Trip 22 22-24th July Beadnell Bay

Day 1
This is the first holiday in the van we've had where we've planned to go with friends. We arrived on Friday night, set up camp whilst our godson played his guitar and then ate outside in the sunshine. Definitely a great way to start the weekend.

Day 2



The point of this trip was to take the kids to the Farne Islands but unfortunately the wind overnight was so strong that all boats were cancelled (thankfully our friends tent stayed up). So after a leisurely breakfast we walked into Seahouses for an explore. We pottered around, watched the stormy sea, had lunch and then the sun came out. So we played crazy golf (northern Ireland won yet again!) and ate ice-cream in the sun before heading back to camp.
We headed to the Craster Arms in Beadnell for tea and thanks to a large wall enjoyed a sheltered pint in the evening sun.



Day 3
The wind overnight was even worse than the night before and our friends tent nearly collapsed! So after breakfast it was all hands on deck to pack the tent without it blowing away!! We then set off home to find shelter!





Details for those who are interested!
Cost: £14.98 per night (high season)
Website: http://www.siteseeker.co.uk/aspx/details.aspx?id=8010


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Location:Northumberland

Trip 21 1-3 July Whitby holiday park

Day 1
We go to Whitby a lot but have never gone in the camper so we thought we'd try a campsite. It certainly paid off as the weather was fantastic. We arrived after work in glorious sunshine to the holiday park - it was rather like Hi-De-Hi with the man who sorted out our pitch looking like he was still in the 70s. After a brief chat about his hatred of marriage (I'm not kidding) we went to our pitch, it was at s steep angle and the chocks were not going to help so he kindly allowed us to move. We then sat in glorious sunshine enjoying the view of the coast.
Day 2



We decided to make the most of the fantastic weather by heading into Whitby early. The campsite is in a great position, 15 minute walk along the Coastal path to the Abbey. We had a leisurely breakfast at the Hatless Heron and an explore of the Old Town before hiring a couple of deck chairs and spending the afternoon on the beach. Late afternoon we then headed to or favourite restaurant - The Magpie Cafe. We always end up with fish and chips but the rule this time was nothing fried. I had an amazing trio of sea bass, salmon and scallops and Matt had monkfish, we then had pudding and I had a trio of rhubarb which was equally delicious. We then headed back in the evening sun and enjoyed sitting outside the van. However the most hilarious point of the trip was late that night at the campsite when 2 people decided to have an argument about their divorce outside our van. The campsite was great but it was something out of a sitcom with bingo and family club. That aside though it's great for a weekend and if you pay a little extra for a sea view you are away from the bingo anyway!
We set off early on the Sunday for a scenic drive back via Scarborough. Perfect end to a great weekend

Details for those who are interested!
Cost: £19 per night (high season)
Website: http://whitbypark.co.uk/html/park.html
The Magpie Cafe: http://www.magpiecafe.co.uk/

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Location:Whitby

Trip 20 27-31st May Dunstan Hill

Day 1
Our weekend started with putting the awning up and then immediately taking it back down as the wind was so strong! Though it was windy the sun shone and we sat outside enjoying the evening with fish and Chips from the
Village van that visits the site on a Friday night.
Day 2



The day started as usual with the local shop van beeping its horn at 8.45 - time to get up get the paper and start the day. The weather was still good so we set off on our coastal walk to Low Newton on Sea. We arrived in the sunshine and got a table at the Ship Inn. Crab stotties and 2 pints of beer brewed on site were ordered. An hour or so later we set off back to he campsite, to be caught in a sudden downpour. Matt was lauding so hard at me running round in circles trying to get my raincoat on. Th wind was so strong it just kept blowing away from me! Needless to say sighing 5 minutes the sun came out again and we were dry before we got bak to the campsite Our friends Karen and Ian and their boys were staying on the same site so we had a lovely afternoon on the beach paddling and building sandcastles. Then in the evening we were taught the game cribbage over a bottle of wine. I suspect cribbage will become a camping favourite.
Day 3
Today we spent the morning watching the rain and then escaped the rain by going into Alnwick to meet other friends and our godchildren for Sunday Lunch. When we returned we were greeted by Karen and Ian and 2 excited 'knights' with their swords. The rest of the day was spent learning the many rules of being a knight and slaying lots of dragons. When the knits went to bed it was time for cribbage.


