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This week has been English Tourism Week (30 March – 7 April 2019), which as the name suggests, is an annual celebration of English tourism! Across England visitor attractions, destinations and accommodation providers have been celebrating the people, places and experiences that help make holidays in England so great.

To kick start the Spring season and celebrate English Tourism Week, we invited Hugo Swires MP into celebrate with us. From meeting ‘Appy Angus, to playing with the spring lambs and even taking a seat in Downton Abbey’s Daimler, we think he enjoyed getting away from Westminster!

Hugo Swires MP is pictured with Appy Angus, Park Manager James Turner and Marketing Manager Debbie Butler.

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Give the gift that keeps on giving for a whole year! 🎄🎅🏼

This year our annual pass gift vouchers are available to buy online, making them the perfectly easy gift to give this Christmas. Simply order online by clicking here and we’ll pop the vouchers in the post to you.

 

Sign up for an Annual Pass membership and you can enjoy free entry to the park for 12 months from date of purchase* including all the Special Events throughout the main season!

🏆 We are very pleased to announce the World of Country Life has scooped the Runner Up Spot in the Favourite Family Attraction Category in the prestigious Primary Times Reader Star Awards 2018! 🏆

 

Once again, the interest in the Primary Times Reader Star Awards has grown at an unprecedented rate.  This year saw the greatest ever response to the Primary Times online survey where readers voted for their favourite local family friendly places and people.

 

Parents of children aged 4 to 11 years were informed of the survey in Primary Times.

 

Readers were quizzed over their favourite family attractions – places that they can visit for a full day out and for a half day out; indoor play centre; outdoor play centre; party venue/entertainer; free local family event; local fair, show or festival; best value of money attraction and the readers also chose an overall winner.

 

This year, the highly desired Family Attraction award was split into two categories to accommodate the places where people like to spend their time for a full day out and for a half day out.

 

This year, the runner up place in the prestigious Family Attraction (Full Day Out) category has been awarded jointly to World of Country Life and Pennywell Farm.

 

These enormously popular attractions have clearly made a strong, favourable impression on the local community, with their first-class all-weather facilities and wide variety of events.

 

Park Manager James Turner said “We are so proud to have won this award especially as it is voted for by families who have visited the park.  The whole team here work hard to ensure it’s a fun place for all ages and to win in our 40th Anniversary year makes it extra special”

 

Linda Edwards, Publishing Editor at Primary Times said: “We are so grateful to our readers for their valued contribution to our Reader Star Awards.  The results are incredibly insightful which allows us to take a glimpse into the minds of local people, discovering what the children enjoy most.  We would like to applaud all the individual winners and runners-up of each category and congratulate them on their success”.

 

You can read more about the Primary Times Star Awards at www.primarytimes.co.uk/devon

Thank you to everyone who voted for us, what a year our 40th anniversary has been!

 

 

 

 

⭐️ We need your help ⭐️

It’s that time of year again when voting for the Primary Times Devon Reader Star Awards begins. We’d love to win this year, rather than one of the ‘larger’ adventure parks…. and as it all comes down to votes (and we know we are smaller than some of the other parks), we need your votes!

The Reader Star Awards is a simple online survey that asks a series of straight-forward questions about your favourite local family-friendly places / entertainment in the area. We know we have lots of lovely loyal visitors to the park, and we would be very greratful if you could vote for us…

Vote here >> https://bit.ly/2D1AHuo

 

PLUS, there are some fantastic prizes to be won for those who vote too…

First Prize

A 7-night break for a family (up to 8 people) from 23/8/2019 to 30/8/2019) in a luxury safari cabin at Crealy Meadows, 8 theme park tickets for the duration of the stay, Crealy Active Passes, Complimentary passes for ‘Fun on the farm adventure golf’ and ‘Berg bike hire’ and evening entertainment. T’s & C’s apply. 

Second Prize

£250 Gift Card to spend at Princesshay, Exeter.

Third Prize

Private party at Planet Play, Crediton worth over £200! Exclusive use of Planet Play, Crediton for 2 hours, food and drink for up to 12 children, x2 free hot drinks and x2 return vouchers (T’s&-C’s – party is for up to 12 children, but more can be added, available from 5pm, subject to availability). 

