Holmfirth wine tour

A quick overnight trip with Angela to Holmfirth, home of the TV programme Last of the Summer Wine. This didn't mean anything to me, but it is an interesting little town outside Huddersfield. The site was fine, pitches a bit small I would say but there were lots of units there. There was a shop, a pond, and I was next to the river, so I can see why it would be popular.

We had beef and Yorkshire puds for lunch at The Bridge pub, a walk around the town including a lovely right-on eco shop (Fair Trader), ice cream parlour and art gallery.

The next day it was raining quite hard. We tried and failed to find the Sheveling vineyard above the town - the country's most northerly. The sat navs were going crazy and the narrow, steep roads were no good for a motorhome so after a conflab in a car park we decided to call it off and head home.


When I got back Charlie seemed to have got on ok with the automatic feeder. It was his first night alone, and he seemed none the worse, which was a relief.

Trips put on paws

Somehow in September I acquired Charlie, my 8-year old, toothless, rescue cat. While he was getting used to being in his new home, I thought it best not to go away overnight.

I don't think he will end up being a van cat, so I'll be relying on auto-feeders and cat sitters.

Lleyn Peninsular

A lovely week on the Lleyn Peninsular - Caernarvon, Aberdaron and Electric Mountain.

See Wales.

Matlock, Derbyshire

Back touring in the van after a month of festival weekends. I met up with Angela at Rowsley, a good base for the Derbyshire Peak District. We stayed behind a pub called The Grouse and Claret.

Across the road was Cauldwell's Mill, a flour mill and craft centre/shop/cafe.




The next day we got the bus down to Matclock and spent a few hours fossicking in an amazing number of shops selling vintage housewares, second hand or handmade clothes, furniture, and a huge 'antique' emporium. We were quite dazed in the end, so went to the pub for lunch.

In the afternoon, called in at the Peak Shopping Centre next to the campsite, and finally got some walking trousers from Mountain Warehouse - 15% discount for showing CMC card.

On Sunday we checked out a cycle-hire place on the Monsal Trail, something we might do next Spring. It was a drizzly day so after a bacon butty we headed for home.

All roads lead to Pateley Bridge

We're in the middle of a long, hot spell and so I took off to make the most of it.

I spent a lazy weekend at Pateley Bridge, sitting in the sun, apart from walking in to visit the museum, taking a walk over to Brimham Rocks with the Meetup group...

and a short drive up to Scar Reservoir.

York! So good they named it once

Smashing trip to York with Angela, stayed on a pretty CL all enclosed in a glade, with a small pond and cute ducklings.

Arrived Friday and spent the evening sitting out in the summer evening, gassing and sipping G&T until late.

Due to a slight mis-calculation on gin quantities, rose very late and 'feeling peaky' so wolfed down a cooked breakfast before heading in to town on the bus.

Spent a day in the sun on a river trip, in the museum gardens and roaming the Shambles.

Struggled with my feminist credentials while watching the parade of young women in miniskirts teetering along in OUTRAGEOUS heels on the cobbled stones. The devil on my shoulder was shouting 'they're dressed like whores and will break their ankles and it's only lunch time!' and the angel whispered 'leave them be you hypocrite, women can do and wear what they like - that's feminism for you'. Still not sure who wins the debate, must be my Methodist upbringing.

Sunday we headed off to Fountains Abbey which looked fantastic under clear blue skies.

Home to find my favourite son called David watching the footie, so had a nice catch up.

Gate to Southwell festival

Lovely weekend at Gate to Southwell, between Newark and Nottingham.

Highlights were Gretchen Peters (so sad!), Cara Dillon, Truckstop Honeymoon, Luke Jackson Trio, Ol'Savannah, Mongoose and Dan the Hat. Full listing here: http://southwellfolkfestival.org.uk/line-up-2016/

Even better, met up with old friends 4 vans down! Paul and Sue Thomas from Sheffield days - at least 25 years ago. Great to see them again.

Beautiful Suffolk

A lovely week's holiday in May. I started at a CL, Priory Farm, near Saxmundham, and then moved on to a big club site at Kessingland outside Lowestoft when I got desperate for a shower/wifi.

