Tuesday 13th April (Day 1)
This is our first chance to get away since lockdown III. So having loaded and filled the motorhome yesterday we were off by 7.45am. Destination Worthing / Goring. A great ride with no holdups and by 9.40am we were parked up long the seafront in Goring. Less than ten minutes later and Chris and Carolyn pulled in behind us. Then I had something that I haven’t had for over 12 months - a hug from someone not from our house! We got our chairs out on the green to eat our bacon rolls and have a cup of tea. A walk along the front followed before leaving the parking spot to drive the 2 miles to the Campsite, Northbrook Farm Caravan, Motorhome and Camping Club site. A quick bite for lunch and just after 2.00pm we left the site for a walk up Highdown Hill. This has earthworks at the top of the hill that go pack to a settlement around 1000BC. On the way up we discovered a tomb of John Olliver, a local miller from the 1790’s. Depending on the story you want to believe he was eccentric or a criminal. He had his tomb built in advance of his death and his coffin made 27 years before his death and kept under his bed, so that is the eccentric part. He also was a benefactor to the locals in the area. As for being a criminal, it is suggested contraband was kept in his empty tomb and that he set the sails on his windmill to let smugglers know that no customs officers were in the area. You take your choice! Perhaps both are true. It was a pleasant walk across the hillside in bright sunny weather with pleasant views over the surrounding area. While not warm it was comfy for walking. On the return we found ‘The Highdown’ a pub that was open, the pubs only opened nationally yesterday since closing before Christmas. A pleasant pint or two and then a return to the campsite where we adjourned to our separate motorhomes. Later we had a meal, a vegetable ragu, cooked by Chris K and we finished the evening chatting the time away. You can always tell good friends in that you do not see each other for a long time and the conversation flows like you have never been away.
Wednesday 14th April (Day 2)
An interesting start to the day. Our routine is; I make the tea and Chris turns the water heater and the radio on. All good so far. Then I shower followed by Chris. well the shower was cold I could swear I saw small icicles pinging of the wall. The gas heater had not ignited. After a while we managed to coax it into life but this meant the routine was changed. We had breakfast first followed by showers etc. In the light of things a small inconvenience. Then we prepared meat and vegetables for a casserole tonight to put into the slow cooker. By just before 11.00am we were all ready to go for a walk into Worthing which is about 5 miles. A nice walk along the streets looking at the various houses and bungalows. By the midpoint of the walk we had reached the seafront at Goring and so walked the promenade into Worthing. It was sunny and quite warm but a breeze was coming off the sea which, when the sun went behind the clouds, was quite cooling. Along the front we found an information board about RAF pilot Edward Essenhigh. He was flying on a bombing raid to Germany when his plane developed a fault. Fully laden with bombs he kept the plane flying instead of bailing out and flew just feet above the rooftops of the houses. He crashed on the beach and the plane exploded and burst into flames. Only one body was found. The munitions, bombs and flares exploded for hours afterwards and many buildings were damaged but he avoided crashing into the town centre. We purchased lunch from a small seafront kiosk - fresh crab sandwiches. Next we found a small market to peruse. Shortly after this we sat on the pier like a bunch of old folk to eat the recently purchased sandwiches. Years ago I often came to Worthing with my parents, once or twice a month in good weather, this was about 58 years or so ago. I remembered a large grassed area, a wooden castle (a children’s playground), a boating lake with electric boats to ride in and a big white mansion by the car park. We hadn’t found it. We continued our walk further along the front and there it was. Well the white mansion by the car park and a slightly smaller grassed area than I remember. Chris then found an information board nearby and there it was for all to see. So where the castle and boating lake were are now flats. Such is progress I suppose. A short time later we caught a bus back to the site, with a quick Tesco stop on the way. Back at the site we were greeted with the lovely smell of beef casserole. A cup of tea and a bit of ‘put your feet up’ followed. We met up again in the ‘pop-up’ for another drink and a chat. After a little while we each returned to our motorhomes. We joined up again for the beef casserole and dumplings and chatted away again until it was time for bed.
