Stratford on Avon

Dot was off work for a week, so she looked for somewhere to go in the van. It would usually have been a trip to France for a week or two but Dot did not trust me too far away from home and to tell the truth I was not too sure ether.

Anyway Dot found a place very close to Stratford on Avon, so we decided to book in there, we also booked a day trip to London on the train.

Stratford on Avon, 18th to the 25th September.

Day one, Saturday 18th Sep 2014

I drive a lot slower than I used to, it saves petrol and I just do it now. Anyway we took the A19 to the A168 and the A1M then down to the M18 and the M1. The M1 had road works and was very busy, so I decided there and then, we would come back another way. From the M1 we took the M69 / A46 to the A439 into Stratford. In Stratford we crossed over the river and headed back north along the B4086 to the campsite.



Riverside Caravan Park
Tiddington Road, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7AB
Web Site, www.stratfordcaravans.co.uk/touring/about-touring

We got settled in but it was a bit late for a trip into the town centre, so we just had a look around the site and went to the bar for a couple of drinks.  The bar is new and very nice, although down here the price of drinks seems to be a little bit high.

Anyway we had an early night, to get over the drive down.

Day two, Sunday 19th Sep 2014

After breakfast we walked over to the river, to get the boat into Stratford. We were supposed to spend quite a long time there today but as I was not too well, we didn't.  I was a bit moody as well, don't ask me I do not know why.

We did have a bit of a walk around though, I think as it was Sunday and not all of the shops were open there wasn't that much to do.  Although there was a market on but as I said, don't ask me I do not know why I was moody and I am probably exaggerating (you will have to ask Dot).

 

We did have a look at the Shakespeare centre and another thing we did, was have a look for the train station and decided it was too far to walk.  We asked about a taxi and decided that we would do that to get to the station on Tuesday morning.

 

We headed back to the campsite fairly early.

Day three, Monday 20th Sep 2014

Bit of a rest day today also the weather wasn't very good at all.  We did pop over to the bar that night for an early drink before we went to bed early, as we had to be up next day for the London trip.

Day four, Tuesday 21th Sep 2014

Well today is the day we are off to London, so it was up early to get ready and get over for the taxi at reception.

The rest of this day is covered in a separate blog here.

Day five, Wednesday 22nd Sep 2014

Another quit day resting after our trip to London. It was another cool day but we did walk up the village of Tiddington just outside the campsite. It was a nice little place but most of it was closed, except for the shop, so we got a couple of things in there.

Day six, Thursday 23rd Sep 2014

Today was our day out in Stratford, we got the boat in after breakfast and had a walk along the river, to the bridge at the south end of town.  We crossed over the footbridge next to the bridge on Seven Meadows road and walked back along the other side of the river, through nice open parkland.

 

We crossed back over the river via the old rial bridge witch is now a footbridge, before we hit the shops.

We had a good look around the shops before eventually heading to a pub for something to eat.  There was a Wetherspoon's so we went in there and why not. While we were in there I had a couple of new beers, one was much better than the other but you can see that here.

We were going to stop out late but we got the last boat back to the campsite.

Day seven, Friday 24th Sep 2014

It was a bit of a drab day but eventually after lunch, we got the boat into Stratford and we had a walk along the canal. It started to rain again though, so we headed back into town.

 

We were surprised to find a fair ground set up along the streets, very strange.  I am sure it was not there the day before.

 

After another look around the shops and as the weather was bad we just headed back to the campsite, were we had a beer before bed. We had to go home tomorrow.

Day eight, Saturday 25th Sep 2014

Before we headed back north, there was one more thing we had to do.  My late brother Andrew is buried down here, not very far from the campsite, so we had to go and visit before we went home. We drove straight there with no problems.

I say no problems but you know what I mean, it was very upsetting indeed.

Then it was the long drive home, we did go back a different way and it was no longer, except for the hold up on the A1.

Trip to Alnwick

In August we had a day out in Alnwick Gardens to meet up with some of the family and we had been just a month before with Amber but seeing as we got year long passes to enter, we decided to come back for a longer visit. The rugby ground, about three quarters of a mile from the gardens, had a campsite, so we booked in there for a few days.

Alnwick, 7th to the 10th of September

Day one, 7th Sep 2014

I had forgotten my camera (something I would never have done before my stroke), so any photos from this trip are from our phones.

We picked a bad day to be driving North passed Newcastle, as the Great North Run was on, so it took quite a while to get the last part of the way to the tunnel. We where stood still for quite a while but from there on it was a nice easy drive the rest of the way.

When we arrived at the Rugby Club, we were surprised to find about another 20 motorhomes / caravans parked up there and thought that our electric hook up was out the window. I was wrong though, all of these vans were with a rally and none of them had hook up. We found a sign for us on one of the hook ups against the fence and got settled in.

