What are you all up to
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Sorry to hear about MIL Wherenext, hope that she makes a speedy recovery. I know from experience that that phone call gives you a shock, glad that you weren’t too far away.
Good luck with the new car Millie. I have a full licence but have only driven automatics for the last 40 years. Everyone used to laugh at me, many not liking them but now they seem more the norm. I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to drive a manual now.
An old friend came for a bbq on Friday, normally when we say bbq it chucks it down but it was the opposite, so very hot and little shade at the caravan. We decided to go over to the Clubhouse for a drink but they had failed to put any parasols out so not much better, even so we had a good catchup. My cousin and her husband are coming for a bbq this afternoon, the weather looks better for it warm but cloudy.
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DEBSC
I have not been driving automatics as long as you but every car in the last 17 years has had an auto box, even when towing. I just wish that my two motorhomes had, had auto boxes. I could be wrong but I think all EV's have auto boxes of sorts. Clearly if someone is more comfortable driving a car with a manual gearbox that is what they should stick with. Having said that I think you are right is saying that manual gearboxes will become a thing of the past in the not too distant future? My current car was a bit of a learning curve. Because its an HEV its often in just electric mode when you stop. I somethings forget to turn off the engine which is done by pressing a button!!!!
David
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Lovely morning here, sunny but fresher feeling.
OH has the MG out, giving it a wash. Surprising how dusty it gets in the garage, 😂 perhaps we'll take it for a drive later.
Glad you enjoyed your stay at NYM R&R, safe trip home. Hope the warden's haven't put you off revisting next year, these NF sites need all the help they can get.
Enjoy your bbq DEBSC.
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Another sunny day here, will need to start gathering up all our stuff for packing soon, but meantime my sister has me changing electric outlets for her, as many of the ones she has are not earthed . The cable is there but has not been used, so an easy swap.
She lives alone so has nobody to do these sort of jobs for her as she does not like to bother her sons-in-law too much, so she saves most of them up until I come, which of course is not that often.
We have been wrestling with the logistics of getting 6 of us and all the luggage to the airport. 2 cars will be needed, which means 2 cars need to be driven back, so we also need 2 drivers, but 8 people leaves too little space for all the luggage. My niece and her husband solved it by saying they would come in their spacious (electric) Audi to pick us up, and one of them will drive the second car, which we had borrowed from them anyway. This will save my sister from making the long drive, 100 km each way.
She already has plenty to do with getting her house back in order after having dozens of visitors …….lots of sheets and towels to wash too.
And we will get to experience travelling in an EV.
Tomorrow will be a long day, we leave here at 11.30, check in at airport is 13.30, flight to Oslo 15.30, then a dash to the plane to Edinburgh, and finally home by bus and car sometime between 21.00 and 22.00.
A caravan holiday is so much more relaxing!!
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But possibly not as enjoyable as a lovely visit to see your family KjelNN. You will have some wonderful memories. (and you wont have to unpack the caravan when you get home!)
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You seem to have enjoyed good weather overall Kj. Glad you all seem to have had a good, different break. Safe journey home.
A day of sorting things out that have been put on the back burner, especially as we now have some space in the garage.
Plenty of washing of clothes etc.
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Sometimes, even after 54 years, my husband surprises me. He came in from milking this morning and said “we’re going on holiday tomorrow”! I have muttered quite a bit about going away but I thought it would be at least in August and was looking more and more unlikely.
But we have dashed to Booths and stocked up with some bits of food to cover the first day at least. Then booked 8 nights at New England Bay. No plans of what to do there - mostly sit, sleep, read, eat and drink.
But first I have to check any outstanding paperwork is up to date and all bills paid. I’ve reminders on scraps of paper around me and I’m crossing my fingers we won’t forget anything.
The car and caravan should be packed by late morning and then we’re off!
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Goldie. Have a nice holiday hope you enjoy
We are now at our usual site just outside Blackpool after a wonderful 2 weeks at Hurn Lane club site at brean in Somerset. Had a great time it’s such a nice area and lots to do near by also we couldn’t complain about that weather in the main it was excellent. After checking the weather we decided to get the awning down yesterday morning. We got up early and took it down bone dry we were lucky though we had just got it down and away in it’s bag and the skies opened with a down pour that lasted 2 hours. Ended up going back to Cheddar yesterday but didn’t stay long as it poured all day Up early again this morning to bright sunshine and left Hurn Lane at half 9 roads up to here were fine M5 was quiet just a section round Birmingham a bit busy but only a 20 minute delay so we arrived here just after 2. Didn’t want to cook so after a quick drive along Lytham shore front we went for dinner to the Green King we normally visit when staying here had an excellent Sunday roast. Now relaxing back at the van not sure oh plan for tomorrow will wait and see what the weather is like first.
