Cambridge 2-6 Oct 25

With a few cancelled trips we felt we had to get away and, given that we had two games in Cambridge on successive days we thought we may as well stay there, especially as the weather forecast was reasonable. As ever the useless Met Office got it horribly wrong and Storm Amy was due to hit on the Saturday. With the predictions of very strong westerly winds we did our homework and, after the very short trip, parked up in a sheltered pitch near the gate. The sun was shining, it was quite warm and so we decided to wander down to the Botanic Gardens for a mooch around. From there we walked into the City so she could try on yet more puffa jackets and then refreshed ourselves with a couple of pints in the Pickerel before heading back to the site on the number 7 bus.

Cambridge C&CC Site

Cambridge University Botanical Garden

On Friday it rained. It didn't stop. We caught the No 7 into the City, splashed around and retired to the Byron's Bear for fish and chips and a couple of pints of the excellent local brew from Papworth Brewery called "Hop on a Punt" (ha ha).  Byron's Bear is a great pub - one of our favourites in Cambridge. Knackered after all our walking (nearly 20k steps), we headed back to the site and listened to the rain - and waited for the wind!

Soggy Punters

Best place to be on a rainy day - the Pub!

Portugal Place

Saturday and match day! We caught the bus in, had a lovely breakfast in Cafe 24, then walked to the ground. The first game of the season v Ampthill and we were full of optimism as we have had a huge changeround of coaches and players. Unfortunately it was same old same old and we lost, but we still had a good laugh with our mates, albeit the wind and Storm Amy made it flipping cold.

Red Arrows transiting to Duxford

The buses in Cambridge on Sunday are pathetic. For a city that absolutely hates cars you'd think that the muppets in charge would sort out an alternative, but no. We decided to walk to Trumpington to catch the park and ride bus as the no 7 appears to run probably twice in a day. Two buses didn't stop at the bus stop as they were full. We walked back to the park and ride and just about got on another packed bus into the city. We didn't use the bikes as it was still pretty windy. Big mistake! It would have been quicker to have gone home, collected the car, and driven back. Well done Cambridgeshire Council and Stagecoach - you absolute wasters! Anyway, both Town v Gown matches (Women's and Men's) were great to watch and good wins for the Town. A much better day results wise - and Laura and Steve gave us a lift back so we didn't have to face the awful buses.

On Monday we packed up and headed home. 

Cambridge Camping and Caravanning Club is a much nicer site that the Motorhome and Cackyvan Club site at Cherry Hinton, but it closes in the winter and the availability of public transport is nowhere near as good.

Chertsey 17 - 21 Sep 25

For this trip we were planning to venture into Europe or take a tour of Scotland, but things never seem to go according to plan. Mother in law's health was not the best,  therefore had to shorten the duration of the trip and ensure that we were a reasonable distance from home, just in case. Richmond were playing Cambridge in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, so a stopover in Chertsey for a few days before heading down to the Sussex coast seemed like a good plan. We could take in this game, visit Mother and also have a few beers with old friends from Harlequins. 

Chersey C&CC Club Site

So, on Wednesday we once again negotiated the awful M1 and M25 to go to Chertsey C and CC site, which has recently been refurbished. It always was a bit of a dump, but now it is a dump with nice loos (and a much increased price to match). We arrived at around 2pm, stopping for a stretch at Toddington services on the M1. What an absolute disgrace that services is. The potholes were massive and the whole place stank of lorry driver's pee. Never again. Anyway, after arriving at Chertsey we set up and didn't do anything for the rest of the day

On Thursday we braved the dreadful South West Trains to venture into Chiswick to visit Mother, then onto Ashford for a few beers with some old friends from Harlequins before heading back, exhausted, to Chertsey. We walked over 20,000 steps that day - nearly 11miles. No wonder we were knackered.

On Friday the weather was incredibly warm. After all the exertions of yesterday we fancied just dossing about and relaxing and that's just what we did. In fact we were so lazy we couldn't even be bothered to cook and decided to have fish and chips from the stall on site. Big mistake! It was utterly disgusting.

