Undeterred by snow

Snow has hit the UK (and France, by the way). And for some reason, little old Uckfield has been hit hard. The home of Spring Harvest Holidays' UK team is currently surrounded by about a foot of snow. For two days now our Customer Service team have worked from home, picking up messages and calling back.

Your heroic MD actually lives closer to the office than anyone else so this morning he set out with the laptop loaded on the sledge and spent the morning in the office. It was a bit lonely, so he worked at home in the afternoon!

Anyway, for this and other reasons we've decided to extend the early booking discount deadline to MONDAY 13TH DECEMBER so spread the word that the best prices are still available.

Whether or not there is a freeze in the next few days, the wonderful Customer Service team will still be available. Even if they are calling you back from the dining room.

Wanted: holiday park managers

Christophe left LPO at the end of the 2010 season so we are in need of new leadership for our French operation. The Spring Harvest Holidays Board has decided to recruit a manager and an assistant manager to share the load and bring a mix of skills to this challenging task.

You can download job descriptions and more at www.springharvestholidays.com/recruitment.

New brochure with new site plan

We always get excited when the new season's brochure is finally complete and in print. This time we're really pleased with a contemporary look and the theme "Relax, refresh, renew" which was written by our guests time and again on feedback forms - so we decided to use it in advertising.

The completely new feature you'll see this year is a site plan illustration done as an "artist's impression" with a kind of aerial view. It is a response to guests both new and old who have told us that it's difficult to get an overview of the whole park, and what is where. So the emphasis is on the big picture and  we hope you'll forgive us for not including every accommodation unit and for  deleting some buildings that just aren't relevant. If you ever need a plan of the site showing every numbered unit, just give us a call.

The site plan illustration will be viewable from a homepage link very soon and by early 2011 we'll have an interactive version integrated into a new website with updated graphics and structure.

Let us know what you think about this new approach to visually describing Le Pas Opton.

Media interest

Just to let you know that in the last couple of weeks we have featured in the local press (Ouest France), the national press (Le Parisien), national radio (France Inter) and regional TV (France 3 Pays de la Loire). They are all fascinated by the mix of real faith and quality holiday at Le Pas Opton.

Check out the France 3 report at http://ouest.france3.fr/info/pays-de-la-loire/  and then click on the 19/20 box for 25/07/2010 in the section “videos”

Entertaining times at LPO

High season is in full swing and I'm struck by the variety of entertainments and activities that our guests enjoy on site. Today marks the world premiere of the LPO Panto, written by our entertainments coordinator Jen Rumsey and performed by our gifted and dedicated band of couriers.

I enjoyed a different style of entertainment the last time I was on site: paella plus music. Yannick's sumptuous paella was served from a vast cooking dish and enjoyed in the open air outside the bar to the accompaniment of quality acoustic music from guests and couriers. We alternate the paella evening with "moules & boules" on a fortnightly basis. A very French evening, you try your hand at petanque if you wish and also have the chance to tuck into one of life's most pleasurable foods.

Bar quiz, karaoke, the odd TV sport event, volleyball played with water-filled balloons, soccer tournaments.... there is plenty going on. Enjoy it all or hide away and do absolutely nothing - that's the joy of LPO.

Customer comments

This email arrived today. Always encouraging to receive feedback like this....
Cher Christophe
I am just writing to thank you for a super holiday. We had a lovely, most relaxing time. You really did give us an excellent holiday of very high quality and nothing was too much trouble for you and your team. All the attention to detail and little extras and quality product make your customers feel very special and valued. Everybody was so helpful. There was peace and quiet when needed. The children enjoyed so much independence because it was so safe and made such lovely friends.
I was able to relax and refresh. The children's groups were superb - they learnt so much about God. Please say an extra big thank you to Martine, who took us under her wing from the moment she picked us up from the airport. We really needed that - I have not travelled abroad with the children before. She is a star. Thank you also to the guys at the bike rental -all of them were so lovely and helpful.

Half term news

Half term holidays are under way and the last of almost 700 guests are arriving this Monday afternoon.

The weather has been mixed so far: one guests just remarked to me that he was glad for a dull afternoon as he was nursing sunburn from the previous day when he spent the afternoon around the swimming pool with the children.

Sunday's all-age worship was brilliantly led by Andy Caldwell and his team with support from the children and teens team from Moorlands College. The lunchtime Street Party with traditional shared barbecues was a fine occasion: "when I tell my friends about this, they'll all want to come next year" remarked one guest.

Now the week's activities are fully under way with "bouncing bombs" going on as I write. This, I understand is a variant of volleyball, played with water-filled balloons!

More half term news in a few days.....

More ice creams for your money this year?

As I write, the euro is at one of it's best points against the pound for nine months. Best, that is, for those of us who have to change our sterling into euros to spend in France and elsewhere. No-one can be sure what the future holds, but even at the current rate my diesel is costing less than a pound a litre and meals out are looking affordable again - especially since Monsieur Sarkozy abolished VAT on restaurant food last year.