Hope all goes well with the new car Mille our current car is an auto and I like it it’s good for towing and makes life a bit easier in general
Hope everyone else has had a nice weekend0 -
WN, we too have had plenty of washing out on the line, having arrived back home, for a short while, from our latest trip. Although the forecast was for rain later in the day it stayed fine and ON was able to get 4 rounds of washing dried outside. We have used 1 club site, 1 CL and 3 THS's, one of them twice, during this 20 day trip, at an average cost of under £13pn, so am very pleased with that. We would certainly use all of them again, should they fit into our future plans. Now my work begins once more with the cleaning of the van and car, and seeing what needs doing in the garden, before we head off again.
Hope you have an enjoyable and relaxing time at NEB, Goldie. Have a safe journey home, R&R, you certainly picked a good week to be away. Kjell, by the sounds of it you need a degree in logistics to have worked out how you are getting home. You too have a safe trip back.
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Have a lovely holiday Goldie at New England Bay.
Glad you have enjoyed your holiday Francis & KjellNN and it was a very economical trip Nellie.
We took the MG for drive this afternoon, travelled out past where HS2 is cutting through the.countryside, near us, the landscape has been changed completely ☹️
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Lovely bbq yesterday with my cousin and her husband, not too hot but the sun came out just before they arrived so lovely. We had a short walk by the river on site, they had already done a 6 mile walk in the morning, we watched the paddle boarders, it always looks such a serene pastime. This is the couple we recently spent a week holidaying with in Yorkshire, and we immediately fell into easy conversation again, always find plenty to chat about and enjoy both of their company. My cousin reminded me how, 52 years ago, I excitedly informed her that I was pregnant for her to reply, ‘so am I! We have always been best friends spending as much time together as we could since we were very young.
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That’s a great nightly average Nellie, just shows how economic it can still be by mixing and matching your options👍
Enjoy your new car Millie, given the option, I would go for auto gearbox nowadays. I have to think carefully about which of our four options we are in……Jeep, auto, and a doddle. My Mini… manual and not enjoyable in heavy traffic. MH is manual but a lovely relaxing drive. MGB……. manual, no power steering, every button, switch is away from steering apart from indicators, but it’s still a fabulous drive. Still love that kick from the overdrive.
Enjoy your break Goldie. Never stayed at NEB, but have driven past and it’s a gorgeous location.
Nice to meet up with family Debsc.
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Hope you enjoy your new car Milliehull. We have been having this conversation about the car for a few months as well, now we don’t have the caravan. We have a Kia Sorento and it’s a great car, quite economical for its size, it has been 100% reliable and apart from usual maintenance it costs us nothing at the moment to keep. OH doesn’t want to change it at all at present. Do we go Hybrid, or another diesel, or stick with what we have a bit longer (which is the cheapest option). We could never go back to a manual after 8 years of an automatic which is so relaxing to drive, although I think it depends on what you are used to I suppose. Further discussions to have.
Glad you enjoyed NYM site Richard. It was always our favourite site. Shame to hear about the Ruswarp cafe, we often enjoyed a quiet coffee there. Is the Garden Centre gone too?
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heddlo
I gave up on diesel cars when we stopped towing 11 years ago. Had two Kia Venga petrol autos but now have a Kia Niro HEV petrol which like most hybrids is automatic. Given the size of the car I am rather amazed at the economy. Most of our motoring now is only relatively short distances, usually between 3 and 10 miles. It returns around 40 mpg, on long runs it is 50 plus. Having said that if the Sorento is still reliable you will save a lot of money by keeping it.
David
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Hope that you enjoy getting out and about in your new car, Millie.
Good to read that you had decent weather for you BBQ, Debs.
We were pleased that we came home yesterday and not today as we woke to a wet morning, and it wasn't until after our first walk that the rain stopped. However it has stayed fine for the rest of the day and I was able to get the car cleaned outside, although I will have to get the tar remover out as there are some quite big spots of it along the driver's door....yet another job to do!!
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Not a bad day today was raining when we got up this morning but soon cleared up we got woken up early by the typhoon jet taking off from the RAF base right across from the site that’s one of the quirks of this site we have one of the front facing pitches so have a view of the air field we have been coming here for quite a while now and this is the first time we have managed ot get one of these pitches. We went out to Cleveleys today as we like a walk along the shore front always nice. Came back along the coast road through Blackpool we were surprised how quiet the sea front was considering it’s peak season.
