We navigated our way to Carsington Water without getting lost, by a fairly direct route, and then we spotted the road up to the Caravan Club site. So David didn't have to turn out to find us.The day was completely over cast, but our welcome was shining. The fir cones in Picture 1 say it all. This is the first time we have seen the new caravan and it's brilliant or 'wicked' as I'm sure Sky would tell us. Loads of space; bunk beds at one end, double at the other, a single in between. Fridge/freezer, telly, DVD player, loo, and a 4 hob cooker plus oven. I could live in it permanently without a problem. Especially situated as it is surrounded by trees with loads of room around each allocated spot, mains electric, shower-block and laundry facilities et al and one can buy milk and eggs and stuff from the warden's reception hut. They did seem a little grumpy in there though when we arrived - and David and Helen didn't seem surprised. One expects the wardens of caravan club sites to be a cheery lot, pleasant job that it is, but Ho Hum as Ray would say.
I've taken photographs of the caravan but this 'living illustration' (you can just see it top right of Picture 1) laid out just under the awning is ten times more successful at capturing the feel than my boring old pctures could possibly be.My day had started pleasantly and there is no doubt that the neck (both inner and outer) is improving. I was awake for Garrison Keillor on BBC 7 at 6am though. It is almost worth setting the alarm for, if one doesn't use the bbc's 'listen again' facility which alone nearly justifies the licence fee to this radio-addict. This morning's show had been recorded around Easter-time and he mentioned the moral dilemmas one experiences when thinning out seedlings. Which shall live? I always salve my conscience by throwing the 'thinnings' onto the garden where, I reason they have a least a remote chance of survival. Probably a better 'bet' than winning the lottery! But it was reassuring to find at least one fellow sufferer. If you don't know about Lake Wobegone you ought. It is a fictional place he has been writing about for decades and where, as he says :-
Garrison Keillor, "all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average".
When we left, David and family were going to pack everything up ready for the journey home, so we took our sandwiches and drinks down to the lake itself. Not much to see. Lots of swifts were darting about and I tried to get a snap, and also a majestic fly-past of canada geese. Eventually we found somewhere to park but, as always, there were many people in the blue-badge spots without blue-badges. What they don't realise is that it isn't so much for the space to be near something that's important, it's the space round the vehicle so you can open the door wide enough to get out. Y puts a curse on them by 'wishing that eventually they need a blue-badge'.
On our journey home the sun tried to come out and finally succeeded and now at 6.30pm we have a bright sunny evening. But the absence of sun earlier didn't diminish our day by one jot. This evening Y cooked and I sorted my pictures and started my blog. And then did a foolish thing, leaving it all switched on while we ate without checking the battery level. I had been on battery to save moving cables etc., and of course, it ran out. But 'god bless' google and 'blogger' because before the system closed down it 'autosaved a draft'. When I looked at the black screen my initial fear was that I'd lost all my work and would have to start again.
I'm going to stop there because I've lots to do. In the latest Web User magazine there is an interesting article about 'media convert' programmes where, amongst other things, one can manufacture icons. Well 'dabble-worthy' I think.
Hope I don't mess anything up. Sleep tight.
3 comments:
Sorry the weather didn't invite us all to stay a little longer at Carsington. Very pleased that you had a good time, we must take you out sailing on the big boat before too long!!. Please can you email me your most excellent Smiley with the computer, I should love to share it with some students
The twiggy caravan montage is delightful, as is the ‘welcome’ sign.
Caravan Club wardens have always varied tremendously. Some will do anything to help while others are just like the stereotypical school caretakers or doctors’ receptionists. They do have to deal with some awkward customers at times, of course, and are not overpaid. I also understand that, like pub landlords, they have had a lot of their traditional perks taken away in recent years (our old neighbours at Wellow did the job full time for several years after retirement and still act as relief wardens).
I don’t think Carsington Water had a site in the 2 or 3 years that we were caravanning (mid 80s) but we did meet Sandra’s sister and her husband once at one in that area – ‘Blackwood Pines'? I also think they, ie, Jen and Baz, left their van on site there throughout the summer for several years – or perhaps it was at ‘Cherry Whatsit’ near Cambridge?
Could part of your car exiting problem be attributed to it being a two door model?
More icons !!! To paraphrase Henry II ‘the lord preserve us from turbulent icon makers.’.
I seldom understand them even if I bother looking. But there you go; you can't suit everybody all the time!
We had Sandra’s 2 surviving sisters plus husbands and the widower of the 3rd with his new ‘girlfriend’ for lunch today and I actually quite enjoyed it with the aid of a beer and several glasses of wine. An 'organic white' version of my definitive bread&butter pud with (dark rum and Grand Marnier flavoured) cream went down well too. I had meant to make it with panettone (appropriately at a ‘good’ price from the Bargain Shop) but I forgot – it still has a bit of sell-by shelf life on it though.
I didn’t enjoy the Dimblebey programme so much this Sunday. I found about two thirds of it rather boring; as though he couldn’t think of anything to say or do that was interesting.
I very much preferred the Jarvis Cocker interview with MB on the South Bank Show. But Jarvis hails from Sheffield and there’s nowt wrong wi’ folk from Sheffield.
I told you that Dan had given himself a summer treat with a Datsun '350 Z' monster. It is now parked on our drive as he and Emma have gone on a camping holiday to Cornwall and he didn’t want to leave his precious ‘toy’ on the street.
They had to go in Emma’s van because the Datsun has no room for luggage !
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I always I thought I could live happily in one of those caravan/trailer homes, just a little bit of garden all round and all mod cons. Mind you, we stayed in one two years ago over the coldest, wettest March weather ever, the bedrooms were freezing (gas fire in living area)and the rain sounded like peas on a drum....
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