Staycation Dorset - Day 1

We left home about 1050. Loading up was easier and I added the small table and chairs to the underseat locker accessible from the outside.

All in the hope that it would be sunny, or at least warm enough to sit outside.

The first problem was before we arrived at Ashford. Some total dick thought it was a good idea to close the M20 from J10A to J9 London bound on the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend. Yes folks. These people walk amongst us every day.

Traffic had to go through the centre of Ashford. Guess what the original name of the M20 was called? Yes. You guessed correctly - The Ashford Bypass.

It took 25 minutes via Hythe Road A20 to rejoin at J9. Traffic at walking pace if you were lucky.

Once free there was little holdup until the M25. A couple of slow bits where we almost came to a stop. As such we decided to miss our usual coffee and Reggie pee break at Cobham and to continue to Fleet on the M3. Around this area there's roadworks in several places.

They are widening the carriageway at the A3. It will be marvellous when finished. We'll all save a minute or two. It will make all the difference. In about 30 years we'll have recouped the time spent stuck in the current jams... 😉

Fleet came up and we stopped in the signed area for caravans. It's shared with HGV's and do must be a nightmare on a weekday mixed in with the 40 tonners!

Claire bought a couple of sandwiches for lunch in the Waitrose and I got coffee at Starbucks. We ate in the van. Loads of dogs around but sadly not inside the main building.

Back on the road our ETA has stretched to 1624. The going was good and the ETA came down to 1613. We arrived at 1615. The road to the site is barrow and had loads of speed bumps.

Checking in was easy. Finding the pitch more difficult. Shouldn't have been but we went wrong anyway.  After an extra long drive around the site we eventually arrived at pitch 138.

Super fast setup today. Levellers out. Not only need to bring the front up and slightly leaning to one side. That was sorted by complete fluke.

Then a walk for cheeky beer for me and cider for Claire in the bar before a walk down to the beach area.

Then back to get the chairs and new table out. Another can of Aldi cider between us. Then it was a little chilly and we packed it all away again!

So a bit of Kindle reading and doing the blog.

[Unless they have sorted the problem with email submissions, Travellerspoint will be wrongly spaced.]

Staycation Suffolk - Day 4

Thursday Evening.

The Garden House CL was really nice. It was a little noisy on the road outside. This was due to the A12 roadworks closing the road and traffic seeking an alternative route to the A14 and the North Sea ports.

On the plus side it had five hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up. We had to borrow a longer cable as ours is only 14m long. Martin the host lent us a 25m cable to reach the bollard.

We managed a dog walk in the enclosed area so Reggie could have a run off the lead. Then as raindrops started to fall we returned to the van.

Gas on. Dinner a couple of Ginsters chicken and mushroom slices and baked beans for dinner.

The rain got harder and lasted until into the night.

Friday.

After a few Reggie interruptions during the night we finally got up around 9am! It had stopped raining and so we had breakfast and broke camp.

The A14 was okay and even the roadworks on the A12 weren't too onerous southbound. The northbound carriageway was totally opposite.

We stopped for Reggie's comfort break at Thurrock, as we had on the way up, plus a cheeky coffee for us.

Even the Dartford Crossing was moving freely on the Essex side and over the bridge into Kent.

The other side though. Despite there being two tunnels and two lanes each, traffic was back to the A2 and a long way up the M25.

Here we had a moment. Traffic moving up the slope towards the M25, about 50mph, suddenly the van in front slowed. I couldn't pull out and ended up standing on the brakes. From 50 to 35 in next to no time.

When I got past,  the driver seemed intent at looking at his own crotch.... Phone?

Once my heart beat had dropped we resumed our normal drive home. Another stop at ASDA for the 12.2p a litre saving!

We arrived home a little after 2pm.

Home again. But for how long?

Staycation Suffolk - Day 2 & 3

Wednesday. 

The day we were going to Walberswick to meet Claire's sister, Sally, and her husband, Ian, who were in a house there before moving into their new house next week.

We arrived just before noon and parked on the Common Car Park. Plenty of room and gravelled. The cost? Just £3 for 4 hours.

As it was almost lunch time Claire and Sally went up to the deli and Reggie and I had a walk around the river area. Here most of the houses are on legs around 3 feet off the ground. High tide was 3.20pm. 

With no sign of them returning we then crossed "Wally's Bridge" and head up to the beach. There are some dunes, fenced off to save them from human feet, and then the sea. To the left there is the river entrance and beyond that Southwold.

To the right in the distance it looks like Sizewell nuclear power plant. A bit like at home where we have Dungeness nuke to the right as we look out to sea.

Personally I don't have a problem with nuclear power. I lived in Zastávka in the Czech Republic near to Dukovany nuke. That one was a nasty old Russian design...

By the time I walked back they were returning. Lunch was very nice but the price they paid was eye wateringly high!

