After leaving Poolsbrook we drove, or I drove to Haughton to see some friends. They have a very nice bungalow and a lot of land. They have turned part of the land into a CL. A CL is a certified location which you are allowed to have five campers or caravans stay on. They are all over the UK. Maurice has done a great job. We were the only ones there that day.

It was good to catch up with Maurice and Judy and to see his American car, an Edsel which sounded so nice.

We left there on Saturday morning and headed for slimbridge to a campsite right by the canal. The slimbridge wildfowl trust is about a twenty minute walk down the lane. We never went there but we will return to go there as I like birds and it’s one of the best places to see a huge variety. Just outside the campsite is a pub, the Tudor arms which is actually only 95 steps from the pitch we were on. Funny how coming back from the pub it was 153 steps. We met friends in the pub who only live about twenty minutes away. They use to come down to Devon and stay on the site we were working on. Sunday we went for a walk down the canal to blow the cobwebs out. I do like canal boats and the peaple who own them always seem to be so friendly. Waving as they tootle past at walking pace. I liked the chimney decorations on a couple of them.

Before leaving slimbridge yesterday I went back over to the pub at 7.30 am for a nice big breakfast, and just to check on the number of steps to get there and back. It was 95 steps each way so the 153 coming back that night after seeing friends for a drink or two, I can only think someone must have spiked my drink.

Got back down to Devon and went and picked the car up. Flat battery but no problem when you have a small starter pack. Fired up straight away and with Nikki following me we headed for a campsite in south molton which we have stayed on before when we had our big Winnebago. The site has changed a lot since we were here, all for the better. Joe the owner was his usual self and we went and had a pint with him and a good laugh. We will be here for a week or so, got things to do, peaple to see, places to go to. So since getting of the ferry we have done a further 792 miles to get us back to Devon. No I never got lost that was all the running around we done. Since leaving Devon after finishing work for our winter trip and now getting back to Devon we have travelled 3551 miles. Now all we have to do is start work next month for the summer so we can go away again in November.

We left Brighton in glorious sunshine and headed for John cross motorhomes at robertsbridge to get our awning fixed. All fixed, just need some sun now so we can use it again. It’s only been broke a year. We left there and headed for Bicester to a campsite we used a few years ago in the RV. Nice and quiet this time of year. Set up on the pitch and a chicken came to greet us and some weird ducks had a look in also. This stop was just to break the journey up on our way to Poolsbrook in the Peak District.

The next morning we said goodbye to the chickens and weird ducks, they are so ugly but nice at the same time. Heading out on the highway for Poolsbrook. Up north. Nice campsite beside some lakes and right next to the trans peninsula way, a collection of paths that go from east to west or west to east of the Uk. The reason for coming this far up north was we needed to get a new screen cover made for the camper. From this site the company were only half an hours drive away. Bright and early next morning we were sat outside the unit on a industrial site at 8.30 waiting for them to open. Nikki loved getting up early and packing everything away.

The company that we’re making the screen cover have a good reputation and get good reviews. So when we arrived at a small shabby looking unit that was on a dodgy looking estate with cars abandoned we wondered if we had the right place. The owner arrived and we chatted about what I wanted to change from the old screen cover. Had a look round inside the unit to see how things are made etc. Two hours later we were driving away with our new screen cover. Not on the camper though, that would be silly and dangerous. A great company and a great product. Don’t be fooled by first impressions. The camper with it’s nice new screen cover.

Today we went for a walk along some of the paths to Staveley, a small village/town only about a mile or so away. A walk around, luckily no bloody shoe shops this time. Saw some loverly old buildings including the old cinema, long closed down. Found this row of old cottages which had been bought back to life with what looks like reclaimed bricks etc. The back of the cottages were still old original stone. I think they look really nice and make a nice photo.

The peaple up north often joke about the southern softies, but I will tell you something. I never saw anyone wearing shorts up here only me, and it was a glorious day up north. Tomorrow we start heading south.

After our snowy arrival back in the UK, thank you British weather. We left Wareham Forest tourist park in sunshine to head for another campsite right next to Gatwick airport. The reason for this we were booked in a hotel for our training for our new jobs at Lingfield. The Gatwick site is only about half an hour away so we would arrive fresh and ready for school.

As soon as we booked in on the campsite I asked if I could wash the camper because it was so dirty after driving up through spain and France and all the snowy roads in UK. I hate my camper being dirty. The lady on reception was very good and pointed me in the direction of the wash area. A lot of campsites don’t allow you to wash your campers or caravans. Camper washed and pitched up, lunch time. If you were a plane spotter you would love the campsite. Not my cup of tea but we were only there to make it easier for us the next day. We didn’t realise so many planes take off and land so often. We would hear them and then see them soaring over the trees at the end of the campsite. You could still see the one that had just taken off and another would be going up. Bloody noisy too. They started early in the morning also.

