Sunday 14th August (Day 1)
So off today on the way to the Zipwire experience at Bangor which has been delayed for almost two years. Yesterday we thought we would not be going as the water system in the motorhome appeared to not work. (It was an ‘operator error’ - don’t ask.) So just after 10.00am we were off. We had a good drive stopping at a service station to eat our snack, and filing up with lpg at a good price. Arriving at the site, Canal Central, a certified site near Oswestry belonging to the Caravan and Camping Club; we had two issues; one was a very humped hump back bridge which we managed without grounding (just); the second issue was we missed the site and arrived at a ford and had to reverse to retrace our route to the site. It was a large grass site and we were soon set up. We sat, for a while, in the hot sunshine before deciding to go for a walk along the Montgomery Canal to the Navigation pub - well that is a surprise. It was only about 500m away which was good news as the pub normally is open on Sunday from noon to 6.00pm but today it closed at 3.30pm for a ‘family commitment’. We managed a pint overlooking the canal before it closed. Leaving the pub we walked along the canal for quite a way before returning to the site. We then just sat in the sun with a drink until we had our evening meal. It was just like a French holiday sitting out until late evening in the warmth.
Monday 15th August (Day 2)
We woke up this morning to water falling from the sky! Yes it was raining, the first we had seen for many weeks. A simple yoghurt breakfast and then we took our leave. It was about two hours to our next destination which was ‘Velocity 2 the fastest zip wire in the world’. On the way we drove through some lovely towns and villages and we stopped for a while a Betws-y-Coed. I have been here before with my parents….. about 60 years ago. Having parked up we had a stroll along the main street and then down to the fast flowing river and then back to Billina and off again. We arrive at Zip World just before 1.00pm. We changed into long trousers, as was recommended, and then off to the reception. It was very well organised; different coloured wristbands according to whether you were having a head camera or not; you then got weighed and your weight written on your wristband; then it was time to kit up with helmet, goggles and harness. All the fitting and, indeed, every aspect of the experience was then checked by a second person and the check marked on the wristband. Before this we were sitting in the waiting area and Chris talked to a couple (only the lady was doing Velocity). The usual question “Where do you come from?”? got the reply New Road, Chatteris about five miles from where we live - a small world indeed. Her name was Jane West and she was sponsored for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Charity. Once all the preliminaries were completed we walked about 200m to a ‘small’ zip wire, just to wet your appetite. Once off the first zip wire you finished by the lorries that took you to the top of the mountain about 1600 feet above sea level. It was here, and indeed the first zip wire also, that the weight on your wristband came into use. Those too light had weights attached to them and those too heavy had a small kite / wind drags to slow them down, there were four different drag kites according to your weight. The Velocity 2 gets you to 125kmh in about 10 seconds and a top speed is possible of 160kmh. Having said that after the initial whoosh it all felt quite sedate. Once finished we returned all the equipment and returned to Billina. It was then a seven minute drive to Bethesda Rugby Club where we were staying beside one of the pitches for the night. Having parked we walked along the main high street to pick up a bread stick for a bacon and sausage sandwich tomorrow for breakfast. We took a diversion for a walk through a park by the side of a tumbling river on the return to Billina. Then after a stir fry we went to the club house to pay our nights fee (£6) and have a pint. Sitting outside with a light jumper on, which with the recent heatwave was both unusual and welcome, we chatted to four locals and had a good laugh. A toddle back to bed finished the day
Tuesday 16th August (Day 3)
Sleep or what? Chris woke me up after 9.00am! Still as usual there was no rush and we had pork and tomato sausage with bacon baguette for breakfast. We still left before 11.00am. Betws-y-Coed was our first stop as Chris is still trying to get some sandals for walking in that are not £100 or more (she still failed); that said I got a Tilley hat, at a good price, which I will be taking to India next year. Off we trundled again toward Abbey Nurseries CL near Llangollen. Passing a very elaborate farm shop at Rhug we stopped and bought a couple of pies for lunch. When we got up in the morning the weather was damp with very light rain, on the journey so far we had driven through clouds, rain and had sunshine. The weather still did not look too promising so we decided to drive a bit longer today and ended up at Common Farm cl, Waverton which is about three miles from Chester. Not only is it a CL but also has its own small brewery called ‘Spitting Feathers’. We were welcomed and settled in and we had one of the pies for lunch which was delicious - definitely the best pie we have ever had since we last said that. For exercise we opted for the bikes and a fifteen mile ride along quiet roads to Beeston Castle. We added the ‘Cumbers Factor’ and took a slight route change which took us to ‘The Ice Cream Farm’. We stopped to look and were allowed in (free) to look around. That said it is only £2.50 for all day (£1.50 after 3.00pm). It was decidedly for children and looked great fun, mini golf, soft play, sand play, climbing area, bouncing areas, car rides etc. Leaving there we got to the castle which is on top of the steepest hill I have seen in a long time. The castle looked very dilapidated and it was National Heritage so we would be charged £20 for the privilege of viewing it. We also noted last entry was 4.30pm and it was 4.35pm so we continued on and made the decision to return along the Shropshire Canal footpath. It turned out not to be the best decision made so far as is was very bumpy and, at points, the growth either side of the ‘footpath’ was less than a handlebar width. After a couple of miles of this we gave up and rejoined the road, by which time Chris had some cuts and bruises on her legs. So the return was along the roadway and into a stiff wind. The trip meter read 15.5 miles. A cup of tea was in order with a beer later on. A stroll down to the Rowton Poplar pub for a pint of beer made on the cl we were staying at “Spitting Feathers”. A nice pint. Only the one then back for dinner and then the European Athletic Championships until bedtime.
