SIR GEOFFREY COX MP to help a Devon family celebrate English Tourism Week at their Noteworthy Caravan and Campsite in Holworthy.
The annual event, which ran until 27 March, shines a spotlight on England’s to the UK economy.
The Torridge and West Devon MP was in attendance at the invitation of Julieann and Mark Snook-Bevis who first started welcoming guests almost 20 years ago.
Sir Geoffrey heard how the couple acquired the smallholding with the aim of breeding Angora goats and selling their mohair, alongside running courses in spinning and other crafts.
Their 70-strong rare-breed herd now regularly wins prizes at shows around the UK, and have even starred in television series and cinema films.
During his tour of the 12-acre grounds, Sir Geoffrey planted a beech tree near the park’s wildlife pond which is a magnet for dragonflies, kingfishers, newts and a raft of other species.
The tree commemorates the national Queen’s Green Canopy tree-planting programme to help celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee year in 2022.
Noteworthy, said Julieann, is a long-time holder of the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its to the many environmental and wildlife initiatives it has taken.
The park, she told the MP, sustains many wildlife habitats around the grounds where hundreds of native shrubs, trees and hedging which have been planted by the couple over the years.
They have also created beds of high nectar-bearing flowers which provide a valuable food source for honey bees and the many species of butterfly which abound on the park.
Sir Geoffrey saw the different staying options available at the park, including fully equipped caravan holiday homes for hire, and pitches for torhomes and tents.
The MP also presented Exceptional Service Awards from Noteworthy’s professional association, the BH&HPA, to Mark Snook-Bevis and Mary Wood who lives in Holworthy.
Mary volunteers her time and expertise to practice.
Julieann said the family was delighted that the MP was able to show his support for English Tourism Week:
“Sir Geoffrey has consistently shown that he understands very well the importance of the visitor economy in his constituency, and its role in sustaining local employment,” she said.
“We are grateful for all of the help he has provided to our business over the years, not least through the troubling times of the pandemic when lockdowns forced our closure.
“Hopefully this will all be largely behind us now, and we are looking forward to support other local businesses with our guests’ spending,” she said.
There is more information about the park at www.noteworthy-devon.co.uk