Last weekend we went camping, up in the Cotswolds, with some friends, I&H and their kids. We'd seen that the heatwave that has covered the country since early June was due to come to an end, but that didn’t bother us, we’d been camping in bad weather before. And the forecasts weren’t predicting bad weather, as far as I could see; they mentioned that the weather would be “changeable” but I didn’t see anything more concerning than that.
TW & H had identified a very nice campsite, which was actually a field behind a pub – The Duke at Clifton. It was on a slight slope, but they had built up flat areas, and the grass was kept short. There were sinks for washing up, and the showers and toilets were actually inside the pub building – and accessible 24*7 with a code. They were very clean and a pleasure to use.
We set up camp on the Thursday, it was baking hot & sunny. If it had stayed like that I would have been very happy – but unfortunately, that wasn’t to be.
Friday was predicted to be the hottest day of the year, so we spent that at Banbury’s open air swimming pool. It wasn’t actually that hot, but it was warm, and the pool was nice. In the evening when we got back to the tent the wind had picked up a bit, and it looked like gusts might be as strong as 40mph which equates to a gale force 7, according to the website I looked at. Sleeping Friday night was a bit difficult, because the tent was flapping in the wind and being noisy. But no problems, overall. When I got up on Saturday morning I saw that another tent had been pegged out very neatly and tidily, and all the guy ropes had been used. I did make a mental note to do the same for our tent; it would probably make sleeping easier and less noisy, but unfortunately I never got around to it.
Saturday we spent looking around some local attractions, and bumping into old friends of TW. It was windy, and the clouds were fair speeding across the sky, threatening rain one minute and bright sunshine the next. It certainly was “changeable”. Unfortunately, when we got back to the campsite, we saw that the side of the tent had blown in. I hadn’t expected that! One set of poles had buckled, and the tent had a small rip in it where one of the guy ropes had pulled away from the tent. And the weather was turning for the worse as well... When the rain set in that evening, TW & I decided that cowardice was the better part of valour, and we retreated to TW’s mum’s house, which by luck was only 20 miles or so away. I was the first to suggest that we should go to the MiL’s, but TW was a bit reluctant to leave I&H and their kids. I&H were in a caravan though, and not “at risk” as we were. But after I’d popped up to the facilities in the pub, and the rain seemed to be properly set in, she agreed it was probably the best option. We were there and dry by 9pm, and sleeping indoors again, despite being on a camping trip... it was a little weird.
We had agreed that we would see the MiL on Sunday anyway, so I&H came over for lunch and a nice relaxed day. I (from I&H, not me) advised that we probably wouldn’t want to sleep in the tent that night, as there were puddles of water in it from Saturday's rain, so we stayed with the MiL on Sunday night too, but got up early on the Monday and headed back to the campsite for breakfast.
On Monday we visited two National Trust properties – Upton House and Charlecote Park, both of which were lovely to look around, and it was a relaxing day. We haven’t been to a National Trust property in ages, so it was good to get some use out of our membership – otherwise, what is the point of the monthly direct debit?
Monday night was nice, we ate in the pub. The hamburgers were delicious, and we were all sated. It was a shame that, after we went to bed, more rain came. The majority of it came at about 5am Tuesday morning, and we were all awake. Because the tent had blown in on Saturday afternoon and the poles had twisted, the integrity of the tent had gone completely on one side. Instead of the water running off the top and sides of the tent, it was pooling on top of the tent, and seemed to be creating a lake more than anything else. TW shook that off and the rain seemed to stop.
There was no point in taking the tent home, so once we had packed up the contents on Tuesday morning, we bagged the tent and threw it in the bin behind the pub. We laid our tent to rest in the Cotswolds, and I hope it is happy and peaceful there.
TTFN.
Showing posts with label camping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camping. Show all posts
Sunday, August 05, 2018
Sunday, August 06, 2017
Sunday 17-08-06 Camping in Derbyshire
On the Thursday before last (27th July) we headed up to the Peak District with the kids, our trusty tent & our friends H & I. We had decided to see a different part of the country; normally we had down to Dorset, but we've kind of exhausted free & cheap days out there, so we decided to try somewhere new.
We hoped for good scenery and warm weather; one out of two wasn't bad. We stayed on a campsite outside Ashbourne (Callow Top) which was brilliant. The fields were well-kept, the facilities were clean, and the bars were reasonably-priced. There was an outdoor pool which kept the kids occupied when we weren't out and about, and if it had been down to them I'm sure we would have stayed on the campsite for the entire stay, and they would have stayed in the pool for the whole five days.
