admin – Page 8 – The Sumpners Again

September 9, 2015Uncategorized

Norfolk – August 28th to 31st

Whilst we have been to Norfolk on the Broads, neither of us had ever been to the West & North Coast so back in March we decided that this would be our Bank Holiday weekend location. I found a newly opened site, called Sheringwood, with just 5 pitches near Sheringham. It had a great website and booking was easy and we booked a 3 night stay. We decided (Paul decided) that – so as to beat the holiday weekend rush – we should leave very early Friday morning. He wasn’t joking when he said early! The alarm went off at 3.45 and we got up and left by 0400, having packed the car and hooked up the night before.

It was a lovely drive – once you are actually up early, it is so lovely to see the sunrise and watch the world waking up. We went anti-clockwise round the M25 and stopped only for a cup of coffee (Petersfield) and a bagel and another coffee on the M11. It was a really smooth 5 hour run through and we were set up drinking our own coffee by 10.30. We fell in love with the site instantly. It was beautifully landscaped and we could even see the sea! And it was a beautiful day. We were very happy.

After a short break we were raring to go and explore and so we set off for Sheringham. The beach is sandy and there were lots of families taking advantage of the last weekend of the school holidays in the lovely sunshine. Sadly dogs were verboten so we just went for a walk along the prom, which was charming. We much admired the wind farm just off shore. Gret idea and kind of attractive too.

We drove on to Cromer to have a quick look and spotted a nice crab restaurant on the way, which we immediately planned to visit later in the weekend. We had a quick tour of Cromer by car and then carried on along the coast as far as Overstrand, where we stopped for a drink. This was to be the furthest East we went along that bit of the coast. We were a bit peckish by now, so we called in to the local Waitrose (in North Walsham) for some of our favourite bits and pieces for lunch (prawns, Quails eggs, Hummus, stuffed vine leaves etc) and returned to the van, followed by a beepy as we had been up so early.

Refreshed by our relaxing afternoon and a cuppa, we decided to have a proper look at Cromer before dinner. Cromer is very attractive and largely unspoilt, we felt. We loved the pier and sat for a while people watching. We were mightily impressed by the imposing Hotel de Paris on the seafront which, in its heyday must have been an amazing place to stay. We were very excited to see something like a flipper just off shore, imaging a seal or perhaps a dolphin. We watched avidly, and were joined by another couple, who were also intrigued by the sight. We examined Paul’s photos and then the awful truth struck us! What we had been excitedly watching was actually a drowning seabird. Horrible. It must have been caught in something. We felt very helpless and quite sad, as there was nothing that could be done.

Our nostrils were being assailed by the irresistible smell of fish and chips and we suddenly realised that we were hungry again, so we made our way back to the van, cooked and washed up and then watched a spot of television before taking to our bed for a good night’s sleep.

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny and we had our breakfast and departed for the day. King’s Lynn was the destination for today – about an hour away on the North coast. It was a pleasant drive and we passed quite a few of the very attractive embellished village/town signs that are so common in Norfolk. We wanted to explore the old part of the town but a trip to Boots for some essentials was required, so we had a quick poke round the main drag. Verdict? The same as any other town centre – although there seemed to be a huge number of smokers. Maybe we are just hyper-sensitive these days?

We stopped for a coffee at a very pleasant cafe/restaurant in the Saturday Marketplace – No 11 Market Bistro. We’d certainly eat there if we were locals. The menu looked very appetising and we sat outside, soaking up some rays as we enjoyed our coffee. The menu looked so nice we decided to have a couple of starters which we would share. They were both delicious. Two interesting facts about King’s Lynn? Well – in the early 60s it was designated as an overflow town for London and F1 racing-driver Martin Brundle was born there. It was also one of the first towns to be bombed in WW1. By a naval zeppelin.

The old riverfront, with its narrow alleyways was very busy, so we didn’t stay too long. Instead, we drove down to the mouth of the Great Ouse and inspected the fishing fleet.

As it is such an interesting coastline, we decided to pop in to each town (mostly one way in and out , dead end roads) on the way back to Sheringham. Our route took us past Castle Rising and through the Sandringham estate. Our first “port of call” was Snettisham – lovely beach and hundreds (thousands maybe!!) of statics. Next came Heacham. Heacham probably has more statics than Snettisham, even, as can be seen from the aerial shot! It would be interesting to know how much the population rises to in summer months!

Castle Rising 1

Then came Hunstanton – a bit too “touristy” for our tastes, so we pressed on to Old Hunstanton, which was much more to our taste. But we were beginning to run out of day and were also quite hungry, so we decided to leave Wells next the Sea and other places for the next day and pressed for home – apart from a quick visit to Blakeney, where we watched the tide absolutely racing in.

Hunstatnon Lighthouse — Hunstanton Lighthouse

We had decided on an early dinner before going back to the van and we made for the place we had spotted on the first evening. It’s called Rocky Bottoms, situated in West Runton on the cliff and is quite new. It has an amazing location, fabricated out of an old brick kiln and extended, it has great views out to sea and a very attractive outdoor dining area, complete with deckchairs (from the Southsea Deckchair company we noticed) and blankets. Lovely. We both had the Cromer Crab salad and it was delectable! We wished we had taken some photos so that you could see how pleasant it was. They also do a take-out service, which we made a mental note of for future reference.

On the way “home”, we spotted a sign for an animal sanctuary, which we resolved to visit the next day.

Sunday was a different prospect, weather wise – overcast and threatening rain. We had an unhurried breakfast and set off for Hillside, the animal sanctuary (dogs welcome). They do a vital job, providing homes for abandoned and ill treated animals. There were all sorts. Pigs, goats, rabbits, geese, horses, cattle, parrots, deer, and – of course donkeys! Yay. We spent a lovely couple of hours there and were glad we had visited.

My brother's favourite. NOT! — My brother’s favourite. NOT!

Archie can't quite believe his eyes! — Archie can’t quite believe his eyes!