Chertsey Bridge

Saturday we went to Richmond to watch Richmond v Cambridge. Richmond is 11 miles from Chertsey. It took nearly 3 hours to get there by train. It would have been quicker to walk. Basically, as ever with South West Trains, the lines were screwed. We paid £20 to catch a train from Chertsey to Barnes and then change for a train to Richmond. It's a tortuous trip to Barnes, taking forever. Once we got off at Barnes there were no boards advertising the destination of trains, no staff, no information, no detail on the incoming train as to where they were going - it was hopeless. We got on a train and ended going the wrong way, so we got off and retraced our steps, finally getting on a train which was advertising that it was going to Waterloo whereas in fact it was going to Richmond. It really is an appalling way to "run" a railway! Anyway, we eventually arrived in Richmond and found Laura and Steve in the pub, which apparently features in some American show called Ted Lasso and is therefore famous (and packed with Yanks). From there we headed to the ground, watched our boys lose, then headed back for the nightmare journey to Chertsey, arriving after dark, which wasn't a good thing. Chertsey isn't the best place to be on a Saturday night, We saw a horse and trap parked outside a dodgy looking pub, a woman walking along in her dressing gown, girls heading out wearing very little and groups shouting at each other. We stopped for provisions at an awful Aldi then sought the sanctuary of the campsite.

The Prince's Head

Something about Ted Lasso

Richmond Athletic Ground

Sunday and we were a bit concerned that mother in law still wasn't in the best of health and we had to make a decision as to whether to go on or head home to ensure that she was OK. We decided that we could always try again another time so the trip was cut short and we headed for home.

It was nice to get out in the van again, but this wasn't the best of trips or the most picturesque of places to visit. Oh well...until next time.

Norfolk 28 Jul - 2 Aug 25

Monday - forgotten what a pain the roads are to get to North Norfolk. A relatively short journey of 75  miles, but it took hours on slow busy roads. Eventually we arrived at our site, the temporary holiday site at Alderman Peel High School in Wells Next The Sea. We usually try to avoid the school holidays when we go away, but we will be losing the van yet again for Camper UK to have yet another go at resolving a damp issue in the garage later in august so we had to squeeze a trip in. We parked up on the massive school playing fields, stuck up the awning and had a wander into town to have a quick look around and see if we could see Wells harbour with the tide in. We didn't - the tide was well and truly out!

On Tuesday we went for walk through town, had an ice cream that wasn't as good as Chez's at Fairford, walked along to view the sea, had a quick look at  the crowded beach and wondered who would pay £77.5K for a garden shed on stilts stuck on the beach. Walking back towards the site we stumbled across  the Norfolk cider place and decided to stop for a quick cider. Big mistake! The garden was gorgeous, the cider, equally gorgeous, the sun was shining and even the wasps and blooding irritating yapping dogs that everybody seems to have these days, couldn't ruin the experience. The cider was strong..... we are not as young as we were and they serve it in 75cl bottles. We had rather a lot and we hadn't eaten.  We wobbled to get some  very expensive fish and chips from French's and sat on the harbour wall to eat them  before heading home to recover.

Wednesday we took the Wells and Walsingham train into Walsingham. The smallest public transport in the world, this tiny railway runs for four or so miles into Walsingham. The journey should take half an hour - it took longer as we had to wait for the engine to build a head of steam to get up a "hill". We arrived 13 minutes late, which wasn't bad for a little steam train. We then wandered around Walsingham, a deserted but attractive place full of holy tat shops. We had some tea and cake in the cafe near the shrine, admired the shrine and waited for the train back. It was half an hour late arriving. We set out. A few minutes later it broke down with a brake issue. We waited for a part to arrive. They fitted it and we set off again. A few minutes later we had steam pressure issues. We waited again before setting out and, lo and behold, a few minutes later more steam issues. We waited for the diesel engine to come out and tow us back. Over two hours for a half hour train trip - now that is Normal for Norfolk!

On Thursday we unloaded the bikes and rode along the beach path to Holkham beach, avoiding the muppets and their bloody dogs blocking every path. As usual the beach was deserted and  we had a paddle then relaxed for an hour or so before taking the bikes onto the Holkham estate. This is the first time we've actually been onto this massive estate and it is lovely, albeit some of the tracks are loose gravel and therefore a bit dodgy. We have to go back. By the time we got back to the van we decided that we couldn't be bothered to cook dinner, so we walked to the Bowling Green Inn for a delicious meal.

The following day the weather turned, with rain in the morning and a strong, cold northerly wind blowing in off the sea. We wandered into town and stopped at the No57 Tea rooms in Staithe Street for some amazing local crab sandwiches before walking along the harbour front. Finally we headed back to pack up the awning and get ready for an early departure in the morning.  

On Saturday it was up and out, getting home in less than 2 hours despite cocking up the ridiculous roundabout in Kings Lynn. 

In all, a great few days away with Nottinghamshire DA on their Temporary Holiday Site. We would certainly do it again - but perhaps not the railway!