This should have been our second trip away in the van this year but .........
Well we had booked to go to York in the motorhome as usual for our birthdays in March and we had managed to book about eight days to get both our birthdays in. Something we had not managed to do in the past, we had only ever got my birthday or Dot's in but never both. The booking was made in April 2018, very early as you have to be.
Then on the 8th of February we got a email from the club canceling the pitch, this was less than a month before we were due to go. The council were doing work on the road into the site and it would be closed. We got an apology that meant nothing, we were not even offered a different date to use the site, only sites close by but useless to us in the van.
Click here to see what happened in March.
This was our usual trip to see amber on her birthday and even though it was over the bank holiday we got on to the Ferry Meadows site no bother. We had also managed to book three day in the York site on the way back home.
Peterborough 18th to the 23rd April
Thursday 18th April
A very bussy drive down to Peterborough, it was the day before Good Friday but we arrived nicely and got a good hard standing pitch on the old field.
The difference this year was that me and Dot would be on our own for the first day. We got set up as best we could, the TV point was not working and I gave up with ariel. So we went for a walk into the park, as we got to the bar there, it was just after five thirty and it was supposed to be closed but the girl in there let us have two Stella Artois in plastic glasses.
We sat outside in the sun and drank them but it was getting cold before we set of back to the van. As we had no TV we found an old DVD to watch before bed. I also had plenty of beers in the van so we were alright there.
Friday 19th April
It was just after dinnertime when Amber and young Ralph arrived, I had got them to get bread buns on the way so we had enough for a birthday BBQ. Ralph also got beers for himself, I had plenty for me already. Amber then said that her sisters and boyfriends were popping around to see her, so we rang them to bring more buns and burgers.
The food went down well, me and Ralph listened to the Boro and they managed to win but only just.
Later when the others had gone we watched a film or two before bed.
Saturday 20th April
Unfortunately young Ralph had to be away today and just after we finished the food from the BBQ he was off. So me Dot and Amber had a walk into the park. Amber had already been to meet a friend there but she had to leave so Amber came back.
By the time we got to the bar (the one from yesterday) it was really full and while I went in to que for the beers the others found a nice seat outside. I got a new beer in there today, it was off the other day, Lacons, Pale Ale, not too bad.
With the weather being so good, the park was really full, with plenty of BBQs on the go, many of which were burning the grass under them.
Back at the van and after tea, it was time for films again before bed.
Sunday 21st April
After lunch, Amber's Mam came for her, so me and Dot went out for a walk. We walked towards the Nene Valley Railway but didn't go no, insted we turned and walked towards the Botolph Arms. Its 1.7 miles walking to the pub but we had nothing else to do.
It was very sunny at the pub but we got a good seat outside, I say good but the people on the next table were very noisy. Inside the pub wasn't much better as one of the people seving just wandered of to collect glasses. There were four in the queue when she wandered off, by the time I got served they were queuing out the door, about fifteen or more of them.
Anyway it did get better, the noisy people went, people started serving at the bar, in fact it got a lot better. I think we had three beers before we set of back to the van, we did call into the Co-op for something for supper though on the way back.
Monday 22nd April
After lunch we went out for another walk and again and as it was a bank holiday again, it was very busy. So we walked along the quiet path by the railway line and into the park further along. It was the same as last time, BBQs all over and hundreds of people out in the sun.
We did go into the bar again and we did get good seats on the lake side again but I didn't have to queue this time. I had two pints this time, the sun was really nice and the young ones were playing in the lake, many fully clothed.
Back at the van we had food, watched a film and had an early night, moving on tomorrow.
York 23rd to the 26th April
Tuesday 23rd April
Moved on to York today, it was about 125 miles but the roads were very clear unlike the other way, as an accident had blocked the A1 and the tailbacks were enormous.
In York, got parked up on the campsite, had a shower and set off into town.
We walked straight into the center, over Skeldergate Bridge and as usual, did some shopping but also as usual, pretty soon got tired of that and went to the pub. As last time we were there, we chose The Market Cat, our new favorite pub in York. Even though the pub is on the end of the market, the views from the upstairs seating is very good.
We both had the wheat beer (Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier (Hefeweizen)) as I did not fancy a hoppy beer. In there we had a conversation with a local farmer about his health problems but we had worse than him. We didn't just have the one beer though, we had three before we set off back to the van. Only we didn't get back straight away, first we popped into a Tesco Express to get something for tea, then popped into The Kings Arms for another couple of beers.
Wednesday 24th April
The weather was still good, so in shorts, we walked anticlockwise around the Walls, well we walked from Fishergate Postern Tower around to Bootham Bar gate. Were we came down from the wall and wandered into the center, to do the usual shopping. I did take a photo on the way to the wall and messed with, it is now my version of a Monet.
But we soon gave up that and went to the pub again and yes it was The Market Cat. Dot had the Weihenstephaner again and I changed to Thornbridge, Lord Marples, which wasn't bad. I then had a Thornbridge, Pollards, yet another good beer, well stout.
After that we moved on to The Angel On The Green, Dot got a free third of a pint of wheat beer (it want off before the half was poured), and I had a nice stout, Yorkshire, Blackout, it was very good. While we were in there it started to rain, but luckily it stopped before we left. We got a couple of meals from the shop close by on the way back, we were going to eat in the Angel but didn't fancy anything.
Thursday 25th April
The rain kept off all morning, it kept off until we set of into town, then the skies opened and we got soaked. My new coat did not work at all and I got soaked, we sheltered until it stopped, then finished our walk in.
We didn't shop for long I got some shorts and then we gave in and went to the pub. Dot stuck with the usual and I had a Moor, Stout, very nice. Tonight we thought we would eat in the pub, so we had pizza and a chicken salad. I moved back to the Weihenstephaner again along with dot.
After that it was back to The Kings, were we had a conversation with a couple we had met in there a couple of days ago. That meant we had to have more than one beer in there before we left.
Friday 26th April
Up early, got ready and went straight home, I say straight but we did have to find diesel first, this ment we left York a different way. But it was one of the best drive homes we have had.
