Going home after three weeks

Well a brief breakfast and we were ready to leave at around 09.30 but talked to the warden about our van and then said our good bys to the site owners and headed of to Weybridge. The traffic was heavy in the usual places places ( Stonehenge and the M3/25 Junction) but we made it home in just over three hours, would have been less but for the traffic.
Oh well will be back in Somerset in mid July for a few days.

Time to pack up

Good heavens, there was bit of sun this morning and this is good as we must start the reorganization of all out bits and pieces as we are leaving the Caravan in Waterrow Caravan Site near Taunton.
Usually we take the van home and empty and clean it and then take it back to the storage yard near St Peters Hospital but this time as it will stay this sorting needs to be done today.
So we spent some hours getting it ready but at least next time it will be a lot easier and we only need a small suitcase if clothes and whatever food we need.. Anyway this took some hours and by 15.00 we were done and ready for a shower and a clean up  and then ready to leave for a BBQ with Joanne Tim and kids.
The sun was really shining quite hard and we arrived  at the house and had some lovely steak and salad whilst overlooking the fields with cows grazing away and the kids enjoyed the BBQ
We left Taunton around 8pm and headed back to the site and ready for an early night.

The sky must be running out of rain soon we hope.

Another miserable morning, when will it end??? surely the sky must be empty by now. Anyway we spent the morning relaxing a bit after a bacon sandwich for breakfast which went down well, cooked by the master chef non the the less. Noel caught up with blogging and Jennifer did a house sort as we are beginning to think about packing the van for storage.
We had hoped that the rain would stop sufficiently for us to visit Dulverton a village in Exmooor which we passed through some years ago and hoped for a better look. En-route we passed a Caravan Club site called Lakeside, I am sure the facilities are great but they park much closer together there than at out site and its looks a bit like a car park and so glad we are where we are. However there is a bif price difference, it cost double here to the CC which is probably why the CC site was very busy compared to ours. The route to Dulverton is quite attractive and we passed a nice pub by the river which we will visit next time we come.
Parking is a bit of a nightmare at Dulverton but we finally found a partly empty car park, must be horrendous in the main summer holidays, and then we walked for a short while and ended up in the Copper Kettle café for a nice scones and jam with tea. The main street is packed with cars and does not lend itself to attractive photos but I took a couple but will probably rely on stock photos for the Blog.

We arrived back at the site and took a look around and then had a nice gammon steak with potatoes and veggies for tea,most enjoyable. In the evening we watched Women's International Football with England playing Japan, mixed emotions here, but England won 2.0 although Japan gave them a very tough second half. And so to bed.

And still it rains

There is an old scout song which starts, it rained on Monday and it rained on Tuesday and so on and on and well this has happened to us for pretty much the last couple of weeks which is not great but then life goes on. So having resolved the loss of gas problem we hoper we need to replace a bottle of gas and also we wanted to check out again another caravan site which we thought might be good for us and the family to meet up.

So after some internal caravan sorting we went to meet Joanne and Christopher in Taunton for lunch and then visited the site in Henlade which was quite empty but we guess in summer it would be much busier.but there was a ton of room to spare. Perhaps the rain is putting people of visiting we don't know but after having a tour round it looked fine but we need to check out another one nearer our site in Waterrow.  On the the way back we purchased a can of spray which used on pipes will indicate gas loss and also purchased another 10 kilos of gas. Not sure why this is but 5 kilos costs £ 30.00 and 10 kilos £ 40.00 so I bought another 10K which should last us for many years to come we hope.

On the way back to the site we visited the farm where they have as small site with 10 spaces only and its a field with new Loos and great views but could be a little soggy if there was a lot of rain. Our initial thoughts were a bit negative as there was nothing the for the kids to do however when re considering we realised there is as large park and play area plus a heated open air swimming pool less than one mile away and one mile further is out caravan site. Lets hope we can arrange something in August to have a family group which would be rather nice.
Having had a proper lunch we had purchased earlier a pack of smoked salmon and some freshly baked rolls which we enjoyed whilst watching an evening of TV a new American Medical series called New Amsterdam. We don't usual watch this type of soap opera but we made the exception here.

A slow day but still a lot achieved

Well the first thing we must do this morning is finalise the new caravan insurance so that we can finally confirm that we wish to store our van in Waterrow and that was achieved by midday. It does mean that we have to cancel the existing insurance which we will do on the 20th of June as the new insurance starts this day.
The weather as usual has been mixed with occasional rain followed by a brief and tempting bit of sun and then it goers away a few minutes later. Jennifer started reworking the storage layout in the van so that it makes it easier for us when we leave here at the end of the week. Unfortunately following the mix up of vegetable’s yesterday Noel had a difficult day and really the less said about the better. So for him it was a pain in the a***e.
We have also walked around the site to look for a more suitable location than our current position which is to far away from the wash block and so we have found a couple which we like and will try to book this location for when we come down in July.
For dinner in the evening we had a sirloin steak and salad which was very nice before watching Tv for a while and hitting the sack.

