On 7th September this year, Lyme Regis will rock to the sounds of thousands of guitars playing on the beach, as musicians coming from all over the country attempt to beat the world record for the biggest ever band playing one song at the same time.

It’s open to everyone, and the hope is that over 2,000 people of all ages and abilities will be there to play the chosen song, which is the Buddy Holly classic Rave On. This fantastic idea was dreamt up by Geoff Baker, who is used to organising big musical events, having worked as Paul McCartney’s PR chief for 15 years.

It’s really exciting to have such a fun, ambitious event going on just down the road from our park, especially since there are certain to be a number of famous faces from the world of music taking part. Hugh Cornwell from the Stranglers and Robbie McIntosh, the lead guitarist for Paul McCartney, are among those who have signed up, and there are even strong rumours that McCartney himself will make an appearance, which would be incredible!

If you’re interested in joining in, you can find more information on the Guitars on the Beach website, including the chords you’ll need to learn. The organisers are hoping to attract the broadest possible range of people to come and play, from professional musicians to beginners, and young kids to pensioners.

So why not come down, be part of a world record attempt, and maybe even see a genuine Beatle! If you’re travelling from afar and need overnight accommodation, we have a fabulous selection of apartments, caravans and pine lodges available to hire, as well as camping pitches with modern facilities and amenities. Give us a call or head over to our booking page!

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Summer is almost here again, and this is the time of year when all sorts of exciting things start happening in and around our Park. We’ve already had this year’s brilliant Fossil Festival in Lyme Regis, and here are some of the events we’re most looking forward to in the near future.

Devon County Show

This one is happening right now! Today is day two of the Devon County Show, so you only have tomorrow left if you want to visit this year’s show! It’s well worth a visit whatever your age and interests – there’s so much to see and do, and a fantastic festival atmosphere to enjoy.
One of the big attractions this year in the main arena is the Diggerland JCB Stunt Team  – they will be putting on a dancing diggers display, and if that’s anything like as good as it sounds, it will be a fantastic spectacle!

Elsewhere there will be mountain bike and BMX stunt displays, live music throughout the day, and a wide variety of entertainments for younger children, including a chance to meet Peppa Pig and the comic dancing robot Titan.

There is also the traditional elements without which no County Show would be complete, such as the livestock shows and the showjumping.
Head to the official website to find out more about what’s going on and when, as well as directions for how to get to the show grounds.

Lyme Regis Jazz, Blues and Real Ale Weekend

Lyme Regis’s annual jazz festival keeps on growing every year, and this time the headline acts include none other than Ginger Baker, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith, and widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time.

The festival takes places over the weekend of 31st May to 2nd June, and to accompany all the fantastic music there will also be the opportunity to try a great range of local real ales from Town Mill Brewery, Mighty Hop and Art Brew throughout the day at the Marine Theatre.

It all kicks off on Friday 31st at 4pm, with the Mayor of Lyme Regis opening the festival at Cobb Gate. The traditional umbrella parade will begin at 11am, so bring a brolly and join the umbrella-wielding crowds marching through town accompanied by music from Arcadia Jazz Band.

You can buy a weekend pass for the festival or individual events tickets online at www.wegottickets.com, or you can purchase by phone by calling Lyme Tourist Information – 01297 442138.

Newlands Beer Festival

If the taste of unique locally-brewed Dorset ales whets your appetite for more, then don’t miss out on Newlands’ first ever beer festival on 21st-23rd June. There’ll be a superb selection of cider and beer on offer, and we’ll have music from the Lyme Regis Gig Club Shanty Singers, as well as other entertainment over the weekend.

Don’t forget it’s the weekend after Fathers’ Day, so would make a great present! Give us a call on 01297 560259 or go to our bookings page to book your accommodation!

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Hi Newlands fans, hope you’ve all had a fantastic Easter break. We’ve certainly had a blast here at the park, with easter bonnet making, egg & spoon races, and many other eggs-traordinary activities all taking place here over the last week.

There’s plenty more going on at the park for the remainder of the holidays, and let’s not forget there’s always lots to do if you decide to leave the park and explore your surroundings a bit more. Here are a few suggestions of things you can do off the park, but close enough you can be back here with your feet up before too long.

Lyme Regis Mary Anning Walk

This is your chance to follow in the footsteps of Lyme Regis’s most famous historical resident with a tour based around the life of Mary Anning, the 19th century fossil hunter and pioneer of the science of paeleontology.

Professional guide Natalie Manifold will take you on a walk around Lyme, showing you where Anning lived and sold her fossils, and giving you a unique insight into the town as she would have seen it.

The tour takes an hour and a half (approximately), and booking beforehand is recommended, as places are limited. All the info you need is here – http://www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk/whats-on/mary-anning-walks

The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth

Here’s the perfect day out for animal lovers. The donkey sanctuary is home to a large number of donkeys in its paddocks, yards, and stables, and is situated in picturesque countryside with great views out to sea.

