Touring

To boldly go where the caravan hasn’t been before .. Scotland!

Yes, we are off to the Highlands of Scotland, the first time we’ve been to Scotland in the ‘van. Fort William is the choice of destination this time. I chose this for a few reasons, one it is by Ben Nevis, so will provide a few walks! Next, it is the base for the Jacobite train journey, the best train journey in the world apparently! More still, Glenfinnan and it’s Harry Potter viaduct. Then all the Lochs and beautiful scenery, this place has a lot to offer.

The journey on Saturday began early, we picked up the ‘van and headed North – this time our usual service station breaks would not be in use, we had to find new ones! The North stretch of the A1 provides little in the way of breaks, I opted for the lay by on the England/Scotland border. This provided adequate space and the possibility of some food from the snack van. Alas, the snack van was not open, but we at least managed to park and had refreshments from the rear of the car! Ploughing on, we headed further North to Stirling, where we made our second stop at Stirling Services. This offered a good space for caravans and lorries, although it got quite full whilst we were there. No breakfast menu here either, so coffee only it was, shocking! This place is a firm favourite with the Scottish wasps, so be warned, a lot of Scottish dancing was going on because of them!

Chewing the A routes from there to Fort William was very pleasant I have to say. The roads are very twisty and narrow in places, but the scenery is simply stunning. We eventually found the campsite without any problems and booked in. This must be the first campsite we’ve been to without booking, you have go simply ‘turn up’, as all the small amount of pre-bookable pitches were all taken, we had to take a chance that there would be room on the ‘un-bookable pitches’. Indeed there was, and we were given free choice of the pitches that were available. We eventually chose pitch T16 in the ‘Thistle’ area. This was a nice area away from the toilet block and provided a stunning view of the mountains. A quick reverse on and we were level, usual duties followed along with the awning and we were set for the week. The first surprise was that the fridge had lost its top hinge, where could it be? We couldn’t find it, so we made do with a wobbly fridge door! No TV signal here so the satellite was deployed, and within minutes we were enjoying some of the Olympics! Food and drink for the rest of the night and that was Saturday done!

Sunday:
Good weather, so we had breakfast and then headed out for the mighty peak of Ben Nevis! Well, we only planned to do a little of it, as Cath wouldn’t make it all – being 4 hours up and 3 hours down. Even then, this small trip provided us with some stunning views, breathtaking! It was quite noticeable the amount of tourists present, we counted a good 7 or 8 different languages whilst we were there, very popular is good ol’ Ben. We returned to the site and relaxed for the rest of the day. The attack of the Scottish Midgie had begun though without me realising, Cath noticed a lump on my leg. Fairly small today, but that was going to change!

Monday:
A trip on the Jacobite was planned, so we headed off early into Fort William. There’s adequate parking at the station, so we were soon parked and then joined the queue in the station for the train. I couldn’t book the tickets beforehand due to demand, but apparently there are some seats bookable on the day, so fingers crossed! Alas, our luck had run out and there were no seats left. But, we did manage to book seats for Tuesday morning, I’ll be back! Following this we had a wander around the town itself. Plenty of little shops along with a large Morrisons, we proved useful as we decided to pick up some BBQ and cooked breakfast items. Heading back to base I decided to try and solve the fridge mystery. Apparently it has been known for the door pin to work loose and hide itself in the control box, is there where it went? So after prying off the oval panel, removing the two screws, I took the panel off and lo and behold, there it was! So now it was a simple matter of screwing the pin back in and putting the control panel back on, job done 10 mins. I’ve no doubt that this pin will work loose again, but at least I know where to look for it now! Midge blister bigger today 🙁

Tuesday:
So on the cards today was the ‘Jacobite’ journey. We arrived at the station a little more relaxed today, knowing that we had our ‘golden ticket’. Plenty of time for photos and looking in the gift shop in carriage ‘D’- which just happened to be our carriage as well. When departure time came, we headed for our seats only to find other people there. A pleasant couple insisted we were wrong, so I went to ‘check’ with the guard. He swiftly sorted the carriage out and we had our seats. The other four seats were occupied by a German family, who spoke very good English and were Harry Potter fans! The Jacobite journey has been voted as the best train journey in the world – and I can see why. The scenery is simply stunning, the Lochs, the trees, the viaducts, the sea – everything is just beautiful. Plenty of inspiration here for my model layout!

