Gypsy Wood Park is Open!

Hello to all our lovely blog readers!

It's Bobby here again, you remember me don't you!! Well, have you missed me? I have certainly missed writing to you every week and telling you all about my adventures, but don't you worry I've got loads of tales to about my winter holidays. Although there's no time today because I know I've got to tell you something very important.....if only my little brain could remember just what it was. Ummmmm....

Oh YES! That's it, we are now OPEN for the 2014 season!!! How exciting is that? I've been doing my little dance all week because my feet won't stay still and Mini-Bobby thinks I've gone quite mad.

So it looks like my winter holidays are over for now, which is quite sad isn't it - I was enjoying being a chicken of leisure, but never mind, plenty to tell you when I have the time, and I'm also pretty excited about seeing you all and  hearing the sounds of the park all bustling and busy again.

2014 is our tenth anniversary, which is pretty special and quite a long time (longer than I've been dancing anyway). So to celebrate this special year we've been very busy building a new Woody train ride here at Gypsy Wood. I've been lucky enough to have a sneak preview and it is absolutely brilliant, I can't wait to get my feathers on it! The shiny new carriage will be with us for Easter weekend, what a great present for the Easter bunny, but till then we've borrowed a lovely one so you'll be able to test out the new ride!

Apart from that, all the animals are well and happy, and are really looking forward to seeing their old friends and meeting some new ones. My best buddy Mini-Bobby says a big hello and says he can't wait to show you his dance moves (we've been practicing) and Simba the pony sends his love too.

So, do come and see us soon, and check out the new ride, it's going to be brilliant. And I'll be back soon with some more adventures and news from all of us animals here at Gypsy Wood Park.

Apparently you can find out loads of info about our opening times, prices and where to find us on the website - you can click here.

See you sooooooooooooooooooooooooon,

Lots of love from Bobby xx xx

Exciting News

Hello to all our lovely blog readers; yep, you've guessed it, it's Bobby (and Mini-Bobby) here again. Well, how are you all? Hope you've been practising the chicken boogie? Because you'll never get to be a proper Sultan chicken like me if you can't do the boogie, so best get those hips shimmying.....

Anyway, have we got some fantastic news for you this week! Gypsy Wood Park is so PROUD to announce we've now got our very own prize winning turkey! Mr Gobble was the star of the Flint and Denbigh show a few weeks ago and he was awarded the Reserve Show Champion! Yay, go Mr Gobble. We all knew he was a handsome turkey, but the awards just take the drumstick really. We couldn't be more thrilled; I did a special chicken-boogie just for Mr Gobble all around his pen. He loved it!

Here's me and Mini-Bobby checking out Mr Gobble's prize haul!

Next year, maybe they'll have a Sultan Chicken category, and then Bobby and Mini-Bobby will have our very own stash of shiny ribbons and certificates (because of course, we're bound to win). Mr Gobble is back at Gypsy Wood now, recovering from his 5 minutes of fame. He'd love to meet you all so pop along and see him, although he still hasn't quite got the hang of an autograph yet, but maybe he'll keep practising......

Lots of other news at Gypsy Wood this week too. We've really been enjoying the beautiful sunny weather, and all the beautiful sunny visitors too. It's been so lovely to see you all, thanks for coming to see us. Sam told me to tell you that we're closing for the end of the season on the 8th September - but that's AGES away, so plenty of time for you to see Bobby and Mini-Bobby before then!

And one last thing for Bobby to do (see, I didn't forget) and that's to wish our beautiful friend Annie a very happy birthday this week. Can you believe that she's 5 years old already? It's her birthday on the 28th August, and we bet she'll be getting extra walks and treats and toys to celebrate. Happy Birthday Annie, lots of love from Bobby, Mini-Bobby and all the Gypsy Wood Animals

Happy Birthday Annie!

Well, that's all from Bobby and Mini-Bobby this week. I promised Sam I'd help her put up Mr Gobble's certificates (I just like looking at them really...., so proud!) and then I'm gonna teach Mini-Bobby some new boogie moves. 

Take care lovely blog readers, and see you all sooooooooooooon!! Love from Bobby xx x 

Gypsy Wood's Beautiful Fairy Queen

If you come to visit Gypsy Wood Park during the summer holidays, there'll be an extra special treat for you! Our beautiful Fairy Queen is back at the park on the 23rd July.

