Catch Up Continued ….

Should’ve been in the last post … ignominious!

 

1954-1958: Corsham then Chideock, Dorset with Frances and Edward

6th -10th July

On leaving Snowdon we spent 2 nights in Corsham and Alison came to supper on night 2.  We really have done pretty well with catching up with folk on our travels.

Gift from Alison.  Perhaps I should start a small portable garden.  Got herbs now.

Frances and Edward arrived ahead of us at the C&CC Temporary Holiday Site in Chideock, Dorset and in proper motorhomer style had set up well away from everyone else!  I discovered that another Alison and her family were camping at Eype where we used to hold our annual Girlie Camping May trip … well they weren’t actually camping.  In the wind they managed to snap 4 out of 5 tent poles and were in an emergency static caravan.  On our Girlie Camping weekends we were under canvas.  The only time we used a caravan was when one of us was pregnant … Alison assured me it was not the Caravan of Confinement but of Convenience!  It hadn’t even crossed our minds that guests would not be allowed to sit outside for a drink … major events were allowing crowds … but the Camping Club have not caught up so as we asked to make it quick.  So it was a quick drink and then they went off for a pub supper.  We managed to eat pretty well too, with us hosting one night and then Frances cooked the second.

Being close to Golden Cap, we went for it. … we came from back there.

James and Edward at the top.

Oscar and I to prove we were there too.  Last time we were up here was during my 50th house party in the February before we set off on our travels.  

With the weather not being brilliant we took the car and drove to a village Frances had visited before … Moreton.  On the way we stopped off at Poundsbury for coffee and cake.  This is a massive new village on the outskirts of Dorchester … brain child of HRH Charles … him who dislikes bad architecture!  What we saw was lots of modern replica old style properties but completely crammed in next to each other … very few open spaces and high density of population.  Not at all a desirable location.  We nearly lost both James and Edward … navigating the garden centre amongst the spades and pot plants on the circuitous route to the toilets!

  Moreton church:  Pretty unprepossessing on the outside …

All windows had been blown during the war and Lawrence Whistler (brother of the more famous artist James) had engraved all the replacements.  Stunning.

We wandered through the local gardens, which pretty much were going to seed … obviously insufficient volunteers.  If only she’d’had her trowel; Frances was itching to sort it out.

T E Lawrence’s grave is also in Moreton.

1959: Sunday Lunch in Farnham

11th July

Leaving Dorset, we one last reason to stay over in our usual site … Coxbridge Farm in Farnham.  A much rearranged (down to my piss poor planning) Sunday lunch with my old school friend Michelle, Craig and their daughter…  and we managed to catch the end of the Wimbledon Men’s final between courses.  

And on the next morning we had our second vaccination in Basingstoke.

1960- 1976: Chichester

12th July

We are trying out a number of 5 pitch sites in Chichester as we will be here a lot longer than planned .. certainly into winter. James has discovered a medical issue and we are waiting for surgery … he really is high maintenance man!  So we split our time between Woodlands with more space, woods and lots of deer at £8 p.n. and Cobnor House with less space, but fabulous walking around the Chichester Harbour at £12 p.n.  We really cannot work out which we prefer, but neither have hard standing or EHU … which we will need when there is less sunlight to harvest from our solar panels. Further local camping options to investigate.

Brian and Zoa were already installed when we arrived … glad he was first as he had to be towed off the boggy ground, so we knew to park on the track!  And I got another night off cooking as Brian cooked one night and I the other.

We did quite a number of day trips out with the Aged Ps, including Bosham, Haling Island … not as full of caravan parks as we had expected and a mini tour of information boards about the WW2 army presence followed by … another good lunch!  We also walked from the Aged P’s new house down the Cirencester Way (no idea why it is so named) into town and tried a veggie cafe, food was good by no alcohol was less so!

Woodlands with lots of space.

Handsome pooches.   

We’ve managed to eat out a fair bit … on our own and with the Aged P’s.  Several ice creams, coffees and cakes on day trips out with them.

Part of the set menu in Purchases in Chichester … went with the Aged Ps and liked it so much we went back with Maddy to celebrate her getting a FIRST in her Business degree with Surrey University … fast tracked in two years!  

The BEST chocolate fondant ever. 

The espresso martini was lacking something compared to when I make it … enough alcohol!

Maddy and Jordan came to Fishborne Roman Palace.  Interesting but when you’ve seen the mosaics in Sicily and Greece ….

Emsworth is really pretty.  Another eating out venue for J and I and then we came back with Maddy and Jordan.

Hake and alioli on a crab risotto with seafood bisque … yummy.

Emsworth with its protective harbour wall / walkway.

It wasn’t my decision to get CO2 a doggy ice cream each, but I did end up paying for them!

Evening walk around Cobnor.  I said what a good climbing tree … Maddy had have a go.

Competitive Jordan went further and Maddy’s imperious arm of “Get down NOW, you’ve gone far enough!”

Looking over to Bosham.  Interesting pronunciation … Drop the H and say it like bosom!