You can benefit (or lose out) in big ways by choosing the right way to spend and exchange your money - and even how you draw cash. Spring Harvest Holidays directors David and  Alison Dorricott have given us the benefit of their own experience in the form of some tips and contacts. Click here to find out more.

Soaked in prayer

We sometimes talk about Le Pas Opton being "prayer-soaked". What does that mean? Simply that we aim to have all kinds of people praying in all kinds of ways for the opertion and ministry of LPO.

Over the May bank holiday weekend, up to 50 people gathered at LPO to pray. Some had come just for the weekend and at their own expense; others lived in the area; others were part of the volunteer team working  on montage and pre-season work.

We prayed indoors, we prayed outdoors, we praised, we prayer-walked, we battled in the Spirit. We feasted together (no fasting on this occasion) enjoying great company and good fellowship. We prayed for every part of the site, on one afternoon walking the entire perimeter of the site complete with waving flags and small group prayers.

But for me the highlight was when we split up into eight separate groups and, carefully organised by Chris and Liz Jond, prayed for every single emplacement. That's right: my group even opened up the mobile homes we were allocated and prayed inside every one. It is so encouraging to know that every single spot has been committed to God in prayer: we're confident he will graciously answer our prayers for great holidays and great ministry this season.

Get the right reading habit this summer

We're delighted to announce that in conjunction with our friends at CWR, we will be providing free Bible reading notes for all guests at Le Pas Opton this season.

CWR publish a range of helpful devotional and Bible study guides, including the famous Every Day with Jesus, Lucas on Life, Inspiring Women Every Day plus guides for teens and children.

Your summer holiday at Le Pas Opton is a great opportunity to get into the Bible reading habit - and you'll have the time and space to read, reflect, relax.

Plenty of action at Le Pas Opton

There is already plenty going on at Le Pas Opton - it's never totally quiet through the winter months and now Spring is here, the pace is picking up.

I met up with Chris when he made a brief visit to the UK this week and he updated me on what's going on. We're doing some winter maintenance work on mobile homes, revamping the reception area, fixing a leak in the swimming pool, planting trees and more. The main volunteer team arrives straight after Easter and some are there already.

And we also have guests on site, using the houses for weekend breaks, church retreats and holidays.

One thing's for sure - by the start of May the place will be spick and span, with some new features in place and ready to welcome you for the most relaxing, refreshing, heart-warming holiday you could wish for.

Diesel at 90p a litre: France is affordable again

As I write, the euro is creeping up past 1.15 to £1, an encouraging signs after creeping close to parity at the end of 2008.

So prices in France aren’t as scary as they were. Diesel was 90p a litre when I visited France a couple of weeks ago. And you can eat out at a sensible price since that nice Monsieur Sarkozy reduced VAT in restaurants from almost 20% to just 5.5%.

Chris and Yannick (our park manager and chef respectively) have come up with some great value menus including local style food, seafood and meat feast, all at around €15-17 for a three course meal. Chris says it’s the best value in the Vendée.

To make the most of your euros, you need to spend wisely. For example, remember that in France petrol and diesel prices vary more than in the UK –  when I was filling my tank with diesel at €1.01 per litre, the motorway services were selling it at €1.15. Always head for the hypermarkets – they are never far away. Look for “Centre Commercial” signs*.

Staying at Le Pas Opton, you’ll probably be self catering much of the time. Hyper U and Leclerc in nearby St Gilles both offer great value for good French food. You can pick it off the shelves, or try your luck (and your French) conversing with the butcher or fishmonger behind the counters – always fun and they love it when you try out your language skills!

* If you leave the UK with an empty tank , then try:

For St Malo – there’s a 24 hour self service petrol station at the Intermarche hypermarket on the left as you drive out of town.

For Caen – there’s an Esso unmanned self service station, adjacent to Intermarche on the way out of the port town of Ouistreham. But for the best fuel prices, drop into Carrefour just next to the Caen ring road.

En route, there’s a Carrefour just outside Avranches, close to the road down to Rennes – look out for signs to Zone d’activites de la Baie – it’s on the Rennes side of town. There’s a large Hyper U at Bain de Bretagne between Rennes and Nantes. And once you’ve arrived at LPO, you’ll find Hyper U and Leclerc fighting it out on price.

SAVE! At Silent, Trendy, Pens!!

SAVE! At Silent, Trendy, Pens!!

or  (unscrambled)
St Valentine's Day Present!

