The weather had much improved Friday morning – well it was dry at least. With just a 60-mile journey ahead there was no rush so the remaining pack up was fairly leisurely. However, aware that it was Good Friday I was ready in plenty of time and reversed Patsy out of the pitch on the motor movers, hitched up and went to the rear of the ‘van with some trepidation to check the lights. Despite my efforts the nearside tail and brake lights were out. For goodness’ sake, she was really trying my patience this trip. I set about with the screwdriver again and after some choice words of er, encouragement the bulb came to life – and remained so as the unit was screwed back in. In truth I had no confidence in it lasting but could at least say it was working when I left the site.
The run
back across the moors was steady and the A64 was flowing freely for a while but
soon slowed to a crawl as we got closer to York. I had found myself in the
outside lane before traffic slowed and indicated in plenty of time to pull in as the lanes
merged. Clearly Mr Caravanner in the inside lane had not heard of merge in turn
and hastily closed the gap between himself and the car in front until it was
something akin to a fag papers width. So much for solidarity among caravanners.
Fortunately, the driver behind was more sensible and left a gap for me to pull
in which I acknowledged with a flash of the hazard lights.
Progress was strictly of the 1st gear variety for the next few miles, but the sun was now out, and I was enjoying the tunes I had loaded onto a USB stick; it could have been worse.
Things
improved further up – although the pheasant that dawdled out in front of me
probably would not agree – and I was soon turning off onto the A19 then shortly
after off onto a B road, my destination being the Castle Inn in the village of
Cawood.
Like any new site I check the route on Streetview for any pinch points or hazards and, aside from a narrow looking crossroads it seemed okay, so I was somewhat taken aback when a narrow bridge came into view just outside the village. For a moment I was struck with something akin to panic – the bridge looked very narrow indeed and I wondered whether I had missed a sign indicating a width restriction.
There was nothing by the bridge itself, so I carried on regardless – I need not have worried although it seemed a bit of a squeeze as I passed the control tower in the middle. Just after the bridge was the aforementioned crossroads and here again it was pretty tight. Fortunately as the lights turned green the car approaching held back giving me plenty of room to swing out and turn. A reminder that there are still some nice and considerate people about.
There was
one other buttock clenching moment when I turned into the pub car park – fire
escape steps which at first glance appeared to make the entrance very narrow
indeed. I crept through thankful that I had taken another wide swing but in
truth there was probably more room than I thought at first glance. I pulled
into the site entrance through the car park and went into the pub to check in
as instructed.
At the
time there was nothing on the booking website to indicate that electricity was extra,
so I was a little perplexed when, having paid the already considerable site fee
I was offered the chance to buy an electric card. I said nowt thinking that it
being Easter weekend options would, by now be extremely limited, and anyway I
was to be joined by a friend later on.
Once the debit card had been flexed again I went to pitch up – at the head of the site which at least meant I would be near the facilities – and the pub. The pitch was hardstanding but only wide enough for one unit – the caravan. The car – and an awning if I had had one – would be on the grass.
Stop 3 | Castle Inn, Cawood | £25/night + EHU | 69 miles @ 25 mpg | Fuel cost: £19 approx
I was to be joined for the weekend by friend and fellow caravanner David who arrived a little while later. It was a pleasant sunny afternoon and after he had set up we were able to sit out and chat, me venting about all Patsy’s woes so far in the trip.
It is fair to say neither of us were impressed with the site – particularly given the cost – and the surprise of having to pay extra for leccy – but the meal in the pub was superb, the ale was first class, and the staff were very friendly and professional.
Apart
from a teatime pint we eschewed the pub, but Patsy played host later on and it
was well into Sunday by the time last orders were called, the empty Toro Loco
bottles lined up by the door. Making up the bed that night seemed ridiculously
complicated for some reason!
I had booked to go to the National Rail Museum in York on Sunday and as I came to in the morning I questioned the merit of a late-night session, particularly when I had to get behind the wheel. Fortunately, I wasn’t booked in until lunchtime and my head had cleared significantly by the time I headed out.
I wasn’t driving into York but instead headed south to get the train in from Selby. It was very busy, and it seemed most of the occupants were going on a jolly – many having already started on the grog early. I remembered being on a train to York a couple of years ago when the races were on, and the grog was flowing – although it was a much more casually dressed affair this time.
