Just an evening’s run for fish and chips by the sea, we had arranged to meet up with other TSSC members at Dereham, taking Nick with us for his first classic car experience. We didn’t have long to wait before the others arrived from Norwich so once we had agreed routes we were ready to go. Unfortunately, when Paul started up the engine there was a burning smell and smoke coming from under the bonnet. Just as Christina was wondering if there was a fish and chip shop in Dereham, all the men gathered like bees around a honeypot to investigate and offer advice. Luckily it wasn’t a serious problem, nothing a bit of card and ductape couldn’t fix, and we were on our way. The weather was a little on the chilly side, especially for the passenger sitting in the back, but the fish and chips were lovely and a pleasant evening was spent by all.
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Retro Caravan Club rally, Banbury 6th-9th July 2017
We were both looking forward to meeting back with some of the friends we had met in Holland, although we had heard some horror stories about the steep hill into the campsite so were feeling a bit nervous about that. We had a good journey and it was lovely to be greeted by some familiar faces. The campsite was indeed down quite a steep slope with a very loose gravel surface which Paul navigated carefully after Christina had jumped out of the car, opting to walk down the hill! We had a lovely weekend doing very little other than chatting and relaxing. We visited the National Herb Centre which gave us some inspiration for our new garden, lovely lunch of homemade quiche and an ice-cream.
The weekend also included the club’s first AGM which was well attended and successfully summed up the fantastic growth of the RRC to date. Our departure early on Sunday afternoon caused great interest amongst the other members as they debated whether or not the Herald would be able to tow the caravan back up the hill. Of course, with his usual meticulous research, helped significantly by his friend Google, Paul made it look easy and the videos evidenced the encouragement and cheering that accompanied our ascent! A fantastic weekend and more friendships made and renewed.
Kelling Heath and North Norfolk Railway Vintage Transport Day, 29th June – 2nd July 2017
Although we have attended the North Norfolk Railway Vintage Vehicles Day twice before, this year we decided to make a long weekend of it and stay at Kelling Heath holiday park for a few days before the show. This was a bit of a trip down memory lane for Christina, who had stayed there on a few occasions when the boys were younger. We met up with others from the Phoenix club and enjoyed a BBQ, a tea party, a curry and a beer festival over the weekend. In order to justify all this indulgence, we also went for a couple of very long walks on the Friday and Saturday, exploring the local area.
The car show was on the Sunday and this year we were showing the caravan with the car. The weather was lovely and as in previous years we combined the show with a trip into Sheringham on the Steam Train.
Europe Trip, 25th May to 6th June – European Classic Caravan Rally and Laon Historique
So, the time had finally arrived, the night before we were due to set off for our trip to Europe. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, back in November, when we realised that the European Classic Caravan Rally in Wanroij, NL and Laon Historique in France were being held on consecutive weekends. “We could go to both, and have a holiday in between, it will be an adventure!” we said. Now, on the night before our departure, all we could think about was how good it would be to be back home and able to say, “we did it, and survived!”
After declaring he wasn’t going to get up ‘that **** early’ Paul was actually first awake the next morning, which meant a leisurely tea and toast at 3.45 and some last-minute packing before setting off to the now infamous phrase “…this is it then?”
The journey all went well, with Paul ever-grateful that we had managed to source a pair of solid wing mirrors and Christina pleased with the help of the new TomTom, meaning that we arrived at Campinglaan1 at 20.45, as predicted. We stopped at the reception and were told that the rally was down at the far end of the campsite. This is where the problems began! We drove down what we hoped was a road, dodging small children on bikes and scooters, and avoiding glares from their parents, until we got to the area that the receptionist had directed us too. There were some vintage-looking Citroens in the bottom few pitches, but nothing resembling a field of classic caravans. We got a round of applause as we drove through the middle of them but by this time we had realised that this was not where we should be. Even the best tower/reverser would have struggled to turn around at this point so the only way was forward – through the washing up area, around a family BBQ and, piece de resistance, right through the middle of a children’s football pitch with wide-mouthed spectators too shocked to stop us. Eventually a very nice Dutch lady came to help with the words “you seem to be a little lost”. After a few more embarrassing moments we finally made it to the ECCR rally where we were delighted to have Lyndsay introduce herself as our neighbour by thrusting two glasses of Pimms at us!
The embarrassment of our arrival was soon forgotten as we set up and sat down to enjoy the drink and a sandwich (declining the invitation to join the RCC quiz) and so began a fantastic weekend in the company of some really lovely people with their equally lovely caravans. The weather was perfect (maybe even a little too hot at times) and we enjoyed getting to know people who until now had been names on Facebook. The Rally hosted a ‘caravan jumble’ on Saturday and an ‘open-van’ day on Sunday which helped everyone to chat and share ideas for their caravans.