The weather was definitely taking a turn for the worse, so we decided to pop to Rocky Bottoms, grab a take-out and save Wells and other places for another visit. We went for crab sandwiches and jolly nice they were, too. We popped to Runton beach – mainly so that Paul could visit the local army surplus shop – which sadly was a bit of a disappointment. He made up for that by having a chat with the local Coastwatch chaps – some of whom he has equipped with AIS kit, further up the coast. Coastwatch keep watch on the coast in areas where the Coastguards no longer serve. They are entirely manned by volunteers and thank goodness for them. They have reported nearly 300 incidents so far in 2015.

The beach was popular with dog walkers but the rain had set in by now and so we went home. We spent the end of the afternoon reading the papers, snoozing and browsing the internet (great free WiFi at the site). Nothing is something we so rarely do, and we thoroughly enjoyed our lazy afternoon and evening watching the box.

Bank Holiday Monday was a complete washout. Paul had to do all the myriad, outside packing up jobs in the pouring rain, but we were soon out our way home. It was to be a long and rainy journey, with some ridiculous queues at the Stansted service station, where we broke our journey. Lots of bad-tempered people tooting and looking to gain a few places in the queue. They really needed a chill pill. We arrived home – where the rain had cleared – after around 6h 30m on the road. A lovely weekend and one to repeat.

We are away again next weekend, too, catching up with more friends that we made on the Canada trip. Larks!

August 26, 2015Uncategorized

Bladon Chains – Aug 14-16

Well I think this visit makes Bladon Chains our most visited campsite. The first time we visited, back in August 2009. it was just an overnight stop on the way back from “oop North”. The remainder of our visits (3) we have stayed because of its adjacency to Thrupp and the Oxford Canal. This trip was no exception. We were meeting our dear friends Bob & Barb Shorter, as we have done as least once a year since we met them on a Camping and Caravan Club guided RV tour of the Canadian Rockies. The trip, which inspired us to go on our American odyssey in May/June of this year, was back in May 2012.

This year, we decided on a trip on the Oxford Canal as we knew they had much enjoyed our trip on the River Wey last year. Both being retired, they arrived before us and saved us a space next to them at the familiar and very pleasant site – useful for a visit to Blenheim Palace. We had left late afternoon and made surprisingly good time – even though traffic on the A34 was pretty bad. As soon as we arrived Barb had the kettle on and we had a nice cuppa before setting up the van. There was plenty to catch up on – even though they had come to watch Paul abseil down the Spinnaker Tower a few weeks earlier. It was also the first time they had seen our new van so we gave them the “five bob tour”- as my Dad would have called it.

It was my turn to produce the main course and it was soon heating up to a golden sizzle in the oven. We had Tartiflette with a green salad and ciabatta. It went down very well and – after a break – we then tackled dessert. Barb was responsible for this course, and we had an amazing selection of puds to choose from – plus cheese for those who could manage it! We talked and whiled away the evening in an atmosphere of conviviality until bedtime was indicated by loud yawns (mainly from us as we don’t ever seem to get to bed early enough).

It was up early to pack the picnic, which I had prepared the day before, and breakfast and showers and then we were off to Thrupp to pick up our boat for the day. We went via Woodstock, where I picked up some fresh bread from the handy Co-op, while Paul gave Bob and Barb a whistle-stop tour of the very cute little town. The week leading up to our trip had been a bit dodgy weather-wise, so we were relived to find that we had a lovely sunny day. We boarded and were briefed and were soon off, with the kettle on the boil for the first of many cups of coffee. We shortly encountered our first lift bridge, swiftly followed by the unusual diamond shape lock, which ushers the River Cherwell into the canal. Bob was at the helm. He had taken to steering like a duck to water on our previous trip – a real natural and he was to spend most of the day at the helm. His choice I hasten to add! He and Paul chatted at the stern while Barb and I set the world straight in the pointy end.

Bob's precision steering — Bob’s precision steering

As we had done this trip several times before, we knew the route and – more importantly – the location of the turn round and lunch spot. Bob expertly winded the boat and we moored at the old quarry near Kirtlington for our lunch. The home-made quiches and salad went down well and we were soon full. A quick look at the old quarry and we were off on the return leg. We made our way back in a leisurely manner as we had plenty of time to arrive back without incurring a fine (about which we had been most sternly warned before we left!).

One lock before the boatyard, we stopped for a lovely cuppa and a cream tea. Very hungry-making, this boating lark! Here are a few images from our return journey.

Polite and flower sign — Polite and flowery sign

We returned the boat and made our way home via the rather lovely Combe Mill – a Victorian steam and water driven sawmill, owned by the Blenheim estate. We were investigating it as it was it was going to be “in steam” the next day, but it was further away than we had anticipated and thus not an option for B&B to visit by bike, sadly.

I had booked a table at a local pub for our evening meal but (a) we were not hungry enough to do a meal justice and (b) we had loads of left-over food to use up, so we cancelled. We went our separate ways for a while on our return and we both had a beepy (or snooze) to refresh us. We spent the evening Chez Shorter, in their lovely vintage Hymer van. We ate more, drank more, chatted more and then it was bed and a lovely peaceful night.

The Shorters were staying an extra couple of days to explore the area, the lucky devils, but we had to be back for Paul to work on Monday. We shared a last cup of coffee and then bid them a fond farewell, agreeing that we would meet for our usual pre Christmas meal. So – another lovely weekend and only another couple of weeks and we’ll be off to Norfolk for the Bank Holiday weekend. Can’t wait! We love our van 🙂

July 27, 2015Uncategorized

New Forest – 3-5 July

Well – it seems like a very long break since our last trip, but 3 weeks of that time was spent holidaying in the USA – details are here in case you missed it. Which I doubt!

My Uncle – who is a key carer for my Mum – was off on a well earned break to Belgium as part of the 200th Anniversary of Waterloo celebrations. Mum usually comes to stay with us when he goes away (as he did in the middle of May) and she sleeps in the caravan, with its en-suite and very few steps. As she was coming to stay in the caravan anyway, we thought we might as well take her away for another little break and so I booked two nights at Lytton Lawn site, between Lymington and Milford on Sea.