There was significant redevelopment work going on at the museum and quite a large area was closed off. I was not overly bothered as I had visited a number of times in the past and still had pleasant couple of hours looking around, fuelled by a nice strong coffee.
The pub
closed early Sunday night – something we would have realised if we had read the
bumpf fully. However there was another pub in the village that was open – The
Jolly Sailor, a 10-minute walk away. The draught beers came from the brewery of
the same name, based just down the road in Selby, and were considerably cheaper
– and I am happy to report, very tasty too.
Monday
and our time in Cawood was at an end. It had been a great weekend though we
agreed that it is not a site we would stay at again. The facilities were in a
poor state – overflowing urinal and a broken toilet seat. The flush on the CDP did
not work and the bins were overflowing and stank. Nevertheless it had been
great to meet up, as always.
David
checked the lights after I hitched up and all seemed to be in order. I refitted
the last two screws, we hugged and said goodbye and I was on my way.
I was
heading west and so could avoid the narrow crossroads and bridge – and most of the village in fact. However, as
I came to make my first turn, there was a distinct lack of a beep from the
relay box when I indicated. Here we go again I thought and pulled in at the
first available layby and, once again set to work with the screwdriver.
This time at least though the issue was obvious – the indicator bulb had blown. Annoyingly it had not been in long – when I was faffing about with the light at Lythe I had changed it as the amber lacquer was coming off the old one. This meant that I didn’t have a spare. Idiot.
The only
thing I could do was swap in the fog light bulb – it was clear rather than
amber of course and far from ideal – or indeed legal – but much better than
nothing. There was a reassuring beep from the relay box, and I was on my way
again.
As I said
I was heading west and whilst the weather had been reasonable first thing it
was getting progressively darker and soon after I reached the peak of the M62
over the Pennines the heavens opened.
The rain
continued all the way west but had eased a little by the time I arrived at my
stop for the night a CL just outside Chester. The reason for the stop was
two-fold – I was picking up Sandra who would be joining me for the rest of the
trip, and to utilise her washer and dryer to catch up on some laundry and
ensure I had enough small for the rest of the trip.
The CL – Beech Farm got some good reviews, and I can see why, immaculate grass and a neat and tidy little facilities block. Electric was metered but that was clearly stated prior, so I had no issue with it at all. No prepayment was required – the meter by the hook-up was read when I arrived with the rate clearly stated – very fair and open.
Stop 4 | Beech Farm | £20/night + EHU | 100 miles @ 27 mpg | Fuel cost: £26 approx.
I had planned to just drop the legs and head straight over to Sandra’s but she’d been caught in horrendous traffic on the way back from Harlech, so I used the time to potter around the ‘van a bit, which was when I noticed the water on the front shelf, dripping down from around the bottom of the centre window. I knew where it was coming from – a crack in the outer panel above the front centre window. I had done my best to seal it with creeping crack when I first noticed it but clearly that was not sufficient – and the driving rain on the M62 would not have helped. Unlike the other issues I had encountered on this trip – which were annoying – this was serious and something that needed to be addressed soon. I imagined the wood frame around the window soft and rotten and knew there would be some difficult and expensive decisions ahead. Had Sandra not been joining me I think I would have given up and gone home, I was that fed up.
Sandra called to say that she had eventually arrived home and after giving her time to get sorted I headed over there. The washing machine was loaded, and we headed out again with two things on the agenda – a complete set of spare bulbs and fuel at Costco. Back at Sandra’s I was extremely grateful that she had put a beer in the fridge – one of a number she had procured whilst away that will appear on the Ale Archive at some point. It helped me relax a little.
I'm delighted that once again Sandra has written her recollection of our getaway:
It is
Easter Monday, and the 3rd and final phase of the Easter break commences. A
relatively short hop across the Pennines for Richard arriving to collect me, to
have dinner, (more of which later), and to start the journey home.
My
journey to Chester however was nowhere near as straight forward as Richard’s.
The A55 was an absolute nightmare and in the many years I have driven up and
down the road I have never seen it so bad. Nonetheless we made the rendezvous
and a quick trip to Costco to replenish Hetty's fuel stocks and we were back on
schedule. As it was Easter Monday I had suggested that we went out for an
evening meal and to save on the inevitable washing up! As is usual for us, we
booked another Brunning and Price pub/restaurant which they have recently
acquired, The Rake Hall. It is virtually next door to Chester Fairoaks caravan
and motorhome club site.
