This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/aug/24/the-perfect-british-camping-holiday-a-photo-essay
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| The perfect British camping holiday – a photo essay | The perfect British camping holiday – a photo essay |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The UK has a huge amount of beautiful coastline and when the weather is right it’s hard to beat the appeal of a camping holiday, especially by a beach like Lligwy Bay on Anglesey, or Mon Mam Cymriciaru (Mother of Wales), an island off the coast of north Wales accessible by road. | |
| Chris Thomond, a Guardian photographer, met the Mount family, who have run the Tyddyn Isaf camping and caravan park since 1975, and spoke to their guests about the idyllic spot. | Chris Thomond, a Guardian photographer, met the Mount family, who have run the Tyddyn Isaf camping and caravan park since 1975, and spoke to their guests about the idyllic spot. |
| Tyddyn Isaf | Tyddyn Isaf |
| The site has 56 holiday homes or static caravans, and about 100 combined camping and touring pitches, some of which are seasonal. They keep the David Bellamy Conservation field very spacious, with perhaps only 10 pitches on it. | The site has 56 holiday homes or static caravans, and about 100 combined camping and touring pitches, some of which are seasonal. They keep the David Bellamy Conservation field very spacious, with perhaps only 10 pitches on it. |
| As a family we always say that if people like us they love us, but if we’re not for you we’re not for you | As a family we always say that if people like us they love us, but if we’re not for you we’re not for you |
| Hayley Mount-Leonard, the third generation of her family to work at the campsite, says: “We take inspiration from where we holiday ourselves around the world and try to bring ideas from the best hotels and restaurants. | Hayley Mount-Leonard, the third generation of her family to work at the campsite, says: “We take inspiration from where we holiday ourselves around the world and try to bring ideas from the best hotels and restaurants. |
| “For example, a lot of people say: ‘We wouldn’t expect this high standard of food to be served on a campsite,’ but we reply: ‘Why not?’” | “For example, a lot of people say: ‘We wouldn’t expect this high standard of food to be served on a campsite,’ but we reply: ‘Why not?’” |
| Arthur Mount making pizzas in the kitchen | Arthur Mount making pizzas in the kitchen |
| There are jobs for all the family. “We work seven days a week from 7.30am until midnight in the season. We don’t stop. My mum Beverly does the accounts and book work. My dad Arthur’s the chef but he’s also the grass cutter, does all the maintenance and is the brains behind all the ideas. He’s the big boss,” says Hayley. | There are jobs for all the family. “We work seven days a week from 7.30am until midnight in the season. We don’t stop. My mum Beverly does the accounts and book work. My dad Arthur’s the chef but he’s also the grass cutter, does all the maintenance and is the brains behind all the ideas. He’s the big boss,” says Hayley. |
| “Simon, my husband, works behind the bar but also does general maintenance and odd jobs. He’s the people person who will speak to anybody. Then there’s me. I do the front of house, all of the accounts, the sales and dealing directly with the public. We all mix in and do everything. | “Simon, my husband, works behind the bar but also does general maintenance and odd jobs. He’s the people person who will speak to anybody. Then there’s me. I do the front of house, all of the accounts, the sales and dealing directly with the public. We all mix in and do everything. |
| The holiday homes lit up at dusk | The holiday homes lit up at dusk |
| “We are open from the start of March to the end of October but we don’t stop in the winter. That’s when we do any caravan moves and the big maintenance jobs.” | “We are open from the start of March to the end of October but we don’t stop in the winter. That’s when we do any caravan moves and the big maintenance jobs.” |
| Happy campers | Happy campers |
| Mick Cooper, from Sheffield, is camping at Tyddyn Isaf. He says: “This is a Vango Airbeam. It has air instead of poles so I just have to pump it up. It saves having to bend down. The only trouble is it all looks the same folded away so we put it up the wrong way round first time. | Mick Cooper, from Sheffield, is camping at Tyddyn Isaf. He says: “This is a Vango Airbeam. It has air instead of poles so I just have to pump it up. It saves having to bend down. The only trouble is it all looks the same folded away so we put it up the wrong way round first time. |
| Mick Cooper from Sheffield erecting his inflatable tent | Mick Cooper from Sheffield erecting his inflatable tent |
| We enjoy doing this and then we have another more expensive holiday some other time in the year | We enjoy doing this and then we have another more expensive holiday some other time in the year |