For my brother's info, about three or four times a McDonald's!!

They took off again to visit the shops and we did a different walk along the river, by now with the tide coming in it was much higher. Along the beach and back over Wally's Bridge.

Time for a photo session and goodbyes.

I set the satnav to take up to Southwold. We could have gone across on the ferry and walked but I thought it was easier to drive and check out the motorhome spots at Southwold Pier.

Park4Night says there are three dedicated spaces, in fact there are ten. I paid £1.50 for two hours parking. The machine takes coins and the Ring-Go parking app. Much easier if you could tap a chipped credit or debit card!!!!

We had a walk past the beach huts to the pier and along the pier to the end. There were a couple of cafés open but it was hard to tell. 

The "Under the Pier" show was open. It's a strange "arcade" full of automaton exhibits. One was a treadmill with an artificial dog that a person could walk. I had a real one though...

From there we headed off the our second Caravan Club Certificated Site at Waterpump. 

We missed a turning as the satnav (currently not named) told us to "bear right" just as we passed the turn. It took nearly two miles before a large layby gave me enough turning space for a 7.2 metre long van.

On arrival we met our hostess Sarah and later her husband Dave. A very nice welcoming couple. A lot different to the Barn Own Meadow CL where we actually never saw the hosts.

A chat with neighbours and hosts and a walk around the meadow and we were done. Dinner sausage sandwiches done in the RidgeMonkey. Very nice.

Thursday.

We didn't have to be away until noon and so with a few doggy interruptions in the night we had a lie in.

Eventually leaving around 11.30am. The first port of call was to be the National Trust site at Sutton Hoo - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/sutton-hoo

But first we needed a shop for milk. We passed through several pretty villages with no shops.

Once on the A12 towards Ipswich there was a sign for Wickham Market and "local services". I followed the signs. The high street showed no signs of any shops. There was a tea room but nowhere to park. 

As we were about to give up we came across a Co-Op supermarket. No spaces big enough, so I parked across two spaces for parents and kids. Sod's Law of course meant that the drivers (sans enfants) came out and I moved to let them out. Moving back until Claire reappeared.

Sutton Hoo. Magnificent site. Well worth the entry. Loads of history. Walks around the estate. A café that allows dogs and had an area for those without! 😁😁😁

Check out the link above. Sadly the helmet isn't here. 

We took a walk around the burial mounds. A miracle that over the centuries grave robbers had ransacked some of the mounds but had missed the biggest treasure, the Saxon longship and the treasure horde.

After a cup of tea and a shortbread, Claire went into the shop whilst I finished mine. Then when I went into the museum she went back to the van.

The museum covers the discovery and also subsequent "digs" involving local people and groups. Plus of course many of the smaller finds.

I had no idea that the Saxons has pressed gold coins in the 7th Century in England. Later changed for silver as it was cheaper and they could make more.

Some of the artifacts from the tombs can be traced to the Eastern Mediterranean!

Once we were done it was back on the road for the last overnight of this short midweek trip at Garden House Certificated Location.

It's easy to find from their directions and of course, I had entered the coordinates for the entrance in to Doris. See I have named the satnav during writing this blog. 

I have had a Doris before. Back in around 2003 I bought, a then, state of the art motorcycle specific Garmin Quest. - the first Doris.

On arrival Claire opened the gates and I headed for the first available pitch. Pitch 5. Unfortunately our electric hook-up cable wouldn't be long enough and our host, Martin, offered to lend us a 25m one. Perfect. 

Ours think is 14m. I have another on order, 10m,  and that will have been delivered to home yesterday. 

Maybe I need another longer one!!!

So here we are. Dog walked in the secure dog area where he can be off lead. 

It's been raining more on than off, but we are nice and cosy in the van. 

Blog written. Dinner? Ginsters chicken and mushroom slices and baked beans....

Until tomorrow. Bye for now.

 

Staycation Suffolk - Barn Owl Meadow CL

Arrived at the CL at around 4.45pm. We decided to override the satnav and take the M11 route rather than the A12.

Why? The directions from the owners expected us to come that way. The satnav might not have brought us on size appropriate roads. 

We are later as I had to wait for some replacement keys to arrive in the post. On Sunday when we picked Molly up, the key broke off in the locker lock.  This key opens the hook-up and gas lockers as well as the storage locker.

I ordered two (to be safe!!) but waited for them to arrive as I wasn't confident with only the original spare. The post arrived today about noon.

Altogether just over 4 hours. That includes a diversion to ASDA at Rochester Airport to save 12.2p a litre on diesel. I still managed to get £99 in. The pump handle clicked off a little before. On the way back I think we'll do the same detour and fill it again!

Pretty much plain sailing. Pee break at Thurrock and a visit to Greggs for lunch and Costa for coffee.

The site is a small certificated location of the Caravan Club.

