Monday 7th (Day 1)
The hottest day of the year so let's sit in the motorhome and drive to Somerset. We left about 11.00am for a 165 mile trip to the Failand Inn, Failand, which is to the south west of Bristol. A slow journey along part of the M25 near to the M40 and then another slow part on the M4 near to the Windsor turn off. Otherwise no real issues. A brief stop for lunch and by 4.00pm we were parked at the pub. We then went for a walk across the fields on a four to five mile circular route. Then a pint or two in the Pub garden and a meal which was very nice. Finally, we went to the MH to sit and chill.
Tuesday 8th (Day 2)
Well what a difference a few hours make. We awoke today with a misty start and 20 degrees cooler. Without complaining this made sleep better during the night, but it was cool enough to swap shorts for jeans. After a quick breakfast we drove the 50 minutes to Highbridge Caravans from whom we are buying our new motorhome. We were not collecting the new one until tomorrow but some swapping of equipment and alarm system needed to be done. Well a slow wasted morning and the afternoon was in the same vein. Most of the swapping by Highbridge was to be done tomorrow so it was mainly the alarm. The engineer was due at 11.00am and just before I sent a text letting him know we were here and waiting, he rang to say he was in Leeds! He will come tomorrow. While not a problem and indeed for many reasons this suited us, coupled with little being done by Highbridge, it meant we could have done anything today other than being here. Hey Ho! A walk around Highbridge town filled some time (but not enough). Eventually we left and went to a local site which Highbridge had booked for us, an adult only site called Phippens Farm. Having settled in a walk of a mile and a bit took us to 'Rich's Cider Farm'. A great drink and we left with 2.5lt of dry cider for later. The cider was really good. The weather had by now got much better with blue skies and only a cooling breeze. Back at the site we watched some tv and had a chilli meal. Then we started bagging up in readiness for tomorrow.
Wednesday 9th (Day 3)
Well the start of a day of both excitement (collecting the new motorhome) tinged with sadness, as our first motorhome a Rapido, has seen us have some great times. By 9,30am we were at Highbridge for the swapping of equipment from the Rapido to the the Chausson to take place. A most frustrating day followed as everything seemed to take a long time, coupled with the central locking on the new MH wouldn't work and the new motorhome was slowly taken apart to tree the issue. We walked into the town (a fairly sad place to visit) and had lunch at 'The Boathouse' cafe. We had a nice (fried) lunch for two for just over £10. A slow stroll back and the alarm engineer had just finished and the others had sorted the locking system. (Hooray!). The handover followed which was very thorough. We then paid our money and drove off to fill up with diesel and then return to last nights site. In transferring from the old MH to the new we just really dumped most in the garage area, it looked quite considerable. This meant when on the site we had to sort out what was going where. So a slow empty of the garage and fill of cupboards ensued, which will surely change overtime. Our concerns of "Where is it all going to fit?" subsided to a degree. Our first meal, a stIr fry, did not take place until gone 8.00pm as we tested and ensured things were working ok. The only issue so far is the tv would not work and a cupboard is just catching, surely something simple but a quick return to the dealers in the morning is required.
Thursday 10th (Day 4)
A good first night in the MH. The bed is bigger than ours at home and very comfortable. After breakfast (we tested the grill something that is known in MH's for being poor, but it worked very well). At Highbridge both issues, the tv and cupboard adjustment) were easily resolved. By just after 10.00am we were off to see Chris' 90 year old aunt who lives just outside of Plymouth. The SatNav informed us it was 85 miles but then she point blank refused to show, or tell us, the route or even the speed were were travelling at a problem that persisted for the rest of the trip. This was something we did not need with the narrow Devon roads. Later several resets and curses failed to sort it. Hooray for smartphones and the maps on them as it got us to the aunts. There then followed a tasty cheese lunch followed by an afternoon of chatting and reminiscing and then a spaghetti bolognaise for the evening meal. During the day some friends we should have met tomorrow informed us they were unable to meet up so we had to change our plans / destination. Just after 7.00pm we bade the aunt farewell, had a quick stop at ASDA and then on to our destination which is Furze Hill Farm, Plympton. Well it was in Viners Lane and someone has put bloody great boulders halfway up it and built a road across it. Guess what? we were the wrong side of Viners Lane. Fortune favours the daft and we had followed a police car along the lane. We asked for directions and he just said "follow me". What followed was a route retracing four miles of our route and then along typical Devon narrow lanes meeting a few cars on the way. We soon found our stop for the night where we were greeted by the owner. Set up and settled we had a, much needed, drink and relax.