Unfortunately we do not have a photo of the site.

Alnwick Rugby Club Campsite
Greensfield, Greensfield Avenue, Alnwick, NE66 1BG
Web Site http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/alnwick/

As soon as we were settled in, we set off for the walk into town. As it was Sunday some of the shops were shut, so after a walk we headed into the gardens. Where the girls wanted to play in the water gardens and got very wet.

Very nice for the walk back.

When we got back the girl that runs the campsite game over to see us and collect the money we owed for site.

That night we popped into the Rugby Club bar, just for a couple. The people from the other vans were all in the bar as well, I am not sure whether they were showing vegetables or whether that was a separate thing going on in there. Anyway me, Dot and the girls used the lounge away from what was happening in the bar.

Day two, 8th Sep 2014

Walked into town again and had a good look around the shops this time.

After shopping we went back into the Gardens and again the girls played in the water, but at least we were ready today. The girls had a change of clothes with them this time and used the underground toilets in the gardens to get changed.

As the girls had an extra week off school (a new school with only the first years this year), the gardens where very quiet this Monday. After messing in the gardens and getting wet, then dried and changed the girls picked a couple large of piggy banks from the shop. This will have to be part of their Christmas present for this year.

That night when the others had gone to sleep, my hart went into defib and was like that for a couple of hours. I do not know what brought it on but was glad when it cleared up.

Day three, 9th Sep 2014

The girls had got fed up with the gardens and today wanted to go to the swimming pool, which luckily was just over the road from the campsite.

That night we walked over to the bar again, were Emily watched the rugby club training on the main pitch.  I only had the one beer as the night before had really worried me somewhat.

Day four, 10th Sep 2014

Well it was time to head home but we would have a nice drive along the Northumberland coast on the way back.

We had fish and chips in Blyth, the south part of the town were the beach and chippy are, is far nicer than the rest of Blyth (sorry Blyth).

After lunch the girls played on the beach while Dot and I sat in the sun.

Before long though it was time to get back on the road and home.

August trip with the girls

The next time we used the van was in August, to go and visit Amber but we took the twins with us, as it was the summer holidays. We looked for a site down in Peterborough but eventually chose a Caravan Club Site a bit farther south, nearer Huntingdon.

Grafham Water Caravan Club Site, 10th to the 15th August.

Day one, 10th Aug 2014

We had to pick up the twins then drive to Peterborough to get Amber.  So it was not very early when we eventually arrived at the campsite.



Grafham Water Caravan Club Site
Church Road, Grafham, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 0BB
Web Site www.caravanclub.co.uk/

While I got us settled in the girls all went over to the pool and stayed there for the rest of the day, or what was left of it anyway.

I know this site was all set up for me to show my photos but the Stroke seems to have effected me in strange ways and I do not always think to take photos.

Day two, 11th Aug 2014

Another fine day and I talked the girls into going for a walk but not before they went over to the pool first. So it was after dinner when we set off for a walk to the lake. It was not far, there was a route across the fields through a small forest and we were there.

Well it was not as nice as it sounds, it was smelly, there was a gooey layer along the shore line and the girls didn't like it there, at all. It was a nice if short walk though.

So we set off back to the site, at least the girls loved the pool and spent the rest of the day there.

Day three, 12th Aug 2014

Today the girls spent the whole day in the pool, they came back for lunch but that was about it.

Dot and I both spent time in the pool but not all day.

Day four, 13th Aug 2014

By now the girls where getting a bit worn out with the pool although they did pop in for a while. Then spent the rest of the day playing quite well together.

That night the girls let off some sparklers they had found in the van from last bonfire night.

Day five, 14th Aug 2014

Today we had to drop Amber off at a hotel Cambourne, for her mothers wedding. It was a bit awkward to pack up and go out for the day but Amber had to be there.

First thing though they had to be in the pool, just for a quick swim, then it was off to find something to eat. Now Grafham Water has a couple of car parks with cafés but when we got there, the van would not fit under the barriers on the car parks. So we were not wanted, we drove off and eventually came to a MacDonald's.

After lunch at MacDonald's we dropped Amber off for the wedding and then headed into St Neots to have a look around the shops.

There was a market on, so we spent quite some time there and even went to the pub next to the river for tea.

 

After tea it was straight back to the campsite, well it was after some more shopping, just for things we had missed.

Day six, 15th Aug 2014

Today it was off home but not before the twins had one last dip in the pool.

First trip with the van fixed

The first trip after we had the van fixed was a week away in York and Thirsk, before a rush home, then off to Centre Parcs, without the van, with Nicole, Tim and the Girls.

