Cali has been to the Malverns

Steve's aunt and cousins were visiting his parents and wanted to meet us.  As they weren't arriving in the in the country until Saturday we decided to visit on Sunday.  It was also a good opportunity to have another couple of nights in Cali and we booked two nights at the Malvern Hills Caravan Club Site.

On Friday we had a phone call from the site staff to say that they had closed all the grass pitches due to the heavy rain and had had to cancel a lot of bookings.  Fortunately our booking was okay although we had been moved to a smaller pitch.  We travelled up on Saturday, driving through both torrential rain and lovely sunny weather.  Our pitch was tucked away in the corner of the site, but it was very sheltered - we also pitched with the rear facing the direction of the wind.

Pitch 168 Malvern Hills

It only took about 15 minutes to pack away on Sunday morning and drive across to see the family.  After a tiring visit we we glad to return to our pitch and another overnight stay before travelling home on Monday.

15-17 June 2019

Cali has been to Hereford

It was Steve's birthday on Sunday - so he got to choose where we went for the weekend!  He chose Lucksall Caravan and Camping Park near Hereford.  This is a private site that's affiliated to the Caravan & Motorhome Club and not one we've visited before.

The weather on Friday was awful, very windy and heavy rain so we didn't have the best of journeys.  Pitches are allocated, but ours was a lovely spacious pitch in The Oaks, near to one of the toilet blocks.  After setting up in the rain, which only takes about 15 minutes, the sun came out so we could dry everything.

On Saturday the forecast was for more showers and as we didn't want a wet walk we caught the bus into Hereford.  After a potter around a few walking shops and lunch at The Cosy Club we caught the bus back to the site to enjoy the afternoon sun.

Pitch 114 Lucksall

On Sunday the forecast was a dry morning and heavy rain in the afternoon so we set off in the morning for a walk to Fownhope.  About a mile into the walk we were caught in a heavy storm and got soaked so decided to retrace our steps back to the site to dry out.  By mid afternoon the sun came out (not the weather that had been forecast) and we managed to get everything dry.  As everywhere was so muddy after the storm we decided to go to the cafe/bar on site to sit by the river with a drink rather than attempt another walk.

On Monday we had to be off the site by 11.00am so had a lazy start to the day before packing away and travelling home.

7-10 June 2019

Cali has been to St Mawes

Last weekend we returned to Merrose Farm Caravan Club Site at St Mawes.  We arrived on Friday afternoon and although it was Bank Holday weekend and the start of half term the site was only about a third full.  After a couple of laps of the site we decided to stay on the same pitch as we used last year as it wasn't too far from the facilities block and was also quite sheltered if it became windy.

The weather forecast for Saturday was cloudy but warm, so we headed off towards the coast path turning towards Pendower Beach and took the footpatch to Milinsey Mill where we stopped for a pot of tea.  We then walked to Veryan and towards Portloe for lunch.

Portloe from our picnic spot

From Portloe we walked along the coast path back towards Pendower beach - this was a stretch we hadn't walked before and was quite challenging.  It was also very interesting to see the World War 2 decoy bunker and early-warning Royal Observer Core Observation Post at Nare Head.  The weather was far hotter than forecast and we had an amazing walk before heading back to site and enjoying sitting outside Cali.

Pitch 34 Merrose Farm

After our long walk on Saturday we decided to have an easier day on Sunday and catch the bus to St Mawes.  The bus stops at the site entrance and there are regular buses between Truro and St Mawes - perfect for a day out without moving Cali from site.  The day was totally different from the previous one with cloud and some drizzle.  We had a short walk to the Castle and a potter around the shops before heading to The Rising Sun pub for a G&T whilst waiting for our return bus.

St Mawes

We had a lazy morning on site on Monday before heading back home just before mid-day.  Another lovely long weekend in Cornwall.

24-27 May 2019

Cali has been to Blackshaw Moor and Broadway

After visiting our families we headed to Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club Site for three nights.  When we lived in Newcastle-under-Lyme this used to be our weekend site, but we've not visited for over 20 years.  Other than the trees are a lot more mature, the site was just how we remembered it.

After arriving and having a walk around the site, we had a lazy Sunday afternoon with the papers.  On Monday morning we walked from the site to Tittesworth Reservoir and took the smaller of the circular walks.

Tittesworth Reservoir

We only had a short walk as we visited the Three Horseshoes to meet friends for a couple of drinks before all heading back to Cali for the afternoon.

Pitch 79 Blackshaw Moor

On Tuesday we did one of our favourite walks - walking from the site across The Roaches to Lud's Church.  The walk was just as we remembered it, and the views were just as spectacular, but it was awful to see the blackened ground on The Roaches after last August's huge fire.

