Cambridgeshire 11-14 Sep 19

The title of this post is Cambridgeshire, but we did tip a toe into Essex, but we wont tell anybody will we? Basically, we had a voucher for a vineyard tour at Chilford Hall Vineyard, a place we had visited previously but it is always nice to go back and see how they are getting on. The vineyard is 33 miles from home, but involves negotiating the awful A14 and we had to be there by 0945hrs, so we decided to stay the night at the Cambridge Camping and Caravanning Site. What a nice little site this is! We walked to the park and ride, took the hideously overpriced bus into Cambridge, did a couple of chores, had lunch in a pub and then caught the bus back to the site.

Cambridge C&CC site

On Thursday it was up and out early to get to Chilford Hall, parking up and then joining the excellent wine tour, lunch and tasting, supervised by a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide, Graham. We had permission to stop the night, so we then downed another bottle of their very good wine before heading back to the van for a relaxing evening and a very quiet night's kip. There is something special about drinking wine made and bottled in the premises.

We didn't want to overstay our welcome, so on Friday morning we packed up early and cleared off before that morning's tour came in, heading for Audley End House and holding at Tescos in Saffron Walden until it opened. The gate at Audley End House was not designed for big motorhomes, so we had to enter through the exit. Of course, we hadn't passed through the ticket office so we had to walk back to the entrance, pretend we were a car and sort out our authority to visit. Who'd have thought that it was possible to sneak into a Country House in a 7m x 2.2m Motorhome! We are obviously very stealthy.

Audley End House

Some of Capability's work

We had a great time wandering around the house and gardens and enjoyed a splendid lunch in the café before heading back to Cambridge Camp Site, where, on the spur of the moment, we had decided to spend another night as the weather was so good. We sat around in the warm sunshine, drank a bottle of wine, and picked some blackberries, which were growing in abundance in the hedge behind our pitch.

Blackberries

On Saturday we completed the very short journey home. We hadn't gone very far but it was a splendid, restful and interesting trip. Just goes to show - you don't have to go miles from home to have a good time

Shrewsbury 19 - 27 Aug 19

Rather than go home between the Western Motorhome Show at Malvern and the Shrewsbury Folk Festival, we decided to hold at Oxon Hall Caravan Site, just outside Shrewsbury. At peak time, with a  serviced pitch meant a big cost,  but we decided we needed  a good rest between events and paid up. We didn't really get up to much, particularly as the weather had decided, at last, that it was August and perhaps it should really try and warm up, so on Monday we just set up and relaxed.

On Tuesday we took the park and ride bus into Shrewsbury/Shrowsbury and wandered around this lovely city. She tried on a puffa jacket in the Cotswold sale, but decided it was a bit big so she didn't buy it. We lunched in the Wetherspoons (we know how to live) then headed back for more relaxation. 

The Quarry

Percy Thrower's Garden

Ebeneezer Scrooge's grave

Strangely, she received an email offering a further 15% off of Cotswold so, on Wednesday, we went straight back into Shrewsbury to try on the jacket again. That 15% made all the difference - and it fitted!

Oo-err!

Thursday we did absolutely nothing apart from wander into the Co-Op to reprovision ready for the Folk Festival.

Friday morning at very early o'clock we drove the short distance to the showground to get into place before all the squeeze-em-ins tried to pitch on our bonnet. We found a lovely spot next to a couple from Harlech (although they weren't Welsh) and cooked breakfast, then wandered in to town to collect a pair of trousers from Rohan that had been ordered. Back the short distance to the festival and then the music started - and didn't stop until gone midnight on the bank holiday Monday.

Saturday was a good day. England absolutely stuffed Ireland, so the cross of St George had to be raised and a whole day was spent in glorious warm sunshine listening to some excellent music.

Swing low, sweet chariot

Sunday started with watching some Morris men cavort about the place then sitting around sweltering in the hot sun watching band after band and drinking lots of real ale and cider to stay hydrated.

