Blackshaw Moor, Nr Leek , Staffordshire

Motorhome trip No14 : October 26th – 27th 2013

NOTTS->LEEK,STAFFORDSHIRE & INTO THE PEAK DISTRICT ->NOTTS 89 miles

Didn’t get away until about 12.15 after sorting out car and glasses and doing a little of the Big Shop, tee hee! Fairly bright and sunny and arrived in Leek after about a hour, never been there before. A very Victorian town with cobbled market place and some old mill trade factories in Victorian small red brick, plus some much older ones. Parked on the outskirts and walked in. Interesting place, the centre of which reminded us of Ashbourne.

Bought some stuff in the Trade hall indoor market (see pic with stain glass type mosaic). Then back into the van and onto the Blackshaw Moor caravan club site. There is a Caravan & Camping club site about ¾ mile back down the road from this. Both for families to take their kids to Alton Towers which isn’t that far away. Our site had 50 kids on it so we pitched as far away from them as poss, sad old gits that we are, LOL xxx Nice site and very close to the Roaches and 2 resevoirs. Alas it rain most of the afternoon and all of the night but very relaxing reading and having the odd bevvie! Annies nice homemade oat cheese and onion quiche for tea heated in the oven plus cheese & bikkies and posh pud. Yum! Extra hour in bed as well so can’t be bad.

Very windy Sunday morning, packed up in the rain and headed across the border into the Peak District, mountain /rock formations amazing , never seen them before, must come back in the summer as beautiful views but all too windy and wet so we came home early on the Sunday.

All in all a nice relaxing weekend!

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31 photos in the SLIDESHOW

Stroud Hill Park,Pidley, Cambs

Motorhome trip No13 : October 12th – 13th 2013

NOTTS->PIDLEY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE ->NOTTS 192 miles

We have been here before a few years back with our dear friends Pete & Joy, but we were in tents then. It did rain then but not as much as this weekend. We left early on Saturday morning and arrived at the site thru some horrendous showers to bright sunshine, so much so that Keef wore his shorts. We sat out for quite a while enjoying the chat and warm weather before going off for a lovely walk across the surrounding fields to the Mad Cat pub at Pidley where we had a nice baguette lunch and some very nice pints of Inflammable (4.2%) hic! The ladies had something else.

Walked back before the onslaught of rain but had a few more beers & wine etc outside before it started so into the van for a few more bevies, hic! Then all bar Keef adjourned to Pete & Joys van. Cooked Steak & Kidney puds, mash & veg and carried over all 4 plates in the rain, yummy followed by nice cheese & bikkies and grapes.

All very tired so retired early to bed, maybe it was the alcohol, maybe not! Bucketed down over night but being in the van is so much better than being in a tent. Sunday am spent relaxing, breakfast, reading before packing up the van and having a 3 course lunch in the site restaurant, which we can thoughrally recommend. Classy food for £17… example menu wood pigeon starter, roast beef main (or nile perch which Pete had) followed by gingerbread and orange cheesecake and fruit coulis, annie has a triple choc torte pud, all yummy

Then after our goodbyes it was off into the rain, and back home, not too bad at just over 1 ½ hours.

All in all a fab relaxing weekend!

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15 pictures in the SLIDESHOW

Stamford Caravan Club Site, Lincolnshire

Motorhome trip No12 : September 28th – 29th 2013

NOTTS->FINESHADE WOODS, NEAR STAMFORD, LINCOLNSHIRE ->NOTTS 140 miles

A weekend of truly wonderful weather, incredibly hot when one considers it was the end of September. We only stayed the one night at the Stamford Caravan Club site as Keef is now back at work. Lovely site and we were lucky to get an end pitch against the sloe bushes with uninterrupted views across the woods. Fineshade woods is a Forestry area set aside for walkers, cyclists etc with a café and a few cycle / walking paraphernalia shops. It is lovely and tranquil and because the weather was so good we sat out reading until quite late with a spot of collecting sloes at the same time for the trad family sloe gin… 6 bottles this time, hic!

