Jacqui & Neil PM
Currently have Revolut app and card.
Nationwide FlexPlus Visa debit card, fee free ATM,
Nationwide Select Visa Credit card, fee free Transactions
Barclaycard Travel VISA, fee free withdrawals and transactions
After much tooing and froing have decided to stick with Safeguard at 89k for 526.35, mainly to do with the vale of the van and the replacement costs, whihc we calc’d at more than 89k, even 2nd hand if possible.
- Shield, Crusader GOWN1, seems same as Shield 576, no breakdown
- Camping and Caravan Club, 540, but breakdown UK and EU (90 days EU) 80.00, so 620.00, should be some discount available??  Check alarm Immobiliser as states Thatcham approved in endorsements.  Alarm OK, price for 79k 461.00 have to send proof of car NCB 11 yrs.
- Caravan Guard – 571, no eu breakdown, 79k – DO NOT BOTHER Tracker not recognised by them despite 606060.com website
- Lifesure  – 664, due to value they use AXA, does not inc discounts, rang, max value 75k no breakdown low excess 350 cost 436.00.  Breakdown EU 99.00 with Call Assist
- ABI – 590
- Safeguard 89k 526.35, 79k 506.60. Â windscreen 100 unlimited, excess 250 + 300, uk, eu, norway, no limit on time away, breakdown 90 days. cover specific to van. Â Reliant on AA
- Scenic the non breakdown version of Safeguard 670.00!!! Â effing useless, and a max of 75k
- Fiat Camper assist extension 1 year 120.40 !!!!
- NationwideFlexPlus EU Breakdown 120/year but with interest paid on balance cost would 45, seems comprehensive, Britannia Rescue (134/year direct).
Not sure about the value 70000 to 90000, decided on 79000.
Check windscreen replacement
Decided to go away for the bank holiday weekend, could not decide where so picked Beal water as a friend had recommended a site Chessons Farm, near it and Ali and Julie had booked in for a weekend in a month or so’ s time.
Full, as was Cedar Gables, any way had a look around and found a CL Waghorns other side of the lake but looked fine and more importantly had a pitch 13.00 pn with ehu.
All packed up and departed Friday at about 14:00, M25 slow but mostly moving, the worst is the A21 near Tonbridge Wells, arrived about 16:30, which was not bad.
Waghorns has 5 pitches although could take a few more the owner reckons 9, there are 6 ehu points around a field with view all round, owners house is just next to the pitches as is a horse paddocks and chicken runs. There are 2 toilets nominally one Men and one Ladies, a washing up sink, toilet waste point, fresh water point, an imformation table and Wi-Fi.
It is just over a mile walk to the lake and the cycle oaths, but the roads are very quiet and dog walking and cycling is easy. There is a nice pub about half a mile away, good food and not overpriced, but not cheap.
We took Gaza for a walk on the Friday about 2 miles and checked out the pub, booked dinner for Sat eve. Had prepared Indian with rice, very nice but broccoli yeuchhh!
Saturday, croissants hard, good long dog walk round the local footpaths and woods, loads of bluebells. Then Gaza settled we headed off on bikes to the lake and the visitors centre, didn’t find the centre. Lake is excellent, the cycles track or Bewl Walk is mostly sharp gravel and grassy paths, some on the tarmac lanes up and down slopes, with some proper hill climbs.
Jacqui had a slight fall nothing broken, was on a rutted grassy/muddy path, just lost balance, thankfully landed on the grass.
We ended up doing 16.5 miles, the bikes did well and apart from failing on one of the hills. I think Jacqui understands my issue with the bikes now as they were bought to helps us covers miles easily and to not be out off by hills. They work well comfortable, easy to operate, great displays, power levels probably fine for us, tackles slopes not problem, but steep hills not quite right. May try changing the sprocket on mine and see if that helps.
Got back took Geza for another walk and then drinks and off to then pub, starter, main wine and beer 52.00 not bad.
Sunday, planned much the same but in the morning Jacqui slipped on the bottom step and banged her side, so not cycling, instead we took Gaza off for a 5 mile walk and a beer. He managed it all but reaches his limit.
