The Road to Somewhere Part 4 – a ‘van with a view

Me again, reporting – still – from Cambridgeshire, though we have now moved sites, to the south of the city and a little bit closer to Addenbrooke’s where HRH, aka Trev’s Mum continues to reside. No real news I’m afraid – she’s looking better some days but as I type there’s still no indication of when she might get parole. Seriously though, the care she has been getting has been superb although I’m sure she has tried their patience considerably on occasions…..

Addenbrooke’s hospital is a place I’ve got to know well over the years – as visitor much more than a patient thankfully – and it is now almost unrecognisable from years ago – the original buildings are still there but swamped with continual development not just of the hospital itself but a massive bio-medical research campus. A major addition is the new Papworth Hospital – due to relocate next year. Papworth, you may know specialises in heart and lungs, from stents to transplants and it is there that they done such a great job on Trev’s ticker some 14 years ago.

The hospital has been on it’s current site since 1976, however the original building was in Trumpington Street in Cambridge and founded in 1766 thanks to the one Dr John Addenbrooke, a fellow of St Catherine's College, who left a gift of £4,500 in his will to fund a hospital for the poor. A considerable sum of money then and Dr A. died aged just 39 too.

So, what else? Well, I deeply regret casting aside my virtually unused Costa loyalty card a few months back as the one in the hospital concourse has received a considerable amount of the Blogger in Black & Portly Partner’s custom over the past couple of weeks. When travelling we always try and use independents but at the hospital options are limited to Costa and er, Costa. Oh well, I’ve tasted worse.

Right our new site – Lynchets Farm - as I said is south of the city, in the village of Great Chishill. It’s a CS (Certificated Site) on a farm and it was a cracking find by Trev, not least because of the tremendous views over the south Cambridgeshire countryside. Duxford, with it’s Imperial War Museum is not far away and the day we arrived they were having an air show, necessitating some nifty cut through a few villages to avoid the inevitable traffic jams on the main road. Not a route you’d normally choose with a caravan but local knowledge helped. The Site Arrival video – when I get on to it, will show the best way to the site. The Red Arrows, who opened the show made a couple of passes quite near to the site which had the lenses clicking.

Great Chishill is the highest point in Cambridgeshire – not the greatest of achievements when you consider how generally flat it is around here but it does means that The Pheasant can boast that it is the county’s highest pub. It’s also a very short walk from the site – now you get the picture. Yes, we’ve visited a few times, mostly for a pint or two – but for food as well at the weekend which was terrific, although I’ve never had a rhubarb cheesecake served this way before – beats a wooden board or a shoe box I suppose:

Trev has been doing pretty much all the driving since we left home. My knee has been playing up big time – a more severe reoccurrence of a problem I had a couple of years ago. I’m trying to rest it as much as possible so Trev has been behind the wheel and to relieve the monotony has used various different routes to the hospital and back passing through some of south Cambridgeshire’s lovely villages. Again, local knowledge thanks to his days as a Cambridge cabbie but also because of when we lived here we’d always try a different village pub on a Wednesday night for a meal and a pint or two.

A number have sadly gone – to be replaced by convenience stores, sometimes a curry house or more often than not, flats or houses. One that we were delighted to see still thriving though was the King William IV at Heydon – the next village along from where we are staying. The King ‘Bill’ always had a reputation for good food and for it’s landlady Elizabeth who would always be found behind the bar in full goth attire – long black Victorian dress, white make up and black eyeliner – the works. She looked great but passed away some years ago sadly. However they’ve kept the décor the same – farming implements, dark wood, lots of brass, leather and big wooden tables suspended on heavy chains. It still looks fantastic but my pictures – again with the phone, don’t do it justice. Need to play with the white balance. Or something!

Right, again a little shorter than usual, but there really isn’t much else to report. I’ll leave you with a few more photo’s from this lovely site. Whilst circumstances mean this hasn’t been the most enthralling of trips, views like this are a welcome sight although it’s worth pointing out it hasn’t always been this quiet:

We are moving sites again this week and have a little day out planned too. This will be the one and only blog from Lynchets Farm so I’ll do the ‘Getting Connected’ report now:

Not surprisingly for a CL or CS there was no dedicated site WiFi. Using the directional antenna attached to our Solwise WiFi Kit I was able to pick up some very weak BT WiFi which was usable even allowing me to upload a video to YouTube – although it took a while. That has proved illusive during the last couple of days though and I suspect the antenna may have shifted a little in the winds, highlighting the main problem with directional aerials – they need to be pointing in exactly the right direction!

