During the 1st May bank holiday this year, we all went camping for the first time together and we went to Woodlands. Each year, families from Ben and Aaron’s year groups get together and go each year in a group to get a very good discount, and this year we were asked if we wanted to come along as well. So we said yes! 😉 The two nights of camping at Woodlands also included free entry into the theme park for both days, which was great!
We were going to borrow Nan Nan and Pops’ tent but it turned out to be too small for us all, so we ended up having to buy a brand new one from Go Outdoors, which was recommended by Josh and Alex. It wasn’t cheap so we had to see it as an investment and so would make sure we would go camping as much as we could in the future!
So we went straight from work on the Friday and got there just after 5pm. Josh, Alex and Caleb came as well and Josh had taken the day off so he had swung by in the afternoon and picked up some of our stuff to take (we had a lot of stuff!) and Alex would drive there with Caleb after she finished work. So when we arrived, Josh had already put their tent up along with other families of Ben, Aaron and Coby’s friends that were going as well. In fact, it was all the boys best friends that went, so it was perfect for them! We got out tent up in a decent time (with the help of Josh and Alex!) and unloaded our gear into it and setup camp. We were on the end so next to us was a great big open space for all the children to play in, which they did, and they all loved it!
The weather on the Friday evening wasn’t too bad and once it had got dark, the stars were an amazing site! Before then, we had pizza for tea (from the onsite takeaway) and a few cheeky cans with Alex and Josh. Throughout the evening, the boys were out playing with their friends and having a great time. They were really in their element! We didn’t really sleep very well that night as it was our first ever night in a tent, although the boys had obviously worn themselves out with all the playing and the fact they had a very late night for them, so they slept fine! Kelly and I were awake most of the night and at dawn, the birds seemed to be singing very loudly! It was nice listening to them but it didn’t help us get any rest!
So we decided to get up pretty early and Kelly went for a very early wash in the shower block (I had had a shower the previous evening). The showers and toilets were nice and clean and in good condition although it was cold in there! It was a lovely morning, although a little cold, but we still sat out and had our breakfast. We then spent the day walking around Woodlands and got some food there for dinner from one of the cafes. We found the park to be quite run down in places unfortunately, especially down the bottom end where the pixie houses were. The top end with the animals seemed to be the best looked after. We all had a fun day though, and the boys loved it. The best thing for all of us was the Toboggan Run where we all had several goes on it! It was great fun, and Ben managed to get on it without an adult several times, which was handy for the rest of us as someone had to stay with the buggy! Towards closing time, we made our way back to our camp and got ready for tea. We had a nice BBQ with some of Aaron’s friends (as this weekend was part of his 6th birthday celebrations) and he had a birthday cake given to him with everyone singing, though he was very shy at this point! Unfortunately, the weather had now started to turn and it was freezing cold and windy. It certainly wasn’t the best weather for a BBQ but we made the most of it and all seemed to enjoy it. We all went to bed tired out and slept a little better but still not great.
The next morning, we woke up to awful weather and we had to take out tent down in it! We got completely drenched doing this as the rain was torrential and I didn’t have a change of clothes either so had to stay in them all day until they dried out. Just as we had filled the car and were ready to drive out of the camping area to park in the main car park we found that the car battery had died. We had no idea how this happened as it had been find so Josh ended up having to drive it down the hill from camp (luckily we were at the top of the hill!) whilst we pushed it to get it going. Thankfully, the car started and Josh drove it back up to us. So we kept it running for a while after that whilst Kelly got dried and changed into her dry clothes and it was find thereafter.
So eventually, we went back into the park and went in the indoor play area for most of the day. The indoor soft play was suitable for adults, so we put our bags in a locker and all went in for a bit of fun! The rain did eventually stop so we did venture outside for a bit and went down for a few quick goes on the Toboggan Run, which was great fun again, before having to leave and drive home.
Generally, we had had a great weekend and the boys loved camping and going into Woodlands each day to play. It was a shame the weather was so bad on the Sunday though and the car battery went, but thankfully we got it working again. We will definitely be doing this again next year! 😉