We left the campsite and headed for Lingfield Marriott country club and race course which is where we were booked in for five nights to do our training. Parked the camper up in the hotel carpark taking up four spaces. Not my fault they don’t have bays for campers. There were another three campers there. Off to the meet and great session and get our info for the coming week. Name tags and uniform for the coming season etc. Listen to the big boss do his chat. There were about 90 of us on the training course split into four groups. Me and Nikki were in different groups. Checked in to the hotel room and then down for dinner. We don’t do hotels as we have our own hotel on wheels so it’s all different especially for me. Nikki has done a few hotels in the past when she used to go on her conferences. So she knew how to get in the room with a little plastic card. I must say we were looked after very well throughout our stay. We got paid mileage, hotel for five nights, three meals a day and we even got paid for being there. The training was from 9-5 with two half hour T breaks and an hour for lunch. A lot of topics were covered. A bit of information overload but it was an insight into everything we will be doing.

On the last night there was a dinner dance, I don’t dance because I would have to do a risk Assessment but Nikki was up on the dance floor reliving her disco days. Met some great peaple and had a great laugh. I must admit I did go out to the camper every morning to make sure it was ok. We still have one more day doing machine training at the beginning of March and then onto our site which now we are going to Cirencester. Supposed to be a nice site but we are still going to be covering other sites if needed.

We left the hotel this morning after one last big breakfast and headed for Brighton. Very windy journey and lots of rain. Tomorrow hopefully the rain will ease so we can get out and about for some fresh air.

We left Le Mans heading for Portbail on the west coast about an hour from Cherbourg ferry terminal. Friends are house sitting there and she makes beaded bracelets etc. I made the mistake of showing Nikki pictures of the stuff she makes. Mandy and Nick have stopped at the house for the last five winters. They don’t have access to the house they just park up on the driveway, use the electric and water. It suits them as it’s a cheap winter break. The driveway is huge, you could get twenty campers the size of ours on it.

Just after leaving Le Mans we got onto the motorway and within half an hour the cars and lorries coming the other way were all covered in snow and the sky ahead was not looking good. Sure enough it started to snow and boy did it snow. I have never seen snow like it, let alone drove in it. The snowflakes were like tennis balls. Well maybe not that big, but they were big and it was snowing very hard. The lorry in front of us was about 100 metres away and the tracks he made were filling in with snow before we got on them. Everyone was slowing down and we just hoped no one stopped otherwise we would have been stuck on the motorway.

After about half an hour it was easing off and we had got through the worst. All the fields for the next 75 km were still covered in snow but the roads were clear and the sun even made an appearance. We pulled into the driveway of our friends and set up. Mandy was cooking chilli that night and we washed it down with some French red wine. Very nice it was to. And yes Nikki bought some bracelets, luckily before she started on the wine.

The next morning was a really hard frost, so we waited until about 11 30am before heading out on the last lap to the ferry. There was a threat of snow but we got to the ferry port with out any snow. It started snowing about an hour before we got on the ferry. We had been looking at the weather because when we get off the ferry we were booked on a campsite in wareham. We normally go to another site but that is not open yet. We are a month early in coming back this year. The weather reports were all saying of loads of snow in Devon, Cornwall and all along the south coast. Just what we wanted to hear….NOT when we get off the ferry we can sleep on the dockside if it was really bad.

Off the ferry at 10pm and all looks ok. We could see it had been snowing but not as much as last year when we got off, so we headed out on the highway towards the campsite. About a mile down the road it started to snow heavy again. I don’t like driving at night, it plays tricks with my eyes and then with the snow coming down fast and being tired I was so glad when we pulled into the campsite and parked up. Again being late we made the the tyre tracks in the snow. Getting a bit of a habit this. Engine off and into bed. Awoke this morning at 7 .30 to everything white. Looks nice but we need it gone because the forecast is for -2 and tomorrow we have to go to Gatwick. As I type this it is melting but not quick enough.

So that’s us back in the UK. We have had a great winter but all that sun seems a long way off now and the tans are fading fast. Some facts of our trip.

We have covered 2759 miles from leaving Devon to getting here at Wareham.

We have spent £518 on fuel. We still have half a tank good for a few more miles yet.

We have stayed on six Aires, two in France, and four in spain. + one driveway.

We have stayed on six campsites. Four in France and two in spain.

We have spent £280 on tolls. Not doing that next year. But it’s easy and better to get from A to B faster, especially in the snow.

Other costs are weekly shopping, about €45_€50

Eating out and shoes and bracelets.

Wine and beer. Undisclosed amount.

We still have a lot of running around to do before starting our new jobs so will keep the blog going. Thanks for reading it and hope you have enjoyed it. Soon be November and we will be off again.