Friday 11th (Day 5)
A quiet night and overcast day. After we showered and had breakfast we started trying to further sort things out inside the motorhome and the garage area. This took the rest of the morning as we settled on things to go in one cupboard it became apparent that another would be better and things changed. Then empty the garage and tidy it. Contact was then made made with the satnav company, Snooper. After 20 minutes the telephone call was answered and after resetting the GPS it was hoped all would be well. By this time it was time for lunch. The rain started during this. We had left home with not a lot of food and we now had little in the food cupboards. A trip to Sainsbury's was order to have a big shop. The SatNav still refused to work. We tried to get there through the local town and things got very tight. Too tight at one point and we had to reverse causing a bit of consternation for other car drivers. We sought another route which proved successful. Really bad rain now. Emerging after the shop and, while grey, it at least had stopped raining. Back to the Certified Location and first it was contact Snooper people again. Another 20 minute wait on the phone and they could help sort it but my version of Mac operating system is not compatible and I need a Windows machine, so no SatNav for this trip. Bugger. Then time was spent to read the manuals to understand how all the equipment worked, pair phones and so forth. It was still raining so we finished the day sitting tight and having a pleasant evening in. Well that soon changed, the evening sunshine enticed us out for a walk.... to the pub. It was about a 20 minute stroll to The Brook Inn at Plympton St Maurice. It looked nice from the outside and inside didn't disappoint. For good or bad there was some live music on a stage area. Around 8.00pm a duo called Honey and The Bear started to perform. We were watching them from a comfy sofa watching on a large screen. They were good, so good that we walked around to stand at the bar and watch. They played drums, guitars, double bass and the banjo; clearly not all at the same time. They were from Saxmundham, Suffolk. We had intended to just have a pint and return home but we stayed until they stopped around 10.30pm. This meant a very dark walk home along twisty lanes with no footpath. Fortunately our phones had a torch so we could use them to warn motorists that stupid people were walking along in the sark in dark clothing. At one point a youngster in a car stopped and asked if we were OK and needed a lift which was nice of him. Back in the motorhome and we watched a bit of tv and talked about the day before sleep called.
Saturday 12th (Day 6)
An overcast start to the day so no inclination to start prompt. After breakfast etc we decided to take the bus to Plymouth as we have not been there for around 25 years. A mile or so walk to the bus route and then off to the city centre. Our first visit was up on the 'The Hoe' overlooking the sound. By now it was quite warm and a strange yellow thing was in the sky. (I hope the end of the world is not due!) A stroll along The Hoe looking at the various memorials to Bomber Command, war dead and Sir Francis Drake was followed by a walk to an area know as 'The Barbican'. As we got nearer we saw more and more people dressed as pirates. There is a two day pirate festival on at the Barbican. A stroll around watching the Pirates, musicians, acrobats and the like followed. Hunger then pushed us towards something to eat but, understandably, the places nearby were heaving with people. So we walked back to the city centre and found a Wetherspoons, £9.50 for two meals. We then decided on a walk around the shops before, at 3.00pm, we caught the bus back. The weather was really nice now so we sat outside and chatted to each other and to those around as three other units had arrived. After a sandwich we walked down to the Brook Inn again to meet another cousin of Chris', David and Debbie his wife. After a couple of drinks and a good chat the four of us returned to our motorhome for a drink and to continue catching up of family matters. Just before 11.00pm they left and we sat and watched the end of Eurovision before retiring for the night.
