Smores

Smores – an indulgent glamping treat

Well as autumn approaches, and the nights draw in – we do tend to turn to comfort food. When glamping in the great outdoor a night huddled around the fire pit with treats is the perfect way to end the day, and smores are the perfect answer.

Marshmallows are the go to treat – grab s stick or a skewer and pile them on – we use naked marshmallows – which have a range of amazing flavours including elderflower & Prosecco and salted caramel.  We stock them in our pantry and always add them to our hampers.

Indulge

In addition to glamping and the day job I also make a dark chocolate spread with five different flavour combinations, including espresso and caribbean, it’s called Hussh and is the perfect accompaniment  to a marshmallow. Visitors get a complimentary pot in their hamper to try – another one of our special touches!

But we can go one further  – combining the best marshmallows with rich dark chocolate spread and sandwiching it between well – something and you get the perfect smores – so we went on the hunt to find the perfect third ingredient a bread equivalent for a smores sandwich.

The Perfect Smore

Many use digestives, as the bread in their smores sandwich – and they do the job, but are a little crumbly. Others use rich tea – with a bit more crunch and – well, can be messy. So we decided to broaden the search to include wafers and hit jackpot. We stumbled on the toffee wafer, it is thin, pretty big – so better for holding those marshmallows and adds a lovely ‘chew’ to the experience.

So worry not guests and friends when staying with Upsticks you’ll get all the ingredients in your hamper to make perfect smores – and I can vouch for that personally as we’ve tried and tested quite a few.

 

 

 

Upsticks sign

5 star Boutique Glamping

Our first season is nearly at an end, and it’s been fun & rewarding thanks largely to our wonderful guests. Take a look at some of the lovely 5 star reviews left by our guests.

Starting a new business is always going to be hard work, as many of our guests know we run a rather more mundane software company alongside our boutique glamping, so it took tractor-sized bucket loads of energy to get the Up sticks site built and running this year. From the build start in February we were welcoming guests in May. \on top of our very unique glamping tents, with a loft sleeping deck and tree trunk pillars, it is the facilities outside which took as much effort. Walkways, lights, lovely bathrooms, all adds to the charm and the initial investment of time, and the 5 star feedback, but we just about managed it.

As with any business, It was all a bit of a gamble and the most nerve racking was welcoming ‘strangers’ to our home. So many in hospitality share  dreadful stories of nightmare guests, and constant interruptions. So it is with enormous pleasure that we can say our faith in human kind has been repaid. People are very generous and appreciative of the work we’ve put in. In return we hope to have given them some special memories and warm welcome.

Adding to the fun – A zip wire!!!

Many people have asked if we are ‘expanding’ our glamping accommodation for next year, and whilst it’s tempting, we’ve decided to focus on making Up Sticks the best it can be. To keep up the 5 star standards we want to add some fun with a zip wire, and somewhere to watch the sun go down over the hills on a lookout bar. A chill-out zone with hammocks to read a book ‘away from the rest of of the ‘tribe’.  The pantry will expand it’s range of treats and basics, with a few ‘home made ready meals’ to purchase – useful for late arrivals  and few more local beers and ciders.

Whilst our bike range will not be extensive, we are planning a few more so you can explore the lanes and hills in the saddle.

A few other surprises are still in discussion….Communal bath (AKA hot-tub), silent disco shed, lorry Dorm. so we’ll keep you posted.

Woolly, Furry and very feathery

Our little menagerie of animals have been a great hit, and we are looking to expand with ducks, more goats and adding to the hens with some additional rare breeds. Our orienteering challenge got kids exploring and despite Steve’s rather retro music references and vague clues many did manage to crack it!

Come stay – a little longer

Come and experience what boutique glamping feels like, we believe special should come as standard, so we’ve aiming at nothing less than 5 stars. We’ve released the 2018 availability now, so bag your preferred dates, and .  We’ve decided to stick with short breaks and weekends throughout the season, although with everything planned I think you might want to stay a bit longer.

Thanks all

Charlotte & Steve

Upsticks sign

Our guest reviews say it all

Sending guests home with great memories and a warm glow

Its been a busy time here at Up sticks and we have been very fortunate to have had such a lovely set of guests join us for our first season. We’ve shared some guest reviews and feedback for your to see below. There was trepidation when deciding to open our doors to strangers, but the season has proved to us that people are generally fun and pleasant to have around. We’ve enjoyed sharing this special space with everyone who has stayed. There have been a few entertaining questions whilst the kids have genuinely cracked us up at times, and it’s all worthwhile when we get the kind of feedback we’ve had.

