Category: Diary

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Bak Rak

Purchased a G3 Bak Rak (http://www.bak-rak.com/base-rak.htm) and light board, also a easy fasten clamp total cost about 144 pounds inc delivery.  The product is well built and solid fixes easily enough, but suffers from one flaw, it rattles.  When bolted on it cannot be moved up or down or left and right, there is a bit of play in the actual rack up and down so any bumps or potholes will allow the whole rack to bounce over time this will have an affect and will sound awful.  So sadly it is not going to be used and will be put up for sale  on the sites at some point.

Have looked at other Bike Rack for the tow bar e.g. Thule and there is no play at all they are rigid and fixed, no rattles etc.. sadly a lower capacity and not as flexible.

  • Thule Europower 916 – http://www.thule.com/en/gb/products/carriers-and-racks/bike-carriers/towbar-mounted-bike-carriers/thule-europower-916-_-916000
  • Witter ZXE502 – http://www.witter-towbars.co.uk/cycle_carriers/buyCycleCarrier.php?partNo=ZXE502

 

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Watling Towbar

Just had a tow-bar fitted by Watling Engineering in St Albans (88 Parkstreet Village, St. Albans Herts, AL2 2LR). Â 13pin Type approved swan neck 710.00 includes vat, ended up having to have a longer swan neck to accommodate the light unit on the back being a bit extended.

Journey very easy arrived at 8:00am, settled down in the office at 8:30 and ready to leave at about 11am all fitted and tested.

 

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Battle Proms, Highclere

Set off Friday 1pm to Freemantle Park farm CL (RG26 5UD, Hannington, Hampshire) for 2 nights (12pn with EHU) 31st July to 2nd Aug with Ali and Julie to see the Highclere Battle Prom concert on the Staurday evening. We had a reasonable journey (only 50 odd miles) arrving after Ali had just setup.

The site access was a challenge with single track roads unsuitable for HGVs all over the place, we successfully followed the directions after one turn around, but Ali came in down the unsuitable route apparently not something he is going to repeat. The worst for us was the last couple of hundred yards which involved a stretch between high hedges about 2.5m apart (van is 2.3m).

Had a meal outside Friday evening, awoke refreshed. I decide to christen the shower, which worked very well although the water pressure is a bit low.

Had a BBQ off for lunch cooking all the meat we had brought along with salad and coleslaw. Set off for the Proms about 15:40 arriving about 16:10 (doors opened at 16:00) the carpark was probably about 2/3rds full already, setup table and chairs and awaited the entertainment (people watching). Best bt the Spitfire flypast over Highclere and the setting Sun, the 1812 and some of the truly awful singing.

Very good weekend

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Freemantle CL

  • Rural, access single track roads, 1 mile to pubs but not an easy walk!
  • Very tidy, great views, EHU (2 posts of 3 sockets). CWD, drinking water and bins, no seperate water for CWD. Right next to the Hannington Aerial tower so reception for TV and phones good.
  • 12pn with EHU

MR A BROWN and MRS S LENNOX
Freemantle Park Farm
Cottington Hill
Hannington
Tadley
RG26 5UD
Please contact the CL direct to book
Telephone: 01635 298296
Email: mary.brown298@gmail.com

gps location for Freemantle Park Farm campsite
GPS Co-ordinates: 51.304030662610955 / -1.2429571151733398

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Dalby Forest Live

Left for the trek to Dalby Forest on the Friday 26th June 2015, staying at South Moor Farm, Dalby Forest Drive, Langdale End, Scarborough, YO13 0LW, www.southmoorfarm.co.uk, 10.00pn. Journey was thankfully uneventful. The site was a sectioned off bit of a field full of cow pats, owners very friendly but facilities severely lacking.

Great views and great location if you like cycling or walking, but little else there.

The purpose of our stay was to see Paul Heaton and Jackie Abbot on the Saturday night at the forest live concert, sepnt the day relaxing and had a walk round a bit of the forest (small bit). In the evening had a BBQ and some drinks and then set off on the walk to the venue, about 1.5 miles. So not too bad.

Warm up act were OK, actually very good really, but not too memorable. Paul and Jackie were on form although left all the (Housemartins and Beautiful South) oldies right to the end for their encores. Really it was what 90% of the crowd wanted to hear all night, pisses me off that. Why not mix it up and play what the crowd wants as well as what the band together and then use the encore to play the tracks that went well!

Still fun walk back in the drak with cars leaving walking down an unlit road, with no pavement, torches saved our lives and allowed us to indicate displearure to tossers using full beam.