Day 4
The plan today was to visit the new craft shop and cafe near the site but when we got there it was closed! On a bank holiday!! So we spent the day sitting and drinking tea and enjoying the sun when it appeared. The perfect camping day really.
We then set off early on the Tuesday morning to make our journey home.

Details for those who are interested!
Cost: £19.47 per night with electric hook up and awning (high season)
Website: http://www.siteseeker.co.uk/aspx/details.aspx?id=6130
The Ship Inn: http://www.shipinnnewton.co.uk/
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Location:Northumberland

2011 the adventures begin - trip 19

24th April -28th April Waterside House campsite Ullswater




Waterside House is a great site. It's big, a working farm providing the sound of lambs and calves at the moment (and the odd farm smell too!), it's right on the shore of Ullswater and only a 15minute stroll into Pooley Bridge on a lakeside path. The only downside is the limited showers, though they are building more ready for the
summer.
Our first day mostly involved dozing in the sun. But the highlight was the young couple in the tent next to us, they creatively made a campfire from the disposable BBQ and some sticks - brilliant idea, well until they decided to take it into their tent when it got dark!! Thankfully the next morning both they and their tent were still in one piece!
The second day of our stay and the sun was still shining, so we went on a walk up above Ullswater. The walk took us through Cross Dormont up the fell towards Barton Park, along the top to the cockpit( a stone circle) and then back down into Pooley Bridge. It was a beautiful walk, giving great views of Ullswater. We stopped off in the sun pub for lunch and a pint of Cumberland ale before heading back to the campsite.
I promptly fell asleep and woke only in time to eat tea! It's great escaping and living in the fresh air for a few days.
The third day and it was a lot cooler, so we went on an Ullswater steamer boat to Glenridding. It was a great way of seeing the lake and surrounding hills. Once in Glenriddng we wandered about for a bit and had lunch in Fellbites before getting the boat back.
The fourth day was my birthday so we started the day with sausage sandwiches for breakfast! We also spent quite alot of time watching the farm move a herd of cows up the road! The weather was amazing, clear blue skies, so we walked into Pooley Bridge and hired a rowing boat. It was a great way to spend an hour and we rowed as far as our campsite and back. We then treated ourselves to a birthday ice-cream before sitting in the sun reading the paper all afternoon. bliss. we decided to eat out in the evening as a birthday treat. We went to The Sun in Pooley Bridge. A great find. The food was lovely (especially the sticky toffee pudding) and there is a good choice of local beer. a great way to spend our final evening at Waterside farm.




Details for those who are interested!
Cost: £20 per night with electric hook up (high season)
Website: http://www.watersidefarm-campsite.co.uk/
The Sun Inn: http://www.suninnpooleybridge.co.uk/
Ullswater steamers: http://www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk/index.shtml


28th April-1st May Eskdale camping and caravanning club site Boot




We packed up at Ullswater and headed to Boot, but decided to have a quick explore of Keswick along the way. We haven't been to Keswick for years and thought it would be nice to see what had changed. In short not a great deal. We did however find a fantastic little tearoom and shop called The Temporary Measure. A fantastic mix of retro furniture, canvas prints and artwork and knitting. Everything designed and made by the lady who runs the shop. We stopped and had teacake and a drink. I think we'll be back!
We made the rest of the journey to Boot in glorious sunshine. We set up and sat all afternoon in the sun. In fact it was so warm I had lots of suncream and a sun hat on. It's a first for us at Boot. Though no matter the weather Boot never loses it's appeal. The scenery is simply stunning, the campsite is unspoilt and well looked after and the local pub the Boot Inn serves really tasty food and great local ale. In fact the Boot Inn is the perfect retreat if the weather turns. We've played many a game of scrabble at the Boot Inn!
On day 2 we went on the ravenglass-eskdale railway and then did a 7 mile walk. Pathfinder guides did it again and fooled us into thinking the walk would be not too bad and then confronting us with a hill that went on forever! Still the views back towards Ravenglass made it worthwhile. We even caught 10 minutes of the royal wedding as we walked through Muncaster estate. We celebrated finishing the walk with a cuppa and some cake at the newly built railway cafe before heading back to Boot. We treated ourselves to scrabble a pint and boot pie at the Boot Inn in the evening. A perfect way to end the day!
Day 3 and we did a favourite walk up to Eel tarn, stopping as usual at the woolpack for a pint and some lunch. It's recently been done up by the new owners and I have to say I much prefer the old bar to the new 'trendy' leather seated bar they've created. It just doesn't seem to suit the surroundings!
Day 4 and it was time to head home, but not without a fry up at the Boot Inn for breakfast.

