Jacqui & Neil PM
Left Glentrool mid morning arriving at the Ayr site are about 2pm. Alistair and Julie had already arrived and setup.  The site is within walking distance of the Town and located in the University or College area, near the river.  Certainly not going to win any prizes for being picturesque but if you want to be near the town then it works.
Left Flusco Woods at about 11am Monday 17th Aug, having dumped all our grey waste.
It was only about 100 miles to the next stop of Glentrool Camping and Caravan Site, it is right on the edge of the Galloway forest and part of the Dark Skies initiative, so we hope to get  clear skies tonight and decent star maybe some more meteors if we are lucky.
The site has some statics, tent area and level hard standing for vans, each has electric and there is a drive over Motorhome point with drinking water available.
The facilities are very good even a Bothy (hut with Microwave and Electric Kettle) for the tents, the toilets and washing area is clean and modern, piped music. Â There is a dog walk (not long), ponies and a pond, small shop and wifi, which is ok. Â TV reception and Radio is nil.
Left the Myrtle Mates, Malvern on the Sunday 16th at about 11:00, Eric and Julia went first then ourselves, I think Paul and Cathy planned on enjoying the sun for a couple of hours and then heading off, the rest were staying on till Monday.  Drove 214 miles to Flusco Woods, apart from a slow down on the M6 around Cheshire J18 the traffic was easy but a bit slow.  Stopped at Stafford services was OK but as with all on a Sunday a bit crowded.
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We picked Flusco because it was roughly the right distance easy to find and had EHU showers and water, it is a well run site but hardstanding gravel pitches each with water EHU and a drain, we drove on to get the door on the best side but that meant the drain pipe would not reach, but best to empty in the morning anyway. Â I am not sure if any of the pitches at Flusco are level and we did need to use the levelling ramps, we are getting much better at it, but cold not get it spot on level.
Toilet, shower, washing facilities are all good and TV reception fine, there was site wifi which worked well.
Both of us took advantage of the showers very hot though.
Flusco caters for van and caravans no tent camping it seemed, there is a fantastic dog walk area, massive.  They also have a number of Park Homes where the views of the Lake District are stunning and if you coulod get one at the front would be good, they do seem to keep building another row in front prices appeared to be 80 to 125k, and they do not seem to sell very quickly.
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Met up with the myrtle mates at the Malvern Motorhome show, 4 van Paul and Helen with Gary and Julie, Eric and Julia, Paul and Cathy and ourselves.
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Arrived on the Friday 14th August about 17:00 slow but steady journey.
Had an exciting morning as Jacqui gave me 2 plastics bags which I thought were for the clothes to be transferred to the van so filled them with my clothes, meds, kindle, toiletries etc.., though at the time tis was good of her so as to not get my clothes wet as it was raining on and off.  Left them on the side and later saw Jacqui walkiing past the office window with them in hand, again thought thats good she taking them to the van, but what an odd way to go.  Later I saw her taking her own clothes and asked why she didn’t take them when she took mine, she then said I didn’t take yours, so I asked what she did with the 2 bags of bit I put out, to which she replied I put them in the clothes recycling bin!  Bit of panic set in could see the top of one bag but not the other no chance of forcing the lock or reaching them from the opening.  Rang the  operators but no use eventually they range back but explained no one in area till next week and a call out fee of 100 pounds, I explained that the items were needed today and a key best be found asap, she said she would call back.  In the meantime Jacqui had a brain wave and decided to ask the school caretaker if a spare key was available, luckily as it was school holidays he was in and there was a key in the office.  Very Lucky.
Malvern was the same as usual, but Myrtle mate was as always very good fun, we had a home made indian on the Friday night and BBQ meats, beans and salad on the Saturday, really very good indeed.
On the Saturday morning 4:30am out gas in the gas lite finally ran out, looked at it briefly but decided to leave till the morning. Â Any way could I get the hose unbolted from the bottle no chance, mole grips pathetic, Paul and Eric both had big purpose built spanners, had to take the bottle fully out and use WD40 but eventually got it off.
