Lyncombe Lodge & Avon Ski Centre

[debsandpets]

Did anyone used to go on their residential riding holidays ?? Anytime from 1988 onwards to about 1995 ???

I used to spend all my school holidays (Easter, Summer, half term and even Christmas hols too) there and loved every minute of it. Sally and John Lee used to own it (I know that John has sadly passed away, and that Sally has moved on etc). They had 2 sons and a daughter - Toby, Barnaby and Lucy.
Toby is now a horse dentist but that is all i know of them now.

Would love to hear from anyone who used to spend time there.

Debs

[Vicki&Milo]

I used to ride there whenever I went on holiday, I remeber Wally, Prince (never rode him, but my friend did and I was intensely jealous) Dolly/Holly/Molly? (small and bay) and I'm sure there were others, but we're going back some 10/-15years

[debsandpets]

Wally - little dappled grey thing with a wall eye by any chance ???

Holly - little bay mare - if I remember correctly, she was only on loan to the lodge along with Mistletoe a grey(almost white) mare too - both very fiery .......

Not too sure about prince tho ??

I used to ride

Mynie
Mr Spoons
Jumpstart
Murphy
Taffy
Digger
Fudge
Mum
Tara
Holly
Olive
Mars bar
Pixie
Ermyntrude
Dibbles
Budge
Nelson
Wellington (Welly)
Splash
Squelch
Blackjack
Carlo
Wally
Semtex - very explosive pony before anyone asks !!!
Juicy
Obe
George
McCarthy
Winnie
Jam tart


Cant think of anymore at the moment - no doubt more will come to me though

[Vicki&Milo]

That sounds like Wally, he seemed a bit loopy to me back then.

Not sure the other one is the same, small and bay but nappy if anything and was there years. I rode her once when I was baout 7, could hardly get her to move, then again aged about 11 and she was actually quite a nice little pone. If I had a canner I'd put the pictures up!

[Enigmatic]

I went on holiday there every summer and October half term from 1980 to 1985 and they were the best holidays of my life. I know Sally sold up about 7 years ago now and the stables closed about 2 years ago I think. Horses I remember are:

Ginger
Cobjob
Shadow
Fudge
Noname
Mr Higgins (my ex bf bought him/sold him on and last I heard he was alive and kicking at nearly 30 yrs)
Hippo
Polo
Tart (I taught her to paw for a polo and she pulled the hay hecs down :-/)

I used to have loads of pen friends from my years spent there and remember a lot of the staff too Sally Perkins, Karen Marshall, Derek Hall, Jeremy Duck, Nigel, Mandy, Helen. I've got loads of photos from the Friday gymkanas.

Happy days!

[debsandpets]

Hi Enigmatic

As you say Happy days ......... Always remember going up the jumping lane being taught to take off saddle at the same time, no stirrups and no reins and also wen we had enuf balance no saddle or bridle on the lane too !!!! Can you imagine doing stuff like that these days ?? Ha ha - think health and safety might have something to say about it :eek: :eek:

The friday Gymkhanas and 1 day events used to be great fun - tack and turnout the lot !!!

I will always remember the awesome day rides we used to have too - The Plume of Feathers, The Burrington Coombe, The Star Inn, to name a few.

Staff I remember
Alison Barry (her married name cant remember her maiden name - but used to work directly for Sally, John and the kids on their private yard at the house)
Derek cant remember his last name either - but used to drive a little white honda civic I think and Ali & I renamed him aerodeck (something to do with the badge on the back of his car - aerodeck)
Paul Johns
Andrew (cant remember his last name - very tall and lanky with dark hair)
Tabitha (Tabby cat) cant remember her last name
Deon (Dee always loved riding Mynie) cant remember her last name

Penpals and friends from there - there must be at least 30 peeps I remember but only really kept in contact with a few mainly the following 2 girls
Natalie Eisenberg - lived in Virginia Waters last time I heard
Emma Jane Hall - lived in Helston

Loads of others went every time like I did, can only really remember a few vividly though ........
Clive
Jean and Luc his older brother from France every summer !!

Why cant it still be the same, so much there has changed and memories are been all but gone.