At the moment, she's just getting ready for a busy summer of meeting you all - she loves to meet new friends, and hear your wishes; if you whisper them quietly they'll try their best to make them come true!

Our beautiful Fairy Queen

Did you know?

The Fairy Queen's favourite colour is pink!

The Fairy Queen is sometimes joined by the Fairy Princess, and they look after all the little fairies in Gypsy Wood Park; they make sure they're all happy and safe.

The Fairy Princess's favourite thing to eat is cake, yum!

The Fairy Queen and Princess always eat their vegetables and make sure they get lots of sleep to make sure they stay beautiful!

We think our Fairy Godmothers are pretty special, so see if you can find their woodland hide-away and come and say hello - it's among the Gypsy Wood trees!

Our friends Bobby and Mini-Bobby have already been to meet the Fairy Princess. It was love at first peck!

The Fairy Queen will be at Gypsy Wood Park from the 23rd July on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For more information about the park, see www.gypsywood.co.uk

Hello

Well, the 2013 season is finally here! Here at Gypsy Wood Park we're really excited to be open again for the summer. So far we've had plenty of rain to keep the trees and plants happy, and we've even had some sunshine to keep us and the animals happy, and nice and warm! A lot of the animals love to sunbathe (just like us) so they have big smiles on their little faces when the sun comes out.

This year, we'd also like to welcome our new animals to Gypsy Wood - hello to our gorgeous little Fallabella horses. These dinky animals are the world's smallest horses, and are rarely over about 80cm tall. They originate from South America and are named after the famous horse breeder Juan Falabella. Here at Gypsy Wood our stunning white Falabella is called Hooner and a gorgeous brown one called Denver. 

A bit different to horses but we also have two fabulous yellow-bellied terrapins here this year too. They were  given to us by a local school after they got too big for their tank! So now they have a cosy new tank here at Gypsy wood, with everything they need. They are called Jack and Jill.

So, let's give our new animals a great bit welcome! We look forward to seeing you soon to say hello to them, and all the animal residents both old and new. See you soon.

Gypsy Wood Park is open every day from 10:30am to 5:00pm. For more information and how to find us, don't forget to check out website at www.gypsywood.co.uk 

End of Season Farewell!

It's that time of year again..... when all of us here at Gypsy Wood Park get a bit sad. Woody's told us he doesn't want the fun to end, and all the animals will miss their friends. But, it's time they all had some time to chill-ax over the winter months.

 

Gypsy Wood Park will be closing this Sunday (16th September). Our staff, and our animals will all have a well deserved break, with plenty of relaxation and rolling! Some of our animals, like LaLa and Dinky the ponies, have gone away to school over the winter. They need some lessons in riding so that they are all ready and prepared for next year's rides. They can't wait to be fully qualified ponies!!

 

So, a big, big thank you to everyone who came to see us this year. We loved every minute, and we hope you did too. And of course, let's not forget to say a big cheer for our fabulous team of staff who make Gypsy Wood Park the magical place it is - thanks so much to you all for your hard work and dedication this year!

 

And, last, but definitely not least, a big shout-out for all the amazing animals who fill Gypsy Wood with their fun, love and frolics.

 

So bye for now from all of us. We can't wait to see you again next year. We're open on the 23rd March 2013. See you sooooooooooon!!

 

 

 

Woody's Fancy Dress Party 2012

Ok, so the weather might not have been on our side (typical bank holiday rain!) but that didn't stop us all having a BRILLIANT time at this year's Woody's Fancy Dress Party.

A fabulous day was had by all who attended, and all of the staff, who as ever, got into the spirit and threw themselves into helping Woody make sure that the rain didn't stop play. There was plenty of fun to be had, and here are some pictures of some of Woody's best dressed helpers!

A big thank you to all who came along, and to all the staff who helped make it Woody's dream day!

And if you missed the fun this year, you'll have to wait till next year! Woody's Fancy Dress will be taking place on Sunday 25th August 2013. But don't worry - Woody will remind you closer to the time!

Thought for Today

"When I sound the fairy call,

Gather here in silent meeting,

Chin to knee on the orchard wall,

Cooled with dew and cherries eating.

Merry, merry, take a cherry,

Mine are sounder, mine are rounder,

Mine are sweeter, for the eater

When the dews fall, and you'll be fairies all.

