Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Last w/end I found myself at Center Parcs. Now this really isn't my thing but it was for a friends 50th B'day celebrations. We hired a luxury villa with Hot Tub, Sauna and Steam-room. To be honest that and a bit of R&R was enough for me. I went to the pool once, played Badminton twice. Otherwise chilled, read, ate and drank and enjoyed our private facilities. Kids and others had a ball.
But Center Parcs is a strangeness, firstly I was surprised how diverse it was (a good thing) so they have done a good job attracting a wide variety of peoples. Also it seems very old person and disabled friendly (again a good thing). The downside is that it's pretty pricey.
Another thing is people seem to go around relaxed and pretty much on their best and most polite behaviour. maybe something about the environment encourages that, I don't know. It does to me seem like 'The Village', like Duloc in Shrek, too organised, too contrived everything just about right ....
The great thing about it is though is that I reckon about 2/3rds plus cycled and it did strike me that more people would ride bikes (or walk) if using the car in their localities was more difficult AND that facilities for cycling were better. It also helps that the rate of bike theft in a Center Parc must be pretty low. So encouraging bike use is a good thing and it goes to show that a lot of people could and possibly would use bicycles more often in the right circumstances.
The final part is that of the cyclists probably >80% were without helmets, again demonstrating that helmet wearing is something that is not seen as necessary to ride a bike, but necessary to ride a bike on the road. The conundrum here is that a plastic hat will do little to protect you in a car crash, but would do a lot to help in a low-speed Center Parcs tumble.
That's all really. I don't plan to go again, but if the party was right ....
But Center Parcs is a strangeness, firstly I was surprised how diverse it was (a good thing) so they have done a good job attracting a wide variety of peoples. Also it seems very old person and disabled friendly (again a good thing). The downside is that it's pretty pricey.
Another thing is people seem to go around relaxed and pretty much on their best and most polite behaviour. maybe something about the environment encourages that, I don't know. It does to me seem like 'The Village', like Duloc in Shrek, too organised, too contrived everything just about right ....
The great thing about it is though is that I reckon about 2/3rds plus cycled and it did strike me that more people would ride bikes (or walk) if using the car in their localities was more difficult AND that facilities for cycling were better. It also helps that the rate of bike theft in a Center Parc must be pretty low. So encouraging bike use is a good thing and it goes to show that a lot of people could and possibly would use bicycles more often in the right circumstances.
The final part is that of the cyclists probably >80% were without helmets, again demonstrating that helmet wearing is something that is not seen as necessary to ride a bike, but necessary to ride a bike on the road. The conundrum here is that a plastic hat will do little to protect you in a car crash, but would do a lot to help in a low-speed Center Parcs tumble.
That's all really. I don't plan to go again, but if the party was right ....
