It was that time of year again. The time when the fair comes to town I’ve gone every year as far as I can remember and have always had a good time It arrives the same time every year, middle of Septemeber, on a Wednesday and stays until Saturday night. A lot of people say that the fair is just a waste of money, which yes in some cases is right. But it’s all about the atmosphere there, the fun you can have with the people you go with.

This year I went with Becky, Jon and Matt. We had a good time, playing on games against each other, winning things and going on rides. Matt didn’t go on anything I wanted to as he doesn’t like heights much Becky convinced me to go on the tallest one there, and in my opinion the most scariest one..

You’re strapped in - really tight, the floor disappears from below your feet and you start to move to move forward up into the air. We then reach the top and wait there while the passengers get in at the bottom. The view from the top is really good, unfortunately I can’t see too much as I have to take my glasses off. We then start to move backwards and quite fast too, we then roll forwards and backwards as the whole thing goes forwards and backwards! It was exciting and scary at the same time!

We then went on the ride next to it, Chaos. It’s like a pendulum with loads of seats at the bottom of it. As it swing backwards and forward, the seats at the bottom turn around in a circle. It’s always good fun!

We went on a few other things but not too much as we were running out of money and it was getting late

Here’s a few more pics of the night!

                    

Thursday was our last full day at Centre Parcs. We didn’t really have anything planned so again another late start I did however shoot out of bed when I heard strangers in the villa! No one had heard the our maid service turn up so she let herself in and started tidying up!

We eventually got ourselves up and I had the idea again to go to the pancake house It was to be our last pancake here! There were no tables inside but we said we’d sit outside. A few minutes later though, it started to rain! The man who seated us came running outside and said he now had a table for us inside which was nice of him! Had that mint pancake again oh so yum! After lunch we had planned on going for a walk around Centre Parcs but as it was raining we decided against it! Instead Matt decided we should go for a drive, so we went and found his car and drove to the near by town. There wasn’t much to look at so we just drove around until around dinner time when we decided to head back We’d bought a pizza for dinner but we manage to burn it! oops! Had a bit of a rest after that before heading down to the plaza for a swim! I finally got my underwater camera!! Took a fair few pics going on the rapids and swimming under the water! It’s annoying though that you can’t see what the pics are going to be like! We swam for about an hour before heading back to watch Mock the Week When that was over we started to pack up all our things. Didn’t want to go home!

Set the alarm to get up really early so we could get up and pack the rest of our things up. We needed to get out of the Villa by 10! Matt and me finished packing our things before everyone else so we decided to head down to the pool before we headed home. Spent a couple of hours enjoying the pool, going on every slide, down the rapids and in the waves! Didn’t want to think about going home! Eventually got out the pool and did a bit of shopping before getting in the car and heading off. Mum, dad, Jennifer and Sarah left shortly before us. We went a different way to them as Matt wanted to see Stone Henge which wasn’t that far away from us. We didn’t go in as you have to pay, just to walk around some rocks! We had a picnic close by, we couldn’t get close enough to see the stones but got a good view when we drove past!

Pretty good as when I took that there was a huge gap between all the people walking around

We headed back home but on the way back we went through Oxford to do some clubman spotting! We saw loads! Only because we went up to where they keep all the MINIs parked up before they head off Didn’t get any pics though

We then went to go my underwater camera pics put on a CD! I was really disappointed! I had taken them to tesco to get them done and they had done an awful job! out of 27 pics that were on the film, they had only but 12 and only a few of those you can actually see, the quality on most is so bad!! Here’s what ones came out..

Yep, only 3 pics! what rubbish!!

So there’s the holiday all finished! Wish it had been longer than a week! So, when’s the next holiday?!

First time on the holiday we had to set the alarm. Archery was booked for 10am so we had to get ready for it. Headed off at 9:30 so we had enough time to get there. Was really looking forward to it as it’s been about 2 years since I’ve done archery. Used to belong to a club near my home, but left as I wasn’t made very welcome there. Ah well, their loss! It was soon our time for our archery session. Was so much fun! We did the practise bits first and then we played a game. We had to try and score as many points as possible before the end of the session. I was doing really well to begin with, I was in the lead! Then someone kept hitting the bullseye so he won! Was good fun though. Mum and dad came to watch so took a couple of pics. They tried to get some of us actually shooting but couldn’t get round to see. This is what they got..