 

Cherry Time, by Robert Graves - English poet and scholar (1895 - 1985)

 

 

image by Richard Doyle on wikipedia

 

 

 

 

Leprechaun Luck

If you go down to the woods today............ you might be lucky enough to see one of our handsome leprechauns!

But, just what are leprechauns? And where on earth does that funny name come from?

Well, they are a type of fairy that originally comes from Irish folk stories. They are usually depicted as old men and they wear red or green coats and big hats!

They are especially good at making and fixing shoes, which they do in return for big gold coins that they hide in their secret pot at the end of the rainbow. But, they are notoriously mischievous and they love to play practical jokes on the other fairies.

Legend has it that if a human catches one, they will be given three wishes in exchange for the leprechaun's freedom. But we don't know about that - we're yet to catch one here in Gypsy wood!

See if you can spot one in the woods today!

What's in a name?

The origin of the word "leprechaun" is thought to be varied, but one explanation could be that it comes from an Old Irish word luporchan, which is a mixture of the words for small (lu) and body (corps).

Thought for today!

"Do you believe in fairies? If you do... clap your hands!"

From Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie - Scottish writer and dramatist (1860 - 1937)

 

 

image by Janny Sandholm on wikicommons

 

 

Come and find our fairies at Gypsy Wood Park!

 

 

 

Gypsy Wood's Train

Choo Choo, all aboard!!

When you visit Gypsy Wood Park, you won't want to miss our fabulous outdoor railway.

Gypsy Wood's brilliant Railway was designed and built in 2004, but is has been extended and altered a lot since then. The railway is one of Gypsy Wood's most popular attractions.  

The scale is approximately 1:22.5 and it runs on a 45mm gauge track. It was made for us by a specialist company in Germany, although over the years the staff have added and built some items for us.

The track lay runs for over 500 meters over eight different circuits. Our trains cover some impressive distances over a season - the train on the main circuit choo-choos almost 8 miles a day, which adds up to about 54 miles a week - that's a lot of miles in a whole summer season!

The railway is old fashioned and simple, because it isn't controlled by computers or wi-fi, but by a big range of traditional railway controllers. It makes it easy to fix a problem, but there are what seems like miles and miles of wire!

If you visit Gypsy Wood Park, take a snap of you by the railway, pop it on our facebook page (click here) and we'll put our favourites up on the blog!

One week countdown

We're getting pretty giddy here at Gypsy Wood Park and the countdown has started!

There's less than one week to go until Woody's brilliant party.

Don't forget to mark it in your diary! There's loads and loads of things going on so you won't want to miss it.

We hope you've all been practising those hula-hoop moves. And please would all our lovely readers help us out - can you do a sundance for us and keep all your fingers crossed for lots of sunshine? We think Woody deserves a great big sunny day!

We can't wait to see you there.

27th August at Gypsy Wood Park, from 11am.

If you have any questions or queries about the event, give us a call (01286 673 133), drop us a line (info@gypsywood.co.uk) or leave a comment in the box below.

Woody's Fancy Dress Party

Things are reaching fever pitch here at Gypsy Wood Park!! Only two weeks to go till Woody hosts his brilliant annual fancy dress party. We've been pestering Woody to write us a blog post all about his adventures so far this year, but he keeps saying he's too busy with all the planning for his big day!

There's loads and loads of things going on - it's not a day you want to miss! And don't forget to bring along your favourite musical instruments - anything from a recorder to a guitar to a triangle! Woody has asked his wizzard to put on a sing-along show, so we want to hear you play!

And, don't forget to get practicing your hula-hooping ready for the competition - we wanna see you hula!!

We can't wait to see you there; it's going to be the best Fancy Dress Party yet! 27th August at Gypsy Wood Park, from 11am.

If you have any questions or queries about the event, give us a call (01286 673 133), drop us a line (info@gypsywood.co.uk) or leave a comment in the box below.

Thought for today!

"The Land of Faery,

Where nobody gets old and godly and grave,

Where nobody gets old and crafty and wise,

Where nobody gets old and bitter of tounge."

W.B.Yeats Irish poet and playwright (1865-1939)

image by tzioum on sxc.hu

Come and see if you can spot our fairies, at Gypsy Wood Park



Gypsy Wood Shop

Over the years that Gypsy Wood Park has been open, we've had loads of comments and compliments about our shop. If you've been to Gypsy Wood Park, then you'll know it's absolutely packed with all things magical and all things fairy.

