Oakdowners Newsletter 2014/15
Dear Oakdowners
STOP PRESS We are delighted to tell you all that August 22nd 2014 was a very newsworthy day for all the
Oakdown Team! We were absolutely thrilled to be told that Oakdown is to be ‘2015 AA Campsite of the Year-
England and Overall Winner’ We also received notification that we had been awarded our 18th consecutive David
Bellamy Gold Award for our environmental care of the Park and area. Wow! Quite a day!
It is more than awards that have so many guests return year after year and generation after generation to enjoy
the wonderful facilities which we offer at Oakdown, it’s no surprise that many guests book months in advance to
reserve their favourte touring pitch or Leisure Lodge to be able to holiday near friends and family.
It is also very pleasing that so many Oakdowners are now buying Holiday Homes/Leisure Lodges on either of the
3 Park options that we are now able to offer- to have a permanent base at Oakdown in beautiful East Devon is
obviously very tempting! If you refer to our website www.oakdown.co.uk the 3 options of choice are: Oak Grove,
Pine Grove and Acorn Holiday Home Park in the Hamlet of Weston, availability is forever changing as units are
sold and new stock units arrive from leading manufacturers. Details here!
Both leisure lodges have household quality double glazing & heating and are superb throughout for couples or
families to enjoy. Any member of the Oakdown Team will be delighted to discuss your requirements and
availability with you – just ring Oakdown Reception on 01297 680387 or email enquiries@oakdown.co.uk
Our replacement Caravan Leisure Lodges have been rec eived with huge admiration by all guests that have
holidayed with us in 2013/14. The extra ensuite bathroom, the deluxe fittings throughout, the extra size and
household quality central heating and double glazing have all contributed to an extremely busy 2014 and already
a huge volume of reservations for the 2015 season, so if you already know your preferred dates for next seasonbook
soon to avoid disappointment!
In response to many requests we changed the Cottage Retreat changeover day to Saturday. This picturesque 17th
century thantched cottage is in the little hamlet of Weston- less than 1 mile from Oakdown. It is beautifully fitted
throughout to the ‘normal Oakdown standard’. It sleeps 4 people in 2 bedrooms (master bedroom has a king size
bed and the twin room has 2 singles). All linen and ‘eco friendly’ towels are coordinated. The cottage is very warm
and cosy , very private with a large lawned garden and a lovely sun patio. We only have the one cottage so early
booking is essential to avoid disappointment- the tariff is enclosed within.
Sidmouth was again a blaze of colour during 2014 & the Sidmouth in Bloom committee were thrilled to win a
Silver Gift Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the recent Britain in Bloom Awards for coastal
towns with over 12,000 residents. The RHS judges partcularly praised the three cornered plot and the War
Memorial at the Parish Church- both displays are made possible by generous support from Oakdown and guests
who donate throughout the year.
With continued sponsorship from Oakdown & contributions from guests using the summer service the ‘Sidmouth
Hopper Bus’ has been well used and enjoyed. During 2014 some of the journeys ran to & from Oakdown, which
was a huge bonus, hopefully this will be repeated in 2015.
– Where Excellence Comes as Standard . . .
2015 AA CAMPSITE OF THE YEAR
ENGLAND & OVERALL WINNER
A SPECIAL SEASONAL
£1000.00 DISCOUNT WILL
BE DEDUCTED FROM THESE
PRICES FOR ANY
OAKDOWNER WHO
COMPLETES THE PURCHASE
OF EITHER OF THESE UNITS
BY 31.01.15
Here at Oakdown we are constantly learning how to get to our goal of creating ‘The Perfect Holiday’. It takes time,
experience and continuing huge investment. But each year we push the limits and performance just a little further,
the very busy 2014 season and aspirations for 2015 and beyond are no different, as we continue to strive to
provide you with the excellent service that you would expect from an Award Winning Holiday Park.
Two major updates for the 2015 season are:
The amenities at Beech Grove are to be extended by adding a family bathroom and a covered room for
dishwashing- the deep freeze and microwave will be repositioned into this room. It is hoped (weather permitting)
that this work will be complete in time for opening on 20th March 2015.
In response to popular demand we are very excited to announce we
have 3 camping pods arriving to be sited on Oak Row 22, 23 and 24.
Details are on the encosed leaflet and new tariff.
These pods are becoming very popular as an extension to the ‘camping
experience’-
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to ask at reception.
As site fees for Private Owners on Oak Grove, Pine Grove, Acorn Holiday Home Park and Seasonal Tourers
continue to rise we have enlisted the expertise of a premium finance company, enableing our guests to spread
the cost of the site fee element of their annual invoice over a 10 month period- details have been circulated and
are also available from Reception.
Thank you to everyone who supported or donated prizes for Trish Gitsham’s Tombola which raised an amazing
£737.58 for CLIC Sargent. Trish has asked us to say that she will be holding another Tombola on August Bank
Holiday 2015. She will welcome suitable prizes and we at Oakdown are able to store such items which you may
wish to donate in advance.
The Loyalty Privilege Tariff continues to be warmly appreciated, we will be offering a 2.5% discount off your
account if you have holidayed with us in 2013 or 2014 and then return to either the Touring Park, Caravan Leisure
Lodges or the Cottage Retreat in 2015 (this does not include seasonal or storage fees). As a thank you to our loyal
guests, a £15 discount will be put against your next booking when we receive a booking deposit from a friend
recommended by you via our postcard enclosed. Don’t forget to put your details on the bottom of the card so
we know who you are! The enclosed tariff itemises relevant prices for 2015.
Please visit our website www.oakdown.co.uk as it is recently been completely re-written and has a new fresh look
where you can book, pay deposits and balances online with ease. Your comments on our new website would be
very welcome! The Team will of course still be delighted to hear from you if you wish to make your reservation /
payment by telephone or email. We have an increasingly popular Facebook page where we invite Oakdowners to
become “Friends of Oakdown” or you can follow us on Twitter for all our latest news. Trip advisor reviews are
most welcome and we would like to encourage all our guests to leave us feedback to boost our ratings online.
Finally, We are currently updating our Park database and would very much appreciate it if all Oakdowners could
email us on enquiries@oakdown.co.uk with their current email address and telephone number. It is so important
that we have this information regularly updated for our emergency use and to be able to update you on important
events at Oakdown. We can assure you this information will not be abused and will not be passed on to any third
parties.
So Oakdown carries into 2015 with it’s long tradition of market leading, multi award winning, fantastic value for
money and modern facilities along with bonuses if you have holidayed with us before or introduce a friend – so
as we say in our brochure – “all roads lead to Oakdown – do come and join us!”.
We and all the Oakdown Team thank you for the pleasure of your friendship and goodwill during the past
wonderful year. We all send you greetings and our best wishes for a New Year blessed with good health,
happiness and prosperity and very much look forward to renewing those friendships and welcoming you to
Oakdown again in 2015.
Yours very sincerely, Roger, Doreen, Alastair, Andrianna, Atheana and Anessia Franks