You can pet and even feed the donkeys, who are very placid and friendly. It’s run as a charity, so entry is free (but donations are welcome). Dogs are welcome at the sanctuary as long as they are kept on leads, and there’s also a great little café next to the sanctuary so you can stop for a spot of lunch after spending a few hours in the company of the donkeys.

The sanctuary’s website has lots of useful info, as well as webcams so you can see what the donkeys are up to right now! http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/

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Newlands is officially open for the 2013 season! We had our first guests arriving at the park a week ago, and it’s great to be back again for a new season.

2012 was a challenging year for many of us in the holiday park trade – for one thing the weather was an absolute nightmare – never seen a summer like it! We’re hoping for better things this year, and we’re already really excited for some of the fantastic events coming up in the next few months, starting with…

The Grizzly Run

The Grizzly Run is just around the corner, when cross country runners flock down to Dorset for the UK’s biggest long distance running event after the London Marathon and the Great North Run. It gets bigger and bigger every year, as serious runners simply can’t resist the challenge of tackling an ultra-tough 20 mile course comprised of steep hills, mud, beaches, rocks and more mud!

We’re offering a couple of special deals for runners staying at Newlands, with short breaks for up to 4 people between 8th and 11th March from £110. We also have ensuite rooms available from £45 per night, so you can get a good night’s sleep before the big race!

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Thanks to everyone who came to the Slow Ride To Turin charity auction at the park on Saturday, we had a great night and managed to raise a staggering £4000 for the SRTT fund!

This incredible result was achieved thanks to the generosity of the local businesses and individuals who donated the auction lots, and also the participants for dipping into their pockets and bidding so highly throughout the evening.

Appreciation also needs to go to auctioneer Jim Rowe for keeping us entertained, along with the brilliant contemporary Exeter folk band ‘Spin2’, who were great at getting everyone on the dance floor.

There was a huge variety of lots, from pink saucepans to hampers, barrels of beer and a locked mystery chest, which raised over £100 thanks to some brave bidders! The lot which fetched the most was a cabin holiday in Wales, closely followed by a golfing day for 4 at Woodbury Park. A half day in the kitchen with TV’s Pam ‘the Jam’ Corbin did very well too, as did a day with a local vet. All in all there was about 40 lots, and another 20 prizes for the raffle.

The hall was transformed with yellow bunting and balloons, and we even had a couple of bikes resprayed in Porsche yellow and put on display (these too were auctioned off at the end of the evening, raising £170!)

Our blue van, which was loaned to Slow Ride and went to Turin as a support vehicle, was parked at the park entrance to greet everyone as they arrived for the evening (we think the support crew and cyclists grew quite fond of ol’ Bluey over the course of their epic trip!).

A final note – if anyone hasn’t yet had a chance to donate to the SRTT fund, you can still go and do so via their Charity Giving page. A fantastic cause, and a brilliant achievement by all the riders who took part!

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Dorset may be known primarily as a summer destination for visitors, but the county also has plenty to offer in the winter months, especially for anyone with an interest in the natural world. Here are the top reasons to visit Dorset during the winter:

Avoiding the Crowds

Dorset is brimming with unique and popular attractions both natural and man-made. This makes it a great place to visit, but also means it can get quite busy with tourists at certain times of the year! Each summer the beaches, stately homes, museums and other attractions in the county teem with visitors and the roads become congested and slow.

The simple solution to this problem is to visit Dorset in winter instead. Okay, so you may not have the beautiful sunshine and the thirty degree heat, but you will be able to wander round historic buildings like Athelhampton house and Hardy’s cottage almost alone, and photograph iconic landmarks like Durdle Door without having to worry about other people walking in and out of your shot.

If you like your holidays slow and relaxing, then choosing the quieter winter months over the hustle and bustle of the peak season makes an awful lot of sense.

Exploring the Countryside

The Dorset Countryside really comes into its own in winter. For many people the very essence of Dorset is seeing the rolling green countryside lightly covered in frost, glistening in the morning sunshine. Snow is relatively rare in the county, but if you are lucky enough to catch it you get to see stunning sights like thatched cottages and ruined abbeys blanketed in snow, the kind of beautiful images that you will not forget in a hurry!

One caveat about exploring the countryside in winter is that it is sensible to restrict yourself to the National Trust paths, particularly if you are on the coast. Cliff erosion occurs especially in winter, and it can make certain coastal areas dangerous for walkers.

Christmas and Seasonal Events

At its heart, Dorset is a traditional place, it is still one of the best locations to experience a sense of history and old-time values. This is never more true than during December, when several towns including Bournemouth and Dorchester hold big family events to mark the switching on of the Christmas lights. German-style market stalls are set up, costumes are worn and you can snack on traditional festive fare such as mulled wine and minced pies.

New Year is also celebrated in style in Dorset. The seaside town of Weymouth is famous nationwide and attracts visitors from all over the country for its New Year festivities, in which everyone attempts to outdo each other with the wildest and wackiest fancy dress costumes!

Whatever your interests, Dorset in the winter months has something for absolutely everyone. And to top it all off, you will have the county almost to yourself. What could be better than that?

