You Don't All Have to Want the Same Holiday

There are 18 of you going away together. Excellent.

Arriving at Brookside

Now all you need to do is find an activity that appeals equally to an eight-year-old, three teenagers, two energetic walkers, somebody fascinated by history, a committed foodie and Uncle David, who has already announced that he is “quite happy with a newspaper and a decent pub.”

Good luck with that.

Actually, don't bother.

Because one of the biggest misconceptions about a large group holiday in the Wye Valley is that being away together means doing everything together.

It doesn't.

And once you stop trying, group holidays become considerably easier.

Together doesn't mean joined at the hip

There's something rather optimistic about the first group-holiday itinerary.

10am: everyone goes walking.

1pm: everyone has lunch.

2.30pm: everyone visits the castle.

5pm: everyone returns home.

It looks beautifully organised.

Until someone points out that they don't like walking.

Someone else has already visited the castle.

The teenagers would rather do something adventurous.

And half the group would quite like to spend three hours over lunch.

The solution isn't finding an activity everybody tolerates.

It's giving people choices.

teenagers enjoying the games room at Symonds Yat Lodge

The Wye Valley is particularly good at this

One reason the Wye Valley, Forest of Dean, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire work so well for large groups is the sheer variety packed into the area.

The energetic contingent can head into the forest or walk beside the River Wye.

The history lovers can explore castles, churches, museums and heritage sites.

Garden enthusiasts have beautiful gardens and historic estates to discover.

Food lovers can seek out local producers, markets, vineyards and excellent places to eat.

Those wanting adventure can find cycling, canoeing and other outdoor activities.

And the person who genuinely wants nothing more ambitious than coffee, a browse around a market town and a leisurely lunch?

They're catered for too.

Nobody has to lose.

A couple enjoying the fabulous kitchen at Bromsash House

Split up

It sounds almost rebellious.

You've spent months organising a holiday together and now we're suggesting you separate.

Absolutely.

For a few hours.

A large group can easily become two, three or four smaller groups during the day.

One group heads for the river.

Another visits a garden.

A couple of people stay at the house.

Someone else goes shopping.

Then everyone comes back together later.

Far from diminishing the group holiday, it can make the evening more interesting.

Instead of 18 people having exactly the same story about their day, you have 18 people asking:

“What did you do?”

family regroup at the end of the day at High Cloud Farm

Don't underestimate the people who stay behind

Every group seems to contain at least one person who looks at an impressive itinerary and says:

“I might just stay here.”

This can initially cause alarm in the organiser.

Are they bored?

Are they unhappy?

Should we find them something to do?

No.

They may simply have discovered one of the underrated pleasures of booking a beautiful big house:

actually spending some time in it.

They might read.

Sit in the garden.

Have coffee.

Go for a little local wander.

Nap.

Enjoy having an enormous sitting room temporarily to themselves.

This is a holiday, remember. Nobody receives points for completing the most attractions.

Indulge in down time, Bromsash House

Different generations, different speeds

This freedom becomes particularly valuable when several generations travel together.

Grandparents may love spending time with grandchildren without necessarily wanting to follow their entire activity programme.

Walking in the garden at Bromash House

Parents might appreciate someone else entertaining the children for an hour.

Teenagers may be much happier if they're occasionally allowed to do their own thing.

Adults who normally spend family gatherings cooking, driving or organising suddenly get the chance to relax too.

A large house gives everyone a shared base without requiring everybody to holiday at the same speed.

Choose one thing everyone does together

There is, however, something lovely about having a few moments that belong to the whole group.

Perhaps it's dinner one evening.

A gentle walk.

A special lunch.

A family photograph.

A birthday toast.

Raising a toast at Pencraig Court

Or simply everyone gathering around the same table.

You don't need to manufacture togetherness from breakfast until bedtime.

Sometimes one shared event in a day is enough.

In fact, it often feels more special because everyone has chosen to be there.

Let people choose before you arrive

Here's a trick for the organiser.

Don't create an itinerary.

Create a menu.

Rather than:

Tuesday — everybody visits X.

Try:

Tuesday — who fancies one of these?

Suddenly the holiday stops feeling like a school trip.

You might have an active option, a cultural option and a gloriously lazy option.

People can decide what appeals.

And because the Wye Valley and surrounding counties offer such a broad mixture of countryside, heritage, food, towns and activities, you don't need everybody to compromise.

Leave gaps

This may be the hardest instruction of all for enthusiastic organisers.

Leave some blank space.

Not every morning requires a destination.

Not every afternoon needs a booking.

Somebody may hear about somewhere wonderful from a local and want to visit.

The weather might make one option more appealing than another.

Or everybody may wake up after a very late night around the kitchen table and unanimously decide that the 9am walk has become an 11am coffee.

Perfect.

relax with a coffee at High Cloud Farm instead of rushing around.

That's not the itinerary going wrong.

That's a holiday.

The house is your meeting point

This is where staying together makes such a difference.

You're free to scatter during the day because you know where everybody eventually returns.

The house becomes your headquarters.

People drift back.

The kettle goes on.

Someone opens the fridge.

Photos are compared.

Stories are told.

Plans for tomorrow begin — or are deliberately avoided.

You're together again without having had to be together all day.

People drift back to Holly Tree House to make snacks to enjoy at the catch up

The best group holidays have room for individuals

Perhaps that's the secret.

A great group holiday isn't about persuading 18 different people to suddenly develop identical interests.

It's about giving 18 different people enough freedom to enjoy themselves — while creating plenty of opportunities to enjoy one another too.

So let the walkers walk.

Let the history lovers explore.

Let the children splash through puddles.

Let the teenagers disappear on an adventure.

Let Uncle David find his newspaper and his decent pub.

Then meet back at the house later.

Because the question doesn't have to be:

“What shall we all do today?”

It can simply be:

“What does everyone fancy?”

And that's a much better way to start a holiday.

Start yours now:

Big House Holiday Lets:
www.bhhl.co.uk
enquiries@bhhl.co.uk
01600 732 050