We got off to a bad start, in that I forgot to set the alarm for Thursday morning. TW had agreed with H&I that we would set off at 05:00, so I should have set the alarm for 04:30. Unfortunately I went to sleep before setting the alarm, and so we didn't wake up until ten to six. Still, we were on the road by 06:10, so that wasn't too bad. We were at the campsite by midday, and set up at a leisurely pace. We had a Tesco delivery booked for 3pm, and that raised a few eyebrows when it arrived, although quite a few of those were raised in appreciation.
On Friday morning we took a walk into Ashbourne and had a look around; it's quite a nice little town, although it seems to be swamped with heavy lorries. I was speaking to my Dad and he suggested that the drivers may be attempting to avoid the M5, but for whatever reason the number of large lorries certainly seemed disproportionate. We got back to the campsite, and then the rain set in. It rained for the rest of the day, while we tried to stay dry in H&I's trailer tent. The weather was a bit wearing; if someone had suggested we leave the tents where they were and we check into a Travelodge, I would have bitten their hand off. But we persevered, and the weather for the rest of the stay wasn't as bad. Unfortunately, though, because of the way we'd pitched the tent, there was a lot of water caught between the tent footprint and the groundsheet, to the extent that the tent seemed to be floating atop a lake, and water was coming up through the groundsheet and soaking the carpet. There was nothing we could do at that time, so we slept on it.
Saturday morning the weather was better, and the lake under the tent had dissipated, so things looked better. We moved the tent forward and removed the footprint to let it dry and give the remaining water a chance to soak away. We decided to actually visit a couple of peaks on that day (otherwise what would be the point of visiting the Peak District?) and so we drove to Mam Tor. We took a bit of a wrong turning and ended up driving through a beautiful, dramatic gorge - it was worth taking a wrong turning to see that, and TW at the time said that this was the sort of scenery she wanted to see in the Peak District. Mam Tor is a two-hour walk from Kinder Scout, which we were thinking about walking to, but it was already 1pm by the time we got to the top of Mam Tor, and I didn't fancy getting back at 5pm. In addition, we weren't properly prepared, I wasn't wearing proper walking boots (The Eldest had appropriated them) and we didn't have enough water and snacks to see us there and back. The views from Mam Tor were breathtaking enough though, so I don't feel that we missed out. Maybe next time...
Saturday evening everything was fine, except that H managed to slip down the step from her trailer tent into the tent, and she caused some ligament damage. H&I had to spend Saturday night in Derby A&E while we looked after their kids and had a barbecue. Saturday night the rain came down again, but we were fine overnight, and there wasn't any water ingress this time.
Sunday we visited the stepping stones at Ilam, which was quite the walk after the previous day's exercise. The stepping stones were the culmination of a lovely walk along the river, although I found it a bit unnerving having to cross them - but that was the only way around. After that walk, we headed back to the campsite for some lunch and then drove into Derby. The girls were silent for the 45 / 50 minute drive, and I think they were just worn out from the hike up to Mam Tor the previous day and the trek to the stepping stones - and back! We went to Go Outdoors first for a good look around - there's nothing like going to a camping store while you're camping, it's like camping². Then we hit Pizza Express, and that was when the girls perked up a bit. They probably just needed refuelling...
On Monday we stuck around the campsite, and in the evening we had fish and chips from Ashbourne. They were delicious. And then on Tuesday it was time to head home...
It was a good holiday, despite a few unfortunate events. H's ligament damage being the most inconvenient of those. The flooding of the tent was up there, and we managed to burn the clutch in our car on the way to Callow Top as well. I lost track of which day was which - always a good sign that I'm relaxed, and the campsite was brilliant. The scenery was memorable, and I'd recommend the area, it's lovely.
TTFN.
We hoped for good scenery and warm weather; one out of two wasn't bad. We stayed on a campsite outside Ashbourne (Callow Top) which was brilliant. The fields were well-kept, the facilities were clean, and the bars were reasonably-priced. There was an outdoor pool which kept the kids occupied when we weren't out and about, and if it had been down to them I'm sure we would have stayed on the campsite for the entire stay, and they would have stayed in the pool for the whole five days.
We got off to a bad start, in that I forgot to set the alarm for Thursday morning. TW had agreed with H&I that we would set off at 05:00, so I should have set the alarm for 04:30. Unfortunately I went to sleep before setting the alarm, and so we didn't wake up until ten to six. Still, we were on the road by 06:10, so that wasn't too bad. We were at the campsite by midday, and set up at a leisurely pace. We had a Tesco delivery booked for 3pm, and that raised a few eyebrows when it arrived, although quite a few of those were raised in appreciation.
