Camping & Caravan Club!

Thus far I have resisted joining any kind of camping club.  Having decided that the Caravan Club is definitely not for me (they frown upon Campervans), I thought I'd leave it at that.

However, as the last few weeks have been so very busy, not to mention hot, I wanted to find a site close to home that would be quiet with a little walking so I could relax and unwind.

I found Teversal - Trails and all!

This is where the C & CC comes in - it is one of their top certified sites and to join the club gets you pennies off, so it was a no brainer!

So wanting to make the most of the sunshine we set off straight after work on Friday afternoon and were all pitched and settled by tea time!

The entrance to the old colliery site is just across the road from the campsite so we had an early evening walk over there before a lovely salad and relax in the late Sun.

As I reached for my Kindle, I realised I had not done any reading since returning from America!

After a restless night (so muggy) we made an early start with bacon & eggs before setting off to find the visitor centre.  On the way we passed The Carnarvon Arms Pub & restaurant which looked very nice indeed and, strangely, this plaque..............

Teversal, Carnarvon and Tutankhamun - surely not?

So, of course, I had to find the connection.  Lord Carnarvon didn't come from Teversal did he?

One thing we can be sure of, Tutankhamun had never heard of Teversal , but over three thousand years later the Carnarvon family certainly had. Almost every village in England had a Lord of the Manor whose manor house was usually built as close to the church as possible. The Molyneux family were Lords of the Manor in Teversal for almost 150 years from the 1700s and financed coal mining operations to extract the Top Hard seam which lay fairly close to the surface. The Top Hard seam was always a good quality saleable coal proving that the deeper seams are not automatically the best. In 1830 Henrietta Molyneux married the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon and became Henrietta Carnarvon whose initials HC are to be seen on buildings around Teversal. The land which the Carnarvon’s held in and around Teversal were eventually sold in the early 20th Century to private buyers and the map showing the plot numbers for auction is held in the Sutton In Ashfield library archives. It was the 5th earl of Carnarvon, the family Henrietta had married into, who financed the excavations in Egypt in the early 1900s leading to the discovery of the Pharaoh, Tutankhamun. The family names are found in locations such as the Molyneux mine off Fackley road, Teversal, famous for the disaster on 2nd April 1869 in which 4 lives were lost after an inrush of water, and Carnarvon Street in Teversal as well as the Carnarvon Arms. So without any doubt, the families wealth used to finance Howard Carters excavation came, in part, from local mining and other business activities.

Well I never ...... and another thing........ D H Lawrence is said to have based Lady Chatterley's Lover on the village!

Anyway I had dinner at the Carnarvon Arms later that day and I would highly recommend it!




Back to the Trails.  The trails follow the tracks of the old colliery railway and together with local footpaths provide a network of varied walks.

Silverhill Colliery was in operation from 1862 - 1980 -  one of the regions most profitable pits, it was the first to be closed in Nottinghamshire. During the 112 years of coal production 3 seams were worked, the Top Hard, Dunsil and the First Waterloo. The Top Hard seam was worked continually from 1869 to 1948 when it was exhausted. The Dunsil seam was worked spasmodically from 1868 to 1968. The First Waterloo seam commenced production in 1957 and was the last to be worked. It was the first face to be fully mechanised to include power loading, previously the machine cut coal was loaded by hand.

The land, having laid to waste for several years, was re-developed to form the nature park and right in the middle of the trail, marking the highest point in Nottinghamshire, is a bronze Miner holding his lamp.

This photo shows Hardwick Hall in the distance.

 

The views from the trail were indeed beautiful - the Great British countryside at its best ..........

 

 

The dogs, of course, loved the walking and seeing as they had me up at 6:30 am I got my own back by walking their little paws off - giving me quality time with the Kindle!

 

Super couple of days recharging the batteries!



 

Life South of Watford Gap?

The deciding factor in my decision to buy Heidi was bluebirds move to the South Coast.  Too far for a day trip visit - having my own accommodation would come in very handy.

So fresh from Graduation the pups and I made our way down the M1 towards the dreaded M25 and on to Seaford,

Fantastic weather was forecast so we booked into a very handy campsite 5 minutes walk from Mike & Krisi's new flat - ideal.