We stopped at Glenfinnan for 15 mins or so, not enough time to view the viaduct but there is a museum and signal box to be viewed, so a pleasant stop. The next stop was Mallaig itself, the end of the line. This is a small port serving ferries to the smaller islands and the isle of Skye, as well as plenty of fishing. Fish and chips were the order of the day now and we found a very strange one behind a main restaurant. This place was tiny and people queued one at a time as you went in, you placed your order and then went back outside to wait for your order. Ours took about 15 minutes – at least it was fresh! We headed for the pier to enjoy them, but were pressured by some seagulls to leave, as they were not shy in coming forward for a free lunch!

The return journey was just as good and on arriving back at Fort William, I decided to head back to Glenfinnan viaduct to get some good photographs of it. This was only a 25 minute journey so we soon arrived. Weather still glorious, I left Cath by the main path as her hip was playing up. I then made haste for the top of the viaduct where I got the shots I wanted, very happy! We returned back to base and relaxed for the rest of the day. A great day out! Midge blister even bigger, time to look online and make sure it’s nothing serious!

Wednesday:
Nothing planned now for the last two days, just relax and enjoy the campsite. A quick wash of the ‘van was in order so I did this first thing. We had planned on having a cooked breakfast this morning, but with the weather so hot, we decided to postpone until late. Finally saw a midge on my leg today, they are very discreet and could hardly be felt. Other bite sites are showing on my legs and arms, but the itching is bearable! We took a trip to the campsite shop to have a nosy around, quite a well stocked shop. We made a small purchase of beer and ice-cream.

Thursday:
A bit cooler today, so we managed a cooked breakfast. We relaxed for the rest of the day, enjoying our final day in the Highlands.

Friday:
Time to pack up and go. Whilst taking the awning down I caught the blister and burst it, time to get the first aid kit, as this left a large open and angry section of flesh. I soon patched it up and carried on. The return trip was just as smooth as the inbound one, although the winds were picking up. We stopped at Stirling services again, a lot busier this time although we did manage to find a space. The stop at the A1 lay by following this saw us use the caravan toilet, which is a first for us whilst en-route. Traffic was very busy on the A1 due to roadworks and rush-hour, but we eventually got back to storage, only to find the jerry can leaking a little on its side, so a little cleanup was in order. A superb week, it really felt like a mini France trip, what with the weather, change of scenery and the amount of foreigners. Scotland, we will be back!

• Date: 13th August 2016
• Nights: 6
• Pitch #: T16
• GPS: 56.804561, -5.074204

Our third trip back to the Granary to see Maureen and Dixon and the sheep – alas not Limpy, who is in another field now being a ‘big lad’ now!

A few other campers there this time, but Maureen found us a space on the grass just opposite our usual pitch. Levelling required the Yellow Brick and the nose on the floor just about, but we got the ‘van spot on, with a very level glass of wine! Our usual routine kicked in for the rest of the day and soon we were climbing into bed for the night.

Sunday, weather not quite so pleasant, we headed off for church. I took a different route this time in order to check on the progress of the A1 roadworks on the Western Bypass, they are just about complete now, so this will open a couple of other options for campsites that I have been avoiding presently because of the roadworks. Rain unfortunately spoiled our chances of sitting outside when we returned, so relaxing inside we did!

Monday morning, Maureen came around to have a chat before we departed. We then packed up and headed back to storage. The Granary is one of our favourite CS sites, we’ll be back many times again in the not too distant future.

• Date: 23rd July 2016
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #: 54.842566, -1.730447
• GPS: 55.206640, -1.593726

Saturday:
An early departure, car packed we were ready to go ahead of schedule, maybe not having the daughter in tow this year means timelines will run smoothly! We picked up the ‘van and headed for our usual 3 stops on the way to the tunnel. The thirds stop however, namely Birchanger Grange have blocked the usual access road to the caravan bays, so we were unable to stop. Passing by the bays on the way to the exit, we saw that the bays were full of cars, so it would have been a no-go to start with. We’ve now ruled out Birchanger, we will find another stop close by to use as our third stop, too many times the place has been full with no bays to park in. So with a longer last leg than usual we soldiered on to the tunnel where we stopped and had a coffee. We selected an earlier train than planned and boarded accordingly. A quick bite to eat and we were soon in France again. We headed down towards Reims to find our stop-over for the night. The Aire was nice and quiet and we found our spot and dropped the legs. It did get busier as the night progressed however and not before long, truck generators and cars coming and going, people talking soon filled the night air. We managed a little sleep and headed off first thing Sunday morning.

