Castledine - managing director; Neill Ryder - finance director; Greg Lashley - operations director
• Away Resorts currently operates four holiday parks in the UK: Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight; Tattershall Lakes Country Park in Lincolnshire; Mill Rythe Holiday Village on Hayling Island; and Barmouth Bay Holiday Village in Talybont, Gwynedd, north Wales. Tattershall Lakes and Whitecliff Bay welcome campers and tourers.