Woodlands Leisure Park NEWS! 22 July 2007
RECYCLED SCARECROWS HERALD MILLION POUND ATTRACTION
Schools and Businesses join recycling fund raiser
A dynamic project costing over one million pounds is to be opened by a giant scarecrow created from recycled waste products at a Tourist Attraction in Devon.
Pat and Mike Bendall, directors of Woodlands Theme Park near Dartmouth and Twinlakes Park in Leicestershire have 20 years experience designing, creating and building attractions for their family parks. Bidwell Brook Special School at Dartington is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and their current project is to create a garden and playground incorporating features the children have asked for, particularly a track for pedal bikes, a sensory area and a music area plus others to meet the differing needs of the children, there is an allotment to grow vegetables and then cook them teaching important life skills. Pat Bendall said 'This is a project after our own hearts and the opening of the Big Fun Farm is an ideal opportunity to support them'.
'We have met the 21st century head on', said 72 year old Pat, 'Guests want more than a few animals stuck in converted cow sheds as a farm zone. We have created the Big Fun Farm on a new 8 acre site to take over from the outdated animal farm at Woodlands. There are exciting rides, attractions and out of the ordinary animals in extraordinary homes. The airy modern buildings have 22,000 square feet of comfort.'
Mike has travelled to Germany to find the up to the minute ride that blends into the Big Fun Farm. 'The U-Drive Tractor Ride is the best of its kind in the world.' He said 'families can interact with the tractors not just by pressing noise buttons but by controlling the accelerator either speeding round the 260m track or taking their time to admire the Scarecrow Village we have created from stuff other people have thrown away.'
Pat is very excited about the scarecrow theme. 'Recycling is so important', she said, 'what better way to encourage the use of waste products than to make people laugh. Our giant scarecrow is hilarious. He joins a whole community of recycled scarecrows who live in a Great Western Train carriage in the U-Drive Tractor Village. Schools and pre-school are joining in the fun by entering the Great School Scarecrow contest. Their projects are fundraising for Bidwell Brook Special School at the same time.'
There are scores of competitions for the opening on July 22nd. Two friends bringing a scarecrow they have made out of waste products can get a free day out to the 60 acre leisure park.
'Local businesses are being amazingly generous', Pat said 'Bidwell Brook School funds are rising daily. One is making an amazing giant scarecrow weather vane and another a monster tyre scarecrow. These will be permanently displayed in Scarecrow Village.'
One of Pat's pet designs is the wooden Pedal Town built by the Woodlands carpenters. Created for little ones to explore the interactive Windmill, Garage, Fire station and child size farm buildings. They can pedal round the town on colourful tractors, red fire engines and jazzy jeeps.
The Bendalls and their team have spent seven months sculpting the hillside into sunny terraces with surprising and innovative homes for animals. The Peruvian guinea pigs are moving their Machu Puchu style mountain retreat; pigs will be luxurious in their Porky Pig Palace while rabbits disappear into subways. The shirehorses, donkeys and llamas take up residence in the Big Green Barn while the Theatre has the hilarious Flying Ferrets Commando Course, families will find exciting and dark goings on in the Night Creatures Hideout.
'Watch this space', Pat said, 'Expect up to the minute surprises and happenings on July 22nd in the Big Fun Farm at Woodlands. If your youth club, football team or WI wants to make a scarecrow in aid of Bidwell Brook School let me know. Saving the planet by recycling has never been such fun.'
Woodlands was a farm diversification by the Bendall family in 1989. The park and caravan park has won numerous national awards for the highest standards. Twinlakes Park in Leicester was opened in 2003. The family has invested over 8 million in Tourism - none of it grant aided.
Phone 01803 712598 for further information and photographic opportunities.
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