Details for those who are interested!
Cost: £19.47 per night with electric hook up and awning (high season)
Website: www.siteseeker.co.uk/aspx/details.aspx?id=9030
Temporary Measure, Keswick: http://www.temporarymeasure.co.uk/
The Boot Inn: http://www.bootinn.co.uk
The Woolpack: http://www.woolpack.co.uk/
Eskdale railway: http://www.ravenglass-railway.co.uk/

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another year of campervan capers (I just forgot to write about it)

Well last year I was a little bit (translate that as a whole lot) rubbish with the blog. I have to confess I was having too much fun and relaxing on holiday in the campervan to remember to make notes on what we'd done and where we had been. So here is a quick run down of where we went and the details:

Trip 13 30 April-4th May Beadnell Bay
We've been a few times to this site. It's a little basic but kept well and always with fantastic hosts. It's a great base for cycling to Seahouses and exploring the Farne islands. This time we were fortunate enough to see baby birds being born and lots of puffins.

Trip 14 29th and 30 May Blackmore campsite malvern hills
We used this site as a stop off on our way to Cornwall but it's a fantastic site. Really well set out with lots of walks nearby. There is also. Great pub in the village which has a lovely beer garden. We cycled to Great Malvern. It's highly worth a visit, especially if you make the climb up the hills behind the town, stunning stunning views. However I wouldn't recommend cycling there, oh my word the hills nearly kill you!!

1st-6th June Dennis Cove campsite Padstow
This was the highlight of our year. This little campsite is just on the edge of Padstow right next to the camel trail. Perfect for exploring lots of places without having to drive anywhere. The weather was amazing and we crammed in cycling to camel valley vineyards for a tour (and buying lots of wine) visiting Prideaux place, visiting rock, exploring Padstow, more cycling of the Camel trail, a Rick Stein cookery course, Rick Stein's restaurant and plenty of fish and chips. Now can you see why I neglected the blog!!

Trip 15 2nd-4th July Dent

We've been to Dent before. It's another great site in a much quieter part of Cumbria. There is stunning scenery all around the site and plenty of great walks. This time my cousin and her family were staying nearby so we had a lovely evening in one of the local pubs enjoying good food and spending quality time with them.
On the Sunday we all went to the forbidden corner at Leyburn. A fantastic folly play park ( that's the only way I can think to describe it)

Trip 16 23rd-25th July Dunstan Hill
This is another one of our favourite places to go. Its staggering distance to embleton sands and dunstanburgh castle. There are plenty of places to cycle and walk, our favourite being the ship inn at low Newton on Sea for crab stotties and a pint.

Trip 17 20th-22nd August Rosedale Abbey
This was our first time at Rosedale. The village is beautiful, there is a great pub to eat in and we had the added fun of the Rosedale show. Though we weren't so enamoured by the campsite. We will probably use it again but it was so busy with both statics and tourers that it was noisy and the facilities were constantly in a mess. It very well could be because of the show but teenagers drinking and shouting from the top of climbing frames doesn't seem to go with sleepy village in Yorkshire!

Trip 18 28th-31st August Boot
And again one of our favourites. A bit tricky to get to but well worth the slow and hilly drive. This campsite is so well run and brilliantly placed. The boot inn is great for a pint, dinner or even breakfast. The walks are spectacular and if you do the walk to eel tarn, the newly taken over woolpack inn is a treat half way round. I definitely recommend at least one trip on the eskdale to ravenglass railway and an explore of Muncaster castle.

Thanks to mobile technology I'll be blogging much more often this year when we go on our adventures.