So access to the internet has come via my ‘phone’s hotspot which is on BT Mobile (piggybacking EE) which has been fine. So fine in fact that I’ve gone through nearly a month’s data allowance in just a few days! Speeds of 8.5 Mbps download and 2.1 Mbps upload were the average. Firing up the Hauwei mobile WiFi device reported the following: Vodafone 5/5 on 3G. Three offered 1/5 and EE 2/5 on 4G. Nothing on O2.

Until next time, thanks as always for reading. It’s not been the most enthralling of trips so far but it could be worse. We have the summer off, we’re away in the ‘van and the weather has been (largely) good. Look out for Site Arrival and tour videos doing the rounds on social media soon.

Cheers

Rich & Trev

Cars, Trains & and a caravan or two

Hello again.

No, you can relax this not the start of another epic drivel fest as we’re not away in the ‘van again – although we have been in a ‘van – quite a few as it happens, thanks to a visit to the Caravan & Camping Show at the NEC.

To me, our weekend start around 7pm Friday night when I’ve finished work. The minibus is parked up and the keys handed back to security. Trev picks me up and we head off for grog and grub. So that’s where I’m going to start this blog – Friday night.

Predictably the miserable excuse for a road that is the A27 was partially blocked so after I’d dropped the last kid off, I had to return to Brighton along the coast road. Seemingly with half of Sussex. I’d managed to get stuck behind a driver – I use the term loosely – who was having some issues with clutch control. When they did manage to get going their driving was so erratic that, had I been a copper, I would have been reaching for the breathalyser.

By 7.15pm however we were on the road, wolfing down sarnies, as we pointed Rosie north – but only as far as Cambridge, the reason for which will become clear. Later.

The journey was trouble free and Rosie performed well and seemed to relish not having a tonne and a half of caravan on the back. We saw the usual thoughtless, careless, selfish and downright dangerous driving and kept well clear of the tail gaters which it had to be said consisted mostly of powerful German cars and big 4 x 4’s.

We’d picked a B & B close to the station and after checking in, uncharacteristically stayed put, despite the presence of a pub not  10 minutes walk away. We settled instead for a cuppa and the remnants of dinner – chocolate and crisps. Yes, the diet is going well…

With our jobs demanding early starts during the week it was no hardship – well not much – to be up and on the platform at Cambridge Railway Station soon after 6am. Nevertheless we were glad of the coffee and bacon baps suspecting – correctly as it turned out – that there wouldn't be a buffet trolley on the train.

Unusually for me, I’d not gone for the cheapest option when buying the tickets. We could have saved twenty five quid or so by travelling via and changing in, London although the journey would have been longer. As it happened a large portion of said journey would have been on a bus anyway thanks to weekend engineering work.

It was a pleasant enough journey, heading north first through Ely, March and on to Peterborough before veering off to the west, through Leicester and finally Birmingham’s shiny New Street station a little over two and a half hours later.

We needed to get another train to Birmingham International – the station that serves the NEC – and for some reason I hadn’t bought a through ticket. Whether is wasn’t offered on the booking site or not I can’t recall. Anyway, I’d made a list of trains that would call there and one was imminent so we headed straight for the platform where the train was ready and waiting.

We found the ticket inspector who was about to board and asked if we could buy tickets on board and he could not have been more helpful. Our original tickets were amended – both the out and return journeys – and all for just 50p. Result. It’s all to easy to moan, particularly when ‘Service with a Grimace’ seems so common, but this chap was great.

So within a few minutes we were at the NEC and although it only a little after opening it was already getting busy.

