Week 14: Dark, dank and a bit dreary. (Bet you can't wait to read this!)
- Dec 8, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 10, 2021
Our stops this week:
-1 night at home
-2 nights at Winchcombe Hill Camping and Caravan Club site. (Near Alderton)
-2 nights at Goodleigh Hill CL. (Near Pershore)
-2 nights at Blackmore Camping and Caravan Club site. (Near Malvern)
I remember, that after one of Steve's first trial blogs, Mark wrote a comment which read something like 'Great, really like this and important to record the highs and lows of the trip'. We both know that we are very lucky and privileged to be able to have this year and I think we tend not to moan (my dry sarcasm is just a character flaw) on the blog, plus we haven't really had anything to moan about...however I also feel, coming back to Mark's comment, that it is important to be honest and not just say that it is all an amazing adventure!
On the Monday we caught up with Martin, Nic and the kids locally. Martin and Nic are always very happy and accomodating of us taking Bear to their house...we are always terrified and have to brace ourselves. The kids love lego and are now on to the high tech electrical stuff, with their creations displayed in the living room. Bear feels he is also up to the high tech electrical stuff... but wants to either eat it or and bash it around with his paws. The kids are great though and just find this and us trying to stop him doing it hilarious. All lego and Bear survived this visit-success! However, the Christmas tree, flashing lights and stuffed Christmas decorations were nearly taken down by Bear leaping at them. Randomly, Bear calmed (happens rarely) when H provided us with a rendition of her violin pieces, which she has been practising for up coming grading. Who would have known? I played the violin as a child, could we squeeze a violin into the Mo Ho too? Can I still play anything? It was good to catch up.
We were then back on the road and headed to Winchcombe, a really pretty campsite with a lake in the middle. Our rough idea for the next few weeks is to head through Gloucestershire, into Worcestershire, then Shropshire. We know Shropshire fairly well, having lived their previously and visited often but only know a few parts really well and thought it would be good to see some other parts of the county. After a great deal of discussion, we decided on this plan rather than heading back to Yorkshire and continuing with the original plan. On the way to Winchcombe we stopped in Bourton-on-the-Water. We know Bourton well and had originally planned to camp at the football club for the night, as we would have then had quick and easy access to Bourton. When we've stayed before we've used a Motorhome and Caravan club site but it is a 10 minute drive out of Bourton, with no walking route in. The football club offers just a hardstanding place to park but when arriving it didn't feel right. The car park was really muddy and chalky with loads of large puddles. The only place to park meant we had the back of the van against the club house/bar and changing rooms and Gordon's nose just behind the goal post. Gordon didn't fancy trying to dodge footballs! The club outline that they have practice every-night until 9pm and that 4 different clubs use the facilities. It just felt like it could be really busy and noisy, the car park was quite small and it did not feel like we could hide at one end and have some privacy. Also, walking Bear across the car park, would end up with him being filthy and needing paw washing every time he left the van. We looked on line at what was nearby and booked the Winchcombe site, after having a walk around Bourton...and getting some chips. The chip shop there is a really good one!
The weather is just getting more difficult, hence the title of this week's blog. Although dry on the Tuesday, the biting wind was settling in. The van is really toastie with the heating on but when living in a Mo Ho, you spend more time outside-which is one of the things we enjoy-but it is more difficult to get a balance when the weather is poor. Being outside the van can be very cold, windy and wet and quite challenging for longer periods of time but sitting in the van for too long can make you feel a little 'cabin feverish'. We are also still quite Covid aware/conscious and particularly with travelling from place to place don't want to spend much time indoors or with crowds of people, so wouldn't sit in a pub in the evening etc.
The following day in Winchcombe, Steve and I went for a really nice walk opposite the campsite through a local estate. It had rained overnight and in places the ground was quite wet and muddy, normally you would have somewhere at home you could clean your shoes off or leave them but this is more difficult in the Mo Ho...plus if we leave our muddy shoes in the footwell of the side entrance to the van...Bear spends the whole time trying to take the inner soles out of our shoes!! In fact it has become his key skill. I'm not sure of any role in life, where this skill is needed but he can get an inner sole out in easily under 5 seconds. We both have nibbled edges to our inner soles. By the afternoon it was raining again and really windy, with small branches breaking off of the trees. We read, watched some TV and listened to the radio instead of facing the elements again.
It then also became really bitter with the temperature having dropped a lot and the persistant wind adding to the coldness. Instead of tending just to have the heating on in the evening, it started to be needed during the day as well. We also worried Bear was not warm enough over night. We have already bought an additional 'Vet Bed' for the van (He doesn't have a normal dog bed, as he eats them!) overnight and I make his bed between the front seats and set it up so the 'Vet Bed' goes up the side of the seats, so he is cocooned in. I can't tell if he gets cold overnight but figure he must be ok there, as this is where he chooses to sleep and he stays there all night...or maybe he gets frostbite overnight and can't move? I tentatively suggested to Steve that we could get Bear pyjamas, or ear muffs (his ears do get cold). Currently, it seems, this is not an option??
Goodleigh CL is a great CL, with large hard standing pitches-a field that can be used for dog walking, loads of information about the local area and it is only a 10 minute walk into Pershore. We only had a little rain whilst here but the coldness was absolutely biting. We had a look around the town and walked the 'historic walk' which went through the village of Wick but otherwise preferred to stay in the van. Also, Bear is still on short walks only. His knee does seem to be better but Bear has a lot of energy and enthusiasm at the best of times, with short walks and what seems to be a better knee, he's now like a coiled spring looking for mischief at any available moment. Inner soles are no longer the only victims; hats, gloves, socks and tea towels are now at threat of being stolen by Bear!
We then headed to Blackmore. On the way we stopped at Upton on Severn to have look around the pretty market town. By this point, the news is warning of an incoming storm. We completed a few walks and on the Sunday walked to Barnard's Green, an hours walk each way to grab a Subway for lunch. We are really trying to stay out of 'indoor places' until more is known about the new Covid variant but felt we needed something. (A Subway never tasted so good!) As we left for the walk, Steve looked at me oddly and said 'Are you wearing all of your clothes?'. 'Yes Steve I pretty much am, I'm freezing!'. It felt a little like the scene from Friends where I think it is Joey, puts on all of Chandler's clothes. I'm not particularly fussed by what I look like etc. but even I knew I looked bizarre with a vest, a t-shirt, a bulky fleece with a proper waterproof over the top and then my gillet over the top, plus a hat and gloves with the hood of my coat over the hat!!!
As we discussed the incoming storm, we decided to try and find somewhere close to a town, so at least if the weather was really awful, we could have a look around the town to have some time out of the van. With it getting dark at 4pm, we also tend to pull the blinds up and put the screens on the front windows to help keep the heat in. Although the van is comfortable to 'slouch in'. If you don't get out a bit during the day, the evenings feel like you are in hibernation.
On the Sunday night the rain had set in again and it was still drizzly Monday morning, plus the storm was still predicted for the Tuesday. When looking at a map I realised we were only 1.5 hours from home. As Steve came out of the bathroom I said 'why don't we just go home for the storm...this is hard work!'. Steve agreed that this was a good option and we had kept the house, so we had it, if needed. We were back on the road home...
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