Glad you enjoyed the trip Nellie and got the car cleaned I will be doing ours when we get home from this trip0 -
"Glad you enjoyed NYM site Richard. It was always our favourite site. Shame to hear about the Ruswarp cafe, we often enjoyed a quiet coffee there. Is the Garden Centre gone too?"
I'm not sure what's going on, heddlo. As I said, the gates were locked and the little steam train further up the road is no longer there. Looking towards the cafe, though, there were tables outside with their umbrellas still there. It didn't actually look closed - but there was no way you could get in.
Had a bit of a surprise before we left NYM. I woke up on Sunday morning with a painful left elbow and gradually it got worse to the extent that my whole lower arm is badly swollen and is absolutely black / purple all down the underside. I have to take blood thinners and it was obvious my elbow / arm was bleeding internally. Anyway, by this morning, it had got so bad that I thought a visit to the GP would be prudent! Much to my surprise, I got an appointment within 30 minutes of ringing at 8.30.
Strange thing is, I can't remember doing anything to injure it - other than dragging a very full Wastemaster to the emptying point but the Dr confirmed this was a highly likely cause. Rest is the order of the day - and probably the next few weeks. However, I was warned that if the swelling increases I haven't to mess about - but go straight to A&E because surgery will be required to ease the pressure and stem the bleeding.
I'm starting to feel old!!
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Not all people on blood thinners have that reaction Richard but I certainly do. Since the Stroke and the need for blood thinner medication my right arm and hand are often to be found with red blotches. Depending what I've been carrying and it's heaviness will determine how badly and how far the blotches will appear, usually the following day. I'm used to it now. Strangely it doesn't really affect the left arm or legs. I have given myself "a black eye" by extracting a piece of grit from the corner of the eye. OH got blamed for it.
MiL also on blood thinners but she doesn't have this reaction.Spent an hour of our lives that we'll never get back this morning. We have 2xMoto phones. 1 of them stopped taking calls from the other. Moto website useless. We eventually decided that, although the phone that wasn't accepting the call showed it wasn't blocking the other, it must have been. So we deliberately blocked it, unblocked it and hey presto I can now get through to OH if need be.
Had a pleasant walk along the Flintshire coastline this afternoon in beautiful weather. Can't say I fancy anything hot and heavy for dinner. I was going to make a Tuna Pasta Bake but there's not much enthusiasm for it here.
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We got home earlier this afternoon from a great 3 week trip we spent most of it at Hurn Lane Club site in Burnham on Sea such a good area to stay in with lots of interesting things to see and do close by also great for cycling as it’s mostly flat right along the coast. Weather was good and for anyone who visits it’s worth noting that the site next door Sandy Glades holiday park let’s you use their swimming pool and bar complex with all the entertainment etc you can buy the passes from them and they are reasonably priced we find this great and ventured down there quite a bit for a drink and to watch the singers etc they also have a nice beer garden. We then had a couple of days at Donkey Creek caravan park near Blackpool another of our regular haunts we love that area too and the towns of Lytham and Cleveleys. Easy four hour tow home today and got the van back on its space in the drive our next trip out with it will just be a couple of nights somewhere local but it will probably be 2-3 weeks yet as we have things on over the next couple of weekends. Volvo was filthy when we got back so I gave it a good clean as the weather is lovely at the moment. Currently sitting out the back garden cooking some steaks we bought yesterday at Pembertons farm shop got them on the. BBQ hope this weather keeps up in to the weekend.
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The eye clinc appt went well this afternoon. I didnt realise it would take quite so long. The notices as you enter tell you alllow 2 hours - I wish they had told me when they made the appt! I saw the nurse first for a routine sight test, then had an eye scan and then saw the consultant who put some drops in my eye. I went back to see him again after the drops had taken effect so he could give the eye a thorough examination. The result was all is well with my eye. I just have to learn to live with the 'floaters'! OH has a cold so we decided he should stay at home and keep his germs to himself. I went on my own and took the bus. Surprise meeting with a friend who lives not far from me as I was waiting for the bus home. She had been to visit a friend who is in hospital so we had a lovely catch up on the half hour journey home.
So pleased you had such a good 3 week holiday Frances. I have enjoyed reading about it as I love that part of the country.
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My bus pass is due for renewal, it runs out on Saturday. For some reason you can only apply for them 4 weeks before they expire in MK. I duly sent off my renewal and had confirmation they had got it and it was work in progress. What I didn't notice was a second email about an hour after the first telling me the photo I sent was unacceptable! Having ignored this email I started to wonder where my bus pass was! Fortunately they keep the application on record and all I had to do was the submit another photo. Fingers crossed this one is acceptable?