We had no intention of trying to cover the whole show so headed straight for the caravans in general and the Coachman area first to see what the latest incarnation of our Patsy looked like. It was good to see the latest models and what the other manufacturers were offering too, but there was nothing that really grabbed us – not that we were in the market for a new ‘van anyway. What our visit did though was change our minds about the sort of layout we’d like in the future. Our original preference had been for a rear island fixed bed with the washroom in the middle – a design we first saw in Coachman’s 545 model. However having had a good look our favourite layout now would be an end washroom followed by two single beds, then the kitchen and lounge. To us it would be a more flexible layout. It was nice too to be recognised as ‘the legs down guys’. Sorry, I should have asked your name, but thanks for saying hi. It means a lot

There was a couple of other things we checked out too. A towing cover is something we’re seriously considering so we had a look at the offerings from Specialised Covers and Protec. The other was a WiFi aerial and amplifier arrangement and a couple of examples on show gave us food for thought too.

It was time to head to the pub. Well it wasn’t quite but we went anyway, passing the Caravan Club – sorry, Caravan & Motorhome Club on the way. The name change had certainly stirred some interest as the area was packed, although it could also have been that there were plenty of seats and people were simple taking the weight off!

Twitter Beer O’clock – our rather loose excuse for a pint or two – was well attended by both new, old and even older friends and the time flew by. Burgers and chips were consumed and instantly forgotten as the conversation flowed. Some drifted off back to the halls, but we had an appointment with the 1622 from New Street, so made our way back to the train. It had been an enjoyable day, and ultimately as it turned out, a potentially very productive afternoon too.

Regulars will be pleased to know that Saturday did end properly. In a pub.

Sunday brought with it the reason we stopped in Cambridge. A visit to see Trev’s 91 year old Mum, whose jaw continues to baffle medical scientists, it being the only part of the body not riddled with arthritis. Must be all the exercise it gets….

With sundry chores completed and lunch cooked it was time for us to head back south, a journey which was unremarkable – at least until we’d descended Handcross Hill on the A23 and the road had levelled out.

I was in the middle lane, in the midst of overtaking someone, when a large Mercedes 4 x 4 came steaming past on the outside. The noise from the quartet of drainpipe sized tail pipes suggested he was intent on going even faster too. Up ahead, was a little Kia, busy overtaking someone. The Merc. driver decided to tailgate the Kia in the hope of getting him to move out the way presumably. What exactly happened next was unclear but a short while later, the Kia was a mangled mess, facing the wrong way alongside the crash barriers. The Merc. eventually came to a halt on the nearside, his front off side wing a mess and tyre almost completely detached from the rim.

We stopped too, called the police, ascertained that no-one was injured and went on our way. It’s a testament to the safety features of modern cars that it’s only egos – and probably wallets - that were bruised but could easily have been so much worse. We spent the rest of the journey home speculating what exactly happened, as, sadly our dash-cam wasn’t running!

So that was our weekend away. Hope you enjoyed it and apologies for the earlier lie about a load of drivel!

Until the next time…

A Caravanning Christmas – Part 6

They say times flies when you’re having fun – the infamous ‘they’ again – and it’s certainly true in our case. The Christmas jaunt is over and I’m typing this back at home to the accompaniment of the washing machine as I try and get caught up.

Trev is back at work already – and no doubt so are many of you – and believe me you have my sympathy, because it’s my turn tomorrow when school starts back.

In the spirit of solidarity I got up at the same time as Trev, not least to prepare the body clock for tomorrow, but it seemed a good time to start chasing letters around the keyboard again to bring you up to date on our final few days in Suffolk at the lovely Run Cottage touring park in Hollesley.

Wednesday ushered in with it a chilly but crisp bright morning, so after a fry up we coaxed Rosie into life and headed back down the A12 and along the A14 towards Felixstowe. The town centre was first in the hope of getting some ideas on what to replace our broken illuminated globe with. There WAS a lighting shop, and it had an interesting selection of lights in the window – both contemporary and classic. It was also shut. Until the new year. Oh well.

Next up was a trundle through Old Felixstowe and down to Felixstowe Ferry – on the opposite side of the river bank to Bawdsey – where we were yesterday. It wasn’t until we hit the road that passes through the golf course that we remembered we’d been here before – just over four years ago in our first year of caravanning. It gets a mention in my blog of the time here. As you may see from the photos it was considerably sunnier this time, although the light wind coming off the north sea ensured we didn’t stray far and the lure of some warmth and sustenance in the busy café was too much too resist. The tea cakes had sadly run out so we had to have chips with our coffee. It’s true, honest!