We always knew that people glamp to escape the everyday and to explore something different. As part of that story we wanted to make our place special and unique, but more importantly it was how we wanted everyone to feel here that really mattered. Free time is so precious, probably even more so than the money, so when booking to spend your hard earned holiday with us, we wanted to ensure  guests went home with great memories and a warm glow. The fact that so many of our lovely ‘tibes’ want to return is a bonus, we’d love to see them all again, learn their life news, meet new additions watch growing cherubs and pampered pooches. What is clear is that when people have  a relationship with a place they become attached to it – which means us as well, they feel connected.   The balance of being around enough with the right information and not smothering is crucial, as is having enough to do balanced with the space and peace to sit and contemplate.

We were surprised by the number of guests who just wanted to be still, not walk the hills or cycle the lanes but just stop – testament to the space being somewhere people feel at home in. Our concerns that there would be enough for everyone have not been born out, it seems people want their own slice of countryside. Not that that means we haven’t got plans. Steve is planning zip wire, I’m planning a chill out space with hammocks and a communal pop up bar as well as more goodies in the pantry. Having said that we are mindful that our guests don’t want a theme park, so everything we plan to do will still have our own brand of special, and we’ll still be on hand to give it that personal touch.

 

Guest reviews

Read for yourself  our lovely guest reviews have said about their time at Up Sticks:

Fantastic mini break

Karen – Reading  Jul 2017

We have just returned from 2 nights at Up Sticks Glamping and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The tent is gorgeous and furnished beautifully, it’s all very rustic but extremely cosy… Although the accommodation itself is fantastic, it’s the hosts Charlotte and Steve who really make the experience. Both were extremely friendly and welcoming and on hand with suggestions of things to do in the area. We arrived to a kitchen stocked with essentials but also cakes, jams, bread and a bottle of wine and there is a pantry onsite where you can buy more of whatever you need. We made use of the firepit to the left of the cabin to barbecue on our first night, and the food in the pub which is a 2 minute walk away was great and very affordable on Saturday night. This was a real trip to the country complete with sheep, goats and chickens who are more than happy to be fed and stroked as well as a very friendly cat and dog. We absolutely loved the weekend and would recommend it to anyone looking for a weekend away in the country. Thank you both so much for having us!

Fabulous relaxing glamping

Jun 2017

Upsticks was luxuriously appointed safari tents, with lots of unique touches. We arrived and were sitting on the deck with wine and nibbles in half an hour…effortless camping! It is a peaceful and bucolic setting, but also close to lovely villages and walks. The tent was spacious and comfortable. All the furnishings made it feel indulgent. Our hosts were friendly and helpful. We didn’t want to leave!

Fantastic Weekend

Sarah —  Jun 26, 2017

What can I say it was perfect, safari tent was amazing, comfortable beds, our own private toilet and shower a short walk away. The hosts were lovely, very friendly dog named Reggie. My nephews 11 year old twins loved it and cannot wait to go back. Hoping to return in the very near future

Little touches throughout

Sarah Ufton  — July 17th

We absolutely loved our stay here – Charlotte and Steve made us feel so welcome from the moment we arrived. There were unexpected local treats too already chilling in the fridge (wine, strawberries, cream, milk etc) and they had also left out fresh homemade cakes and brownies and local artisan bread we kept finding all the little touches throughout the weekend too like the marshmallows and skewers for toasting on the campfire.

The accommodation itself is absolutely gorgeous and so well thought out. You can tell that each thrifty vintage item has been lovingly picked out. The beds and bedding are all brand new and so comfortable! There was loads of space around the tent – way less cramped than loads of other glamping places we looked at. We spent every night around the campfire looking up at the stars & had total privacy.

We already can’t wait to visit again!

 A little gem in the world of glamping

Wolfe family Jun 12, 2017 by – 5 star

I am not now, nor ever will be, a happy camper. The thought of spending nights under canvas in a field fills me with dread. Suffice to say that when my wife booked a glamping holiday for us and our four children, I was less than impressed with the idea. That is of course, until we arrived… Though we may of been the first guests to stay, I’m certain we won’t be the last. The “tent” if you can call it that harks of something out of Africa. Big comfortable beds and quality duvets ensure a good night’s sleep. Leather sofa, log burner and a hob adds some home comforts to the camping experience and the dab radio is a nice bonus. Our older children absolutely loved sleeping on the mezzanine together and at no point did we feel cramped (even though there were six of us) The welcome basket with a selection of treats on arrival is a nice touch. The meats and bread available from the hosts are sublime, even catering for gluten intolerance. I must mention the brioche buns are a must for those of us more able to eat bread. Top it with the hosts delicious chocolate spread and you’re on to a winner. So, has my experience warmed me to the idea of camping? I don’t think so. No. Would I go back to upticks? Absolutely! In fact we’ve already booked our return and I can honestly say that we will back further into the future to see how it grows. My advice to anyone reading this review. Book a break here and you won’t be disappointed.