Sunday:
We made good progress towards Limousin, no problems, roads very good as usual and we managed to get parked at all the Aires’s we stopped at, which makes a change! Going around Moulins proved the only challenge, as the sat nav had us placed in a field as we were directed onto roads unknown due to the ongoing road developments there, but we stayed on course with no wrong turns. We soon found our way into Boussac and from there found our site. We were warmly greeted at reception and shown to our pitch. The pitch was in a lovely position with a view onto the lake. We pitched facing the lake allowing the awning on one side and shade under the trees for the car on the other. The pitch is on quite a slope, so the awning was a little lopsided! We got everything sorted and then set about making something to eat. Hot food after two days of tramping it with sandwiches makes a welcome change! We then slept well that night!

Monday:
Blue skies, what a view to wake up to! Following breakfast we made our way to the nearest large supermarket, this was a Super U, located a little way away in the town of La Chatre. Here we stocked up on essentials and then returned back to base. We tripped the 10A supply so had to get reception to come and reset it, as the trip switch is locked behind a panel on the bollard. We relaxed for the rest of the day as we settled into ‘holiday mode’. The satellite made an appearance, first time for a long time. With the aid of the apps on the phone, we soon found the Astra birds and were watching ‘Come Dine with Me’!

Tuesday:
A little cloudier this morning but still very warm. We tripped the supply again making breakfast, so looks like the fridge and kettle can’t play ball at the same time! We didn’t venture very far today, had a little walk around the site although we didn’t cover everywhere, that we would leave to another day.

Wednesday:
Stayed on site today, weather good – so relaxed and enjoyed!

Thursday:
A walk into the local village of Boussac was the order of the day today! We were given a map by reception which we duly began to follow. Although I made a couple of mistakes and we ended up nearly doubling the trek before we reached the village center! We relaxed with a drink when we got there and then had to wait until ‘France’ re-opened at 2.30pm following ‘siesta’, where we duly purchased some stamps for some birthday cards. Our return journey was a lot quicker as we simply followed the main D917 road back to the site, rather than the back roads.

Friday:
We took a trip to the Village Martyr ‘Oradour-sur-Glane’ today near Limousin. It’s a fair drive from the campsite but worth it. We arrived and parked up and duly headed to the ‘entre’ building. Inside there are options to explore the history with exhibitions and videos. Access to the village itself is free and we headed there after a brief look around. The village is an unimaginable reflection upon history and the suffering which the village endured in June of 1944. Old cars are left scattered around, tram lines remain, the cemetery plays hosts to an alarming amount of family graves, most of which of whom suffered at this infamous ill-fated time. After covering the site, we headed back to base, via a detour – namely the supermarket! We returned to the Super U and re-stocked and then headed back to the campsite. Weather has been good all day, although upon return to base, the weather was looking a little bleaker. We settled in for the night consuming some tea and a film to round off the night!

Saturday:
Following all of the walking in the last two days, we decided to stay on-site today and simply relax. Weather is not very good, with a very wet last night. It’s starting to clear up well though, but mostly indoors today! Found the nearest CDP which is right next to our pitch actually, hidden within a square of hedge. This one is a lot nearer than the first one I’d used, which was next to reception, that’s a fair walk with a cassette full! This nearer one however was blighted with wasps, plenty of them buzzing around in the hedges. It felt more like a game of ‘I’m a Celeb’ – I completed the challenge though and earned a meal back at the caravan!

Sunday:
Glorious weather to awaken to. Quite a lot of pitches had vacated this weekend naturally. We still had neighbours in a campervan however, British – as were most of the pitches around us.

Monday:
We called into Boussac this morning, this time in the car! Got a thimble and a few things from the local supermarket there. Returned to the site where we stayed for the rest of the day.

Tuesday:
The amazing weather continues, lovely blue skies and plenty of heat. Glad we brought the fan!

Wednesday:
Chilled on-site all day. Another BBQ tea, very nice.