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trip number 12 Skye

Thursday 27th August - Wednesday 2nd September 2009

Day one
The day started a bit earlier than is healthy - 5 am! and we set off for Skye. we decided to do it in one go to make sure we had as much time as possible on the island and despite the very long day we had a great time travelling. Stop 1 was near Carlisle in the motorway services. I don’t know what they do to coffee in places like this but they do something horrendous to it and then charge a ridiculous amount. Still it was a caffeine boost. We then carried on past Glasgow to our second stop of the day - Luss. There is a fantastic place called the coach house that we often find excuses for visiting. We first discovered it on our honeymoon ten years ago and have returned many times. They serve the most fantastic range of homemade soups and cakes (and the man in a kilt is a free but enjoyable extra!). The final leg of our journey was the most stunning heading north to Fortwilliam and then along the A87 to Kyle of Lochalsh. We had never gone this section past Fortwilliam before and the scenery was absolutely stunning. Scotland has a special place in my heart and even a lot of rain can’t dampen the excitement of seeing the hills. Finally after driving across what was once the most expensive piece of toll road in the world, we entered Skye and headed past Portree to our campsite just outside Flashader. WOW sums up the view from the campsite across Loch Greshornish. It was definitely worth the 12 hour journey. We pitched up and after a cuppa went to bed - rocked to sleep by the gale force winds and rain!!
Day two
The weather overnight had us a bit worried that our holiday might literally be a wash out. Even the trailer tent couple that arrived today parked up and went off not returning for two days! We woke up this morning to wonderful views of the Loch, as well as a man in his 70‘s doing is weights ands a little girl telling the entire campsite that her brother had stolen the kettle - priceless. despite bad weather overnight we had blue skies today and so set off to explore the Trotternish peninsula. We went through Uig and up to Kilmuir and the Skye museum of Island life. A fascinating little museum telling the story of the island and its people. We also discovered a local hero called Flora McDonald who had helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape and had a lovely walk up to her grave and the celtic cross monument erected in her memory. We then carried on around the coast and stopped at Ellishader to take a look at Kilt Rock waterfall and indulge in some roadside cooked sausage sandwiches. We set off again and admired the Old Man of Storr ( a rock not an actual man!) and finally arrived in Portree were we took the road back to the campsite. As was to be expected at teatime the weather hit again so we were moved of our grass pitch onto a gravel pitch and enjoyed another night being rocked to sleep.
Day three
Sunshine again today - hooray. This time we decided to explore the Waternish peninsula so again set off in the camper for a drive around. We drove past the famous fairy bridge (legend has it that a prince foolishly married a fairy and said farewell to her at the bridge when she decided to go back to her mother) and our first stop of the day was a pretty little lochside village called Stein. We walked down the Quay so Matt could take some photos and then sheltered in the Stein Inn for lunch (with its rather dodgy playlist of Barry Mannilow and Abba). We then headed up the road to SkyeSkyns, a traditional tannery. We were given a fantastic free tour of the work they do and then had a look at the shop. We even bought a fantastic rug as a reminder. After that we headed further down the peninsula to Shilasdair yarns where we were shown the natural dyeing processes they use. We didn’t buy an knitwear though as we would definitely have to remortgage! Our final stop of the day was in the most uninspiring of villages - Dunvegan. There is noting really attractive about it at all, its only saving grace is a lovely little cake shop called Jann’s cakes where we had a nice coffee and a giant butterscotch and ginger syrup muffin topped with chocolate and a piece of fudge. Shame we only thought about taking a photo after we’d scoffed the lot. Tonight the weather was much calmer and drier and we even managed a walk along the loch from the campsite and had much more sleep!
Day four
Today was the day I had been waiting for - the trip to Talisker distillery. We had a lovely drive past Dunvegan to Carbost and then very much enjoyed a wee dram before going on the distillery tour. What was surprising was the amount of whisky left by people!! scandalous I say. After the tour I purchased a rather fine new edition to the Talisker range - 57º North - it’s 57% and a magnificently flavoured malt. After the tour we headed up past Carbost to Portnalong and enjoyed even more stunning scenery. It’s amazing how the ever changing weather makes the scenery come alive. The view of the Cuillins changed all the time and was fascinating just to sit and watch. We settled down in the evening to a yummy mushroom risotto and a glass of vino as the weather properly descended on the Loch. Another night of being rocked asleep and grateful for our camper as some of tents collapsed overnight.
Day five
Today was the first day that it rained properly during the day and boy did it rain. We ventured into Portree for a look around and stumbled across a lovely little cafe called Cafe Arriba. A fantastic little place with lots of homemade lunches. Matt had a fantastic lamb curry and I had the nicest falafel wraps I’ve ever had. I’d definitely recommend popping in if you are on Skye. We had a look around the harbour and the multicoloured restaurants and guesthouses before seeking refuge back in the van. We’d got so wet we had to strategically place plastic bags in the van to catch the water running off our coats and trousers! We decided to venture back towards Uig and visit the Isle of Skye Brewery, and this was the only disappointment we had on Skye. It was baffling enough to find a brewery that wasn’t doing tours during the summer season (apparently not enough staff) but then we tried to buy some of their ale discovered they had run out!!! and their shop only sold other ales from elsewhere in Scotland. To get over the shock we had a a lovely look around Uig Pottery and had a great coffee in their cafe before heading back to the campsite for a lazy afternoon.
Day six (and seven)
Today we said goodbye to Skye and headed south to Ardgartan for a stopover. we stopped off at Eilean Donan Castle for a photo opportunity and a nice bowl of soup (plus another rather nice man in a kilt). We then continued to loch Long (including a minor argument with a left hand drive camper along the way). Ardgartan site was a welcome rest from travelling but sad to see that the site is a bit run down as its lease is nearly up. A shame as it's in a great spot. We then had an early night and set off home the next day (with the usual stop off at Luss for soup and millionaires shortbread!)