| “We’ve been camping for 40-odd years since the kids were little, here and in the Dordogne in France. We’ve been coming here for the past four years. It’s lovely being outdoors and I love this tent. We have a double bed at one end with lights, mattresses and quilts – we don’t do sleeping bags – on a proper camp bed with a sheepskin and hot water bottles. We bring our kitchen here with cooker, electric cool box and a full larder.” | “We’ve been camping for 40-odd years since the kids were little, here and in the Dordogne in France. We’ve been coming here for the past four years. It’s lovely being outdoors and I love this tent. We have a double bed at one end with lights, mattresses and quilts – we don’t do sleeping bags – on a proper camp bed with a sheepskin and hot water bottles. We bring our kitchen here with cooker, electric cool box and a full larder.” |
| Kids roam free | Kids roam free |
| Elliott Lacey, 10, is playing on the helter-skelter with a group of boys. He says: “I’ve been coming here since I was two. The helter-skelter is really fun and it brings back lots of memories. When we arrive each year I look for all my friends and then this is the first place we always come to. We play tig on it mostly and we’ve had lots of water fights. We fill balloons from the outdoor tap and then chase each other. There’s good views from the top. You can see the beach one way and then all the tents over the other way. I can see my caravan from here too … and they can see me.” | Elliott Lacey, 10, is playing on the helter-skelter with a group of boys. He says: “I’ve been coming here since I was two. The helter-skelter is really fun and it brings back lots of memories. When we arrive each year I look for all my friends and then this is the first place we always come to. We play tig on it mostly and we’ve had lots of water fights. We fill balloons from the outdoor tap and then chase each other. There’s good views from the top. You can see the beach one way and then all the tents over the other way. I can see my caravan from here too … and they can see me.” |
| When I was younger this was massive but now it seems a bit smaller and not that high any more | When I was younger this was massive but now it seems a bit smaller and not that high any more |
| Samuel Sherratt, his brother George and Theo and Seb Hill are out cycling. Samuel says: “We all live near each other but only see each other when we come on holiday here. At night we play manhunt which is basically a giant game of tig all over the park or play football or go to each others’ caravans and watch a film, or sit around an open fire and toast marshmallows. There’s a teepee down on the beach which we can go to with our parents too. | Samuel Sherratt, his brother George and Theo and Seb Hill are out cycling. Samuel says: “We all live near each other but only see each other when we come on holiday here. At night we play manhunt which is basically a giant game of tig all over the park or play football or go to each others’ caravans and watch a film, or sit around an open fire and toast marshmallows. There’s a teepee down on the beach which we can go to with our parents too. |
| Some of us have been to Spain and Mexico. We prefer it here because we have lots of friends | Some of us have been to Spain and Mexico. We prefer it here because we have lots of friends |
| “We love the freedom to roam around but we like the safety too because it’s all sealed off and there’s always people to look out for you. We sometimes go down to the beach with all our families in the evening for our fire. It’s only a five-minute walk away and we can have a barbecue with burgers, steaks and sausages.” | “We love the freedom to roam around but we like the safety too because it’s all sealed off and there’s always people to look out for you. We sometimes go down to the beach with all our families in the evening for our fire. It’s only a five-minute walk away and we can have a barbecue with burgers, steaks and sausages.” |
| The boys love being out together riding their bikes, and proudly showing off their injuries | The boys love being out together riding their bikes, and proudly showing off their injuries |
| Let’s go fly a kite | Let’s go fly a kite |
| Steven Newell has been flying a kite on the beach with his boys. He says: “We’ve actually come over on holiday from San Sebastián in the foothills of the Pyrenees from the Bay of Biscay. We hadn’t been here before but we wanted to stay near family who live nearby. The weather’s been reasonably kind and there’s plenty to do even when it’s not. We drove and walked up Snowdon which was three hours up and three hours back down.” | |
| I had a swim. It wasn’t too cold and the water was very clear. I’ve also been running along the coastal path every morning. | I had a swim. It wasn’t too cold and the water was very clear. I’ve also been running along the coastal path every morning. |
| Iciar Paternian and Steven Newell | |
