Lancashire hot spot

With two small children, air strikes and the threat of ash clouds, my husband was adamant our summer holiday would be spent in the UK this year. Despite my best endeavours, he could not be persuaded otherwise and so when I was invited to spend a long weekend at Ribby Hall Holiday Village, in Lancashire, I was pleased to accept.

The holiday village is family owned and set in 100 acres of landscaped grounds near Wrea Green, a stone's throw from Lytham St Annes and the bright lights of Blackpool. Having spent many a holiday in St Annes as a child, something nostalgic tugged at my heart strings.

The glossy brochure for Ribby boasts five-star luxury self-catering accommodation, which I often take with a pinch of salt. But at Ribby, especially in the newly refurbished cottages, it lives up to the billing. Stylish interior design, state-of-the-art kitchen and utensils, flat-screen television with DVD greeted us in our Poppy cottage for six, which included three spacious bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Ours was a semi-detached bungalow but there are choices of size. One review I read referred to the layout as being reminiscent of a council estate, which was rather harsh. Although they are close together you do get an amount of privacy.

After the initial comments of "oh, it's a bungalow", my seven-year-old had chosen her bedroom, unpacked everything she owned, and firmly shut the door, telling us all we were not allowed in unless we knocked. I wasn't aware I had brought a teenager on holiday and I suddenly started to worry about the three days ahead.

I needn't have. As soon as we made the short walk from our cottage to the pool complex, the child within returned as she whooshed down one of two waterslides.

The swimming complex, included in the holiday price, has two pools (one adults only) as well as adults-only sauna and steam room. There are squash and badminton courts and a fully equipped gym with classes on offer.

For the outdoor adventurer, there is fishing in one of the five ponds, a nine-hole golf course and mini golf, tennis courts, outdoor activity playground, boating lake and a climbing wall. Cycles can be hired, but we took our own and were slightly disappointed by the lack of trails. However, Wrea Green is close by and we cycled there for a pub lunch.

Ribby Hall also has its own equestrian centre and my eldest and I took two four-legged friends for a one-hour hack around the holiday village and into a small wood. It gave us a horse-eyed view of the large estate which as well as cottages to rent also includes log cabins, with hot tubs, and holiday homes to buy.

Ribby Hall is open 365 days a year and also has an impressive hotel, currently closed for refurbishment and is due to open again as a luxury hotel and spa next spring. Two large private houses set in their own grounds, are available for self- catering holidays with access to all facilities, The White House sleeps 14 and The Coach House 12.

Having stayed in other holiday villages, I have been disappointed with the quality and cost of the food. Here I was more than pleasantly surprised. Even the family-style Bar & Grill, which has children's entertainers after dinner, offered freshly-cooked and tasty food.

It was the newly opened but not very imaginatively named The Restaurant which most impressed. It is the perfect place to have a celebration or mark the last night of your stay in style where chef Andrew Birch serves classic modern British food. They managed to make the children feel special without the normal patronising children's menu. It encouraged them to behave in grown ups' surroundings.

We took a nostalgic trip to St Annes which, I was pleased to see, really hadn't changed in the last 35 years. Although the famous pier has lost the crazy golf in favour of dodgems, it was still nice to see an English seaside resort as it used to be. It was a beautiful day and we recreated the lengthy walk to find the sea when the tide goes out that I did as a child.

We met one man walking his dog, who challenged the fact that St Annes was on the coast at all.

We did eventually find the sea and were then shocked by the speed with which it came back in again.

The trip rounded off an excellent weekend which has restored my faith in holidaying at home, although I have had to admit my husband was right – something which doesn't come easily.

FACTFILE

Ribby Hall Village. A new Poppy Cottage sleeps six, from 12 per person per night. One-week, three-night weekend breaks, and four-night, mid-week breaks available. See website www.ribbyhall.co.uk for special offers. Freephone 0800 085 1717 – lines open 8am-8pm, seven days a week.

YP MAG 16/10/10