On Friday 5th November, we packed Lulu2 up, drove out of our staff compound, said our farewells to our colleagues and prepared for ‘life after Hillhead’.
We had been on site for just over 12 weeks and we had loved every second of it. We made the decision to quit our jobs and embrace a complete lifestyle change and we can positively say that all of the changes and upheavals were worth it. It was probably the best decision we’ve ever made. In fact, ‘If Carlsberg made decisions…..’!
Heading North
Our plan was to do a whistle stop tour of the UK, visiting our four offspring. So with our first call in Cheshire, we pointed Lulu2’s nose north and headed for Exeter and the M5. We decided a few days before leaving that we would break our journey to Runcorn up with a stop over at CAMC Cirencester.
Our lovely colleagues from Hillhead, Gill & Steve were due at Cirencester on Saturday 6th to take over the site as Winter Wardens, so we thought that we’d go out for a beer with them, off site for a change.
We actually got around to leaving Hillhead at 13.00 and had to find an garage that sold and had stock of LPG en route to Cirencester. We called into Thornfalcon Garage just off the M5 at Taunton and filled up with LPG at the princely sum of £22.39. Ready to hit the road again, we were blocked in at the LPG pump for about half an hour by some d**kh**d who decided to jet wash a spare set of alloy wheels. We had to drive over the jet wash area to get out and could not reverse out.
CAMC Cirencester
Friday 5th to Sunday 7th November
Friday 5th
After tackling the mighty Birdlip Hill in Gloucestershire, we arrived at CAMC Cirencester at around 18.30, in the dark. Thankfully, the takeaway van was open on site so at least we didn’t have to cook this evening. Knackered, we were both in bed by 22.00 – lightweights that we are!
Saturday 6th
With me still in my uniform of shorts and t-shirt attire, after breakfast we wandered down the hill into Cirencester. Billed as ‘The Capital of the Cotswolds’, we were really looking forward to our short visit.
Unfortunately, it was still full of the usual current city centre staples of Fat Face, Seasalt, Joules, et al. There were a few quirky independents and a couple of quaint tea shops which we tried for lunch. Surprisingly for us, we didn’t partake in any alcohol. We were due to pop back in for a beer later, with Gill and Steve.
We called into Joules as I was on the lookout for a thick over shirt. As we walked in, we were not met with the customary retail, smiley greeting. Instead, all we heard was……’What are you doing, are you mad? It’s November!’
Apparently, the assistant was concerned that we would be cold and get wet, in my shorts and t-shirt!
‘We work outside!’ was our joint response!
As we left, the assistant was still shaking her head, trying to sell us a scarf!!
Back at the site, time was getting on and at 19.00, Gill and Steve had still not arrived so we again, had food and cwtched down with a movie. This is getting to be a habit now!
Sunday 7th
After a trip to the shower blocks, we walked around the site trying to find our friends. We found them pitched about 50 metres away from Lulu2. They had got in at 20.30 and not felt like doing anything. We had a quick coffee with them, said our goodbyes and got on the road for 150 miles of M5 and M6.
‘Oh deep joy!’.
C&CC Delamere Forest
Sunday 7th to Sunday 14th November
Sunday 7th
After a very windy trek up the M5 and M6, we got to The Camping and Caravanning Club site at Delamere Forest mid afternoon. A lovely flat site set out as a wide arc horseshoe. We were allocated a pitch and shown to it by the warden, stopping first to take on water.
The pitch turned out to be perfectly flat and we settled in for a week long stay. With the exception obviously of Hillhead, this will be the longest that we have ever stayed on one site. To say that I was looking forward to this stay would be an understatement. Autumn is my favourite season of the year and Delamere Forest was a riot of colour.
The site was fairly quiet. There was very little in the way of road noise but we were backed on to the main Chester to Manchester railway line. We very quickly got used to the trains going through.
Deciding to stretch our legs a little, we donned the trusty walking boots and set off on one of The Forestry Commissions recommended walks around Delamere. We had a 3 mile walk through dense forest, around Blakemere Moss and back to the visitor centre.