One drawback of the site is there is no amenities block but that is adequately compensated for by the stunning price of £13.60 for the night , plus the café 5 minutes walk away has a loo but beware it shuts at 5pm.

Did mesquite chicken, new potatoes & veg for tea all washed down with our scrummy and very alcoholic plum wine. Oh and I confess the odd beer throughout the afternoon, heaven!

Then on Sunday after a leisurely breakfast we packed up and travelled off to Burghley house via the lovely village of Duddington, who has heard of this hidden gem? Weather at Burghley was again

fan-tab-e-dosie. House , gardens, gardens of surprise with water features for the kids (and us), sculpture garden and the lake with sculpture & boathouse were all wonderful.

Drove back through Rutland and stopped at Frankie & Benny’s for tea in Notts.

All in all a fab relaxing weekend!

See our pictures on the slideshow tab for more details as well as the embedded slideshow here if you prefer

We loved the area so will be back again soon, we hope. Anyone else been there and want to share their views on the campsite or the area?

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86 photos in the SLIDESHOW

Mid Wales, Not The Motorhome trip No2 : September 7th – September 14th 2013

NOTTS->LLANGRANNOG,CEREDIGION & About->NOTTS 550 miles

Didn’t take the motor home this time as stayed at wonderful Seaview cottage in Llangrannog , Ceredigion overlooking the bay inspired by Saint Grannog. Went with Craig, Leanne, Bill & Lady dog and had the most wonderful time, weather mixed but better than can be expected for that time of year and good food and company for the whole week, not to mention the home made ice creams from the beach café, yummy!. Visited most beaches from Cardigan to Aberystwyth, including Aberaeron, New Quay, Poppit Sands, Penbryn, Aberporth to mention a few. Nice welsh pint of David Davis in the Pentre (old welsh word for village centre) Arms.

Craig & Leanne walked around the coastal path from Llangrannog to Penbryn on the last day with doggie and we drove and met them there parking in the NT car park with very nice coffee shop and memorable kitten who was definitely not best mates with lady! Hee hee.

Will definitely bring the campervan back to this area, just so beautiful but will need to take care of some of the very steep and narrow roads, not really suitable for a large motorhome but ours will probably be OK.

Anyone else have any Motorhome / RV experiences on the Ceridigion Heritage coast they want to share?

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129 photos available in the SLIDESHOW

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In the meantime......

I was afforded the opportunity to redo the old website. It has now been redesigned to run on tablets, smart phones and old trad browsers with hopefully easier to view slideshows of photos from our lovely trip to Oz,NZ , California,Fiji,Samoa,Tonga & Hong Kong in 2007/8 where we hired a motorhome in 2008 and travelled most of the way up the east coast.

Please please let us know what you think, I am very happy with the new design but only you letting us know what you really think will see if we have achieved what we set out to do.

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The new website is HERE!

I was afforded the opportunity to redo the old website. It has now been redesigned to run on tablets, smart phones and old trad browsers with hopefully easier to view slideshows of photos with mobile slide feature from our lovely trip to Canada & 2 US states in 2010 where we hired a motorhome , which happened to be brand new and drove basically from one side to the other if you include our trip in 1999 to BC & vancouver Island.

Please please let us know what you think, I am very happy with the new design but only you letting us know what you really think will see if we have achieved what we set out to do.

Leave us your views via the comments box below and we will get back to you.

The new website is HERE!

Cornwall trip

Motorhome trip No11 : August 15th – August 22nd 2013

NOTTS->CHARD->FRADDON->PENZANCE->SCILLY ISLES->CIRENCESTER ->NOTTS 767 miles

A week of mostly lovely weather. Had a fabulous time and was able to visit Linda & Ian on route which was a lovely weekend with them both, thanks so much for your hospitality and sense of fun, big love to you both from both of us.

We started on the Thursday and travelled to the Ilminster Caravan Club site near Chard in Somerset. Nice friendly site with recently refurbished amenities block, would thoroughly recommend. Sat out reading in the sun and dodging the black clouds. Nice couple next door from Ilkeston (nearby home) who were down for the Levellers Beautiful Day concert weekend nearby, Ocean colour scene, Primal scream & Levellers headlining each of the 3 days. Boy did he know his music, great chatting about Grateful Dead/ Fairport etc etc. Went for a little walk around site and outside in lane. Poured overnight!

