Chertsey 20-23 April 2012

Happy St George's Day!

The final game of the season at the Stoop and the chance to meet up with my fellow retiree, Martin, suggested that yet another weekend at Chertsey was on the cards, particularly as the weather in late April should be a bit kinder.

As for the weather? Well, we can confirm that the bus is watertight and we also discovered that the awning is a real boon when it just doesn't stop raining.


Anyway, it was the usual run down on Friday (but in the morning now that I have time on my hands). Parked up on grass this time as there was no hard standings left (thanks to the useless camping club online system that is completely pants). I then wandered over to the river and found Martin and Mr Bumburglar moored up under the bridge. Martin decided that the mooring was not the optimum one, so moved into the bay in front of the hotel, throwing a line to me to haul him into the berth. I hauled and tugged until blue in the face, only to find that he had run aground and I was trying to haul 15 tons of metal and biscuits, plus shift the bed of the River Thames! Back we went and tied up at the original mooring and repaired to the pub for a spot of lunch.

The afternoon was spent wandering around the pubs of Chertsey (interesting and probably not recommended) before meeting Debs at the station and retiring back again to the pub for dinner.

Saturday, off to Twickenham to watch Harlequins v Leicester. which was fantastic game which we sadly lost. Ho hum, but there was some consolation in watching Murphy, the obnoxious Leicester Captain, get well and truly mullered by our brave boys! We then trundled back to Chertsey and Martin joined us for a consolation bottle of wine or 3.

Sunday, up and about and then off on a cruise to Runnymede in glorious warm sunshine. A quick cream tea in the National Trust tearooms (yummy) and then a walk up to the JFK memorial and the Magna Carta Memorial, before heading back to the boat just in time for the rain to start again. Damp, but content, we retired to the bus for dinner (BBQ chops cooked on the new(ish) grill). Knackered, we retired to bed fairly early and, in the morning, waved Martin off as he continued his travels, packed up and headed home in the continuing rain.



...and off he goes to cause mayhem and chaos on waterways everywhere

West Runton - 30 Mar to 1 Apr

There was a real need to get away this weekend after a very emotional and frantic last week at work before retiring on Friday. I shall certainly miss the good friends and banter at work, but I shall certainly not miss all those meetings! Oh well - onwards and upwards and back to Norfolk, slowly working our way around the coast, this time staying at West Runton, which lies between Cromer and Sheringham.

An easy drive up with Debs working in the bus (the 3 mobile Internet is a real boon), arriving in daylight (oh bliss) and negotiating the narrow, bumpy, twisty lane onto the site. The site managers were friendly and helpful and we were soon set up, watered up, powered up and boozed up! The site is large and very clean, but it hacks me off that the Camping Club class this as mid-season and ramp the fees up accordingly. It will soon be the case that a campsite will cost as much as a Travelodge, and us pensioners have to look after the pennies you know!


On Saturday, after a fitful nights sleep with still much on my mind, I went for an early walk (3 miles) down to West Runton and ended up on the beach, watching the sun rise.  However, getting to the beach meant crossing Incleborough Hill and, on entering the common, there was a sign warning of adders, then a sign warning of an electric fence, then a sign warning of wild ponies grazing and, finally, a sign warning of golfers!  If I made is across alive it would be a miracle, but I suppose I must be grateful that there was no minefield or a hungry pack of wolves roaming the plain! Anyway, back to the beach. The sun rose with a new dawn on my new life. It sort of put things into perspective and, happy, I walked back over the danger-filled hill, picking up the papers on the way.

Once Debs finally emerged, we breakfasted on bacon sarnies and then set off to walk to Cromer. We were both tired after the previous week, so progress was slow, but we crossed the hill enjoying the coconut smell of the flowering gorse, crossed the golf course and followed the coast into Cromer, where we had fish and chips for lunch overlooking the sea in the Red Lion Hotel (nice, but quite expensive). Wandering along the pier we popped into the lifeboat station, but couldn't understand a word the Coxswain said as his accent was so thick (lots to do with the launching and recovering his boot, which seems a strange thing to do). We then purchased some of the famous Cromer crab,, had an ice cream and then headed back to the site, stopping in East Runton to catch the result of our wonderful Harlequins win over Saffascum, maintaining out rightful place at the top of the table. Huzzah! Total distance walked - about 8 miles.

On Saturday evening the chip van turned up. Shall we just say that the owner was "Normal for Norfolk".

Knackered, we turned in early and both of us slept the sleep of the just and woke up refreshed and raring to go. After a quick read of the Sunday Times we headed off over the hill again in bright blue skies for a short bimble into Sheringham. Recognising that we were both still pretty worn out, we decided on an easy stroll along the coast, over Beeston Bump and into Sheringham. There are a number of static caravan parks along here and the tin monstrosities, whilst now painted light green rather than glaring white, could do with being painted dark green, not parked in lines and half planted in the ground to lessen the corruption of this glorious landscape.

In Sheringham we wandered around a gallery, I bought a T shirt and we had rather a nice cream tea before heading back again to West Runton and a pint in the pub we visited the last time we were up this way (about 10 years ago). Finally we got back to the site and relaxed in the warm sunshine outside the bus. Total walk - about 6 miles.

Monday, up and packed in record time, off site at 0730 and home and unpacked by 10. The weekend went all too quickly but it was a great way to manage the transition to retirement.

As for the site: large, quiet, spotless, tucked away and with glorious walks on the doorstep. Well worth another visit.