Category: Motorhome

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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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Chester Festival, 2.4.2015 to 5.4.2015

Planned to leave thursday morning to spend the weekend with Motorhomefun at the Chester food and lifestyle festival, camping on Chester racecourse.

First job check tyre pressures after finding the drivers rear tyre a bit low last week. They had dropped over the week to about 68, probably due to me checking the pressure everyday. Decided to top the pressure up to 75, what I believe it should be. Got the Fix & Go compressor out, made sure switched to compressor not the Fix, pumped up the 4 tyres no problems but on the last tyre noticed some white spots on the ground. When I picked up the compressor discovered that the fluid was coming from the other tube it appears that the fix and go fluid has decided to open up. It is very fluid and sticky and tricky to stop, if you unwind the fluid pipe then there is a button which releases the fluid canister, after doing this I was able to stop the leak and start the cleanup of the compressor wire case and tubes.

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TIP: if you use the Fix&Go compressor remove the cannister first.

[flexiblemap address=”Racecourse, Chester, UK” region=”uk”]

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Sandringham CC, 2014 30th Dec

Spent New Year at Sandringham CC site, was frosty but no real snow, days were clear and Sunny. Â Being right next to the estate grounds it is a real paradise for dog walkers.

Would return.

 

 

 

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Thorpe-le-Soken, 28.11.2014

Drove to Thorpe-le-Soken on the Friday afternoon to the Essex Gourmand evening, an event organised by BreweryDave from MHF, parked up in a site just outside the village 10 minute walk, site probably took 12 vans, Dave packed in about 25, virtually all with electric.

Met lots of people for the first time, can remember the following names:

  • David and Bev (and Lola), DavidG58
  • Cliff and Geraldine, Cliffandger
  • Dave and Jackie, BreweryDave
  • Simon and Jane, TheCaller
  • Terry, Terry
  • Howie and Kath, WaynesWires
  • DawnB and Mike

Everybody was very friendly and as it was a much smaller group than a rally, you actually got to speak to people.

First night we had some dinner and walked down to the local which was a social club nearby, this was memorable as we met up with some people and chatted and we did not take Geza, he  was left in the van (first time).

Next day, walked the dogs and then went off with DavidG58 and Cliffandger to the seaside by rail with the dogs, Geza not entirely sure about the train but managed, loved the beach though as always.  Fish and Chips outside.

Headed back and rested and then headed out to the Olive Tree Bistro for dinner, very nice, turned out it was Howie’s Birthday so we all helped him eat a cake arranged by Dave and Kath.

Headed home on the Sunday, after making some new friends that I know we shall meet again.

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Picnic Cinema

Went to a Picnic Cinema show of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in Cannock Chase, at the Tackaroo forestry campsite.

The site was almost deserted when we turned up it is a heavily wooded area with lots of flat areas in amongst the tree, generally there is just water and waste available no other facilities. Â As the event was on that had provided portaloo toilets, which were mostly full and gross.

The show a song and dance act, quiz etc  started at about 7:30 and the film kicked off about 8:45pm, quite cold but no rain (thankfully).

A very enjoyable evening, for the right film we would do it again.

Bucketed down overnight, really pitied the people in tents (most were), we were the only MH, there was one caravan and a couple of Campervans.

Next morning we had the place to ourselves almost.

 

 

 

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Wigrams Canalside

Dropped Mother in Law off in Northampton, then headed off to Wigrams Canalside, CS in Napton on the Hill near Southam.

Wigrams is at the end if a long track there are 2 camping fields one long and thin, the other quite large especially for only 5 vehicles, EHU scattered around the edge, water and waste available at the side of the field entrance, the toilet block has 1 toilet and sink, 1 shower toilet and sink and a single sink.

Paid 15 pounds for one night (Bank Holiday weekend), with EHU (although not needed), it is a great location at the junction of Oxford and Grand Union canals, also Locks, Cafe and a Marina nearby.  Short walk, 15 minutes, is the Kings Head, booked a table via OpenTable online for the evening, could not fault it had great food and quick service a very pleasant surprise.

It was the first time we have been away in the van without the dog, had decided to leave him at home as we were going to the Picnic Cinema, Cannock Chase the next evening and felt it was unfair to leave him in the van. Â Any way apart from the van seeming really spacious and quiet without him, we got on really well and enjoyed our first CS stop.

We liked the environment, facilities and location, the only sour point was the toilet drains were full or blocked as liquid waste was leaking out across the entrance road, not a major issue but not pleasant.

No internet, but the Wifi kit worked well and we had a solid connection via BT FON, really impressed with the new antenna.