Tile-tastic

If you've been following us on Twitter for the last few weeeks you will know what a nightmare we have had choosing and locating tiles for the shower block.

Have you ever tiled your bathroom? Was it difficult finding something that you liked? Was it then difficult persuading your other half that they liked it too? Imagine finding a tile that you would hope 100s of people would like - one that was in-keeping with existing furniture (cubicle doors, sink units etc) and that you could get in large quantities?

I'm not going into details about the exact tiles we chose as we need to have some secrets from our guests - until the gates open that is - you know that the main ones are white but how daring have we been with the others ;-)

I just have to say a huge thank you to Lee from Tile Town for all his help with supplying the white tiles when so many other companies were unable to help.





It has been a stressful few weeks but as I sit and write up this blog I know the tilers are keeping busy - feeling fairly relaxed about it at the moment but with just 8 days until we open will we get it done in time?

Disney v. Yorkshire

216 million visits to Yorkshire are made every year, equivalent to the total number of visitors to Walt Disney Attraction Theme Parks worldwide.

(Top 10 Amusement/Theme Park Attraction Chains - World (2008)).

Having listened to Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, use a similar quote to the one above at an event at Scarborough Spa I started the think of the comparisons between Yorkshire and Walt Disney World Parks.

The first comparison is that our family love both! We are all very proud Yorkshire folk but are huge Disney fans – as Twitter followers will know – and it has been described as our second home.

So where is Yorkshire’s Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Studios and Animal Kingdom? We don’t have the weather that WDW Florida has but I’m sure that Disneyland Paris has very similar weather to us – it was absolutely freezing when we went that’s for sure.

There are no theme parks in this country that come close to the magic of Disney yet Flamingoland, 15 minutes drive away from us, has Mumbo Jumbo so those wanting the thrills of fast rides etc can still find them in Yorkshire. Flamingoland still needs an "Its a Small World" ride but if you go close to Little Monster's Den of Mischief you will hear a tune equally as irritable and one which will stay in your head all day.

Epcot's World Showcase shows the diversity of different countries around the world - Yorkshire has just as much diversity within one county - who needs to go right around the world! We have the Dales, the Moors, the Coast, the Cities and alot closer to home, the Howardian Hills - this county has something for everyone.

Free entry into the National Media Museum makes it alot cheaper than Disney Studios and you don't need an aeroplane to get there. And with so many film and television locations dotted around Yorkshire you really could become part of the action. Check out this you-tube clip if you don't believe me!

Yorkshire Wildlife Park doesn't have quite the same "Tree of Life" as Disney's Animal Kingdom has but I'm sure if you looked in some of our forestry's you may find something that comes close.

All Yorkshire needs is Minnie, Mickey, Pluto, Goofy, Donald and some more of the Disney characters........but I'm sure that Gary Verity and his team could slot themselves into some of those roles.

Tiring Week

It started so well with a day at the Welcome to Yorkshire Tourism Conference. I met up with 6/7 twitterers on Malton Station platform - purely by chance - and they were a great bunch of people to travel through to Leeds with. Once at Leeds Station we then caught a shuttle bus up to the Theatre - it was really did feel like we were on a school outing with so much giggling going on - I was almost disappointed there wasn't a lollipop man to escort us across the road.

Y11 was fascinating with some great speakers. I'm not going to tell you anything that was mentioned - just keep an eye out so see exactly how far the brand will go around the world this year.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent at Jasmine Park - a great couple of days at the park that my brother manages with the help of two wardens. It was just exhausting getting up at 6am to complete 3 hours of work on Robin Hood work and then a full day at Jasmine before working until 10pm getting things uptodate here. I look forward to spending time there again but may manage my time a little differently.

Yesterday was VAT, today was running around alot and now I just want to curl up in bed and sleep alot - instead I'll be sorting bedding, cleaning equipment etc for tomorrows check-ins - when the week will start again!

Award Winners

I seem to have lost a week with my blogs - maybe its because I was a little hungover this time last week after a fantastic evening at The Old Lodge Hotel in Malton where we were named winners in the Pride Of Malton and Norton Awards for Customer Service.

The other nominees in our category were Malton Tourist Information Office and Ian Brown Tyres so we feel very lucky to have won.

The evening hadn't started too well as all our arrivals were late so we were both trying to get ready at the same time as serving in reception. I must warn those guests that I'm not normally so smartly dressed and I never work with such high heels.

We were given a lift to the awards evening and I did feel like I was arriving at the Oscars when the driver opened the door for me and I proceeded to walk up the red carpet. It wasn't quite champagne on arrival but the Bucks Fizz was just as gratefully received. We were then escorted through the hotel to a marquee in the grounds of the hotel. This is when I really did believe the evening was going to be a total disaster as we were on a table in the very back corner. Noone ever wins when seated in the back corner!