We usually prefer a less family orientated site these days, but it was a good location and so an easy choice.We set off around 4ish for the short trip to the site and – considering it was a Friday evening – we encountered very little in the way of traffic.

The check in process was swift and friendly and I ordered our morning papers from the well-stocked shop at the same time. Whether by luck or design, it seemed that all the folk with children (and mainly tents) were in one field and others, more senior let’s say, were placed in another. This suited us fine and we were very soon set up with the dinner cooking – new potatoes, runner beans, baked cherry tomatoes and salmon in case you are interested, followed by strawberries. Classic summer fare. We washed up and decided to go out for a little spin to while away the evening.

We drove to Keyhaven, where you can catch a foot passenger ferry to Hurst Castle (no road access for cars). This would not be suitable for Mum, but it was a lovely evening and we got a pretty good view. The Castle is set on a spit of shingle and is an impressive edifice, built in 1544 – although modernised in the late 19th Century. It’s quite near to the Isle of Wight, with only a narrow (3/4 mile) channel separating the two land masses. It’s a great view from the sea.

We eventually arrived in Milford on Sea and parked in the car park, with great views of the Isle of Wight and the Needles. We sat for a while watching the marine traffic and people feeding seagulls (probably not a very good idea!) and then went home to the caravan. I got Mum ready for bed while Paul walked the dog and we all slept well.

The next day was very breezy and after a nice breakfast and a leisurely read of the papers, I prepared our picnic lunch and we drove down to The Needles Eye Cafe at Milford on Sea for coffee. Bracing!! We had to hang on to Ma so that she wouldn’t blow away! We then drove up the coast, popping into each bay/beach until we got to Mudeford. We have been there quite a few times but – oddly – never on a sunny Saturday. It was very busy indeed and finding a parking space overlooking the sea was like jumping into a dead man’s shoes. We eventually found one overlooking the shallow bit where people wind and kite-surf. Mum was really surprised to see someone fall off and then stand up in no more than thigh deep water. We sat here and had our lunch in the warmth and shelter of the car.

After lunch, we decided to go and have a quick look at a potential new car. This took us to Ferndown and we left Mum snoozing happily in the car while we looked around and made our decision. Watch this space! From Ferndown, we made our way to The Old Station Tea Rooms in Holmsley, where we had a cuppa and some scones/jam/cream. Yum. Lovely place and dog friendly too. I’m sure we shall return – possibly for lunch – as we took a fancy to their “Station Masters Rarebit” – ham under Welsh Rarebit, topped with a fried egg.

We decided to make our way back to the van and sit in the sun and read for a while. It was actually nice to see Mum reading, as she hasn’t done so for a while.

There may have been a bit of snoozing all round, too. Eventually, we started to feel a bit peckish and set off for the chippy in Milford – Mr Pinks. It had great reviews on Trip Advisor and clearly everyone else had also read them, as the queue was prodigious, stretching outside the shop and down the street. They were pretty efficient and worked their way quickly through the queue. We drove to the beach to devour them and all agreed that the reviews were well justified.

Suitably refreshed (stuffed actually!) it was back to the caravan and a film to finish off the evening. We watched “What We Did on Our Holiday“- a Britflick that we all really enjoyed. A thunderstorm had been forecast and started just as we went to bed. Paul and I lay in bed with all the blinds open watching the progress of an amazing storm. The lightning was virtually incessant and carried on for ages. It was pretty impressive although not directly overhead. We believe Bournemouth (a little further down the coast) bore the full brunt of it.

One thing I omitted to mention earlier, is that someone – who shall remain nameless but who is male and who is responsible for remembering very little else – forgot to bring the camera this weekend. Hence, very few pictures for this page. Normal service will hopefully be resumed in time for our next post, which will be from Oxfordshire, in August.

May 27, 2015Uncategorized

Herefordshire 1st to 4th May 2015

Herefordshire is the county from which my father hailed and I have spent so many happy times there as a child and as an adult with my cousins and Uncles and Aunts. I think of it as my second home. My Mum also visited a lot when she and Dad were courting and then married and my Uncle (Derek) used to help out with lambing at my Uncle’s (Joe) farm every year until he retired (Joe).

They both have good memories of the area and so we decide to take them for a short break to see it one more time. They were thrilled and both said that they had not expected to see it ever again.

We had picked a lovely B&B in Kimbolton (just outside Leominster) for them, partly because it had good reviews but, importantly, because it had a ground floor room for Mum . We stayed nearby in Leysters.

Grove Farm in Kimbolton is a working farm and we received a very warm welcome from Fiona, the host, after a 4 hour Friday afternoon (Bank Holiday weekend) journey . Tea and home made cakes all round? I don’t mind if I do! We had quickly dumped the caravan earlier at Woonton Court, our lovely rural caravan site (where we had a whole field to ourselves) and after ensuring Mum and Uncle D were settled, went back to finish the set-up. We then went back to the B&B again to pick up Mum and Uncle D for our dinner date with my cousins, Andrew and Pam Legge.

The venue was just down the road at the Stockton Cross Inn and we had good food and a very pleasant evening in fine company in this lovely, friendly pub. After dinner, we took Mum and Uncle D back to the B&B to get them settled for the night and then it was back to Woonton Court and bed for us. And what an amazingly quiet night we had. Apart from the odd hoot from an owl (which I love) you could not even hear a pin drop. This is a rare treat for us, living as we do with ever present traffic noise. Oh – and there is a donkey. 🙂

The next day was a bit grey and threatening rain, but we decided to go ahead with our plan anyway, which was to visit the Elan Valley, which they both loved and is a particular favourite of ours and of which we will never tire. Our route took us partly via the Black & White trail and we stopped for photos. As the countryside became craggier and we entered Wales, we stoped fpr a cofee break at the Old Station Caravan Site near New Radnor, which has a very nice tea room attached, with amazing views of the hills.

We pressed on to Rhayader – gateway to the Valley and began the tour of the dams. A fuller report about the Valley can be found here from our May 2014 trip. We had better weather on that occasion but there’s something right about drizzle in these parts. Lunch was in the car as it wasn’t really picnic weather.