From Roaches towards Tittesworth Reservoir

Lud's Church

On Wednesday we packed up at Blackshaw Moor in torrential rain and headed for the Broadway Caravan Club Site in the Cotswolds.  This was another site we visited when we had our first caravan - about 25 years ago.

The weather was still very wet on Thursday so we bought two Day Rover tickets for the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway.  The first train from Broadway was a diesel railcar which we took to Toddington.  After looking around the exhibitions and having some lunch we caught the steam train to Cheltenham Racecourse (currently the end of the line) and once they had got steam up, we took the same train back to Winchcombe.  We then caught the railcar back to Broadway - the last train of the day.  It was a lovely day out and highly recommended too.

35006 'Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co'

Class 117 Diesel Railcar

The sun finally tried to come out on Friday so we did a circular walk from the site to Broadway Tower and then to Snowshill Manor.  Snowshill Manor is a National Trust house and garden and although we didn't visit either on this occasion we did have a pot of tea (using our discount voucher for not taking a car to the venue) before returning to Broadway.

From top of Broadway Tower looking South West

On Saturday we spent the morning walking around the shops in Broadway and then back to the site to enjoy the afternoon sun.  The sun finally came out on Sunday morning so we sat outside Cali before packing up at lunchtime to return home as Steve was at work on Monday.

Pitch 48 Broadway

A lovely week in Cali visiting two sites in beautiful walking country.  Both are sites we want to return to next year.

5-12 May 2019

Cali has been to Dulverton for Easter

We booked into the Exmoor House Caravan Club Site at Dulverton for Easter.  This is one of our favourite local sites as it's only about an hour's drive from home and there's so much walking from the site.  Steve met me from work on Thursday for our long weekend on Exmoor.

The weather was fabulous on Friday so we did a 14 mile circular walk.  After walking alongside the River Barle we headed across the edge of the heathland to Tarr Steps. The scenery was beautiful and we didn't see anyone else on the walk until we reached Tarr Steps - which was very busy.

Tarr Steps

The weather on Saturday was even hotter, with an amazing blue sky.  We did a 12 mile circular walk, again starting along the River Barle and walking across East Anstey Common.  On the way back we made a small diversion to the Hinam Farm Tearoom where we had the best cream tea ever!  They actually had a menu of cream teas - I chose apple and Steve chose apricot and ginger.  Definitely a tearoom to visit on future walks.

East Anstey Common

After two long walks we had an easier day on Sunday and did the shorter (six mile) Dulverton circular walk before heading back to Cali for a lazy Sunday afternoon with the papers.

Heading back into Dulverton

Pitch 66 Exmouth House

A lovely Easter holiday - fabulous weather in one of our favourite areas.

18-22 April 2019

Cali is two today!

Cali is two today and is celebrating her birthday at Dulverton (post and pictures to follow on our return).  Over the last year we've driven 6,161 miles, had several day trips, spent 61 nights at sites in Carmarthanshire, Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Gower, Somerset, Wiltshire and the Yorkshire Dales as well as journeys to visit friends and family.

We're still learning a lot and have become more creative with storage to make small space living a lot easier.  We already have many sites booked for the forthcoming year and hope to have many more Cali adventures.

19 April 2019

Cali has been to Bridport

We've been to Bridport Bingham Grange Club Site for the weekend - a new site on the Caravan Club network.  The site is still awaiting an upgrade so pitches were allocated as they are all different shapes and sizes.  The pitch we were allocated wasn't very deep but was lovely and wide with a small garden area too.  After setting up on a very cold and wet Friday afternoon, we popped to the onsite bar for a couple of drinks to dry out and warm up.

Pitch 25 Bridport Bingham Grange

We woke to a lovely sunny morning on Saturday and walked to Bridport.  After all the rain we'd had it was quite muddy walking across fields, but it was an easy walk.  We weren't sure how much walking we would be able to do from the site, so we also checked out the footpaths in the area.  There's plenty of walks to keep us busy.

Walking towards Pymore

We had another lovely morning on Sunday and spent it reading the papers and having a walk around the woodlands adjacent to the site.  We packed up just before midday and as Steve was driving off the levelling ramps I noticed something in the tyre.  It looked like the head off a bolt, but after removing it from the tyre we had a flat within about a minute!  A quick call to VW Assist and the AA came to change the tyre for us.

The site is in a lovely location, but we didn't like the layout of the toilet blocks which were quite old and dated.  We spoke to the wardens who said the site is due a major upgrade next winter when all the facilities will be improved.  With this in mind, we're going to return, but not until next year after the upgrade..

5-7 April 2019