A three-course meal was served and then it was down to the awards evening proper. Luckily our award was first so we didn't have to wait too long. This is what was said about us:

Nominated for the genuine care and attention that they give each and every person that stays with them and always going the extra mile for their customers. Rebecca and Damian Palmer-Bunting, the owners of Robin Hood Caravan Park, Slingsby, are described as "kind, caring people" whose business is a way of life for them and whose primary concern is the needs of their visitors – whatever those may be and are always willing to provide extra support to families and those experiencing problems during their stay in the area. The passion they have for their business and their customers is described as ‘’exceptional.”

I couldn't say anything more other than "Thank-You!" as we were named winners in our category. I actually had to ask one of the organisers what was said about us as I was just too nervous to listen properly when it was said and then when our names were read out I shot up onto cloud nine and didn't really hear what was said then either.

After all the awards had been given out it was time for the raffle and we won in that as well. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast at the Old Lodge in Malton so thats my wedding anniversary gift sorted.

As for the bad luck table in the back corner - it turned out not to be! Another couple on the table won an award in their category and between us all we won three raffle prizes so it was actually quite a lucky table.

Another finalist placing!

What a week it has been! Firstly the downs - its accounts time again and with two other parks to take in as well its a long process!

However, the huge up of the week came yesterday when we found out we were finalists in the Pride of Malton & Norton Awards for Customer Service - we have improved our customer service procedures massively over the last 12 months and the changes are obviously paying off. Firstly with a nomination in the Visit York Awards and now this, in our local awards. The finalist placings are certainly spurring us into thinking about entering this years White Rose Awards - the elite of the awards for tourism in our county.

Over the winter both of us took a course with Welcome to Yorkshire called Yorkshire Pride. Susie Brindley and Kim Broderick led the course all about welcoming our guests, how we could help ensure our guests had a great time and discussed ways of building lasting relationships with our guests - it was great, superbly delivered and it was great to meet other people within our industry.

The other bonus from the course is that we both received our little green Y badges. The larger Y badges which you may have seen are reserved for the Yorkshire Patrons - a group of approx. 300 influential business leaders and celebrities taking the Yorkshire message to a global audience. We are both immensely proud of being "Yorkshire Folk" so to be able to wear our little badges is a great honour.  

What a couple of weeks it has been since my last blog and so much to tell you about!


The site is, of course, now open and we are currently waiting for our first guest to come into one of the static caravans. There is a definite buzz in the air as Damian and I get ready for the first set of guests. We have added a few new things into the static caravans this year so it was nice to be putting ideas into practise and we look forward to getting feedback from them.

The really exciting news is that once again we have been shortlisted as “Self-Catering/Caravan Park of the Year” in the Visit York awards. Sadly, the two categories have been combined once again this year – hoping that one year we can shine in our own category.

We have also been shortlisted in the “Outstanding Customer Service” category which to me is the one that would mean the most. Keep an eye on our twitter feed on the night of 6th April as that is where we will be breaking the news – whether positive or not our followers will find out first.

This blog isn’t going to be as long as I’d hoped as another car has come into view which means I’m needed in reception once again!

Its nearly here!

Just 4 days before we open for a new season! Attraction leaflets are being delivered, the plumber is here ready to put water back onto the site, and the new welcome books are just about ready to go into the caravans so it is all systems go!

Even the kids are looking forward to opening the gates again – opening up always affects them more than we thought it would. We often have tears because they feel like we are abandoning them after having us all to themselves during the winter. I think they are old enough now to see the benefits of living on the park – they can whizz round on their bikes, meet new friends and they know exactly which guests to visit when they are on the lookout for biscuits (in several caravans they know exactly where they are kept!)

They also know the little traditions we have for them based around the park, particularly opening and closing. Immediately after those gates shut on the first Sunday in November we go to the cinema and have Frankie and Benny’s afterwards and we do exactly the same just before we open.

Although my Dad ran a park it didn’t affect us in the same way – for a start we didn’t live there. It was somewhere to go to see Nanna and Grandpa as they lived in a house on the park but we didn’t have anyone knocking on our door at all times of the night needing our Mummy and Daddy.

I am also very aware that I want our kids to remember us as doing things with them during their childhood rather than working all the time. So, some people do get upset that we have a couple of hours off on a Sunday afternoon when they are wanting to buy ice cream from the shop but I hope that they appreciate there are times we need to be selfish and put our kids first – ice creams have to wait until we re-open the shop in the evening.