The Dogmother Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 The Boy and I are visiting here in August see here for further details if you'd like to join us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 Oooh. glad you posted that - we are camping in Wales over half term and its one of the places I was thinking about visiting. You have reminded me to make sure I take details. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 17, 2007 Author Share Posted May 17, 2007 Glad to be of use Tina! I'd be interested to hear whet you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellcat Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 We have holidayed in Wales for the past few years and take the children to CAT every other year. Its a really good day out and great fun. The cafe is excellent too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 I SO want to go there! Last August I just felt it was a little bit too far from where we were staying to drag the family in the car (after it took 7 hours to get to West Wales ). They were all going anyway. We visited a little Green place in West Wales and I discovered this week that OH thought he'd been to CAT! Now my eyes are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 I love it there - I think next time we'll camp in the field at the bottom of the hill. Last time we called we had packed up camp in St David's Pembroke, Driven right up the coast to Aberystwth and then inland. Had a full day wandering round CAT and then drove home to Stockport I think my eyes were propped open with matchsticks by the time we got home. But it was the only way we could fit in a visit. I bought a solar/windup alarm clock radio... It's fab And CAT is worth every penny and every second that you spend there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 17, 2007 Author Share Posted May 17, 2007 Thanks for the feedback Jaime, I'm looking forward to going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan_novice_chicken_keeper Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 I'm wearing my CAT sweatshirt as I read this thread and have just worked out it is 17 years since my first visit (worse still, the sweatshirt is 17 years old too ) My husband and I met there, on that trip. We've been several times since, staying on site in the eco-cabins with groups of students with learning difficulties who also had a fantastic time. The water powered cliff railway was particularly popular. I haven't been for several years now, but there was loads to do, even 17 years ago. We can't wait to go again. The children would love it. However, until they are all a little bigger (currently 3, 2 and 4 months) I can't quite face the 8 odd hours in the car.... Maybe next summer. Fortunately, DH is as keen to go back as I am. I hope you have a great time - I am sure you will. I learned loads from my visits and the Centre really influenced the way we live now (and would like to live in the future). Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 18, 2007 Author Share Posted May 18, 2007 Thanks for that info Jan - we can't wait to go too. We're really into sustainable living and hope to make it a bigger part of our lives as we go along. Phil is a bit of an inventor and will no doubt be inspired by it all. I do hope that you've washed the sweatshirt in the last 17 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan_novice_chicken_keeper Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Well washed and tumbled dried (But rarely ironed.........) Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted May 18, 2007 Author Share Posted May 18, 2007 Glad to hear it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 I have to confess to having "let myself in" to the CAT when staying in Wales one christmas - we were staying with friends in a hired cottage down the road (we'd just left Uni and it was a rights of passage first christmas away from the folks type affair) and went for a walk to wear off some of the excesses of the day and stumbled on the CAT and were really dissapointed that it was closed - it was all too tempting and we "found ourselves" on the other side of the turnstyles. We were able to access all the outdoor areas and look at everything all on our own - not a sole in sight! We were even able to get into a weird underground tunnel with a giant mole poking through it as if we were small insects - I have to say that bit was a bit surreal. I was tricked into thinking that a member of staff was coming and forced to crawl on my hands and knees much to my friends' amusement It was fantastic and having it to ourselves made it a unique experience. I'd love to go back and see the indoor areas too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helly Welly Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 I have to confess to having "let myself in" to the CAT when staying in Wales one christmas CAT is absolutely fab, Abi loves it too, we last went when she was five and she really enjoyed it. The online shop is very good too, you can get nearly everything you can think of along the ethical and sustainable lines, as well as factsheets on various aspects covered at CAT. There's even some chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted May 19, 2007 Share Posted May 19, 2007 I'd love to go there again. It was so much fun last time-then I could buy my sister another recycled silver ring-she wore her last one out, not really a surprise as she never took it off for about 2 and a half years on and off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina C Posted June 4, 2007 Share Posted June 4, 2007 We are now back from Wales and managed to visit CAT. Although the weather was not as bad there as it seems to have been elsewhere we went on a rainy day but that did not seem to matter. We all really enjoyed ourselves and there was lots to do and see, including 'hands on' stuff, for everyone (me, OH and Layla who is 6). I think we spent about 5 hours there. We had lunch in the cafe - totally veggie much to OH's surprise but lovely food (L and I are both veggie anyway!). There was also a webcam to a great tits nest with two babies being fed by parents - lovely. I forgot to try the compost toilet but Mike assures me it was an interesting experience and was quite proud that he had contributed to the fertility of the soil. There were activities for children throughout the day because it was half-term - but somehow we forgot about them until it was too late. Some were for 8+ anyway so Layla would have been excluded. One thing I will say is that although it gave us a bit of 'food for thought' we did not really learn anything we did not already know about recycling, energy saving in the home etc. Like a lot of other forum members we already try and be as green as possible. CAT was of course quite ahead of its time when it was first set up but the rest of the world is catching up. We did not visit the building bit as we ran out of time and it is less relevant to us at this point in time (ie we don't have any money for big projects...) There were ducks, a few chickens and chicks and a couple of goats but I was surprised there weren't more animals. Overall it did consolidate our knowledge and gave us a great day out and we would go again, although not immediately. We also picked up details of camps for children based there or near there - sounded fantastic I think they should do them for adults as well! Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