Sunday 13th (Day 7)
A nice day in the offing. By 11.00am we were off to Tintagel. What followed was a lovely drive through the countryside and by about 12.30pm we were parked up. We had some lunch and then went for a walk towards Bude along the coastal path. The views were lovely with a very blue sea and lots of birds soaring around the cliffs. Bluebells were out in large numbers and, together with the warmth, made it very pleasant trek. After around an hour we stopped and sat overlooking the sea in the sunshine and just soaked up the atmosphere. The views were really good. Getting back to Tintagel we had some tea in a cafe before returning to the motorhome and then sitting out in the sun. Dinner featured steak, mushrooms, tomatoes and chips (from the local chippy). The rest of the evening was watching tv and planning for tomorrow.
Photo: Views of walk and MH parked
Monday 14th (Day 8)
An interesting start to the day. Chris informed me it was 8.39am and a bit later 9.00am. So I got up made tea and we drank it at 7.27am! By 9.00am we had finished a cooked breakfast and soon after we were off into Tintagel to see the 'Old Post Office', via a couple of souvenir shops. The Post Office itself was National Trust so free to us and a place of interest and quaintness. Indeed among the old rooms and furniture there was a four hundred year old bed. The mattress lay on a rope underneath. Yearly the owner would tighten the rope as it stretched through use. Hence the phrase 'sleep tight'. There was also a gallery overlooking the living area which would have been accessed by a ladder and a bed placed there. Older unmarried women would have slept there, keeping them away from men, again hence the phrase 'Left on the Shelf'. We returned leaving for Newton Saint Petrock. The road twisted and turned, climbed and dropped and after only a few miles we drove into Boscastle and decided to stop as it looked interesting. We visited the NT shop and learned of Pentargen waterfall a short walk over the cliffs. Well we had to go. As we walked down to the start of the pathway we saw a rock on the harbour entrance that looked like Queen Victoria and a blowhole that, if tide and wind were right sent a jet of water across the harbour. We realised we had been here before - before children - so at least 35 years ago! After the exercise, lunch comprised of a cup of tea and scones with jam and clotted cream. A bit of shopping finished our visit here and, after a stop on way to our destination for a cup of tea, we arrived by 3.45pm at the house of an old work colleague of mine from Romford Police Station and Police Federation days. He had moved to Newton Saint Petrock 18 months ago but I last saw him on my retirement from the police 15 years ago. It was like the years fell away and no time had passed. Both he and Kerry who he (fairly) recently married were so easy to get along with. A few beers in the garden in bright sunshine followed by moving into the conservatory for dinner (and overlooking the south garden). Reminiscing on the past, catching up on events and plans for the future were all discussed. Around 11.00pm we retired for the night.
As an addendum to today's journey, we had discussed visiting Clovelly but stopped at Boscastle too long. This proved to be a result! Clovelly, or the owner, can only be described as a greedy so-and-so. To visit the village costs £8......... PER PERSON. (£400 per coach.) I can think of better places on the North Devon that are free. 'Mr Clovelly' stuff that!
Tuesday 15th (Day 9)
An early awakening as a delivery at about 7.15am delivery of a new boiler, followed by two heating engineers around 7.45am duisturbed the peace and quiet. We were brave little soldiers and steadfastly ignored the noise for a while before getting up. A shower and shave (me not Chris) and then in for some breakfast. More chatting, coupled with another attempt to get the SatNav going (failed) until about 11.30am saw us saying our goodbyes and going off to Lynton on the north coast. Having left we realised we had taken no photos of Mark and myself, yet alone Chris and Kerry - bugger. A brief stop on the way for lunch and we eventually found where to park without getting ticketed in Lynton and so set off on the walk known as the 'Valley of Rocks'. Clouds were low and the sea could not be seen, and little of the rocks were also on view. The walk was good exercise though even if we had our heads in the clouds - literally. Back after a circular walk and we took the funicular down to Lynmouth. It is the steepest in the country and in use since 1888. It operated by filling the top carriage's tank with water from a nearby river and releasing water from the lower one. Soon the top carriage was heavier than the lower one and they moved. Very simple but effective. A coffee followed and we saw the clouds disappear so we caught the railway back up and did the walk (well partway) again. Such a difference. The cliffs are the highest in the UK. Exmoor, where we were, also features the tallest tree in the UK. Quite tired by now we returned to Billina 2 and drove just a mile or so to 'Sunny Lyn' camp site, small but next to the river and very pleasant.