We departed the ECCR on the Monday, attempting a convoy with 4 other RCC members to a campsite in Belgium, but we struggled to keep up with them in their modern towcars and, about halfway into the journey, experienced a really scary ‘wobble’ as 3 lorries in succession passed us, causing the van to start snaking. After that we decided to slow down to our own pace, and met them at the next campsite. Another spectacular arrival followed, this time involving 5 classic caravans trying to turn around on a single-track road very close to the edge of a lake, whilst being given very loud encouragement/instruction/advice by several Belgians. Our stay at Klein Strand included a bus ride into Bruges, and lots more lovely, sunny weather.
On the Wednesday we broke off from the RCC and went solo to Manoir de la-Bas for 2 nights, before meeting up with Nigel and Jenny on Friday for the final destination, Laon.
We arrived and got set up just before the threatened storm arrived, a torrential downpour with accompanying thunder and lightning which lasted for well over an hour. We opted out of the 100-mile tulip route as we felt we had done enough long-distance driving, and instead did some sight-seeing and shopping in the town. Sunday was the day that Paul had been looking forward to, with the high-speed chase all around the town and up and down the hills. The reality was, at first, a slow-moving traffic jam, but eventually as cars began to drop out, Paul managed to get up enough speed to cause slight screams and just a little expletive from Christina as he whizzed round the hairpin bends.
Finally it was time to head for home. After the obligatory searches as we passed through customs, we managed to board an earlier ferry and arrived in Dover by 4pm. As arranged we stayed at the Premier Inn in Whitstable and spent a pleasant evening with Nigel and Jenny. Unfortunately the weather took a turn for the worse overnight meaning that it was unsafe to drive home in the high gusty winds, so we had to hang around all day, storm watching, until we decided it was safe enough to set off at about 6pm. We eventually got home at 11pm, exhausted, and went straight to bed.
As we turned off the light, just before sleep overtook us, we were finally able to say….
“…we did it, and survived!”
Ipswich to Felixstowe Vehicle Run, 7th May 2017
(Main photo from Peter Halls on Flickr)
Having booked the Ipswich to Felixstowe run before we knew our moving date, we found ourselves camping just a few miles from ‘home’ at Low Farm in Waldringfield, in preparation for the Ipswich to Felixstowe Road Run. We arrived late on Saturday afternoon and after a walk and a quick drink at the Maybush, Christina started to cook the burgers while Paul went for a quick look at the customised vans in the rally field. After being gone for nearly an hour, Paul finally returned to rather overlooked burgers and sheepishly told about how he’d been persuaded to judge the vans!!
After watching a rather gloomy weather forecast all week it was good to see the sun struggling to come out first thing on Sunday morning and then shining when we got to Christchurch Park. There was a good turn-out of cars at the park and lots of people showing an interest in the caravan.
The drive to Felixstowe once again had the carnival feel, with people sitting on the route waving and cheering. If we were to make a montage of the words we heard, ‘wow’ ‘cute’ and ‘cool’ would have been predominant!
On arriving at Felixstowe, Paul heard the words he’d been dreading – “We just want you to reverse into this space…” however he took it nice and slow and lined her up perfectly! We were soon attracting lots of interest, with people peering inside and admiring the matching pair, the period crockery along with Battenburg cake, and the model car and ‘van. We were asked several times if we still use the caravan, and heard lots of reminiscing about family holidays from ‘the good ol’ days’. We enjoyed some delicious fish and chips for lunch, quite amused by the people looking through the window while we tucked in.
Having been hemmed in quite tight we had to wait until the car park was cleared in order to get a big enough circle to get out of the gate before having good journey home and getting back just before dusk.
Drive It Day – Sheringham to Holkham Hall, 23rd April 2017
A change of county for Drive-It Day this year, as we have just moved to Norfolk it seemed appropriate to stay in the county for our first trip of the year. We treated ourselves to an overnight stay at the Roman Camp Inn, between Cromer and Sheringham, so that we didn’t have to set off too early on Sunday morning to get to the start point at the station car park in Sheringham. The start of the day saw the sun struggling to shine which meant that the roof came down before we started the Tulip Route. The start of the route took us along the North Norfolk Coast through Weybourne and Salthouse before going inland towards Thursford and through some pretty Norfolk villages.
With no mid-route stop-off we arrived at Holkham Hall around midday and headed straight to the cafe. Having started the day with a good cooked breakfast there was no need for lunch but we both needed a hot drink to warm us up after the ride. Having looked round at the other cars and caught up with other owners we went for a walk around the lake before heading home mid-afternoon.
Verdict? A scenic route and easy to follow (despite our mileometer being out of sync). It would have been nice to have a couple of check points/places of interest to stop at en-route, and a more generous voucher for entry to the hall would have been appreciated.
Caravanning Trip to Brighton, 6th-9th October 2016
Having ‘won’ an awning on eBay, a trip to collect it from Hailsham was the perfect excuse for what will probably be our last caravan trip this year. We decided to make a long weekend of it, catching up on friends and revisiting old haunts. This was to be out first venture out of East Anglia, and a chance to find out how the old girl copes with towing up and down hills. We gave ourselves plenty of travel time, setting off mid morning on Thursday for the drive down to Barn Caravan Park in Lancing.
The journey went well, although crossing the Dartford Bridge was a bit scary, with lorries overtaking on both sides. We got a bit worried when a van overtook us, pipping it’s hooter, but they were just wanting to give us the thumbs up, not warn us that something had dropped off!