York from 08/06/14 to 13/06/14

Sunday 08/06/14

Arrived at the York site only to find everything different from last time we where there. All of the pitches that were for an awning, now where only for no awning, so we had one of the few awning pitches up against the fence. All of the awning pitches were useless for getting a satellite reception, so we had to do without, although we did have to get an TV areal lead while we were out. The York site has always been different but this is very strange and ridiculous, that is all I will say.

We had a walk out, bought a TV areal lead (for an absolute load cheaper than the club site shop) and had a drink in the Kings Arms later on, before heading back. I think we watched Soccer Aid that night.

Monday 09/06/14

This is one of those days where I can not remember much about what went on at all.  I do however know I had some good beers but the photos are all really bleared.

Tuesday 10/06/14

Up nice and early and off to the train station, for our prearrange trip to Harrogate. We arrived early at the station, as it didn't take as long to walk there as we thought it would. We sat about on the station platform waiting for the train and took a couple of photos, taking photos is something I have not been doing much since my stroke.

We had a return tickets, for two, for about £12, we had to travel outside rush hour but that didn't matter to us. A nice quiet ride and we arrived in Harrogate just before eleven.

After a walk around the centre of Harrogate we went to Spoons for our lunch. I had a couple of pints with my dinner, sat outside in the sun and I really enjoyed it, it was also very cheap.

After lunch we had another walk around and then had a long sit in the sun on the green.

After that we went into the pub at the side of the green and had a drink outside, in the sun again. We had a chat with an old lady (she wasn't that much older than us I suppose), all about the Tour de France, which would be ending in Harrogate on Day One. The start of the Tour de France was not a long way long off, but where as York was full of yellow bicycles stuck up everywhere, there was next to nothing here.

After another look around the shops and a few small buys we ended up in another pub until it was time to get the train back to York.

Wednesday 11/06/14

We had bought tickets for a York City bus ride and wandered of to the closest stop to the campsite, only that didn't work. As this year they had changed the bus route, although the bus stop sign still had the bus tour up there on it. So we wasted time waiting for a bus that didn't come, we eventually gave up and walked into town.

In town we did get the bus but it was a lot shorter ride than it used to be, anyway we had cheap tickets from Tesco.

After the bus ride we had a wander round the town centre, where there were plenty of signs that the tour was due here soon.

For tea we had more vouchers from Tesco, that we used in Bella Italia, the meal did take some time to come but we where not in a rush.

Thursday 12/06/14

We did what we usual do when we have time in York, we walked into town by heading the wrong way and crossing over the footbridge, before heading back in.

There is this new place down by the river, a new pub/restaurant, with seating outside overlooking the river. It is built where the toilets used to be just below Lendle Bridge.  Anyway we had a couple of beers in there before we wandered off for tea.

For tea we had vouchers from Tesco again, so we used them for another Italian meal, I can not remember the name of the place but it was nice.  It could have been Zizzi.

I also tried an Italian beer while we were in there.

 

Back at the van I watched the first match of the world cup, Brasil beat Croatia 3 - 0.

Thirsk from 13/06/14 to 15/06/14

Friday 13/06/14

On arrival in Thirsk we found that yet again, we had a pitch up against the fence, this time we had without awning and all of the main pitches were with awning, completely opposite to York, that is all I will say.

We set up and then wandered into town and had our tea on Spoons.  Where I also took in another match of the world cup, before heading back.

Saturday 14/06/14

Day two was spent very quietly, back into spoon for tea.

On the night there was a party going on somewhere close by and the noise was terrible, I thought I might stop around midnight but it didn't.  I was watching the England game, which was on very late and the noise was still going on after the game.  I think it was after two before it stopped.

Sunday 15/06/14

We were supposed to get shopping in for our next trip away with Nicole, Tim and the girls but we couldn't be bothered, so we just went home.

Getting the van fixed

Well I could now use the van, as long as I had damp start to squirt into the engine to get it running, but Dot wasn't very happy with that.  We were to travel to Peterborough for Ambers birthday, so I called a mobile mechanic to have a look.

I wish I could remember his name but that has gone, I had called a mechanic I had used before but he was busy.  This new man came and looked, had a mess with the engine, he then went away to another job (I actually think he went to play golf).

We stayed in a hotel in Peterborough.

Back home the mobile mechanic sends us to a workshop close to home, where they decide it needs to be striped down with a cost of about £1000, I took the van home.

Eventually I asked at my local garage where I get my MOT done every year and they suggest a small garage in Peterlee. I phoned them and arranged a time to take the van up to see them.

It was not as easy as it should have been as there workshop had moved and we didn't know, the new people in there were very helpful though and pointed us in the right direction about half a mile further on.

