dont beleive about the chalets being dirty been several timesd and the chalets were lovely everything was satisfacrtory will be ther again the 10th september 2012 and will write ny reveiv after

We've just spent Christmas at Norton Grange on the Isle of Wight, just thirty minutes on the ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth.

It's one of the few remaining Coastal 'Resorts' that Warner Leisure Hotels offer for short breaks. Most of their outlets have been upgraded to hotel status, with traditional rooms set within a hotel layout, but there are four locations left which are classified as Resorts and these still offer chalet accommodation. Set within walking distance of a main block, they do have a certain appeal - depending on the weather. Norton Grange is a little dated, the chalets are old and tired and the total experience seems to be set in a time warp. But we still had a fabulous time. The secret?

"Go with a positive attitude and soak up the experience"

Top of the list for us was the entertainment. With a resident team of six entertainers led by the talented and masterly David James, we enjoyed several well choreographed and colourful shows, accompanied by the versatile and talented house band, with visiting singers and comedians completing the line up. The cabaret venue could be updated. Some of the seats have restricted views and the height of the tiered seating needs to be increased. David James is a master at presentation with a superb singing voice. The star 'turn' was David Copperfield for the first night and he failed to show up -stuck in Los Angeles, so Mr James explained. David turned the disaster in to a piece of pure theatre, using the crisis as a base for quick fire jokes and rearranging the program to fill the vacant spot left by the unreliable Copperfield. David invited the 'star' to put in an appearance 'anytime' within the next four days. "We'll arrange a spot for him anytime" said Mr James tongue in cheek. "Even lay on a special boat!" In fact if Copperfield had shown up 'late', we'd have all chucked him in the sea.

Help- your-self carvery or chef prepared meals served direct to our table were offered for dinner during our four night stay. Breakfast too was buffet style traditional 'English' - or selected dishes served to our table. Chefs carved with a smile, bar and waiting staff laughed and joked and everyone on the staff offered us pleasure and contentment with nothing left to chance. Christmas day lunch was served to our festooned table in friendly style admist the sparkle and glitter of the table settings by our Polish waitress Aga, who was excellent. As David James said in his introduction when we arrived on the twenty third, "it is the staff's Christmas too and we are all determined to enjoy ourselves".

But the stars of the show were the people we met. Norton Grange seems to generate good will and delight and the team do have a talent for generating happiness. We met dozens of couples who return time and time again to soak up the magic of Norton Grange. Our allocated table for two was just close enough to our neighbours to enjoy sparkling conversation, but also far enough away to have some time alone to get on with the business of eating and drinking. Our neighbour's table too, was similarly located, so we all had a chance to meet not only our adjoining neighbours but there's as well.

All in all we had a fabulous time. We wish them all the best for the future and hope they can keep generating their magic in the years to come. One piece of news: they are closing from January 2010 for three months for refurbishment, so perhaps those tired chalets will get a breath of fresh air. We're already looking forward to seeing the improvements later in the year to stock up on good feeling and laughter.

One thing is for sure - we'll go with a positive attitude and hope that David James is still weaving his magic. Happy new year to all.