It all started well in 37 degree heat - the hottest July day ever apparently - thank goodness for Volvo air con! We picked up Charlie and were hitched up and ready to leave Whilton Locks by 11. It would have been earlier but the Sky Q box at home had chosen this morning to play up. A long wait on the phone and a very efficient lady called Helen identified the problem as a knackered HDMI cable - who would have thought?
Brunnehilda was beautifully clean - the Twinnies had helped me wash her down yesterday.
So those challenges I mentioned earlier (I can feel a bullet point list coming on - another thing that I have perversely missed since my retirement!!)
1) We have picked up a strange creaking noise at low speeds - no it’s not Kim but I suspect something rubbing. We checked everything over when we stopped at Strensham Services for lunch - all seemed ok.
2) Once again I failed to pre-plan the journey and the Sat Nav sent me down a very dodgy A road trying to cut the corner to Ilfracombe. If you ignore the Q of cars behind me it wasn’t that bad - until the fuel warning light came on and that added another layer of unwanted tension.
3) I couldn’t get Brunnehilda’s fridge to work! 30 mins later ( and yes I did consult the manual) I some how managed to press the buttons in the required random order and she fired up. The tub of ice cream in the freezer was particularly thankful.
4) It was much too windy to put up Isabella. The temperature has halfed as we have gone west. From 37 to 19 degrees.
5) The most annoying one ... I have put the caravan on the next door neighbours pitch! Only realised late on (to be fair it was my ever vigilant wife that noticed!) so I will need to up sticks and move her (Brunnehilda that is not the wife or the neighbour!) tomorrow morning. Bloody annoying but more practice with motor mover and setting her up on quite a steep back to front slope is always useful.
The site is called Damage Barton http://www.damagebarton.co.uk/ and is in a fabulous position with wonderful sea views. Facilities seem OK and the location, half way between Woolacombe and Ilfracombe couldn’t be better. The only criticism so far is the poor pitch signing - although this is probably more annoying for my neighbour than it is for me!
We arrived at 5.15 (past the 5 o’clock closing time) but they left clear instructions to our pitch. Filled up Brunnehildas water tank on the way to the pitch and felt very smug watching all the suckers pushing and pulling their aqua rolls up and down the hill! It was after 7 that we were settled and snacked in preparation for an evening trip into llfracombe.
And what a nice place. After filling up with diesel we drove through the town and ended up parking next to a 66 foot high naked pregnant woman called Verity. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verity_(statue)
We got some chips and fish on the go from Maddys - advertised as bone-less and skin-less, I’m afraid it was a bit taste-less as well! The Cornish Ice Cream with clotted cream smothered on top made up for the culinary disappointment though!
By the time we had had a short walk and a Tesco stop to fill up with essentials, we didn’t get back to Brunnehilda until 11pm. Charlie watched Jurassic Park (the latest one) and Kim and I crashed out!
On the subject of my grandson Charlie ... I have to report I was ashamed of his fashion faux pas tonight. Sliders and socks (dirty white ones at that!) is not something I want to be associated with - I made him walk 10 yds behind me at all times!
You def need to sort out the socks and sliders before your next stop xx
ReplyDeleteI suspect it might be me. When you're a 60 year old retired bloke I guess you give up the right to comment on young boys fashion?
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