The view right - towards Newhaven

View left - the start of 'The Seven Sisters'

So out came the BBQ and half the contents of the Van for supper on the beach - Chocolate filled bananas included - I can be outdoorsy after all!  "No bottle opener though Mum"

The following day we all took the train (didn't impress Poppy much) into nearby Brighton to view the intended location for Bluebirds store.  The Sun was blazing and we were in for a scorcher.  Unfortunately Brighton Pier is not dog friendly so I had to settle for a view from the promenade (in some much needed shade).

Brighton was buzzing and the beach was surprisingly crowded on a Wednesday afternoon.  The temperature was hitting the high 20s so after a Korean lunch and iced frappe Lattes we returned to lovely Seaford a little worn out - That was the day over for the pooches - completely cream crackered!

Not only is Seaford beautiful it is steeped in History and a surprising number of celebs have been associated with it over the years.........................

Sir Anthony Blunt, the former keeper of the Queen's paintings who was revealed to be a Soviet spy, went to school in Seaford.

John Butcher, 3000M Steeplechase runner represented Sussex and England during the 1970s.

Tony Caunter, who played Roy Evans (EastEnders) once lived in Seaford.

Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston Churchill lived in Seaford.

Actor Nigel Davenport, attended St Peter's School, Seaford.

The actor Maurice Denham lived in Seaford.

Paul Garred, drummer of the band The Kooks, grew up in Seaford.

Comedian Dickie Henderson and actress Penelope Keith both went to school in Seaford.

Musician Robyn Hitchcock spent time in Seaford, writing about it in his song Museum Of Sex.

Jordan (Pamela Rooke), an actress/model noted for her work with Vivienne Westwood and the SEX (boutique) in the King's Road area of London in the mid 1970s, was born in Seaford, and now works in the town as a veterinary nurse.

Former motorcycling stunt rider Eddie Kidd now lives in Seaford.

Actor Oscar Lloyd, who appears in ITV soap Emmerdale.

Val McCalla, who was recently voted as one of the top 100 black Britons of all time and was the founder of The Voice, lived in Seaford until his premature death in 2002.

Michael Olowokandi, from Nigeria, former NBA basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves and most recently the Boston Celtics 2006–2007, went to school for a short time at Newlands Manor School, Seaford.

Twin sisters Connie Powney and Cassie Powney, who played Mel and Sophie Burton in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, grew up in Seaford.

Captain John Seaman sailed to Long Island in what is now New York State in the 1640s, purchased land from the native Americans and founded Seaford, New York.

The astronaut Piers Sellers attended Tyttenhanger Lodge Preparatory School, Seaford.

Woodcut artist Eric Slater lived and died in Seaford, and is buried there.

Bruce Stewart, writer of the 1970, ITV series Timeslip, lived in Seaford.

Pete Thomas, the world famous drummer, was brought up in Seaford. Recently inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Pete is best known for his 30 year association with Elvis Costello.

Tennessee Thomas, drummer of The Like and fashion model, lived in Seaford before moving to California.

Colin Wells (cricketer), ex-professional cricketer for Sussex and Derbyshire, lives in Seaford.

Adam Pitts, drummer of the band Lawson, grew up in Seaford.

To name several - thanks Wikipedia.  Now who can remember Timeslip? 

In the Middle Ages, Seaford was one of the main ports serving Southern England, but the town's fortunes declined due to coastal sedimentation silting up its harbour and persistent raids by French pirates. The coastal confederation of Cinque Ports during its medieval period consisted of a confederation of 42 towns and villages in all. This included Seaford under the 'Limb' of Hastings. Between 1350 and 1550, the French burned down the town several times.
In the 16th century the people of Seaford were known as the "cormorants" or "shags" because of their enthusiasm for looting ships wrecked in the bay. Local legend has it that Seaford residents would, on occasion, cause ships to run aground by placing fake harbour lights on the cliffs.
However, Seaford's fortunes revived in the 19th century with the arrival of the railway connecting the town to Lewes and London. It became a small seaside resort town, and more recently a dormitory town for the nearby larger settlements of Eastbourne and Brighton, as well as for London.

I loved the traditional feel of the town and enjoyed exploring the sea front - complete with pretty little beach huts.