Then onto L&I’s for weekend, rained most of Saturday so chatted a lot, great fun, watched Expendables 2 in eve, what a hoot. We will be back, hee hee! Sunday great weather , visited the lovely St Just in Roseland, saw the pirate graves and had a little walk then onto St Mawes with views across to Falmouth. Nice walk past fab houses and some lovely plants , it’s the gulf stream you know! Turned back when luckily for us Jess was knackered , well she is 77 now!

Monday after saying our goodbyes set off for Penzance, sadly fatal crash caused by foreign tourists driving the wrong way down the A30 and colliding with an oncoming lorry at about 10 pm Sunday eve, meant A30 closed until 1.15pm which delayed us slightly. Filled up in hayle and by the time we had re joined the A30 the road was open. Shopping, enough for 3 days at Morrisons Little Rock. Went to Newlyn and Penzance and had a quick look around. Quite like Penzance, sea water jubilee pool apparently only £1 all day, nice for a hot sunny day.

Stayed at Cardinney Caravan & camping site for 2 days, not bad, cheap , nice flowers, dodgy electrics and antiquated showers but OK! Site was between Land’s end & Penzance, about 5 miles outside Penzance on A30.

Tuesday was a great day, taxi 8am, Scillonian III to St Marys Scilly Isles, what fab weather all day, both got a bit of sun burn. 4 ½ hours on the island, loved every moment we will be back. Hughtown and beach and boats fab. Took 1948 Austin coach tour around the island, the old guy doing the commentary was hilarious. Sat outside on the way over and inside on the way back. Delayed taxi back to site so got back at about 8pm. Long but wonderful day.

Wednesday much driving in heat to Cirencester. Had lunch on A30 lay bye 20 miles from M5 at Exeter. Stayed at Cirencester caravan Club site, best yet, we will be back. Thursday morning parked in Waitrose and walked into Cirencester, very nice Cotswolds old town, 2nd roman city in UK. Had a good mooch around including very interesting Church, almost a Cathedral in our humble opinion.

Then back home and unpacking in the rain late afternoon. All in all a lovely week and lovely to see my little sis again. Ahhh….

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200 pictures in the SLIDESHOW

This is a retrospective post as I came across a few pictures of our first ever trip away in our then new motorhome. Ahhh the days. It was a very wet few days at the Caravan Club site at clumber park, not too far to drive but a great way to try out all the things that one is seeing for the 1st time since the demo when you bought the van and a great learning experience it is.

We had issues with some leaks and a few other grumbles / things we couldn't remember how to do them but as it was all under warrenty and our sellers were not far away we got most of them sorted.

We would wholeheartedly encourage any one buying a new van to do the same, just a few days away initially to try it all out. As the UK is still cold at this time of year we even tried out all the fires, hot air blowers,gas & electric operations.... do the lot .... create a snagging list and get back to the seller /garage straight after and get them sorted then your 1st real trip away in your new van will be a pleasure.

Hope it helps let us have your feedback via the comments below

See SLIDESHOW

We returned again in 2019 and were on Pitch 9. CLICK HERE to see the return

Rgds Keef & Annie

The website has now been redesigned to run on tablets, smart phones and old trad browsers with hopefully easier to view slideshows of photos from each of our motorhome trips away both at home and abroad.

Please please let us know what you think, we are happy with the new design but only you letting us know what you really think will see if we have achieved what we set out to do.

For the geeks amongst you we have kept the old backend blog engine and wrapped a new HTML5 front end around it

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Note: The Index shows ALL blogs already published or you can find Blogs about a specific subject by clicking on a word in the TAG CLOUD, thanks, motorhome-travels.

Please note this blog was initially published in April 2012, not entirely sure why it has been repulished apart from Keef (foolishly) playing with a few blog options and buttons, hee hee