Allan Bank

We awoke to a very grey rainy day.

We drove to Allan Bank on the banks of Grassmere. Once home to National Trust founder Canon Rawnsley and only partially decorated, this isn’t a typical National Trust experience. Everything is very informal at Allan Bank. You can help yourself to tea, coffee and biscuits for a small donation and drink them anywhere in the house. You can have a read by th fire or try your hand at painting or drawing. We sat by the widow watching the bird and saw a couple of red squirrels. Secret hideaways, such as the Victorian viewing tunnel, create an air of mystery. Unfortunately it was still rainy quite heavily so we didn’t get to explore the gardens.

We then drove to Townend. The Brownes of Townend in the Troutbeck Valley were just an ordinary farming family: but their home and belongings bring to life more than 400 years of extraordinary stories. Beatrix Potter described Troutbeck Valley as her favourite.

Once inside, you are welcomed into the farmhouse kitchen with a real fire -  burning most afternoons -  and a quirky collection of domestic tools. Throughout the house, intricately carved furniture provides a window into the personality of George Browne. The library contains the family’s well-used collection of books, including 45 that are the only remaining copies in the world. Outside, the colourful cottage-style garden is a lovely place to while away some time among the flowers, but unfortunately it was still raining so we headed for Kendal.

We did a bit of shopping before dropping into Wetherspoons for dinner as it was still raining. The Miles Thompson is set in the old council offices, but the building was originally the towns public baths, complete with chimney. By the time we came out it had finally stopped raining and we had some sunny spells. We headed back to he caravan 

Barrow-in-Furness

We had rain and high winds through most of the night but when we awoke the sun was out again. Still a bit windy but bright and warm.

We headed out to Barrow in Furness, calling in at Dalton Castle on the way. The 14th-century tower was formerly the manorial courthouse of Furness Abbey. Here the abbott exercised his right to hold manorial courts and administer justice within the lordship of Furness, as authorised by the abbey's foundation charter of 1127. The building would have contained not only the courtroom and one or two other rooms in which the business of the lordship was transacted, but also a gaol, guardrooms and stores. After the dissolution of the abbey in 1537, the castle continued as a courthouse for over 300 years, owned at first by the Crown and then by the Dukes of Albermarle, the Dukes of Montagu, and finally the Dukes of Buccleuch. Its interior has seen many alterations, the last and most radical being that of 1856 when three upper floors, accessible from a stone spiral staircase, were superseded by a single upper room and an additional stairway. Dalton Castle was given to the National Trust by the 8th Duke of Buccleuch in 1965. Unfortunately it is only open a few days a year and today was not one of them.

We continued on to Barrow and did a bit of shopping before driving ou to The George Hotel at Rampside for Afternoon Tea. We had a quick ride down to the lifeboat station near Piel Island.

We called in at Old Hall farm for an ice cream on the way back to the caravan and settled down for the evening.

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, Windermere cruise, Ambleside

Fairly overcast this morning but quite bright with the sun coming through every now and again.

We drove to Haverthwaite station and caught the steam train up to Lakeside on the banks of Windermere. It was a rather disappointing train journey of only 17 minutes and the train never really got much above 10 mph.

Lakeside Station is right on the pier so we walked through and boarded The Swan for a cruise to Ambleside. The Swan has three decks and at full capacity can hold 533 passengers. It was built in 1938 by Vickers of Barrow. The sections of boat were transported by rail to Lakeside and assembled. The M.V. Swan is 142ft long weighing 251 tonnes. On board it is manned by a crew of seven and can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines and 2 x auxiliary generators. On the way to Ambleside the boat stops at Bowness.

At Ambleside pier it was a 20 minute walk into the town centre. We had a bite to eat at The Apple Pie Cafe, right beside The Bridge House, before walking back to the pier to catch the last boat back that would connect with the last Train back to Haverthwaite. We sailed back on The Tern, a boat with two levels and at full capacity can hold 350 passengers. The M.V Tern was built by Forrest & Son, Wyvenhoe, Essex in 1891, as a steam-powered yacht. This was converted to diesel power In 1956. The Tern is 145ft in length and weighs 121 tonnes. On board, it is manned by a crew of 4 and can reach a speed of 10 knots with its 2 x 6 cylinder Cummins diesel engines, 2 x auxiliary generators and bow thruster.

