Meet the owners - Widdicombe Farm Touring Park

Widdicombe Farm Touring Park Team An adult-only touring site with bar, restaurant and entertainment, set in the heart of the English Riviera on the south Devon coast. Widdicombe Farm Touring Park is on the doorstep to Torquay, Paignton and Brixham’s towns, beaches and harbours. We spoke with Gordon and Thelma Glynn who have owned the site for nearly 50 years!

How long have you been running your campsite for?
49 years (purchased in 1972 but the park started in 1973)

How did you first become owners of the site/what made you want to own and run a campsite?
Gordon and Thelma are Devonians born and bred and have always lived locally. When Widdicombe Farm came up for sale in 1973 they decided to take the plunge and sell their well-established B&B. As a young man Gordon had worked on Widdicombe Farm as a market garden labourer. Widdicombe farm gave the opportunity of farming but also a camping diversification to help with the cash flow of farming life!

When they started there was already a toilet block which had flushing toilets!! Apparently, this was quite something in those days. It all started with camping. Back then they were only allowed to have campers for 28 days and charged 25p per person per night. Most of the campers were young people who wanted to go into Torquay to visit the local night clubs. At night Gordon laid on a bus service to get them in and out of town when they would return from their night out. Thelma and Gordon would walk round in their pyjamas telling them to keep the noise down.

In the early days Gordon was busy rearing pigs, growing his vegetables on the land and operating a fruit and vegetable mobile delivery round. Chris (Gordon and Thelma’s son) and his wife Liz now live on the land where Gordon first grew his vegetables.

What did you do before becoming the owners of this site?
Gordon and Thelma ran a well-established B&B for 12 years while still running a profitable mobile fruit and veg round. To this day Gordon Glynn’s name is well-known locally.

What do you like most about being a campsite owner/manager?
We thoroughly love meeting people and making new friends. Gordon is proud to show some of the retired farmers around his farm and talk about the yester years!

Widdicombe Farm Touring Park Hard Pitches  Widdicombe Farm Touring Park Poppy's Restaurant

What are the challenges?
We always strive to improve are site and heavily invest each year.

What is a typical day like for you?
We are now semi-retired but still very involved in the business and as we live on site we are always available to help the staff.

What do you feel makes your site special and appealing to the guests who return every year?
As owners we are always involved in meeting and greeting. Most evenings are spent enjoying the free entertainment we provide for our customers in the bar, having a good laugh, natter and maybe a dance or two!

What do you love about the region your site is based in? Do you have any favourite locations/attractions?
We are in the enviable position of being close to the sea and just a short ride to the moors. There are many places of interest and some great walks such as along the coastal footpath.

What do you like to do on a rare day off?
As we have a large beef, sheep and arable farm we never seem to have a day off, there’s always plenty to do!