Green Hill Farm, Landford

     Mike and I got off work a little earlier than expected so we got ready, hitched up and set off. We knew we had to contend with the traffic but we didn't get any until the ring road just near the college in Salisbury - it's always notorious for hold ups at certain times of the day and week.
     The journey took us around 40 mins. Belinda had got out a pass card for the barrier for us just in case we were going to be late, so she met us at the gate and told us where they were. It was in the adults only section with some very run down caravans. It looks like people either live there or keep their van there for weekends. It was tight getting into the spot, not for the faint hearted ! In actual fact, all the men came to help push and pull into place. Our next caravan will have a mover! Did I mention we are getting a new one?  In actual fact this trip is our last in our current caravan😟.  We have loved this one so much our new one is exactly the same layout!
     Setting up was helped by the odd sip of Tony's coffee liqueur! Mmm very nice!  After a catch up with Belinda, Tony and their grandson Logan, Carol and John, we walked to The Lamb Inn, about a mile and a bit away. Well, the food was amazing!!! Well worth a visit! The walk back seemed to be longer than going but that was after a drink (or three).  Toasted marshmallows when we got back thanks to Logan then bed.
     The following day some went for a walk with Gracie the dog, while others went into Romsey for a look around and a coffee and cake!  A few items were purchased.  Back to the van and cuppa tea and 'nice’ biscuit's.  One time when I asked mike to get some nice biscuit's he bought Nice biscuit's, the coconut flavoured biscuit's that are rather plain.  Don't get me wrong, I do like them but when in the van, I do like to partake in something a little different. 😃
     Carol was having difficulty with some crochet so I popped along to try to help her. I took mine along too and was able to finish mine and help Carol with hers! Well done to us both.
     That evening, Mike cooked so we were having everyone in our van.  As it was close to Halloween, we put up a few decorations and Mike had some scary music.  It was really effective although I had to tell people to look in the shower.  I had put a rather large bat in there but no one went in there.  We played a game that John had bought that day, which was good then we were all falling asleep so it was bed time.
     Home the following day.  I have taken to doing the basic cleaning whilst on site so while Mike is putting all the outside stuff away, I clean the sinks and toilet ready for next time.  But this time, it is to hand the van over as our part exchange 😑.
     The journey home was uneventful apart from a lorry carrying potatoes had caught fire on the Southampton Road.  Baked spuds for dinner anyone? 
    So that's it until next year. We pick up the new one in February so until then adieus 😃

Kentsford Farm CL, Watchet

Tuesday 11th

Anyone got a puncture outfit?

     We set off and it lasted for about 10 minutes then .... bump, bump, bump.  The offside caravan wheel had a blowout.  Mike had seen the wheel trim come off in the mirror so it must have happened then. We limped on until we could pull over on a farm track.  The caravan was rocking from side to side as the burst tyre was bunching up and and hitting the wheel arch.  We couldn't have just stopped when it happened and put the hazards on as it was on a bendy bit of road just after Long-Barrow roundabout on the A303 heading west.  It would have caused more mayhem in traffic holdups that are always around Stonehenge.

     Once the wheel was changed, we were on our way again.  The rest of the journey went without mishap and we arrived at Kentsford Farm - Hurray!  Across the narrow bridge, over the Washford river and into the field.  We'd a choice of wherever we wanted as we were the only ones there!  So we set up in record time then headed off to Minehead to get some food as we'd decided to eat in the caravan and stay in that night...... chill and relax. 😃
    Then the gas ran out and Mike couldn't find the spanner in the gas locker for changing over the bottles.  Time for bed and keep warm.

Wednesday 12th

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside.

      The following day, we had a fresh look for the spanner in the daylight but in vain.  A cold wash then pile in the car to get some breakfast and a new spanner - we actually came back with a new awning as well as a spanner.  Well, we are getting a new caravan next year so we are rejoicing early. (we found the spanner 2 weeks later in our popup wastebin in the front locker, it must have worked its way there when the caravan was rocking following the blowout) After breakfast, we drove on to Brean for a walk and a paddle along the sand.