Often get letters from Laithwaites or one of the other wine clubs offering this that and something else generally bin them as wine is overpriced, unknown and he offers invariably involve signing up to a plan.
But this offer caught my eye, the wine in it looked familiar and although the initial discounted price was about 6.99 per bottle they had a 20.00 discount code, plus an extra bottle for 12, 40.00 for 24 bottles and 2 bottles free. This meant 26 bottles for 127.76 or 4.92 a bottle and wine I know I like.
Grabbed a browser and ordered, the basket accepted the code and all completed. Wine arrived 2 days later, but only 24 bottles no free gift. Bollox, contacted customer service via the website as probably just and oversight, the sage went like this.
So moral is complain and read terms.
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Took the van in for its first service on Thursday 20th April, booked it in on the 20th March for today, turned up about 9:15am. Â Guy on reception has no record of the service being booked but says not a problem. Â Rang later to say all done and can be picked or left and pick up the next day.
Wanting to miss the School traffic we decided to pick up the next day, total bill including vat 393.00. Â Sure it could have been had cheaper but at I do have some faith in these guys getting it right, they did change the Fuel filter so we shall see.
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We booked this stop the week before as it was right is Happisburgh and we wanted to get a real feel for the place, sadly we have been put off. Â Run down, neglected and not cared for at all describes the caravan park. Â Cash only, although we did a bank transfer, facilities useable at best but very shabby, bit of a rip off at the price 20.00pn 5.00 for ehu.
Had a good walk on the beach and the coastal path, but cycling forget it all the roads are narrow and high hedges bad enough having to drive down them never mind cycling.
The Hill House Inn was good, food fine, beer good, bit cramped but very welcoming.
Booked for 2 nights but as the forecast was poor for the Sunday AM we left Saturday PM for home.
Really enjoyed the break and Geza did very well doing a 3 mile walk on the coastal paths.
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Left Clumber Park on the Wednesday 11am, heading off towards Newark, so that we could pop into PC World for the laptop cloverleaf power lead I had forgotten, some worming tablets for Geza and some food supplies.
Parked up in Newark PC World Car park, got all we need for myslf and Geza , walked down to Aldi and did a quick shop. Carried on to Bourne pleasant enough place good to pop to if lived nearby village. Â Contacted Sandringham CCC to book a pitch woman answering the phone said ‘oh no, fully booked’, really are you sure, ‘ oh yes no pitches this weekend it is Easter’, Â but it’s wednesday we want the pitch for tonight, yes fully booked this weekend, can you check please, ‘oh ok, errr, yes we have a free pitch, just trun up before 8pm’, do you want a name or reg, ‘no no, itll be fine’ Â When we arrived about 16:00 there were loads of pitches free so we booked for 2 nights.
Lovely site great layout, good location plenty of dog walking and cycling to be had. Â Opted for Hardstanding with EHU again not sure why but unless we state no EHU they always assume you want it, same with hardstanding.
Why do CMC close their Toilet block for cleaning 10 to 11:30 just when you need them, and why do CCC insist on escorting you to a pitch?
Again drinks in chairs outside followed by Lasagne in a wooden box and a nice flat bread, all Aldi and really very good.
Thursday slept well, walked the dog to the Sandringham Estate Visitor centre and had a coffee about a 3 mile walk his longest for a while and managed very well, we d=got the bikes ready after a couple of G&Ts in the sun with warmed quiche whilst watching new neighbours erect a gazebo. Â Then off to Dressingham and the Coach and Horses or the Feathers as it turned out, strange bike rides involved 2 memorable hills first uphill on the way there did not notice it, but on the way back thought goodness what a long fast hill that was, 2nd on the way into Dressingham itself seemed windy and steep but on the way back uphill seemed steep. Â Bikes once again worked well.
Dinner was Fish and Chips from a visiting chip van OK, not great fish, but chips and batter was fine.
Leaving tomorrow, would come back at another time of year i.e. not Easter.
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Set off on the Sunday midday for Clumber Park, Heather and Steve had stayed the previous cheese night and left around mid morning 11ish. Â Actually we had a false start as got to Bicester and Jacqui realised she had forgotten her new walking boots, so turnaround and picked them up, this delayed us a bit still traffic was light.