It’s Father’s day

Perhaps I was dreaming but anticipated to waking up to and having smoked salmon for breakfast by the pool, only it was raining and cool and no pool, Ah well perhaps next year.
Well we had a quiet morning with Noel still working o new Caravan Insurance but by midday new the problem was solved and our final decision on storing the caravan in Waterrow confirmed we could relax for the rest of the day. We had planned to treat the family to lunch in the local pub but having been their the other night and with such a slow service plus a menu which would not suit kids it would be crazy to go there. So it had been suggested by Joanne that we go there for lunch.
So shortly after lunch we departed for their house in Taunton and had a lovely lunch with them all and Katherine ate well although Christopher was struggling a bit with a cold and perhaps teeth, its a tough age. In the afternoon a visit to the local park whilst dad stayed at home for a rest and when they go back and a cup of tea or two later we departed back to Waterrow and arriving just before 18.45 , fifteen minutes before they bring down the barrier.
Watched a bit of news showing the 5 leadership contestants all vying to show how good they are a bit like the programme called ‘The Apprentice’ where they all talk about how goo they are and totally screw it up, yes just like Government.
In the evening we watched a Dutch film about a group of Bankers during the second world war taking money to help the uprising and assist their fellow colleagues fight the Nazi’s, quite an interesting film really and poignant at the end as it showed old black and white video of the ringleader and his family and also the statue that has been put in front of the Central Dutch bank in remembrance of his efforts.
And then to bed  with the slight sound of rain on the roof of the caravan, oh well here we go again.

A bit of Sun today and shopping

Well after the usual breakfast and getting more Caravan Insurance quotes which make it possible for us to leave our caravan here in Waterrow it also means that I have to cancel the current caravan Insurance, which is a loss of money as I have paid for a year from April 1st, and open an new insurance policy which enables me to leave the van here. Oh well its only money. However to miss out on this would be painful.

The sun keeps popping in and out in between the rain however the weather forecast being talked about for next week, we understand,  will be a considerable improvement only though if you trust the forecasters?

We left the site around 12.30 and headed off to Wellington to the Waitrose Supermarket which is actually a very nice one, complete with a small café which supplies all the morning papers for you to read and also Wi-Fi free of charge whilst having your snack and also toilets, which if you know Waitrose in Weybridge it has nothing like this. The drive there through the country lanes sometime only 7 feet wide can be a bit tortuous if somebody comes the other way, which they do, so we shall return via the main roads. When we were last week we saw they had some small BBQ’s as a special offer for £ 40.00 and now they were reduced to £ 30.00 to clear and so we took one for our van. We then visited the Fish counter and that looked Ok also and according to the server, they have a delivery every day now that the fishmonger down the road has closed down anyway we bought some cod for tonight and hope that its Ok.

The drive home was about ten minutes longer than the country lanes but less work for the driver and we then did a quick drive through in Wiveliscombe ( called Wivvy by the locals) and their was not much there apart from a Co-op and a couple of other shops. All the way home the sun was shining and we unpacked the shopping and got ready to sit outside in the sun only it started to rain again.

Well the cod from Waitrose was pretty damn good and together with noodles and beansprouts and some wine went down a treat. After dinner we watched some BBC iPlayer programmes before hitting the sack around 11.30 , a bit later than usual but we had decided to watch the second part of a of two part’er Silent Witness.

Today it is still raining

It had rained a bit overnight and again this morning and we had received notification that DPD will deliver our parcel around 10.30, we shall see although our personal experience with DPD is really excellent. So after Jennifer making tea via the microwave and we had cereal and banana for breakfast, alla cold breakfast, we waited for the delivery to to take place.
Well DPD were true to their word as the parcel arrived around 10.45 and so Noel scuttled back to the van to fix it which he did without the right tools but it seems ok but different from the other adapter. Initially we could not get gas and after rereading all the instructions realised that we got it sorted. Ten minutes later the site warden turned up with another parcel this one from Amazon supplier which had been promised via the Post office for delivery on next Monday, wow that's all a bit of luck. So what with replenishing the Loo and sorting out the gas it was time for a cuppa. I must say we were lucky when sorting the gas connecter out as the rain stopped for about 20 minutes which was enough time to finish and the it came down hard again. The gas connecter worked slightly differently to the last one and initially it would not work until realising that the lever has to be in a different position.
Well the weather was now a bit mixed but earlier we had checked on other caravan storage sites without much luck just in case we cannot resolve the security issue with the current one. The weather in the late afternoon around 18.30 suddenly changed to bright sun with blue skies, good weather has been forecast but not sure whether you can trust the reports. Apparently there was due to be a viewing of house yesterday and will have wait a few days for any feedback .
This  site is very nice but most people seem to have a dog or two so I am considering to purchase a plastic dog, that looks dangerous to scare the others away. In the evening what with the gas cooker back up and running Jennifer cooked some chicken drum sticks for a salad which now with the sun shining is most appropriate.
Have watched a little bit of the political stuff over past few days, inn USA Judicial Watch is getter ever closer to the FBI, CIA ,DOJ and the Clintons on there misdeed’s and in Europe with the two outgoing senior personal awarding themselves a farewell bonus of half a million pounds, for what I am not sure, and then of course the vote for the candidates to replace the famous Mrs May, should not be hard, I even think my Koi fish could have done better ..
Oh well lets hope weather stays good.