This one is relatively new. It has five pitches all with electric hook-up and water. 

It also has showers and a WC. We have been given a code to get into them as they are accessible from the road.

Once connected we have electric to boil the kettle and heat water for washing up etc.

I turned the gas on too.

So now we are going to get the ramps out to level us up as we are slightly nose down.

Staycation Suffolk - Tomorrow

The staycation to Suffolk stating in three different Caravan Club certificated locations begins tomorrow.

Of course the weather has turned for the worst over the last week plus.  The torrential rain and even hailstorms seem to have passed for now, but the temperatures aren't actually that high.

When we picked the Moho up from the storage site on Sunday it was raining quite hard and it stuck until the evening.

The forecast for the area we are going to looks a little un-summer like. Luckily, and fortuitously, I have booked hardstanding at all three. After the rain we have had over the last few weeks grass pitches are going to be like swamps.

The lady at the Garden House CL did say that they have well drained sandy soil, but I still asked for a hardstanding pitch. If the weather is dodgy we won't be getting the awning and chairs out anyway! 

Molly the Moho will be needing fuel before we get back as well. The range on the dashboard is showing 200 mile or so to empty.  I checked the fuel prices app on my phone and it looks as though we are being royally ripped off around here.  Diesel is 161.9 a litre (!) but not far off the route to the Dartford Crossing, it's 149.7!  So a detour via Walderslade is on the cards.

I might do the same on the way back to make sure we have a full tank at the lowest price!

I am aiming to be away around 1030am. All the details of the sites and the access instructions have been printed and are in the Moho or will be soon!  I have the entrances saved in the satnav but local instructions can save a few problems.

So are we ready?  Not quite!

Printing ..

I have to admit that the paperless office that we were told was coming in the 1980's has never really arrived.

Personally, I like to have some paperwork with me for the sites we are going to be visiting. 

There's not much for the CL's we are staying at next week. One I have paid for, the others take cash on the day. 

I have them in the satnav but it helps to have their directions written down.

I have also printed all the other trips as well. Some more informative than others.

Crit'Air

The V5 log book arrived on Tuesday for Molly and I have just got around to ordering the Crit'Air certificate.

It was a simple job to apply on the official site and €4.60 later I have it on its way in the post.

I did it quite late and so it was this morning when I got the confirmation that it was done and dusted.

Email Posts packed up!

I assume as the email address hadn't changed that there was a problem at Google/Blogger?

Anyway here's a test!

Edited - this took 35 minutes from sending to arriving as a draft.

Awaycation Summer Sun 2023 #1

Another couple of sites booked in advance. At the end of this we will have a week left to turn northwards. I think this is the time we start to use camping-car park stays. 

The first site in this section is on the Mediterranean. It's about 150 miles from the overnight stop.  I have booked two nights here - Camping La Brise de Camargue. The non toll route is mostly on the N7 and passes by Arles.

The next two-nighter is near Millau and is on the Tarn river - Flower Camping Saint Lambert. This is another short trip of around 111 miles on a non-toll route.

The shorter days gives me a chance to look for places of interest on the way.

Staycation April #1

Watching too many vlogs on YouTube has made us want to get away again in the new van.  So far we have only been out to Tesco to fill with diesel and then to Sissinghurst Castle Garden for a run out to see how it handles.

"Molly", as we have named her, went straight into the storage site and has been there a week or so. I had a day trip on the bike with my brother Neill and a friend, Phil, on Sunday. We went to the memorial service at the Canadian National Monument at Vimy Ridge in France.  I have written this up in another blog on Travellerspoint. We were lucky that the weather was good. Sunny and around 18C once the fog in the Channel had worn off.

So this one will be in a couple of days to Back of Beyond in Dorset. The weather has been horrendous around here since Sunday evening. The forecast for Friday to Sunday looks okay, at least not raining! As I write this it is lashing down.

 

We stayed there last year on the way to the week we had in Devon. It was our first longish trip in the then new to us "Suki" van. So I guess it is poetic that we go there in the first longish run in "Molly".

Check-in is from 2pm so we have plenty of time to get down there.  We need to pick the van up from storage tomorrow as we have a phone company engineer coming on Thursday.

As well as loading in the stuff we'll need for the trip, I have to get some LPG in the new Gaslow system. So it looks like we'll have to forego the trip up to north Kent to fill up at Sittingbourne and save ourselves 20p a litre!  Maybe fill only one of the tanks tomorrow in Dover?

Both of us are excited to be away.  Shopping needs to be done. Some beer bought? Maybe some cider? At least Back of Beyond does have a bar and visiting food vans.

Report to follow.

Links in the message (1)

Welcome - Back Of Beyond

Staycation Summer 2023 #1/3

Wow. With Motorhomes and Camper Vans still selling beyond the expectations of many in the industry it does seem rather odd that when someone wanting to spend money is ignored totally.