We all enjoyed the tour and we made our way back to the B&B and dropped “The Olds” off before nipping back to the caravan for a quick snooze before it was time to pick them up for dinner. We dined at the 16th century “England’s Gate” in Bodenham (as recommended by Cousin Andrew) and very nice it was, too. I wondered why the pub – a former coaching inn – was given its unusual name, and after a fair amount of digging it appears it that it derives from being the first (or last, depending on direction of travel) coaching stop between England and Wales. So now you know!

Sunday was a nicer day and we were off to meet Aunty Vera for lunch – a journey of around an hour. We called in at The Ludlow Food Centre for coffee. I bought some asparagus as it was bang in season (later served with a poached duck egg and hollandaise sauce. Scrumptious!) and also at the beautiful Stokesay Castle, where there was a Triumph convention, to the boy’s delight. Some beautiful cars there. We also spotted a WW1 memorial.

We arrived at our destination, bang on time and entered through the back door at precisely the same time as Aunty Vera, Nanny Lynne and Cousin Flora were coming in the front door. Quelle surprise! Our lunch venue was The Herbert Arms in Chirbury and it was lovely to see all “The Olds” together again. We had a pleasant lunch with lots of chat and then we repaired to Aunty Vera’s for a cuppa and more chat.

We had been invited for tea at Andrew and Pam’s in Leominster and we made our way there from Aunty Vera’s. They had laid on some lovely sandwiches and home made Bara Brith. Just delicious, and we were all very grateful for their hospitality and for the opportunity to spend more time with them. We don’t see enough of them, sadly. We were all pretty tired and after tea and a chat and a look at some of Andrew’s stunning photos, we dropped Ma & Uncle D back at the B&B and went off to the van for an early night.

Typically, Monday was a lovely day and we packed up all the kit before popping to get the Olds. They had had a very nice stay at the B&B and we thanked Fiona for all her help and hospitality. The dogs and cats at the farm were so friendly and we got a lovely picture of Uncle D with one of them. Back to Woonton to hitch up and that was that – an all-too-brief vist, sadly. But a good time was had by all. We passed through Bredenbury on the return journey – the place where Aunty Vera lived when I was a child and the site of my Nan’s shop – Bredenbury Stores. I can still remember the smell of that shop and the broken biscuits. Happy days.

His Master's Voice - Uncle D and a Grove Farm dog — His Master’s Voice – Uncle D and a Grove Farm dog

Mum and Flash - the Woonton Court dog — Mum and Flash – the Woonton Court dog

Nan's Shop (L) and Aunty V's house (r) — Nan’s Shop (L) and Aunty V’s house (r)

April 8, 2015Uncategorized

The Isle of Wight – with kids 2-6 April

Pre-trip

Our first proper outing in the new van! Quite exciting – especially as we are taking our 9 year old niece (Evie) and 5 year nephew (Lenny) with us. Although it’s a teeny bit annoying that they will get to sleep in out lovely new bed and we’ll be on the double in the dining area which has to be made up every night. But it’ll be good fun and we are really looking forward to it. There’s a few jobs to be done – like fitting the big feet to the corner steadies and making room for the kids and all their accoutrements plus all the “in case it’s a rainy day” stuff. We pray it won’t be but it has to be said – it’s not looking too promising as I write this (Tuesday 30/3). Still – que sera sera.

We are catching a slightly later ferry than we would have ideally caught, because our budding actor, Lenny, has a drama workshop that finishes at lunchtime on Thursday. To allow time for them to get down from London we put the ferry time back to 5 pm. Fortunately, the clocks have sprung forward so there should be enough daylight to set up although we may have some hungry children on our hands as the ferry crossing takes roughly an hour and then it’s about a half hour drive to the camp-site and then at least another half hour to get dinner on the go.

We are using Red Funnel from Southampton as we did last year, as they are much cheaper than the Wightlink service. The ferry goes to East Cowes and then we have to drive to the camp-site – Whitefield Forest – just outside Ryde, where we also spent last Easter.

Thursday – 2nd April

The kids and their Dad arrived around 2.30, allowing us plenty of time to get to the ferry. I had anticipated that there might be a touch of separation anxiety when Dad left, but no, thank goodness. Too excited for that! Being Easter, the ferries were pretty much fully booked and so even though we actually could have made the 4.00 ferry as it turns out, we had a bit of time to kill. We waited in Mayflower Park, were there was a handy ice-cream van plus a very well-appointed kids playing area. The time thus soon passed and we joined the queue to board. The kids were pretty excited and there were quite few questions about how the caravan would fit and so on, the answers to which soon became clear. We spent the first half of the journey up on deck (before it got too chilly) looking at all the sights and the crossing passed very quickly.

It was grey and overcast but not actually raining, as had been forecast, which was a relief. I had warned the site that we expected to be late and they had, as promised, pinned our details to the door. I had asked for a pitch nearby the one we had used last year and we had been allocated the one next door. Perfect.

We quickly got set up, with the aid of the kids, and dinner was soon on the table. Pre-prepared spag bog accompanied by garlic bread disappeared quite quickly and we had a quick couple of card games and then it was slightly late to bed for the kids and slightly earlier than usual for us. This turned out to be a very smart move indeed, and one which we adopted for the the following few nights. It rained quite heavily over night.

Good Friday – 3rd April

So it was an early start. 6.23 to be precise! There followed a period of Evie shushing Lenny and LOUD stage whispers from Lenny of “What time is it Evie?”. Bless. We held out until 7.30 and then gave permission to rise.

We had our breakfast and then, upon dressing, we discovered a sock shortage for Evie. A quick trip round the very handy Tescos nearby soon sorted that (plus new pants for both, new books, a present for George and bottled water for the car – well for the kids and Archie). As it was a grey and chillyish day, we went to Seaview for hot chocolate at the The Old Fort. Whilst there, Paul was delighted to find a couple of Marine Electronic “relics” being used as decoration for the walls for the cafe (yaaaawn!).

