It's not really called Sandy Balls, is it??

Ah, Sandy Balls. Don’t laugh, it isn’t an affliction brought on by close proximity to builder’s merchants; it’s actually a holiday park in the New Forest. At this gloomy time of year we generally head off for a few days at Center Parcs, but some bright spark in our family decided we should try something else for a change, so thus it was that we headed off with our 20 month old son, my mum, brother and his two kids for a week at Sandy Balls.

Nestled in the heart of the New Forest, just south of Fordingbridge, Sandy Balls consists of a little park of log cabins and holiday homes set in clearings and surrounded by trees. Oh, and drizzle. Yup, a holiday in England in late January might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and indeed our weeklong break was pretty much dominated by trips to the chemist for various flu/cold/sinusitis/migraine preparations as one member of our party after another fell prey to common winter illnesses. Sandy Balls however (and please try and stop sniggering, I am trying to be serious here), is actually a great place to visit even when it’s chucking it down.

There is a great indoor pool with paddling pools for the kids, plus a soft play area where the little darlings can work off loads of excess energy by hurtling down slides and throwing themselves into ball pits, before being taken into the Bistro for a welcome hot chocolate and a Danish pastry. A little supermarket provides all basics you need to rustle up a quick supper in your cabin, and if you can’t be bothered to cook then there is always a takeaway supplying really rather nice scampi, pizza etc., plus a pub and the aforementioned Bistro.

If you feel more adventurous and can be bothered to get out of the rather comfortable beds in the morning, head out down the road to Godshill and have a satisfying tramp across the copper-coloured heaths see the wild ponies and cattle, or zip down to Lymington to look at the boats in the marina and have breakfast (£5 for a HUGE Full English) at the Vanilla Pod Café, Gosport Street.

Another great meal to be had in the area is at The George, Fordingbridge. Set by the banks of a river, it serves unbelievably good, fresh food at very reasonable prices, along with an amazing wine list. In fact the menu was so creative and well-presented that my husband rated his meal of huss, cooked in a chilli, lime and coriander batter and served with hand-cut chips as a 9/10, when he neither likes fish, nor coriander. “And I’ve never given a burger nine out of ten,” he muttered slightly resentfully afterwards, “and I love burgers.”

The problem with going anywhere in the winter in the UK is that most attractions tend to be shut. We did get a ferry over to the Isle of Wight for the afternoon, and this too had all the appearance of being closed for the day, but with a flask of tea and a packet of biscuits in the car, even the dampest of locations can become a good healthy walk followed by a car picnic.

And how did Sandy Balls get its name?? No, it isn’t the owner’s name as my neighbour suggested, it is in fact called after the sand and gravel outcrops that occur on the western boundaries of the 120-acre park. Now, that wasn’t so funny, was it?