There is an amazing treetop obstacle course called Go Ape at Delamere and we watched as a group of young adults (teenagers to you and me) eased themselves over rope bridges and ladders; along death slides; climbing higher and higher until they reached a zip wire that must have been 300 metres long. One by one they zipped off into the distance. Got to say that the girls were far more fearless than the lads!
On arriving at the visitor centre, we found the café open, so it was coffee and cake time before we went back to Lulu2 for the day.
Monday 8th
Megan rang last night and asked if we had anything planned for today as she had the day off. So we arranged to meet up in Chester for lunch and drinkies on Monday and we caught the train from Delamere Station for the princely sum of £5.90 return.
We really like Chester and had visited many times when Meg was in University here. We like its’ vibe and its’ bars and coffee shops. A great afternoon of eating and boozing was had by all!
Meg also told us that she had Thursday and Friday off as well and invited us to stay with her on Wednesday night and she would come back to the forest with us for Thursday and Friday nights.
We caught the 20.00 train back to Delamere Station and a little worse for wear, were back in the van by 21.00.
Tuesday 8th
The old ticket office at Delamere Station has been repurposed as a licensed café. So it was here that we ended up on Tuesday morning for a hearty breakfast before we had another walk along one of the trails in the forest. We came across a farm shop on our walk and bought a few bits and pieces before heading back to site and having an afternoon and evening of movies.
This whole area is steeped in English history with settlements from the iron age, Roman roads, Anglo Saxon remains found and sites of civil war battles. I did find this website as well! We walked along the station and the Roman road at night and didn’t see a thing!
Wednesday 9th
Packing a few things into a rucksack, we got on the 15.00 train to Chester and changed for Runcorn. Meg was at the station waiting for us & took us straight back to her flat where we had a brew before heading to her local pub for a beer or three.
A while later, we returned to the flat where Meg cooked fajitas for us and we ate, drank and sat up talking until the wee small hours.
Thursday 10th
The three of us agreed that it would be wise to wait until midday before Meg felt safe to drive after last nights excesses so we set off back to site at about 12.00. We called into Lidl for supplies first though.
Back at site we checked Meg in and then did the usual tea, boots on, walk in the forest followed by coffee and cake in the Station House Café as the Visitor Centre was closed when we got there. In the forest Meg was avidly looking for geocaches. This is the second time we’ve done this with Meg – the first time was in Carentin in Normandy. It’s a bit of harmless fun on a slow day!
We’re cooking in the van tonight as we had booked a table in the café for their gourmet burger night on Friday.
Friday 11th
Another walk in the forest and park area. This evening, we went to The Station House Café for food. They hold themed evenings and tonight’s was a gourmet burger night. It was very good and the service was outstanding and so friendly. We did find it expensive for what it was, but it did sell some great local craft beers – so I was happy!
For the second night in a row, Meg slept up in the over cab bed in Lulu2. It was the first time that anyone has been up there to sleep. She said it felt comfy but it was a little claustrophobic at first.
Saturday 12th
With a load of hugs and kisses, Meg went home after breakfast and once again, we were on our own! We did some laundry and tidied the van before, predictably going for another walk. Apparently, about a mile straight down the road we would find a Londis type mini market. We needed bread and milk so we stretched our legs along some tarmac for a change.
Returning to Lulu2, we stashed the shopping then finished our laundry. We wanted a fairly early get away tomorrow as we have 4 hours of the crappy roads through Mid Wales to contend with so we also did a lot of the pre-drive packing. All I had to do in the morning was empty our waste tanks and we were away.
We have really enjoyed our week in Cheshire. Getting some fresh air in our lungs; walking about 12 miles in total; getting back into nature and seeing Meg has done us the world of good and we are so looking forward to continuing our long awaited adventure.
