First, the positives. We have been coming to this site for years - it's always been a favourite of ours. We are about 240 miles away and fortunately it's almost all motorway we use until the last few miles, so although distant, it's actually not too difficult a destination.
The site itself is looking better now than it has done for some time - we well remember Mackie and her partner and the way they looked after the site, and that standard is being maintained now. The dog walk is brilliant, the facilities well maintained (though we tend to use the van most of the time) and we enjoy a late night walk around the site every evening. The Fish and Chip van was superb, if pricey, and we know from prior experience the pizza van is excellent too. Location wise, St Mawes is a lovely village, the King Harry Ferry is excellent but now very expensive (we used to buy 240 credits or 30 return trips for about £140 - now it's £330 or £11.00 return, which is a shame as it makes Trelissick Gardens an unnecessarily expensive visit - it's all of 300 yards across the river!).
Now - the negatives. WHY oh WHY is the Club choosing to shut the site early this year - in October - and then planning, I learn, to shut it even earlier in September next year? Obviously it's less used later in the season but during our visit (11-17th Sept) the hard standings were all packed pretty much all the time and even the grass pitches were well used for most of it. We appreciate that it has to pay, but at the same time, there was only one toilet block open and I can't believe that 30-40 vans (as we've seen even right in depths of November) can't make the site profitable enough. The obvious alternative - the newly-acquired site at Carnon Downs - is expensive but well placed and will inevitably draw traffic from Merrose unnecessarily - and IT is open all year.
I won't meanwhile argue the 1pm access - which is, bluntly, a nuisance because it means by the time you're onsite and set up with water etc, day one of your holiday is pretty much finished, but I wish I understood the reasoning better because every single member I mention it to says the same - WHY was it changed?
WiFi - the Club has switched (this is at least the third supplier over the years) to BT (though why I have NO idea) and it's hopelessly bad. On the positive side, it is now at least more sensibly priced than it was, no doubt because nobody would pay the ridiculous costs they originally charged. I need it for work and taking an hour to find a weak signal is infuriating. The "free" WiFi is not even worth trying.
So - we love it, love the site, love the area, love the wardens (who were brilliant) - but along with many other members, I'm not so sure we much love the Club any more - it's become too corporate, too greedy and too inflexible.