     We walked into Watchet for a meal in the Bell Inn that evening. It's a good looking local with good beer and the food was edible but nothing to write home about.  The walk back along the old Mineral Line was very dark.  The West Somerset Steam Railway runs along one side of the track and is unlit.  Luckily, we had a torch.  We usually don't mind walking in the dark but this time it was so dark that we could have ended up in the river running on the other side.  A relaxing day tomorrow, please.

     After breakfast, we began to play with our new toy.  Wow!  What an easy awning to put up.  No poles (to speak of) just air.  It went well although it still needs a bit of adjustment the next time that we put it up.





    Walked up to St. Decuman's Church and then onto Watchet.  Lunch was in Sam's Deli and the ham sandwich was very good and stuffed full of ham!

     We were then off to find the tile that I drew on a previous visit to Watchet. (July 2014)  It was part of an art project involving the community.  All the tiles have now been put up to create part of the Watchet Seaspray Gallery which also illustrates the history of Watchet.

  We spent some time searching for the one that I did,  It was one of the first ones up but wasn't that recognisable, Shame as I'd called it 'Red Herring' as there was one red fish amongst several white ones.

     A trip on the steam train to the next station along - Washford was next.  It was fantastic.  A hark back to the 'day'  I loved it and had a big beam across my face.

Really spooky!

     After getting off at Washford, we started walking back and noticed a few Halloween stuff and we saw this excellent witch!
     Then we were back on the Mineral Line trail leading to the farm and our solitary caravan.... and relax!

     Well, I couldn't get my feet or legs warm last night and had to put socks and a layer under the quilt.  Nice & cozy and I slept through.  It must have been all that exercise yesterday.
     It then started raining so what to do today?  We'd decided on a car trip along the north Somerset & Devon coast heading west.  Wow! what amazing scenery- hills and valleys.  I had thoughts of the worlds crust moving and colliding and ice melting, now all covered in trees.  Beautiful then nothing.  The fog came down and we couldn't see either side of us.
     We stopped at Lynmouth for a quick look see.  Again a lovely village that had succumbed to flooding in previous years.
     A long steep climb out of Lynmouth and on to our next stop - Appledore.  We had previously been there (August 2010) but it has been dropped from the CL listings.  It was a lovely place with stunning views and we wanted to see if it was still being used.             Unfortunately, when we got there we found it overgrown and looked a bit smaller so we think that part of the campsite had slipped into the bay taking the path with it.  Shame.
     Across Exmoor to return via Minehead.  It was a long days driving and Mike is supposed to be relaxing!
     Our last day!  We went to Cleve Abbey in Washford.  It's an English Heritage site and costs £5.60 entrance for an adult.  It's one of the better preserved abbeys in England.  The church was demolished during the Dissolution but the rest of the abbey remains intact.  It's a very peaceful place and you can get a feel for how the Cistercian monks lived back in the day.  We liked it that much that we joined English Heritage - where next?  It'll give us an excuse to use our new caravan, in fact, we want to go away at least once a month!

HMS Gay Archer in Watchet harbour (an old WW2 MTB)

     We went back to Watchet after that for a spot of lunch and well earned sit down.  However after parking we noticed that the boat museum was open so we had a look around that.          Again, very informative about flat bottomed boats for collecting witheys or peat.

   At last a sit down and lunch at Chives. They create their own salad dressing which is lovely and sold on the premises.  Naturally, we bought a pot.








    Then it started to rain and didn't stop.  We braved it to return to the car & caravan.  Oh no!  I'd left my towels outside to dry after my shower.  Not dry anymore. :(
    Spent the rest of the time reading, crocheting, chilling into the evening.  In fact, we stayed in all evening too.  I'll miss this caravan and it's cats (look at the dark border on the cushions)
Home tomorrow :(

The ducks just don't want to move off their bridge!