The Seven Sisters are a series of chalk cliffs. They form part of the South Downs starting in Seaford.  They are the remnants of dry valleys in the chalk South Downs, which are gradually being eroded by the sea.
The Seven Sisters cliffs are occasionally used in filmmaking and television as a stand-in for the more famous White Cliffs of Dover, since they are relatively free of  modern development and are also allowed to erode naturally. As a result, the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head remain a bright white colour, whereas the White Cliffs of Dover are protected due to the important port and are therefore increasingly covered in vegetation and are greening as a result. They are also featured at the beginning of the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and at the end of the film Atonement where Robbie and Cecilia always wanted to live.

Fantastic Photo viewing points

Below is the view looking back from the cliffs across Seaford bay towards Newhaven.

So, in answer to the question, YES there is life South of Watford Gap and very nice it is too - what a shame the M25 cant be avoided - we only parked on it for 3 1/2 hours on the way home!!

bluebirds

Bluebird Birthday and Graduation

Incredibly it has been a year since bluebirds first event at Stratford's Riverfest and we were all there again this year to celebrate their Birthday.  Krisi & Mike continue to work like Trojans to make the company a success and it was lovely to see them serving Iced teas to the flocking Stratford crowd - selling out completely on the first day (good job they had more for the next day).  They have now relocated to Brighton (more on that later) where the first bluebird Tea Co store will be opening soon (watch this space)!

On the Sunday evening we all travelled from Riverfest up to Liverpool to commence Elliot's Graduation celebrations - staying at Kings Dock with a view of the Cathedral in the distance.

Anyone who knows me well will know that I love the Beatles so afternoon tea was taken at the Hard Days Night Hotel - complete with chocolate logo!



The night view from our apartment shows the iconic Radio Tower.

After a very warm night we started the day with a hearty cooked breakfast - not complete without a toast of Bucks Fizz - this cork didn't want to budge However Elliot was hopeful of landing it in the dock ..................

Everyone checked but, alas, it only made the grass at the front of the building, taking down two seagulls as it went!

Graduation cupcakes - nicely staged by Mike (product placement knowledge at play here) - and No, you cant buy them at Asda Elliot!

Commence the mammoth photo poses - just like a wedding really.

The Smith 'brood' - Jayne's words not mine.

Not only was Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral beautiful it was a cool relief from the climbing temperature outside.

What does all this have to do with the Campervan I hear you ask - absolutely nothing - I'm just a very very very proud Mama xxx

Mini re-fit

Life has been so hectic of late that I haven't had the chance to get away in Heidi so I have taken the opportunity to do a little 'tweaking' of her facilities so they are more to my liking.

The interior of the Van is deep red/burgundy and although replacing the curtains for something lighter, the interior furniture is deep mahogany so still a little too dark for me.  The main Kitchen unit was also ill fitting and didn't make best use of the space - leaving the water carriers exposed and liable to sliding whilst on the move.

So I set about finding a solution - coming up with the idea that maybe TV/video cupboard at Ikea would do the job.  Unfortunately, the finished height would have been too big for the space without obscuring to much window space.

Whilst comparing furniture measurements I noticed that traditional sideboards seemed to have the dimensions I needed as they are not as deep as most other units.

After much looking in shops, searching on the interweb and going everywhere with a measuring tape I came across the perfect sideboard in a small shop in Bulwell.

 

It fits perfectly in place with 1cm to spare

 

So a hole for the sink had to be cut - with many thanks to Roger for such a lovely finish (this turned into a 3 day job as the tools needed had been 'borrowed' by our respective children and not returned)!

 

Then the electrics had to be reconnected after extending the wire to accommodate the sink being at the other end of the new unit

During the rewiring we managed to blow a fuse!  A frantic search then ensued for the said fuse which wasn't where it should be.  This in turn made me realise that I didn't know where the battery was - having found it at last (took about 20 minutes to locate) the very small offending fuse was located and replaced!

 

Final bit of wiring and 'Voila'

Running water once again and space below to store the new flexible water carriers - leaving the bottom shelf free for more storage.

 

Re-fit completed, storage and water carrier problem solved and detailed familiarisation with Heidi, an added bonus!

 

I really do need to get an owners manual .......................

Messing about by the River

The River Ouse to be precise!

 

Poplar Farm Holiday park is in Acaster Malbis and stands on the banks of the River.  Again we walked in beautiful afternoon sunshine.