Wednesday 17th August (Day 4)
Up earlier than yesterday and after breakfast and the empty / fill routine we left what was a really nice cl. Our destination was Riverside Gardens a, CS, where we were meeting the ‘gang’ - Resa, Eric Chris, Graham, Sue, Alan, Dave and Gill. We needed to shop and I had selected a Tesco Extra. However Chris noted we would arrive as ‘Pop Master’ would start so we abandoned that. She chose another Tesco about an hour further on. We arrived to find it was a Tesco Express at a fuel station. We tried again, this time a Morrisons about a mile away. Having arrived - it wasn’t there! We did spy an Aldi around the corner so they gained our money. After shopping we continued the drive and arrived to find we were the second to arrive at what can only be described an uninspiring site but at £12 I suppose we cannot complain. Gradually the others arrived (not Resa and Eric). We sat around and chatted and then Chris, Graham, Masie and I went for a three mile circular walk. By the time we returned Resa and Eric had arrived and we joined them all to chat. Slowly one or two put long trousers / fleece top on as it was cool but not cold which after the recent heatwave we were not use to. It was then all in for our cooked meals before more chat and then bed.
Thursday 18th August (Day 5)
During the night it rained a bit and by morning was drizzling, with the occasional heavy shower not the most promising weather for the weekends Torchlight Festival with the Camping and Caravan Club. The location was only ten minutes from here and the owner of this site was content for us to stay until around 3.00pm when we can access the Torchlight Site. We sat, chatted and played the ladder game until lunch and then we all filled with water etc as we did not know how far water and waste would be when we were at the next site. We left in convoy about 2.40pm and by 2.50pm we were in the slow queue of motorhomes, caravans and cars to get into Wallaby Forest Activity Centre where the event was being held. Considering the instruction were not to drive before 3.00pm it was clear that (like us) many ignored that. It took quite a while to get onto where we were to spend the weekend. It was still overcast and the threat of rain. After a while we walked to the main area and exchanged our pitch peg for the ‘goody’ bag. Nothing was open yet as we expected and people were beavering about with the final touches. Back at the motorhomes we cooked our meal (BBQ Chicken in a Kitsu sauce for us). We then sat around playing music by ‘The Wurzels’ in anticipation of hearing them tomorrow with Eric ‘Googling’ them and giving us snippets of their history . It started to spit with rain and everyone dived in to Resa and Eric’s despite my protestations that it would stop in a couple of minutes (which it did). So we spent the rest of the evening in their motorhome chatting more.
Friday 19th August (Day 6)
A nice blue sky and the promise of a good day. After breakfast we did….. well nothing really just sat and relaxed. It was an early dinner, around 3.00pm, as the evening entertainment started at 6.00pm. 4.30pm saw Chris and I toddle down to the main stage / arena area with chairs and drinks. Once settled we chatted to people around us which was very pleasant. At 6.00pm, with the gang present, The Wurzels led the way. They have been touring since the 1960’s and, apart from the drummer, are all 70 plus. (The drummer is only 26 as their original drummer died of covid before Christmas.) The two lead members of the group are 82 and 83! Classics such as Champion Muck Spreader started finishing with an Ibiza version of ‘I’ve got a Combine Harvester” to which many hundreds of people were dancing. Then it was a forty-five minute break while the equipment was change and Noasis came on for their hour’s stint. They were really good and dancing continued. Next was another forty-five minute break for the ‘DJ’ finale. Julia Bradbury from CCC and another (real) DJ hosted some banging tunes, interspersed by acts by ‘The Invisible Circus’. They did juggling, fire spinning, pyrotechnics and much more. They were excellent and different. A real eclectic three hours. It was then a gentle stroll back in the dark to the motorhomes, although Chris and I detoured to the Illuminated Trail. A walk through the forest that was lit up, much like the Sandringham Illuminated Trail we did last November (but not as big). As we exited their was a member of the invisible circus entertaining. He had a white suit and hood that was lit and did dexterous effects with one, two, three and then four glass balls each a bit bigger than a cricket ball. Sounds a bit naff but it was very clever and did entertain. It was then ‘time for bed’.