We
were not to be disappointed, and another superb meal was had. A relatively
early night beckoned, and we were up bright and early the next morning,
thankfully the weather was superb, to begin our journey down to Somers
Wood. The roads were relatively quiet,
and the lovely weather made for a very pleasant trip. We arrived at the site
one minute before 1:00 PM. Once booked in we made our way to the pitch and in
no time we had set up and the kettle was on the boil. After this we set off for Jacksons of Arley
as we needed some supplies for the caravan. It is always good to have a mooch
around an accessories store, taking care to keep a firm hold on your credit
card!
I had booked a serviced pitch but foolishly forgot to pack the necessary kit – a pretty minor thing given everything else that has happened on this trip. Patsy was not finished yet though and as I opened the front locker door to turn on the gas the left-hand side departed its moorings from the hinge – the weedy spring clip that holds the two parts of the hinge together had come off. The force of the centre gas strut made it tricky to get back in place and a number of words were uttered in Patsy’s direction that could be considered somewhat industrial. I love her to bits, but she was really trying my patience on this trip.
Stop 5 | Somers Wood | £30/night | 88 miles @ 24 mpg | Fuel cost: £24 approx
Sandra:
We returned to the site to await the arrival of Richard’s cousin and his wife who were joining us for a few nights. Prior to that, we had a lovely meal of homemade meatloaf – the second version, lining the dishes with bacon has done the job and it was a delicious meal. We had not seen Andy & Janet since early December 2022, so it was lovely that evening to visit with them and their new motorhome. It would be fair to say that we were a little unsure as to how we would find the new set up. However we were very pleasantly surprised to find that it had a rear u-shape lounge, kitchen, and shower room amidships and a small dinette to the rear of the driving seats. For what is a relatively small motorhome, they had certainly packed everything in you could need, even for a longer trip.
It was lovely to catch up with my cousin again and I was curious to see how he was getting on, having gone over to the ‘dark’ side! I was very impressed with the layout and space in their motorhome, and we enjoyed a good catch up.
Sandra:
Wednesday
morning and we had originally intended to visit the National Trust ‘Back to
Backs’ venue in Birmingham itself. It had been a little while since I had
looked at the venue on the app and was most disappointed to find that it was
shut until the following Saturday. This was a relatively new development, so we
had unfortunately missed this change. Thinking hats were employed as to what we
might do instead. Coventry is two or three stops down the railway line from
Hampton in Arden railway station, which itself is less than 5 minutes’ drive
from the site. We decided to see what we might do if we were to visit. As I
have mentioned before, Coventry is not known as being a tourist hotspot.
However, we were to be very pleasantly surprised by just how much there is
available.
Our first stop was the Herbert Art Gallery and museum a short bus ride from the railway station which conveniently has the bus terminus right outside. Our usual cup of coffee first and we planned how to view the building, it is not always as straight forward as you might think. There followed a couple of hours viewing a range of exhibits from statues to classical paintings and an exhibition looking at the issue of peace and reconciliation. Coventry, as a result of the bombing in World War Two, has become a centre for peace and reconciliation. There were some very thought-provoking short videos and modern artwork reflecting its role on the global stage. We left with many thoughts about where we are today in relation to these issues. This was a theme which was carried forward into our next port of call.
The bombed-out ruins of Coventry cathedral and the new building next door were literally the other side of the road from the museum. Unfortunately, it had started to rain quite hard, so we decided to concentrate on the new cathedral, and we were not to be disappointed. It is a truly gigantic building which makes you feel very small in comparison. There are walls of stained-glass windows, and my favourite blue and red colours were much in evidence. As it is a modern building there were no pews in the traditional sense but rows of wooden chairs which were just as uncomfortable to sit on! The pipes of the organ were many and in keeping with the size of the building. Behind the altar is a tapestry depicting Jesus Christ, I personally found it unpleasant as it seemed to have a very angry feel about it. On reading the handbook sometime later I learned that this tapestry, handmade, is actually the size of a tennis court. Perhaps that starts to put into context the size of the building.
Everyday at lunchtime a liturgy is read to mark the cathedrals ongoing work towards peace and reconciliation around the world.