Details for those who are interested!

Cost: £19.47 per night with electric hook up and awning (high season)
Website: http://www.siteseeker.co.uk/aspx/details.aspx?id=9060&currentPage=0

Coach House, Luss: http://www.taste-of-scotland.com/members/coach_house.html
Skye Museum of Island Life: http://www.skyemuseum.co.uk/index.html
Skyeskyns: http://www.skyeskyns.co.uk/

Shilasdair Yarns: http://www.shilasdair-yarns.co.uk/
Stein Inn:http://www.steininn.co.uk/
Jann's Cakes:http://www.theskyeguide.com/shopping-mainmenu-30/28-locally-made-stuff/185-janns-cakes
Talisker Distillery :http://www.discovering-distilleries.com/talisker
Cafe Arriba :http://www.cafearriba.co.uk/
Uig Pottery :http://www.uigpottery.co.uk/

Trip number 11 Masham

Friday 24th - Sunday 26th July 2009

Day one
Coming to Masham was a bit of a last minute plan. We rang around last week and managed to pitch at the Old Station Yard. It's a great little site, nowhere else would you be greeted by an old traction engine and a man playing the accordion! We pitched up, had a cuppa and a bacon butty and relaxed for the first time in weeks!
Day two
The in-laws joined us for the day so after a morning brew, we headed into Masham. I had booked us into the Black Sheep Brewery and we had a fantastic tour. The guide called Dave was a typical charismatic Yorkshire man and entertained us a lot as well as telling us plenty about making beer. After the tour we had a rather nice lunch in the brewery bistro and of course enjoyed our free half plus the extra we felt need to sample! Later we waddled into Masham itself for a wander, having a look round the market, galleries and church. We also discovered an amazing sweet shop called Joneva, It had every sort of chocolate, fudge and sweets you could ever want. Thankfully as we had eaten so much at lunch we avoided temptation. The sun was shining so on the early evening we headed back to the van and sat in the sun, cooking Masham sausages on a disposable BBQ. It was a fine way to end the day.
Day three
We woke up and much to our dismay the rain had arrived. We had to head home early today anyway so packed up, had a full english breakfast at the campsite cafe and them headed home. Another great weekend with Robin.

Details for those who are interested!

Cost: £16.50 per night with electric hook up and awning (high season)
Website: http://www.oldstation-masham.co.uk/

Black Sheep Brewery: http://www.blacksheepbrewery.com/

Joneva: http://www.joneva.com/