VOTING CLOSES MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY 7th OCTOBER 2018

(T’s&C’s apply. See Primary Times website for full details).

We know we are quite small in comparison to others, so we are shamelessly ASKING FOR YOUR VOTES! Please vote for us as your favourite local family friendly attraction ⭐️

Thank you 😀

Vote here >> https://bit.ly/2D1AHuo

Gladiator is one of our big Burrell showman’s steam engines who usually lives in the Hall of Transport, but this week she moved out to take a little holiday to Dorset.

Gladiator was moved by tractor to be taken on a trailer to the Dorset Steam Fair who are celebrating their 50 anniversary. Gladiator has never been to the fair before but is hoping for some admirers!

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, The Dorset Steam Fair, which  takes place from Thurs 23rd to Mon 27th August, will host 500 full size steam engines as a world record breaking event. Never before has such a gathering been attempted until now!  find out more here – https://www.gdsf.co.uk

If you can’t make it to Dorset to see Gladiator with her steam companions, here is a little bit of information about her.

‘Gladiator’ was completed on 14^th March 1921 and supplied new to Fred Gray, a London showman based in Hampstead.  Originally called ‘Wonder’, her name was altered to ‘Gladiator’ at some stage in her career.  When her working days with Gray’s were over, she passed through four owners from 1955 to 1988, when the engine was occasionally rallied, before a major overhaul was required.  In 1988 ‘World of Country Life’ bought her and decided to restore her to her former glory.  A new firebox was fitted but the rest of the engine was in quite good mechanical order.  A new dynamo pulley was fabricated, new cladding sheets were made, additional fluted brass work was obtained and end fittings cast and machined, finishing with a full re-paint and coach lining with gold leaf.

Gladiator is currently in need of a hydraulic test hence not being in steam today.

Nigel Lee, Managing Director of World of Country Life recalls it was indeed the late Michael Oliver who was founder of the Great Dorset Steam Fair who officially opened the World of Country Life Museum on 31^st March 1978 – 40 years ago this year!

Have a great time in Dorset Gladiator!

 

World of Country Life, the multi-award winning all weather day out for the whole family, celebrates it’s 40^th year – so what has made the park so successful? 

With a fantastic mix of play areas, animals, museum exhibits and entertainment, there really is something for all ages to enjoy. There are 3 undercover soft play areas, outdoor adventure playground with swings, slides, roundabouts, trampolines and an air bouncer.

But it is the animal that are the real stars of the show with the farm animal petting zoo, daily bottle feeding, small animal handling, goat walking and ferret racing activities as well as Hawkridge birds of prey flying displays and the famous Deer Train Safari – where else can you hand-feed red deer and llama?

The museum of family farming, vintage and classic vehicle collection and the Reg Imray motorcycling collection make this a unique full day out for all generations, whatever the weather.  To commemorate 40 years in tourism, a brand new piece of play equipment was added to the outdoor play area this year, it was unveiled by the former Mayor of Exmouth, Brian Cole. A competition was held so the public could choose the name….

Standing 4 meters tall, HARRY the Harvester was conceptualised by Nigel Lee, the owner of World of Country Life, designed by local Exmouth designer Michael Greenland and built by local firm Culver Sawmills. Harry the Harvester has flashing lights, lots of buttons and fantastic sound effects. Park Manager James Turner said “it has taken a lot of skill and hard work during some really tough weather to construct such a large and complex piece of equipment, but seeing the kids clambering around enjoying themselves makes it all worthwhile. Harry the Harvester will stand pride of place for years to come.”

Themed Pirate days and Wild West Wednesday’s are just a few of the events planned for the six weeks of Summer. All this along with the farm-themed restaurant serving locally sourced, home-cooked proper meals.

Check out the website for further details and future events on www.worldofcountrylife.co.uk.

Westdown Lane, Sandy Bay, Exmouth, Devon EX8 5BY. Tel: 01395 274533

 This article is from The Exmouth Property Press (issue 83 July 2018).