Whitby to Harrogate - 2nd March ‘20

A gorgeous sunny day to move sites.

We got up relatively early, had a light breakfast and were rolling out the camp by 11.01am. For the first time for a long time we didn’t need to motor move our way out of a pitch - so we backed the car up to Brunnehilda not manoeuvred Brunnehilda to the car.

We arrived at the Harrogate Show-ground site just before 1pm. A stress free journey taking us up to the outskirts of Middlesbrough then down the A19 and A1. We have been to this site before - in early October - this was its reopening day for the 2020 season so there are only about half a dozen vans here.

The staff were particularly friendly and helpful / including being very relaxed about our German van and swapping our pitch for one nearer the toilet block.

We went to the splendid Fodder Farm Shop and Restaurant for our lunch. It was OK but not as good as their breakfasts.

Then we started the Bella erection! We might have known it would not go easily as there was a very annoying wind gusting just in the wrong place! We really struggled to get her lined up - the wind wasn’t helping so we had to do things in a slightly different order to normal. I think it took about 2 hours to get her up but there was a lot of cussing (from me!) and I’m not at all pleased with the way she looks!

Waltons, a cuppa and a rather delicious brownie from Fodder - not as a reward more of a distraction from the less than successful erection! One good point though - I did manage to back Brunnehilda onto this pitch! It was an easy one but nevertheless... quite an achievement for yours truly!

We walked up to the Sainos at the end of the drive to buy tea. It’s a clear night tonight so it’s blimin cold! I had the second smoked Whitby kipper as well as a nice jack fruit biryani.

The Whitby kippers have been amazing - so good! One problem though ... they have stunk out the caravan. Brunnehilda smells more like a fish market than a caravan at the moment!?

Binged on Amazon Prime Modern Family and then another game of backgammon ... believe it or not, I won this one! God bless dice based games!

Gog (Kim’s mum) joins us in Brunnehilda tomorrow.

Swan Farm CL Site:
Pros:
1) Perfect position for walking to Whitby / Robin Hoods Bay
2) Very friendly and accommodating owner
3) Friendly fellow guests
4) Sea view
5) Easy access to site from main road
6) Nice pub 200 yds away
7) Good value - £14 a night
8) Flat pitch
Cons:
1) No toilet
2) Very exposed to the high winds

As you can see, this was one of our faves. I really am liking CLs much more than Club-sites at the moment - more friendly fellow guests, less rules, better value and more room!

Cromer and Blakeney - 21st Feb ‘20

Slightly later bed time tonight- about 9.30pm. Spiderman was superseded by Marvel Avengers and Paw Patrol DVDs. And what a night it was last night .. it was Finners’ turn to be in with us and boy what a wriggler that boy is? It’s hard to explain but imagine a 3ft 6 inch fish just plucked out of the sea thrashing about and then imagine 120 volts being passed through it every 3 seconds. If you have this in mind, times it by 2 and then you have some idea of what it’s like sleeping with Finlay!

Grandma was on breakfast duty again this morning and we had all had our fill and were raring to go by 11.15am. The boys had a long play in the playground again this morning - it really is a good one and they played really well together.

My big gripe about Caravan Club sites is their annoying habit of shutting down the wash/toilet block to clean it. This site is particularly annoying as they shut for 90 mins from 10.15 to 11.45 and, the gentleman this morning had started cleaning at 10am and was not at all happy to see me turning up at 10.05! It’s all a bit pompous - expecting everyone to be up and about by 10am for goodness sake!!!

The trip to Cromer took about 60 minutes. We had wondered about Wells Next Sea but Charlie was quite keen to see a Pier. According to my basic geographical knowledge of North Norfolk, the nearest one was Cromer - nearly 40 miles away. The bonus of going to Cromer was that it provided us with an opportunity to visit our favourite junk food establishment - The Bucket List. A bucket full of fries with a variety of homemade toppings thrown on ... what’s not to like! It didn’t disappoint and all 5 of us made ourselves feel quite pigged out!