Rained in the morning, we left about 11am.

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Longbeech

After sorting out Frank’s bed, SMC replaced the motor on the passenger side, we decided to go away for the weekend.

Set off for Longbeech,New Forest, opposite Ocknell. There is no office at Longbeech so you have to check in at Ocknell, then proceed to Longbeech. Gate is open and not padlocked. Drove down and parked up opposite the last water spot. Lovely Friday evening sun so tested the BBQ and external gas point worked well also used our outside tap to clean stuff afterwards, this was excellent such a simple thing.

First night in van, made up the bed quite painless and comfortable. I slept fitfully, Jacqui slept very well. I woke at about 6, thinking I was on a slope, turns out the slats on my side had come out of their runners, easily out back in but puzzled as to how.

Saturday, short dog walk, breakfast, tea, sorted out some apps (leveller and diary). Then off to Sir Walter Tyrell, pub for pint and chips hopefully all back before it rains.

Walk was much easier less boggy, most of the smaller streams had dried up, toe was sore but ok.

Longbeech

  • 2 nights 23.80
  • Nothing here just water and waste.
  • EE works well, as does 3, used EE.
  • Water taps are fitted with high pressure valves to stop contanimated water getting into system. But upshot is you cannot use then with a water hose of 15m, bloody useless, definitely emailling a complaint to CC&C.

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Ocknell, day 2

Awoke after an ok night. Took Geza for walk and viewed the spot we found last night, saw 2 deer walk right past.  Decision made, went back packed up and moved on.  Jacqui spoke to the people in the tent opposite 3rd year in the same spot, explained we had fiund a vista to camp by.

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Setup took 5 minutes, sat down with cup of tea, deer appeared, made breakfast 3 deer and a rabbit/hare.  Good decision!

Took a walk to Sir Walter Tyrrell pub via Longbeech 2 miles there, nice pub bit let down by the garden, grass needs cutting and pooh all over the place, maybe sheep  or deer but still kids a families running round, not right.  Beer good though.

After a couple  made our way back bit easier as we had a better idea of direction. Went through Longbeech nice site few tents and families.  Lors of space. 

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Spent rest of the afternoon in the sun and deer watching.

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Ocknell, buried in the gorse.

Ocknell, booked on the Thursday, left 2:20pm on the friday, arrived and bedded in by 5pm, G&T sunk by 5:30, off for a dog walk. One more pre dinner G&T then a dinner of Chicken Kiev, Potato Croquettes and roasted veg, with cheese breads.  Bottle of red, v.nice dog walk followed by Bread and Butter pudding with Vanilla Ice cream, satisfying day now finishing the red.

Ocknell very nice not crowded and it is a dry Bank Holiday.

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Tomorrow we plan breakfast and a qalk to the Sir Walter Tyrell pub, 2.5 miles as the crow flies, expecting about 3.5 to be registered.

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Couple have setup next to us ish, very large tent enourmous thing.

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Rutland, Dougie Naming

Travelled to Belton on Rutland on Saturday morning to stay at the Old Rectory CL, it is a small site, mainly grass pitches, toilet block and showers (all a bit tired), has a gravel track leading to a large field. Pitches most with electric either side of the track, all sloping down to the field.

No Geza this time as we were going to the naming ceremony on Sunday, so we dropped him round at Lawrence and Lorna’s on Saturday morning, they had tidied up big-time.

Arrived on site at about 14:00, setup of which leveling was a small challenge. All sorted, cooked a meal and had a bottle of white, some sort of tray bake Chicken Chorizo, booked a taxi for about 18:30 to take us to Stuart and Charmaine’s.

Richard picked us up promptly and we arrived quickly, arranging a pickup for 22:15. We met :
Andy and Alison, Kirsten and Charlotte
Robin and Maria, Bobby and Dot
Sarah
Frances and Doug

Had a buffet and caught up with news visited Stuarts warehouse, very busy.

Left at 22:00 arrived back all ok on site, settled down for the night, lots and lots of rain overnight.

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Peterborough Myrtle, 17.4.2015 19.4.2015

Arrived at Peterborough after a reasonable journey nothing special just road works everywhere.

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Parked up almost level. Aldi pizza for dinner, tried the new oven trays out, seemed to work well.

The gas is still lasting on the calorlite bottle which was supposed to be empty 2 trips ago, sure there will be a midnight changeover again.

Continue reading “Peterborough Myrtle, 17.4.2015 19.4.2015”

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Cleaning the Awning

Set the awning up in the back garden, to give it a clean and spray some sealant over the seams as we think they were leaking whilst in Chester.

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