| Lligwy Bay | Lligwy Bay |
| Stanley Barrett from Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, has been coming to Tyddyn Isaf for 45 years. “We came originally with our own children and now with our grandchildren. We came even before the current owners took over [in 1975] and it’s improved massively and is a lot more modern obviously. It’s still not commercialised, which is why we like it. It’s just a traditional site and they look after the site and everyone who comes. | Stanley Barrett from Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, has been coming to Tyddyn Isaf for 45 years. “We came originally with our own children and now with our grandchildren. We came even before the current owners took over [in 1975] and it’s improved massively and is a lot more modern obviously. It’s still not commercialised, which is why we like it. It’s just a traditional site and they look after the site and everyone who comes. |
| Heading off to the beach down the pathway | |
| “We brought two other grandchildren from Sweden earlier on in the summer and now we’ve got two grandsons with us this week. The beaches here are beautiful and so, so safe. They’re shallow and there’s plenty of access for the children.” | “We brought two other grandchildren from Sweden earlier on in the summer and now we’ve got two grandsons with us this week. The beaches here are beautiful and so, so safe. They’re shallow and there’s plenty of access for the children.” |
| Seven-year-old Luca Petersen dressed as Superman on Lligwy Bay beach | Seven-year-old Luca Petersen dressed as Superman on Lligwy Bay beach |
| Yvonne and Stig Petersen, parents of Luca, seven, say: “We’ve come from Cambridgeshire, about 80 miles from the coast, so it’s a new experience for the children. We’ve never been to Wales as a family before but everyone’s so lovely and friendly and there’s a lovely combination of mountains and beaches. The children love the beach. It’s really clean. They’re just happy digging all day and you can borrow blankets from up at the top shop which is a lovely touch.” | Yvonne and Stig Petersen, parents of Luca, seven, say: “We’ve come from Cambridgeshire, about 80 miles from the coast, so it’s a new experience for the children. We’ve never been to Wales as a family before but everyone’s so lovely and friendly and there’s a lovely combination of mountains and beaches. The children love the beach. It’s really clean. They’re just happy digging all day and you can borrow blankets from up at the top shop which is a lovely touch.” |
| Wetsuits out to dry | Wetsuits out to dry |
| Caravanning | Caravanning |
| Carol Cunliffe says: “Me and my daughter have been paddleboarding all day on the Menai strait. It’s a challenging stretch of water with very strong currents. We’re tired now. | Carol Cunliffe says: “Me and my daughter have been paddleboarding all day on the Menai strait. It’s a challenging stretch of water with very strong currents. We’re tired now. |
| “We’re in our sixth year on the site. Both my parents and my husband’s parents had caravans on the Llyn peninsula when we were children. We’d always fancied one ourselves and it was just a matter of getting the cash together and saving up for one really. We are lucky and can get across about once a fortnight and me and my daughter are here for the whole of August this time. | “We’re in our sixth year on the site. Both my parents and my husband’s parents had caravans on the Llyn peninsula when we were children. We’d always fancied one ourselves and it was just a matter of getting the cash together and saving up for one really. We are lucky and can get across about once a fortnight and me and my daughter are here for the whole of August this time. |
| When it’s raining like last night it’s quite cosy in here and I think: 'Thank goodness I’m not in a tent' | When it’s raining like last night it’s quite cosy in here and I think: 'Thank goodness I’m not in a tent' |
| “I love the fact that we can escape here whenever we want to really. Quite often we won’t be planning to come but then we’ll look at the weather forecast and say: ‘Come on, it’s going to be nice.’ | “I love the fact that we can escape here whenever we want to really. Quite often we won’t be planning to come but then we’ll look at the weather forecast and say: ‘Come on, it’s going to be nice.’ |
| “It’s a lot more waterproof than a tent. Camping is nice in its own little way, being back to nature and all that, but it’s certainly harder work and I don’t think I could do more than a week in a tent.” | “It’s a lot more waterproof than a tent. Camping is nice in its own little way, being back to nature and all that, but it’s certainly harder work and I don’t think I could do more than a week in a tent.” |
| Gnomes look out at the view from a static caravan window | Gnomes look out at the view from a static caravan window |
