Bridport Bingham Grange CMC Site

Well this site was new to the CMC in 2018, and although it is a lovely site, in a perfect position, it is going to need an lot of work to get it to the normal CMC standard. Pitches are all different shapes and sizes, and are not very level. It reminds me of a continental site as there are hedges all over the place.
Up to now the CMC have just made the site safe, particularly the electrics which are only 10amp, rather than the more normal 16amp. There are also sorts of steps and slopes, and the site is definitely not disabled friendly.
There is a restaurant/bar, up two flights of stairs so Lizzie could not access it. As for the toilets and showers I would describe them as adequate! Enough said

Despite all this the weather was good and we enjoyed our stay.
Redevelopment start from late October 2019 and is going to cost a fortune! We look forward to returning next year to see how the site has changed!

Monday was hot so we stayed on site and I waterproofed the awning.
We went down to West bay on Tuesday and enjoyed fish and chips on the front. West bay was surprisingly busy.  We drove along the coast just admiring the scenery!

Our caravan on pitch and the good view in the background.

 We went to Dorchester on Thursday to have lunch with an ex colleague of mine . Mary and I taught together at St Johns in the 1970's

Mary and Lizzie

On Friday a major storm was forecast so the awning was taken down. Rather glad that we did as the caravan really swayed in the wind through the night! It was so strong that the sea got very rough!

We drove home on the Sunday, only for a couple of nights before we went down to Chittlehamholt to see Jade, James, Jack and Josie for a few days as we will soon be heading to Europe!

Bourton on the Water CMC site

Well decorating done so off we go again. This time to Bourton on the Water CMC site. This is actually some distance from Bourton on the Water.
It is built on the site of Notgrove station, which was on the Banbury to Cheltenham railway. The site, as it was once a station, is long and narrow. There is no toilet block either!
I was rather pleased to find lots of information about the station which I was able to sit and read!

Notgrove Station as it once was. Our caravan was pitched to the right of where the locomotivewas

The site today with our caravan on the right. The house in the first picture is just off to the left.

On the Wednesday I had a day playing trains on the Gloucestershire / Warwickshire railway! I opted to travel up and down the line in a DMU. Glad I did as the steam train was actually full of children.
I was able to sit behind the driver, and was chatting to him!

Drivers Eve View

It really was a great day out, but most of my photos are very similar to the one above!

During the night both Lizzie and I were awoken at about 3.00am by a train passing somewhere close! yet there is no railway within 10 miles of the site! Was it a ghost train?

On Thursday we decided to go to Stow on the Wold! It blew, It snowed, it then rained. We did not even get out of the car.

After a great few days we returned home

Willingcott CMC site

Willingcott Caravan site is in North Devon near Woolacombe. We arrived at the site on the day it opened for the 2019 season on the 15th of March. Many seasonal caravans were arriving on the site, and it was so windy! 54mph!
We had come down to see Jade, James, Jack and Josie. On the Saturday I collected the children and Jade. The weather then turned horrible so they had to spend the day in the caravan with us. Perfectly behaved though. When I drove them back the roads were getting flooded.
 We drove up the coast on the Sunday to Ilfracombe. It was surprisingly busy for a cold day in March

On the Monday we all went out for lunch, along with James's mum and dad in Westward Ho.
Tuesday was an early start as we were baby sitting Josie, whilst Jade had a driving lesson.
Wednesday was a really foggy day. We drove over to Jade and took her shopping to Lidl at Atlantic village
We drove home on Friday and popped the caravan into storage.
A short trip that was only intended to be one where we saw James, Jade and the children!

Verity, on Ilfracombe Harbour!

Mini Spring Tour

Well we waited for the inclement weather of  January and February to largely clear before setting off again.
We set off on the 24th February for Broadway CC site. We set up in the hot sun, it was definitely time to get the shorts out. Both of  were really surprised too see that the site was so busy.

Monday was again hot with temperature reaching 18C in the shade. We went in to Broadway and shopped at Budgens, which proved to be an even more expensive supermarket than Waitrose.

It was so warm on Tuesday that we both sat around reading!

It was still hot on the Wednesday so we set off up to Broadway Tower. Again it was absolutely heaving as the weather was so good!
We then came back and I had a look around Broadway. This is the top end of Broadway.

