An extra ‘cheeky’ week was booked for this year. With Cath’s holidays stacking up it was decided to get another week in during the summer holidays. Partly formed as well with the requirement to take Savanna with us for a couple of days as well. So the site had to be close by and one with a play park. It was therefore decided that Bellingham C+CC site would fit the bill, just over an hours drive from home and with a play park!
Unexpectedly we were also taking the daughter, so packing the car brought back ‘fond’ memories of ‘jamming’ everything in! We duly arrived in some pretty horrendous winds and quickly set the ‘van up and retired inside, for two days! Luckily Monday saw the winds ease a lot and we managed to get the awning up so that I could relax on my table with laptop and devise more plans for the model railway! Mobile signal strength in Bellingham is also pretty much non existent. On the ‘EE’ network you can get a signal for calls and texts, but internet is pretty much a no-no! TV reception is also limited, to the fact of about 12 channels! The dish therefore came to the rescue and using my new smartphone and app, we quickly had the dish up and working. NCIS, Star Trek, Come Dine With Me …
Later on Monday saw the arrival of Savanna. This proved an interesting exercise. First how to use the toilet in the ‘van, which she used a lot! Then how to ‘be’ outside, which she didn’t like too much, preferring the warmth of the inside and a phone to play a game on! We managed a few times to get her out on her scooter and roller blades, but ‘being inside’ beckoned too much. Not a camper just yet!
Tuesday and a walk into Bellingham itself was in order. Only 15 minutes away on foot we duly headed off. Not too much there to be honest. A Co-op, butchers, gift shop, cafe, pub – the usual really. However, you can have a nice walk down by the river which also brings you to Jubilee Park, where the little ones can enjoy themselves for a while! Indeed, even the ‘old teenager’ tried out the slide!
Wednesday saw the departure of both Savanna and the daughter, the lack of internet and anything in the remote vicinity was too much for the teenager just expired (20 years old and still camping with us!). Following their departure, we relaxed! Normality resumed!
Thursday, weather was awful! We stayed inside all day and just relaxed! We needed to take the awning down, so we cunningly looked for ‘breaks’ in the clouds to select our prime moment which would see us take the awning down and pack it away, before the next outbreak of rain would occur. We did finally select one, but like all the others, rain caught us out and we had to make it a two stage effort of drying the awning down before packing.
Friday, early start as I had to work later on. Our usual routines kicked in and following drying everything from the rain, we soon headed off back to storage.
A well kept site. Lovely reception and toilet block. A little too cramped for our liking, tents placed here and there and hard-standing pitches pretty much the minimum spacing. Despite that, thoroughly enjoyed it!
- Date: 16th August 2014
- Nights: 6
- Pitch #: 55.137053, -2.259275
- GPS: 55.137084, -2.260306