We're really proud of our magical shop - here you can buy anything from tiny fairy souvenirs to giant princess keep-sakes, so you'll never forget your special day at Gypsy Wood Park. You'll also find delicious snacks and ice creams, as well as our award winning loo!

Also, don't forget to pick up your free activity and quiz sheets from the shop on your way into Gypsy Wood Park.

Tell us what your favourite thing is in the shop - you can leave a comment in the box below. 

Woody's Fancy Dress Party

Stop Press!!

For all our lovely blog readers, here's a sneak preview of some of the brilliant things that are going on for Woody's Fancy Dress Party.

There's LOADS of great stuff going on - it's not one to be missed. There's something for everyone - from nice racing to bouncy castles to face painting. It's a Woody extravaganza!

Bank holiday Monday 27th August at Gypsy Wood Park, Bontnewydd, Caernarfon.
See you there :)

Thought for today!

"Nothing can be truer than fairy wisdom. It is as true as sunbeams." 

         ~Douglas Jerrold (English writer and dramatist 1803-1857)

Thought for today!

Go on, give it a go!

At Gypsy Wood Park, Caernarfon, North Wales

Gypsy Wood's Fairy Godmothers

One of the highlights for a lot of visitors to Gypsy Wood Park is the chance to meet our beautiful Fairy Queen and Princess.

Our resident Fairy Queen and Fairy Princess love to meet new friends, and hear your wishes; if you whisper them quietly, they'll try their best to make them come true!

Our beautiful Fairy Queen

Did you know?

The Fairy Queen's favourite colour is pink!

The Fairy Queen and the Fairy Princess look after all the little fairies in Gypsy Wood Park; they make sure they're all happy and safe.

The Fairy Princess's favourite thing to eat is cake, yum!

The Fairy Queen and Princess always eat their vegetables and make sure they get lots of sleep to make sure they stay beautiful!

We think our Fairy Godmothers are pretty special, so see if you can find their woodland hide-away and come and say hello - it's among the Gypsy Wood trees!

Due to a hectic schedule, the Gypsy Wood Park Fairy Godmothers aren't here every single day.  They are here on weekend days, and a few days during the week. If you are visiting especially to meet them, then please telephone to confirm the days she'll be present.

Our Gypsy Wood

What's in a name? Well, Gypsy Wood Park is so called because the woodland here is said locally to be one of the last places where Romany Gypsies lived in the village, hence it's name as Gypsy Wood.

When John and Christine first opened Gypsy Wood Park in 2004, they learnt about the last remaining Romany gypsy here, Mr Lovell, who camped in the field opposite and used the river that ran through the site.

The woodland's rich history is what inspired Gypsy Wood Park's enchanting and ethereal theme. Today, the wood is home to fairies, elves and a generous sprinkling of magic. You can discover them all on our Gypsy Wood trail and Wetland Walk.

Finding fairies at Gypsy Wood

Do you have memories of the history of Gypsy Wood and the people who lived here? We'd love to hear about them if you do! Tell us using the comments box below.

Did you know?

Gypsy Wood Park is in the pretty village of Bontnewydd, just outside Caernarfon, Gwynedd.

Bontnewydd is the Welsh word for "new bridge".

A Winning Loo

Here at Gypsy Wood Park, we're very proud indeed of our fabulous loo! So imagine how pleased we were last year when we were awarded a prize by the official Loo of the Year team.

We scooped up the award for Best Loo in the category of Visitor Attraction in Wales in 2011. This year is the 25th anniversary of the Loo of the Year awards and the competition is hotter than ever!

Since it began in 1987 the inspectors have visited literally hundreds of different loos across the country. The criteria is strict, and loos are judged on a whole host of things from signage to cleanliness and from air quality to the type of toilet tissue.

You can see our listing here along with the other category winners.

Why not come along and check out Gypsy Wood's prize winning loo! We're pretty proud of it, and hope you agree it's certainly worthy of the much coveted award. It certainly is unique; we've never seen another like it!

Gypsy Wood loo!

The beautiful wall mural was started in 2004 by brilliant artist Sharon Wilson. She adds a little bit more every year!

Got a favourite loo? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below!