Norfolk 25-27 May 13

On Friday it rained. It rained some more and then, for a change, it rained again. We had spent some time negotiating the ridiculous Caravan Club booking system to obtain 2 nights at the Incleboro Fields site near Sheringham and we were really in two minds whether or not to go as it was a bank holiday and the prices are horrendous, plus the roads would be jam-packed. Anyway - go we did and arrived on site after a long 2.5 hour drive in quite heavy traffic, but at least it was dry!

After the usual indecisive meander around the huge site looking for a pitch, we eventually found a nice, near level spot quite near to the exit. We laughed at the caravans pulling in and trying to arrange wooden blocks to suspend their sheds up in the air to cope with the sloping pitches, and shook our heads at the attempts to take over the world with awnings, sunshades, windbreaks and various other paraphernalia.

On Saturday I unhitched the bikes and we cycled, cross-country, into Sheringham, where we meandered around, had a nice lunch in the pub, bought a lovely fresh crab for tea and then cycled back for a bit of a sort out of the bus ready for the next jaunt. We also managed to negotiate a further nights stay and the weather looked set fair for a change.

The following day we walked into Cromer, decided we didn't really like it all that much, and walked back along the beach, again buying Cromer crab for a nice sandwich for lunch (although the Sheringham crab tasted better). In the afternoon we had a bit of a relax in the sunshine and then, after dinner pootled around the lovely smelling hills (the gorse really whiffs of coconut at this time of year) to watch the sun go down. The only downside were the families along the row a bit from our pitch. The kids were fine - it is the mothers who insist on conversing with their offspring at a decibel level that any Guards drill sergeant would be proud of! Why DO they do that?  I thought children had sensitive hearing?

On Monday we were up and gone whilst the shed-draggers were still dismantling the huge circuses they insist on attaching to their vans. The queues of traffic heading for the seaside were a sight to behold.

The site is nice, but we have done this areas to death now and it is time to go elsewhere as it is just too far for a weekend away.

Stoke Ferry Norfolk 10-13 May 13

The plan was to meet up with Martin and his narrowboat on a site that is adjacent to a navigable waterway and fairly close to friends in Downham Market to enable a visit. After much research we came across Grange Farm Touring Park, and it was there we set up for the weekend after a very turbulent and bumpy journey across the Fens on a Friday evening. I learnt to drive in London, so little on the road worries me too much, but Fen drivers....well, words fail me.

We arrived at about 1930hrs to find Martin lurking by the gate waiting for somebody to provide him with food. Accordingly, we rustled up fish and chips, only to find the gas bottle ran out half way through and we didn't notice that the oven had gone off as we were too busy drinking wine! Anyway - after a delayed meal and lots of booze Martin staggered back to his boat and we staggered off to bed.

The Priest's Hole at Oxburgh Hall

On Saturday morning, our tame boat owner once again appeared looking for food, so we fed him bacon rolls (or "bread buns" as he describes them) and we headed off to the local National Trust house, Oxburgh Hall, where we spent a delightful few hours exploring this lovely proprty. We then trundled off along the A10 to another delightful property - Beers of Europe, the largest beer shop in the UK! To appease the memsahib, we then had a pootle around a very nice furniture shop before retiring back to the site for dinner on the boat (which, somehow, I managed to end up supplying and cooking (and trying to carve a joint with a knife that is as blunt as a rolling pin is no easy matter)).

The following day we again fed the mumping water gypsy, before setting off on his boat for a cruise to the pub to meet up with the Taylors. After a very pleasant cruise along the river Wissey, we arrived at Hilgay only to be told that the local pub was pants and the Taylors would take us to a much nicer pub in Denver. Accordingly we squeezed into their car and had a superb Sunday carvery with lots of food and great company. We parted at Hilgay and set off for the 2 hour cruise back to the campsite (it is only 7 miles by road), just as the rain started to come down. We arrived back at the site, moored up and repaired to the bus for cheese and biscuits and more wine.

On Monday we were up early, told the scrounging git to get his own breakfast and we headed for home.

As for the site - it was great for what we wanted. Very friendly owners, very clean facilities and a very good location. There is a bit of road noise, but that is a minor issue.

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 Island 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
 

Oxford 4-7 Jan 13

After fulfilling the family duties at Christmas it was time for the first trip of 2013. It just so happened that Harlequins were playing London Welsh at the Kassam stadium this weekend and Martin also heading for Oxford in his boat, so the Camping and Caravanning Club site at Oxford was duly booked.

