Billy no Mates at Pembrey
Thursday 23 August
Today has been a bit of a day. I've been stuck in work and was staring down the barrel of a 5pm finish, but as luck would have it the police phoned in an incident at 2pm. I was on site by 2.30pm with it all sorted by 3pm and Mandy was tearing down the M4 at warp speed towards home by 3.05pm.
Roids was getting his GCSE results today, very well he did too, both academically and financially. He had a cheque to bank from Nana Coupons and herself was making a transfer straight into his account as a rewards for his examination efforts.
By 5pm we are hitched up and on our way to Pembrey CC Site, which is just down the road from us. It's only 3 weeks since we came back from Cornwall, but a busy 3 weeks in work ensures we are ready for the break. The site is packed on arrival, so the choice of pitches is minimal. Luckily we are 'Billy No Mates' this weekend as Mr & Mrs Shag are still in France with Mr & Mrs Tatasports.
The only hitch on setting up was that the EHU point had tripped. Well to be truthful it wasn't our that had the fault, it was the one belonging to the adjacent pitch that had tripped out and rather than go see the wardens to have it re set they plugged into ours. It's not the fact that they did it bothers me, it's that they watched me plug in and then waste 5 mins trying to rectify a non existent fault in the caravan. They could have at least said, instead of just keeping schtum.
Revenge, however, is a dish best served cold, and they might just wake in the morning to a defrosted fridge.
Supper tonight is minted lamb served with mushroom rice washed down with a bottle of pink fizzy stuff.
Friday 24 August
We wake this morning to the familiar sound of rain hammering onto the roof, well it is August BH after all) and the not so familiar sound of the RAF's finest doing their level best to shake the windows from their frames!
Breakfast is an unexciting bowl of Weetabix before we decide that herself needs a proper coat before our winter jaunts in the van.
We go for a spin to Carmarthen and I spoil her rotten with a Regatta anorak and a pair of walking sandals from the C&P Country Stores. I know how to treat a woman I do! From there it's a quick stop in Morrisons for a few odds and ends, including a sewing kit for the van. I am flabbergasted to note that the sewing kits are not kept in the 'women's essentials' aisle!
Back on site we lunch on a ham salad before doing not much all afternoon, except read, chill and watch the selfish git behind us pack up and leave.
Why selfish? You may ask.
Well, you're supposed to be off site by 12 noon so as to give newcomers more choice of pitch, and at 2.30pm he's still there faffing about with his awning! Oh, and he's a git because I have developed an irrational dislike for him because he drives a gleaming, new Range Rover Sport. That good old fashioned Welsh trait of jealously has noting to do with it. Honestly!
There are quite a few newcomers in our little close, and many appear to be new caravanners just starting out. One lot are starting out on a shoe string. Their awning has obviously see better days and will do well to survive tonight's fore casted wind and rain
Herself has commented that the lady opposite us bears a striking resemblance to Olive from 'On the Buses', and I have to admit herself has got it spot on. I wonder if she too has cravings for pickled onions!
A few bottles of Welsh cider and a few G&Ts ensure we won't be bothered by the winds tonight.
Saturday 25 August
It's not raining, but the skies say it won't stay like that for long. We have a leisurely breakfast and spend the morning lazing around the van and watching the comings and goings on site, in between the very heavy showers. After their early morning walk the dogs seem content anyway.
I suppose one advantage of being 'Billy no Mates' this weekend is that we can do as we please. People go and new arrivals pull in and I am in my element watching all the activity in the rain.
Time to go out though because Roids has a game of rugby today in Brecon and we are off to watch, just over 50 miles each way from where we are. It's a lovely spin up through Carmarthen, Llandeilo and Llandovery and we arrive at the ground at the same time as the team.