Then connected the hose to the 13kg bottle was fine but leaked did the soapy water test it really does work. Â Had to refit it about 4 times eventually got the connection gas tight.
So later went off the the show to to acquire a Spanner and a replacement Gaslite (could have waited till hoome but concerned by the leaky connection issues), found a spanner 4.00, found a gas supplier no lite’s so got a metal one and a note to say should be a gas lite. Â They were very helpful and even gave me a lift so that they could check the 13kg one to make sure it was safe. Â Thankfully it appears that it is or the guy was satisfied.
We also bought a Kayak a Sea Eagle (http://shop.spindriftltd.com/sea-eagle-se-330-deluxe-package—new-season-sale-price-28-p.asp), both saw it and agreed et the samll one that is useable and if it works and we use it then when able we can sell it and get a slightly larger one.
Saturday night was good fun geat food, great company, stayed up till the latish hours with Paul and Gary, will meet up again. Â They are all very nice generous people.
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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.
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.
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
 
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
Took a trip to SMC Newark with the latest and hopefully last snag list, it is :
When testing our Alde heating whilst away at Wadebridge, we got the error Overheat Red Fail appear on the display, turning panel off and on does not work.
Morag required a lift back from Elaines in Wadebridge and Jacqui volunteered and was picked (lucky girl), so as to get some benefit we decided to make a weekend (Fri, 10 July – Sun, 12 July) of it. There was a show on at the Royal Cornwal Showground a mile down the road, Appletree Exhibitions the Caravan and Motorhome show, they wanted 45 to camp for one night or 4 nights no difference in price so deciede against that and instead found a CL or CS called Timaru (Timaru, Padstow Road, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7LS, http://www.timaru-camping.co.uk, http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/cornwall/wadebridge/timaru).
Left nice and earlier after sorting Katie out and seeing her off to her first interview ever since Uni, in Loughborough for 3M. Journey was long and tedious, stopped a Sedgemoor services (awful). Arrived at Timaru about 17:00, must say it is the best CL ever been to, no toilets just Waste Points and water, there is a chemical loo and sink for campers (tents) only, massive pitches marked out in a clever way.
Lovely and warm so fired up BBQ and had a very pleasant evening, also filled up with water 100%.
Saturday decide to take a walk to the pub, the only bad thing about the site is it’s immediate location on a country road with no pavement (!), but took off after check OSMAP and OSM and after about 40 minutes found ourselves at the Quarryman, had a great pint and although almost lunchtime as not hungry decided to head over to the showground.
The show was a decided let down, 7.50 per person to get in, expeceting alot of caravans, some motorhome, alot of stalls and a great burger stand. found lads of vans from 2 or 3 big dealers a few caravans not many(!), very few stalls and the burger option was the usual crap, the food court (ha!) was 3 stalls (usual burger/chicken and chips, coffee and muffins or breakfast baps/omlette). The Baps were actually very good so we sat in the sun and had lunch, best thing no queuing, then spent another 10 minutes walking round the complet show. A real rip off, 15.00 for nothing.
Walked back to the van and had a beer.
When leaving the van we thought we would test the Alde heating as so far we had not had cause to useit, so set it up for LPG and temp at 29 to see what happened, when we came back the Control panel has a little red light instead of the usual green and displayed warning triangles and the message Overheat Red Fail (more on this later).
Setlled down for the evening had a Chicken Kiev (oven works well) and watched 3 episodes of Breaking Bad (last season,6).
Next morning (Sunday), we had arranged for Morage to meet us at the site where we would have a cup of tea and then set off, it was raing all morning and Elaine was concerned about getting stuck so we arranged to meet in the Falcon carpark down the road near the travellodge. Emptied all our waste drove the van to the waste water point and turned the tap to dump 100% of the waste water very saisfying! The drove to the Falcon got there just after 10:30 and parked up between the white lines and only sticking out a small amount.
Set off after a cup of tea and biscuits, really good journey back decided on M4, A420 then A34 as the M% was blocked due to an accident, as was the A34 after Kidlington, so added an hour to our journey, but overall a goog trip.