Okay, the actual review of our Feather Down Farm experience is here, but this is our top ten tips to a successul Feather Down Farms holiday:
1 – LIGHT THE FIRE FIRST. Be generous with kindling and firelighters, and do not turn your back, it will take offense.
2 – Take a thermos flask – your fire will be burning merrily at bedtime – boil a kettle, fill the flask, and you can have hot tea when you wake whilst you wait for the fire to heat.
3 – The fire takes an hour to get to cooking temperature – factor that in when you plan your days, arriving back at the tent at 6 will NOT see your children in bed by 7 with a hot meal inside them.
4 – Take a torch – the tents are BLACK once the nightlights go out.
5 – Did I say to LIGHT THE FIRE FIRST?? Sorry, I think I may have said that already. Of course, you can always choose to eat out. We did that too :D
6 – Don’t over pack. You need no implements from home, and there is simply no need to dress up for the cows. We lived in our crocs, but we noticed other families using wellies. Keep your ‘nice’ shoes in the car for when you leave the farm – the cows won’t mind.
7 – The frozen hot water bottles are great at keeping things cool – but they do not create a fridge, so don’t expect to keep a week’s worth of food nice and chilled.
8 – Allot jobs – despite the fact that it rarely feels like it, you ARE camping, and therefore there are many manual chores to be done. Make sure everyone takes a share.
9 – Whilst you’re eating, put the kettle on the now-burning-happily stove, By the time you’re done, the water will be hot enough for washing up. While you’re washing up, add more wood and put the kettle on again for your evening mug ;)
10 – Be prepared to relax. Properly. Before you know it, you find that you’re not worried about the fact you can’t actually see the children – and haven’t done so for an hour or so. That you couldn’t care less when they come back coated to the knees in mud (there’s a handy watering can we put to just such a use). That they’re down at the pig pen in their pyjamas. That it’s 11 o’clock and you haven’t actually done anything with your day yet.
Repeat after me – Light the fire, light the fire, (come on baby) light the fire…
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