Stewart & Joan's Holidays and Trips in their VW Camper.

Monday 11 May 2015

New Times!

It's been quite some time since I last created a blog, that being our holiday blog in France with our daughter & family in Aug. 2012!!

A lot has happened since then. Joan &I have been working for the Camping & Caravanning Club at various sites around the country. You have to have your own unit, (caravan or motor homes) as you are living and working on site.With great reluctance we sold our trusty VW T4 Autosleeper camper an and bought a Bailey Senator Viginia caravan ideal as this had an island bed so no daily making &.

unmaking the bed!! To tow the caravan we bought a Nissan X Trail 2.2 litre diesel, an exelent towcar.

Our first site was at Llanystumdwy near Crichieth in North Wales a lovely site with plenty of attractions within an hours drive.Locally there are the Resorts of the Llyn Penninsular, Crichieth, Porthmadog where you can get the narrow gauge steam railway to Caernarfon, or Blanau Festiniog, and Abersoch.We then drove to the New Forest where we worked for 4 weeks on Hollands Wood Camping in the Forest site. A very large 600 pitch site Without electric hookups so back to basics camping, although 3 large toilet/shower blocks.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the sites working from early May 2013 to late September 2013. March 2014 saw us on our way to the C&CC
Norman's Bay site, located on the south Sussex coast between Eastbourne and Bexhill. A very busy 200 pitch site!! A lovely area with plenty of places of interest to visit. We had a great time working with 4 couples, one couple being the managers.The weather was very good for the majority of the time we were there, shorts were generally the order of the day!! Weekends & school holidays were very busy and we were normally full. We also had a lot of foreign campers, German, French Italian and Spanish all expecting to be able to stay for a night or two after making their way from Dover or Folkstone. We could not always accommodate much to their frustration.We did suggest to them that they should try to book a pitch in advance as July & August are very busy in the UK.
We completed our contract at Normans Bay In early October, a long contract but thoroughly enjoyable. On the 1st. November we started a winter contract at the club site in Delamere Forest Cheshire a small 90 pitch site but only 45 hard standing pitches are available during the winter season. Despite the winter months it was surprising how many caravans & motorhomes were venturing out camping. Christmas & New Year we were full!!

Our contract finished on the 23rd. March 2015. So where or what next .......?

Tuesday 2 October 2012

France Aug 2012

In June our daughter Louise and family told us they were going camping in France. "So why dont you come with us" she said!! "Are you sure you want us to come?" "Yes & the kids are looking forward to you coming too". So no choice then, we had to go!.

So we booked the campsite at St. Valery Sur Somme in Picardy & the ferry from Dover to Calais return. We left home in Cheshire at 5-30am on Fri. 24th Aug & went to our daughters to collect the eldest grandson, Sam (14 yrs old) as he'd decided he was going in our camper so he would have some pleace from his younger brother & sister!!.
At 6am we were on our way at last, our 270 mile journey to Dover had begun. Joan & I shared the driving, Joan doing the first leg to our change over & break at Toddington Services on the south bound M1, which turned out to be pleasant & sunny trip, & hopefully would continue all that way to our destination in Picardy.
We arrived at Dover to meet up with our daughter & family around 11-30am. an hour before our sailing. The ferry crossing was good, a calm sea and sunshine!! 90 mins. later we were off the ferry at Calais and on our way south on the A16 towards St. Valery sur Somme. An easy 80 mile journey. 2 hrs. later we arrived at our site "Chateau Drancourt" www.chateau-drancourt.com
a large site catering for touring caravans, motor homes & tents.

Our VW camper & Khyam awning.

Familys tent.

St. Valery -sur-Somme is on the Picardy coast adjacent to the Baie de la Somme and at the mouth of the river Somme. It is 30 km north west of Abbeyville and to the west of the Somme battlefields. It is a pretty historic town and well worth a visit, consisting of narrow streets with bars, cafes & restraunts, as well as local shops.
Saint-Valery has a narrow gauge railway running around the length of the bay, connecting La Crotoy with Novelles sur Mere via Saint-Valery.

Quay side in St. Valery

Bay of the Somme.

Narrow Gauge Railway.

Unfortunately all too soon the holiday must come to an end.
An early start on morning of Fri 31 Aug. was required so an alarm call was set for 6-30am. But first a cup of tea! Breakfast followed by the task of packing up! fortunately it was a fine morning although some dew around.
By 9 a.m. we were on our way, following the A16 north to Calais for the 12-30 ferry.. After another good crossing we arrived in Dover, and by 1-30p.m.our long drive home began.
All was well until we got to the Dartford Tunnel, It took around an hour to get through the tunnel purely due to the volume of traffic!! .......well it was 3 p.m. on a Friday afternoon!! Once we had got through the tunnel the traffic did ease a little & we made good progress and arrived home about 8 p.m. tired but a good holiday was had.