Before that we had had a quick walk on the beach - it was very cold and blowey, but at least it was dry. After that we found our way onto the small pier and had a tour of the Lifeboat House situated at the end of the Pier.

After the chip fest we decided to get a game of mini-golf. My goodness it was cold! The wind had really got up by this time. Unlucky for me I had brought my gloves ... lucky for Charlie he hadn’t brought his ...  you can guess who had the warmest hands?!

The course was really hard so not particularly suitable for Twinnies. However we all enjoyed ourselves but were pleased to be sinking our putts on the 18th and heading for the warm car!
Not sure who won?? Charlie got a hole in one on the first hole and Kim finished with a couple of hole in ones on the last two. The Twinnies and I made up the numbers ... literally!!

We decided to go to the pretty village of Blakeney (about 10 miles away) to get coffee and cake.
The Moorings was a great choice and we all enjoyed what we had. We did drive all the other punters out though by playing a number of games that were fun for us but must have been bloody infuriating for the tables next to us?

While Kim went art shop shopping the boys and I found a hill just above the car park. They had lots of fun throwing themselves off the top and rolling down the hill. Again, another example of irresponsible grand-parenting (well to be specific grand-fathering) that will never be seen by the parents ... what happens in Blakeney stays in Blakeney!

By this time it was getting dark and we were all cold and tired. We went to Sainsbury's on the way home to buy tea and replenish the DVD library. The boys had their tea while Kim and I took down Bella - to save us a bit of time in the morning.

Charlie fell asleep early tonight ... all that sea air probably? Harry is with us tonight so hopefully we might get a better night’s sleep?!

Bella up & a Beach Walk on Colwyn Bay - 21st Jan ‘20

No sun today but it was dry and, considering it’s January, fairly mild. The day started like most ... tea in bed and a breakfast omelette!

As soon as we were washed and ready we put up Bella. The last time, in Cirencester, it was a right faff and she looked a bit wonky / scruffy. Slightly better this time, although it still took us the best part of 90 minutes to erect her.

The temperature was really warming up and by the time we had finished I was down to my t-shirt to go off to ablute! On that subject, the shower facilities here are good - not as good as a Padstow and Weymouth who currently share top spot for that award. Although this one, like the other non-Club sites leaves the showers open all day - a real benefit for late risers like us.

Once Bella was safely pegged out we headed for the beach just down the road at Old Colwyn. Luckily for us, and it was luck no time tables had been consulted, the tide was well out. This gave us, well to be more accurate the dogs, a lot of space to run, chase birds and dive through the waves. Although the sea was very still and placid so the waves were not that impressive.

We walked from Old Colwyn to Rhos on sea. About an hour there and an hour back. We managed to find a tea cabin open to get a cuppa before setting back along the beach.

We got back to the car just as it was getting dark. We needed to get tomorrow’s tea from M&S so we set off for the nearest one - Prestatyn. It only took about 30 minutes- we went along the coast road which seemed to be one static caravan holiday park after another. I have to say, most of them looked quite grim but hey ho holiday places in the winter always seem a bit “grey”.

After the M&S visit we popped over the road to look at a Mexican restaurant we noticed when we were passing. On closer inspection it wasn’t up to much but next door we were lucky enough to find a place called the Torello Lounge. A pub / restaurant with loads of veggie options. I had the veggie breakfast and a side of mac & cheese. Kim had a veggie burger. We were both happy with our choices!

Back home along the infamous North Wales Expressway to settle in for the night. A repeat of last night really ... an episode of The Waltons, an episode of The Wire and another drubbing for Kim at Canasta. Tchh, I think the current Mrs Pitts used up all her luck when she bagged me!!?

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.

Another Wet Day in Harrogate - 11th Oct ‘19

Gee, if we wanted a test for wee Bella we certainly had a result last night. It pretty much rained non stop for 12 hours and then there was the wind??? Over 50mph for 4 or 5 hours gave her a very challenging first night. I am pleased to say that she cane through with flying colours.

