Party in the Parc

Years gone by, I would turn up my nose at the very idea of spending nights in a place like Center Parcs. That’s a holiday for people who don’t want to get Out There, that is. Lazy and unimaginative, I thought. A bit harsh, no? Well you know how I like to look down on people.

Maybe it’s something to do with how you change when the pregnancy hormones kick in, but more and more people I know have had good experiences at Center Parcs. The fact that most of the people I talk to these days have young families may have something to do with it. At some point, a few weeks ago, I tentatively booked us a weekend at Center Parcs in Longleat.

And it was good, if somewhat like going on holiday to a food court. We had three nights in an Executive Villa. Not sure why it was executive; there was no desk. But there was a cot and a high chair (and a potty!), a bathroom with a whirlpool bath that terrified Bernard, a well-equipped kitchen, and a bike stand outside. The village itself had a number of restaurants, all with as many high chairs as tables (this high chair thing is so important at the moment), clustered around three centres. One centre had the pool, one had the sports “garden,” and one had, erm, a launderette. The pool was smaller than we expected, but had a great toddler pool with slides and steps, which was of great use in exhausting Bernard. We cycled lots, up and down boardwalks mainly, and it didn’t rain on us, but nor did we see any wildlife more exciting than a moorhen.

On Saturday we hired a babysitter for three hours, which worked a treat because Bernard didn’t wake up. It was always a gamble; if he had, we would have had to rush back. On Sunday we abandoned him in a creche, but had to collect him early, traumatised and tearful. In the interval, we had had an excellent game of squash, our first in two years. I felt that he was clingy for the next three days, but Pete says I was imagining it.

The whole event was utterly exhausting, but fun. Some sleeps were better than others, but that’s what I expect from life these days. And believe it or not, I would go back there. I don’t think it’s a question of having lower expectations these days, but that “fun” comes in new formats now. If it isn’t babycentric, then we certainly aren’t going to be able to enjoy it. But if it has soft play areas, baby equipment, and fresh air, then we’re all likely to have a whale of a time. I actually look forward to going there with a bigger child, who will be able to take part in more of the activities, alongside us. Being in a family is just awesome.