Trip 156 - Burnham on Sea

Friday 31st October (Day 1)]

Off to Burnham-on-Sea a place we stated a few years back we would never re-visit. It is about a four hour journey and so by about 0845 we were off. Chris wanted to reacquaint herself with driving the motorhome, so at a lay-by on the A14 we swapped places. The journey was about 210 miles and she drove until the last 80 miles or so. It was a good drive with little in the way of traffic on our side of the motorway. The other side was a different matter in several places, featuring in the BBC traffic report at one place as we saw a collision which necessitated closing the motorway. After a brief stop at some services we arrived at 1315 at Northam Farm Caravan Park and were warmly greeted by the Van Club and directed to our pitch. This is a huge site - really huge. We were next to Chris, Graham, Masie plus her brother Gary, wife Angela and Henry the dog. We had lunch and then went for a walk along the beach (it has seven plus miles of flat sand). We walked about three to four miles in all. We had our evening meal and then changed into our Halloween attire. (Chris was a witch complete with pointy hat). At 1945 we left for the Seagull Inn about a fifteen minute walk away. Upon leaving the motorhome and meeting the others we discovered that the other Chris had exactly the same witches costume! The Seagull Inn was huge and filled to overflowing with adults and children wearing costumes which were very good. That said it was very noisy. As we went in an ’entertainer’ was doing his stuff. This was followed by the ‘Key Game’. Basically you paid a pound for a raffle ticket and if your number came out you chose a key number from one to twelve. The big screen then took the key you nominated and tried to open a lock. If it did you won all the money (£422). At the start I said it would be key five; and so it proved to be. The last but one person won. By now we agreed to leave and return to the camp site. Back at about 2230 we played the Train Game until almost midnight

Saturday 1st November (Day 2)

So a slow start with a ‘big boys breakfast’. Then it was mooch about until 1130 when we met eighty or so others from the Van Club at the site entrance and then onto two 52 seater coaches for a trip to Bridgewater about an hour away with the traffic. Bridgewater holds, yearly, the biggest lit carnival in Europe. It is the Bridgewater Guy Fawkes Carnival. That is due to the fact that Guy Fawkes was born / lived here. The actual parade did not start until around 1900 so as we were in town by 1300 we had time to stroll around. This we did and saw some musical marching, circus acts and general entertainment in the town centre. We walked around and sussed out the parade route to determine where to stand. Then a pint in a pub, The Fountain. Talking to a local we then moved off to The Lime Kilns Pub which happened to be near to where we were suggested to stand. This pub has a float in the parade and on entering some of the regulars were ‘painted up’ and dressed for the parade. So by 1800 we left and had some food from a fast food seller and then took up position on a central island which was about fifteen minutes into the parade route. The parade should have started at 1900 and be with us around 1920 - 1925. It was not and it was not possible to discover why or when it would appear. (It transpired that one of the floats broke down and then the HGV recovery lorry did also.) Eventually things started and what a parade it was which was certainly worth waiting for. Some of the floats cost the wrong side of £250,000 while others cost less than a few hundred pounds. The coach would leave at 2200 with or without people getting back. The delay to the parade start meant that the end of the parade finished for us with enough time to walk back to the coaches. However, some of the others never saw the whole parade as they were further on the parade route. The return was easy and we were safely ensconced in our motorhome by 2240.

Sunday 2nd November (Day 3)

During the night we had rain, some of it quite heavy, but the day started bright. After breakfast we spoke to Chris and suggested they come over for a game or two. She replied that they were about to go for a walk along the beach with Masie and would we like to join them. We did and walked for about an hour to Bream Downs National Trust site. Soon after leaving the camp site the rain started and on the beach there was a strong wind also. As a result about an hour later one side of us were soaked.  Arriving at the café we warmed ourselves and had a hot drink. We had no intention of climbing up the downs to the fort and after about forty minutes made our return journey; you guessed it, while in the café no rain but ten minutes into the return walk it started again. The other side of our clothes got soaked this time. By the time we got back we were soaked though. Chris and I had a light snack. 1530 saw us all congregating for a coach trip into Burnham-on-Sea for the evening meal we had booked a table at The Railway for a 1715 meal, The Railway is a Green King pub. We had their Sunday roast (£9!) which was most acceptable; but not great. By the time we had finished our meal the fireworks were about to commence. They started at 1830 and lasted just over twenty minutes. A good display but not one to travel any distance for. Back to the Railway for a drink and a bit later to the Somerset pub for a drink prior to the coach returning at 2100. Chris was suffering a bit through drink and lack of food. The coach trip back was uneventful and by 2130 we were back in the motorhome.

Monday 3rd November (Day 4)

Nothing planned by the Van Club today. After breakfast we decided to walk along the beach too Burnham-on-Sea. It was a dry but very windy day and the wind was in our face the whole way. It was about five miles and soon became quite boring as the vista didn’t change. Arriving around 1230 we had a coffee and walked about the town. By 1430 we had seen it all and caught the 1446 bus back to the site. The site closes for the season this weekend and so the bar / chippy should have been closed. However, as we were still on site in some numbers they opened both from 1500 - 1900. The majority of us gathered and had two quizzes; one general knowledge and the other a music one. Then returned to cook an evening meal before a farewell Train game.

Tuesday 4th November (Day 5)

A dry day to finish and pack. By 1000 we had said our goodbyes and trundled off,2 with a stop at a fuel station first. A good run home, just over four hours with a stop for a bite to eat.025