Following this visit, Google Maps were perused, and the final visit of the day was a short walk down the hill to the Coventry Transport Museum. Not the most pleasant of journeys as by now it was raining quite hard, and conditions underfoot were very slippy.
It was now lunchtime, and we were both getting quite hungry. The transport museum had a cafe by the entrance and despite a 20-minute wait for food being advised we were glad to sit down and thaw out. The next hour and a half or, so I believe, I had a fixed permanent grin on my face. Most readers will know that I have always been fascinated by cars and transport in general. There are way too many individual vehicles to mention, a couple of highlights were seeing an Austin 7 which my father owned prior to his marriage, another Triumph Herald, a mini for Richard and a photograph taken. There truly were some beautiful cars and motorbikes in their collection. Some of the older push bikes defied our reasoning as to how he would ride them both safely and comfortably! The final room was dedicated to land speed records, this was awe inspiring to say the very least!! Both Noble and Green’s cars were there. Essentially, they are jet engines with an incredibly small monocoque in which the driver sits. Similarly, a couple of F1 cars from the Eddie Irvine era had tiny driving seats too. The size and complexity of the vehicles were something special. They are also storing the latest SSC Bloodhound car which has yet to challenge the land speed record. Unfortunately, the Team ran out of funds a while back and efforts are being made to secure the funding to mount the challenge again.
You may recall that I had been to the transport museum before – with Trev back in 2016 I think. It was free then – although a penalty notice for driving in a poorly signed bus lane made it somewhat expensive. I enjoyed it then and I enjoyed it now and it was great to see Sandra did too. It is well worth a visit.
Sandra:
A short bus and train ride followed by a delicious home-made sausage casserole and apple crumble with custard rounded off a lovely meal. That evening was our turn to host and another evening of conversation and laughter followed, very enjoyable.
Thursday’s weather was promising to be much more favourable, so we had decided to visit another NT venue, this time Coughton Court. It is the home of the Throckmorton family and has been in existence since the 1400’s. As a prominent Catholic family throughout history, there was a priest hiding hole in the building and evidence of the drama and danger they faced during Henry VIII’s reign. We had our usual coffee and cake at the start of the tour and then a tour of the house saw some beautiful rooms, including a grand oak lined dining room and the main bedroom finished in jacquard pale green – a very restful room. The sun was still out so we strolled around the walled garden which was full of every variety of rose. Plenty of seats made it a very comfortable visit. The weather had started to change so we decided to eat our normal packed lunch in the car, and it was very pleasant. A round trip saw us stopping to visit the bank in Evesham and then a final fill up at the nearby Costco saw us returning to Patsy.
That evening we had arranged to go out for a meal – about 5 minutes from the site, The White Lion pub in nearby Hampton in Arden. It was a very pleasant meal and a good range of ales made for a very convivial evening.
The next morning and it was time to start the trip back. My train was at 10am, so we set to, and Patsy was all ready to hitch up after Richard kindly took me to the station. A straightforward trip back to base concluded a very happy few days. Thanks once again.
Having dropped Sandra off at Hampton-in-Arden station I was soon back and getting Patsy hitched up. All lights appeared to be working and the forecast was dry so at least there would be no more water ingress.
The journey home went as well as could be expected and by early afternoon Patsy was back in her resting place and I was back at the flat hauling stuff upstairs, wondering again on my inability to travel light.
It had been a good trip – the highlights being meeting up with several friends – particularly those I have not seen for some time – and visiting some favourite places.
What was clear was though that Patsy was showing her age again. The issues with the pump, charger, front locker, and lights paled into insignificance compared with cracked front panel and potentially very damaging water ingress. I had some serious thinking to do – looking at it purely objectively may have been easier, but you all know my attachment to Patsy and why.
By the time you read this you will probably know what I decided to do – but in case not, she is now back in Cheshire awaiting a new front panel. I should know soon the extent of any damage to the wood frame and how much deeper I need to dig to get her back shipshape. It is already an awful lot of money but having considered all the options, it seemed the best thing to do. I hope I am proved right.
Huge thanks to Sandra who came down by train on the Friday afternoon to help with the 260-mile tow up north on the Saturday. We set out early and did not stop aside from swapping over we needed to be at the repair shop before they closed at 2pm. We had a lovely meal out Saturday night and I slept in her sister’s caravan before driving back Sunday afternoon.
Thanks for reading and until next time,
Cheers, Rich