Afterwards, Matt headed back to the villa to get changed to go on a run with Sarah while I headed off to the plaza with Mum so we could get our nails done. It was good, I had a lovely hand massage which lasted ages and then I had my nails painted! They look all pretty now! was too affraidto do anything with my hands incase I chipped the paint Went back to the villa for a long sit down before going to the Sports Center to play a final game of badminton for the week It was only me and Matt that played, but it was good fun! We had a whole hour again! Matt got to the point where he couldn’t be bothered to stand and play any more so he decided to sit, and he still beat me!

We then walked to the pool and swam in the pool until it closed! I like swimming around in the dark! it’s good fun! :p Not too keen on going down the rapids when it’s cold!!

Didn’t get around to doing anything again until lunch time! Mum and dad had gone out for a drive, wanted to see what some of the local towns were like as they’re still thinking of moving! Matt and me decided to go and get pancakes again for lunch! Now I’ve found something new I don’t want to stop having them! Matt’s surprised how much I like them!

Matt decided he wanted to play golf again after lunch so we headed back there. We played both courses this time. Didn’t like it as I lost and Matt just loved to tell me how happy he was that he won! He’s so competitive! Few more pics from golf..

After the excitement of golf, we decided we would walk the long way back so we could find out where our archery session was going to be tomorrow. We had booked it up earlier in the day as we thought it would be good fun! Found loads of things to take pics of on the walk but just as I was about to start taking them, my camera died on me! damn me for not charging it up the night before! Eventually got back to our villa but shortly headed back out to go swimming! I’ve decided to get one of those underwater cameras as I know they take pretty good pics from when I had one before when I was at Center Parcs the last time with Becky! Could also get some good shots of the pool too! Spent about an hour in the pool before having to get out to go to dinner. we went to Lucianos, this Italian restaurant in the Plaza, was really nice in there! I had a yummy pizza and then profiteroles for pudding yum! pics from the meal.. I look awful in these as I hadn;t reapplied my war paint!

Another lie in to be had this morning Didn’t actually get round to doing anything in the morning, mainly as I wasn’t feeling too energetic Left the villa after 1 and started to head towards the Aqua Sana for our massages. Mum and dad were already there enjoying a 3 hour spa session. Matt’s massage was about an hour long and started a lot earlier than mine did so I had to wait around for 45 minutes and listen to ‘plinky plonky’ music as my mum calls it Eventually I was called in for my massage. Mine was only 25 minutes long but it was so nice and relaxing! Afterwards I was taken to a relaxation room where I could sit for as long as I wanted and look out at the garden. Didn’t stay for for too long though.

Headed back to the Plaza to get some food for dinner which I managed to burn - it was only coz I’m not used to what I was using, it was very different from what I use at home We had badminton booked again so after dinner we walked back to the Sports Centre. We got there really early, and with yet again no one there we had extra time playing Wondered whether or not we should have booked at all as on one was checking who was there and how long you were on there for Lesson learnt for next time

After we walked back to the Plaza to have a bit of a swim. I took my camera with me to take pics, they didn’t come out too well as it was dark ish and with the flash you couldn’t see much of what I was trying to get a pic of. Ah well, here are some of the pics I was able to get

           

Had another late start again. Nothing wrong with it, we were on holiday after all After taking a while to get ready, myself and Matt headed off to the pancake house again for lunch! I seem to be addicted to them now I’m thinking I should do this trying thing more often After spending a while there, we slowly made our way back to our villa for a bit of a sit down.

Later in the afternoon, we all headed back through the forest to go and play mini golf. We only played the 9 hole course but we took ages as there were 6 of us. Was good fun! We all got stuck on this one hole where you had to aim to get the ball up this ramp and into a tunnel to get to the hole at the other end. Instead of getting it up the ramp, we all kept hitting the balls off the course and in amongst the rocks Some pics from golf

After our golf game, we decided to go on the peddalows (sp?) We had half an hour on them which seem to last for ages Might have been because Jennifer made me and Matt peddle Pics from the water

When we finished we walked to the Sports Centre and sat in the Sports bar for a while. We had several hours to waste until our game of badminton later on. I got bored so I went for a walk with my mum while Matt and my dad watched the football - boring! We walked to the Aqua Sana just round the corner where I booked myself and Matt in to have massages the next day. We headed back but still had loads of time to spare. We decided that we would walk towards the badminton courts and see if there was one free so we could sneakily have more time, and when we got there, no one else was there so we started playing. We had ages on there, it was a very good workout Pics from badminton..