Wednesday 16th (Day 10)
The day started overcast and rain giving a lie to 'Sunny Lyn' as a name. After ensuring we were full of fresh water and empty of everything else we left the site with Arlington Court as our destination, a National Trust property about ten miles from whence we had come. We parked up and entered (remember free for us) and had almost three hours strolling around. The gardens were awash with colourful azaleas (I had to ask what they were). The carriage museum had lots of carriages through the ages including the 'Speakers State Coach' last used in 1981 for a Royal Wedding. Next was the house itself which from the outside was very plain. Inside it was a treat with family connections with Sir Francis Chichester. Then off again along the A39. As we approached Porlock we had the choice, either the main road with a 1 in 4 hill or the 'scenic route' with only a 1 in 14 hill but with a toll. Being tight we drove the steep way. Shortly after we came to Dunster Castle (National Trust). We parked up and entered and again it was an interesting couple of hours. Gardens, working water mill, castle, walks and Dunster village itself. Far too much for the time we had. Leaving there we made our way to our stop for the night - Streat Marshes. A car park looking out over the water and the bird marshes (and Hinckley Point in the distance). A stroll along the marshes was first and then we returned to cook dinner and relax.
Thursday 17th (Day 11)
A very quiet night, with us being woken up by a very late dawn chorus of wetland birds and by a cuckoo also. A lovely sunny day in the offing so after breakfast we made a prompt start back to Highbridge, where we bought the MH. We expected a few teething problems, hence the stay in the West Country. Highbridge staff looked at the five issues we had of which three were minor and two slightly more important. Within two hours all was fixed (we hope); again time will tell. Then off to ....... well we hadn't decided. We opted for a pub stopover in the Chiltern Hills. Part way there we changed our minds and opted for The Stratton Arms, Turweston, on the Northamptonshire / Buckinghamshire border. We have been here before and knew the welcome would be hearty from the owner and locals alike this, coupled with good food and drink, made it ideal. As an added bonus overnight parking is free - which goes towards the meal. We pulled in just before 3.00pm and were met by Phil, the host and owner, and then a long chat about all sorts took place. By 3.30pm we had established a walk so we were off for a bit of exercise. Well 100m along the footpath it became impassable due to nettles. We retraced our steps back to the road and decided to walk into the local town, Brackley. A pleasant walk into a town with stunning buildings and unusual shops. We also found a way back via a different route so we had about a five mile circuit to build the appetite up. The evening was a meal and some drinks with some lovely chat with the locals and a couple living in their MH. Eventually, around 10.30pm we hit the sack.
Friday 18th (Day 12)
A good nights sleep but an early start as we wanted to get home to get the MH fully loaded and weighed to ensure we were OK with the loading. By 11.30pm we had arrived, had a light lunch, and were soon loaded at the local weighbridge. It would appear we are about 40kg overweight but this was with a full load of diesel, fresh water and the equivalent of a half full toilet this is quite within the limits to be expected. Our main issue was how to load the bicycles and unload them without emptying everything from the garage area. A questionable objective at the moment but even if not achievable it is still not as fiddly as loading the bikes onto the bike rack on the back of the previous MH, covering it etc. and is much more secure. This will be a learning curve but not a step too far. Hopefully many adventures will be had in Billina 2.
