The End

Feels strange to be home, felt even stranger to have such a big bed.

Home has been well looked after by my family, friends and neighbours, we are fortunate we have people like that.

I am not sure what I have missed apart from my bed, but I think everyone misses their bed. Just nice to roll over in bed instead of turning on the spot so you don't hit the side of the camper.

It's nice not to have to keep packing up and unpacking too, that is the only thing when your traveling on the road with 3 people and 3 dogs. I think we will have to do a trip with just the two if us for simplicity.

Overall, it was the best holiday ever and we loved every moment. It will stay in our hearts always and I think we will often say "Do you remember". Especially as Jazz is almost 16 now, it may be one of the last family camping / touring trips we do with her.

The best thing is it didn't cost the earth, we ate very very well, we had lots of things to see and do and we even have a better suntan than the neighbours who have been to Cuba for three weeks. I've taken almost 30 gig of photographs, filled my dSLR 3 times and filled my iPhone twice.

My only regret is that we didn't have a campervan when Jazz was young, because I think it adds a value to people's family life's and memorys you just can't buy.

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Location:Home

AA - Admitting Defeat

The AA has been called!!!

Driving up the motorway up hill I say to Steven "phew something stinks". Steven blames the lorrys and keeps driving.

I say to Steven "I'll just put the air conditioning on" and winds down my window.

Ahhh fresh air again, so I wind my window up and get a mouthful of fumes again.

So I say to Steven "Steven are you sure it's not us?" Next minute Steven yells "It's us!!!" and swings onto the hard shoulder with a big cloud of black smoke behind us.

Luckily we was right near a service station.





Oil coming from the engine in places it shouldn't be. Smoke coming from the filter thing.





So proud of OJ getting us this far to be honest =}





AA man said our engine is spitting and that's not a good thing!





We are now waiting on the truck to take us home.




Ohhh dear.





Poor OJ, the AA was brill though, well worth the money.





We are sat in the cab of the big pick up truck, this is OJ out of the cab window going up the M6.




AA man has maxed his miles so we are at Sandbatch service station waiting to be loaded onto another truck. This is quite an adventure!



3 AA vans / trucks later at 02:45 we got home hurray!!!



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Location:Birmingham,United Kingdom

M6 Here We Come

We started heading North this morning, not sure of how long it would take us, as we just doing as we please.

Stopped off a few places and had our first McDonalds in weeks. We have decided to finally press the 'home' button on the satnav and head back to Lowton as we are only 90 minutes away (120 dub time).



The roads are clear and the evening is mild and there is a sadness that the road trip is coming to an end, but excitement of getting back to our lovely home. So mixed feelings really.

I'll write my finial concision tomorrow, which will also be my last entree for this blog =\

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Location:Birmingham,United Kingdom

Tyntesfield Estate

This National Trust estate is the best one we have ever seen. It is so good, it is even worth the journey from up north. The Lord made his money to buy this place from importing bird poo for fertilisers for our farms.



The house isn't open Thursdays and Fridays, but the gardens are full to burst of fruit n veg. The National Trust spent millions renovating this place, including 5 million just for the heating system.



If you get the little shuttle bus down to the kitchen gardens you get a full history tour from the driver.


You can buy fruit, veg and plants and it has a big shop and cafe in the cow barns with all the original interior.


We are definitely going to come back to this one for the day.



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Location:Station Rd,,United Kingdom

Remote Beaches

It was so hot today, I'm burnt n frazzled. Burnt my feet too, which drives me crazy. Ste has got sun spots on his feet where he has burnt them through the holes.



We went on a roam today with the dogs and laughed so much. I've never been as happy in my whole life.



Loved watching the dogs tare round the fields, me and Ste played 'stand on cow pats', walked through the farmers fields to the coast, then played with the dogs on the shore. Ste even swam in the sea and screamed like a girl and ran butt naked up the beach.

It was amazing. This is why this is the best holiday ever, better than Cuba or Maldives. Just roaming and playing.



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Location:Vineycroft Ln,Sidmouth,United Kingdom

Meeting my Sister

Well we made it to Sidmouth and my dear sister has booked us 2 pitches so we can spend a few days together (Jenny lives in Truro).



OJ has had his points cleaned, he is not 100%, no idea if he will get us home or not.

We are settled here until Friday though, so weekend will tell.


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OJ Gives Up

OJ was refusing to go up the hills and was making some bangs and weird noises. So we have pulled in a garage.



Unfortunately they think it it the points, valves or condenser all of which they have no parts for and needs a few days wait.



So they are cleaning the points so we can get to our next stop...we might need AA from there...watch this space .

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Location:Axminster,United Kingdom

Cooking for my Sister

Showed Jenny my campervan cook books and told her to pick a meal for me to cook. She picked Chicken Cashaure (how ever you spell it).

Of course with my little spice rack and other vital ingredients I russled up a fabulous meal.



I even made Rocky Road for afters.



Sad so see my sister go home, so wish she lived closer. We had fun though, and we are definitely going to have to camp again, as the dogs all loved it too.

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Location:Tavistock,United Kingdom

Wild Camp 4

Slept over at West Bay. The car parks here are a pain, they all have big signs up saying no sleeping. One of the locals told us about this spot where campers often park up.




It was a quiet night, no traffic until late morning.

Then we walked into town and just sat on a bench to watch this sleepy town wake up.

Went into a fish mongers to see the fish and he gave me something to eat called Sempfire or something.



Tasted salty, you can see it in the top left corner of the photo below.


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Location:Bridport,United Kingdom

Corfe Castle

Another National Trust castle, well what is left of it.



Apparently when Lord Charles the first got executed, his son Charles the second fled to France and ordered the castle to be dismantled and blown up so the enemy couldn't use it.



Lovely day here, sat and cooked lunch in the carpark with our tables and chairs out.



Then walked the dogs to the top of the castle.



Lovely views from the top.



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Location:Wareham,United Kingdom

West Bay

Parked on the sea front watching the sun set. Been chatting to the locals and now we are just setting up the cooker to cook some fresh fish for supper.




We found a little brown snake when we went for a walk.




Loving it here, everyone is so intrigued with us cooking our dinner by the sea.




Ste been fishing for crabs, do he is happy as a pig in muck.











Fish n rice with mushrooms for dinner, with a lovely glass of Isle of Wight wine.





Beautiful! We stayed in the sea front until 11pm, so warm like being in the south of France.

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Location:Esplanade,Bridport,United Kingdom

Corfe Castle

Another National Trust castle, well what is left of it.



Apparently when Lord Charles the first got executed, his son Charles the second fled to France and ordered the castle to be dismantled and blown up so the enemy couldn't use it.



Lovely day here, sat and cooked lunch in the carpark with our tables and chairs out.



Then walked the dogs to the top of the castle.



Lovely views from the top.



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Location:Wareham,United Kingdom

Wild Camp 3

Didn't have a peaceful nights sleep, but we did sleep for 10 hours.



The road we parked by had pass through traffic on, not perfect but oh well.

We are in the woods atm trying to spot some wild horses. Got a few shots, but only with my big camera so I can't upload them yet.

Edit: Managed to get a snap shot further in. This little foal was telling us off.

Location:Brockenhurst,United Kingdom

Witches in Burley

We drove through this little village full of witchy shops, so we stopped for a nosy.



I'm not into witchy stuff, but it was an interesting part of the villages history.



The story from the above shop.


Photos from the shop of Sibil Leek who started the covern 'Horsa'.









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Location:Garden Rd,,United Kingdom