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Halloween Fun and Games

We love Halloween here at Newlands. Anyone who has stayed with us before over the Halloween half term will know about all the fun and games we have going here at the park, all with added chills, thrills and gore!

This year will be the best yet – we’ve got our famous haunted house returning on Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd November, and over the week there will be the mummy mania competition, the scarecrow challenge, feeling boxes, monster making, a witch hunt, spooky stories, pumpkin competition, apple bobbing and much, much more!

The finale will be our end of season Halloween Ball on Saturday 3rd November. Fancy dress is optional, but there will be a prize for the best dressed, so better start thinking about your costume now! Witches, monsters, ghosts, vampires, and all other ghoulish outfits welcome!

Give us a call on 01297 560259 to enquire about availability of accommodation and book your half term break now!

Charity Auction at the Park

On November 10th, we’re hosting a charity auction in aid of Slow Ride to Turin (www.slowridetoturin.co.uk), a charity bike ride from Axminster to Turin to raise awareness of depression and raise money for the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust and the Human Givens Foundation.

The thirty riders, mainly locals, aim to reach Turin on 25th October, visiting the famous “Slow Food Salone del Gusto’ before returning to the UK.

We’ve got local auctioneer Jim Rowe running the auction here on the 10th – we’re looking for lots and everyone is welcome to come along on the night.  It’s a great cause so please do come along and help out if you can!

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Burton Bradstock is one of the prettiest and most popular villages in Dorset, and acts as one of the main gateways to the Jurassic Coast. It’s one of our favourite spots on the coast, and many of our guests who visit tell us they love it too!

One of Burton Bradstock’s biggest claims to fame is that it marks the beginning of Chesil Beach, the huge natural sandback that runs 18 miles down the Jurassic Coast to Portland. It is also known for its iconic sandstone cliffs, with their distinctive gold colour that appears to glow in the sunlight. No trip to Burton is complete without going for a walk along the cliffs and taking in the stunning panoramic views!

With its thatched roofs and old streets, the village itself really captures the spirit of old Dorset that attracts so many tourists to the county each year.  It’s also a popular destination for foodies, with the Hive Beach Cafe recognised as one of the best seafood restaurants in the area, with glowing mentions in national newspapers such as the Guardian and the Telegraph.

Burton Bradstock is also home to the celebrated folk singer Billy Bragg – it’s a very small place, so you never know if you might run in to him on your visit!

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Lyme Regis Artsfest has long been one of our favourite events in the summer calendar, and this year will be extra special because the annual cultural festival is celebrating its 10th birthday!

The Artsfest is a lively and family-friendly celebration of local art, which aims to showcase the best of Lyme’s creative talent with exhibitions, workshops, displays and performances spread throughout the town.

Visitors will also get the chance to learn all sorts of new skills for themselves, such as stained glass, dance and painting. One workshop that caught our eye was the dinosaur making class, in which expert teacher Frances Hillier will show you how to mould, fire and glaze your own clay dinosaur!

There will also be a number of guided walks around the local area, offering a wealth of fascinating background knowledge about the history, culture, and geography of Lyme Regis. Each walk will cover a specific subject, including the life of Mary Anning and Lyme’s literary connections with Jane Austen.

The grand opening of the festival will be at 12pm on 8th September at the Marine Parade Shelters, and will feature the mayor, the town crier, and a Saxophone Quartet from Woodroffe School.

If you’d like to come down and visit for the week of Artsfest,  our Lyme Regis caravan site is a great place to stay, and offers a fabulous base to explore the festival. For a full list of events, see the Lyme Regis Artsfest website.

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We are one of the most popular touring caravan sites in Dorset, and we love welcoming people and their caravans from right across the country and even further afield. People have been bringing their caravans to parks like ours for at least half a century, and in this week’s blog we thought we’d look at what it is that makes the caravan such an enduring favourite of British holidaymakers.

Caravan Memories

Did you go on caravan holidays when you were a youngster? Most of us probably did at some stage, and have similar memories of the folding beds, net curtains and tiny cupboards full of goods that rattled about when driving. Equally, we can also probably still picture the locations our caravans took us to – the sunny seaside towns and the leafy countryside sites which were so much fun to explore as kids.

Caravan holidays have changed an awful lot between then and now. Modern caravans come with all the mod cons designed to make it a genuine home from home, including central heating and satellite tv. But you’ll also be pleased to know that some parts of the caravanning experience have not changed at all – caravan sites are still to be found in wonderful coastal or rural locations, and there are now more sites than ever before!

There are now an estimated 1 million caravan owners in the UK, and that number is growing all the time. The recession has not harmed the caravan industry; in fact it has had the opposite effect, as it has encouraged families to eschew expensive foreign holidays and rediscover the joys of the British coastline and countryside.

So why not book a family break this summer and introduce your children to the adventure and excitement of staying in a caravan for the first time? We are one of the leading caravan holiday parks in Dorset, and we offer great rates for overnight stays in our specially designated touring field. If you’d like to know more, give us a call on 01297 560259 – we’d love to hear from you!

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