| Phil, Carol’s husband, says: “We’ve actually been in a tent on this site when it’s been hammering it down. We were woken up in the middle of the night with it dripping into the sleeping compartment. The following day we walked around the site and looked at the caravans and thought: ‘One of them would be all right.’ | Phil, Carol’s husband, says: “We’ve actually been in a tent on this site when it’s been hammering it down. We were woken up in the middle of the night with it dripping into the sleeping compartment. The following day we walked around the site and looked at the caravans and thought: ‘One of them would be all right.’ |
| “I used to be quite stressed at work and the traffic could be dreadful, but as soon as we hit the Britannia Bridge on to the island all the tension would go and I thought: ‘Right we’re back.’” | “I used to be quite stressed at work and the traffic could be dreadful, but as soon as we hit the Britannia Bridge on to the island all the tension would go and I thought: ‘Right we’re back.’” |
| A different pace of life | A different pace of life |
| James Lewis is a new caravan owner, and says: “It’s a wonderful way of spending good time with the family. It’s very difficult to take young children abroad through the hustle and bustle of airports and the transfers and waiting times and delays. This is so different. I came caravanning as a child and you tend to return to what you know is good … and this is good. | James Lewis is a new caravan owner, and says: “It’s a wonderful way of spending good time with the family. It’s very difficult to take young children abroad through the hustle and bustle of airports and the transfers and waiting times and delays. This is so different. I came caravanning as a child and you tend to return to what you know is good … and this is good. |
| “It’s not a holiday if you’re constantly worrying about having to deal with a foreign language and trying foreign food with children. This way we can control everything. You can bring the food the children are comfortable with instead getting stressed looking for a restaurant where they might enjoy the meals. | “It’s not a holiday if you’re constantly worrying about having to deal with a foreign language and trying foreign food with children. This way we can control everything. You can bring the food the children are comfortable with instead getting stressed looking for a restaurant where they might enjoy the meals. |
| A classic bit of barcecueing, and a hoop game | A classic bit of barcecueing, and a hoop game |
| “We spent a lot of time holidaying in Wales when we were children ourselves and it’s just a different pace of life. The views are absolutely spectacular and as long as you’re prepared, with the right equipment and suitable clothing, the holidays like this are truly magical. | “We spent a lot of time holidaying in Wales when we were children ourselves and it’s just a different pace of life. The views are absolutely spectacular and as long as you’re prepared, with the right equipment and suitable clothing, the holidays like this are truly magical. |
| “It’s taken us three and a half hours to get here from the West Midlands in our brand new Ancona Pegasus five berth. We leave the kids’ bunk beds up all the time. We’ve got a full-size kitchen, fridge, full-size living room, and when the children go to bed we can shut the door and sit in the awning if it’s nice and enjoy a home-from-home experience with everything you need.” | “It’s taken us three and a half hours to get here from the West Midlands in our brand new Ancona Pegasus five berth. We leave the kids’ bunk beds up all the time. We’ve got a full-size kitchen, fridge, full-size living room, and when the children go to bed we can shut the door and sit in the awning if it’s nice and enjoy a home-from-home experience with everything you need.” |
| Christopher Lewis throwing hoops as his parents James and Faye and grandfather George enjoy a barbecue supper | Christopher Lewis throwing hoops as his parents James and Faye and grandfather George enjoy a barbecue supper |
| “So far my experience of towing is this: going forward is fine but the only trouble is when you’re towing £18,000 worth of caravan down one of these country lanes and meet someone coming the other way who’s determined to squeeze past, come what may. Going backwards is horrible – trying to reverse it into pitches with everybody else watching is absolutely horrible. It’s a bit of a spectator sport so everybody else gets out to watch and see what’s going on, watching the new guy with his spanking new caravan and seeing if he’s any good.” | “So far my experience of towing is this: going forward is fine but the only trouble is when you’re towing £18,000 worth of caravan down one of these country lanes and meet someone coming the other way who’s determined to squeeze past, come what may. Going backwards is horrible – trying to reverse it into pitches with everybody else watching is absolutely horrible. It’s a bit of a spectator sport so everybody else gets out to watch and see what’s going on, watching the new guy with his spanking new caravan and seeing if he’s any good.” |