     Better weather to travel on

Chiverton Farm CL, Rosudgeon, Cornwall

Saturday 4th

    Our second time away with Josh and Sophia and this time down to Cornwall and almost as far west as you can get.

Sunday

    The Eden Project was one of the main reasons for coming down to Cornwall and we certainly enjoyed it.

On the way down to the bio-domes

It was amazing once inside

with plenty to do for the kids

Sophia was getting hot

The air-conditioned room in the dome gave welcome relief

It was time for lunch so we set off outside

They named the sheep but I can't remember what

It's funny how you can have a race with someone and not go anywhere,
only in a child's imagination 😄

Aaaah, 15 minutes of peace 😀

    After lunch, we visited the dinosaur exhibition, Josh was particularly looking forward to this.

In one of the rooms, there were animatronic dinosaurs  

which were very realistic

Imagine coming across this at night!

Sophia holding on for dear life

Me? I'm not afraid

There was even a holographic ichthyosaur in a tank

    In an outside arena, there was a display by an artist who wore a dinosaur suit which was really effective.  Most of all the audience were scared. The hairs on mine and Mike's necks were standing up especially when the 'dinosaur' started sniffing your hand.

Sophia started off at the front with Josh

but soon ran back to my arms, I think that Josh was ready to come back  too!

Then the dinosaur escaped the arena and 'mayhem' ensued.  A wonderful time.

    After that, we went to the archaeological arena where the children could excavate dinosaur bones and what have, using all the tools they use.

Josh getting stuck in

Pops examining Sophia's find

and what have here?

Time for an ice-cream

    After that and a suitable rest on the grass, Josh started rolling down the hill but couldn't quite get it as she kept going in circles so she ended up trying to roll up hill!  The look of puzzlement on her face. 😕

    With that, it was time to back to the caravan which was 50 miles away.  Within a couple of miles, both kids were asleep and so was I apparently.  Back home, it was a quick dinner and an early night for all of us.  It's a very enjoyable but tiring day.

Tuesday

    In the morning, we gave the kids some  presents that we'd brought with us.  Sophia had some books, colouring pens and paper & Josh had a Palaeontology Kit we'd got from Lidl's.  They were both chuffed and we had a bit of a quiet day.  Josh was hammering away at his kit every spare minute that he had.  That was money well spent.

I braided 5 plaits into Sophia's hair and she loved shaking her head with them in

All ready for bed

Wednesday

    We decided to go over to St Michael's Mount today, it was a bit hazy but we were hopeful the sun would appear.  The tide was out, so we walked over the causeway and no doubt, we'd have to catch the boat to get back.

St Michael's Mount in the hazy distance

    After that, we had to queue up for the boat to take us back to Marazion. We all dinner, showers and a relax after.  Josh and Sophia got the map out on the caravan floor to see where they had been this week.  

They were chuckling at some of the place names such as Mousehole or Sally's Bottom

Sophia was soon tiring and reading her books.  Time for bed said Zebedee

One other highlight of the week was when Sophia unrolled my Pilates mat to make herself a red carpet.

Purbeck Valley Folk Festival near Corfe Castle

     Purbeck Folk Festival again.  We weren't going to come again but the bug got us and we booked the Early Bird tickets.  It's never great to take photos at music festivals as you can't get close enough to the action or you're enjoying yourself that you forget to take any.

     Well, here's a few photos of what was happening away from the stages.

I'm starting my 'beard' for this years Beard Off

We had a go at clay modelling, Mike's fish on top of oyster shell.

My 'who grows grass' piece

Carol starting her beard

Multi-coloured swap shop springs to mind

I dyed in preparation for the festival

The Fire Stage

All the Beard-off competitors lining up

The real beard winner with his bee-ard!

Me and Carol with her 'Boadicea's hairy nipples

'Claire from Stonehenge'

The winners are these 3 ladies

     One of the entertainers (I wish I could remember his name)  started a bubble show using lots of different 'tools', he got all the kids to stay behind a line until he told them that they could run forward to burst the bubbles.  There was a lot of pent- up energy being held back there.