Fantastic accommodation and location

Carolyn – Wales Jul 2017

We spent 2 nights at Upsticks and had a fantastic time. It was our first glamping experience, and I think this site will be tough to beat. The safari style tents are clean, comfortable and well-equipped. There are 2 bedrooms, plus a mezzanine floor above with extra beds. We had pre-ordered a BBQ pack which saved us the bother of bringing too much food, and it was really good quality meat. There were also nice touches included, like homemade cupcakes, marshmallows, meringues, cordial, and of course, a bottle of wine. There’s a board walk that leads from the tent to your own private bathroom, which has been nicely done out. There’s even a hair dryer provided! I didn’t expect that!  Charlotte and Steve were great hosts – giving the kids a tractor ride, providing food to feed the sheep and goats, and they went above and beyond in allowing my husband to watch the Lions match with them. Plenty to do in the area too. We visited the beautiful Medieval town of Ledbury, and Eastnor Castle – both of which I’d recommend.

 Why not read them for yourself on Trip AdvisorFacebook, and Google.

Upsticks glamping lodges at dusk

Bring on July

Festivals for families

The month of June was hot, heady and very busy. The Local festivals continued to delight with Jazz in Upton upon Severn, and I can hear the distant rhythmical thud of El Dorado, whilst the combines work overtime in the fields harvesting the barley, we all revel in the many festivals and events filling our waking hours. Now Bring on July and all it has to offer, which I’m discovering is a great deal more than I can attend in one month.

Music and Culture lovers

As we go into July the Poetry festival  in Ledbury delivers many delights, and impromptu street performances.  The town is a great place to explore with secret fairy doors for children to find in many retailers and cafe’s whilst grown up can wander the lanes and ponder over some beautiful things in one of the best independent high streets in Britain.

Second weekend just down the road the Drum and Monkey pub hosts Woo Fest, a small festival held in their field which promises a fly past of Lancaster Bombers. The same weekend our local parish of Castlemorton hold the annual Shindig on the common. A very village affair with Gymkana, dog show, bike race, tug of war and music in the evening. Visitors are welcome to experience village life with all it’s tradition and idiosyncrasies.

 

Upton Blues

Later in the month the renowned Upton Blues festival will fill the streets with free music, so visitors can grab a drink and discover the many live music stages dotted around the town.

History comes alive

If you want to travel back in time then Tewkesbury Medieval Festival is the place to immerse yourself in old England, with re-enactments and a living village, with every one dressed for the part. Another blast from a past life is the Welland Steam Rally, with parades of vintage machinery, fun fair, auction and of course the beer and cider tent. Personally I’m looking to dressing up at Eastnor Vintage Escape, with jazz and swing dance lessons, music, retro bike race and all things from a bygone era.

Vintage Escape

Food and wildlife

For the food lovers  Worcester hosts a great foodie festival on 5th and 6th of July, with over 70 stallholders throughout the town. Add to all of that the amazing events  in Gloucestershire like learning to photograph wildlife, open air cinema in the Forest of Dean or Shakespeare in magical Puzzlewood the July calendar is bursting.

 

Upsticks creates

Here on the farm with our second tent all done, we’re turning our attention to some added fun with rope swings, a children’s wildlife orienteering quiz and a zip wire!

Book your getaway

So book your time away and join us at Up Sticks Glamping in July or August.

A three night stay mid-week will set you back just £325, or five nights Sunday- Thursday for just £600. Our tents sleep 6 and offer all your home comforts under canvas.

glamping stuff to so

fun with your little glampers

Loose the distractions and make some memories

A simpler life

We all hanker for a simpler life with less of the headaches that 1st world problems pose. Tech issues, coffee conundrums etc., but achieving it is hard. We want to do more together with our tribe and connect over meaningful activities without the constant distractions of screens and noise and create some magical moments.

So here at Up Sticks we’ve put together some fun, entertaining and cheap ways to enjoy nature and the great outdoors even in the rain!

Get Outdoors

Sun, fresh air, getting outdoors and closer to nature offers us the opportunity to switch all the distractions off. Part of the draw of glamping is the prospect of a unique space in a special location. And this freedom of space and privacy offers kids as well as grown-ups the chance to indulge in going feral. Building a den to hide away, climbing trees for a better view, chopping wood fo the fire,  reading a map and navigating to treasure or even simply playing hide and seek.

 

Build a fire.

Send the kids off to collect wood, not from the woodpile, but the stuff lying around on the ground. They explore, work together so dragging back logs suddenly becomes a great game. Get them involved in lighting a fire and they quickly learn that the small twigs are as important as the big finds for getting a fire crackling!

Fires are a terrific way to get kids involved in cooking too. Getting them to think about what will cook on fire, and how best to cook it. Why not hang a joint of meat or spit roast instead of the usual burgers and sausages!