Thursday was a bit cooler so we went to the Outlet centre at Gloucester, for some retail therapy. I ended up with new shoes and shorts.

Friday I spent looking round the station at Broadway. Only engineering trains were running though.

I went to Evesham on Saturday as there was absolutely nowhere to park in Broadway as it was so busy, then came back and cleared up before the wind and rain arrived.

On Sunday it was time to move on to Chatsworth House CC site.
First time here and it was an OK site. The access to the site is very tight so it is blocked off to arrivals until 1.00pm
On the Tuesday we had a look around the area. Chatsworth House was very busy so we gave that a miss though.

Chatsworth House

It was very cold there and we soon moved on to Burrs Country Park for the Spring Steam Gala.
As we come here for the gala's and to meet Kathy and Robert I have kept the comments to the minimum!
Each day we met up with Kathy and Robert.
I spent the Saturday riding on the trains.
The weather was extremely windy so our awning got taken down.

Double heading past the caravan

After a good time with Robert and Kathy we headed home on the Tuesday to face a few weeks decorating!

First trip of 2019! 10th January

Well it was Roberts significant birthday so on the Thursday we set off on what was to be a long slow run up to Burrs Country Park CC site. We were able to set up on our usual pitch, and were able to put the awning up.
On the Friday we went down to the market in Bury. If you have never  been it is certainly well worth a visit! Robert and Kathy came down for dinner with us in the caravan.
Saturday saw Robert and I out on the Railway which had one steamer and a DMU running!

The site was quite empty and it was wet so not many photos were taken.
On Saturday evening we went up to Roberts where 12 of us sat down to a superb dinner prepared by Kathy.
When we got back to the caravan the wind had got so strong that the pegs had puled out on the awning, so I took it down!

Sunday was terribly windy so we did not do much except for going up to Robert and Kathys for Sunday lunch.
The weather was much improved on the Monday so Lizzie and I had a good run up through the countryside to Bacup and the surrounding area!Really enjoy the scenery. When we got back Robert and Kathy came down for evening dinner.
We left at 11.00 on Tuesday morning and had an excellent run back. 4 hours driving time exacatly!

Last Trip of the Year. North Devon

Well for the last trip of the year we headed for North Devon. Our first stop  was  Uplands CL at Chittlehamholt so that we could visit Jade, James, Jack and Josie. We had a good run down and were soon set up on Pitch 5, which is the most well protected pitch, which in view of the weather was a sensible decision. We were the only outfit at the CL, although the following day two motor homes turned up.

Set up on pitch 5 Angled to protect us from the wind.

For the next 4 days we duly went down to the J's home to see them, and also we collected Jack from school each day.

The view from the caravan was quite grey most of the time as it seemed to rain most of the time.

Looking south from the caravan.

On the Friday we moved some 30 miles to Exmoor House CC site at Dulverton. At this time of year we always book a fully serviced pitch if we can, as it saves having to go out in the cold and wet to fill water barrels and empty the waste.
Exmoor House is right in the middle of Dulverton, a lovely little town!  No need to cook on our first night as there is an excellent fish and chip shop only a five minute walk from the caravan.
On the Saturday I was up early and I drove over Exmoor to shop in Minehead. It really is a lovely drive over the top!  I did stop to take the photograph

The site filled up on the Saturday as a lot of people had come for Dulverton by Starlight on the Sunday.

We decided that as it was the now the 1st of December that we would put our Christmas lights up!

Unfortunately Sunday started with a gentle drizzle! I went up to church at 8.00am, and was greeted by several people that I had met on previous visits.
As I walked back to the caravan Dulverton had come to life with many stalls and a stage being erected in the town square. The whole thing started at 2.00 pm, so despite the persistent drizzle Lizzie and I braved the town. I am afraid that in view of the weather we went up the stalls and then headed to the Lion Hotel, for some respite from the weather and a glass of wine. We then headed back down the town, stopping at a few stalls. The rain was now getting serious so we called in at the Bridge in for some more wine.
Then it was straight back to the caravan for roast chicken!
There was a short break in the weather so the fireworks went ahead as planned.