A meander through country roads barely wider than the car eventually brought us back to the A14 and thence the A12 as we headed back to base, instead though going straight over at the crossroads and finding ourselves at Shingle Street on the coast.

Now just a few houses remain, right on the beach, which as you may have guessed from the name does not incorporate much sand. The landscape reminded me very much of Dungeness in Kent – and there’s something about these stark rugged landscapes that I like.

According to excellent The Deben Peninsula leaflet, there was once a pub here, but Barnes-Wallis – he of bouncing bomb fame - took care of it when one of his prototypes demolished it during World War Two.

Something unusual happened that night – we ate in – and even more unusually we didn’t go our for a pint either. It was so cosy in Patsy that neither of us fancied venturing outside, even as far as the car.

Thursday and it was time for the train to take the strain, at least after we had driven the six or so miles back to Melton, for a journey north - to Lowestoft. Having read up a little the night before – some proper ‘research’ for a change rather than the liquid sort – expectations were not very high. Lowestoft has suffered from the decline in the local fishing and engineering industry but tourism is still an important part of the towns economy along with renewable energy thanks to a massive wind farm 14 miles off the coast.

The journey was just over an hour, passing through some of Suffolk’s picturesque countryside, many areas still white with frost.

On arrival we headed first inland through the main shopping area. Whilst not exactly heaving it was busy enough as we made our way up to the original High Street. This was once the thriving hub of Lowestoft and while it was pleasant it was also very, very quiet – many shops had shut up for Christmas and the market was closed. The little alleyways or ‘scores’ are a feature here, running between buildings.

Back on the seafront, the icy north sea wind was doing it’s best to deter visitors but there were plenty of hardy souls around and the sun at least took the edge off. The understandably deserted beach looked great although Lowestoft's main beaches and holidaying area is further south. We didn’t explore further this time but I’m glad we came and look forward to seeing more another time – when it’s warmer!

Lowestoft has a quite few claims to fame – it is the most easterly town in the UK for a start. Benjamin Britten was born here and is probably Lowestoft's most famous son. Many writers have made the area their home as well as a number of distinguished seafarers.

Back on the train, the Suffolk countryside looked no less impressive under the fading light – this really is a pretty county, even at this time of year.

Normal service was resumed in the evening as we availed ourselves of the services of a nearby hostelry for grog and grub – navigating through some thick patchy fog on the way. The Sutton Plough was the no doubt ecstatic recipient of our patronage on a quiet night and we were rewarded with some great tasting grub – chili with rice for me and cottage pie with veg for Trev. Three or four hand pumps with one real ale on , although they normally keep two during the winter. Being a proper Freehouse, they vary their range but the Victoria Bitter from the Earl Soham brewery was superb. The Landlady loved a chinwag and we would probably have stayed a lot longer if the pub had been within walking distance.

The fog was still hanging around Friday as we emerged to stock up on some groceries from the supermarket that reckons every little helps, down in Martlesham. My blood pressure soared as we joined the queue to get in to the car park but thankfully its wasn’t as bad as it looked and we returned to the car a short while later with sanity still reasonably intact – as intact as it ever was anyway.

In the afternoon my cousin Andy and wife Janet from Colchester joined us and after tea and biccies we repaired to the village pub for the evenings sustenance. The Shepherd & Dog is easily walkable from the campsite although you do have to walk on an unlit road some of the way. Again, grog and grub were good with four real ales on offer and a happy hour – well, two hours – as well.

New Years Eve was quiet for us – we did little other than enjoy Patsy’s comforts during the day and were quite happy to see in the new year doing the same. Once again we ended the year as we began it – cosy and snug in a caravan.

With an early start home on the second planned much of new years day was spent sorting out Patsy – and a fair potion of that was taking down the Christmas lights. This is always the worst bit – everywhere looks so bare afterwards. Still it has to be done I guess.

The 155 miles back to East Sussex was straightforward, interrupted only by stopping for some McArtery Clogger at Colchester. Patsy was emptied and back in storage by lunchtime but we did leave her badly in need of a wash – for that she’ll have to wait. There’s no tap at her new storage site, so I’ll have to haul over an Aquaroll full of water at some point.