Thursday:
Final day is here once again. A relaxed day with glorious weather still. Time to pack up later on in preparation for leaving tomorrow. The site is very well maintained, toilet block is always spotless. Water pressure very good everywhere. Most pitches are fully serviced with water and drainage. Pitch size is superb, couldn’t really find any small plots at all. The pool and restaurant look inviting, although not at all busy whilst we were there. In fact the whole site seemed very quiet for this time of year. It is a very relaxing site with the amenities being located away from the pitches. Only the toilet block and reception are on the site, pool, bar, restaurant, play park are all located away from the pitches up by the Chateau. Boussac is located in very much rural France, you have a bit of travelling to do to find anything. This is right up our street so is ideal for us, maybe not so for families or those looking for more adventure! The site is used frequently for short stays by units progressing there way from North to South and vice versa. Again another very pleasant holiday, well it is another Castel site after all!

Friday:
The trip back North begins, all without problems! The Aire for sleeping at was fairly quiet, so we had a good nights sleep!

Saturday:
And further North, this time in England. We made it back without any incidents, smooth as they say. Roll on next year!

• Date: 25th June 2016
• Nights: 12
• Pitch #110
• GPS: 46.370750, 2.200991

Our last outing before the big road trip to France and Potland Farm CL was chosen again as it was local and hardstanding – perfect since the weather was a little bleak!

We arrived and made the slight error of nearly going into the site next door (Bluesky Centre Touring Park). You wouldn’t believe we’d been here before! Never mind a quick reverse out and we pulled into the correct site. Here we were greeted by Michael who gave us the option of pitch one or five. We were on five last time, so we opted for one this time. Pitches one to four are quite long, so plenty of room to manoeuvre onto. We were soon set-up and enjoying a bite to eat. Saturday came and went, although the weather front didn’t! Sunday morning, off to work in the morning and then back for the afternoon. A small gap in the weather enabled me to clean the ‘van ready for France. We relaxed for the rest of the day, made a list of requirements for France and then headed back home on Monday morning. Again a very enjoyable weekend.

The site is well maintained. Access road is well kept, very few potholes if any. Toilet ‘shed’ is perfectly adequate with toilet and sink, along with hand wash. Fresh water, grey water disposal and CDP are all in the same vicinity by the toilet shed. Electric is provided for all pitches, rated at 10A. Plenty of space by the entrance for children to play and kick a ball around, a goalpost is even provided! A great site for exploring Northumberland and perfect as one of our ‘regulars’.

• Date: 11th June 2016
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #1
• GPS: 55.206640, -1.593726

Forget Me Not was completely off my radar due to well documented reviews of the site stating that it wasn’t a very good site to say the least. Following a chance review of the site recently I discovered that the site had been taken over with new owners/management. And lo and behold the site was now getting rave reviews. Time for a visit me thinks!

We arrived Saturday afternoon and pulled into reception. All was looking very new: reception building, club house, barrier gates – all new installations, very nice. We spoke to a lady on reception, who again was new! We were then taken to our pitch and left to it. The site has a new dedicated touring section, although this wasn’t open yet, so we were placed on one of the ‘seasonal’ pitches in ‘The Willows’. All the pitches are of a good size with hardstanding, arranged in a wavy circle for each section, so there are no lines of straight vans, very nice. The pitches are fully serviced, so out came the Truma mains pipe and waste pipe, the Aquaroll and Wastemaster retired to the car for the weekend, well they deserve a rest! A little bit of levelling required, but we were soon set-up and ready for the weekend. Weather was pleasant, so we went for a walk around the site before tea. All the roads are new tarmac, very well laid out with each section on a one-way system. Toilet block looked new yet again, very good standard. The touring section doesn’t allow children presently, but with us being in the seasonal section, there were kids a plenty. We haven’t been on a large site for a very long time now, we soon agreed that they aren’t for us, we both prefer a farm any day! Don’t get me wrong, the site is superb, but just too busy for our liking. We noted a superb kids playground being built behind the club house, for families with the young ones, this site is going to be ideal.

Sunday morning, glorious weather. We had breakfast, following which I began the task of washing the ‘van roof! Ladders out, brush and towels at the ready, time to fill the bowl with water. With us on mains water hookup, I decided to deploy the shower in order to fill the bowl, as there weren’t any water standpipes that I could see in the near vicinity. So time to get the blanking plug out, now this has always been a challenge, this thing is a tough remove. So I began the finger nipping pull and wiggle, with little joy. So a bit of a tease with a screwdriver and – snap, the plastic lugs broke! So with a little help from a pair of pliers I managed to get the plug out and the shower installed, washing the roof began. Not in bad condition to be honest, I soon had it sparkling again, ready for the rest of the year. Now, I just need to order a new blanking plug!