On arrival back at Lakeside we got straight on the train back to Haverthwaite station and on to the caravan. 

Hill Top and Wray Castle

It rained most of the night and was still raining when we got up.

We drove to Hill Top, the home of Beatrix Potter. She bought Hill Top in 1905, the first of many houses and farms she would buy in th Lake District. On her death she left 15 farms and over 4000 acres of land to the National Trust, which now form part of the Lake District World Heritage Site.

Entrance to the house was by timed ticket so we had time for a sausage roll and coffee whilst we waited. It finally stopped raining about half 2 and turned into quite a pleasant evening.

We then drove to Wray Castle. Built 180 years ago by the Dawson’s, a surgeon and an heiress from Liverpool who began building a castle that would only ever have to defend itself from the Cumbrian weather. With all the furniture and artwork long gone and the last family moving out in the 1920s, the castle has had mixed uses and only opened to visitors in 2011. The castle has church-like interiors and panoramic Lake District views. It is still a work in progress. Inside the are lot of Beatrix Potter themed activity rooms, fantastic for small children.

We had a game of snooker in the billiard room, unfortunately they threw us out before we finished as it was closing time.

On the way back to the caravan we stopped for Fish and chips in Flookburgh.

Sizergh Castle, Foulshaw Nature Reserve and Grange-Over-Sands

Woke up to a nice sunny morning. After full English breakfast we headed off to Sizergh Castle. 

Sizergh Castle has been the home of the Strickland since 1239 and they still do today. It has some of the nicest gardens we have seen for a long time. 

We called in at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve, a former commercial conifer plantation that has been returned back to a natural acidic peat bog by Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Between April and September a pair of Ospreys return to nest. Although we could see the nest there was no sign of the birds. 

There is an extensive raised boardwalk all around the place and we saw lots of common lizards basking in the sun along its edge. The place is teeming with dragon flies and damsel flies and we could hear crickets as we walked around. One of the most impressive reserves I have ever visited.

On the way back we called in at Grange-Over-Sands and had a nice walk around the ornamental gardens with its ducks which will take food from your hand.

We stopped for dinner at the Lakeside Bay Bar and Restaurant on the park before heading back to the van for the evening.

Haven Lakeland Leisure Park, near Grange-Over-Sands in the Lake District

We left Mirey Lees Farm about 08:40. We drove about 56 miles and called at Wakefield Toby Carvery, about a mile and a half from the M1.

We arrived at Lakeland about Ten to Two. We set the caravan up and had a walk down to the entertainment area for the usual ice cream and cider by the outdoor pool. The sun was out and it was a lovely warm afternoon. 

TV reception is good apart from not having any BBC channels. Toilets are ok, not very luxurious but nice and 
clean and everything you would expect. We were parked literally 50 yards away which was very nice and convenient.

We had tea just after Seven and settled down for the evening. 

Wolverley Camping & Caravanning Club Site

A bit grey but still nice and warm this morning. 

By the time we had packed up and started for home it was just after 12:00 and the sun had broken through. It turned out to be another very hot day.

We had a nice steady trouble free ride back to Mirey Lees and arrived just before 16:00.

Dudmaston Hall, Holy Austin Rock Houses and Knowles Mill

We woke again to a lovely sunny day.

After breakfast we drove to Dudmaston Hall. Stretching a cross 3000 acres of park and woodland, Dudmaston has quietly moved with the rhythms of the local community for over 875 years. The estate remains today a muck loved and lived in family home of the Hamilton Russell’s.

Dudmaston was gifted to the National Trust in 1978 by Rachel Labouchere, the nice of forestry management pioneer Geoffrey Wolryche Whitmore whose forward thinking techniques saved the estate from financial ruin after the World Wars.

We had a walk around the gardens and down to the lake as the house didn’t open until 12:30. We had the traditional tea/coffee and crisps before the tour of the house. The house was pretty unremarkable. A bit disappointing really.

Then we headed over to Kinver Edge for a look at the Holy Austin Rock Houses. From 1600 onwards, homes were carved from the rock. Those at Holy Austin Rock, Nanny’s Rock and Vale’s Rock are amongst the finest cave dwellings in Europe.

Then we headed off in search of Knowles Mill. The last mile or two was down what ca only be called a very bumpy single cart track. We were just starting to wish we hadn’t bothered when we finally found it. The mill dates from the 18th century and includes the frames of an overshot waterwheel.

