May 14th to 17th, we usually visit this site about ones a year. This time was with the twins.
As you turn off the main road in Hawes to head for the campsite, you pass a small park with a children's play area, the girls spotted it and didn't even want us to go to the site but stop here so they could go play. We checked in and had to convince them to have lunch, before we set off back into town for them to play.
There is a family wash room on this site (you do have to ask for a key though), so each night Dot gets the girls bathed while I set up the bed for them.
Next day was pretty similar only we took a picnic with us this time.
On the third day we thought we might be able to walk to Hardraw Force Waterfall, using the double buggy but this turned out to be practically impossible, so we had a much shorter walk than intended.
On the way home we stopped off at Aysgarth Falls, the weather wasn't quite as good as the previous day. We had to keep the girls in reins to stop them getting in the river and over the falls but we did have a very good day.
Poole
We had never really considered Dorset for a holiday but when Nicole and Tim said they had booked a holiday there and asked if we would like to come with the we jumped at the chance to visit somewhere different. Nicole, Tim and the twins, were also travelling with Tim's Parents, Jim and Jean, who had lived in Dorset for a while, so they knew the area and were looking forward to revisiting old haunts.
Day one 24th June,
We are booked on to one of the Haven Holiday Parks (Rockley Park) in Poole, for seven nights although we will only be staying for six as we are booked on the Norfolkline Dover to Dunkerque ferry on the seventh night (£38.00 return). We are meeting Niccole and the others there, who are all sharing a three bedroom holiday home.
When we arrive the others are already there and have already sussed out the place, it is a very big park but fortuitously, we are about a hundred yards from their accommodation, it could have been about half a mile. The others are up in the Oasis food outlet having lunch, so we quickly park up and join them for a pint and sandwich.
It is absolutely boiling and I am just about passing out trying to put the awning up only to discover once it is up, that it is faulty, the two flexi poles that hold it up are poking through the material. I am furious and just want to tear it to pieces before throwing it in the bin but Dot being sensible, is convinced the she can fix it. So about a hour later and half time in the footy (Germany v Sweden), I am once again, absolutely boiling and I am just about passing out trying to put up the awning again but Dot is right and everything holds together.
I have spent the time while Dot is mending the awning trying to set up the TV, this site has the worst TV reception of any site I have ever been on, even connecting to the aerial socket on the service point I can just about get BBC1 and we have the worst position on the holiday park for a satellite dish. We are at the bottom of a terrace, with two very large trees on the terrace above, no chance at all.
We are supposed to meet the others back up at the indoor pool but by the time we have finished with the awning, they are on their way back down at their place. The evening is spent watching Argentina v Mexico with a few beers back at their place, where the TV is watchable.
Day two 25th June
Off we go to Tesco for the weeks provisions, I think its because Nicole is an accountant, that we have a list of the food we need for each meal for each night of the week, could be wrong. One funny thing, is how we already have enough beer and wine for the week with us, Dot and I brought the booze for everyone in the van.
Got ready for the England match, flag on the awning (next pitch is a Scot, how do I know? flag in the back of his car and I can't understand a word he says), England shirt on, twins have theirs on as well, beer cold. Not a good game but we beat Ecuador 1 - 0, so its onward and upward to the next round, we will be in France for that one.
After tea we decide on an early night but listen to Portugal v Holland (as we get the winner in the next round), could not see anything on the TV, sounded a bit of a bloodbath though, we get Portugal but several of their players are banned for the match.
Started to rain, rained all night.
Day Three 26th June
As it is still raining and cold, we set of for Bournemouth and the Oceanarium, a sea life centre and also the beach (if it fairs up). After a wrong turn we get parked in the underground car park of the BIC (Bournemouth International Centre), which turns out to be next door to the Oceanarium, it's stopped raining but is still cold, so in we go. Note, you can get tickets from reception at a discount, we didn't.
The Oceanarium is not that big but the twins love it, all of the characters from Finding Nemo are there for them to spot and we go round twice (you can go back as often as you like during the day, if you keep your ticket) but the second time it is getting rather busy. So we set off into Bournemouth centre, a very short walk, for a sandwich.
In the centre there are several stages setup for a music festival and various different types of music are being blasted out. Out of all of these different types of music the girls pick out a German brass band with majorettes baton twirling, as their favourite and it takes us an age to get them to move on, eventually it starts raining again which gives us an excuse to move them on. Back down the beach the girls have an ice cream and a walk on the sand.
Day four 27th June
Had a day onsite in the pool and down on the small beach, it was a bit windy on the beach but ok if you had some shade. I also took the scooter out for a short run, basically just a look around the very large campsite.
That night we all went over to watch the kids show in the concert room, the kids really enjoyed it, but it was very noisy.
Day five 28th June
The rest all went for a day out in Weymouth and a look around where Jim and Jean used to live, there wasn't room for all of us in the car so I volunteered to have a quiet day set in the sun reading. I could have followed on the scooter but I fancied a quiet day. They spent most of the day on the beach on the hot sun.
That night Jim and Jean offered to babysit, so we could go over to the bar but after our first beer, the bar closed and we were informed we would have to move into the concert room. Well it was far too noisy in there, so we didn't get much of a night out.
Day six 29th June
Trip into Poole centre on the open top bus, well that was the plan, today the bus had a top on it but the girls thought it was great fun anyway.
Poole centre, with a good mix of old and new shops is just a couple of hundred meters in from the harbour and marina area, with free internet access in the large library. Which was lucky as I was looking for internet access to get an up-to-date copy of the insurance for the scooter, before we set off for France.
It was our last night but we would not be leaving until teatime the next day.
Day seven 30th June
As we did not have to be on our way until teatime we got packed up, took the awning down etc and spent the test of the day by the pool with the family.
Before leaving Poole for Dover, we filled up with diesel at the Tesco we had used earlier in the week.
France 2006
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