The first day I just spent sunning myself on the lawn and wandering around the local lanes (finding nothing of interest!)

The forecast for the next day was drizzle so I went in to Ipswich, and found a couple of lovely traditional museums, on in Cardinal Wolsey's old house, plus an art gallery with lovely Chinese works. It didn't rain though!

The Bragging Tree

Next day it was back to sun, so I took a drive down to Aldeburgh (very twee), called in at the classical music venue Snape Maltings (very Radio 3), then picnicked in one of Suffolk's ancient forests. It is a lovely county.

Maggi Hambling - A Conversation with the Sea

Final stop for the day was at Orford, but the reserve is only open at certain times of year and the ferry wasn't running. Pretty place though.

Next day, off to RSPB Minsmere, for a lovely morning in peaceful woods and meres. I saw 2 marsh harriers, but little else - I could hear birds everywhere in the trees but none to be seen in the lush vegetation.

Next stop Southwold, for scampi and chips on the pier - a brilliant pier with lots of odd machines and sculptures, and the famous beach huts.

Then I went on to Sutton Hoo, although the big mound shown isn't actually the one that had the treasures in. No originals there, but some reconstructions and a walk around the elevated site.

Then a drive up to the next site right on the beach just south of Lowestoft.





The site was great but the next day we were battered by a freezing wind, and I was shattered, so had a day in the van doing not very much.

On the last day, I drove over to Thetford forest, another lovely area of ancient trees, and called in at Grimes Graves, which are neolithic flint mines. You could go down one (32 ladder steps) and see the passages cut out.

South Rhins at Easter

In Dumfries and Galloway, a small peninsular sticks out in to the Irish Sea, called the Rhins. Its official website calls it 'a place to lose yourself'. This was my destination for the coldest Easter in years.

The campsite at New England Bay had lovely views, but these days like most coastal locations it is marred by the plastic on the beach. After a mammoth 6 hour drive to get there after work (A66 was closed, so I had a tortuous drive through Wensleydale) I decided Day 1 would be a 'no drive' day. I did a short 3 mile walk from the site along narrow roads and 'the avenue' to get some fresh air and that was it. Mainly low-lying fields full of cattle and mud!

View from the van at dusk

At the Rhins most southern point is the Mull of Galloway, with its lighthouse. First point of call on Day 2. Brilliant weather, a lovely walk around and luscious poached eggs on toast in the caff for brunch. Sadly the lighthouse and foghorn weren't open.

That's some location for a cafe

Next was a spot called the Port Logan fish pond, and I dithered a while about the £4 entrance fee but frankly it was a bargain! Such a quirky one-off place, so glad I went. Basically it is an enlarged natural blow hole, turned in to a fish-holding pond for the kitchen of the big house at Port Logan.

I had the place mostly to myself with the lovely guide chatting about fish and geology. I was thinking about Dad, George and Gaga all the while - they would have been thrilled by this place (or should I say plaice? ker-tish!)

Port Logan Botanical Gardens was my next stop, very impressive even at this time of year. When in full flow it must be magnificent. Nice lunch but wow it was overpriced! Over £10 for a baked spud and cup of tea.

Next was a diversion to see some ancient stones on a hilltop church at Kirkmadrine - what a lovely name, and it had an atmospheric tree-lined walk up to a windswept spot.

















Then a quick trip to a supermarket in poor Stranrear, what a desolate town, such a shame. Nipped up North to Kirkcolm, nothing much of note, and on a whim down to  Portpatrick - lovely village! But here I got a drastic warning of snow to come, so hightailed it back to the site over some crazy roads - narrow, lumpy and deserted (thankfully). But I did see 2 kestrels very up close - i.e. almost on the bonnet of the van!

Next day, got all packed up, and by chance spotted a stoat running across from the van on the camp site. Set off for home via the Isle of Whithorn, which was the point across the bay, reportedly where St Ninian arrived...

It was a very pretty village, sun shining, great cafe (panini and salad) on a headland with a beautiful coast and harbour.