On the Monday the site began to empty as many people went home. This meant that the local wild life could return!

          I spent the rest of the day getting the Christmas cards done, and then wandered up to the Post Office, still in the rain, before wandering round the little shops.

On the Wednesday , after very heavy overnight rain we went up on to Dunkery Beacon. It had actually stopped raining so we could actually see something. The Exmoor Stag hounds were out and about, as we could hear them, although we only say the occasional rider! The views from the top are quite stunning.

Looking north west from Dunkery Beacon.

Whilst in Dulverton I did take some pictures of the remains of the old railway that once ran through the area from Tiverton to Barnstaple!  It shut around 1964.

Finally we cleared up on the Saturday morning and set off for home.

An excellent last trip of the year.

Rainham and Littlehampton

Well having not seen my cousin Lee since 2016 we decide to head for Overshore CS, Rainham , Kent. We were booked in for four nights so time to see Lee and look round some of our old haunts.
Lee now keeps her Shetland pony's on this site, so we saw her each morning as she came down to let her 'boys' out.

Our view from the caravan. Digby in the distance

On the Tuesday we had a run down the coast to Herne Bay, Westgate and Margate. We enjoyed that run as the weather was good. Lizzie used to work in Herne Bay, and I spent a few holidays at Westgate.

The end of Herne Bay pier

Westgate!

Margate, from the Tate!

On the Thursday we cleared up and set off  for Littlehampton CC site. We had a good drive down, avoiding motorways. In view of a very windy weather forecast we set ourselves up on a pitch that had high hedges to the south and the west so we were really well protected.
This is an area neither of us knew so we did two road trips out, one to the east and the other to the west.
Our first trip out was to the east. We took the A27 to Eastbourne and then then headed for Beachy head! That was impressive!

Beachy Head

We then came back along the coast road through Seaford, Newhaven, Brighton and finally back to Littlehampton. It was a really good dive, where we saw some lovely places and some that were not too lovely!

The next day we popped down to Selsey Bill, but there is little access to the beach. We drove round to the very impressive new lifeboat station, and I looked at the nice new Lifeboat!

When then left to drive back. We headed down a pebbly road which then turned into a full off-roading experience! Too narrow to turn round so we had to keep going! Some of the water was very deep! Soon we were onto the main road and off home.

Back at the site the railway passed very close, with the Level Crossing opening every 5 minutes in the morning rush hour. As you can expect I took a few photos.

After a couple more lazy days we cleared up and set off for home, determined to come back in the future to this coast!

Winchester and Bury

Well after a couple of days we were off again. This time we headed for Morn Hill CC site just outside Winchester. My Sister in Law, Kim, has become a licensed lay minister, and on the Saturday there was a very special service at Winchester Cathedral and I was going to attend the service.

Now I spent 3 years, 1968-71 doing my training in Winchester, so I enjoyed looking round the city on the Friday. It brought back many happy memories.

I traveled in on the bus on Saturday morning and attended a truly memorable service at the cathedral.

In all their finery!  Kim is third from the left!

Now Morn Hill site is just up the road from Alresford, where the watercress line is based, so on the Sunday morning I went to ride the trains there.
I traveled down to Alton behind a steam engine, and then came back from Alton  in a Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit 'Thumper.  That was quite an experience as I had forgotten how noisy they were. Great fun though!

My transport to Alton

Thumper!

On the Tuesday we packed up and headed for Chapel Lane CC site for a one night stop before we moved on to Bury!  We had opted to break our journey halfway as otherwise we would have been facing some seven hours driving!  Too much in the UK.

We moved on the next day and reached Burrs Country Park some five hours later!  Roadworks and accidents!  We rolled on to the site and our corner pitch, that gives clear views of the railway was clear.

On our Pitch.

On the Thursday night we went to the Brown Cow with Ethan and Zak as Robert and Cathy were away on holiday in Scotland. We had a really lovely evening!

We were soon set up and enjoyed watching the trains. The Autumn steam Gala started on the Friday, so traffic on the railway got really busy. I had opted to spend Saturday riding the rails, and had great fun going up and down.

City of Wells

Duchess of Sutherland. Running the wrong way round

2857 passing the caravan!