Right, that’s almost it for this trip – do check out the links to our Lowestoft Slideshow and Run Cottage route & arrival video if you are planning on coming here – and why not, it’s a beautiful part of the country.

Next up – in our February half-term, Bristol beckons! So, until then…..

2016 – A Rambling Review

Yep, it’s that time of year again – and blimey what a year it’s been. But I’m not here to write about the big events or the loss of many that have entertained us over the years. I will of course be looking back at our time in the caravan.

I like doing these end of year things – it reminds us what we’ve been up to, how lucky we’ve been to travel so much - and I’ve actually read some of the stuff I’ve been churning out too! If you’ve read any, some or all of it – thank you. It is appreciated, really.

As regulars will know, we work for a school and take every opportunity to get away in our ‘van – a nine year old Coachman called Patsy. By the end of the year will will have spent 109 nights in her. I know – very fortunate.

The beginning of the year saw us in Ramsgate in Kent – but only just. The weather forecast suggested heading home early would be wise, so it was New Years Day that we packed up and went home. Prior to that though we had a great time. Canterbury got a visit again and it was great to see Margate looking like it was over the worst. It holds so many happy childhood memories that seeing it in decline a few years back was heart-breaking. It was good too to wander around a re-opened Dreamland and see the original listed wooden rollercoaster back in action. We spent a lovely evening too with fellow caravanner Alison and family who invited us around to their home in Faversham. Find the original blog HERE

Next up was the February half-term break which saw us return to London and the Caravan Club site at Crystal Palace nestled under the mighty TV transmitter.

It would be easy to say that this trip was doomed from the start. No sooner had we arrived then we had to turn tail and head back as we had forgotten both the water a waste containers. They normally get stored in the ‘van but had been removed for her recent and eye wateringly expensive service.

Trev had picked up a bug doing the rounds and felt progressively worse as the week went on. So much so that we decided to go home a couple of days early missing out on a trip to the theatre and a visit to the London Dungeon. More positively we did get to meet up with a friend and had a look around a rapidly developing Kings Cross as well as a ride on the London Eye on what was about a perfect a day as could be expected for February. Original blog

March and the school’s Easter holiday saw us head north again, stopping off first in Cambridge for the first Twittercamp of the year. It was our first sponsored meet too – by Cover 4 Caravans – so we were able to set everyone up for the day with bacon rolls for breakfast. Trev acted as guide for a walking tour of the city and – again thanks to the sponsorship – had a ride in a punt, unceremoniously grounding it on the quayside! the pretty market town of Saffron Walden, Ely cathedral and the American Cemetery at Madingley also got a look in. Original blog

Next was a trundle up the A1 to Ripon in North Yorkshire. During our stay we got to see Ripon’s cathedral, the Georgian town of Richmond and had a pint (well, two then) at the highest pub in the British Isles – the Tan Hill Inn.

The town of Masham got a look in as did the lovely Fountains Abbey and Pately Bridge. We also got to meet up with more caravanning pals to in the shape of Caravan Larry and family  - A.K.A Phil. All in all, a great stay in a terrific area. Original blogs: Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3

Time to head south but only to Longnor in the Derbyshire Dales about six miles south of Buxton. The tram tour of Buxton was one of the highlights but so too was the train journey through the dales from Buxton to Sheffield via Stockport. Sheffield city centre was looking pretty chipper too.

Original blogs: Part 4 & Part 5

Last was East Horsley in the Surrey Hills. Guildford was the highlight here along with it’s modern cathedral sitting high and overlooking the city. Original blog

The May half-term found us in Hampshire just outside of Winchester where we met up again with Alison from Faversham. The cathedral obviously got a visit but my favourite was the ‘Watercress Line’ – a heritage railway running from Alresford to Alton operating mostly steam but some old diesel engines too. Original blog

After last summers incursion into France, we stayed this side of the English channel for the school summer holidays, first heading west and returning after three years to The lovely Warcombe Farm campsite in North Devon.

The weather for our weeks stay wasn’t great - particularly given what was to come but we had a great time nonetheless. The village of Clovelly was the undoubted highlight but it was too to catch up with site managers Judith & Mike over grog and grub.