| Emma Flanagan, Eva McCarthy, Joel McCarthy, and Dan Flanagan in a pod trailer | Emma Flanagan, Eva McCarthy, Joel McCarthy, and Dan Flanagan in a pod trailer |
| Ana and Pat Flanagan say: “We’d started camping together when we first met and then when the kids came along and we had less money we knew we’d have to cut our cloth accordingly. We love camping anyway but there are three other families we knew from baby stage who liked camping too and have come away together. So, from being one, two, three years old the children have all known each other and have always been giddy with excitement, running from one tent to another. | Ana and Pat Flanagan say: “We’d started camping together when we first met and then when the kids came along and we had less money we knew we’d have to cut our cloth accordingly. We love camping anyway but there are three other families we knew from baby stage who liked camping too and have come away together. So, from being one, two, three years old the children have all known each other and have always been giddy with excitement, running from one tent to another. |
| Emma Flanagan doing cartwheels while her parents cook a barbecue meal | Emma Flanagan doing cartwheels while her parents cook a barbecue meal |
| “If you’ve got dogs and small kids, like us, then camping’s the best place to come. The children have such freedom and make friends so easily. Another family were going down to the beach this morning and we hardly knew them but our daughter had made friends and wanted to go down with them. Everyone is so relaxed and trusting. This is a retreat and they can run around and play out until whatever time, and that’s something lost to a bygone age at home.” | “If you’ve got dogs and small kids, like us, then camping’s the best place to come. The children have such freedom and make friends so easily. Another family were going down to the beach this morning and we hardly knew them but our daughter had made friends and wanted to go down with them. Everyone is so relaxed and trusting. This is a retreat and they can run around and play out until whatever time, and that’s something lost to a bygone age at home.” |
| Beverly Mount, part of the family who own the campsite, says: “We have one family who have been coming for three weeks every summer since 1964 and we have archive photographs of them in a tent and then a tourer. They’re now in their late 60s and great-grandparents and they’re bringing along all the generations. Our oldest resident here is 102 and they bought a new static last year. Many start off as campers, progress to tourers and then end up with a static. | Beverly Mount, part of the family who own the campsite, says: “We have one family who have been coming for three weeks every summer since 1964 and we have archive photographs of them in a tent and then a tourer. They’re now in their late 60s and great-grandparents and they’re bringing along all the generations. Our oldest resident here is 102 and they bought a new static last year. Many start off as campers, progress to tourers and then end up with a static. |
| My parents came to Anglesey one weekend, leaving me at home, and returned home on the Sunday and told me: ‘We’ve bought a caravan park and you can come with us or stay' | My parents came to Anglesey one weekend, leaving me at home, and returned home on the Sunday and told me: ‘We’ve bought a caravan park and you can come with us or stay' |
| “My grandma came out with them too but I stayed in Lancashire originally and eventually married Arthur. We were soon bunny hopping across every weekend to help out with the business and after three or four years it got too big for them so one weekend we put our house on the market, handed in our notice at work and ended up here. We didn’t know if we would be able to even work together but, 40 years later, here we are. | “My grandma came out with them too but I stayed in Lancashire originally and eventually married Arthur. We were soon bunny hopping across every weekend to help out with the business and after three or four years it got too big for them so one weekend we put our house on the market, handed in our notice at work and ended up here. We didn’t know if we would be able to even work together but, 40 years later, here we are. |
| “This was my dad’s dream, to have his own business, and he had the foresight to see the possibilities even though when he arrived there was no mains water, no gas or electric. There weren’t even roads on the site and no hedges. We’ve planted 90,000 trees and shrubs but it started with just a field.” | “This was my dad’s dream, to have his own business, and he had the foresight to see the possibilities even though when he arrived there was no mains water, no gas or electric. There weren’t even roads on the site and no hedges. We’ve planted 90,000 trees and shrubs but it started with just a field.” |