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!

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!