 

Read more in the original blogs - Part 1 & Part 2

Next stop was Cirencester and and the Caravan Club site on the edge of town. Just three nights here on what was really a stop over on the way to Twittercamp we got to meet Dan Trudgian and family - fellow caravanners and keen Vloggers. Dan even made a video of me doing some work on Patsy which you can see HERE. Whilst you’re over YouTube take a look at some of his other videos too. Interesting and informative for both caravanning novices and the more experienced and extremely well put together. Original blog.

Next up was the first big event of our summer getaway - Twittercamp. Regulars and newcomers gathered for a scorcher of a week at Henlow Bridge Lakes in Bedfordshire. The usual fun and games as well as a group outing to Wimpole Hall made for a very enjoyable if sweaty and mozzie bitten week. Original blog.

 

Stop number four was in Cambridgeshire at Highfield Farm Touring Park to catch up with Trev’s Mum, before heading east again, this time to Colchester in Essex, for the wedding of my Cousin’s eldest, Sarah to fiancé Derek. Original blogs - Part 5 & Part 6

 

It was a fantastic weekend from start to finish and it was great to spend time with what is now my closest and almost only family.

 

Stop number six was in Norfolk – on the coast in Mundesley. And I mean right on the coast – what a view we had.

 

The weather stayed kind and we we had several trips down memory lane to North Norfolk's’ seaside towns including Hunstanton, Wells-next-the-Sea, Cromer & Sheringham to name but a few. We also got to catch up with former colleague and friend Nick and wife Ellen who had moved up from the south in the spring. Original blogs - Part 7, Part 8 & Part 9.

 

Suffolk was to be the next – and last - county on our travels and site number seven – Beach View – was, as you may have guessed, on the coast too. Located near the village of Sizewell, it had a couple of imposing neighbours in the shape of nuclear power stations – although one has been decommissioned.

 

My cousin Andy and wife Janet joined us for a long weekend and we hooked up with the newly weds too, a little way along the coast here at Aldeburgh. We did get out and about a little and at last the inflatable kayak, bought over two years ago, got some use.

 

The last stop of the trip, still in Suffolk was at Broughton Hall farm, looking even more beautiful than when we visited this time last year. This was to to be wind down and sort out time but the trip was to end on somewhat of a sombre note as we made a return visit to Cambridge for the funeral of an old friend of Trev’s. Original blog.

 

Our October half term outing saw Patsy (that’s the caravan for those who've not been keeping up!) emerge from her new closer storage facility after the longest rest of the year - nine weeks - for a trundle up to Warwickshire and Somers Wood Caravan Park after an overnight stop at the Caravan Club site at Gatwick.

 

Motoring became the unintended theme of the week as we visited both the excellent - and free - Coventry Transport Museum and the British Motor Museum. There were a couple of visits to Birmingham too, both of which involved some er, research and all in all it was a great week.

 

Original blogs:  Warwickshire - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4.

Which brings us to December and the long awaited Christmas holidays. First in our ‘Festive Threesome’ was the Camping & Caravan Club site of Theobald’s Park in Hertfordshire. It was an area that had not popped up on our radar before but we thoroughly enjoyed it, with St Albans, Hertford and Ware all getting a visit as well as the Forty Hall Estate and a day in London too.

Next it was back to Cambridge and the Caravan Club site at Cherry Hinton to spend Christmas with Trev’s Mum. We managed to catch up with several friends too, sending Green King’s share price soaring in the process.

The year has ended here at Run Cottage in the village of Hollesley just a few minutes from the Suffolk Coast. Not our first choice but it should have been as it’s a lovely site. We met up with my cousin – twice and had some lovely bright crispy days out too.

So, that was our 2016 – the caravanning bit anyway. Once again we’ve been to some great places and met some great people along the way. I hope your caravanning year has been fun too.

2017 is already shaping up to be another good ‘un with several sites already booked for the various school holidays.  We’re heading to Bristol for our next half-term, then returning to Yorkshire for the Easter break and our first ever Twittercamp ‘up north’.

Right, have fun tonight and keep safe – and see you on the other side! Happy New Year and have a great 2017.

All the best, Rich & Trev.