Abbey Gate Farm CS, Axminster

     This is our second visit to Abbey Gate Farm but this time without the grand-kids.

     We drove down on the 27th of December and to return home just in time for the New Year celebrations with Carol & John.
     It was time to just chill and have time to relax.  On Thursday, we drove into Exmouth for a look around.  It was lovely weather - almost hot enough to not need a coat!

     We had a look around Exeter one day as I needed to go to the bank.  The Park and ride is well worth using.  There's a lot to see and would love to come back to have a better look.

Looking out over Axmouth harbour entrance.

     Just off the main road from Axmouth to Seaton is the entrance to Axmouth harbour and is the location of Britain's oldest concrete bridge  Built in 1877, it is also the youngest scheduled Ancient Monument.
     We had a look around Axmouth harbour, apparently it was one of the major sea ports in days gone by but the river started to get blocked off by the shifting shingle bank.  The river flow reduced and started to silt up.  This created a superb wetland area at Seaton, ideal for bird watching.
     We found this wetland on our last day here and is easily walked as there are proper paths that are wheel chair friendly.

True Lovers Knot PH

     We'd seen reports of the site but have never been as some of them were unfavourable but each to their own.   It's not far from Blandford Forum and is an easy drive to for us from Amesbury.  Setting up and access were no problem so there's nothing left to do but go for dinner in the pub.
Lovely food, would love to come back.
     On Saturday, we went into Blandford for a look around.  We parked up near to Waitrose and decided to walk into the far end of town via the river path.  Just over the footbridge, we some an otter in the river.  Excellent, we stayed there for about 10 minutes trying to get a decent shot with our phone. We also saw a kingfisher flying into a tree overlooking the river.  Seeing these two, set us up for the day!

     We found a 'non-slip mat' in one of the shops in town - just what we need for the caravan!  We bought it and tried it out as soon as we got back.  What a waste of time!  Any mat that we put down always follows the pile of the carpet and ends up against the sliding door to the bathroom.
     On Sunday, we had to leave caravan there as it was too windy to be towing - 50mph winds with stronger gusts.
     Mike went back on Monday to pick it up and it still was a bit blustery.

Park Farm CL, Brockenhurst, New Forest

     Mike took the caravan down to Brockenhurst to arrive at midday, set up and then came to collect me as I was still working.
     On Thursday evening, we had quick and easy tapas dishes for dinner.  It makes a difference having a long weekend in the caravan, things aren't too rushed.  We've got a dinner at Enzee's planned for tomorrow evening so we've got all day to build up an appetite.

      We went for a walk on the Tall Trees Trail at Rhinefield and the weather was beautiful with the sunlight coming through the trees.

I'm starting to realise the scale
of things around here!

    Another hand-carved sign and the start of the Sequoia Trail.

     ...it's nice to sit and just relax in the sunshine :)










     There's some lovely hand-carved signs around.

I love this one - a fox following a bird trail

   
   

How old is this one?

      Friday's meal was smashing -it's just a shortish walk to the railway station which is where the restaurant is.  Mike said that his steak was one of the best that he's had in a long while.  He's a fussy beggar sometimes!

We woke up to this sight on Saturday morning.

      Had breakfast and couldn't wait to get out and about.  Going to Lymington later on and this afternoon, I'm going to try my hand at horse riding again.  We thought that seeing as the CL is in a riding stables farm, it would be foolish not to.

     I've always put off returning to horse riding as I wasn't sure how my hips would be.  They found me a fairly slim girthed horse but I still felt as if I was the subject of a 'Thelwell' cartoon.  (imagine little girls bouncing on top of extremely wide ponies)   Anyway, I've been there done with that as I was in a bit of pain afterwards - I'm getting old!  :(

     We put paid to my miseries when we had 'bangers, mash & beans' - my favourite! and we used some gorgeous sausages that we bought today from a farm  shop near Boldre.

Brokerswood near Westbury

      This was another weekend away with Carol & John, Belinda & Tony.  Mike suggested this site as he'd only just read about it one of the caravan magazines that we get.  Entry to the site is best through Westbury as this avoids the single track road from the A36.
     The caravans on the site are arranged around a circular track with the caravans facing inwards.  The service points are handy but I don't know about the shower block and toilets as we didn't use them.  John was already set up when Mike rolled up in the afternoon and Belinda & Tony arrived shortly after.

John outside B &T's caravan

     Carol was picking me up after work so I had to twiddle my fingers at work watching the clock  - I wish!!!  Work is so busy sometimes but it's good to get away.
     The next day, Belinda & Tony had something to do so we went into Frome with Carol & John. We thought that we'd been here and we were racking our brains until we realised that we'd all been here separately.  We were here back in 2010 when we went to the Bell at Buckland Dinham.
     We went into a café for a coffee and were shown to a settee at the back.  We could have gone to sleep as it was so horizontal.   
     Afterwards, we thought we'd have a look at Hungerford castle as it was on our English Heritage list.  This was new to us and it wasn't until we'd gone through paying that Carol & John realised that they'd been there before!  Oh well, it was still good looking around it with them and more entertaining.
     When we got back to the caravan, Mike and I walked around the lake and through the woods. It was lovely and peaceful.
     On Saturday evening, Mike volunteered to drive to the Poplar's Inn for meal. It was a lovely old country pub and the food wasn't that bad. We love old country pubs.  Carol's brother from Germany, who was doing a flying surprise visit to England met up with us all there.  They had travelled from London and were returning that night!

Grove Farm CL, Corsham

Love it and will go back.  Good for walk around park in Calne, good pub food in Quarryman's Inn.
Also bought some gorgeous honey of the CL owner.

Purbeck Folk Festival

     This going to be the last time at Purbeck as they're changing date (not going to be Bank Holiday weekend) and shortening the stay.  It's being going steadily downhill for us as they are concentrating on young 'Folk' music than traditional.  Hey-ho such is life.

Cock o' the North Brewery near Halifax- Mike's report

     I'm up here to visit my mum and as I spent the majority of my childhood in Hipperholme (Hipprum) it's good to have a look around to see what's changed.
     The site's a lot drier since the last time that I was here (January 2014)

View from the bar out to our car & caravan

Mum & my brother Shaun

Freke Arms CL, Swanborough

     This is our second time here and Mike drove up early and was going to come back and pick me up. The trouble was that he had been held up due to traffic so I drove straight up there from work. and I got held upas well!

       We'd invited Andy & Michelle for dinner on the evening.  They've been our friends for over 20 years and recently, we haven't seen them very often.  It was always Andy & Mike with their Yamaha XS1100s and their bike club but Mike'd had to give up the bikes due to his hip problems.  So consequently, we haven't seen each other as much as we'd like.  Well, when they arrived, it was like we'd only seen them yesterday.  It's a sign of a true friendship where you can carry on from the last time that you saw each other !

    Well, Mike started to cook dinner in the oven and was having problems yet again with lighting it.  So we decided to go in the pub for a meal.  Mike initially thought that the oven problem was related to the pizza problem that we had last time away.  (it turned out to be a waxy substance was coming through from the gas bottles as there wasn't enough of a run-off from the regulator to the Calor-Lite gas bottle.  Mike fitted some filters but will raise the regulator later)

Me doing some felting

Sign on the side of the pub

Making a free bag a little more fancy!

Me playing at steam engines!

     One afternoon, I went out for a walk and found a crop circle!