Ronnie, DD and her parents are also coming to watch. They have a static caravan near Cenarth (about 63 miles from Brecon in straight line) and had set off at the same time as us. Kick off time comes and there's still no sign of them. They arrive about 10 mins into the game and the grin on Ronnie's chops tells us they've had an eventfull journey. For reasons known only to DD's mam thay came via Narbeth, travelling some 120 miles in the process. Still it must have been a nice spin!
Llangennech Youth easily Brecon Youth, and a night of celebration and team bonding is planned. All had to wear a wig for the evening, or suffer a forfeit. Roids had got himself a nice little Jedward number for the evening.
Herself had generously volunteered to drive (read press-ganged) so I took the opportuntity to throw far too many pints of lager down my neck in a very short space of time. Time to leave, and as we exit the club house we are treated to the sight of one of the youth boys necking a pint of god knows what and promptly spewing the lot back up into a bucket!
Herself was not best pleased with me on the way back to the van. My guzzling of the Grolsch ensured that toilet stops were necessary during the journey. For reasons only known to herself, 3 or 4 pull ins were passed and my eyes now watering with the pain. We get to Llandovery and herself screams into the car park where she knows there are some public lavs. Mandy is still rolling as I exit her in the style of Bodie and Doyle, making a bee line for the bogs. I clatter into the (locked) door before reading the sign - 20p entry - FFS.
Dancing around I fumble through my pockets for a 20p with little luck. Herself is trying not to laugh too much as she looks for her purse in the abyss that is her handbag!
The riot police have water cannons that operate at a lower psi than what I generated in that toilet and I'm suprised that I didn't blast a hole in the back of the urinal and through the wall to outside!
Back on site we have new neighbours, a family with an old Retreiver as a pet. They seem nice enough, but, both parents are very, very heavy smokers. We caravan with friends who smoke, so that in itself does not bother us. These two though are chain smoking what I can only assume is an exotic mix of horse shit and bus tickets!
After cooking our steaks on the Weber, we dive inside for cover and settle down for the evening. Herself has developed a taste for expensive cider whilst I have reaquainted myself with the delights of G&Ts.
I'll sleep well tonight.
Sunday 26 August
@DerekTheWeather has promised that today would be the best day of the weekend, and fair play for once he's got it right. I peek out of the blinds and there are blue skies above. I dress and take the dogs out for their early morning consitutional. Inside Pembrey Country Park we walk up to the view point and are rewarded to views across the estuary towards Gower.
We've no plans to do anything today except laze in the sun by the van. A few phone calls later and all that's changed. The olds, in the shape of Nana Coupons, Nana Creaky and Grandpa Grumbles are joining us for the afternoon.
They will be expecting to be fed, so a trip to the Co-op in Kidwelly is called for to get in some supplies. On returning, herself does all the food prep ready to save work a little later before joining me out in the sun.
The olds arrive, and herself goes to the security barrier to let them onto site. We're not too far from home this weekend, only about 12 miles, and Roids turns up on his pushbike. We have a nice afternoon sat out in the sun and manage to feed 6 adults from the Weber and Caravan before they all disappear as the sun sets.
Olive and her clan come back after being out, and look set for a big cook out with her mam and dad who are staying a few pitches away from them. It really would have been easier all round if Olive had pitched next to her parents, because all weekend they have worn a path across our paddock as they trapse from one van to another.
We drop the awning in readiness for our departure tomorrow and sit outside for a while observing the early evening activity on site. Olive comes over for a chat with herself and explains that they were supposed to be stopping at Freshwater East CC site but had been told not to travel due to waterlogged pitches. At least this site drains quite well so should be ok no matter what @DerekTheWeather throws at us.
Next door come back after a day out and immediately recommence their smokathon. We retreat indoors and settle in for the night.
Monday 27 August
Pack up day, and I wake to that familiar sound of rain hammering on the roof. @DerekTheWeather has promised no let up today, so after putting it off until as late as possible there is no alternative other than to put on a coat and my mongo hat and go outside in the wet and get on with it.
