And I will drive 500 miles, and I will drive 500 more

During the drive to Moreton in Marsh to the Great Autumn Rally with SMHF, we passed the 500-mile mark.The rally drew 14 vans and over 30 people and was a great weekend. Lovely people, very relaxing and a pretty spot.

This was my farthest trip - I stopped over halfway down at my first Britstop, in Great Haywood. Walked along the canal and found a gem of a place near Shugborough Hall. 

Once down at the rally, spent 2 days lolling about - mainly at a BEER FESTIVAL! Lovely sunny day, good company, Jim and Hilda, Brian and Liz.

Take good care of my babeee...

Hugh and Sharon borrowed the van for a break at Robin Hood's bay, and we all agree it is a lovely camper (as long as the weather is good!). I felt quite emotional leaving it on someone else's driveway, I can't believe I was contemplating selling it at the end of the season. Hopefully they can use it a couple of times a year which keeps it in good condition. They brought me back a notebook with vans on the cover, which was very cute and will be put to good use.

Also Karen rang and let me know of a storage slot at the farm that they use for their caravan, which is great news so I will ring them up quickly and bags a place for overwintering. It will be good to free up the driveway.

Blowy Barnie

Sneaked in a couple of days at Barnard Castle. Highlights in brief were rabbit stew, Bowes Museum, the lateness of taxi drivers, the B6276.

Slightly dull site, as you can see

The site was a very posh Caravan Club one with every facility you could think of, but I didn't have any pegs for hard-standing so couldn't use the awning. Which was just as well as we were in the tail of hurricane Martha and so it was VERY WINDY!

I walked down in to the town and went to the Old Well Inn for tea - rabbit and black pudding stew with mashed potatoes, cor!

Searched in vain for a taxi at the rank, but the chap in the Turk's Head gave me a number to call. Taxi couldn't be there for over an hour - oh darn it, looks like another pint then. Watched Indiana Jones on the big telly and listened to heavy metal including Metallica and Black Sabbath, so I presume it was the barman's iPod rather than a jukebox. Excellent evening all round.




Next day I walked over to Bowes Museum, via the castle and river. The purpose of the trip was to see the silver swan automaton, which was duly wound up at 2pm and dipped its lovely head for the silver fishies in a glass river, so beautiful. See a video here:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOXqCuqDOiI.
Also collections of costume through the ages, funny Hockney prints, and far far too much porcelain for any sane person.

Got the bus back to the site with tea from the deli and had a quiet night in.

Returned home via the road to Brough, very lovely.