We left the van with them, drove home and went shopping only to get a phone call to say that the van was fixed.  We went straight back and picked the van up.  The fault was tiny and took next to nothing to fix and I was glad to pay for the work.

We are now ready to set off in the van again.

First trip after my stroke

I have discovered that if I do not write these things down as soon as I have done them, then it is too late.  My memory is not as good as it was and I have left this for too long.  That is another thing that I have discovered, I do not use my lap top as I did, although I am getting back to it slowly.  This first trip was in March, as we usually do and I did start to write it months ago but I just never got around to it.  If it was not for the camera (witch I am also not using as much) I would not be able to remember what we did.
................................................................

Well my stroke was early in November, wile away camping in York and I am just now ready to set out again. I think Dot is really worried about me but I think I am all right and I just have to do this.

Saturday, March 8th 2014

We arrived in Barnard Castle at about ..........................
.................................................................

Well that is all I wrote, it is now July and I will start again.

Saturday, March 8th 2014

On site we parked up just inside the gate fairly close to the wardens hut, we had not been there before and I thought it was suitable. I am not sure what Dot thorough though.

As it was Saturday we just walked into town, after all it was after 15:30, fairly late to be doing anything else. Now here I do not have any photos of what we did but as far as I can remember, the weather was good. Very good in fact, last year as the same time at the same place, it was very cold and it snowed quite heavily. This year it was very mild indeed but still very cold on the night.

We did pop into a couple of pubs, one especially to watch the rugby, Scotland v England in the Six Nations.  I had been into one pub earlier and caught the end of the first game (Ireland 26-3 Wales) but that pub was changing management and was very empty.  The pub we used for the match, had been refurbished and had been closed on our last visit.  With a 0-20 result for England, it was well worth the trip to this pub.

As I had watched the rugby, I do know it was about 20:30 when we set off back to the campsite.

Sunday, March 9th 2014

Well today is rather awkward, not a single photo to remind me of what we were doing. So I will have to see what I can remember (witch could be very hard). I do remember having food in the Three Horseshoes, twice during the holiday, I know the other one closed, so Sunday night seems very likely to me.

The rugby was on again, France beat Italy 30-10 at five butt I do remember getting back to the van before it got too dark though.

Monday, March 10th 2014

A nice fine warm day (on and off), we set off for a walk after an early lunch. We walked along the south side of the river Tees, through the static campsite just about as far as you can go by the river. I was using the camera more than usual (usual for after my stroke that is) and taking photos along the way.

The weather was still very fine for the time of year as we walked back towards civilisation. We crossed over the river Tees via the metal footbridge and walked up into town. Dot made the suggestion to walk to Castle Howard and I could not see a reason not to.

We had a good sit in the gardens of the house and eventually went into the hall for a drink of tea in the café there. We didn't end up with tea though, Dot got a hot chocolate and I got a coffee, Dot wanted the hot chocolate, I didn't want the coffee but I just had it anyway, it wasn't worth moaning.

 

While in the hall we saw a photo of the house reflected in a pool from the front, now we thought there wasn't a pool big enough to do this but on leaving we found it was. The pool is not very big though.

It is not a brilliant photo but you get the idea and with better equipment and a step ladder, I can see how they got the shot.

By this time it was three thirty, so we just made our way into town and eventually had a drink (we are on holiday and it is Dots birthday after all) and a very nice meal in the The Horseshoes.

Tuesday, March 11th 2014

Another vague day with my memory (It is so much easier to remember with photos to remind me but it is also hard to remember to take photos. So I can ether get on with life, with a terrible memory of what has happened, or I can try and remember to take photos.), so let me try and remember without photos what we did.

Well its hard to admit it but I can not remember anything about the day at all, I have two photos late in the day of us in the pub but that is it.

Wednesday, March 12th 2014

Well I do know what happened today. It was time to leave for home and the van would not start. We had to call out the RAC to get the van started (it was a fault we had had for a while now but the van would eventually start, well this time it would not), he squirted damp start into the engine and it went.

He said it would cost a small fortune to get put right, well he was wrong, it cost less that £100 to put right in the end.  Although it first cost another £100 for a mobile mechanic and a garage to tell me it would cost around £800 to £1000 to fix, never trust experts.

Next time I try to do this, I will try to take photos and try to remember what has gone on.

Feeling Better

I am feeling a lot better at the moment after our last trip to York and have even been looking to book a couple of sites.  Up to now though, I have only booked two places, one around Dots birthday in March and one around Ambers birthday in April.  We are off to Barnard Castle first and then to Peterborough later, I seem to have missed York.

I will have to work on Dot though to be able to get some more booked very soon.