Wednesday 21st February (Day 1)
So a few days away and a break from decorating. After a visit to the chiropractor we went to the MH and got sorted, with a quick shopping visit first. What followed was an easy three hour drive to a Caravanning and Camping stopover. It is a Certified site at Croxall Farm, Nether Whiteacre near to Shustoke reservoir and about 10 miles from Birmingham. By the time we arrived it was late afternoon. We could not park up where they wanted us to as we would have sunk into the ground on the Tarmac was much better. Once sorted we went for a walk of just over a mile to a local pub. As stated we are close to the centre of Birmingham but at the same time a million miles away from the city. Woodpeckers, murmurations of starlings and old buildings, some over three hundred years old were all around, a real delight. A couple of pints and then a walk back. A curry with all the trimmings before a bit of tv and bed.
Thursday 22nd February (Day 2)
We were up prompt and drove straight to the NEC a quick 9 mile (30 minute) journey. We parked up in the car park and then had breakfast followed by a shower (we know how to live). The show opened at 10.00am and we were 'under starters orders' in good time for that. The first motorhome we look at, which was on our list of MH's to see, was the Chausson Welcome 640. We loved it. All the others we viewed we were comparing to it, either the price, layout, decor etc and, while some were better than the Chausson they were ones ten or more thousand pounds dearer. Bearing in mind we were not going to buy a new motorhome we eventually sat down and discussed figures with the salesmen. A good price was offered on our Rapido but still not good enough. I was devastated! We strolled around viewing more motorhomes and even sat down with a similar priced motorhome (that we did not like very much) to ascertain if the part exchange value of our motorhome was a good offer from earlier on - it was. Towards the end of the day we returned and squeezed a bit more out of the company and then sat for nearly an hour in the motorhome discussing the pros and cons. In the end the deal was done. By now they were closing and locking up so we scooted out and drove a short distance to The Weaver's Arms, Fillongley near Coventry. Here after a dinner in the van we joined the very jolly landlord and had a couple of drinks. A nice village pub with open fires and character. 10.00pm we strolled back to the motorhome, well more of a quick walk, as it was getting very very cold.
Friday 23rd February (Day 3)
A fitful night for both of us. Questions were going around in our head eg "Are we mad"; "Can we afford it"; "Where do we put all the stuff from our current motorhome" and so on. It may have been that keeping us awake or the fact that our noses and ears got cold if not under the quilt as it was really really cold. Anyway morning came and I braved the cold To get the heating on. Horror! I could not get it to work! Chris had a shower (brave fool) and I cooked a big boys breakfast which did heat the inside a bit. It is strange the water would heat but the same unit that should heat the van did not work. Eventually we drove off to get the engine heating working and warm our chilled bones. We had a short hours drive to a National Trust site called Canons Abbey. As you pull into the car park the building looks lovely. It is an atmospheric building and is still the ancestral home of the Dryden family since the 1550's. The actual abbey suffered dissolution by Henry VIII. Then the main 'house' was just farm buildings and the Dryden's lived in the cloisters. Slowly they knocked the abbey down using the stones to extended the farmhouses into the Manor House that it now is. Since the 18thc it has remained almost unchanged and over 400 years of accumulated furniture, paintings, tapestries etc have been collected by the Drydens. Tudor, Jacobean and Baroque elements are all here to see. There was even a 'firearm' that was anti poaching. A spike set it hidden in the ground and a piece of 'string' made a trip wire. The poacher tripped it and was shot. Being NT Members it was a free visit and extremely interesting with knowledgable guides to assist. One ceiling in the drawing room that was barrel shaped was plastered and sculpted covered with pomegranates, thistles, swirls and other shapes - including some of the plaster casts of previous owners. In the day it was quite risqué and known as the fertility room. It must have worked as one of the Dryden wife's had nine children.... In nine years. On leaving the house we found it even colder. A quick visit to the local church then we scurried back to the motorhome and drove for 40 minutes to The Stratton Arms which is our stopover for tonight. The landlord, Phil Caley, met us and settled us in even getting a door mat for outside the door. We Also managed to secure electricity so we can have heating. Joy of joys! However the gas heating, when tried again, worked. I can only assume that it was so cold this morning that the liquid would not 'gas off' properly and so the boiler did not get enough gas to work the heating even though it heated the water. After a toasted Hot Cross Friday we went for a walk across the fields. It was nice and sunny and, out of the wind, it was very pleasant; when not sheltered from it was ok. Arriving back at the Stratton Arms we had a quick pint and a chat with the owner and a couple of regulars. It is a typical country pub not modernised but cosy with a real fire. Lots of things on the walls to see and note. Above the bar was a sign saying 'La-La's Corner'. We were told that a regular sat there and knew everything about the Telebubbies. On pain of death we must not raise them as a subject as he will talk for hours about them. We have been warned. We strolled back to the Motorhome and lazed about and, not having had the bottle to shower this morning I was under instructions to wash my hair which I did. By 7.00pm we were back over for dinner with a table booked.Having finished the meal we sat with the locals and watched the France / Italy Six Nations Rugby. What a great crowd they were. We were made to feel like locals. A great evening and really cheap. Just after 10.00pm we returned to the motorhome with some sub-zero weather forecast for the weekend .
Saturday 24th February (Day 4)
Nice and toasty so a good nights sleep. After breakfast we packed and were on way by 10.00am. M1 /M25 / M11 home and a fast easy traffic free trip. Swapped vehicles and home by 1.30pm - in time for the two rugby six nations games today.