FROM exploring the Cornish fishing town setting of ITV’s Doc Martin to throwing on their fancy dress and hitting the pub, our readers tell Laurie Stone all about their favourite ways to get the most from Sun Holidays.
‘It’s one big adventure from the minute we arrive’
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KEY worker Callie Rhodes cannot wait to take children Jakeo and Mayzie on their next Sun Holiday.
The 29-year-old mental health support worker has been extra busy throughout the pandemic — while Jakeo, ten, and Mayzie, eight, have been at school the whole time.
Callie says: “It’s going to be a great pick-me-up for the three of us. After everything we have all been through, we just can’t wait to get away.
“I am really looking forward to spending quality time with the kids.”
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The family have been going on Sun Holidays for the past couple of years.
Their favourite location is the Haven Blue Dolphin holiday park in Filey, North Yorks, not far from their home in Selby.
Callie says: “The children adore going to the beach.
“If the weather is nice, they’ll splash in the sea. They can spend hours building sandcastles and they also like to collect seashells and unusual stones.
“It’s great to see them so happy and enjoying themselves.
“Other times we’ll walk along the beach, but nearby there are lots of great places to take a stroll. It’s like one big adventure from the moment we arrive to the minute we leave.
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“We’ll also take time out to visit the local attractions. It’s always a question of trying to pack everything in.”
She first heard about our fantastic Sun Holidays through a friend.
Callie says: “To be quite honest I thought it was too good to be true. It sounded ridiculous.
“And I thought there had to be a catch. I half-expected for us to turn up and be told we were sleeping in a tent.
“But I thought I would give it a go as, at the prices on offer, I really had nothing to lose.
“But it was absolutely amazing. The accommodation was spectacular and so spacious and had everything we needed. The children thought it was so exciting.
“I actually believed it was a mistake and that they had put us in the wrong accommodation.
“I went back to reception to double check, but they said we were where we should be.
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“The staff were superb and so efficient. They were so friendly to the children and straight away I could see that the park was safe and secure.
“It just ticked all the right boxes for me. Everything was just so positive.
“That’s why I know that having worked all through the lockdown period, and with the children having had to take in the new social distancing rules at their schools, we are now ready to relax and have a wonderful time together.
“Now it’s me recommending Sun Holidays to family and friends.
“I always post photos on my social media of us enjoying ourselves at the park.
“I am so proud that my children are having a great time.
“You can’t beat Sun Holidays and I am happy to shout it from the rooftops for everyone to hear.”
‘Scenery in Cornwall is so amazing we just keep coming back’
SUN Holidays are made for walking – just ask Tracey and Louis Bell.
Every summer the couple walk their way along the south-west coast on their staycations, taking advantage of our great getaways.
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One of their favourite destinations is picturesque Port Isaac, in Cornwall, where the popular TV series Doc Martin, starring Martin Clunes, was filmed.
Tracey, 50, a self-employed health and safety consultant, says: “It doesn’t matter how many times we go – we have been enjoying our Sun Holidays for more than ten years – there are always new locations to see and enjoy.
“But we keep going back to lovely Port Isaac and looking out for all the filming points for television’s Doc Martin.
“It’s a beautiful part of the country. There is an incredible number of parks but we keep coming back to Cornwall.
“We just love the amazing scenery which is the ideal setting for our cycling and walking – that’s what we enjoy doing on holiday. It’s the perfect way to relax.”
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Tracey and Louis, 57, a contracts manager, lead busy lives and their jobs can often involve driving to construction sites around the country.
They agree that taking a Sun Holiday is the best way for them to unwind, recharge their batteries and have quality time together.
Tracey says: “They really are chilled breaks. We’ll often stop on the way in different villages for breakfast or lunch. We get to visit so many places and we enjoy eating out in good restaurants.”
Among their top Cornwall staycations are Parkdean Resorts Lizard Point near Helston in Cornwall, St Ives Holiday Village, Haven Riviere Sands in Hayle and Parkdean Resorts’ Looe Bay.
“We simply love Cornwall and its coastline,” agree Tracey and Louis, who also live near the sea, in their home town of Havant, Hants.
Louis adds: “To be able to step away from our busy working lives and relax on one of these holidays is fantastic. It’s an added bonus that it is such incredible value for money.”
‘Amazing value for money. You just can’t beat them’
BEST friends Tracy Hall and Susan Jones can’t get enough of their super Sun Holidays.
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The pals, who live near each other in Middlesbrough, used to enjoy our money-saving bargain breaks with their families, but now the kids have grown up, it is usually the pair of them going together.