There followed a session beach-combing on the pebbly beach. We founds lots of nice shells which Evie was delighted to collect. There was a superabundance, as there always seems to be on pebbly beaches, of Slipper Limpet shells. We mostly ignored these and found some pretty bits of oyster shells, scallops and periwinkles and some really big limpet shells. Lenny amused himself by throwing “pebbles” into the sea.

It was back to the van for lunch and then we set off for the Donkey Sanctuary, which is near Wroxall. As the weather had been inclement, all the donkeys were in the barns and we all fell in love with every one of them. There seems to be a fascination between Archie and donkeys and vice versa. We all had a great time and we let the kids choose a donkey to sponsor. They chose a cute white one called Daisy and they received an adoption certificate. They also each chose a donkey cuddly toy. Evie called hers Star (after my now deceased adopted donkey) and Lenny – well he called his a different name every day but seems to have finally settled for Jigsaw. You’ll see why later.

We stopped off on the way home at Yaverland beach (a favourite of mine). The kids went for a long scooter ride (a cunning ploy to tire them out!) along the prom and then we went on the beach and did some sand writing – even Archie. who seems to love a sandy beach, got in on the act!

Then it was back to the van for a fish and chip supper, which we had picked up on the way home. It was very nice indeed and we all tucked in with relish (mayo and ketchup anyway!). We managed an earlier night for the kids on this occasion and we followed after a quick coffee and relax.

Saturday 4th April

We had a slow and meandering start to the day, although it was another very early one. Showers and a squirrel hunt plus picnic-making took us until around 11 am and then we set off for our day out.

We were off to Carisbrooke Castle, which we knew the kids would love. We walked all round the battlements and whilst on one leg, we found a ladies handbag. I stayed at the site of finding it and Paul and the kids rushed off to the gatehouse to hand it in. Just as they got back, a very worried looking couple appeared and I asked if they had lost something. It was the handbag owner – and she was jolly grateful that it had been found. Our good deed for the day! We got half way round and noticed that the next donkey demonstration was about to start, so we joined the queue. The donkey that was to draw up the water by treadmill (click here to see a short video) was none other than Jigsaw. (Lenny’s eventually chosen donkey name). The kids loved the demo (well I did too!) and then we had our picnic, eyed by avaricious crows, who descended the very moment we left to complete our battlements walk to see if we had left any crumbs or goodies for them.

We had arranged to meet my old school chum, Julia, and had decided to go for afternoon tea at The Old Smithy, near Godshill. We thought it might be fun to take the kids on the chain ferry as it was more or less on our route from Carisbrooke to Godshill. They loved it as much as I do.We had just arrived in Godshill when I got a message to say that Julia had been taken ill on the way there and had gone home. We decided to have a cream tea anyway as we were on holiday. The kids had ice creams (it’s the law that you have a daily ice-cream whilst on holiday in our family).

On the way home, we passed the Garlic Farm and decided to pop in as we saw that they had the Birds of Prey there again for Easter. The kids chose to take a ferret for a walk – not something you get to do every day! To our delight, we also spotted a couple of red squirrels.

We made our way home and the kids had fun in the forest – and a close encounter with a peasant (or so I was told!) while I cooked the dinner (Curry) after which, we settled down to watch The Voice and then bed.

Easter Sunday – 5th April

Another day, another adventure. This time we were off to Robin Hill but not before it was discovered that the “Easter Chick” had been overnight and left some surprises (although, rather disappointingly, not for the grown-ups ). We stopped off on the way to feed some ducks – a really beautiful assortment of unusual ducks plus the ubiquitous Mallards.

We arrived at Robin Hill and spent (a small fortune and) several hours there on toboggan rides, tractor rides, slides, trains, swings – so on. We even tried to lose themn in the maze but they came back!! Ideal for kids. For grown-ups – not so much.

We still had some time to kill, so we set off for Shanklin for an ice cream and bit of sand play. The sun came out fully while we there and it was delightful. There were loads of people having an Easter stroll along the prom. We went to our favourite ice cream parlour – Toppings – and gave the kids their choice out of 28 flavours. Evie chose Bubblegum flavour (Yuk!) and Lenny wet for the more classic Strawberry. I think Uncle Paul got rather carried away with the size of the kid’s ice creams!!

Home and some jigsaw fun followed and then it was time (this is a few hours later by the way!) for a Roast Dinner, a bit more play and then off to bed for our last night. I think we managed ti=o stay awake until gone nine pm. Oh yes!

Bank Holiday Monday – 5th April

It was a chilly start but the sun was shining the brightest that it had for the entire weekend. Typical! The kids helped pack up and then we were off to pick up the ferry. It was a beautiful crossing – so warm and sunny and we had a picnic on board. Then it was home and unpacking – the worst bit of going away – and washing and dinner, bed and baths for the kids. They went off to sleep quickly and our lovely weekend was over. It remained for the kids to be picked up by their Mum and Dad ( and a pleasant lunch at Cams Mill) before it was back to the normal routine. Despite the slightly miserable weather we had packed a great deal in and Lenny pronounced that a caravan was his favourite vehicle. A hit I think? her’s to next year. But first – our next trip to Herefordshire on May bank holiday weekend with Mum and Uncle D. That time will fly.

I’ll leave you with a couple of pictures of the lovely, peaceful site – where the birdsong is beautiful.

March 21, 2015Uncategorized

Nottingham – Hello/Goodbye 27th Feb – 1st March

So the day had finally dawned. It was time to travel to Nottingham to say goodbye to Mr M and hello to – well we probably won’t bother with a name for the new van, other than our pride and joy. We had picked it out back in October 2014 and it had been a long wait. I did muse on the journey up about whether I would still like it, but I shouldn’t have worried. The journey was long but pretty reasonable, given that it was a Friday. We had left as early as we could, as it was hoped that we could get the motor mover switched from old to new that very evening. It was dependant upon us arriving before 4 – which we did. Sadly, it turned out that there was no-one available to do it and so we made an appointment for 08.30 the following morning.