           

Jennifer and Sarah disappeared, I assume they had gone back to the villa, so we decided to head back as well. We couldn’t be bothered to walk all the way back so instead we waited for the land train to come and pick us up and drop us off near the plaza As we hadn’t had any dinner, we walked to the plaza to get some much before heading back to our villa.

Had a nice lay in this morning, after 9 although I reckon I could have done longer Went to Matts car to see if my camera was there and it was! woooooooooooooo I hadn’t lost it at all! Lazed around the villa for a while before deciding on what to do for the day. Dad, Jennifer and Sarah wanted to go swimming so they headed off to the pool, whilst myself, mum and Matt went to the plaza to do a bit of shopping to get some food for dinner later. Needed to cut down a bit as last nights meal cost a fair bit!! Whilst having a nose around the shops I found a game that a certain Australian friend of mine has been telling me to get for ages so I decided to buy it Uno The only problem with it now is that no one wants to play it with me Rubbish!!

By the time we had finished shopping it was time for lunch. My dad met us in the Plaza and we headed off in search of somewhere nice to go. Matt wanted to go to the Pancake house which was about a 10 minute walk away from the Plaza so we headed there. Unfortunately when we got there, there was no where for us to sit so we decided to head down towards the Sports Centre. Mum thought it would be a good idea to book us into play badminton for 45 minutes, so we did that. Was good fun and a very good work out. We had worked up quite an appetite by then and thought that there should be spaces for us now at the pancake house so we headed there. I’d never been a huge fan of pancakes before so wasn’t sure if I would have or not. They had a menu which you could have jacket potatoes from instead if you didn’t want pancakes so thought I might have that instead. But no, I was brave and found a pancake on the menu that I thought I would try. I had a chocolate flavoured pancake with chocolate sauce, mint ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate chips. It was actually really yummy!! I liked it so much that I decided to go again! Some pics from the pancake house..

     

We headed back to our villa for a few hours for a bit of a break as we were still really tired from our badminton game - we don’t do that much exercise! Later on in the evening, everyone wanted to go swimming, so we all headed down to the plaza for a bit of a night time swim. I didn’t want to go in so sat by the pool and watched everyone else

For those of you that don’t know what Center Parcs is, it’s a holiday village set in the middle of a forest. There are different villas to stay in depending on how much money you want to spend on your accommodation and loads of different activities to do throughout the time you’re there for. There are 4 different places to stay around the UK, Whinfell Forest, Sherwood Forest, Elveden Forest and Longleat Forest. I’ve been to all of these before and to all the ones in Europe too. This year my parents decided to go back to Longleat as it’s been a very long time since we’ve been. The villa we stayed in was the executive one, see here for what it was like.. http://www.centerparcs.co.uk/accommodation/By_Type/executive.jsp#1 The villa was lovely, 3 bedrooms, all with their own bathroom and a version of satellite TV in every room too. Nice lounge area, with kitchen and dinning room. We also had a sauna!! Pretty cool And if we really wanted, we could have a maid service every day

On Friday the 14th, we all headed down towards Longleat to start our holiday. Everyone other than myself and Matt got there around lunch time, but I worked on Friday so didn’t leave until after and arrived there just before dinner. After having a snoop round the villa, my dad suggested that we have a walk to the Sports centre (which btw was half an hour away from our villa!!) and get some food. There was a Rugby match on so the place was pretty packed with people wanting to watch. I wasn’t interested as I don’t really follow sports at all. We ordered our food and it didn’t take long before it turned up. I ordered fish and chips (yes, I really am that adventurous with my food!) but after taking a couple of mouthfuls I was starting to feel ill, it didn’t taste very nice!

After dinner we decided to have a little wonder around the Sports Centre to see if anything had changed since the last time we had been there. We found some pool tables and decided to have a couple of games. It was mum and dad against me and Matt. We won a game each I wanted to take some pics but soon realised my camera wasn’t in my bag!! I had lost it!! Started to get into a bit of a panic, like anyone would I guess if you realise you’re missing something! Everyone reckoned it would be back at the villa in my room, so I calmed down a bit. We headed back as we were all pretty tired from the driving and the excitement of finally being away on holiday so we slowly made the 30 minute walk back to our villa. When we got back I searched around for my camera but it was no where to be seen The only other place I could think it would be was the car, so decided to look in the morning.