Our first proper trip away in the new bus, packed for touring but we have yet to weigh it, so we were a bit uncertain on payload. We have determined, however, to try and pack less and not carry so much unnecessary weight around. Whether Mrs Marcos can manage this remains to be seen, especially with a very large shoe bin conveniently located under the dinette table!
For this trip we decided that another trip to the Peak District was in order and we found that the South Yorkshire Section of the Cackyvan Club had a weekend meet at Chatsworth House, so we planned our trip around that. First stop, however, was a quick call into Camper UK to get them to look at the swivel loo locking mechanism. Basically, the loo swings away and hides, leaving the shower free for a good skoosh. The locking mechanism wasn't set correctly and the loo could swing about. One doesn't want to be swinging about when relaxing on the loo, but Camper UK very quickly fixed that. We decided that heading across to Chatsworth in the rush hour wasn't worth it so we spent the night on a delightful little certified site near Lincoln, SkyBarn CL. We enjoyed a very peaceful night here before eventually heading across to Chatsworth.
On Friday it took longer to get to Chatsworth than we thought and the journey included the nasty, horribly marked roundabout in Chesterfield and the narrow Chatsworth Road, which is always full of large lorries. Eventually we arrived at the Golden Gates, which were closed and we wondered how we were going to get in when suddenly they swung open. Maurice, a member of the South Yorks group, had a remote control for the gates and he let us in, directing us to the pitching area and convincing us to join the Cathargo owners club. We quickly pitched up and, in glorious sunshine, we walked to Chatsworth house, had an expensive pint in the Courtyard (we have had experience of the Duke of Ripoffshire before) and then walked across the river to Edensor for a mooch about and a delicious tea and cake in the tea rooms.
The following day we decided to catch the bus into Bakewell where there was a food fair taking place. The bus stopped outside the Golden Gates, but, in theory, there was no pedestrian access through the gates. That didn't stop us. We waited for a car to come through and pretended we were a car too and crossed the cattle grid through the gates before they swung shut. Bakewell was, obviously, very busy. We had a wander around then headed to Thorntons brewery for some great beers and pizza before heading back to town and catching the bus back.
On Sunday we enjoyed a lazy morning before driving the very short distance to New Farm on Tideswell Moor. This is a lovely little CL miles from anywhere run by a very nice Farmer named Sue. We eventually parked up (we had a whole field to choose from so it was a very hard decision) and settled in for the afternoon.
On Monday we walked up the hill to admire the view then trundled down into Tideswell, which was more of less closed. We had a quick pint and a nice sandwich in the tea rooms before trying to squeeze into the tiny Co-Op to reprovision for the new few days. It was uphill all the way back.
The following morning was overcast with a few showers, so we relaxed in the van before going for a short walk to Wheston House Farm and Mootiful Milk for one of their delicious Milk Shakes before taking the short cut cross country home. It was bright and sunny but there was a very cold, strong Easterly wind blowing. The weather forecast, however, was good so we decided to stop another day.
Castleton beckoned the following day. In theory it is a 4.2 mile walk, but flat it isn't. In glorious weather we set out, enjoying the walk until we reached the steep, rocky descent into Castleton via Cave Dale. It took us a long time to gingerly navigate this treacherous track. We refreshed ourselves with beer and lunch in the first pub we came to (The George), had a very quick wander around town then headed back up the incredibly steep Cow Low (no Cows and it isn't low) before finding the trail back to the site. We walked 9.5 miles that day and were knackered.
Thursday it was up and heading for home, stopping in Chesterfield for weighing. We were very pleased to find that we do have some weight spare.
In all it was a great trip. We stopped in the lovely places (4 nights in Tideswell for less than 1 night in the Cackyvan Club site in Castleton). We thoroughly tested the van and our first impressions are generally positive. We knew that the reduction in size would have an impact. Only one person can move around at any one time. There is loads of stowage and the garage is significantly easier to access than Lotti's. If you open the back doors with the front whoosh-bang open, the wind whistles through like a wind tunnel. It is quieter, smoother and more nimble than Lotti - and being automatic a pleasure to drive. The shower is spacious enough, but a bugger to clean. The fridge is superb! The Thetford compressor being so much better than the Dometic absorption we had before. The van is economical - we were getting 37/38 mpg at 64mph on the motorway, more at slower speeds. Finally, we have a bit of weight to spare. We still have a few things to sort out, but it took 6 years to get Lotti how we wanted so there is no rush.