Llwynifan Farm, Llangennech
Sunday 14th November
Sunday 14th
We had only booked this site, as a last minute stopover, as we could not get onto CAMC Pembrey until Monday 15th. Its a gem of a little site with outstanding facilities to boot. Definitely recommend this one.
We did, as we were passing, call into our storage lock-up on the way down and collected some things that we will definitely need over the coming few months. The Cadac, some paperwork, The West Wing DVD set and some extra clothes are now also packed into Lulu2s’ already bulging storage lockers.
CAMC Pembrey
Monday 15th to Friday 19th November
Monday 15th
A massive drive of 8 miles faced us this morning but I did have to call into Halfords in Llanelli for new wiper blades for Lulu2. Even so, we arrived at CAMC Pembrey at 12.30 and pulled into an empty arrivals lane.
I went in to check in with the wardens and someone promptly came in behind me and started moaning at the wardens that I was pushing in and that he was first in the queue! There was no queue. I was the only van in arrivals. How the hell did I know that the van parked in the car park was actually an arrival. This guy was obviously suffering from small man syndrome! The wardens were totally professional and reasonable with the guy who stormed off in a huff! I did offer to wait outside while he was served first – he still wouldn’t have got his van past Lulu2, through the barrier though!
After that, we set up and had a spot of lunch.
Pembrey Country Park and the area holds happy memories for us. We actually met in 1999 while we were attending Welsh language night school classes just down the road in Llanelli and the Park and Burry Port lighthouse were regular meeting spots for us. We decided to walk the Millennium Coastal Path to Burry Port via the lighthouse. It was a route that we had cycled and walked many times previously.
I thought it was nearer but 3 kilometres later, we were sat in The Portobello Inn, Burry Port enjoying something yellow and fizzy. I have never seen a pub, so busy on a Monday afternoon before – it was packed to the rafters.
The sun was dipping as we started back to site. By the time we had walked to the lighthouse, it was pitch black. Mags said that if our feet got wet on the way back, we had veered left off the park. That was the sea!
Tuesday 16th
We decided today to concentrate on walking around the park itself and take in the famous Cefn Sidan sands. Hopefully the tide would be out as the sands go on for miles and miles.
No……….the tide was in!
But………true to form, we did find coffee and cake!
Wednesday 17th
Mags’ elder sister, Kate, paid us a visit today and once again, the weather gods were smiling on us as we sauntered around the park and onto the sands again. This time the tide was out – miraculously!
We had a lovely afternoon. It was great to catch up with Kate – we haven’t seen her to speak to for over two years.
Soon enough it was time for her to leave and for us to get ready for a night on the tiles! We were meeting Emma, Jack and Elva at a local pub for a meal. We had to meet early as Elva has a strict bedtime routine but the three hours that we spent with her and Jack and Emma was amazing. The last time that Jack and I spoke, it didn’t end well and I honestly thought that was the last time we’d see them. This evening was perfect. Elva was a little star – so busy and almost talking now. She is beautiful.
The evening was over all to soon and we said our goodbyes with promises of Skype or WhatsApp sessions. I really want them to come to Hillhead for a holiday next year – hopefully we can make that happen.
Thursday 18th
Another not day of just relaxing and watching TV. We did stroll the coast path back into Burry Port for some milk and to collect an Amazon parcel from the local Co-Op. Other than that – not a lot happened and we returned to the van to prepare for the off tomorrow morning.
CAMC Tredegar Park, Newport
Friday 19th to Monday 22nd November
Friday 19th
We left Pembrey fairly early on Friday morning and less than 90 minutes down the M4 later, we were pulling onto CAMC Tredegar Park site.
I’ve been looking forward to this site for quite a while now as it holds some really special memories for me. I last visited the park about 40 years ago. My parents were avid caravan folk and belonged to a small, local club. About 30 or 40 vans would rally here for around a fortnight, over the August Bank Holiday weekend. As we were only 10 miles from home, Dad would go to work from here and leave mum & I here. He would re-join us every evening after work.
It always seems that our summers were longer and warmer when we were kids and this break was always the culmination of our school 6 week holidays. We always looked forward to it.
