By William Coleman
We have all been faced with that nightmare scenario where we really need to toilet and then come face to face with a scene from a horror film. This can happen on planes, trains, pubs, clubs, bars and camp sites. Once such place where they guarantee a clean lavatory just took a top award for their clean efforts.
Donkey Creek Farm Caravan Park on Lancashire’s Fylde coast is officially one of the best place to “go” in Britain, according to judges of the annual Loo of the Year awards.
For the park’s washrooms have been named as top platinum winners in the latest Loo of the Year awards, bringing a chain of honour to the family-run business.
The prestigious accolade was made to Donkey Creek after the shower and toilet facilities provided for guests were “mystery shopped” by inspectors.
Celebrating the news of the award are Paul Lancaster and his wife Jane who opened the park last summer in a quiet rural location near the market town of Freckleton.
One of their first tasks was a built a state-of-the-art washroom facility for guests pitching up at the park with motorhomes, touring caravans and tents.Enabling them to spend a penny in five-star surroundings cost around a third of a million pounds – and has helped earn Donkey Creek a raft of glowing reviews.
And Paul and Jane also know that their success is not just a flash in the pan because, they say, advance bookings for 2019 are “way beyond our expectations”.
Although Donkey Creek is a new venture, the family has been involved with the parks industry in Lancashire for over half a century. It also owns long-established Lamaleach Park Estates near Lytham St Annes, a residential park which provides 120 park homes for people in or near retirement.
Donkey Creek, says Paul, was opened to cater for those seeking a high-quality location to pitch on the Fylde coast, close to both scenic countryside and its famous seaside resorts.The park’s spacious new facilities include large showers and drying areas, private family bathrooms, hairdryers, underfloor heating, and full access for people with limited mobility.
In addition to the platinum gong, inspectors also gave the washroom cleaning team a special certificate for the outstandingly high standards of cleanliness they maintain.
According to Paul, the washroom building simply mirrors what the park itself aspires to:
“Donkey Creek has a very special appeal to people who enjoy away-from-it-all holidays in gorgeous surroundings, and we’ve tried to provide the perfect backdrop for that,” he said.
“Our family feels very privileged to be able to live and work in this beautiful part of Lancashire, and it’s great to have our efforts acknowledged with an award like this,” added Paul.
The Loo of the Year awards have been running since 1987, and facilities are judged by inspectors against 101 criteria from the fixtures and fittings to overall standards of cleanliness.
