May Day Bank Holiday Weekend 2012 - worth it or not?
Well this year we went with our friends just up the road to Conkers C&CC site. We went on the Wednesday. I took the caravan up during the afternoon and went to pick my wife and daughter up from their various schools (my wife being a teacher and my daughter still being at Secondary school). We went up to the van, put up the awning got set up properly, then my wife and daughter went back home for the clothes, which we just had not had time to pack. They also just had to go to Asda to do shopping. Against they had got back and we had had evening meal, it was virtually time for bed.
Early to rise on the Thursday morning to take my wife and daughter to school. I took the dog for a walk then had to go and pick up some drink for the weekend and one or two other things forgotten from the previous evening 'shop'. After going back to the caravan and putting thingsaway, it was almost time to go and collect my wife and daughter from school again. Back to the caravan for a quick tea and it was time for me (and the wife) to get in the car and go to our weekly choir practice up towards Stafford. Anna stayed in the van with Lizzie, the dog, and myself and Carol eventually arrive back to the van at about 11.30pm. Time for bed.
Friday morning, early to rise for the school run! Then I take the dog for a walk. Leave to site just before midday to go to Tamworth to take another choir practice. After finishing, just enough time to collect wife and daughter from school, and back to the caravan we go for tea. So far we have been at the site since Wednesday and have not really seen our friends. We did have an 'awning get together' with our friends this evening (having cancelled my usual Friday night choir practice), but Carol was so tired she just couldn't join us - she went straight to bed.
Saturday morning, cooked breakfast on the Cadac and then a quick get away to Birmingham to pick up our eldest daughter, Ruth, who had come down to join us for the weekend. What she really wanted to do was for us to go with her to have a look at some cars. In the end she decided to buy a new Citreon C1. After sorting this out, we go to do yet more shopping and end up back at Conkers just in time for our communal barbecue. Unfortunately, the weather had been so poor, is was far too cold to have our usual barbecue so we all did our own thing, and met together after in someone's awning for drinks.
Sunday morning, up early to go to church - I needed to go back to play for the service (as church organist) and took back two choir members with me!! After arriving back and having lunch, the weather brightened a little and at least some of us managed to meet outside for coffee and cake. In the evening we all went out for a pre-booked meal, followed by 'awning drinks!
Monday was pack up day! I left Carol to beging tidying while I took our eldest daughter, Ruth, to catch the train back to Manchester. When I arrived back we took down the awning, finished tidying and were on our way back to take the caravan back to storeage.
The question is, was it really worth it? We actually spent more time away from the site and doing 'normal' things. We did get together with our friends, but this year, the weather was poor and meant we all saw a lot less of each other. We had an excellent meal on the Sunday night and we did have some 'evening awning get togethers. Would we do it again? Of course we would. Being out of the house is a break and a change, irrespective of other things. We do need to plan our shopping and packing to make it a bit more efficient, and perhaps I might cancel the other two choir practices next year. We certainly need to order better weather for 2013.
David