wmn-e01-s4 winner of winners and cornwall recognition for ... · the knitting tent at the...

WESTERN MORNING NEWS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 2 2018 3WMN-E01-S4

Winner of Winners

Recognition for one of Europe’s topcraft fairs that pulls in 10,000 visitors

The knitting tent at the Contemporary Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey (above) and Oakdown Holiday Park

CAMPING AND CARAVANNINGPARK OF THE YEAR

Polmanter Touring Park picked upgold, pushing head of a fellowCornish contender and two fromD evo n .

The site, overlooking St Ives, hasbeen run by the Osborne family, foralmost 50 years. “This experience,along with our own love ofcamping, means that we knowabout all those little touches thatmake a holiday extra enjoyable –and effortless,” they say.

“Whether you’ve spent everysummer under canvas, or are justgently introducing your youngfamily to the fun of camping, youcan create your ideal holiday atPo l m a n t e r. ”

The touring site’s list of drawsincludes five-star facilities, abeautiful countryside location butviews over the Atlantic coast andm o o r s.

There is a large outdoorswimming pool, plus twoplaygrounds, indoor soft play, agames room, tennis courts, minigolf, and a playing fields. The dog-friendly facilities including aspecial shower for sandy andmuddy mutts.

There is a regular shuttle businto St Ives and a new shop sellingcamping essentials and Cornishproduce, and a new spa, areadditions this year.

The silver award in the Campingand Caravanning Park of the Yearwent to Dolbeare Park, Landrake,in south-east Cornwall. The family-owned camping, glamping andcaravanning site is dog-friendlywith and award-winning amenityblock. Appledore Park on the NorthDevon coast and River DartCountry Park on the edge ofDartmoor each went home with abronze each.

HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR

Cornwall and Devon had strongrepresentation among the finalistsh e re.

Gwel an Mor Resort, Portreath,on the north coast of Cornwall, andOakdown Holiday Park, nearSidmouth in East Devon, both wongold awards.

The details offered with Gwel anMor’s pine holiday lodges includeprivate hot tubs and roaring logburners. There is also TheResidence a new collection ofdesigner eco-lodges.

Gwel an Mor has a wellbeing spa,heated indoor swimming pool,tennis court, fitness suite, golfcourse and fishing lake. Theresor t’s wildlife centre, FeadonFarm, is the only one of its kind inE u ro p e.

Oakdown which has luxuryholiday homes, touring andcamping pitches and glamping podspicked up gold last year.

The park has been carefullyfashioned for more than 40 yearsby the Franks family.

“No straight lines here, justgentle curves, spacious groves,seclusion, privacy and peace andquiet,” they say.

“We are the area’s only AA 5Pennant Park and were alsocrowned as the England andOverall Winner of the AA Campsiteof the Year for 2015.”

Cofton Holidays, Starcross, nearDawlish, and Pentewan SandsHoliday Park, on the south coast ofCornwall, both received bronzes.

Gold standardstays in Devonand Cornwall

There are no set criteria for theWinner of Winners award, butjudges are asked to identify anentrant which has shone out as anexemplar in its field.

“This year’s panel had a toughcall to make, as there are so manyoutstanding businesses heretonight,” said Victoria Graham, whohosted the evening, “but they wereunanimous in wishing to select awinner that shows all the attributeswe like to commend in the awards: acommitment to excellence, to people,

to partnership, to local provenance,to supporting those who can’t helpthemselves, to education and toconstant improvement andd eve l o p m e n t .

“This year’s Winner of Winners isan event that in 15 years has grownfrom nothing to become one ofE u ro p e ’s top craft fairs, attractingthousands of people to the region.”

The festival began when threeBovey Tracey craft businessesjoined forces and formed a non-profit making company with the

aim to bring a large fair to the town.The aim was to showcase the best

in British craft and the create “anew, sustainable and strong marketplace for contemporary craft” aswell as bringing greater prosperityto the town. The festival has grownfrom 4,000 to 10,000 visitors.

The festival has been led from thestart by Sarah James.

She was originally employed as afreelance project manager to startevent in 2003 and was made acompany director in 2004.

Nina Fox joined the team in 2006,becoming project manager and hasbeen a key element in the successand development of the festival.

Kate Martin joined in 2015 as thefinancial manager and FranMoorhouse, the marketing andsponsorship assistant, completedthe team when she arrived in Maylast year.

The fair also won the TourismEvent/Festival gold, while Glas-Denbury Music and Arts Festival,Newton Abbot took a bronze.

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