Camping Caradon, Looe & Polperro 7th - 11th July PART 3

Polperro has got to be one of the prettiest places I've ever been to. On our first visit it rained and rained. This meant that we had it to ourselves. But the rain even came through my 2 coats and got me wet, and Jon had to buy another as it totally did for his coat. On the Thursday we heard the weather was going to be OK the following day and arranged an extra night at the campsite so we could go back to Polperro when it wasn't tipping down. It was definately worth the return visit.

Our first visit...

Gordon in a Polperro street / Three Pilchards home of a fab fish pie

2 days later...

Sarah outside the famous fudge shop - Rachel in Polperro (with out a pacamac)

A lovely pub called The Blue Peter Inn

Camping Caradon, Looe & Polperro 7th - 11th July PART 2

Campsite Fun!

Jon made the most amazing paella for us.
Well done and thanks it was fantastic. What a great cook.

Gordon and a pint of Rattler in the "village hall"

The Cornwall 08 ping pong championships. Great fun :-)

Camping Caradon, Looe & Polperro 7th - 11th July PART 1

We were glad to hit the road and head down to Looe after our Budleigh experiences. And it only took an hour to get there. What a gem the campsite turned out to be. So well kept, lovely owners, cheap as chips, spotless showers, and a village hall style club house. The only other thing we could have asked for was SUNSHINE. In fact we loved it there so much we asked to stay on another night.

Looe harbour - as seen on "Echo Beach"

Shiver me timbers mate - that's Gordon with Jack Sparrow

Sarah and Gordon in Looe

Something strange kept happening to Sam. He'd fall asleep in his pushchair about 11.30am and then wake up in the Ship Inn an hour or so later surrounded by adults with rosy faces. Must have been something to do with the apple juice they were drinking.

PEEPO - Sam on the bus making us smile / Gordon gets 40 winks on the way home

Lunch with Pip and Mari

It was great to be able to stop off on the way to Looe to see Pip and Mari, it is a shame it takes much longer than an hour to get to them for the rest of the year. We went own to Bovey Tracey Riverside Mill for lunch, and Mari looked lovely with her bright bib on. Our girl is growing up!

First Stop - Pooh Cottage Holiday Park, Budleigh Salterton 5th-7th July

Well OK, not quite the first stop of the holiday as we stayed at Hereford on the Friday night. BUT our first night in the camper. All was well until we arrived, when the heavens opened. After about 10 minutes Sarah and Jon arrived and we sat in our vans until there was a break in the weather when we put up our awnings. A freak gust of wind managed to bend some of the poles on the JK awning but Jon managed to sort it out so they could still use it. That was the taste of the bad weather to come! We went down to the local pub that night. Food was good and it was a nice enough setting for our first night. The Dog and Donkey about 5 mins walk from the campsite.

On the Sunday morning there was a break in the weather and we walked into Budleigh. We had a nice walk along the front and on the pebble beach. It sure was windy though. Now after a walk especially when you have a toddler to think about you want to sit down, and have a drink and snack. There really wasn't anywhere in Budliegh that was child friendly. In fact we found the people really rude and selfish. What a strange place considering it should be chasing some tourist trade. We managed to get a seat outside a the Cosy Teapot (as we weren't allowed inside) then the heavens opened. The rudest woman we have ever encountered lives above that tea shop. She shouted at us for leaving little Sam asleep in his buggy a few feet away from us under the awning of the shop next door which was closed. Thankfully a little later on the Salterton Arms opened which was a lovely pub, clean and well done out, and warm AND DRY!

a BIG BIG bus

After 2 years a history project I have been working on has finally come to an end. It has been great and I have enjoyed every minute of it and met some lovely people. I've become the co-author of a book and written and helped to design an exhibition that will be on until July 3rd, then loaned out around Tameside and to Manchester Central Library. We've had lots of media coverage including a piece on the local news. Have a look on at the Fresh Hope Fresh Air project website and watch the film to find out more about our subject matter. I'll post a few pictures from the exhibition launch on 11th June (click on them to enlarge and you can read some of the text) and of the 1960s Manchester bus that came to the launch from the Greater Manchester Transport Museum. The last 2 pictures show Gordon behind the driving wheel. Click to enlarge.

Beefed up

Here's the latest edition to our security arsenal. The van has been for a service this week and also had an oil leak fixed and a new fanbelt. Now we are all set for Cornwall :-)

Marton Mere / Windermere June 5th 2008

The sun was shining and we were off to spend a night near Blackpool followed by 2 more at Bowness on Windermere. Our first stop was the glamorous location of Haven Marton Mere holiday park (!). Only £8 for the night and not a bad spot. Nice pitch and pleasant walk round the Mere that took just under an hour. We didn't even bother to go into Blackpool, just had some tea then went to the clubhouse. My god the kids entertainment went on for hours and hours. After a few drinks it became mildly amusing. Here's Gordon coming back with the happy juice.

At about 11.30am on Friday we set off for The Lakes, it only took just over an hour to get to Fallbarrow next to the Lake. It was our second visit and we were meeting our friends Sarah and Jon. The park kindly booked us on pitches as far apart as possible with ours being right next to the clubhouse. It is such a nice spot that we didn't mind too much as it isn't a rowdy place and our pitch was surrounded by hedges.

Lovely sunshine --- Gordon dressed as a VW owner!

The bluebird ---- Rachel and a friendly duck

Bluebird BBQ Night

On Saturday we took the boat from Bowness to Ambleside where the All England stone skimming championships were taking place. The day started off cloudy but cleared up in the afternoon. By this time the batteries on my camera had died.

Fallbarrow jetties from Windermere --- Sam strikes a pose

View of the Lake from Ambleside