Robert and Cathy returned from  holiday and came down to see us on Sunday afternoon. They also came down on the Monday to join us for evening Dinner.

We left for home on Tuesday morning and had a relatively trouble free run home despite being diverted off the motorway at one point due to an incident.

The caravan behaved well and we are really pleased with our purchase!

Our new Caravan. The first trip!

Well our Bailey Pursuit was delivered to Chipping Sodbury Caravans for them to transfer the motor mover over, as well as the battery.

On Tuesday the 2nd of October we then went round to Chipping Sodbury Caravans at 1.00 for the hand over of our new Bailey Platinum 640, which is a dealer special  based on the Bailey Phoenix 640. The hand over took about 90 minutes, during which time every single thing on it was checked very carefully. The new caravan is a rear Island bed, with a central shower and loo/bathroom. The front lounge/kitchen is much larger with two single beds. The cooker is also a full size one with three gas rings and an electric ring, as well as a separate grill and full size oven. Also nearly all the cupboards are lockable so they don't have to be emptied every time that we travel.

We brought it home and popped it on the drive. We slept in it over the next two night whilst we also put all our bits and pieces back in it!

On the Thursday we set of to Hurn Lane CC site at Burnham for three nights to give it a good test before we set off on our next long trip.

All went well and we had a good time. Everything worked well and the caravan towed extremely well.

We came home for a couple of nights before setting off on our next trip!

Our new set up!

It's Show time!

Well after a week at home it was time to be off again. We were heading across the country to the Peterborough area, as we were attending the Land Rover Show on the East of England Showground.
First though we were staying at D
Ferry Meadows, a CC site.
After a three and a half hour run we arrived! This is a huge site, but is cleverly divided into small areas, so there was no sense of being crowded in.

The next day, Wednesday, I went for a ride on the Nene Valley railway, that was adjacent to the site. I had a good day out , traveling the whole length of the line. One of the highlights being that I saw Tornado at the Engine shed! (Tornado, is a new build engine).

The train that I traveled on.

Tornado receiving attention on the Nene Valley Railway

I had discovered that a Fish and Chip van called at the site between 5.00 and 7.00pm, so we had the luxury of Fish and Chips for supper.
We shopped on the Thursday and had a good look round the site.

One of the glades at Ferry Meadows

We cleared up on Friday morning and waited for Rob to arrive at the gate. As soon as he did we formed a little convoy as we headed the three miles down the road to the showground. It was a long queue to get in as there were just so many Land Rovers. However we were soon in and set up! The LRO show Peterborough is where Robert and I first met  some 8 years ago, and we had not been since.

The LRO Show!

Series 1 converted for rail use!

Land Rover Fire Engine

We spent the weekend enjoying the show and meeting old friends. As it is a permanent showground there are tarmac paths everywhere, so Lizzie was able to ride round on her scooter.
Robert left on the Sunday afternoon, and we watched a few others depart.

On the Monday morning we also left, heading for Chapel Lane CC site, which is south of Birmingham. We pulled on to the site and were greeted by grumpy wardens!  The weather forecast said wind, so careful positioning of the caravan and awning was needed. We survived though!
This site is on what was RAF Whythall, a war time barrage balloon installation.

We had an excellent day out at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon. It was a place that I had been meaning to visit for years. We will let the following photographs tell the story.

Morris Minor Fire Engine!

A bug eyed sprite! I always wanted one of these.

Hillman Imp!  I had one of these ADG493B

A convertible Austin A30

Lady Penelope's car!

We cleared up on Friday morning ready to move to the Adventure overland show. Just as we were about to leave we had a phone call to say that our nice new caravan would be ready for collection on 2nd of October, so could we deliver our caravan to the dealers so that the mover could be swapped over.  So excitedly we set for Stratford race course for the Overland Show where we would met Barry and Steve.
Well to say it was poorly organised was an understatement. It wasn't helped by the poor weather.

Steve was so disgruntled he left before Lunch on the Saturday. We sat it out until 11.00am on Sunday, when we also left along with many others.
Such a shame as the Adventure Overland show had always been so good in the past!
As we headed for home we excitedly drew up our plans for emptying, cleaning and polishing the caravan, prior to part exchanging it!