We arrived at the site at about 3.30, pitched up under the watchful eye of a local swan, and had a cuppa before setting off to collect the awning. Unfortunately we hadn’t realised it was going to be a two hour round trip, so by the time we got back to the caravan it was cold and dark and we were not in the best spirits. Thankfully we had brought some ready-made chilli with us so dinner didn’t take long to prepare, the heater soon warmed up the van and after a stroll down to the seafront we settled down for a cosy night in.
The next morning we decided to get the coastal bus into Brighton to give the Herald a day off after all the miles covered the day before. We spent several hours wandering round the vintage shops in the North Laines, with Paul bagging himself a bargain jacket for the next time we have to dress to suit the era of the car. After the obligatory stroll and ice-cream on the pier, we returned to the caravan for dinner and an early night.
Saturday dawned bright and almost sunny so after a bacon and egg breakfast we drove to Devil’s Dyke for a walk. It was a busy place with lots of walkers and cyclists, and a lovely view across the South Downs.
We spent a lovely evening with Karen and Dave in Hove, catching up and retelling stories of the days when Christina and Karen taught together, then back for our final night in the van.
An early start on Sunday morning saw us climbing the long, drawn-out Handcross Hill, which was done in a slow but steady manner with no complaints from the old girl.
So, now we have coped with the M25, the Dartford Crossing and hills, where shall we go next?….
Totally Triumph, 23-25th September 2016
The Totally Triumph weekend at Hemsby had been long anticipated by both of us as we had set it as the deadline for having the caravan make-over completed. Setting off we felt slightly conspicuous with our matching pair, but soon began to enjoy the hoots, smiles and thumbs-up from other road users! We arrived at Longbeach mid-afternoon to a warm welcome from Mike, and within a few minutes had the kettle on and chairs out. It was interesting watching Julie and Micky constructing their beautiful, all original 1980 Rapido on the next pitch.
We had decide to seek out a local fish and chip shop for our meal, before joining the ‘Meet and Greet’ at Hermanus. Having located a nearby chippy, Christina decided she could put it off no more, took a deep breath and drove the Herald for the first time. Despite there being no mishaps with this, we still decided we would walk to Hermanus as we had been told there was a footpath that went directly there. Unfortunately we didn’t find this footpath (and doubt its existence to be honest Mike 😉 ) but managed to arrive safely after a dodgy walk along the main road. We spent a pleasant evening in the company of other TSSC members before bracing ourselves for the walk back.
Saturday morning dawned with the promise of sunshine after the autumnal chill had gone. After a traditional breakfast of bacon and eggs we collected the paperwork for the run, put the top down and set off for what proved to be a lovely day out, driving a well planned route around the broads. We stopped off at several places, and chose Ranworth Broad for our picnic lunch stop. After a relaxing drive, we returned to the caravan for a chilled afternoon, before scrubbing ourselves up for the evening. The dinner was first class, we enjoyed getting to know Jenny and Nigel, and hearing about the 7 year restoration of their GT6. Nigel and Paul were able to swap experiences of restoring and modifying their classics. The evening ended with dancing, with TSSC members taking the floor by storm.
Sunday was the day of the show, and with prior agreement we took the caravan into the show with us. She proved to be quite a hit and attracted lots of interest! Paul’s towing skills were put to the test when he was asked to do a lap of the ring with other Triumphs.
The threatened rain held off and a pleasant afternoon was spent watching various entertainment (including the now infamous ‘Tug a Triumph’) and sharing stories with other Triumph owners. When prize-giving time arrived we were really pleased to see Nigel’s GT6 in the line-up of tintop winners, and thrilled that our own little combo won the best ragtop.
Stonham Barns Classic Car Show, 21st August 2016
This was another fairly local show for us, and as there is a campsite next to the showground we decided to make a weekend of it. The caravan make-over wasn’t quite complete but still habitable so we set of just after lunch, taking the scenic route to avoid crossing the Orwell Bridge as it was very windy. After quite a noisy night, with the wind and the rain, the sun came out ready for the car show so we took Triumph round to park in the Phoenix stand and helped set up the gazebo. The day passed very quickly as we had plenty to do, with the car boot sale, various car stands, a chat to a couple showing their car/caravan combo and entertaining guests back at our caravan. We even came away with a pair of new wheel hubs and a genuine vintage radio for £15!
Helmingham Festival of Classic & Sports Cars, 7th August 2016
Today was to provide a much needed rest for the pair of us, and a relatively late start as it is only a few miles away. We arrived and parked within half an hour of leaving home and just as the promised sunshine was beginning to show. Helmingham is a popular show, with a few side stalls and the gardens to look round, and it soon got very busy. The main entertainment is watching the cars going down the concourse, although we felt that the commentary was a bit too long-winded with prolonged chat between vehicles drawing it out a little too much for all but the most avid of car enthusiasts. Being a local show, we bumped into several friends, both exhibitors and visitors.
A lovely, friendly show which we will certainly visit again.