Tim, Charlie & Lizzie Dew (moved back to england from Hong Kong and temp lived in Locking, Somerset down the road from the lodge)

[Enigmatic]

Haha, I know what you mean about H&S, but I still think it's the best way to learn. The first time I ever went to LL I fell off every day and sometimes more than once, but still came back for more!!

Those day rides were fab, I remember being up on Crooks Peak galloping on Fudge with my mate Lucy Walker (who also went year in/year out) on Cobby beside me when suddenly we came upon a group of people who had to part in the middle and let us through cos we couldn't stop.

Do you remember the bunkrooms with the flowery quilts?? Having midnight feasts etc?? One year when I went I met this girl called Charlotte who was there with her family and I kept thinking I recognised her, but couldn't work out where - at the end of the week she admitted she was Charlotte Coleman from Worzel Gummidge and later to be in Four Weddings. So even the Lodge had it's claim to fame!! Toby also played Robin Hood in the first episode of the 80s series with Michael Praed. Goodness my memory keeps hold of some daft stuff!!

I've always thought it would be lovely to open up somewhere similar, where kids could holiday on their own or with their family, riding in the day and having games etc in the evening. I just don't think you could do it anymore with all the red tape though.

This thread got me thinking, perhaps we should set up a Facebook group for all old LL fans, be great to share the memories/photos??

[debsandpets]

That would be so cool - a facebook page :-)

Midnight feasts, sneaking out to the fields at night to see the horses, early morning horse roundup Lodge style ( Find a pony, stick a bridle on, jump on bareback and chase the rest down the track back to the yard), compulsory skiing lessons after the days riding. Yeah the bunkrooms were pretty dire, what with their wooden home made bed frames and lovely flowery bed linen lol !! Did you guys ever go down in the Lodges own caves and pot holes at all ?? They were pretty ruff and the holes in the floor were scary too !!!

I noticed Toby in the old robin hood with Michael Praed - did make me giggle !!!

We so need another LL type place, riding hols like they used to be !!! People would so have to sign a disclaimer first tho these days !!!!!

"The good ole days" Talking about the lodge makes me feel so old now !! Lol

[Enigmatic]

Did you guys ever go down in the Lodges own caves and pot holes at all ?? They were pretty ruff and the holes in the floor were scary too !!!

Yep, that was my ex Robin and Jeremy that started the evening potholeing expeditions. I remember getting really panicky because I thought I wouldn't get my bum through one bit and that was the last time I went.

This thread has got me feeling all sentimental, like you say so many years ago, but it feels like yesterday!

[Enigmatic]

Facebook group started http://www.facebook.com/groups/create.php?customize&gid=100858615723#/group.php?gid=100858615723 now just need to get the photos uploaded!

[debsandpets]

The entrance to the old potholes were a bit hairy too. I will always remember the temperature change between outside and inside too. When some of us used to get told off by Anna, we used to go for a walk in the woods and then go and hide down there to freak her out for a bit !!!

I have just joined the group :) :) Like you say just need to get some pics on there now.

I wonder who else will join the group ??

Debs

[moogarin]

Hey, thought I'd add update on some poines...I was working there when the riding part shut down 4 years ago... Wally was still there - no longer mental! He lost an eye bless him, and went off to live at a retirement centre in Dorset or somewhere I think.

Olive was still there too, very old and she stayed at the centre - i believe she has since died, bless her.

The others listed above had all gone by the time I worked there - I heard of Mars Bar, Juicy Lucy and Jam Tart, but the people who took it over from Sally were not very good horse wise at all, and the place went really down hill, sadly. Sounds like it used to be really fun there :)

[debsandpets]

Thanks for the little upfate moogarin.

It is such a shame as it was as you say such fun there. Could literally get away with anything riding wise, inc cantering up the mendip hills backwards on some of the older horses and ponies !!! It was a great place to spend a lot of time at as a child.

Ah well so ended an era ..............

Debs

[Krissie I]

I went there are few times in the 1990's. I had my hen weekend there too! Riding, quadbiking etc. Great fun.

I bought one of their horses - Rupert - bay cob from Northern Ireland. He was only 4 when I got him though so not sure who else knew will have known him.

Anna was the manager then, she was amazngly enthusiastic and worked very hard. The beach riding was amazing. I didn't know it had closed. What a shame....