Queuing for the showers - glad we have our own on board.

Desperately seeking any shade whatsoever.

Monday was even hotter, and dustier. Everything was covered in dust thrown up by vehicle movements over the bone dry tracks. Still, the music was good and the Jamaican Chicken Curry very good indeed and the partying went on until late in the evening. Even better, England beat the Aussies in the Test Match. What a great weekend this was turning out to be.

Tuesday, it was packing up to go and a bit of time spent trying to get rid of some of the dust from the van.

Western Motorhome Show Malvern 15-19 Aug 19

Yee Ha! Time to mount up and head off to the Wild West again. The journey was horrendous - traffic jams, roadworks and whoever designed that roundabout near Worcester needs a good kick in the nuts! Eventually we arrived and parked up with the usual suspects from the Motorhome Fun crowd. We wandered over to the sheds to listen to a bit of "Country and Western" (not really our thing) and to suppress a giggle at all the line dancers. Why do people Line Dance? To give Morris Dancers something to laugh at!

On Friday we had a quick canter around the show where we really lashed out and bought some toilet rolls and some cleaner  before the heavens opened and we ended up spending most of the day in the van.

Saturday we took the bus into Malvern, had a wander around the excellent market, then back again to watch the rugby. In the evening we joined the rest of the motley crew in the funster tent for an evening of very loud merriment. No wonder they park us well away from everybody else.

The Narnia Lampost

On Sunday we had a long walk around the show, laughed at the cowboys and injuns, chatted, had a bit of lunch (Thai - excellent) then went with Anne and John on a shed-crawl to listen to the music (well, mainly to chat and to ignore the music in the background).

He's a rootin' tootin' outlaw, but he still uses a poo bag for his dawg!

How much rubbish can you fit in a little hole?

Last off again

Monday it was packing up and off for 4 nights to a camp site near Shrewsbury, enduring another long traffic delay around that awful Worcester place and avoiding yet another major traffic delay on the M5. 

Norfolk Motorhome Show 18-22 Jul 19

We said we wouldn't bother with this show again but it had, allegedly, improved and we had nothing else booked for this weekend so we went, despite the awful route from home to Norwich. Anyway, we arrived in good time and parked up with the Motorhome Fun group on newly cut short grass and quickly settled in, meeting old friends from previous events. The pop-up gazebo was erected in seconds, but all the adornment of bunting and lights took a lot longer to set up, particularly as we kept stopping to chat (as you do). We then went to the show to see a live band and a Peter Kay tribute act, which was OK I suppose. A nightcap followed in the gazebo, romantically lit with small twinkly lights,

You spend a fortune on a motorhome then end up living in a £200 tent?

On Friday we had a bimble around the show, which is a lot smaller than some of the other shows, but it was nice to meet up with those lovely people at Giso microfibre and Becks Motorhomes. In the afternoon the heavens opened and the rain came pelting down. We sat in the gazebo and it was warm and dry, but we couldn't hear a thing over the deafening drumming of rain on the roof! It rained until late so we couldn't be bothered to get soaked going to the entertainment as it was a 10 minute walk to the venue.

The following day we took the bus into Norwich, a city we know quite well, but we do enjoy wandering around especially as we rarely visit in warm summer sunshine. Lunch in a Caribbean restaurant, a bit of shopping in the excellent market and then home in time for the show that evening, tributes to UB40 (excellent), Wham/Duran Duran (average) and the Blues Brothers (absolutely superb). then sleep and a stonking hangover on Sunday :-(

Norwich market

Dripping roll anyone?

Sunday was a slow day. We bought a sticky map which shows which counties you have visited and that's about it. Fish and chips in the impressive Routemaster Bus converted into a chip shop, then off to the show again to watch the Sundaes and a 60s/70s band, which were OK, but annoyed us by constantly announcing "Laydeesangennelmen".

Monday we were one of the last to leave - chatting again...….