David
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I think R&R might be talking about the cafe that’s near the boat hire, and miniature railway heddlo. We visited Perry’s Nursery and Cafe back in April, and all was fine there, didn’t leave empty handed either, 🤭 plants, book, gifts. Love this place, one of my favourite plant buying places.
Glad all went well at the hospital Millie. I too have “floaters” and had the get yourself to hospital quickly routine. Thankfully all still ok with my eyes.
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Good to read that you got home safely, Francis, and very impressed with the car cleaning so soon!! Well done. Glad that you enjoyed your 3 weeks away.
Pleased to hear that your consultant found nothing wrong with your eye, Millie, it just be a great relief for you. After a while you will not notice the floaters, if they are anything like those that I have.
Richard, i hope that the swelling goes down rapidly and that you do not have to dash off to A&E. I guess it will have put a stop to your getting away for a while.
Sounds like a pleasant afternoon, WN. Were you able to take MIL out on your walk, or is it a bit too soon for her to be out and about?
It was a beautiful day here, at home, and I was able to get the outside of the caravan cleaned between walks out with Flyte and OH. After lunch OH had her yearly checkup with the practice nurse, and on the way there we received a text, followed up by a phone call, from Sergeant, about the alarm on the caravan being activated!! Having just left the house, where we store the caravan, and with our next door neighbour polishing his car adjacent, I knew that it was safe, but after dropping off OH I had to drive back home to reset the alarm, then back to the doctor's to pick up OH, arriving just as she exited the surgery. However I shouldn't complain about the call, as that is why we pay the premium for them to keep track of the caravan.
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Glad all went well Millie. Welcome to Floater World.
Nellie - We left MiL at home as she was out for a chaperoned walk with OH in the morning. Distance was curtailed from her normal walks. We were only out for a couple of hours. Hope OH's MoT went well.
We started getting phone calls about 10-15 minutes into a drive from Scorpion asking if we were in the Van. After the third automated one I rang them. Silly **** had us down as having a different system so naturally there was no fob in the vehicle for that system. They've made 4 administrative errors to date so can't say I'm too impressed.
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Good to hear MIL is out and about again WN, she does magnificently👏👏
Hope you and Mrs Nellie are ok Nellie, not too much down time at home before your next tour hopefully.
I had a really good morning up at Mum’s today. A lovely warm sunny day, so got a lot more done to an area I am renovating. It’s cost next to nothing to do, as I found all sorts of garden treasures ready to be re used…….nice old bricks for a retaining wall, some lovely flat limestone slabs, used for steps and borders. An old fashioned dustbin lid, edged with small limestone pieces has made a nice little pond/birdbath, plenty of plants to split and set into new part of garden. Some plants I have grown from seed, like hollyhocks have gone in. I even found an un opened roll of weed suppressing membrane to put down ready to have bark on top. That will happen Thursday hopefully. Still a bit to do, but it’s transformed a not very nice area into a lovely little sun trap area, sheltered and warm. Greenhouse is up there as well.
Back home mid afternoon, and a lovely dip in our pool rounded out the day nicely. Day off tomorrow……where to go🤔2 -
ttda / heddlo - Yes I was, although as I said, the miniature railway is no more and most of the track has been replaced with a footpath. Perry's is still there and going strong - to the extent that there weren't any spaces in the car park when we went - probably due to the Riverside being closed.
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I'm waiting for my driving licence, David. Application sent in May for licence that is running out mid-August. It's worse that waiting for a Number 7 bus!! Mind you, when it does arrive, I doubt if several will arrive at the same time!! 😵😲🤓🚴
David
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Moved to a different site from Monday of this week. (https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/discussions/sites-touring/uk-sites-touring/name-that-camc-site/?er=P860828#P860828 ) Weather was kind yesterday... off to the beach today. Fingers crossed it brightened up a bit...
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Is that a standard licence? I have always found the DVLA to be brilliant with my dealings with them. I only have B1 entitlement now and (currently) no reportable medical conditions so my licence was renewed pretty quickly. Margaret's took longer as after her cataract operation they wanted a further test for peripheral vision which was done at Specsavers at DVLA expense. When we sold the motorhome I had an email from them telling me of the change of ownership almost on the same day. They also said they would refund any over payment and cancel the DD which they did almost seamlessly.
David
PS we have the number 7 bus at the end of our close, no hassle as we use our real time App to tell us when its coming
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It's a standard lincence, David, but there are medical conditions. However, the medical conditions are not really 'driving related' and I'm not really sure which I should report - it depends in 'intepretation'... I guess it's my own fault for putting them all down...
David
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