As is the case on Sundays, the site soon quietened down, the gentle hum of children faded into blissful peace and quiet, superb, the sun continued to shine as well. Sunday came and went as we settled in for the evening. Monday morning, still in fine weather we began to pack up and head off home. A very pleasant weekend at a very pleasant site.

• Date: 21st May 2016
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #: 44
• GPS: 55.245484, -1.801520

Good weather was heading our away and we needed to escape for the weekend again, albeit a local one due to work. So the immaculate grounds of ‘The Croft’ was chosen again.

Arriving at storage we hooked up and headed off, not before checking the wheel nuts as we had just put new tyres on. The campsite is literally a 10 minute drive from storage so we arrived in no time. We were once again warmly greeted by the owners and shown to our pitch, which just so happened to be the same pitch as always! We quickly began our set-up routine and were relaxing with a bite to eat in the fog. Yes, the shorts and BBQ stayed firmly put as the fog rolled across the campsite. It was so dense we couldn’t even see the end of the field where the toilet block was! So we stayed put and enjoyed the evening.

Sunday, the fog was still here. However upon returning from church the fog had lifted and the glorious sunshine that we had been promised had arrived. Shorts on, table out and relax in the open air. Just what the doctor ordered. The good weather remained all through Sunday and into Monday as well, when we hooked up and headed off back to storage once again.

As the previous posts have mentioned this is a super little site. If you’ve never tried a CS before, this is the perfect one to start with. We will be back again.

• Date: 7th May 2016
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #: 54.84415, -1.429623
• GPS: 54.843524, -1.429069

A very pleasant drive soon found us pulling in to Canada Fields Caravan Park. Upon entry we parked on the entry road and then I went to the ‘reception hut’ which proudly displayed a sign saying ‘open’, but alas there was no-one around! Instructions on the board outside advised calling a telephone number if this situation happened, I did and kept getting cut off – mobile reception? So we duly headed down to the campsite itself in hope of finding pitch #7 which had been allocated to us when I used the automated online booking system 😉

Well that wasn’t going to happen, the site was pretty much full apart from two pitches. A ‘seasonal’ camper came to advise us to take one of the pitches, as the other had been reserved? Neither were relating to pitch #7. The pitch we had to take was rather a dump in fairness. Barbed wire and wood logs were the order of the day at the rear. The awning side was a mess and very undulated. In front of us was a pond decorated with weeds, along with some freshly turned soil. Maybe some work ongoing, but this felt a bit ‘rough around the edges’ if you know what I mean.

We settled into the evening along with the many other campers there. With there being mostly seasonal pitches along the top row there were many acquaintances being met along with BBQ’s and general good holiday times. We originally though that most of the campsite was seasonal but Sunday brought a different light to the game, and a lot of ‘vans departed the site.

We walked around the site on Sunday, very pleasant it was despite our initial negative impression. The toilet block seems very modern, although the lighting is very dim and only one toilet in the gents seems a little short, considering the site can site around 20 pitches along with the fishermen! CDP and grey water are well catered for, most pitches have a fresh water tap, so no complaints there. EHU is 16A so again full marks.

• Date: 23rd April 2016
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #12
• GPS: 54.358529, -1.500638

Another ‘local’ weekend away and this time we returned to Woodside Ridge Caravan Park in County Durham. A relaxed start to the weekend with work being a bit quieter being the end of the Easter holidays. When we arrived at storage, the new exit route was now in place making things a little different, namely we would take the ‘van out the opposite way to the way we have done for 5 years! Once we hooked up we made the exit up to the new section of the site and found our way out via the new barrier gate and one way tyre spikes. We soon were heading down the A19, weather a little overcast.

We arrived at the site and were duly greeted by Graham the owner and chose to pitch at #5, the same spot we were in 2 years ago. After a bit of levelling we were set-up and enjoying a bite to eat. We decided not to use the awning this trip as the weather was poor and the pitches were grass only. We relaxed through Saturday and drifted into Sunday. Work beckoned in the morning so we headed off and returned just after lunchtime. Weather was glorious, so I ventured outside with a chair and table to soak up some nature. A bit of TV, reading and Sunday came and went. Monday morning, weather not too bad, we packed up and headed back to storage. A perfect weekend-away relax!