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As usual, I flew solo down to the site on the Friday, stopping briefly at Bicester shopping village to remind myself what an overpriced useless dump it is (but they are motorhome friendly). I had to gloat to Martin that his journey from Northampton to Oxford took 7 days - mine a mere hour and a half.

I found the site without a problem and was directed to the road alongside the pitch by the very helpful and friendly warden. It would appear that on this site they park on the roads to save the grass, but it was a bit odd. Having set up I walked into Oxford of a mooch around before meeting Debs at the station. With my distance app set on the phone, it turns out that I had walked about 19.1km! We returned to the eat dinner in the bus and turned in early.

On Saturday we were up and about early for another wander around Oxford and then meet Martin as he arrived. His journey was slower than anticipated, so we had a quick pint and decided to wander along the canal towpath to meet him. As usual with all things to do with "Jonah" Martin, there was a hitch. The Police had closed the towpath and we had to take a massive detour through Jericho to finally catch up with him a couple of miles from Oxford. Hitching a lift back on the boat, we soon moored and wandered into town for a pint or 4 and a very good meal in the Head of the River Pub. Another long walk of 25Km!

Sunday we met up at midday in the Four Candles pub for Sunday lunch before catching the no 5 bus to Blackbird Leys. Oxford is lovely. Blackbird Leys is not, and the bus was full of oddballs and ne'er do wells and we were pleased to get off. The game was pretty rubbish, but Quins won, and afterwards we checked into the Priory (the pub, not the nuthouse) for a couple of beers before taking the taxi back into town for a delicious Chinese meal.

Monday was a leisurely start and a slow bimble back home.

As for the site....Hmmmm. It badly needs work, but there is an issue between the landowner and the Camping Club. It is handy for Oxford, but it is not a site we would really rush back to, despite the best efforts of the marvellous wardens to make the best of a bad job.

Abbey Wood 13-15 Nov 12

"For you zee var is over....zere is no escape from Stalag Luft Abbey Wood!"

Security. Is it that bad around here?

This is what went through my mind when I saw the 10' electric fence, banks of CCTV, barbed wire and warning signs surrounding this Caravan Club site in Sarf-East Larndarn, innit.  In truth though, it is a very pleasant oasis of greenery and woodland in a not particularly attractive part of the capital, but it has so much to offer and I have wanted to visit for a while, albeit we had only just returned from a long weekend away in Parma.

Greenwich Park - clearing up after the Equestrian events at the Olympics
 

The site is typical Caravan Club. Spotless, excellent facilities, professional staff and of a generally very high standard. Access from the M25 was easy and I was watered up, powered up and kettle on in no time at all. It was then off to the station, a mere 5 minutes walk away, to catch the train and Docklands Light Railway to Canary Wharf to meet Debs, who was out for her Christmas dinner. After being dragged into a bar and plied with drink, we found that we were the subject of a lot of discussion from people who know those parts about how we would be lucky to find wheels on the bus when we returned!  We returned to the site very late and somehow managed to work out the security system to allow us in for a very quiet and peaceful night's kip, confident that even the criminal underworld of Abbey Wood would not break into this site (we did set the alarm though).

Nelson's unlucky jacket at the National Maritime Museum
 

On Friday Debs went into work and I took the train to Greenwich. However, the trains were screwed so I ended up on Blackheath and walked in the peeing down rain across the heath, through Greenwich park (via the observatory) to the National Maritime Museum, where I spent a very pleasant few hours. I then bimbled around Greenwich and the Cutty Sark, before walking through the Greenwich foot tunnel and up through Docklands to Canary wharf. A long, tiring but interesting walk of about 8-9 miles and I would really like to come back and explore this area which is so rich in history. I met Debs from work and, as we were both knackered, we headed back to Abbey Wood for dinner in Tom and slept the sleep of the just.

The Cutty Sark
 



Greenwich Foot Tunnel
 


On Saturday we were up fairly early and travelled across London to Richmond, went into All Bar One for lunch and found that it is now a yuppie wine bar which doesn't serve draft ale, so we went around the corner to the Ship Inn and had a fantastic meal in there. Goodbye All Bar One - you won't be seeing us again! It was then off to the Stoop to watch Harlequins whup Zebre Rugby 53-5, then a fairly easy journey back. 



Sunday - standard morning of reading papers then an easy journey back home.


Jonny Bear enjoying Sunday Breakfast
 

Abbey Wood is a great site. I would like to go back there again as there is so much to offer in the local area.