Lowdhams – from whom we had purchased the new van, is just outside Nottingham on the outskirts of a village called Lowdham. They are a huge operation – with a 26 acre site that includes a rally field and overnight pitches for customers – with hook-up. It’s actually closer to Gunthorpe on the River Trent and as we crossed the bridge I noticed several narrowboats moored nearby – a sight which always makes my heart beat a little faster!

We got set up and packed up a few more last minute things before driving down to Gunthorpe for an early dinner. We had booked at the Unicorn, which must be heaving in the summer because of its location by the river. Not on a chilly night in February though. It is a big pub and was quite quiet for a Friday evening, we thought. We had a very pleasant meal and the place had a nice ambience.. The area was flooded in 2000, and looking at the pictures, the pub/hotel was probably affected. We turned in early as we had an early start.

The next morning, it was up and away to the service area for the changeover to be done and the sad process of completely emptying Mr M was more or less completed. We dropped the van off and they told us to come back around 2 pm. Time to have a quick explore – and breakfast. We had packed all our crockery/cutlery which gave us carte blanche to go out for breakfast. We made for a place I had previously researched on Trip Advisor in nearby Burton Joyce. It had recently changed ownership and its name to the Bluebird Cafe, but we decided to give it a whirl anyway. A quick look at the menu clinched it. Eggs Benedict on the Menu? That’s a no-brainer for us! Plentiful coffee, delicious Eggs Benny and the morning papers. We did stop to wonder why we don’t go out for breakfast more often. Very pleasant indeed.

Burton Joyce, by the way, is renowned (!) for its nuclear bunker, which has recently been on the market.

Breakfast finished, we set off for Nottingham. Slightly disappointing, as the castle was clearly not the one that had appeared in all those Robin Hood films. There were some interesting looking caves, though, in the sandstone outcrop on which the castle is built.

Nottingham Castle cave — Sandstone caves

We did happen across a very smart area adjacent to the castle, known as “The Park Estate“. Full of beautiful LARGE houses and parks (see the Estate Agency link to get an idea fo the properties on offer). One imagines all the Forest WAGs buying there. It has an interesting layout and was built on the former deer park for the castle. Sadly, in my opinion, The Park clearly went through a period where there was no control over building and there are some modern houses – quite boxy – which don’t at all fit with the beautiful period houses.

The blue on the map above is the Nottigham Canal – we had to have a quick look, of course. One of the few places on the system that we have never been. There’s a fair bit of upheaval in Nottingham as they are currently constructing a new transport system – known as The NET (Nottingham Express Transit). We managed to find our way to B&Q to pick up a few bits that we knew we’d need – hooks mainly – and then we got a call from Lowdhams to say that the van was ready so we made our way back.

There was lots of paperwork to sort out, which took a while and then it was time to remove the last few things from Mr M and say our final farewell. Silly to feel so sad but lots of happy memories were tied up in that van. But there are lots to be made in the new van, with which we are absolutely delighted. We had toyed with the idea of making a break for home but decided to stay another night on Lowdham’s free pitches. It gave us a chance to do some unpacking and find new places to stow everything, which was actually quite exciting.

Dinner was at the local Indian restaurant in Gunthorpe. Once again it’s on the river and must have pretty good views, although it was dark, so not for us. . It’s a former pub and is now called the Bridge and Bayleaf and is very smartly decorated. The food was delicious too and then it was back to the van for a bot of television and our first night in our new bed.

As it was a long journey home, we were up an away in good time. We arrived home at around 1pm, which gave us the rest of the afternoon and evening to relax and dream about adventures in the new van. The first trip is alreay planned. Off to the IOW for Easter with the kids in tow. Can’t wait!

March 13, 2015Uncategorized

Findon – for Cheese making! 20-22 Feb 2015

So a while back (May 2013) we went to the Foodies Festival in Brighton and I picked a brochure for a Cheese Making Workshop. Looked interesting. I stuck the leaflet in a drawer and promptly forgot all about it. Until December 2014, that is, when I decided to tidy said drawer and found the leaflet again. I decided to book myself on the course and that we’d make weekend of it. I mentioned it to my friend Anne and she fancied it too, so we had a plan. We would make cheese, whilst our menfolk walked the dog and had a pub lunch and generally found things to do to fill the sad and empty day until they were reunited with us.

As it was fairly local, (in Poling – just past Arundel)) we hitched up and set off about 3.30. We were staying at Charmill Cottage, just outside Findon (near the Cricket ground). It had been raining for a couple of days and we were mighty glad that we had booked a hard-standing as it was very soft under foot (or wheel). There was no-one to greet us and it was pretty obvious where to park but there was no sign of the hookup we had booked. It was about 4.30 and light was beginning to fade so we rang the owner and he said he’d be along in about 20 minutes. No power meant no heating in the van, so we stayed in the car. It got to about 5 o’clock and the heat from the car had fully dissipated. Being February, it was getting pretty chilly. I got in the van and put my dressing gown on over my coat in an effort to get warm and we rang again. He apologised and said he would be along in 10 minutes. He wasn’t. The light had almost completely faded by the time he rocked up and sorted out the power situation. I was not best pleased, but it’s not like we have encountered this sort of problem often, so heigh ho. All sorted.

The site looks like this in better weather.

We had put the kettle on in an attempt to warm the van and it was when the kettle boiled I realised I had omitted to bring any milk. A first for me! So we set the heating to tropical and set off in the car in search of milk. We sought advice and were told there was a parade of shops on the outskirts of Worthing, which was just down the road. We found an M&S food among others and bought milk plus some fresh fruit salad for our breakfast. Then it was back to the van for supper, a bit of TV and then bed. We were both tired so an early night seemed like a good idea.

We had a quiet night and woke to a sunny morning. This augured well for the boys’ walk on the Downs. After a lovely brekker, we set off on the short journey to the cheese-making venue and arrived in good time. We had coffee and greeted the other people who were attending and started lessons – after a thorough hand cleaning. We learnt many new skills and the bunch that we were with were really good fun. We learnt how to make Brie, Quark, Mascarpone, Ricotta, Feta and Greek Yoghurt. I will never forget all the cheese-making songs (Don’t Leave Me This Whey, My Whey , Let it Brie, – so on).