We headed back to the van for tea and a nice relaxing warm sunny evening. 

Kidderminster, The Lock and The Odeon Cinema, Dudley

We awoke to another lovely sunny morning. After breakfast we hopped on the bikes and cycled along the canal to Kidderminster. It was just about two miles.

We helped a couple of narrow boats through the locks before chaining the bikes up to some railings to walk into the town centre. Just nearby was the Church of Saint Mary and All Saints. So we had a walk up the hill for a look around. It was a lovely little church.

We had a walk around the town centre for an hour or so. Kidderminster is a pretty unremarkable place. We went in search of a nice Costa Coffee, without success so we settled for a McFlurry at Macdonalds. 

We decided to cycle back to The Lock and have a nice cold cider before chilling at the van for a couple of hours.

We had a nice Ham Salad and Scones with Clotted Cream for tea. 

Then it was tome for a quick shower and off to the Odeon Cinema in Dudley to watch Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Wolverley Camping & Caravanning Club Site

We arrive on site around 16:30 after an uneventful journey. We lost 20 minutes on the M5 due to roadworks on the elevated section but otherwise it was fine. 

It was now a nice summers day. We set up the van and then checked out the facilities, all very nice an clean as you would expect. They have a very big recreation room with Table Tennis, Pool and a Dart Board.

There was a gate at the back of the site. Turn left and a couple of hundred yards away is The Lock. A nice country pub at the side of the canal. We had a walk down to check out where yo access the canal towpath. 

One of the wardens recomended the fish and chip shop in nearby Cookley. We drove don an had some lovely Haddock and Battered Chips. The batter gave the chips a lovely crispy coating. Very nice they were.

We drove back to the van and settled down for the evening. TV reception is not too bad most of the time and the site had free WiFi which was pretty good.

Hendre Mynach Caravan & Camping Park nr Barmouth

After raining most of the night, we woke to a grey, overcast and windy morning. 

After breakfast, we managed to get everything packed up without getting wet, although we couldn’t pack away the awning properly as it was wet. 

We left at just gone 10:00. We had a steady ride home and arrived back at Mirey Lees about 14:30.

Llanfair Slate Mines

We woke up to sunshine again although we did have plenty of showers which came and went quite quickly.

We headed off to Llanfair Slate Mines, just a few miles up the road.

We had a nice coffee and sausage roll before heading into Porthmadog for a lovely ice cream at Cadwaladers. After a nice stroll around town and a quick look at the Ffestiniog railway, we called in at Tesco for fuel and headed back to the van. 

It seemed to be blowing up a bit of a storm, so we parked away most of the stuff in the awning in case it  was raining Saturday morning. 

We packed the car boot so that we could put the bikes on the back ready for the morning. 

Portmeirion

For the first time this week we woke up to bright sunshine. 

After breakfast we headed off to Portmeirion. It was built by architect Clough Williams-Ellis to show how a beautiful site could be developed without spoiling it. All buildings at Portmeirion are registered Grade 1 or Grade 2 listed buildings. 

The village is surrounded by 70 acres of forest Gardens called Y Gaylord. Portmeirion is owned by a registered charity. The income from admission charges is used to maintain and preserve the buildings and grounds that make up this historic environment. All buildings at Portmeirion are either self catering cottages or hotel rooms and suites.

We had a very nice gelato ice cream while waiting for the free land train tour of the woodland trail. It was very bumpy. Then we walked down to the quayside and along the coastal path to the lighthouse which then rose up through the woods and past the Chinese Lake.

Afterwards we had a nice Taffy Apple cider and anti-pasti sharer at the Caffi Glas, before watching the 25 minute video narrated by Clough Williams-Ellis about the building of Portmeirion. 

We had a walk through the gardens and up to the dome before having a final coffee and scone with clotted cream, before heading back to the car. 

When we got back we walked down to the beach for a paddle in the sea.

As we relaxed in the caravan it started to get very windy an d I had to take the flags down. It started to rain around 21:30, and rained heavily on and off all night with thunder about 04:00.

Snowdonia Mountain Railway

Woke up to another grey and windy day.

After breakfast we headed off to Llanberris to the Snowdon Mountain Railway. When we arrived we had a few sharp showers. We had tickets booked for the 14:30 train. We had a coffee and bag of crisps whilst we waited. 