- and what a great Valentine's present a holiday is. There's no better way to show someone you love them (including yourself) than giving them a transforming holiday experience they'll never forget. A holiday is a gift of time, a gift of freedom - the opportunity to do whatever takes your fancy in a space you make your own. With Spring Harvest Holidays, at Le Pas Opton, you will have the choice to do all of this (and more): 

• You can engage in the inspiring spiritual programme with our quality speakers.
• Laze by the pool, be served in the restaurant and enjoy the rest of the park's facilities.
• Explore the local area, including the glorious sandy beaches.
• Know that young people and children are catered for with clubs and activities.
• Indulge in any one of the activities and entertainments on offer.
• Relax in the highest quality accommodation.
• Use the free ferry crossing included in your booking price.
• Take advantage of our early booking discounts - OFFER ENDS MONDAY 15 FEBRUARY.

Yes, all that and you can still get a discount on your 2010 holiday! Book by Monday and enjoy that special Valentine's treat you and your loved ones deserve.

Call our Customer Service Team Monday to Friday on 01825 748318 or book online over the weekend.

Take advantage of other discounts and offers.

Go on - spread the love this Valentine's Day - or at least...

SAVE! At Silent, Trendy Pens!

"When I grow up I want to be a courier?"

"What's a courier, dear?"


"Mum, they're amazing! We learned so much about Jesus in our club this morning. They played games with us, prayed together and introduced me to some new friends. This afternoon they're running a football tournament and then tonight they'll be performing in the play in the marquee - can we go? Can we? Pleeeeease?"


We're often asked what a Spring Harvest Holidays "courier"  is. They are part of the team that make a holiday at Le Pas Opton as special as it is. They are a very talented, multi-skilled and servant hearted group of (mostly) young men and women who come out to France and serve for up to 5 months. 

They are involved in a lot of the activity on the holiday park that takes place both behind the scenes and face-to-face with our guests. From early morning, praying together, to cleaning, preparing the bar for the Bible study to making sure the PA works for the speaker -  their job is non-stop! Many will lead and assist in the children's and youth clubs, under the direction of Laura, our Programme Manager. In the afternoon, they'll be running the games activities, serving behind the bar; in the celebration, become part of the worship team and in the evening lead the Karaoke or pub quiz. The work is challenging and the hours can be long, but in their time off they're free to relax and enjoy the park facilities or the local area, with the new friends they've made. 


They're an incredibly flexible and hard-working bunch who, over the years have been an inspiration to many of our younger guests. In fact, a number of our couriers are former guests who've come back to give what they've been given. The rewards of being a courier are many, from the experience of giving people the best holiday experiences they've had, to the lifelong friends they've made with the memories they share.

Most of the courier team work directly with our younger guests. They lead their clubs, lead their own times of worship and hang out with them late at night in the late teens own 'Chill Zone', 

Check out these videos that they helped the Realm group put together.

Realm Video #1
Realm Video #2


 Each year, we employ a number of new recruits to the team. There's an online application form to complete, then an all-day interview. Successful applications will then take part in a two-day training and induction, before setting sail for France at some point in the summer. We look for people who have a passion for Jesus and a passion to serve people in a holiday environment, bringing fun and laughter to their time there. We look for similar, or relevant experience to the roles applied for. The roles include; childrens group leader and team leader, similarly for our youth groups, sports courier, entertainers, musicians, bar staff and more.

In 2010 the application process closes on January 31 - so if you're interested becoming part of this fantastic team  -known at LPO as the 'A-Team' and want to learn more, apply here. 

"Mummy, does it snow at LPO?"

"Well, yes dear, it does snow at LPO.  But it won't when we are on holiday there.

"You see, in the winter it can be quite cold in France but the nice people at LPO stay warm cutting the hedges and repairing things so it's all ready for us in the summer. They have some guests come and stay at the houses, in winter too: in fact I hear that Gerard Kelly, Chrissie Kelly, Russ Rook and a bunch of friends are all there at the moment.

"But in the spring it starts to warm up. That's when some kind people from the UK travel out to help get everything ready. And by the time we go for our holiday, it will be tidy, organised..... and warm."

Sale away!

The queues outside Next began on Boxing Day - it's that time of year again and the January sales are upon us  Wandering around the stores, enticing messages of "15% off " or, "Half price sale," encourage us to rush in and grab the bargains.

Only this year it feels different. Without shaming the retailers, "Half price sale," only applied to marked items (of course) - being 1% of the store's products."15% off," only applied if you spent over £500 on the day, and the list goes on. Clothes shops only offering money off out-of-season, out-of-fashion styles. No excitement, no bargains, only disappointment.

So we've kept it clear and simple.

To get a discount on your holiday to Le Pas Opton, book before 31 January and receive:

£50 off your mobile home holiday.

£30 off your fixed tent holiday.

Plus take advantage of our other special offers such as 'Tell-a-friend' (saving you and them £50 each!), and many more.

So, away with the Sales, false hope and cleverly-worded marketing promotions. If you want to sail away this summer to LPO (or indeed fly!), then book before 31 January and get a discounted holiday bargain with us.