It's a week since I contacted the two next nearest Certified Locations of the Caravan Club to enquire about an overnight stay in easy range of Bosworth.  Neither has bothered to get back to me. At least the other one did say that they weren't taking bookings this year.

So I have expanded the diameter from the battlefield.  One more to try. If this proves to be another blank then I'll go elsewhere to spend my hard earned cash!

I have also sent an SMS to one of them as the contact number was for a UK mobile.

Let's see shall we?

Awaycation Summer Sun 2023 #1

It's two months today before we head up the frog and toad to Eurotunnel to start our next trip away. I have been concerning myself with getting ready for a series of staycations in Molly and have not done much other than look at maps and the various booking sites for this trip. After all. It's two months away...

We have two stops on the way down and the second leaves us about a 90 miles from Claire's friend's house.  I don't expect to overstay our welcome but I guess with the non-toll route we need to keep an eye on the clock.

So I have been hitting the web and the ACSI book and have found an ideal overnight stop that won't break the bank. It's around 70 miles onwards from her friend's and we should be there is good time. 

I have have booked two nights in a quiet campsite called Flower Camping La Châtaigneraie. Including the tourist tax it comes out at €42 for two nights.  The site has a swimming pool and being June it might not be full of kids, plus a snack bar if we don't want to cook.

From here we have to decide where we are going afterwards. Although we live by the sea many people might want to gravitate inland, but we do like to be by the seaside.

So we need to decide where to go from here.

Molly Day 2 - Sissinghurst Castle Garden

Sunday started a bit late as we had been out to see the Illegal Eagles at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone.

We'd had a rushing day, picking up Molly, out again to fill the diesel tanks and then to the concert, whilst squeezing in a dog walk.

We decided to have a first "family" outting in the new van, and we plumped for Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

We actually went there a few weeks ago when we first got Suki back from winter storage.

Then we were the only vehicle in the coach parking area where the parking attendants told us to park last year.

This time, as in March, there was no one on duty at the gate and it seemed that people parked wherever. The coach park full of cars, and worse, the disabled area was full, but only around half displayed the blue badge. 

We managed to park in the right area. It was around 3pm. We decided to have a walk around the estate and then stop for a coffee. This we did.

It was quite muddy in some places. 

Once back we went to the coffee shop before it closed. We had reusable cups with us. The coffee was too hot so we retired to the van to drink it.

By then most of the cars had gone as the site was closing. 

I had to reverse to leave the space and the new twin cameras at the rear made it so much easier.

The drive back was simply retracing our journey there.

Altogether since picking Molly up on the 1st April we have covered more than a 100 miles.

Once back we locked up with the Milenco stuff and the wheel lock on the front driver's side wheel.

Milenco Man!

It does seem that with both Suki and Molly, I have become somewhat of a Milenco Man!

Maybe as they make what I need at a competitive price.

Firstly it was the steering wheel lock. A large yellow bar that fixed to the steering wheel to make it difficult to manoeuvre the vehicle with it fitted.

Then came the pedal lock. This goes overt he clutch and brake pedals. It's darned heavy and made of thick steel.

Next came the mirror guards. These were sort of bolting the stable door after the horse had bolted. We destroyed the left mirror on Suki when we caught it against a bit of tree trunk hidden in a bush overhanging the road edge.It's maybe doubtful whether the would have worked in the instance but they have been superb since. They, especially the left one, have some scrapes.

Before fitting to Molly I applied a couple of black reflective strips. In light they show white not black. They might show oncoming vehicles how wide the van is, or not as the case maybe. :)

From the above photos you can see how they show up in the light from the phone cam flash.

And lastly, the Milenco Triple Levellers.  A pair of ramps in a bags that can be used at either end to ensure when parked up that the floor inside is level.  We have two spirit (bubble) levels too.

The New Moho has arrived!

We picked up "Molly" on April 1st. Paperwork sorted and the VED paid. Handover. 

Rear cameras working. Solar panel working. Start mileage was 6500.

Then I had to drive a mere 21 miles home.

She was locked up on the drive for a couple of hours whilst we packed all the stuff we took out of "Suki" a week ago into her. 

Then we went out to fill the diesel tank up. I opted for Tesco at Cheriton as it's the least rip off garage for fuel in the locale.

The starting mileage for Fuelly is 6530. Yes. That is £106.00 to fin the tank that was a quarter full to start with.

Of course there were a few teething problems. One being the hab door lock was a little tricky. Very stiff to open the handle when unlocked. Maybe a little squirt of WD40 into the lock might sort it?

The other time waster was fitting the carpets. They had been rolled up in the underseat storage that made them hard to stretch and get on the press studs that keep them from moving about.

What else? Rattles. Putting stuff in has added some rattles that weren't there on the way back from Rye. 

We got home from the fuel stop with 6539 on the odometer.