I'm back from our rigorous camping expedition
So much has happened while I've been away on here! So many threads to catch up on, oh well I'm at work tomorrow so will catch up then
Diary of camping trip:
Thurs: Left home at 11.00 and had a good run up to Billing, M1 was it's usual chaos but the journey wasn't too bad. Normally we would drive straight there, but hubby has banned food and drink from the newly done up car, much to the kids disgust! So we made a stop at South Mimms service station (about half way). This service station would come back to haunt me later on in our adventure!
When we neared our destination, black clouds formed and we had an almighty thunderstorm
So when we arrived at campsite it was a giant pond!! We drove around for ages to find the dryest spot. There are lots of little lakes and waterways through the campsite, and therefore lots of ducks and swans etc. These lovely birds were all swimming around on the pitches
We finally pitched in the thunder and lightening, and then it stopped and we BBQ'd in glorious sunshine (everybody happy again and starting to relax...phewww!)
Fri: Woke up to a lovely day and decided as the show didn't start till Sat, we would take kids out to a local fun park. Had a great time, weather stayed great and the kids and adults had a fun time on the bumper cars, roller coaster and the like
By this time I had been very strict with myself as regards to what I ate, however BBQ time came round and drink started flowing, I had 3 bottles of budweiser and 8 bottles of coconut Bacardi Breezers!!!!
and not much food
Stumbled into caravan and broke the bed
Sat: Woke up not so bright and breezy
But drank galleons of water and black coffee and felt better again
Cars started arriving for show, so spent all day looking round, chatting to other petrol heads and generally having a good time. Evening came round again and so did the drink, again 8 bottles of breezers were drunk
Bed stayed intact though
Played hide and seek in the dark round the caravans with the kids and went cycling round chatting again to other happy campers. Hubby cable tied cups to the front of all the bikes to carry cans and bottles etc. Kids had cans of fizzy, hubby had cans of guinness and I had my breezers
We noticed that on Sunday night many others had cups cable tied to front of bikes too!!! Hubby is going to weld a bottle opener to mine for next show
Sun: Main show day, it was great, so many wonderful cars!!! Weather still great, well until the evening that is:sigh: That's when our wonderful trip took a turn for the worse! Teatime it started to teem down and didn't stop! Ground started getting soggier and by 10.00 I made the decision we should all just go to bed, by 11.00 everyone was asleep but me! 12.00 came and still I couldn't get to sleep, I could hear that rain had finally stopped and decided to go out in the awning and stand by the door for a cigarette. I stepped out into the awning and found I was ankle height in water!!!!
the lovely new 'breathable' groundsheet we'd bought was not waterproof and I found myself in my own private paddling pool! This wouldn't have been too bad, but all our suitcases were all out there too. I put them on the table and water poured from the bottoms, so I opened them, everything soaked
I'd packed loads of clothes as wasn't sure about the weather, I managed to salvage a pair of socks and a skirt of Harleys, that was it. I paddled around trying to put everything either on the table or on chairs, all our shoes were soaked too!!!
Mon: Time to pack up to come home! It had obviously rained again early morning as when we got up, the awning was still wet. Cooked breakfast and then set about packing stuff away. Kids had to wear dirty clothes from day before as did Scott and I. By this time water in awning had turned to mud!!!!!! We slopped around and finally were ready for the trek home, luckily we had filled with petrol the day before so didn't have to stop and get out of car looking like pikeys! We set off towards campsite exit and hit a rut in the road, there was a horrid noise coming from under the car, so Scott had a look and the gearbox mount had broken!!!!!
No way we were going any further in the car:tear_drop: Rang RAC and expained the situation, then told her we had 6 of us and a caravan. Lady politely told me that they couldn't take the caravan as my membership dosent cover that
:sigh: I asked her if I paid now, could we take out the extra cover, I waited for what seemed ages while she asked a superior. Finally she told me that as I had been a member for 9 years and had never used their services before, they would take the caravan afterall
Praise be to RAC
I love them all!!!! We waited an hour for recovery truck to arrive and all piled in, nice driver man then informed us due to EU regs etc. and tacos and the such he could only take us so far and another company would then pick us up and take us the final way home! So I once again found myself at South Mimms services!!! We were then informed next truck would be in an hour
Decided as it was now 5ish to get food, so KFC it was, and I had some
I'd eaten nothing bad all the time I was away, and felt a bit guilty with regards the alcohol, but I was fed up and bloody starving! So munched into the colonel's finest!!! 2 and 1/2 hours later the recovery truck arrived!! By this time I was stressing at the kids, (who thought it all a great adventure), and losing the will to live! The name of the company was 'On Time' I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!!! We finally arrived home at 9.30 tonight
Since then I've unpacked all the muddy wet clothes onto a huge pile on the kitchen floor, showered the kids and had a bath, and am now feeling human again!!!! and of course glad to be home