The site is first rate with many pitches (all grass). Hookups are in better supply this year, but some are still a little too far from certain pitches, but that’s no problem as Graham is always there with an extension cable. Toilet block is 5 star, complete with shower in each. Washing up sink is under cover, handy for the tenters or BBQ cleaning! Hand-washes, washing-up liquids, quality toilet roll, towels, brushes, mops all supplied, a quality set-up indeed. 2 fresh water points are provided at either end of the site. Elsan point super, waste water a little strange however as you can’t really get a wastemaster in there, without lifting it up which can be difficult when full, minor point however. Small play park provided for kids, with enough room around it for them to play without intruding on the pitches. Access is straight forward, navigating the site is simply a one way oval of hard standing road. We will be back.

• Date: 9th April 2016
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #: 5
• GPS: 54.725276, -1.436675

Saturday morning, 5.30am and we awoke for our Easter weekly break to Cambridgeshire. With all preparations done the night before, we soon headed off for our quite decent size road-trip, which should take around 5 hours with a couple of stop offs at the usual, as we were basically making the same route as a France run.

Ferrybridge, nice and quiet in the caravan bays, we enjoyed our breakfast and then continued on to Grantham, very quiet, almost deserted! Then following a fairy short journey we soon arrive at Roseberry Tourist Park. We pulled up to the barrier and pressed the button for assistance. A very friendly chap met us and booked us in, explaining the usual campsite rules and regulations. We were then taken to our pitch, where we made quite a tight reverse onto before beginning to do our set-up routines. The pitches are of a good size and have room for ‘van, awning and car. Good hardstanding, pegs went in fairly easy, although it killed the Kampa storm strap pegs (these are quite light and flimsy in all honesty). We had the choice of two carpets this time, as the other Easytread had arrived, so we decided to put them both down! It was then that we noticed that the Aldi header tank wasn’t filled correctly. The ‘van had just been in for a service, looks like a fairly inadequate service. Luckily I carry some fluid with me so I soon topped it up and had the heating running smoothly again. Tea time came and went as we settled into the evening. We are both battling a cold presently, so relaxing is the name of the game.

Sunday, a trip to the Nene Valley Railway was planned (by me!) but due to our (not) well being, I decided against it. Unfortunate, I was looking forward to it, with it being one of the more elite heritage railways of the UK. Never mind, another time will do. So we stayed on-site all day, just the ticket when you’re not well. Relaxing with books, magazines, model railway planning, phone apps (rocks Cath!), we let the day drift by, why not, we’re on holiday!

Monday brought an outing to Cambridge. We left for the Park & Ride which was only down the road from the site, ideal! We parked up and payed the parking charge and then tried to purchase a bus ticket, alas the machine wasn’t on a happy day and declined to take payment with a card processing error, no fault of our card, just the machine – honest! When the bus arrived we purchased our tickets and enjoyed the ride into town. This journey was unlike any I have ever been on. There was no road for this bus, but a concrete railway – brilliant! This bus railway or bus guide as locally known, takes the park & ride buses near to the centre of town and then they resume on normal roads for the final mile or two, superb. We alighted in the middle of the town between the river and the shopping complex and began to explore.

What a beautiful place, full of the most tremendous architecture. Churches, university buildings in abundance. Bicycles are the order of the day here, they are everywhere! The river Cam offers punting tours along with many places to relax and eat and drink at. We wandered around for quite a while, whilst eventually returning on the ‘B’ route bus back to Longstanton P&R, From here we headed off to the Argos at the Cambridge Business Park to purchase our new Egg Poacher, as the microwave one was past its day. Back at base, we had tea and settled for the evening.

Tuesday, a day on-site, total relax! Weather was a little cooler with more cloud, but we don’t care, on with reading, TV, films, books, magazines, internet…

Wednesday, the weather looking brighter we headed off for Ely following breakfast from our new Poacher pan, woohoo! The cathedral was obviously on the agenda, and what a magnificent sight it is. We also saw Oliver Cromwell’s house along with the local Waitrose – well we needed some more milk! Back at base the sun continued to shine and we relaxed for the evening again.