A really lazy morning this morning! Farm shop fried eggs and Shaftesbury baker’s sourdough was a damn fine start to the day but then everything got very low gear as we waited for the rain to stop and the site showers to re-open. I did manage to take the dogs for a walk around the Showground fields when the  rain was starting to abate. The walk takes you by an old disused railway viaduct.

Wee Bella is going to be great for the pair of us but add 2 dogs, when it is permanently wet outside, and it is never going to be easy. They weren’t very happy about being kept out of Brunnehilda. You would be forgiven in forgetting  they both come from a line of working bloody sheepdogs!?!

We decided to stay local this afternoon and headed for Harrogate - this time by car which was quite ironic as the sun was now shining! We had a pleasant couple of hours browsing around the town centre including a very nice “takeaway” lunch from a deli / cafe called Weeton’s https://www.weetons.com/

Headed home at about 4pm stopping for a provisions shop at the Sainos just by the camp site. It turned out to be quite a long one - not because we bought lots but because we had Val on the checkout and I think it was her first day?!

Another dog walk around the Showground / park and then I took down Bella. It didn’t take long at all. The packing into the bag left some room for improvement but thankfully all was completed very quickly with the minimum of cussing and profanities.

A Sainos based tea and then a movie. This time it was the Green Book - Oscar winner last year! It was excellent- a bit of a reasonably predictable feel good movie but nothing wrong with that on a wet Friday night (yes it’s raining again!) in North Yorkshire!

Early start in the morning so off to bed at a ridiculously earlier hour. I’m sure the caravan has its own time zone - it feels like 2 in the morning but the iPhone says it’s 9.47!

Bella’s First Erection & Day Out in Harrogate - 10th Oct ‘19

We treated ourselves to breakfast out this morning. Fodder, the farm shop / restaurant next door to the site is magnificent https://fodder.co.uk/. Great local food to buy, real friendly staff and superb quality restaurant. I had the veggie breakfast - first class! And good to be back to a plant based diet!

One of the objectives of this short break was to try out the new Isabella Winter Porch Awning - from now on to be known as wee Bella to avoid confusing her with her big sister! So as soon as we had returned from the farm shop with full bellies and a basket of provisions (the Toblerone Brownie was a particular favourite with me!), we begin the erection!

She went up well. The challenge was the pegs! This is the first time we’ve gone into hard standing and my mallet, much like the last 3 Tory Prime Ministers, was not up for the job! Another item on the list to buy. Wee Bella looked good up and the floor tiles Kim picked up cheaply from B&Q were a success too - we need another pack though. Another item for that bloody list!

We treated ourselves to a lunch of farm shop veggie scotch egg and salad to reward ourselves for a good job done and fortify ourselves for an afternoon walk in the Yorkshire drizzle. They’ve had a lot more rain up North than we have, the ground is absolutely soaking. I also think Autumn has come a bit earlier up here - lots of leaves on the ground and plenty of red and half empty trees.

We went on a very pleasant 2.5 mile walk across the huge Showground car park fields, up a very posh street with huge houses and over The Stray (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stray_(Harrogate) into the town centre. By the time we got there the drizzle was still on and 2 wet and muddy collies were going to be a problem in accessing the upmarket shops and cafes of Harrogate. So we turned on our heels and made the trip back.

We arrived back a little damp and knackered. We kicked off our boots and enjoyed a read, a pear cider and slice of cake in Wee Bella with the 2 dirty dogs sleeping on the new floor.

Sourdough toast and scones for tea while we shut the door, let the dogs in and cranked up the heating. The drizzle turned to heavy rain and the wind shook Bella and rocked Brunnehilda - which was all very pleasant as we were as warm as toast with a Spotify playlist competing more than adequately with the sound of the rain on Brunnehilda’s roof.  We watched the first episode of The Wire on DVD - boded well for binging all 6 series at some time in the future.

I absolutely slaughtered Kim at Canasta. It was so one sided it just wasn’t fun. I suggested that the loser might want to take the dogs out for their evening walk / wee in the pouring rain? I was overruled and it seems that it will be me getting my coat and galoshes on this time! As Captain Oates famously said ... “I’m just going outside and maybe some time...!”