Brighton and Emsworth 25 - 28 Apr 13

It's been a while since we've been away, mainly because the bus has been with Swift (ha!) having some modifications done to the belly bins to ensure that the whole thing stays dry and damp free. So, complete with hard to open and ultra-watertight belly bins we set off for a bit of a tour to the South.



Walton

 

The first port of call was a quick stop at Walton to enable family visiting duties to be carried out. The walk to the station doesn't get any shorter, but I did have a nice stroll along the riverbank on a sunny morning, only to find the narrow footpath to the station blocked by a very large horse, who couldn't turn around in the narrow space. I was facing the biting end, so nervously I moved towards the beast and quietly suggested that Tescos were looking for some more lasagne filling and should reverse back into the field where he may be safe. Luckily he heeded my advice and reversed. Walton is having a lot of work done to it and is a very good site. Shame about the local area though.

On Thursday is off to Brighton, arriving at the Caravan Club site on a bright sunny day. Quickly setting up, we then meandered along the seafront and into Brighton, enjoying a delightful al fresco lunch listening to a jazz band, before sampling a few pubs, the pier and then heading back to the bus. I had left the awning out to protect the fridge from the sun, and at about 4.30am the wind suddenly got up and started rattling the awning. Having visions of us setting sail for France, I got up and silently rewound the the awning before going back to bed.

Brighton from the pier

 

Friday saw a leisurely breakfast and then a run along the coast to the Camping and Caravanning Club site at Emsworth, near Chichester. This is a small site with nowhere near the sumptuous facilities of the Caravan Club, but it is nicely located and we set up and walked into Emsworth, had a very nice cream tea and trundled back for Moules Frites in the bus.   On Saturday we caught the bus from outside the site for a somewhat laborious trundle in Portsmouth and Gunwharf Keys, where the mad woman managed to buy lots of things, but treated me to lunch to make up for my suffering. We then had a walk to Spice Isalnd and Portsmouth Old Town, then on to Southsea (horrible pleasure park) and then to catch the bus back to Emsworth.

In all, a nice little run out and the two sites on the south coast are certainly worth visiting again.

Brighton Marina
 

Moules Frites