By the time we boarded the train the sun had come out and we headed off up the mountain. The scenery was spectacular and we were surprised at the amount of people walking up. It takes an hour to get to the summit.

As we neared the summit, unfortunately we went into clouds at the top. They say that on a clear day you can see Ireland but unfortunately today you could see nothing at all. I walked up the last few yards to the actual summit. It was very cold and windy and a little bit scary coming down the wet steps.

We only had half an you at the top which would be ok today but on a clear day and if you wanted a drink or bite to eat would not be long enough.

We headed off down and into the sunshine again and it turned out to be a lovely evening. 

On the way back we called in at Harlech and had a lovely Chinese meal at the Golden Inn Restaurant, not far from the castle.

Barmouth

We had a bit of a storm in the night and woke up to another grey windy day. If started to brighten up by around 11:00.

We walked along the promenade into Barmouth. By now it was a pleasant sunny day if not a little windy. The sea though was very rough and breaking over the sea walls. As we got to the quayside there were dozens of people crab fishing. 

We had a nice walk around town and stopped for a nice cold pint of cider at the Royal. We then had another walk before stopping for an ice cream. As we walked back towards the quayside the sea was a lot calmer now. 

We walked. Back along the prom to the amusements and caught the land train back to the campsite and sat outside in the sun until it dropped below the tall hedging behind the caravan. We had some more rain in the evening and it was a bit cooler than it has been so far this week.

Plus Tan y Bwlch and Pwllheli

Woke up to grey skies and showers again. Sun came out about 10:20.

After breakfast we drove to Plas Tan y Bwlch, the Snowdonia National Park Study Centre, at Maentwrog near Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Admission was free and we had a nice walk around the spectacular Victorian gardens.

We had a nice cup of coffee and a scone and crisps on the terrace in the sun before driving on to Pwllheli.

It had turned out to be a nice warm sunny day and we had a nice walk around the shops and had a lovely ice cream at Caffi Sol, before heading to the Pen Cob, Wetherspoons pub for dinner. 

We then headed back to the van, calling in at Porthmadog Tesco for fuel, to catch the last 20 minutes of Derby County’s 2-1 win away to Huddersfield Town. Their first game of th 2019-2020 EFL Championship season.

Mawddach Trail

Woke up to a nice warm overcast morning. A few grey clouds abou, and I did feel a few spots of rain on my head as I walked down for a shower, but it didn’t amount to much. 

By the time we had had breakfast the we were having longer showers and by noon it has turned into steady light rain.

We cycled down into Barmouth, across The Barmouth Bridge and onto the Mawddach Trail to Dolgellau. The weather was generally bright with showers some pretty heavy. At one point we had to shelter under trees for a while.

About 8.5 miles in we stopped at The George 111 Hotel for a nice cold pint of cider. We then continued on to Dolgellau. 

We had to shelter for a while in Dolgellau as the heavens opened again. 

We cycled back to Barmouth and sat on the quayside in the sunshine, and ate Fish and Chips overlooking the Mawddach estuary and the Barmouth Bridge, followed by a lovely ice cream for dessert. 

We had a nice steady ride back to the caravan. It turned out to be a very nice bright evening. 

Hendre Mynach Caravan & Camping Park nr Barmouth

We left Mirey Lees about 09:30 and arrived at Toby Carvery Burton around 10:20 for our traditional holiday breakfast. The Toby was really close to the A38 so it was dead handy and quick to get back on our way.

We had a good journey until we got into Wales. The A5 has lots of roundabouts and we queued to get through pretty much every one. We also lost about 25 minutes getting through Llangollen. 

We arrived about 02:30. The turn into the site the site was a bit tight, doubling back on yourself off the main road and the drive was quite steep. A very nice site next to the promenade with easy access to walk or circle into Barmouth. Quite a walk down to the toilet / showers. Site would benefit from another toilet block down our end of the site. 

We had a 13 mile drive to Porthmadog to Lidle, ALDI and Tesco, all within a few hundred yards of each other, to do some shopping, before having tea and settling down for the night.

Sewerby Hall, Gardens and Zoo

Woke up to total cloud cover this morning, very dull and overcast.

By the time we had showered it had turned to hazy sunshine and was quite nice and warm.

We drove to Sewerby Hall, Gardens and Zoo.

Then we went to The Lobster Pot for dinner. 