Uneventful journey and this time we decided to follow the CMC directions rather than the Sat Nav’s. Â Parked up at pitch 156, quite busy but plenty of available pitches.
Basically sat in the sun and had a G&T, then dog walk, dinner, watched Sully and OK film  and bed.
Next day, breakfast coffee, dog walk longish trying though to keep them to 2 miles for Geza’s sake although he seems to be getting stronger and we had to help get in the van  initially he can manage by himself.  Nicely tired dog so bikes unloaded and off for a ride round Clumber Park estate, very easy 7/8 miles.  Clumber Park wardens make a great thing about theft and bikes especially providing a bike lock up, we decided to just put them away each night covered up.
That evening I managed to format our movies drive a simple thing to do when attached to the TV and just shows why you cannot be too careful (dickhead)! Â Also with the internet there being truly awful we were forced to rely on TV this was for the first time sporadic so we invested in a TV cable 15.00 for 25m aerial lead.
So far have really enjoyed the site so we decided to stay on for a 3rd night, it was very pleasant sitting outside watching world events unfold with a refreshing drink to hand.
The big event for me was meeting Eric of Eric and Shazza fame, whose blogs I have read avidly for the last 2 years. Â Really nice to speak to him and see that they are still hankering after touring again in a couple of years.
We left the site with nothing booked but a plan to head on to Bourne and then Sandringham.
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16.03.2017, Thursday evening – mostly ready to set off tomorrow pm for a weekend break at Grafham. Â Van is prepped just food and some clothes to load up.
New things this trip:
Arrived at site shortly after Ali and Julie, typical, one day we shall beat them!.
Wardens very chatty and helpful, currently in a large Concorde Motorhome, that they are changing to a Carthago Malibu PVC, they claim has as much room and easier to drive. Â Think they are nuts!
Took evening stroll to water edge all very pleasant mainly down to a almost neat Gin and Tonic Jacqui prepared for me.
Saturday morning  walk around the back of the site for Geza should have been about 1.5 miles ended up 2.5 miles and over rough terrain he was a bit tired and glad to see us bugger off on our bikes.
We set off the four of us to the Wheatsheaf pub about 5 miles round the 10 mile track round the lake.  Lots of runner and some cyclists, really appreciated the electric assistance.  Julie got a puncture in her rear tyre after about 3.5 miles, thankfully nothing to do with me this time.  Agreed that Ali should go back for the van Jacqui and Julie would walk together and I would ride ahead to check on a good spot to meet up and load the van.
Found the fishing lodge with a massive carpark virtually empty so all met up there the pub was packed with little parking available.  Jacqui and I carried o round the lake buying some eggs on the way.  About a 1.5 miles from the site we came across a Bike shop dealing with electric bikes, phone Ali and told him as oopen till 5pm and could fix her tyre.
After getting back to the van Ali and I walked back to the bike shop and got the tyre repaired along with puncture slime.
Overall a good site could go with a pub or something being within 0.5 mile or so. but otherwise good location. Â Very small site though.
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Wanted to visit New Forest to get a tree fix, so booked into Setthorns. This time we booked a standard pitch with EHU, not a Select pitch. The pitches are smaller as such harder to get level on, we managed but did for the first time park up somewhere we could not get level with the hydraulics, we moved.
We also had a look around and decided that Select pitch next time.
Saturday, walked about 6 miles to the pub and back, Geza managed it but was tired. When we got back a caravan alarm was going off turns out it was the one next door, nothing untoward but quite annoying, we decided not to move and they did come back under the cover of darkness.
As it turns out the walk was a bit too much for Geza and when we got back home we ended up taking him to the vet, after offering to put him to sleep which we declined we took home with some Antibiotics and pain killers. He did not move or drink/eat anything for about 36 hours, by this time we had been back to the vet and they gave him an anti nauseum injection whihc did not help. Tuesday morning after deciding if no improvement we would put him to rest, he seemed to perk up and almost back to normal. Much weaker but still quite alert.