Thursday, the last day so on-site relax it is! I had a play about with the spare wheel carrier, in preparation for tomorrow where it would be returned to its natural home. The clearance was certainly an issue, looks like we’ll have to up the levelling and drop the nose for the wheel to clear the chassis, not ideal but hopefully we won’t be doing this often, if at all! The weather was again very pleasant, we had another little walk around the campsite, duly noting that the approach road (B1050) was not a walkable road, very fast traffic and quite busy, with no verge to walk on. This road was a little more noisier than I had imagined it would have been. Certainly in the mornings, you notice the morning traffic as you awaken. After that you get used to it, so not really a problem.

Lovely site overall, very clean and tidy. Even noticed the EHU points being cleaned, that’s a first! Toilet block very clean again. Showers a little small with no drying area, but very good showers: home style thermostatic, so very good with the variable pressure and able to move the head around with no time pushing buttons, fantastic! CDP a little flat, so rinsing down takes a little time. Grey water no problems at all. Fresh water tap sited on a few pitches on our row, so very good again. EHU is 10A, so again very good, just got to watch it a little during the colder months – you can overload quite easily! Pitches are of a good size, although we noted that not many would take ‘van, awning & car in a line – as ours did, most would require car parked in-front if awning was used. All staff very pleasant, we even saw gravel roads being topped up whilst we where there. £5 deposit is required for the barrier card, which is absolutely fine. Top quality site, no doubts. Lovely area as well, lots to see and do. Recommended 🙂

• Date: 12th March 2016
• Nights: 6
• Pitch #: 23
• GPS: 52.334646, 0.064270

Our February weekend away landed us on the tail end of the school holidays, should we aim for adults only? Or should we just aim for a hard-standing pitch with good EHU supply so that we can keep warm comfortably? It was decided that the latter would be the way, so I found a site in Northallerton which seemed to tick all the boxes, namely Parklands Caravan Park (and course fishery).

Our escape on Saturday began earlier than normal due to the opportunity to move work commitments with the school holidays. So with an early 10.00am start, we headed off to pick up the ‘van and head South on the A1. The journey was smooth and pleasant, indeed this is the first outing with the new dash cam, which allows us to show an ‘approach video’ for this and all future outings. We sent a text to Sue on approach to let her know what time we would be arriving. Bang on schedule, we pulled into reception.

The site is bigger than what I was expecting, with most of the pitches occupied with seasonal tourers. We were shown to our pitch; riverside 2 which offered us a lovely view of the lake pitched with the ‘van facing forwards. Motor movers come in handy once again for such situations! We were soon set-up and enjoying our sandwiches and drink. With us arriving early, we decided to head into town and discover what Northallerton had to offer. After a brief 10 minute drive we were soon parked up and exploring the high street. It was busier and more expansive than I had thought, with some nice shops. We found a good ‘kitchen shop’ where we found a couple of useful items for the caravan. Following this, we made a quick call into Sainsbury’s for a couple of things we had missed. Back at base, we enjoyed a film and some food as we rested for the evening. Weather has been kind, although a touch cold. Bringing me back to the EHU supply – 10A, we tripped it a few times juggling heating and cooking!

Sunday morning, following toast and poached eggs, which has become our staple breakfast for many outings now, we relaxed with our hobbies and then took a brief walk around the campsite. Only anglers are allowed on the lake, so we couldn’t explore there. But we took a circular around the site, enjoying the seasonal ‘vans and their unique pitch ornaments, trees, lights, plant pots etc. The toilet block is first rate, fully tiled and clean. Elsan point is strangely located away from the main pitches and toilet block by the entrance. Grey water is by the toilet block. Two water points are provided, one by the toilet block and the other by the cafe, located near the lakes. The cafe offers all day breakfasts along with other food, so provides a nice option for meals if you don’t fancy a bit of ‘van cooking! Reception also hosts a fishing shop, if that is your .. thing.

Bloomin’ winds are back today, not Cath’s favourite, although they are only in gusts rather than continuous. The weather did settle down, as did we for the night. Monday morning and glorious sunshine, cool but very pleasant. We packed up and headed back to storage. A very nice site, although there are a lot of seasonal pitches, which is not always best. An enjoyable weekend however.

• Date: 20th February 2016
• Nights: 2
• Pitch #: 2
• GPS: 54.345006, -1.464797