Tracy, 55, a support worker, says: “Sun Holidays are amazing value for money. You just can’t beat them.
“We love to choose a different park to stay so that we can enjoy walks along the beach or clifftops.
“There is so much to see and enjoy right here in Britain. And the holidays are completely free of any hassle.
“The caravans are incredibly spacious and often our respective children might drive up and meet us for the day.
“They still have great memories of our Sun Holidays together when they were younger.”
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Susan, 56, who is a doctors’ receptionist, agrees the breaks are the perfect remedy to relax while getting out and about in some of Britain’s most attractive areas. They have stayed at Haven Craig Tara Holiday Park in Ayr where they visited Burns Cottage, the first home of Scotland’s national poet and part of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.
Another of their favourite stays in Berwick-upon-Tweed is Haven Haggerston Castle from where they visited Lindisfarne, which is only accessible by a single road, and is cut off twice a day by the North Sea.
“There are so many beautiful places to visit,” the friends agree.
Tracy explains that it was actually her sister, Toni Curtis, 56, a teaching assistant, who first made them realise the unbeatable value of the Sun Holidays after she joined them on a break to Haven Berwick, Northumberland.
Tracy says: “She had a great stay and didn’t stop singing the praises of the holiday so I thought we should carry on.
“We take at least one Sun Holiday every year.”
‘No airports or long delays. It’s the perfect holiday’
FUN-LOVING Mark Griffiths finishes work at 4pm and just 20 minutes later he is in his caravan when he is on a Sun Holiday.
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The 59-year-old carpenter doesn’t like to waste a second of his bargain break-away so for the past 15 years he has been going again and again to Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay, Porthcawl, Mid Glamorgan, Wales, just ten miles from his home in Port Talbot.
Mark and wife, Gemma, 37, a teaching assistant, have got into quite a routine – they chill out when they arrive then the next day they like to put on fancy dress and visit their two favourite pubs, The Beachcomber and The Buccaneer, where they are well known for their costumes.
As soon as they step through the door, the locals chorus: “It must be Sun Holiday time again!” For their last break Mark dressed up as rocker Alice Cooper, while Gemma went as a cheerleader.
Their friend, Paula Collings, 52, a former carer, dressed as Maid Marian although she didn’t bring Robin Hood with her.
Sometimes they are joined on their holidays by Paula’s three-year-old grandson, Jax.
Mark says: “Looking out over the sea from the park there are some truly spectacular views.
“We love that it takes us only 20 minutes from leaving home to opening the door of our caravan.
“It’s the perfect holiday. No airports or long delays. One minute we are at home and the next, here we are – and it is all thanks to my favourite newspaper!”
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The regular Sun reader admits that every time there is a new promotion, they think about visiting other parks around the country.
But then he says: “Why would we? There is everything we need here. The staff are brilliant and the park has become our home from home.
“We must have been at least 30 times. But we couldn’t afford to take so many breaks if it wasn’t for incredible value-for-money Sun Holidays.”
And the Griffiths family haven’t got long to wait for their next Sun Holiday – they have already booked to go to Trecco Bay again in October.
‘The parks are really safe and the staff are fantastic’
SELFIE fan Nicole could not resist snapping this family photo on her latest picture-perfect family Sun Holiday.
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The 16-year-old and her sister, Kayleigh, 14 were enjoying their latest Sun bargain break with their mum, Michelle Goodwin, and their cousins Eve, 14, and Isaac, 12, at Haven Haggerston Castle, Northumberland.
Michelle said: “It’s great that the children are at an age when they have a chilled-out time. The parks are really safe and the staff are fantastic. So I know everything is fine for them to enjoy that little bit of independence around the park.”
The family, who live in Edinburgh, have also been to Haggerston Castle’s near neighbour Haven Berwick, plus Parkdean Resorts Whitley Bay.
Eve and Isaac are the children of Michelle’s sister Claire, 49, who works as a facilities manager with the NHS and lives nearby in Haddington.
Michelle, 41, a cleaner, says all the kids get on so well they can just relax and enjoy a great holiday together.
She said: “It really is the perfect break for them. There is so much to do.
“The only choices we have to make are what we are going to do next.
“We have been away during the week out of school time and if it’s a weekend, we’ll leave on Friday and get home on Sunday evening. So it’s not a case of them missing any lessons!”
Michelle said it was her hairdresser who first recommended Sun Holidays. She thought they were a cut above the rest . . . and we definitely agree!
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