I am writing this in March 21, so it will be a gallop through our strange Summer and Autumn.
JULY 20
July 4th saw us happily collecting our replacement motorhome from the dealership in Rye. We had bought it remotely, with lots of pictures and a video tour provided by the salesman. We enjoyed a two night stay on a campsite near Ashford to make sure we were happy with everything. It was so exciting to be away from Bedford at last, and on a campsite with other happy campers. The campsites were delighted to be able to open again, and people who had been forced to cancel their usual foreign holidays due to the ongoing pandemic, had taken to the roads in campervans and towing caravans. It remains to be seen whether they have been converted.
Back at Great Barford, near Bedford, we spent a very busy day loading up and a visit to the weighbridge. Shock, horror, we were very overweight! There followed a few weeks of discussion with the dealership whether we should return the van, have bits removed, or up-plate to 3850 kg. Not easy, as Clyde no longer has a C1 licence which means I have to do all the driving.
In the meantime, we left a lot of our kit in Sarah’s garage in Great Barford to reduce the weight, and set off to enjoy the Summer. Eventually we had the van up-plated and accepted that I would now be the sole driver.
As the Summer progressed we were able to have cautious meetings with family and friends, mostly outside. It was so lovely to spend time with our grandchildren again. We also managed some trips away, in between hospital appointments for Clyde.
One of our regular haunts became the campsite at Southbourne in Hampshire. This is a handy place for visits to Gosport and to our son in Havant. It is within Chichester Harbour and there are some lovely walks to be enjoyed around the harbour in both directions.
The remainder of July was spent on campsites in the south, gently enjoying a bit of freedom but constantly guarding against the virus. We became accustomed to social distancing, wearing masks and keeping ourselves and other people safe. That has not really changed as I write this in Mar 21.
AUGUST 20
We started the month with a few family gatherings, outside as per the regulations. We had a fabulous, very hot, day with Suzanne, Alec, Frankie and Sylvie at Bowood House adventure playground. The children thoroughly enjoyed the playground, which was restricted via timed tickets to keep numbers down. After their timeslot was over, we had our picnic overlooking the lake. We then had a lovely garden party for Elijah’s first birthday.
This was followed by a glorious trip to the beach on Hayling Island with Suz and the children.
As if to make up for the continuing Covid restrictions, the weather remained glorious throughout the Summer. It was a treat to be in England enjoying the opportunities to see family and friends, always at a safe distance, but face to face after so long apart. We made the most of the chance to visit places we had either not visited for many years, or had never been before.
Here is a small selection:
Rutland Water
Rutland is the smallest county in England and has an enormous and very scenic reservoir. From the campsite just outside Stamford, we explored the various visitor centres around the reservoir. We were also able to meet up with more of our family whilst enjoying the great outdoors.
Suffolk
From Rutland we went to Suffolk and spent a week on a campsite at Polstead. From here we visited Lavenham, Clare and Frinton-on-Sea. The weather took a bit of a dive and we had some heavy rain and winds. However, it did not dampen our spirits and we managed a few hours with old friends in Clare.
Lavenham
This is a very pretty town dating back to the Middle Ages and built around the wool trade. It is widely acknowledged as the best example of a medieval wool town in England.
Most of the buildings in Lavenham today date from the 15th century, many of these were never altered due to the fall of the weaving industry. Consequently the town is still very much on the same scale as it must have been in the 15th century. The Guildhall is the dominant feature in the centre. We had a cream tea in the National Trust tearoom adjoining the Guildhall. Sadly, due to the ongoing restrictions, the hall was not open for visitors.
Frinton on Sea
Back to the fine weather, we decided on a trip to the seaside. I had fond memories of family trips to Frinton, as a child growing up in Suffolk. It seems to have become a lot more busy in the intervening 50 years! I really struggled to find somewhere to park the van. However, faint heart never won fair lady (old saying!). I suddenly spotted a space on the side of the road across from the seafront. We had our sandwiches sitting on a bench overlooking the famous beach huts. A very pleasant and relaxing (once parked) day by the sea.
Clare in Suffolk
This is Suffolk’s smallest town.
During the 14th century the Castle was home to one of the wealthiest women in England. Clare was very prosperous in Medieval times as it was a centre for the wool and cloth trade, and the Church and many of the listed houses were built then using the wealth brought to the town. The church of St Peter and St Paul is a very dominant feature in the town, and on the edge of town is the old railway in the country park with great views over the town from the castle ruins. Lots of history in a very compact Medieval wool town.
Again, it was many a long year since I had visited Clare. It was lovely to meet up with some old friends here and have tea and cake on a bench by the old railway buildings. Take away only, due to Covid restrictions.
After Suffolk we had a brief stay in Winchcombe in the Cotswolds, before heading over to Isle of Wight to meet Sarah, Chris, Molly and Jessica on a campsite for a few days. We stopped off for a night in Gosport on the way and had a visit to Stokes Bay. Always a joy to be here.
Our trip across the Solent next day was lovely with sun shining and views of Portsmouth to enjoy. The Spinnaker Tower was impressive as ever and Old Portsmouth was looking attractive in the sun.
We arrived at the campsite in time to walk to the local pub for Sunday roast. We sat in the garden in the sun and caught up with the family news. By staying on the same campsite we were able to spend more time with the family as all campsites had restrictions on visitors. Sandown was close by and we all enjoyed our beach visits. Chris had his metal detecting kit with him and the beach was a reasonable hunting ground. There was also a lovely cliff top walk, from the campsite to Sandown in one direction, and to Bembridge in the other.
After a great few days with the family, we waved them goodbye as they returned home. We moved on to a touring site at Freshwater to complete our fortnight on the Island.
We had some lovely trips out from Freshwater, along the coast road and by bus to Yarmouth, Cowes and the Needles.
All too soon it was time to head back across the Solent. We spent a week catching up with medical appointments and visiting family and friends. We had developed a problem with the front passenger seat, which necessitated a visit to the dealership at Rye. After getting an emergency fix done in Portsmouth to keep us going, we booked a couple of campsites in East Sussex and cancelled plans to visit Suzanne and family in Wantage. A bit disappointing, but these things are sent to try us!