Back to caravan

Downes Arms and Scarborough

Woke up to another cloudy, drizzly, windy morning.

After breakfast we had a drive to Filey and had a walk along the promenade. It had finally stopped raining and was reasonably warm out of the wind, but still grey and overcast. 

We drove to The Downes Arms at Ashkenazy for Afternoon tea, a Christmas present from Glynis and Jim. Very nice it was too with nice large sandwiches, very large scone and 3 cakes. Maddy had to bring the cakes home as she didn’t feel great, nothing to do with the food though. 

We drove into Scarborough and did a bit of shopping then dropped into Wetherspoon’s fo a pint before watching Steppin’ Out at the Stephen Joseph Theatre. It really was an excellent show, most enjoyable.

We then headed back to the van.

Flamborough Lighthouse and Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve

Finally woke up to some sunshine this morning. 

Today turned out to be the best of the holiday. Lovely bright sunshine all day. Maddy an I both caught the sun a little. 

We cycled to out to Flamborough Lighthouse. We parked the bikes and walked out to the cliffs in search of Puffins again, but none were to be seen. We walked around the headland for a while before heading back to the Cafe for an ice cream. 

We headed back to the van but decided to call for some chips on the way back to the caravan. They were ok but not even close to being as good as Wollaston Park Chippy.

We had half an hour chill at the caravan before nipping back up to RSPB Bempton cliffs for another look for Puffins. Once again we only saw the one, possibly the same one as before as it seemed to be sat in the same place. 

We went back to the van to watch England Lionesses beat Norway 3-0 in the Women’s World Cup quarter finals.

Burton Agnes Hall and Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve.

We had a lot of heavy rain in the night but woke up to Hazy sunshine, 16 degrees. 

After breakfast and a nice shower in one of the family shower cubicles which were much better than than the other.

We had a ride out to Burton Agnes Manor House, an English Heritage property, located in the village of Burton Agnes, only a few yards away from the newer Burton Agnes Hall. 

It is a surviving example of a Norman manor house with a well-preserved Norman undercroft, and was encased in 18th-century brickwork. It is now a Grade I listed building.

The manor house was built between 1170 and 1180 by Roger de Stuteville, The manor house and village were named after his daughter . Both passed by marriage into the hands of the Somerville family in 1274 and then by marriage to the Griffith family c. 1323. A descendent Sir Walter Griffith is believed to have restored the hall and Added the present roof in the 15th century. 

In 1654 the estate passed from Sir Henry Griffith to his nephew Sir Francis Boynton, and still remains in the ownership of the Boynton cfamily.

We had a nice coffee before heading off to Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve in search of Puffins. We saw a puffin sat on the cliff the rest were too far away. There were lots of Gannets and Guillemots but unfortunately the heavens opened and we got wet through  we headed back to the visitor centre for a Hot Chocolate to warm us up before heading back to the van.

Thornwick Bay Holiday Park nr. Flamborough

We left mirey lees bout 09:30 and stopped for breakfast at the Bessacar. Toby Carvery. 

 Had a god journey with no hold ups and arrived about 13:30. Set up the van and awning on a nice flat pitch, nice and close to the toilets and showers. 

After a nice coffee we drove 6 miles or so to Tesco in Bridlington to do a bit of shopping.

Went for a shower about 6pm which was not great. The spray was all over the place and it was not very warm. Some of the toilets didn’t flush great either. 

About 7pm we went down to the lighthouse bar for food. It was very nice, reasonably priced and the service was very good. 

Went stayed down at the entertainment complex to enjoy the evening’s entertainment. 

We got back to the van about10:30. 

Bridlington

It rained all night and all morning, a thoroughly miserable, damp and misty morning.

We drove to the Bridlington Park and Ride to go to the cinema. We were all settled to watch Toy Story 4, when the usher came in and said the projector was broken and we had to have our money back.

Decided to have a couple of games of Ten Pin Bowling. it was £20 for an hour and we just managed to get 3 games in. Unfortunately the lanes were not great as you would expect and we did manage to bowl somewhere near our average by the last game.

On the way back to the bus we had an ice cream.

We called in at The Friendly Forester, a Sizzling Pub for dinner on the way back to the van. 

It rained on and off for the rest of the evening

Thornwick Bay

It was a nice sunny morning. We got the bikes out and and cycled to Thornwick Bay. We sat on the cliff tops and Had a nice walls ice cream.

