Two weeks away in Cornwall and being back in 4 walls made me realise just how much we've missed caravan time this season, not that we have any regrets whatsoever about how we spent March and April this year.
With my birthday fast approaching I was dreading spending it at home in the usual manner, not being able to book a family meal out, or having all the family over to celebrate ............ all including Coupons.
I explained how I was feeling to Herself, who has been remarkable in her support for me and dealing with my grief, while she has been coming to terms with the loss herself at the same time. I've got leave to burn in work while Herself hasn't and has to work Thursday and Monday, so only one choice really, and that is to stay local.
Pricing it up brought more tears to my eyes, with the Caravan Club, sorry Caravan and Motorhome Club wanting a whopping £44 per night to merely rent a piece of grass to wind the legs down. Funny how their prices have rocketed since they re branded to include Motorhomes in their title!
Regular readers will recall that on our way back from Cornwall a few weeks back we discovered the cross actuation bar had sheared on our mover. People go on and on about just how good Powrtouch are to deal with as a company. I beg to differ on this occasion. Further examination once home revealed is was the hex shaft that had sheared, and judging by the corrosion on the exposed surface, it had sheared some time ago, my guess is February after the annual service.
I had noticed a drop off in performance, and now know this was due to not all 4 motors engaging! Powrtouch asked for pictures and got straight back saying "unlucky, out of warranty!" My pleading that only 2 months outside the date and it was obvious the part had failed within the set period fell on deaf ears.
Even more infuriating was that on a Facebook group chat I found out that they'd been a lot more generous with their good will to someone else with the same issue just a few weeks ago!
Anyway, parts ordered for just over £60 and Leisure Medic popped around yesterday to carry out the repair, and we're good to go again.
Thursday 25 July
Herself is working today, but we'd loaded the van up last night. I wave her off and her exhaust wouldn't have had chance to warm up before I'm out from under the sheets and heading down to "Bocs y Bwyd" for a plate of their goodness to set me up for the day ahead.
Very good it was too, and was by some distance the best breakfast I've had in a while. Still smacking my chops after demolishing that, the van gets inched out of its cwtch and hitched up to Trude for the massive 11.2 mile tow to site.
I'm pulling through the gates at bang on 1pm and inconveniencing Heir in Charge by wanting to pay for the stay in cash. Setting up on my todd was a chore, I won't lie to you, and even though we've only got the canopy this weekend, the Isabella is the full length of the van, and feeding the beading and dragging it through the channel took some effort!
A quick glance at our Ring doorbell shows Vera parked up outside, which means Herself has finished work and is ready to be collected, together with Gwawr and Gwen. It's 5pm by the time we're on the coastal road skirting Costa del Morfa, and rumbling tummies are louder than the music emanating from DAB inside Trude.
We abandon her in the Sandpiper car park, punch the VRM into the machine and take an outside table overlooking the water park.
It was nice while the sun was out, but as soon as that went behind the clouds the place had a distinct Siberian feel to it. In July mind!
Friday 26 July
Blue skies and bright sunshine greet us as we wake this morning after a great kip, so great in fact that I overslept and will not make it in time to a funeral I had planned to attend!
I leave Herself tangled up in the quilt for some extended personal contemplation time and go outside under the canopy, setting the Tassimo to work its magic.
The first coffee of the day always tastes better on a campsite. Fact. And with no plans to do much at all today we spend a lazy morning soaking up some sunshine, well we've not exactly seen much of it this year have we, and breakfasting on bacon butties.
Noon comes around and we need to pop into Burry Port and its brand new Co-op for supplies, having first walked the dogs and thrown a ball for them in the country park.
Brand spanking new the Co-op may be, but stock levels don't appear to be anywhere near that of the old one just across the railway line!
Back on site to soak up some vitamin D and Nelson rocks up at about 1.30. Drops the legs on his van and leaves me to set it up for him while he logs back onto work.
Chances are, if you bought insurance on the afternoon of Friday 26 July it was sold to you from the comfort of our caravan!
Roids shows up with my Birthday pressie as he's in work tomorrow, but disappointingly he doesn't have Locks with him. A relaxing afternoon is spent, and the sun is quite strong, hot enough for Beastie and Bwmps to seek shelter for a bit and grab some screentime.
I was not as sensible and my solar panel will smart a bit in the shower this evening!
Saturday 27 July
I wake and head out under the canopy as the site starts to come to life. Set the Tassimo to work its magic and sit starting at my phone, just wishing it would ring. Deep down I know it's not going to, but I'm willing it to do so.
You see, it's tradition in our family that whoever's birthday it is gets a phone call early doors off Coupons during which no words were spoken, but she'd sing happy birthday to you.
I sit staring at the screen and the tears started flowing. Herself has been expecting this, and rather than have a lie in, she's up and by my side.