Chertsey 28 Nov - 1 Dec

This visit was to use the site and the bus as a base to enable us to move Mother to her new house in Chiswick. This has to be the closest site geographically, but access-wise, then perhaps the caravan club sites at Abbey Wood or Crystal Palace may be easier as Chertsey is a long, wet walk from the station, especially in weather such as 2012 in the UK.

Probably best that Dogs are not allowed!

Flying solo I arrived on the Tuesday afternoon after a fairly uneventful journey down, recce'ing the Basingstoke canal site at Sandhurst en-route (has potential). Luckily we were allocated a hardstanding as the river was exceptionally high and probably less than 6 inches from flooding the site.  I settled in, lunched, lazed about and then walked to the station to meet Debs, who came home quite late following a function at work. On Wednesday, we set off early for the freezing cold walk to the station, Debs to go to work and me to go to help Mum pack. The journey was a bit of an adventure, but that's London Transport for you. On Wednesday evening we met again at Chertsey station and had dinner in Pizza Express after watching them film a biopic of Paul Potts, starring James Corden, in the high street. One to miss, methinks.


Brrr - Ice baby!
 


Thursday was the big move day and we hired a van, which made travel to and from Chertsey much easier. Friday it was back to Chiswick, Saturday to Twickenham to watch Quins beat Worcester and then on Sunday the journey home after a lazy morning reading the papers.

The Thames was a bit high
 

Chertsey Bridge Sunset
 

We are probably getting a bit fed up with Chertsey now. It's not in the best area, its a long walk to public transport and the station is not the best served line in the world, particularly if you cant get a ticket because the machine is knackered and the sole member of staff is snow clearing. Perhaps we'll give this place a bit of break before returning.

Moving house is hard graft!
 

Henley 19-23 Oct 12

This was only the second time we have visited a Caravan Club site in Tom and I have to say that I do like the general standard and layout of the site compared to the Camping Club. Likewise, the Camping Club advertises itself as "The Friendly Club", but after meeting a bunch of miserable gits and their Nazi leader from the Royal Bank of Scotland Caravan Club at Horsley the other month, and meeting so many really nice people at Henley, perhaps the opposite is true! One discussion sowed the seeds for a future trip to Lake Garda. Who knows, eh?

 

 

On Friday I drove down from Marquis in Northampton after Meggers kindly dropped me off there to collect Tom following some warranty snags (upgrade motor on step, upgrade aerial etc). It rained...and it rained some more. I met Debs at Henley station and it rained, so we repaired to the pub and had dinner and a few drinks until it stopped raining. Good job we didn't apply this principle all through the summer as we would be blimp sized alcoholics by now!

On Saturday, despite the useless weathermen predicting warm sunny weather, it was misty and dank so our plan to enjoy nature's autumnal raiment in all its glory was put on hold. We did a bit of Cackmas shopping and then, after lunch, we went for a walk along the Thames, then sought a pub showing the Quins game (no luck - who the hell wants to watch poofball on the telly. I thought that they may have more taste in Henley). We eventually arrived back at Tom absolutely knackered after hiking about 12 miles.

The weather remained much the same on Sunday, so after Sunday lunch in Wetherspoons (classy, I know), we pootled along the Thames the other way towards Shiplake and enjoyed looking at the rich people in their massive mansions by the River. We didn't go to the rowing museum as we are tight gits and they wanted to charge £8 a pop. Too much to look at a few old boats.

 

On Monday we had a pre-arranged visit to the Chiltern Valley Winery and Brewery (http://www.chilternvalley.co.uk/) courtesy of a Cackmas present from Andrew and Michele. It was a great day out. Very interesting and informative and there was plenty to taste. My views on English wine have changed somewhat (but why does it have to be so expensive). The liqueurs they produce are also to die for. In the evening we wandered into Henley to try and find a pub selling the CVW&B locally produced beer, but it would appear that Brakespears have a stranglehold on all the pubs, so no luck.

Tuesday saw us up early and back home whilst Debs worked on the way. The ol' big white mobile office is pretty effective (and gives her a golden excuse not to drive. One day I'll get her behind the wheel).

As for the site, it is ideally located close to Henley, but you really run the gauntlet walking into town as there is a narrow pavement and huge puddles. It is also very close to the road, so there is some noise, but we didn't really hear it as I had selected a pitch at the back of the site. Apart from that, the area has a lot to offer with lovely villages to explore. Perhaps on a summers day with Debs more confident on a bike....