Bella goes up & an afternoon out in Cirencester - 7th Dec ‘19

The first few hours of this morning were fantastically warm and sunny but then from mid morning it clouded over and make a rather mild grey day.

After a nourishing omelette, we started our list of chores. Firstly I sorted out the water and then the slightly unstable Brunnehilda - in the dark last night I hadn’t put a couple of the corner stays down properly. If I’m honest I was putting her up slightly stressed / mad which is never a good state of mind for following a process!

At 11am we started the Bella erection! She didn’t seem to go up as easily as her inaugural outing in Harrogate - don’t know why though? Anyway, Kim stepped up and re-watched the You-tube instruction video which helped.

Before .....

As before, the most challenging bit was putting those damn pegs in the hard standing. I’ve invested in a new mallet but I think I need some more expensive pegs? After Bella was up Kim put some Xmas lights on her and I went for a shower and change of clothes.

... After

Bella took about 2 hours, which was longer than a typical “big sister” Isabella erection. But clearly size isn’t always an indication of time taken!

After a cup of tea we headed into town over the Great Park and down the beautiful Cecily Hill, by the biggest yew hedge in the World (honestly it is, we Googled it!) and into the Town Centre.

We spent a very pleasant hour or so strolling around the Christmas lights, the wee lanes and markets as well as finding a nice park just behind the church - don’t know how we’ve missed it before!

We even had time to run an important statistical survey during our walk from caravan site to TC - there were 6 spaniels and 6 collies!!

We had a cup of tea before calling into Waitrose to buy dinner. We then walked home back up the hill by the Kebab van and bought a portion of fries - thus rendering the tea purchased not a moment earlier from Waitrose null and void for tonight!

Noticed something today about the campsite - nearly all the caravans and camper vans are very new. There are no old rigs at all! Kim thinks it may be that it’s only rich old fogeys can afford to holiday this time of year but I think it’s a weather thing ... you really wouldn’t want to be in an old van in the winter?! Also, the campsite is pretty much full!

More TV / Amazon Prime, a bowl of cereal for supper and then off to bed! The wind is getting up again but Bella seems quite happy.