So today it is off to Kent to meet up with Chris and Carolyn for five days at Watercress Farm, Pluckley, Kent, a certified location. We left home around 10.00am to transfer everything into the motorhome and then off to Lakeside for diesel and a food shop. We did not take the M25 as there was a queue on it due to a broken down lorry on the QEII bridge. Several parts of the M25 were also affected by people demonstrating. After filling up the motorhome with cheap diesel and a Tesco shop for food for the next few days we joined the queue just as we left Lakeside for the QEII bridge. The traffic was very very heavy but it was slowly moving which was encouraging. We were passed by several police vehicles on ‘blues and twos’. As we got halfway up the bridge we stopped. I turned off the engine and for over fifteen minutes we did not move. The demonstrators started this action on Monday at different locations on the M25 where they block access to or from or, indeed, actually across the motorway itself. So here we were in over fifteen miles of traffic with thousands of engines chugging away as the ‘Insuate Britain’ protesters were trying to help the planet by trying to force a programme of house insulation nationally. I am sure there could have been a better way as the outpouring to the atmosphere of all these vehicles should surely have been avoided. In addition, I am sure thousands of people were not being won over. Anyway we then edged forward and by the time we were off the bridge things were moving better, and no sign of any protesting morons. Having come of the M20 near to Ashford we were in a small line of traffic moving well with a motorhome five vehicles in front of us. It pulled into a service station and as we passed realised it was Chris and Carolyn. Ten minutes more saw us arrive at the site. We filled up with fresh water and while doing so our ‘partners in crime’ arrived. A few minutes later and we were all set up. Chris had bought a new Quest popup so we did not get our one out. The afternoon was spent catching up on news in the warmth and intermittent sunshine of the day. By about 6.00pm it was cooling down and Chris K went to cook the dinner as we had agreed each would cook two of the evening meals for the four of us. We ate a Thai beef stir fry in their motorhome and chatted the night away. A late finish after 11.00pm.
Thursday 16th September (Day 2)
So a simple but lovely breakfast of hot croissants. We had agreed to leave for a walk at 10.00am which is earlier than ‘normal’ when with our other group by about an hour. Just after 10.00am we left the site. There is a figure of eight walk that Christopher had found of about 10 -11 miles plus the mile or so to get to the start of the walk. Our thoughts were that we could do the first part of the ‘8’ today and then second tomorrow. Shortly after we started there was a question whether Christopher had taken his tablets so we waited while he returned to check (he had). The walk itself was very pleasant across fields, through orchards (with a bit of scrumping) and back to Pluckley village. Part way we walked by a long high hedge that had thousands of bees buzzing around it and butterflies galore. We arrived at Pluckley church and here we stopped for our rolls and fruit sitting in the church yard on concrete seating next to a grass maze. After eating we had a visit to the church. We then found a smashing butchers where we are likely to buy our Sunday roast. Unfortunately it was opposite a pub and so we had to see if we could find a beer that Christopher didn’t like. Well the Cow Shed beer was smashing. While there I popped over to the butchers to enquire how much in weight the lamb cushion was. It was too heavy but the butcher stated he could half it which would be ideal. While in the butcher’s shop I struck up a conversation with a local lady who had been playing golf that morning. I recounted to her the story of Christopher when he drove the golf buggy in Spain for his brother and a friend. At the 17th hole the friend set his ball up and deliberately aimed to the left of the fairway and his ball ended up in the lake adjacent. Christopher asked why he did that and he stated that on that hole he always ended up in the lake so he thought he would get it out of the way! Returning to the pub we finished our drinks and continued on towards the site. On the way we picked blackberries and then sat and chatted. Dinner, our turn, was fish pie. Unfortunately on two occasions the oven went out and so instead of 7.30pm we ate at 8.30pm that said it was lovely. This was followed by strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with creme fraische. More chatting and then bed.
Friday 17h September (Day 3)
The same start today as yesterday with a 10.00am move off for the second part of the loop. We stopped at the local Farm shop to buy a sausage roll each for lunch and after about a mile got to the start of the walk. Overall todays walk proved to be much better and varied than yesterday; across farmed land, grass fields, through woods and along some minor roads. Part of the route took us by the farm used in the sitcom ‘Darling Buds of May’ starring Catherine Zeta Jones and David Frost. The next farm on was a revelation. Apart from many types of chicken and ducks there were also wallabies, llamas, reindeer, moose, and deer. A real surprise. We finally returned to the starting point which was The Dering Arms. In 1839 Sir Edward Dering raised an army and his fame was secured (They are now called the Welsh Borders.) We were informed that the pub did tapas and we could not resist and it was lovely, as was the dering bitter. A weary walk back to the site with another brief stop at the farm shop before a cup of tea and putting our weary feet up. Dinner was a chicken stew followed by more chat.
Saturday 18th September (Day 4)
Another day starting with bright sunshine and the promise of 23 degrees. Just up the road was a ploughing competition, farmers market and village fair. It was only about 400m away and so by 10.30am we were into the event. What an unexpected event this was. There were over a dozen classes of ploughing. The ploughing competition was really quite interesting. There were many categories, eg tractors between 1949 and 1970, steam tractors. How they judged the ploughing lines was a mystery. One unusual plough was with a traction engine at each end with a hawser pulling the ploughmen on the plough one way and then back again … quite ingenious. There were falconry displays to be watched. However, the farmers market was quite poor in that there was no butchers, bakers, or vegetable sellers present and we were quite disappointed. We both needed some meat for tomorrow and so we walked into the village and to the butchers and bought a lamb ‘cushion’, so called as it was a lamb shoulder tied into a cushion shape. Back to the fair and we had a snack - sausage or burgers or pie / pastry followed by a local cider We watched dog agility and a few other things like a parade of farming equipment. By 3.00pm we were back at the site and sat out in the lovely sunshine sampling G+T.’s It was so hot that Christopher sat in the shade. It was a very different, and unexpected, day. While lazing around we were treated to a display of acrobatics by a Spitfire ….. right over our head. After a couple of hours chilling we moved over to our motorhome as the sun was still shining there. Then it was time for our contribution to the day, dinner. Fresh pasta and bolognese followed by rhubarb crumble and creme fraische. Then we all sat and watched the start of this years Strictly Come Dancing before more chat and then bed.
Sunday 19th September (Day 5)
No rush to get home so we had a small ‘Big Boys Breakfast’ and then cleaned the motorhome thoroughly. As we will not be away for a while we emptied the water etc ready to put Billina into storage. By 11.00am we were off and had a good run with just a slow bit from where the M20 joins the M25 up to the next junction. A delay of only a few minutes. Into storage and then home by 1.00pm
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