After Mags and I had found a pitch & got set up, we went for a walk around the lake. Disappointingly, the rowing boats had gone some 10 years previously. The old boathouse is still standing though, albeit very run down and forlorn.
Tredegar House and its previous owners have a very colourful history and it is now under the custodianship of The National Trust. Slowly, they are bringing the house and grounds back to life. 40 years ago, it was managed by Newport Borough Council. A lot of the house interior and it’s outbuildings were in a sorry state back then and that’s how I remembered it! We looked, but couldn’t find the old oak tree that somewhere, has my name carved into it along with whoever was the love of my life for that particular weekend in August 1981.
Saturday 20th
The weather gods continued to smile down on us as Saturday dawned cold but with blue skies. We had a lazy morning as we had arranged for Judith (Mag’s twin sister) and her husband Anthony to visit from their home in Monmouth.
We met for coffee and cake and proceeded to wander all over the park and buildings. Anthony, being an architect, is in his element as we look at the stables, laundry, servants quarters & outbuildings. We were trying all the locked gates and doors. Any signs that said ‘Staff Only’ or ‘No Entry’ were obviously for other people! It was like being 16 again! All that was missing was being chased by the ‘Parkies’!
It was so lovely to see them both…..it’s been way too long! Soon enough though, our afternoon was over and after a coffee back at Lulu2, we walked them back to their car. We did some shopping at Londis and grabbed some fish and chips for supper, on the way back.
Sunday 21st
Being National Trust members, Mags and I took the opportunity to actually go into the gardens and the main house today. So glad we did. The whole history of the building comes to life as you walk around these stately homes. I particularly enjoy the ‘Downstairs’ aspects of the houses where the real work took place.
You can almost see the maid getting up at 04.00 to clean the grates to lay and light the fires in all of the rooms for the family to rise. Or the chamber maid waking their family and attending to their needs (and their chamber pots!).
All in all, it was a great visit. My particular highlight was the grave and monument erected to ‘Sir Briggs’.
[Briggs was a survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaklava on 25 October 1854. A chestnut stallion with black stockings, Briggs measured 15 hands. He was a steeplechase champion and was named after a family servant, but after showing remarkable bravery during the battle, despite taking a sabre wound to the head, he was unofficially knighted, ‘Sir‘ Briggs. His owner was Captain the Honourable Godfrey Charles Morgan (later Viscount Tredegar, 1831-1913), who commanded a squadron of the 17th Regiment of Light Dragoons (Lancers).
A prominent Welsh landowner, Morgan sold his commission in January 1855 but continued to serve in the Royal Gloucestershire Yeomanry until 1875. He was Honorary Colonel of the Royal Monmouth Engineer Militia from 1885 and Member of Parliament for Breckonshire from 1858 to 1875.
Sir Briggs survived the tough conditions of a war that saw many other horses perish from starvation and fatigue. He eventually died in 1874 and was commemorated with a memorial in the grounds of Tredegar Park, his master’s home in Wales.] from thewarhorsememorial.org.
Absolutely shattered from all of the history, we returned to Lulu2 for an early supper and to ready the van for our off in the morning. We are heading south for the last time in the UK and leaving Wales for the last time until, who knows when!
CAMC Black Knowl, New Forest
Monday 22nd to Saturday 27th November
Monday 22nd
Having left Tredegar Park around 10.30, our trusty sat nav took us to CAMC Black Knowl. The site is just outside the village of Brockenhurst in The New Forest. We pulled up on site into the arrivals area and within 30 minutes, were on our pitch for the week, fully set up and brewing a cuppa!
After 3 hours of the M4, M3 and M27, I was ready for a sharp one and we also needed some groceries. So we donned our walking boots, obtained a small map from reception and set off for Brockenhurst. A 3km, poker straight and flat path leads across the moorland and it was easy to follow straight into the centre of Brockenhurst.
