Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire 19 Aug to 1 Sep 21

 

Thursday 19th August and our first time out with a Tow Car (Toad). It was a bit nerve-wracking, and we stopped a few times to make sure that the connection was solid and the brakes weren't overheating, but the little fella followed us all the way to Malvern without a problem. On arrival at the 3 Counties Showground, we quickly set up with the usual Motorhome Fun crowd and relaxed. Later we wandered down to the music but is was the usual slit-your-wrist country dirges and the queues for the bar were massive, so we didn't stop.

Three Counties Showground

On Friday we had a quick walk around the show. There was more on offer than at  Peterborough, although there is obviously still a shortage of motorhomes to sell, so there were fewer dealers than usual. Those motorhomes that were offered for sale seemed very overpriced, which demonstrates the problems now. As usual at these events there were thousands of bloody dogs wandering around, including one little wretch whose owner let it pee up the side of our our gazebo. Bastards! In the afternoon we took to the Toad to visit Malvern then over the hill to the Weston Cider Mill, where we purchased a few bottles from a personality-starved miserable member of staff, then back through the charming town of Ledbury and home for tea and cake, followed by some rather nice Rhubarb cider. In the evening we felt quite cheerful so didn't even bother going to listen to Country and Western singers banging on about how depressing their lives are.

Westons Cider Mill

"Rosie" at Westons Cider Mill

The grave of Anne Darwin, Charles Darwin's daughter 

Sat 21 Aug. It peed down all morning. When it eventually stopped in mid afternoon we wandered down to the show again and decided that the only thing worth buying was an ice cream. Later we just sat in the van and chilled - we know how to live. 

Re-enactors

More graves. Roget, compiler of the Thesaurus, is buried, interred, entombed, planted, in West Malvern

Malvern Hills

On Sunday the weather was a bit better. After a lazy morning we wandered down to the show again for a mooch about, bought a couple of delicious huntsman pies for lunch, went back down to buy a longer pipe for our external cooker, then went for a visit to Sir Edward Elgar's grave before relaxing in the sun until it went down over the hills at what seems like a very early hour. Later we wandered down to laugh at the line dancing and endure a bit of country and western before heading back to bed under a beautiful moonlight sky.

Lots of cowboys but no Injuns - cultural misappropriation perhaps?

Sir Edward Elgar's Grave

View from the Hills

Toad Attached and ready to roll

Line dancing. No - don't snigger.

Monday we moved onto Home Farm Campsite in Bircher, near Leominster in Herefordshire. Herefordshire is one of the few counties we have yet to check off on our mission to stay at least 1 night in all UK counties. The site is tidy, clean and with beautiful views over the Herefordshire countryside. Later we visited one of the local National Trust houses, Berrington Hall, a neat country house set in the last of Capability Brown's creations. At night it was interesting to see how few lights there were in the distance. It really is a very rural area and we decided that we must go back to complete the Black and White Village trail.

Berrington Hall

Going for a wander with a glass of wine (and why not?)

On Tuesday 24th we walked across the fields into Yarpole, a delightful little village and visited the fantastic little community shop/cafe in the church. The rhubarb and orange cake is to die for, although sitting on somebody's grave whilst eating it suggests perhaps I should use a better description. We were meant to go on to Clee Hill to visit my sister in the afternoon, but the rough roads of the West Midlands had caused the old exhaust pipe on the Toad to give up the ghost. Noisily, and sounding like a mini-tank, we spent the afternoon visiting the nearby Croft Castle.

Yarpole

The Bell at Yarpole

Don't mind if we sit and have tea on your grave do you?

Croft Castle

On Wednesday we were due to go onto Oxon Hall in Shrewsbury, but luckily the very helpful and charming staff at Kwik Fit Leominster managed to fit a new exhaust and whilst they were doing this my sister came to Leominster and joined us for a pleasant lunch, before we set off on the 1 hour journey to Oxon Hall. Arriving at the site we were met by a grumpy member of staff and a rather unhelpful attitude towards our request for an early departure to get to the Shrewsbury Folk Festival on the Friday. I'm not saying the staff were rude or impolite, we just felt that the welcome and interaction didn't match the high prices they charge for staying at this place. In previous years the staff were brilliant - this year, dour and unresponsive.  

Priory Church of St Peter and St Paul, Leominster

Grange Court, Leominster

On Thursday we spent the day wandering around the delightful town of Shrewsbury.

Shrewsbury

The King's Head, Shrewsbury

The Old Market Hall

Early on Friday we departed Oxon Hall for the short drive to the Shrewsbury Folk Festival. We found a great little pitch, set up and then, as it was still very early, wandered into Shrewsbury again before the music started later that afternoon. We had a charming couple in a caravan park next to us and, as space was tight, we offered to try and tuck Mr Toad away so that they had more room. We gathered an unbelieving audience as tiny Mr Toad crept his way under the awning and tucked himself away in less space than that taken up by a table and chairs, to the accompaniment of "ooh" and "aaah" from our fans. In the evening the music started and we wandered backwards and forwards between the stages and the food and beer tents.

The Quarry Gardens

The Dingle

Saturday, Sunday and Monday we spent at the festival, finally enjoying live music including Lindisfarne, Show of Hands, The Longest Johns, Seth Lakeman  and Kate Rusby as well as trying loads of local ales and ciders and eating our way around the world from the many and varied food stalls. The weather stayed dry, but, boy, was it cold! Had anybody told Shrewsbury that it was August?

Need sustenance to see us through the hectic schedule

Morris dancers

The carnage that is Ceilidh

Chuffing Freezing!

Late night jamming

On Tuesday we packed up and were undecided where to go. We have 1 remaining county on our "spend a night in each county" project, namely Staffordshire. To correct this we spent a night at the Camping and Cackyvanning Club site at Cannock Chase, after a very quick stop at the outlet mall in Cannock, and relaxed after a very tiring weekend.

Cannock Chase Camping Club Site

On Wednesday we travelled home, spoiling ourselves by using the smooth M6 toll and being held up by a broken down lorry on the A14  and the associated formation of Highways Agency Traffic officers (I call them doughnut eaters because all they appear to do it block the roads and eat doughnuts without solving anything).