The tears soon had to be wiped away though as I hear Beastie and Bwmps shouting "Happy Birthday Dats" while running over form their van loaded with goodies.
Bwmps is too young to understand, but Beastie is tuned in, and jumps straight onto my lap holding onto me for all she's worth!
Bwmps just wants to know where the cake it!
Spoilt I was. Herself and Grumbles got me a Fizzics beer machine, Herself also got me a bag for my Weber Q, Roids got me a griddle plate for the Q and Nelson a pair of Crocs.
I'd posted on Facebook about not getting "THE" phonecall, and Rugby Ref replied "If you listen hard enough, you will get it."
Now I've been struggling the last few weeks to recall what Coupons' voice sounded like, but I closed my eyes, turned off my hearing aids to block off any sound and listened really hard. Sure enough, it came, every note, as clear as if she was sat next to me.
Herself and I need supplies again so head back into Turksville where Asda comes up trumps. Nelson and Co have gone into the adjacent country park, first on the toboggans and then to the play area. We're content to chill around the van in the sun and start preparing the evening meal.
I'm just about to drop off when a friendly face pops round the front of the van. My cousin, Traffic Cop, is down for a walk with his good lady and dropped by to wish me happy birthday, knowing very well I'd be struggling a little today.
Come 3pm Nursie and Mike rock up, bringing with them CSO and Grumbles.
The Weber goes into overdrive and a feast for 10 is produced while I keep hydrated playing with my new toy.
A misunderstanding between Herself and Nursie means we have not one, but two birthday cakes. I'm not complaining though as I'm a big fan of cake, foregoing an international rugby career for it. Bwmps is also beside himself as he's probably the only person I know that likes cake more than me!
We take the dogs onto the country park for a run as the sun drops and takes the heat out of the day, before returning back under the canopy tapping some keys while guzzling a few rather large Rum and Cokes.
You know those old public information films where a bloke is approaching children in the play park uttering "Do you want to come and see my puppies?"
Well, Teacher's pet rabbit is with us this weekend. Thumper's not been well of late and is on rather expensive medication from the vet, and teacher is reluctant to leave it to anyone else to administer them. Bwmps made a run for the park and Herself went chasing him, totally forgetting that she had Thumper down her vest cwtching up between her boobs. She gets to the park and pulls him out, all of a sudden becoming a kid magnet!
Luckily Operation Yewtree didn't bust through the barrier are cart Herself away!
Relieved that today is over, I wasn't looking forward to it one bit, but it was made a lot easier to cope with having the kids around and reading all the very kind messages left for me on social media.
Sunday 28 July
We wake again to blue skies and breakfast under the canopy before we pack some daysacks and head into the country park for some fun. Parking up in the "Woodland Car Park" we set off in the dappled shade of the canopy above , exploring some of the remains of the former ordnance factory that once occupied this site.
First stop was the miniature railway. Herself and I hang onto the dogs while the others went for a ride through the forestry.
Next stop is the play area where Beastie and Bwmps burn off some energy before joining us up on the tump for a picnic lunch.
Back on site it's chill time before thoughts turn to our evening meal. Being the last night tea will consist of whatever is left in our fridges. Luckily for us Nelson has a couple of sirloin steaks in his and we have some lamb steaks in ours, and some prawns.
We drop our canopy this evening, rather than having t wait for it to dry off in the morning and set the chairs up to soak up the last of the sun after a fantastic long weekend.
Monday 29 July
Herself has to be in work today, so I'm waving her off in Vera from the visitor's car park early doors, before completing the process of breaking camp and hitching up. To be fair there wasn't much to do as we did most of it yesterday evening, so by 9.30am both rigs are ready to roll for the looong tow home.
By 10am I've pulled up outside Home is Where you Drag it Towers, and am arguing with intolerant passing traffic as I let the mover do its magic inching the van back into its cwtch.
A great little weekend away with wall to wall sunshine - when was the last time we were able to say that?
I couldn't have stayed at home this weekend, and I'm thankful that we had Beastie and Bwmps with us to occupy my mind. We didn't go far, but then we didn't need to. It was lovely to see the kids with the freedom to explore and make new friends, running round barefoot with the grass between their toes.
Not long until the next trip out.
Footnote - A moan about the Caravan and Motorhome Club. It's pretty obvious they've priced themselves out of the market, and given the number of empty pitches over the weekend, in peak season, you have to wonder if they're no longer interested in the "family" market. Also you're paying top prices for a pitch so you'd expect top class facilities to match. Not so this weekend. The water pressure was so low it was taking 10 ins to fill a 40 litre aquaroll, and the toilets are in dire need of a refresh with black mould covering silicon seals in the shower cubicles. This set of wardens are lazy too. I used the same shower cubicle all weekend, and when I showered Thursday evening there was a 3 inch bit of plastic on the floor. That very same bit of plastic was still there Sunday evening, which demonstrates a complete lack of thoroughness on the part of the wardens.
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