 

 

I was eager to try out the new Drive away awning - advertised as very easy to erect I managed to complete the task in about 40 minutes - not bad for a first time awning erector!  Now those of you that are seasoned campers will probably think that 40 minutes is an awfully long time to take for this task.  However, you must remember I am a City girl and I gave up camping (or did it give me up)? when I was 16 and I am still a bit of 'girl'!  Anyway I was very proud of my achievements and also very glad that Reimo did not break any advertising standards by promoting this awning as the 'Easy Tour 2'

 

Larger than expected it gives me loads more space and means I can leave chairs/table/stove out between uses without packing everything away in Heidi - I can also, of course, drive away in the Van and leave the awning 'in situ' - great stuff!

Acaster Malbis is 5 miles south of York and has several claims to fame!

The Latin word for a camp is castra indicating that the Roman army may once have been based here. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Acastre. The Malbis is derived from the Norman Malbysse or De Malebys family. Malbis was a Norman personal name that in French means "very swarthy".


So a Roman Norman village with a dark French past!

In 1848 the village population was 322 - it was only 538 in the 2001 Census.  With no shops and only a few houses, two Churches and  The Ship Inn -  one of the oldest building - 17th Century.  Its current owners report many 'ghostly' incidents.  The Inn also features in a book by Barbara Whitehead - 'The Girl with the Red Suspenders' ........ What a claim to fame!

I was hoping to stay a second night but remembered that I had a meeting on Monday morning, so having put the awning back in its carry case (another proud moment) Heidi and I returned home.

Costa del Sutton

For my next trip I decided to travel a little further afield and having seen the advance weather forecast decided a trip to the Coast was in order.

 

Yes! this is England

 

Using trusty Google I located a site at Sandilands on the East Coast - adults only and just 5 pitches available.

 

What a delightful spot - lovely level pitch screened from the coastal wind with a hedge and a view of the Sea bank in the distance.  The only sounds to be heard was the waves and bird chatter.

 

I set up quickly eager to make the most of the glorious Sunshine and within 20 minutes we were on our way to the Beach.

 

 

Sandilands is on the very edge of Sutton on Sea which in turn is between Skegness and Mablethorpe.

 

I have not been to the coast in England for some time and did not relish the thought of all those daytrippers wondering about the tacky souvenir shops, eating rock and playing in the games arcades.

 

 

Did I get a shock!!!  None of the above present just miles of unspoilt beach, gorgeous little beach huts and the occasional café - I was in Heaven.

 

 

I want ^ ^ ^

 

The dogs and I walked along the front right into Sutton and back again.  It was the first time either of the dogs had seen Sea and Sand and they absolutely loved it.

 

 

Dinner was taken in the nearby local pub (dog friendly) within walking distance.  We all collapsed into bed exhausted before it was even dark!

 

 

The next morning we awoke early due to the Sunshine again streaming into the Camper.

 

It was time to try out all my new camping equipment so breakfast was prepared and eaten outside.

 

We then set off in the opposite direction along the beach towards Huttoft.  It is actually quite hard to walk long distances on sand (unless you have 4 paws) - I didn't realise this and the going was quite slow.  When we reached Huttoft there wasn't much to see - except blue skies, dunes and Sun!  Many campers were parked right on the beach here which is useful to know for future use.

Later in the day we took the camper down to Anderby Creek for afternoon tea and a look at the Worlds first 'Cloud spotting Bar' and not a beer in sight!

The Cloud Bar was the idea of artist, and Cloud Appreciation Society member, Michael Trainor. Replacing a disused beach shelter, the handsome wooden structure looks out to sea from this unspoilt stretch of the Lincolnshire coastline. On the viewing platform, are ‘Cloud Menus’ identifying the different formations, mirrors that can be swivelled to reflect different parts of the sky and specially designed cloud-viewing seats, on which visitors can recline and enjoy the view.

Would have been quite an interesting and useful resource - but alas - no clouds to 'spot' (no doubt highly unusual for this part of the coast).


After walking back it was time again for pub fayre before bed.  As I lay there dropping off all I could hear was the sea and those very noisy birds - its amazing just how loud birdsong is when it is not drowned out by other noise pollution!

Another successful jaunt - finished off by a cuppa on Huttoft sands (couldn't resist) before making the journey home - this has got to be the biggest advantage of owning a campervan!

who needs the Costa del Sol when we have weather and views like this at home?