PGL - Not Parents Get Lost any more (PGL Adventure Holidays)

Member Name: ukewidow

Product:	PGL Adventure Holidays
Date:	13/04/09 (351 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great bonding session

Disadvantages: The food, especially the tomatoes, mushrooms and sausages

PGL may affectionately be known as Parents Get Lost but these days parents can go too. When my daughter asked if we could go to PGL for our summer break I told her it was defeating the object of us having time away together as she would have to go on her own. She persuaded me to look into it further as I discovered that at certain times of the year families can have a holiday together. We booked a 4 night break (the longest they did at the time) at Caythorpe Court in Lincolnshire.

ARRIVAL
On arrival we were directed to an area to park our cars and then to the booking-in area. This was quick and efficient and we were soon settling into our room. We had a twin room in a modern chalet building with tea and coffee making facilities and an en-suite shower room. It was clean and basic but was ideal for the holiday. Some people in our group were in 6 beded rooms (bunk beds) and didn't have tea and making facilities. The Group Leader apparently got into trouble for giving them a kettle as it was a "kids room". There didn't seem to be any allowance for the fact that families were staying in the rooms that particular week. The twin rooms have a wardrobe and drawers and ideal for 2 people. The bunk bed rooms don't have any storage space apparently so if there are 3 or more of you in the group expect to live out of the suitcase.

On arrival we were given an envelope containing our key, a tag identifying that the adult was a visitor to the site and an itinery for the week. This is worked out in advance and you don't have any choice in the activities. We tried to squeeze in a session on the climbing wall but our Groupie was more interested in his bed. If we had had one of the other Groupies there was a good chance that we would have been able to do this. On the wall of the chalet block a list of activities was put up. There were extra activities for the children at lunch time, before dinner and then family/children friendly activities in the evening. Basically you could be on the go for 12-14 hours a day if you so wished.

ACTIVITIES

These appeared to be very well organised. Each morning and afternoon you met your Groupie in the Activity Zone and they handed you over to an instructor. We were put into groups of about 12 and each Groupie was responsible for 5 groups. The majority of the activities were done in your particular group, although we did team up with another group for raft building and quad bikes. Safety was of paramount importance. All the equipment was checked before and during use and people were supervised constantly. We did the Challenge Course, Low Ropes, Giant Swing, raft building, quad bikes, high ropes, rifle shooting, Jacob's Ladder, vertical challenge, abseiling, trapeze, fencing, problem solving and archery. These were all great fun, with the exception of fencing which felt like a waste of time. It was a hot day and we did this activity in a hall that got full sun so we could only fence for a few minutes before having to go outside to cool down.

As a group we bonded very well. There were 6 children and 6 adults in the group and we were quite similar minded encouraging the children on but praising them when they reached their limits. Other groups we saw were forcing their children beyond their comfort limits and seeing very young children crying because they are scared is not a pretty sight. Our group would try something and maybe not succeed at first but would then go back and have another go and perhaps get a lot further. No matter how little or how far they went they got praise. The instructors would encourage but not push things too far. Sometimes the children would react better to the encouragement from the instructors rather than listen to the parents! To be fair I think the children probably achieved far more than the adults - fear seems to set in after a certain age! I was given a shove up the backside by my child to ensure that I at least started Jacob's ladder - that is not a natural challenge. Be prepared for lots of bruises. Last count was 22 and some in places you never knew could bruise. These are mostly from the harnesses.

My child overcame fears and pushed themselves beyond their limits and had a great time. On the high ropes they ended up playing tag with the instructor! Doing the high ropes course in less than 60 seconds is great going although I believe the quickest an instructor has got round is about 17 seconds.

FOOD AND DRINK

Meal times were carefully planned to ensure the huge numbers of people on site could be fed without long delays. Each group was given a time slot to be in the dining room - it certainly worked very well. Breakfast was cooked breakfast, a selection of cereals and fruit. Bread rolls, bread and toast were also available. Drinks were water, tea or coffee. Lunch would be a selection of food such as soup, pizza, sandwiches, etc and there was always a salad bar where you could eat as much as you wanted. Dinner during Family Active weeks was a starter, usually a soup, a choice of 3 hot meals, including a vegetarian option, and a dessert. Very reminiscent of school dinners but tasted OK. With the evening meal wine and squash were provided. It seemed to be as much as you could drink as far as the wine went.

Tomatoes and mushrooms featured heavily in the food options. Cooked tomatoes and mushrooms from breakfast would end up in the salad bar at lunch time and then we were convinced that the leftovers were then transformed into a soup! Sausages and cold pasta dishes would also appear in the salad bar - just be selective about what you eat.

STAFF
The staff that we met always seemed to be on the go - how do they have so much energy? They work really long hours and for very little pay as far as we could work out. They kept the kids under control and whilst they had little intervention with our children we did spot several instances where "problems" seemed to being sorted out quietly and efficiently. On the activities they were encouraging and supportive. If you didn't want to do the activity that was fine but you had to behave. If you got scared they would encourage you. If you succeeded then you were praised and then encouraged to have another go but this time make it a little bit harder. Only the foolhardy would do the trapeze blindfolded surely? One lady had only gone on holiday to take photos of the grandchildren - she ended up taking part in most things because the staff were so kind and supportive. Sam who took us for the high ropes was brilliant. My child hero worshipped her for the rest of the holiday for making the high ropes so brilliant by racing them round and round. Tiny (also known as John and must be about 7 foot tall) was brilliant with the kids.

COST
It cost £400 for 1 adult and 1 child for the 4 night stay. We booked in on Monday and left on Friday afternoon. This holiday was an alternative to having a cottage/flat in a seaside resort. Bearing in mind that the cheapest accommodation I could find was around £450 for a week I felt that the holiday was excellent value for money. Once on site the only thing you had to pay for was any drinks you wanted in the bar. There was no food to buy, no cooking or washing up to do and no excursions to pay for on top of the holiday accommodation. Including petrol and insurance I think I spent around £460. At £210 for an adult the cost might not be so attractive if there were 2 adults and 1 child per group, but could just about balance out.

CONCLUSION
If you felt you missed out as a child because you didn't get to a PGL holiday then I thoroughly recommend the family active breaks. It is a great chance to bond with your child and explore your boundaries. Seeing your child surpass you in certain activities is great and makes their self-esteem blossom as well. The memories will live on long after the bruises have faded. Why don't children bruise in quite the same way???? We are looking forward to going back again next year.

Summary: A great holiday where you can feel like a kid again