A very frustrating day

Needless to say it was raining which meant the caravan engineer would arrive early as he would be unable to complete his other external jobs. In the meantime Noel went down to reception to see if their was any update on the Store and Stay and they confirmed there had been a cancellation and they had checker several other people on the waiting list who all said No or not at this time and so we have the opportunity to leave our caravan here and give them a call when we needed a site and they would put it ready for us to arrive. This is great and we only need to check with the caravan insurance will they accept change of location and all other requirements. Whilst Noel was in reception discussing this the Caravan Engineer turned up and so we returned to the van for him to start his research.

The engineer spent nearly an hour checking the system and the pressure but could not find a leak in the system which was great except there was still a smell of gas and it was when he took out the small 5kilo gas bottle which was completely empty and wow it was only brand new three days ago we discovered that it was the adapter was faulty and allowing the gas to escape all the time. So we turned everything off and proceeded to look on the web for caravan dealers or gas dealers who may sell it but with out any luck after almost ten phone calls,except finally one company said they had it in stock. The store was about 35 minutes away through little country lanes which are not always wide enough for vehicles to pass and it of course it was raining. We got to the shop and it was the wrong unit, Damns and Blast. The only big caravan dealer was at Highbridge about one hours drive away but Noel was not convinced the unit they had in stock was correct. So a brief rethink was required , we could spend nearly another two hours travelling with the risk it was still the wrong part or go back to the caravan and get an order online which could create a further delay waiting for delivery as we cannot use the cooker at the moment until this is resolved.
For some reason to add to the frustration each time I tried to order via Amazon it wanted me to go thro additional security checks and when I said deliver the product to an Amazon Locker, the reply came back saying the supplier cannot deliver to your area, what??? Any way after about 30 minutes it was sorted and then to pay a medical bill which should be simple but the online payment system did not work, neither the phone and pay system as it kept on saying it would not recognise the credit card number which was strange and when giving it verbally it worked just fine. And to add to the frustration they have two account numbers in my name still after asking them at least two times to combine them to make it easier. And then my mobile started playing up, oh B…..y hell.
When speaking to the Caravan Insurance company about the change of location and that this site is much safer than the pervious they still insist on a wheel lock which is difficult to do as the way the store the vans is apart six inches apart and so to put on and access a d wheel lock is nigh on impossible. The site has movement sensors with noisy alarms and the caravan has other security features, however we must sort it out somehow,
So we returned home and eventually just to be sure we ordered two units from different suppliers, one to be delivered by DPD with 24 hours, lets wait and see and the other to come via the Post Office for delivery next Monday, we hope.
So another evening without the cooker but we put the adapter back on for Jennifer to cook some really excellent lamb chops form Waitrose together with roast potatoes and veg and then quickly run outside and disconnect the gas adapter. Needless to say we enjoyed a glass of wine .
Again some more rubbish TV

Quite a busy day really

We had put our name down for the store and stay programme but as we understood there was a waiting list we could not expect to much and so we decided to look elsewhere whilst on the way to meet Joanne and Tim and family.
We went to visit a site which we upon arrival recognised as one we have visited before and then decided to forget that one and then on to Rumwell Farm Shop just outside of Taunton for lunch.

The place was busy and when you see the quality of the food and sizes you can understand why. We had a nice lunch with Tim and Joanne and Christopher before Joanne and us two went to Katherines school to giver her a surprise meet and greet and to see here face when she came out of  her classroom.
 Then back to their house for a cup of tea and the kids to play with their toys. It was a very way to spend a lunch and afternoon.

We left their house an got home without rain surprisingly and then Jennifer and I ate a snack of crisps and nuts with a glass of beer and then we watched some rubbish TV and knowing their was a chance we would need to get up early as the caravan engineer was expected , timing not known, but could be early.

