Our road trip in numbers: 575 miles, nine campsites, four days, two motorhomes, two tents, one memorable camping adventure.
To pick up the story where our Simon McGrath left off, I write this blog from the grassy late arrivals area at Ebury Hill, the final campsite in our whistlestop tour of the Club’s Welsh sites, and those English sites near its borders.
I’ve just waved off the rest of the gang – fortified with ice creams from the Ebury reception – and now write from the Swift Rio’s front lounge.
The sun is shining, I’ve got a mug of tea in hand, brewed on the hob, and a stunning view through the windscreen. It’s one of the perks of driving a motorhome – it’s a mobile office, washroom, café and sleeping quarters all rolled into one, and you get to choose the landscape that stretches away outside the window.
The Rio is such a compact little vehicle it made light work of Wales’ winding roads, and negotiated its narrow single tracks beautifully. Plus, at just 5.99m long, it can be parked in most car sized bays.
It’s just a shame I drew the short straw on who’d sleep in it – that luxury went to our Dylan. It’s not the first stroke of luck this proud Welshman has had in the last week – touring Wales with him the day after England were dumped out of the Euros by Iceland, while team Wales go from strength to strength, was, as you can imagine, challenging.
Not that I was exactly slumming it – I always seem to sleep like a baby when I’m under canvas, and the excellent Robens Midnight Dreamer did a grand job of deflecting the worst that Wales’ stormclouds could chuck at us. My sleeping so soundly was perhaps not such good news for those camped near me – our Paul described my snoring as like a ‘tractor circling my tent’ all morning.
But what a trip, and what a country! From the beaches and towns of Pembrokeshire, through the fabulous lush greenery of Snowdonia National Park, the country is a feast for the eyes, and a pleasure every mile of the journey.
After quartermaster Simon had whipped up a round of bacon and avocado butties – yes, avocado: try it before you dismiss it – we enjoyed a good chat with HSMs Martin and Ellenor Fitzpatrick at Llandystumdwy on day three of our tour, before heading on to lovely Bala.
As the clouds darkened, and we were treated to yet another spot of liquid sunshine, we took shelter and enjoyed a biscuit and cup of tea with HSMs Phil and Adele Sutton, under the cover of one of the Ready Camp tents on site.
We camped overnight at Oswestry, and took the scenic route walk to the Three Pigeons in Nesscliffe for dinner – a classic old English pub with fine food and real ales.
And after a long chat with Oswestry franchises Gail and Alan Fitzsimmons, we dropped in at Ebury Hill, the final site of our tour. And what a site it is – nearly 3000 years ago it was the site of an Iron Age hill fort. Today, it’s a Club Site without washblocks but with spectacular views of the landscape all around. It’s a unique jewel in the Club Site network’s crown, and the HSMs Adrian and Mary Peacock welcomed us warmly.
And these are the things that strikes me, having camped at some 50 Club Sites over the last 15 years – the fabulous variety of campsite types and locations on offer, and the huge enthusiasm of the teams that tend them out in the field. It adds up to memorable moments and unforgettable experiences in stunning locations with great people.