Thursday 15th April (Day 3)
We woke up to a nice sunny day but that was a deceitful weather outlook - more later. After breakfast and the usual routine activity we sat and waited for Chris and Carolyn before we left as Chris was preparing tonights curry for the slow cooker. We then left the site at around 11.00am to catch the ‘Pulse’, the local bus, to take us into Goring where we were then to get the 700 ‘Coastliner’ to go to Littlehampton. A ticket to travel all day on any bus route was £9.10 per person but ‘oldies’ did not have to pay (me). It took about 70 minutes to get there which was a journey through some lovely small villages and towns. On arrival in Littlehampton it was quite overcast and cool with a cutting breeze also. A slow stroll along towards and then along the River Arun brought us through the shopping area where we found a shop selling ‘Daz’ washing powder which for many will be a ‘blast from the past’ and something I never knew was still marketed. As it was lunchtime we opted for fish and chips and sat on the riverside to eat it. The food was absolutely delightful; great fresh well cooked flaky fish in a light batter and well cooked chips. This is quite a rarity for chip shops, in our experience, especially in relation to chips which are often ’soggy’. It was tacitly agreed to continue to the sea front and walk the promenade for some way. Again, like yesterday, it was 55 or so years since I was last here with my family. My main memory was of a funfair with ‘The Wild Mouse’, a rollercoaster that appeared to go out over the sea. There was the fun fair but no roller coaster! Not really a great surprise after so many years. We walked along the beach and slowly we got colder in the face of the cold breeze. After about a mile we turned back and, with the wind at our back, it felt a bit warmer. Walking back up beside the River Arun we found a table at ‘The Arun View’ public house and had a beer. (Due to covid restrictions we must all stay outside at a pub.) While it was a nice drink we all got even colder sitting there. We all agreed to return to the town centre to catch the two buses home and we duly arrived back at 5.00pm. Littlehampton was a nice place and would surely have been a better experience if the weather was warmer so a return may well be arranged.
Friday 16th April (Day 4)
Another bright start and it is meant to be warmer than yesterday (hooray). The usual slow start and at 11.00am we were all ready to go for a walk that I had mapped out. It was a nice mix. Some paving / roads through a new estate; across a dual carriageway and alongside fields of sheep and cattle (with the odd bull); through a lovely wood of bluebells, primroses and Wood anemone. Then back across the dual carriageway; next a gentle uphill to Highdown hill. Midway we stopped at St Mary the Virgin at Clapham. A lovely little church. In the graveyard around it was a stone to ‘The Reverend Red’ 1990 to 2012 the Clapham Church Cat’! Towards the end of the walk we stopped at the Highdown Hoel for a pint but it was full. They agreed to serve us in the adjacent Tea Rooms. (we also tried to book for a meal tomorrow but they were also full.) Back ‘home’ we had a small lunch in the pop-up until around 4.00pm it was a bit chilly so we retired to our motorhomes. By 6.00pm the temperature had risen considerably and, if it wasn’t we were cooking we would have sat out again.
Saturday 17th April (Day 5)
Well the best nights sleep for a long time (for me at least). After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and salmon we got ready for a walk. It was about 6 miles across and over Highdown Hill and then a circular return over the hill again where we sat at the top soaking up the view in glorious sunshine. A while later we descended and overshot where we were staying to get some supplies from the nearby Tescos. A light lunch and we sat in the sunshine watching the funeral of Prince Phillip. Then a stroll around the site and a laze in the sun. Chris went in to watch Manchester City .v. Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final and we just continued soaking up the rays. However, by midway through the first half it had cooled down so we went inside and watched Chelsea win 1-0. The three “P’s” for dinner - Pie Pots and Peas which was very nice. The evening was another drink / chat time which was very pleasant.
Sunday 18th April (Day 6)
We are both intending to leave promptly. We were off about 10.00am and had a pleasant easy run to visit Richard and Su at their house at Ide Hill. We were unsure whether the motorhome could access their private lane but worries were wasted. We then had a nice walk with them and Herbie. This was followed by a cup of tea. Around 1.40pm we said our goodbyes and had another good drive, getting home by 2.40pm.
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