Boy did it rain overnight

Well the storm continued overnight and kept us awake for quite a it of the night and the it was so noisy, oh well nothing to be done. Noel woke at around 3 Am doubting whether he had closed all the car windows but as it was raining so hard decided to leave it till the morning as if the car was wet there was not much he could do but thankfully they were all closed.

Due to a minor error in setting up the van control panel at the beginning of our travels it would appear that the heating was set to be by Gas and not electricity and so we had used up one complete bottle of gas, great and so today we needed to buy another bottle of gas. The nearest place was a company in Wellington about 30 minutes away and so off we went and it was not the cheapest but due to the way they calculate the cost of the Bottles, a 5 kilos bottle of gas costs £ 30.00 and a 10 kilo £40.00 and so Noel opted for the larger bottle. On the way back we stopped off at Waitrose to top up the refrigerator with enough food for the next few days and we plan to go for dinner tonight at the local pub called ‘The Rock’ to avoid primarily Jennifer to spend more hours slaving over a hot stove. We had hoped for some BBQ’s but in this weather forget it.
When we got back Noel sought out a Caravan repair Guy as there is the odd smell of Gas but we are not sure and so have found an engineer to come and check the system on Thursday this week.
We went for dinner at the Rock Pub as planned and were really looking forward to it as our past experience was very good, but tonight the service was extremely slow and their was a young couple who were only having a main course and they to wait and hour. We had planned to hold a lunch party here this weekend but no way after this performance and there was not food for kids to tuck in to either. It’s still raining here so much for summer weather.

From Glastonbury to Waterrow, Somerset

Well we awoke to a cloudless sky, Wot no rain?? and for the rest of the day until about 7 pm in the evening it was beautiful.

We packed up the caravan at a slow rate as we were not in a hurry as we only had a maximum of two hours to travel but however we were ready to leave just before 11.00 and so off we went. The small road from the site to the main road is about one mile long and not very wide, in fact if two caravans meet there would be a big problem why they ask caravan to only arrive after 14.00, and we made it it without any hassle.
Jennifer had looked at the route we would take the night before and by using Google Map and Google earth it was possible to looked at junctions and the actual signposting which makes it a lot easier. The traffic was not to bad and we we arrived at Waterrow Touring Park around 12.30 which is actually the earliest you can arrive and my 12.45 we were on out site and by 13.30 we sat down on the grass on our chairs with a cup of tea and biscuit, still no rain.
Jennifer went for a walk to explore the site , which we had stayed on before back in October 2014 when there was a bad storm, and looked around by the river and then back whilst Noel tried to get the fast Wi-Fi running and as we are pretty much on the last pitch if only just reaches us and Noel has a Wi-Fi extender which needed setting up and also retune the TV  for  the Programmes. We had only had a biscuit and tea for lunch and so had an early dinner of two rather large gammon slices form Morrisons Glastonbury and together with some chips and egg washed down with a glass of plonk just as the rains arrived.
Boy did it rain, the noise in the caravan was so great the TV sound was only just loud enough at maximum but we watched a couple of hours of Silent Witness which is always quite good although it can be a little gruesome at times.
As we want to bed the wind and rain picked up,  typical June weather we thought and not the flamin’ June that people talk about.

Its due to rain tomorrow so lets get ready now

We are due to move on tomorrow and having been watching the weather forecast on the BBC and Yahoo and in the end they both go t it wrong .

We kicked off the day with scrambled egg and bacon about late morning and then slowly in the sunshine went through the preparation for the caravan movement as if its going to rain cats and dogs tomorrow, as forecast , then we can do some stuff now when in its not raining. So Jennifer worked away around the inside of the van moving food and other stuff to places where it is more stable and Noel checked the tyres, wheel nuts, took off both security locks and generally made ready to go including putting on the extra extension wing mirrors. Its strange by law you must have them but our Land Cruiser is quite wide and we do not need them to see but the law is the law, as they say.

BY mid afternoon we were already to go apart from a few odd things and so sat outside in the sunshine which will not last they say. In the evening we used up the rest of the chicken  in our famous chicken splodge recipe and that went down well. The site saw a number of leavers and arrivals during the day and its pretty full, if not completely full as people obviously like quality. In the evening we watched the Canadian Grand Prix on the PC and also the kerfuffle at the end when Vettel lost out first place as he received a five second penalty for dangerous re-entry after leaving the track. There are lots of different views on whether this was right ort not but somehow when looking at the event several times it looked obvious to us that he had gained control and allowed the car to close down Hamilton, he has done this before to Hamilton so Vettel you have had your bottom slapped.

Well and then an early night to bed to get ready for the morning move in the rain.