We cycled to next bay and stopped for a while by the old lifeboat station. We locked up the bikes and had a walk down into the cove.

We cycled into Flamborough in search of a nice pub but the beers gardens were all a bit busy so we stopped for some prawns at a seafood shop in someone’s garage. They were only £1.50 a pot and were very tasty. 

We cycled back to van and watched England v Cameroon in the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup. we had a few heavy showers in the evening.

Caravan & Motorhome Club National Rally - Ragley Hall - Warwickshire

Quite a bit of rain this morning so after breakfast we decided to head to Coughton Court.  A National Trust property about 4 miles away.  

The home of the Throckmorton family who played a major role in the gunpowder plot. 

I had a nice venison burger and Maddy had a hot dog. We had to wait a while for the burger but it was worth the wait. The grumpy old fella running the barbecue had a running battle with the wind. 

We had a look in the Anglican and Catholic Churches at the property, both of which were quite plain.

It turned out to be a nice sunny afternoon if not a bit windy, with a couple of very minor showers.

We headed back to the van for a chill and I watched Derby County lose 2-1 to Aston Villa in the Championship Play-off final at Wembley, before tea and chill ready for the nights entertainment. 

Caravan & Motorhome Club National Rally - Ragley Hall - Warwickshire

We had a few showers first thing but after breakfast it was quite a nice day. 

We walked up to Ragley Hall and walked around the gardens before paying £3 to go around the state rooms. The entrance hall was magnificent with beautiful mouldings on the ceiling and around the walls. 

There is also a magnificent staircase with a fabulous mural painted on the walls and ceiling. Full of lifelike architectural features and including the family. It took 14 years to paint and still looks as fresh as when it was completed in 1983.

We walked back down to the national and tried a few more caravans for size before nipping into the activities marquee for a free cup of teas and cake whilst watching the tea dancers for half an hour. 

Then back to the van for tea before the evenings entertainment. “Arrival” an ABBA tribute band. They were really good too. They put on a great show. 

Then back to the van and bed. 

Caravan & Motorhome Club National Rally - Ragley Hall - Warwickshire

We woke up to a nice sunny morning. After breakfast we had a nice stroll down to the arena area and had a look around the trade stalls. We ended up buying a new vacuum cleaner for the caravan and a shoe organiser. 

After a nice beer we walked around a bit more trying out some of the caravans on sale, before stopping at Ben and Gerry’s for an ice cream. 

We went and sat in the grandstand for a while the waited for the official opening ceremony. We didn’t win the raffle for a pitch at next years National which was announced as being Belvoir Castle near Grantham. 

We walked back the the van for a while before joining Glynis and Jim for tea. 

Then we walked down for the evenings entertainment. The ELO Experience were absolutely fabulous. Possibly the best tribute band I have ever seen and definitely the best act I’ve seen so far at the 3 Nationals we have attended so far. 

We stopped for a cuppa at Glynis and Jim’s caravan before going back to the van.

Caravan & Motorhome Club National Rally - Ragley Hall - Warwickshire

We left Mirey Lees about 09:30am. We arrived at Ragley Hall and were sited on our pitch by noon. The sun was quite warm. 

We going Glynis and Jim and had a cuppa with the before heading down to the welcome tent to register and get our goody bag and free coffee. We had a very brief shower whilst partaking of the coffee but it didn’t amount to much. 

Then we went back and set up the caravan and awning. The a bit later had a walk dow to the arena area for a brief look around. We had a nice Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the sun where a semi finalist from last years Britains got Talent was singing from the bandstand. 

We had a walk back for tea before getting ready for tonight’s entertainment, “Jive Talkin’” a Bee Gees tribute act. They put on a decent show enjoyed by the crowd. I thought they were quite good. I gave them a 7out if 10. Barry’s falsetto was a bit in and out and Robin’s voice was a little weak but generally they were good. 

Got back to the van around 10:30. 

Kingsbury Camping & Caravanning Club Site

A few dark clouds about this morning. 

We had breakfast a bit earlier as we were having afternoon tea later. 

Oxford

Once again it was a bright sunny morning. We were up early as Shar and Maddy were doing an open water swim in a lake nearby. Maddy had to give up after 120 metres because it was so cold it took her breath and she had difficulty breathing. Shar went on to complete the course but this is something she does on a regular basis. 