On Friday morning we took a walk into Ashbourne and had a look around; it's quite a nice little town, although it seems to be swamped with heavy lorries. I was speaking to my Dad and he suggested that the drivers may be attempting to avoid the M5, but for whatever reason the number of large lorries certainly seemed disproportionate. We got back to the campsite, and then the rain set in. It rained for the rest of the day, while we tried to stay dry in H&I's trailer tent. The weather was a bit wearing; if someone had suggested we leave the tents where they were and we check into a Travelodge, I would have bitten their hand off. But we persevered, and the weather for the rest of the stay wasn't as bad. Unfortunately, though, because of the way we'd pitched the tent, there was a lot of water caught between the tent footprint and the groundsheet, to the extent that the tent seemed to be floating atop a lake, and water was coming up through the groundsheet and soaking the carpet. There was nothing we could do at that time, so we slept on it.
Saturday morning the weather was better, and the lake under the tent had dissipated, so things looked better. We moved the tent forward and removed the footprint to let it dry and give the remaining water a chance to soak away. We decided to actually visit a couple of peaks on that day (otherwise what would be the point of visiting the Peak District?) and so we drove to Mam Tor. We took a bit of a wrong turning and ended up driving through a beautiful, dramatic gorge - it was worth taking a wrong turning to see that, and TW at the time said that this was the sort of scenery she wanted to see in the Peak District. Mam Tor is a two-hour walk from Kinder Scout, which we were thinking about walking to, but it was already 1pm by the time we got to the top of Mam Tor, and I didn't fancy getting back at 5pm. In addition, we weren't properly prepared, I wasn't wearing proper walking boots (The Eldest had appropriated them) and we didn't have enough water and snacks to see us there and back. The views from Mam Tor were breathtaking enough though, so I don't feel that we missed out. Maybe next time...
Saturday evening everything was fine, except that H managed to slip down the step from her trailer tent into the tent, and she caused some ligament damage. H&I had to spend Saturday night in Derby A&E while we looked after their kids and had a barbecue. Saturday night the rain came down again, but we were fine overnight, and there wasn't any water ingress this time.
Sunday we visited the stepping stones at Ilam, which was quite the walk after the previous day's exercise. The stepping stones were the culmination of a lovely walk along the river, although I found it a bit unnerving having to cross them - but that was the only way around. After that walk, we headed back to the campsite for some lunch and then drove into Derby. The girls were silent for the 45 / 50 minute drive, and I think they were just worn out from the hike up to Mam Tor the previous day and the trek to the stepping stones - and back! We went to Go Outdoors first for a good look around - there's nothing like going to a camping store while you're camping, it's like camping². Then we hit Pizza Express, and that was when the girls perked up a bit. They probably just needed refuelling...
On Monday we stuck around the campsite, and in the evening we had fish and chips from Ashbourne. They were delicious. And then on Tuesday it was time to head home...
It was a good holiday, despite a few unfortunate events. H's ligament damage being the most inconvenient of those. The flooding of the tent was up there, and we managed to burn the clutch in our car on the way to Callow Top as well. I lost track of which day was which - always a good sign that I'm relaxed, and the campsite was brilliant. The scenery was memorable, and I'd recommend the area, it's lovely.
TTFN.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Tuesday 16-05-17 Camping (Julia Davis)
So on Tuesday evening we watched the final episodes in Julia Davis' new series for Sky Atlantic, Camping.
The first episodes made for uncomfortable but compelling viewing, with the characters beautifully realised as innately horrible people with a veneer of civilization.
The scene with Tom and Fay in the pub where she goes off with the young locals is hilarious and pathetic at the same time, and an indicator of more to come - Tom's denial of his relationship with Fay to his own children was repellent, and his eventual humiliation was unavoidable but I found it very bleak. The entire decent into chaos and lawless hedonism was shocking and amazing at the same time.
I see people are referring to this as the first series, but I don't see how a second series could possibly rise from the ashes of this tale. All the characters came out of the events changed - some for the better, some not so much. It might be time to revisit Nighty Night...
TTFN.
The first episodes made for uncomfortable but compelling viewing, with the characters beautifully realised as innately horrible people with a veneer of civilization.
The scene with Tom and Fay in the pub where she goes off with the young locals is hilarious and pathetic at the same time, and an indicator of more to come - Tom's denial of his relationship with Fay to his own children was repellent, and his eventual humiliation was unavoidable but I found it very bleak. The entire decent into chaos and lawless hedonism was shocking and amazing at the same time.
I see people are referring to this as the first series, but I don't see how a second series could possibly rise from the ashes of this tale. All the characters came out of the events changed - some for the better, some not so much. It might be time to revisit Nighty Night...