We eventually found a hostelry and the thirst was slaked. It was getting dark by now, so we whipped into Tesco Express for some bits and pieces and set off back to Lulu2. We managed to get back to the aforementioned path. Boy, was it dark!! We found that as long as we could hear gravel crunching beneath our feet, we were ok. Although that one scene from ‘An American Werewolf in London‘, on the moors, was playing on my mind a bit! It didn’t help that one of the New Forest Ponies decided to let us know he was there. We were right on top of him and still couldn’t see him – it was that dark!
Tuesday 23rd
We did the same trek again on Tuesday – much nicer in broad daylight and rewarded our bravery with coffee and cake in the village. A trip to a proper ironmongers also rewarded us with a small plunger and a car washing sponge for Lulu2.
Wednesday 24th
On Wednesday, we walked back into Brockenhurst to catch the train to Winchester. Mags and I needed to do some admin on the library computers and we really wanted to see the cathedral. We were also meeting the last off our offspring and her boyfriend for food in the evening.
We enjoyed a lovely meal in Zizzi’s and some excellent craft beer in The Overdraft bar. The 22.30 train took us back to Brockenhurst where our taxi was waiting to take us back to site.
We did have a panic on the train. Just as the conductor came along to check tickets, my phone decided, at that moment, to run out of battery! The tickets were on the Trainline app! The conductor said that she would pop back and she carried on down the train. We were resigned to having to pay again for the single journey – but we never saw the conductor again and there were no checks at the station when we got back to Brockenhurst, Result!
Thursday 25th
Another early morning for me! I don’t know why, but when my eyes open….I am up! Once I’m awake, I cannot go back to sleep, so I got up, went to the loo, had a drink and started blogging at 04.45 this morning! Needless to say, that the lack of sleep , coupled with the after effects of too much beer last night didn’t bode well for too much of a productive day!
I emptied our tanks, cleaned our windows, updated the new sat nav and put our ‘Angles Mort‘ stickers on the van. After lunch, we decided that a walk would ‘blow some of the cobwebs off. The boots went on and we headed out into the forest – in the daylight this time!
The New Forest is amazing, and the range of colours at this time of year is astounding. Honestly, if you’ve never been – go to The New Forest.
The days are starting to get colder now and after an hour or so, we ventured back to a warm van and some fresh tea with Jaffa Cakes. That’s where we stayed for the remainder of the day, hunkered down & watching crap on Amazon Prime. I can remain grateful that Mags hasn’t succumb to the raft of Christmas movies available on there – yet!
Friday 26th
After a superb nights sleep. we woke again to bright blue skies. Then it rained. Then we had blue skies!
We made our way into Brockenhurst for 11.15 as we were meeting Ellen for breakfast and she was getting the train in from Winchester.
A superb breakfast was had at The Terrace and we got back to the van just before the heavens opened.
This is our last night on a CAMC site, until we get back to Hillhead in February. There is a fish and chip van calling here this evening, so we will partake in that – no dishes to wash! We will leave in the morning and have to get diesel, LPG and a Lidl shop on the way. We have an overnight stop booked for Saturday night at The Three Fisheries in Waterlooville. This is about 20 minutes from the ferry port at Portsmouth where we have to be by 06.45 on Sunday.
The Channel is looking to be a little bouncy over the weekend as the UK reels in the aftermath of Storm Arwen – looking forward to that….Mags, not so much!
We get into Caen at 15.00 on Sunday 28th and we have two nights booked at Chateau la Garonne which is about 30 minutes from Caen itself. We have 1200 Yorkshire Teabags in Lulu2 for the owners – they asked so we obliged. Apparently they cannot get them in France! We can’t take dairy, meat, fruit or veg into France but the European Teabag Mountain is not a problem!
Hopefully, we will catch up with you again after a couple of days on French soil. Until we do, thanks for sticking with us and for putting up with this epic post – I really wanted to get you all up to date before we sail!
Stay safe and happy travels all,
Much love,
Kev, Mags and Marley
XXXXXX