We went back to the van for our usual cooked breakfast, before donning the cycling gear for another ride along the river to Christ Church College. We did the tour of the college before heading back to the bikes to cycle to the Oxford Botanical Gardens. 

We cycled back down the river and called in at the pub by the Thames for a nice cider before heading back to the van to partake of fish and chips from the mobile van which came to site. 

Once again it was a pleasant evening so we sat outside the van until it started to drop cooler around 9pm.

Kingsbury Camping & Caravanning Club Site

Cloudy with sunny spells

Watched Rams v wba

Chilled for rest of day

Kingsbury Camping & Caravanning Club Site

Next morning we woke up to sunshine, but it was quite windy with a bit of a nip in the air. After breakfast and showers, we donned the cycling gear and got out the bikes. 

We cycled through the park down to the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal up to Fazely Junction where it joins the Coventry Canal. We cycled alone the Coventry Canal, across the aqueduct over the River Tame and then followed the River Tame down to Dotshill Country Park when unfortunately the path came to an end so we had to re-trace our steps back to the caravan. We cycled 13.3 miles in all. 

After a relaxing couple of hours at the van we headed off in search of a local Aldi. I had left the blue toilet fluid in the garage and Aldi had some in their weekly specials.

On the way back from Aldi we found Boldmere Harvester at Sutton Coldfield, so we stopped off for dinner. 

We then Headed into Tamworth to the Odeon Cinema to see Long Shot starring Charline Theron and Seth Rogen, an enjoyable romantic comedy. 

We didn’t get back until gone 11pm so had to park in the visitors car park as the gates are locked at 11p m. 

Kingsbury Camping & Caravanning Club Site

We left Mirey Lees around 3:30pm. We had a nice motorway free journey with no hold ups and arrived at Kingsbury Camping and Caravanning Club Site for our second visit around 5pm.

Just as we arrived it started to rain and we put the awning up in some quite heavy drizzle. Then as if my magic it stopped.

We had a nice cuppa and waited for the Fish and Chip van. There were people queuing in the rain well before it arrived. We gave it a while until the queue had reduced considerably before going out but still ended up waiting half an hour. They were worth the wait though and filled us up nicely. 

Due to the way the van was sitting the caravan door was catching on the caravan step, so we decided to use the small plastic step. Unfortunately the second time I stood on it, my foot went through it and I ended up with some nasty lacerations on my ankle and below my knee. 

After some first aid from Maddy we settled down for the evening. 

Oxford

Another beautiful sunny day. After breakfast we had a walk to th park and ride and went into town. 

We walked to Balioll college and had a nice walk around the gardens. We popped into the chapel before looking going into the Hall before heading off in search of Costa Coffee. 

The we had a stroll to the castle but unfortunately didn’t have time to do the tour as we had afternoon tea booked for 4:00pm. We decided to have a couple of beers in the sun on the rooftop terrace at the slug and lettuce. 

We went for afternoon tea at Malmaison. A lovely hotel in what used to be Oxford Prison until around 1996. It was very impressive the way it’s been transformed into a hotel whilst still being obviously a former prison.

On the way back to the bus we had a quick stroll into the gardens of Christchurch College, before heading back to the caravan for a chill outside the caravan. Another pleasant evening until it dropped cool around 9:00pm

Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club Site

We woke up to a nice sunny morning. After breakfast we had a walk to Go Outdoors and then chilled for a while before getting the bikes out and going for a 15 mile ride. 

We stopped and had a beer at Shaldon Locks. The lovely weather had bought everybody out and the place was incredibly busy. 

After a further few miles of cycling we had another beer at another Thameside pub before heading back for a relaxing evening sat outside the caravan. It was a pleasant evening but dropped cooler earlier than last night. 

Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club Site

We woke up to another nice sunny morning. 

Oxford Camping & Caravanning Club Site

Left Mirey Leys around 3pm. Just as we got on the M1 the overhead signs said there was a 90 minute delay between junctions 20 and 21 so we diverted down the A42. We still ended up losing around 30 minutes though around Birmingaham. 

We arrived on-site about 6:15 pm. Sharon was already here and after she had finished putting up her awning she made a start on barbecued tea. By the time we were all sorted food was ready and we sat and ate outside as it was a pleasant evening. 

By about 10pm it was dropping a bit cool so be headed of inside.