Summer Holiday 2021 Part One - Babbacombe Model Village & Trago Mills

 The summer came, and we felt safe enough to be able to go a little further away from home. We made sure to protect ourselves, I was armed with masks, alcohol wipes, hand gel and a refusal to be near people. We did a little bit of research and tried to go to an area that was nice, but also not to busy. We were also lucky in the fact that the schools had fully reopened, and it was a couple of weeks away from the school holidays. So that bit was fine. And it meant we could enjoy ourselves without screaming children everywhere.

We decided to go down and have a week in Devon & Cornwall, we could have done longer, but I was still having issues with my back. I had phoned the GP surgery, who told me it was probable sciatica, and to take pain relief when needed. That's what I had already been doing, but they didn't seem to think it was anything serious.

We drove down and started off by visiting Babbacombe. It's a pretty little place, but we were mainly interested in the Babbacombe Model Village. I had seen it on TikTok, and it looked great. it was good fun, there was so much to see and do there, including a model railway that runs through the place, and a dragon that breathes real fire!

They also had a fun little museum, with other little models included. Who else remembers Kids Next Door and the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy? I swear those shows were so good as a kid!

99p for a box of branded cereal, how many years ago was that?

There were so many little fun pop cultures models too, and there's quite a few considering the size of it. You've got the Addams Family home, the Bake Off tent, and even Albert Square from Eastenders.

And there's this fantastic model carved out of a tree trunk as you enter the site. The skill, time and effort it must have taken to make this is extraordinary! The whole site has something to look at in every direction, and its situated in a little valley, full of foliage and beautiful plants, it really is a fantastic place.

Now, something to be aware of. If you don't like models or this sort of thing, then you won't like it, but that's obvious. Second of all, I know how expensive it is to make these sorts of models and to maintain the village, but £20.50 a person seemed a bit steep, and there's not much more discount for concessions and family prices. With Covid causing such disruption and chaos this past year, I get that things have changed, and businesses have to charge more for services to cope with the lost income and increased costs. But that just seemed a bit too much. I think the place is fantastic, we had a great time there, but if you were on a budget, that would be your day's money gone. I thought back to when I went travelling, and I would average out about £35-£40 a day for everything, that included accommodation, food, transport, things to do. I was very lucky, I had enough savings to go a little over sometimes. The UK as a whole seems to becoming more and more expensive, and faster too. Which is a shame, because I think it means charming attractions like the model village, are becoming seen as a premium attraction, not an attraction for all. But anyway, that's enough of me ranting about things nobody can change.

It had been a long drive to Babbacombe, and had felt like it had taken hours to get there, which to be fair, in fact it did. We left Babbacombe in the afternoon, and headed to the hotel where we were staying overnight, and James asked if I wanted to go to Trago mills. I'd never heard of it, so I said yes, not just because I was excited to visit, but because I needed a wee and something to eat. James suggested we start in the garden bit, and work our way through.

So my mind was blown, it was like nothing I had ever expected to see.

First off, there's like a garden centre bit, where you can pick very reasonably priced garden bits and bobs. James told me to get a basket as we came back in, as we would do the outside first, and that's when I saw there was Peacocks everywhere. Sat on railings, benches the stock shelves, and then even had baby peacocks with them!

We then had a wonder through the beautiful gardens, that just magical. There was this lovely Piazza style area in the middle.

And as we explored further we came across this amazing mock canal area complete with canal cottages and a long boat. We sat for a bit and admired it all, this was not what I had expected at all!

We then found the little Japanese garden, with it's cutesy little hut nestled away.

We then headed back in, and I was surprised to find we were in one of the biggest discount warehouses I have ever been in. It was colossal, and sold everything from bleach to carpets, car spares to furniture, records to books, knitting supplies to pets. I was in my element. James told me I was allowed to fill one basket. More fool him, you'll be surprised how much I can cram in a basket when I need to. I think the woman at the checkout was surprised too, how stuff just kept coming out of the basket. I got a load of Christmas presents for everyone, stuff for the garden, wool for my Nan, kitchen bits. It was fantastic. The bags were so heavy though!

We dropped it off at the car, and I was about to get into the car, when James said "Don't you want to do the rest?". There's more?

We then got onto a model railway train, and went around the back of the warehouse on it, where we discovered an amusement arcade, water rides, go karting, a model railway, more animals, places to eat. I was in shock. This was like the perfect holiday destination!

The model railway even had a model of Stonehenge! 

Its free to wander round the site and around the family fun park, but you pay for each attraction as you go, which I thought was a good way of doing it, because then you only pay for what you want to do. But otherwise, what a fantastic place! I can't wait to return, and maybe sneak a new rug or a sofa into the car when James isn't looking!