It was an action-packed day and the course over-ran. We had “lunch” about 3.30! Shortly after, the boys turned up after their very muddy walk.

The boys’ walk was obtained from the AA website ( a really good source, where you can search for walks near a particular place name) and it took them from Amberley station. along the river, up onto the South Downs and then back to the car. It was quite an energetic walk and Paul promptly fell asleep on the settee at the Farm whilst Gray avoided sitting down because he was sure he would seize up!

Anne and Gray had a B&B nearby and we had a plan to meet for dinner with our old chums from our Canada trip, Bob and Barb as they live nearby, so we temporarily went our separate ways.

The venue for our repast was The Beresford in Middleton on Sea. We had a lovely evening, with good food and good friends making the time pass swiftly. When we left the pub it was quite frosty but we had a warm and somewhat sad last “proper” night in this caravan.

The short journey home was done in no time, the next day. It was actually nice to get home early – we’d had a lovely weekend and also some time at home to start the sad process of “de-cluttering” the caravan, ready for the following weekend, when we were due pick up our new van. Exciting but tinged with sadness, as we have had some great times and travelled many miles in Mr Munch.

January 5, 2015Uncategorized

Exmoor or thereabout 28 Dec to 2nd January 2015

Our last trip of 2014 and, I suppose, the first trip of 2015! Leaving was a little more haphazard than usual, as we were also saying goodbye to family, who had been staying for Christmas. It was a beautiful day and we had a pleasant drive to our site, which was located roughly half way between Taunton and Dulverton on the edge of Exmoor. The village’s name (and indeed, the campsite’s name) is Waterrow and it is on the westernmost edge of Somerset’s border with Devon.

Waterrow Touring Park is an adults only site (our preference) and we liked it the minute we arrived. It’s one of the “Tranquil Parks” collective, which we love – very rural and quiet, with lots of wildlife. We had a fully serviced pitch (our preference, especially for a longer stay) and we were soon hooked up and warming up with a cuppa. It was starting to get very chilly but we had a snug and cosy night after our curry, courtesy of Sainsbury’s. Some people had obviously spent Christmas here too and had decorated their vans. Very pretty.

The next day, we woke up to a winter wonderland – not snow but the heaviest frost so far this year. It was beautiful, with the sun glistening off all the frosty branches. It was, apparently, the coldest night of the year and all our external pipes were frozen. Luckily, the shower block was close and well-heated and we had soon showered and broken our fast. We resolved to remove all external pipes/hoses and bring them indoors, so that we would have a better chance of not freezing overnight again. We also brought our 5 litre water container into play as a source of tooth cleaning and kettle boiling water. The site had mains water and also its own spring which was lovely, with a bright, lively taste. I kept a fresh bottle by the bed during our stay.

We had a grocery delivery to pick up (Waitrose) in nearby Wellington and made our way there through the delightful country lanes. Somerset is a beautiful county, all the more so in its winter wardrobe. The frost stuck around all day, even in the bright sunshine and it was obvious that there was to be another frosty night. We would be better prepared this time!

Other than pick up our groceries, we did not have much planned as we both need a rest after our Christmas exertions – 3 days of cooking and entertaining plus all that being sociable had taken its toll! We had lunch back at the van ( a feast of Waitrose delights) and then went out for a drive to the north of Waterrow. There were pheasants everywhere. I can’t actually recall ever seeing such a concentration of them. and they are bonkers, running around madly when they hear the car approaching. Sadly, there were quite a few quite a few squished ones on the main roads, but they were in no danger from us. The lanes were winding, narrow and often icy, so we were taking it nice and slow. We now have an entire library of pheasant pictures!

It was an equally cold night and another beautiful day dawned – no problem with water this time – although we still had to shower in the block rather than the van as 5 litres doesn’t go very far! We had a trip to The Donkey Sanctuary near Sidmouth planned and the weather looked perfect. It was cold, but there was no wind to add chill factor. It was about an hour’s drive from where we were staying and again it was another pretty drive.

We arrived about midday and spent a very lovely 3 hours there. The donkeys are adorable and I wanted to take each and every one of them home. One day! It was nice that dogs are made so welcome there. We are often barred from “visitor attractions” because we always have Archie with us on our caravan trips. I knew he’d enjoy it too, as he is always very interested in horses/donkeys – in a good way! We now have an entire library of donkey pictures!

The light was beginning to fade so we had a quick drive round Sidmouth before making our way back home. The weather forecast showed a warming up tendency and there was no frost on New Year’s Eve.We liked the look of the town. It had lots of interesting independent shops and eateries. Worth another visit some time, certainly.

New Year’s eve dawned and the frost was gone. We could shower in the comfort of our own home at last. Lovely. We were to explore Exmoor today. Not the best day – a bit gloomy but never mind. Another nice drive and our our first port of call (literally?!) was Porlock Weir. We had visited there before with our old buddies, Paul and Sue Rogers and Archie’s brother, Freddie. It was a lot wamrer that time!! There was a chilly old wind today and although it was actually warmer, the cold wind made it seem much chillier than the day before. We were planning to do the 21 mile Scenic Loop. which was a figure of 8, taking in Lynton & Lynmouth and the Valley of Rocks. The drive started in Brendon and we made our way there via the infamous Porlock Hill. where the road climbs approximately 1,300 ft (400 m) in less than 2 miles (3.2 km) up onto Exmoor. It’s a very steep hill with gradients of up to 1 in 4 and hairpin bends. We like!! On the way we saw a small herd of Exmoor ponies. So beautiful.

We stopped in Lynmouth – the lower of the two towns for a walk around and a light lunch and then pressed on round the loop. We timed it very well (luck!) to see a steam train from a recently restored section of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway pulling in to Woody Bay Station. Much excitment! Whilst we had visited Exmoor before, we had never been to the Valley of Rocks and were very impressed. Quite spectacular.