Saturday 20th August (Day 7)
So after a simple breakfast we decided a bit of exercise was in order. We took a stroll to the lake (about 15 minutes) which was quite pretty with a couple of people on it canoeing. We continued on into the pine forest which, with the sun, was very picturesque. By the time we returned we had done about two and a half miles. We then lazed around until our early dinner, again, which we had just after 3.00pm. Just before 5.00pm ww went and secured a place at the main stage. 6.00pm saw ‘The Ed Sheeran Experience’. A ‘looky-likey’ who was quite good without being exceptional. An hours break and then Boyzlife, This was Brian McFadden (ex Westlife) and Keith Duffy (Ex Boyzone). They did an hours set which got the whole crowd going and was very good indeed. Another hours break and then Squeeze came on. I must confess while they were good I only recognised about three or four of the songs they played. 11.00pm and all was over and we strolled back to the motorhome for sleep.
Sunday 21st August (Day 8)
So a nice Sunday morning and what for breakfast? A big boys- bacon, sausage, black pudding and egg. The only thing missing was a slice of bread. Myself, Resa and Chris left the pithes and went to the arena for the 11.30am BBQ cookery demo. Which was, while good, quite disorganised. On returning to the pitches ‘someone’ decided it was ‘Prosecco time’. It would not have been us who suggested it as we do not drink it, about the only alcoholic thing we do not touch. That said Chris had some and me (?) a beer. We were joined by a neighbour who was on his own full timing in a motorhome with a quad in a trailer box. He had bright pink hair and it turned out he came from Elm just south of Wisbech so less than ten miles from where we live. He was good company. Chris and Gill went to the arena area to hear the CCC band around 2.30pm which were, it was reported quite good. The next trip to the arena was Chris, Resa and I for ‘The Twisted Time Machine’ with the ‘promise’ of lots of lycra. It started at 4.0pm and we got their about 4.45pm to find the area quite packed. We settled down and were soon joined by the others. Twisted Time Machine was a DJ playing hits of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s with lycra clad dancers. The music was good and a lot of people were top dancing and doing keep fit with ‘Betty from accounts’. They finished and 5.30pm and thirty minutes later Gabrielle and her group were on. I though she was black lady but from where we were she looked white. (She is black.) Not brilliant but still good. A one point she went off stage for about eight or so minutes and the two backing singers took over who I thought were better. Her set finished at 7.00pm and at 8.00pm Craig Charles was doing a ‘funk and soul’ set. I was not that interested and new that at the camp fire was ‘the Old Time Sailors’ promising sea chanties to join on with. I spoke to Chris and she decided to come with me. We got good seats and sat and waiting. It was announced that they were running late. It was not until almost 8.00pm that two mini buses arrived and then they had to sort instruments etc. There was twenty in all. The ladies who danced and twirled nonstop and seventeen musicians and / singers. Instruments, were varied, trumpet, Bodhran, washboard, drums, penny and tin whistles, mandolin, bag pipes, double bass, fiddle, tuba, Harmonica, banjo, guitar, and a Nykelharpa. The last one was a Swedish instrument over 600 years old; a twelve stringed instrument played by a bow with key that changed the chords. After a while the other six meandered over. The ‘sailors’ played in three sets of forty minutes and were absolutely fantastic. Sea shanties with a Gallic bent and at a frenetic pace. By the time they finished it was almost 11.00pm when it is ‘quiet’ on site so back to the motorhome for a nightcap then sleep.
Monday 22nd August (Day 9)
We were in no rush to leave as we thpouhgt it might be chaos with everyone clamouring to get out. Bacon butty and a slow pack found us still ready to leave by 11.00am. We chanced it and had no problem whatsoever leaving. What then followed was a ninety minute easy drive home.
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