Wrap the potatoes in foil and leave them for a while. Make veg skewers, or hang a bowl over the fire pit and cook up a curry or a tagine. Get the kids to make a marinade with spices and herbs (available from the veg plot) encourage them to get their hands dirty and experiment with flavours.

Science in nature

With a few bits of kit, you can do live experiments in the country. Test the PH of water or soil, become detective and see how many different varieties of grasses, flowers and insects you can find in a square of meadow. Get close to bugs with a magnifying glass, or get your binoculars out to spot birds species, nests and what birds collect to make them and how often they fly in and out.  With a net the pond offers endless fun. See what floats and what doesn’t create a little floating boat and think about how to get it home once launched.

 

Toddler Farmer

Many glamping sites have animals which your children can learn to care for, pet, fed, clean out or just watch. It’s a wonderful way to learn something new and be entertained at the same time. At Up Sticks we can give guests their own chicken coop of bantams to care for. Kids are welcome to feed the pygmy goats or even try their hand at trimming their feet and getting an insight into the ups and downs of animal care.

 

Plant and grow

Sometimes hols are great for trying something new, sow a seed and watch it grow. Many of us pick strawberries, or water the plants. So maybe trying something a little more challenging, try unlikely herbs, flavours and combinations, get your hands dirty with planting. Glamping puts you in nature, so it’s not parkland and manicured, there are nettles and thistles and dock leaves, sticky weed and buttercups; so discover the plants to avoid and those we can use by foraging from hedgerows.

 

Get creative

The possibilities are endless, leaf collages, flower garlands, create a sun catcher with whatever you can find. Bark rubbing, twig weaving or make a percussion instrument for the fireside singalongs later.

I’m no expert, and certainly not claiming any originality here, but with a few bits and bobs, which we’ve put together in our nature packs, there is fun to be had in a field, and even in the rain, it just takes a little imagination.

 

 

 

 

 

Upsticks Glamping

Building a glamping site

Building Up Stick Glamping

 

Follow the trials and tribulations of getting our glamping site built and ready for you to visit, here in the Malvern Hills

It’s been a while in the design and making, and with all things it never goes as planned. First we thought long and hard about what we were looking for as a family when we holidayed. Top of our list was privacy, comfort, good food and lots to explore.

So we felt that our smallholding ‘Brays Farm’ could become the perfect place to share. Glamping was a great way to stay and explore The Malvern Hills and surrounding area, but we needed to think about what the structures were going to be and how we went about building them.

Our family of three children are well on their way to being grown up now, so we knew we wanted to build something big enough for a family our size to enjoy. Space with private spaces, all the facilities to cook both inside and outs with lots of chill-out areas to relax and of course a fire, a country essential.

We explored the options, and pondered on some of the best places we’d stayed. Now granted we might not be typical in our tastes, but we’re not wacky either. Stand out places for us used honest natural materials but the home comforts like lovely beds and crisp linen, a great shower and fresh ground coffee in the morning were what made the difference. Quirky outdoors showers that we loved in the Caribbean and on safari may not suit the English climate, but the simple wood and canvas structures, and huddling around a fire pit whilst tucking into wonderful food would translate here.

So we bit the bullet and applied for planning permission to build three safari lodges on our land. We took down fences, and cleared our pond. We designed layouts and moved stable blocks. We dug ditches and laid pipes ready to build. Whilst celebrating my 50th Birthday in New York we got the planning permission through and on our return placed an order for our safari lodges.

As with all new builds there were some delays. Additional ground works, and the day jobs did get in the way for a time, but on a damp February evening a massive arctic drew up from Holland with our tents aboard.

We very soon set about putting our giant flat-pack together, and whilst the instructions were all very straightforward, the size wasn’t. It became clear that help might be needed, so friends, teenagers and machinery were called on.

After a long weekend the deck was built – my back suffered having been bent double all weekend securing 1000’s of screws. We then discovered that expanding wood and galvanised fittings don’t play well together. So we had to wait for the wood to dry out before we started assembling the five metre span four metre high trusses. Steve and I were building alone at this point, and it became clear that raising the blighters was a bit of a challenge between us. So our trusted David Brown tractor was called on to leverage up the trusses using straps and with a bit of huffing and puffing the first was raised. Just four more to go!

Once the frame was up, the heavy duty fly sheet was winched to the top of the ridge pole and rolled out  – no easy feat, I assure you. With just a couple of scaffold towers we became adept climbers. A cherry Picker would have been very useful at this stage.

The internal walls went up easy and our excitement was palpable. Even the sun came out. It was time for a cheeky cider to toast our new venture and celebrate all our hard graft.

Take a look at the video below, which plots our progress.

Next instalment coming soon folks!