We returned to the caravan for a cuppa and a snooze and then to get ready for our NYE dinner at the The Rock Pub in the village. We recived a very wam welcome, with a roaring fire. The food was very good and we had a pleasant evening. There were very few fireworks so Archie had a very calm time, which was a big relief.

New Years day was quiet. We had a late and unhurried breakfast and then popped to Taunton for a quick bit of shopping (mainly me) and some bread and then had a largely lazy remainder of the first day of 2015. We were off home tomorrow with a filthy car (muddy lanes) and a filthy caravan (road spray) but we had a very nice break and I suspect the “twixtmas” (awful!!) break in the caravan will become a permanent fixture.

I’ll end with the 2014 stats. We spent a total of 35 nights in the van – over a month if you look at it like that. We stayed in 12 different counties and 2 countries. We went on a ferry to the IOW and (shh) we bought a new caravan for next year, which we are picking it up – weather permitting – at the end of February. We hope to have one more trip away in Mr Munsch, which we have loved dearly and which has been thousands of miles with us. Sad to be saying goodbye but it’s time to move on to what we hope will be our ideal van.

October 27, 2014Uncategorized

Somers Wood for the Caravan Show – 17-19 October

Another quickie report – this time to visit the Caravan Show at the NEC and another repeat visit, too. This time to Somers Wood Caravan Park, just outside Meriden in the West Midlands. It’s the perfect location to stay for a visit to the NEC. We realised this fact when we stayed here for the New Year. It’s a lovely site too, set (as the name might suggest) in a wood with plenty of wildlife to spot. The welcome you get at check-in is great, too. Like greeting an old friend.

We had a good journey up, other than having to queue from the Peartree Interchage to the M40 sliproad – some 7 miles. But it was Friday afternoon and there were roadworks, so it was only to be expected. We soon arrived and again we got set up in the daylight and were soon relaxing with a cuppa before the rain started.

It was not a quiet night. The rain was often quite heavy and it always seems noisier when it is falling off trees – must be some scientific explanation for that? It was also windy (a legacy from Hurricane Gonzalo, which had hit Bermuda earlier in the week) so even when it wasn’t actually raining, the wind blew the rain from the trees onto the roof. It happens occasionally and is not the end of the world – in fact we were chuckling about it – initially at least.

We were up early as we wanted to get in and do what we wanted to do and get out again, so after a quick breakfast we hopped in the car and set off for the short journey (see below) to the NEC.

There was very little queuing and we soon parked and made our way to the halls where the show was being held, intent on a cup of coffee and a show guide so that we could plan our offensive. Our son, George, had gone to a lot of trouble to get free passes for the show for us. Sadly, someone (OK it was me) had left them at home. He was very understanding when I “fessed up”, bless him, but it did mean that we had to buy tickets too.

We were through the doors on the dot of 10 and the first vans we clapped eyes on were Bessacar – something of a Rolls Royce when it comes to the caravan world. They are relatives (rich Aunt) of our favourite brand, springing from the same manufacturer, but very luxurious and bristling with mod cons. Looking at them was a grave tactical error, though, as they raised the bar very high indeed. But they aren’t within our price range, being about £30,000, so we moved on! Oh and they are heavy so we couldn’t tow one anyway! Minor detail.

We looked at a very nice van early on and I was all for doing the deal right there and then. My ever-prudent husband had other ideas and insisted we wait until we had exhausted every possibility (and ourselves!). He was quite right and there were a couple of other possibilities but we kept coming back to the first one we had seriously viewed. And so we went back. And bought it. We take delivery in the new year. Another one, you might exclaim? Yes. And this one will have to be with us for a while, but it is pretty much ideal. I guess we have been looking for this van since our first one and now that we know exactly what we want, it should be a keeper.

It was abou 3.30 by this time and we made our way out, calling in to see, in person, the chap we have been dealing with for our USA adventure next year, of which more nearer the time. It was nice to put a face to a name.

So it was home, television and an early night after our taxing day.

The next morning was beautiful and the wood looked lovely, resplendent in its Autumn colours. We set off for home about 10.30 and arrived back in good time. No lawn mowing this time but it WILL have to be done again before the season ends.

October 24, 2014Uncategorized

Bladon Chains for the Oxford Canal – 29-31 August

Just a quickie as this was a(nother) repeat visit to this busy camp-site near Blenheim Palace and the lovely Cotswold town of Woodstock, with its beautiful honey stone buildings and independent shops. Once again, the purpose of our stay was a day boat on the Oxford Canal, our third and last such day this year. It was a good trip up and we were soon settled, in the daylight , and ready to relax. Which we did!

We were up early to make sarnies and meet our friends Kate & Paul and Kate’s dad (Chris) at the boat location in Thrupp. It took us about 10 minutes to get from the camp-site and we spotted the work of some yarn-bombers on the way. Very attractive. Such a pleasant and harmless form of graffiti, I always think.

The Hansford party were coming up from Portchester. Luckily, as it was an early morning start, they had a good trip up and we were soon ensconced on the boat, hand over and briefing completed and on our way. Coffee was soon on and we ate and drank our way up the canal, past the Rock of Gibraltar pub and on through several locks to our turn round point. We were looking for sloe bushes but didn’t find many accessible ones. There were a great deal of wild hops around and we gathered some for decorative purposes. It was a lovely day with no rain and pretty warm, considering we were approaching the end of summer. It was much nicer than the photos make it look, anyway!

After we had handed the boat back, we had a quick pop into Woodstock so that the Hansfords could see how pretty it was. Sadly, it was late afternoon and the shops were all just closing but there were still a few picture opportunities – including a view of the back gate of Blenheim Palace!

Next it was on to the historic pub known as “The Perch” at Binsey, just outside Oxford, where we had dinner booked. We had visited there quite a few years before, but from the Thames itself. We had a very pleasant meal and then said our fond farewells – us back to the van and the Hansfords back to Portchy.

We watched a spot of television and then plumped for an early night after all that fresh air and the early start. There was no reason to dally in the morning and we were off and away and home by about 1 o’clock. Just in time to mow the lawn – probably not for the last time this year. Happy days.