TTFN.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Wednesday 15-08-26 Thoughts on Camping on the Isle of Wight
So we have just got back from the Isle of Wight, a camping trip. while we got wet on the way home, the stay itself was very nice. We went with friends and it was most relaxing; so much so that it seems strange to think that we were only there for three whole days. We went on Thursday and came back on Monday, so had Friday to Sunday on the Isle.
Friday was good weather, so we went to the outdoor pool and then to the beach at Sandown in the afternoon. Saturday we spent at the Needles, and TW was quite surprised that I went in the chairlift down to the beach. It was a bit of a heart-in-mouth moment, but I made it down and up again, which was the scarier part of the journey. We had a lot of vouchers to spend in the sweet shop at the end of the day, so much so that the children still have some sweets left (!). On Saturday night we were treated to a natural lightshow, thanks to the lightning over Sandown, but the rain missed us and we were kept warm by the wind. It got noticeably warmer by a couple of degrees in a matter of minutes, it was quite a phenomenon.
Sunday morning was when our luck broke; the rain came in and we had to spend all morning in our friends' tent, all nine of us. However, apart from the occasional moment, the kids all got on well together and it was quite relaxing. Sunday afternoon we went to the indoor pool and our friends took their tent down while we swam with our and their kids. I stepped into the jacuzzi and didn't realise that there was an extra step down to the floor of the jacuzzi, so fell face first into the water, causing great hilarity for the children. Then in the evening we went for a big nosh up at Pizza Express; as someone said, how middle class can you get?
Monday morning it rained and we had to dismantle the tent; it didn't go too badly, but we got horrendously soaked when we went to the Bembridge windmill. The journey home was a bit of a chore, as a result, but we got here.
It was a good break and I would do it again, at least we were able to laugh at our damp misfortune. But I'm damned if I'm going camping again next week...
Friday was good weather, so we went to the outdoor pool and then to the beach at Sandown in the afternoon. Saturday we spent at the Needles, and TW was quite surprised that I went in the chairlift down to the beach. It was a bit of a heart-in-mouth moment, but I made it down and up again, which was the scarier part of the journey. We had a lot of vouchers to spend in the sweet shop at the end of the day, so much so that the children still have some sweets left (!). On Saturday night we were treated to a natural lightshow, thanks to the lightning over Sandown, but the rain missed us and we were kept warm by the wind. It got noticeably warmer by a couple of degrees in a matter of minutes, it was quite a phenomenon.
Sunday morning was when our luck broke; the rain came in and we had to spend all morning in our friends' tent, all nine of us. However, apart from the occasional moment, the kids all got on well together and it was quite relaxing. Sunday afternoon we went to the indoor pool and our friends took their tent down while we swam with our and their kids. I stepped into the jacuzzi and didn't realise that there was an extra step down to the floor of the jacuzzi, so fell face first into the water, causing great hilarity for the children. Then in the evening we went for a big nosh up at Pizza Express; as someone said, how middle class can you get?
Monday morning it rained and we had to dismantle the tent; it didn't go too badly, but we got horrendously soaked when we went to the Bembridge windmill. The journey home was a bit of a chore, as a result, but we got here.
It was a good break and I would do it again, at least we were able to laugh at our damp misfortune. But I'm damned if I'm going camping again next week...
Friday, June 08, 2012
Corfe and Camping
So we took our annual camping holiday early this year, since it's rained in August for the last three years every time we've been.
We went with new camping companions Carol & Nick, our neighbours, and their kids. And lo, the weather was good. Except when we were packing up the tent and coming home - then the rain pissed down.
We were in Swanage on the bank holiday Monday for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and I've never seen it so busy. Of course we went in on the steam train, which the kids enjoyed.
We also spent a day at Bluepool, where Tilly completed the Squirrel Quest and won a bear. We passed a day at Studland Beach, although not in blazing sunshine. And in the evenings we relaxed around the fire and drank copious amounts of wine. All in all it was great, and I expect we'll go again - in fact, I'm looking forward to it!
We went with new camping companions Carol & Nick, our neighbours, and their kids. And lo, the weather was good. Except when we were packing up the tent and coming home - then the rain pissed down.
We were in Swanage on the bank holiday Monday for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and I've never seen it so busy. Of course we went in on the steam train, which the kids enjoyed.
We also spent a day at Bluepool, where Tilly completed the Squirrel Quest and won a bear. We passed a day at Studland Beach, although not in blazing sunshine. And in the evenings we relaxed around the fire and drank copious amounts of wine. All in all it was great, and I expect we'll go again - in fact, I'm looking forward to it!
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