Friday 11 May 2012

Back to Scotland. Culzean Castle Ayr April 2012

Well the start of another camping year. We decided to return to Scotland for Easter, but where?
Our decision was to go to the Camping & Caravanning Club site at Culzean Castle, a National Trust for Scotland property. As Charlie our new Westie pup was not use to travelling in the camper or car we arranged for him to go into kennels for a week.
We left home at 10-30am on Weds 4th April for our 250 mile drive to the campsite. The weather was windy & heavy showers. As we drove north up the M6 towards the Lake District we could see snow on the hills, what were we letting ourselves in for!!! As we crossed the border into Scotland we headed west onto the A75 for Dumfries then north on the A76 heading for Kilmarnock. Westwards on the A70 towards Ayr then south on the A77 to Maybole & the camp site. The weather had changed a little, the wind had dropped but it was very overcast. We arrived at the site at approx. 4-45pm. An hour later we were set up and ready for our evening meal which we had prepared earlier.

Thursday morning we spent familiarising ourselves with the campsite & its facilities. There are limited hardstandings on site which have a sea view. So it's advisable to book early if you require a sea view. Unfortunately we booked late & as can be seen in the photo were not far from the toilet block. The C & C.C. have updated their online booking system & this allocates a pitch relating to the size of your outfit. So it might be worth while putting specific comments on the booking form.
In the afternoon we walked to Culzean Castle about 10mins from the site. If you are a National Trust member then entrance is free, alternatively you can joint the National Trust for Scotland which actually works out cheaper, or pay the normal charges. The castle is an amazing place well worth a visit.

                           Enterance to Culzean Castle through the Ruined Arch.

Culzean Castle

On Friday the weather was overcast so we decided on a short drive to Alloway, where there are several places of interest associated with Robbie Burns. The Main Exhibition Hall houses the worlds best collection of Burns artefacts & original works. Also Burns cottage the poets birthplace and the Burns monument located in the riverside gardens. From here you can cross the Brig o' Doon, the medieval bridge over the river Doon, mentioned in the poem "Tam O' Shanter". All the above places are an easy walk from each other. A good day was had!.

Saturday was generally sunny so we decided to head south along the A77 to the small seaside town of Girvan. This drive took us past the famous golf course of Turnberry. We parked on the promenade which has a sandy beach and harbour. From here you can see Aiisa Craig a granite rock raising from the Firth of Clyde 2 miles in circumference & 338 metres high.

Girvan Harbour Enterance

Ailsa Craig

Girvan Promenade & Beach

Sunday, our last day. We decided to return to Culzean Caslte. Over the Easter weekend there had been several activities at the castle. One of the atractions was the Maybole Pipe Band and you have to have a pipe band when in Scotland! they were good and continued playing despite the late afternoon rain.

Maybole Pipe Band

Alll to soon Monday arrived and time to pack up and make our way home. Fortunately the rain stopped just as we were beginning to disconnect the awning from the camper & fold it away. We left at 10am in what turned out to be a 6 hr. return trip! The traffic on the M6 from the LAke District to Junction 18 was solid and generally slow moving around 40 mph with the traffic matrix showing speed restrictions continuously. This resulted in a long and tiring jouney.
Was the holiday worth it ................. yes. So where next? watch this space!!

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Anglesey Aug. 2011

After our holiday in Scotland on the Isle of Mull in June, Joan & I decided to spend a week on the Isle of Anglesey.
We stayed on a Camping & Caravanning Club C.S. near the village of Newborough on the south east corner of the isand.
Ty Croes Farm C&CC C.S. Also has a vineyard & produce their own wine & cider.

We used the campsite as a base as we toured the isand visiting various beaches and across to the mainland visiting Bangor & Caernarfon with its stunning castle and views over Snowdonia.

The area around the south east corner of the island near Newborough is a protected area. It has a pine forest & sand dunes along the beach, ideal for walking & mountain biking along the many trails.

Sailing, windsurfing & kite surfing at Rhosneigr.

The weather was generally kind to us and we enjoyed our time on Anglesey. Will we return in the future ......Yes.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Loch Lomond & Isle of Mull June 2011

Joan & I have recently returned from a weeks holiday, in our VW T4 Campervan. This was our first trip to Scotland, what a stunningly beautiful country. Our first weekend was spent on the Camping & Caravan Club site at Luss on the western side of Loch Lomond for 2 nights. On the Monday we drove on to Oban to get the ferry to the Isle of Mull. We spent 3 nights at Tobermory Campsite, a small private site with limited but good facilities, consisting of 1 toilet block having 1 ladies & 1 gents toilet, & 1 wash basin & shower in each. A second block had only wash basin & toilet again 1 for ladies & 1 for gents. This second block had a pot washing area. Both toilet blocks were clean & well kept. There was a small field near to the reception that appeared to be kept for tents only. A second field had tents & caravans, There was a new hard standing area for 6 campervans/motorhomes with EHU. If you were using an awning you would need strong pegs in this area. We would recommend this site & would go again. On Friday we began our homeward treck heading for Craignure to get the ferry to Oban. From here we drove back to Luss for 1 night & then 2 nights at the Camping & Caravan Club site at Moffat, finally returning home after an 800 mile round trip & a great holiday.

The following photos are some of those taken while on holiday.