Where Have You Been In Your Van Today?

[roadtripper]

MrsRT was away this weekend in the EV so myself and the Younguns had the van out for a couple of road trips to see some steam heritage - you'll notice it's a theme, but also I've been noting a big crossover of vanlife folks with a box van behind touring the miniature traction engine circuit so the gives me two subjects to bore the family with when I stop to have a chat with folks

Anyway first trip was to Hollycombe (sort of just at the top of the A3) where they have a narrow guage railway, a garden railway and a static steam fair alongside a collection of road steam engines. Like a lot of the bigger sites they have suffered from having almost too much to look after but they're really getting some restoration underway currently. This was also an event day so there were miniatures, model tanks, boats, fairgrounds and railway layouts and traction engine rides.



Second trip was to Bursledon Brickworks - which was the last Brickworks still powered by steam when it closed and is now a museum. They also had an event on with their miniature railway running as well as both of their engines and a while host of visiting layouts, busses, army vehicles and a folk band. They had planned to do traction engine rides but with the heat and dry grass most things not in steam so we got to ride behind a vintage cartridge start tractor instead - a slightly mad system where you start the tractor with essentially a blank shotgun cartridge screwed into the side of the engine you hit with a hammer to throw the engine into life...



Both great sites to visit with enthusiastic volunteers and lots to see. Ironically at both I was spotted (I have a fairly distinctive Aussie style hat) by exhibitors who had been at the Dene Rally last week

Have to say never been more happy to have full trizone air con than this weekend...

 

[Kind of Blue]

I’m Spey side for a week.
The water is really low so daytime fishing will be hard going.
So we’re doing night shift.
It’s pretty creepy wading down the middle of a big river in the dark.
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How are you keeping the midge at bay The Flying Scotsman? Are you using equipment or creams or are you using a combination because you are most likely to be very exposed at times when many of us would have run inside or to the Pub?

 

[Bigsidavies]

Seathwaite campsite in the Lake District over the weekend as per earlier post. Walked the Corridor Route up to Scafell Pike. Not the best views at the top.

 

[Bigsidavies]

And of course one from Sunday morning as we were packing up. Typical of my luck.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

How are you keeping the midge at bay The Flying Scotsman? Are you using equipment or creams or are you using a combination because you are most likely to be very exposed at times when many of us would have run inside or to the Pub?

It’s only really the west coast of Scotland that’s bad for the midgies.
I’m pretty central here.
They were out last night but only a few here and there.
I’ve got a tin of smidge spray in my fishing bag but it hardly ever gets used.
We’re praying for rain.
Not just to give the river a lift for the fishing but to put out a big hill fire on the other side of the river.
You can see the orange in the smoke even now.

 

[Stay Frosty]

Went up the Pic de Jer funicular railway in Lourdes to see if it was cooler (36C again) at 10,000 ft not realising that the railway stops at 0.5km higher than the carpark where it started as did the hill, it is really too hot .
Frustratingly there's still snow on distant peaks... could be glass though where they've started melting....

Had a cafe including bar at the top!

Spanish beer too

 

[Ayjay]

We were at Montreuil sur Mer until yesterday and the heat still seems to be following us wherever we go (but I gather it's about the same in Blighty!). For those not familiar with Montreuil, it's a smallish and lovely walled town which has been gaining a good reputation amongst foodies for a few years now and there's bundles of really good but not terribly expensive eateries there. Camping Fontains des Clercs is about a 10minute walk from town (plus another 10 or so to the main square and at about ¢24 with leccy can be recommended as a simple site with everything that you need - that said, we were lucky last Thursday to grab the last available pitch having arrived at about 1545 hrs. From there, it's about a 50 minute hop to Camping Fort du Lapin on the outskirts of Calais which is where we're now pitched and it's another decent but simple site (with newly refurbished sanitaries) at ¢24 and it's also only 10 minutes from Le Shuttle but, on the downside, we seem to have been stuck in 'German Corner' and they ain't half noisy but we'll see how that goes later on. We're planning on hitting the town (or what there is of it) tomorrow before catching a day earlier than planned train on Wednesday. The pictures are Montreuil and Calais respectively - the dunes leading to the beach are just behind us (and through a locked gate).

 

[JDC]

Back upto Fort William to get the caravan after it being on site for 7 wks whilst I've been working up there. Long drive but it appears no one has told Fort William about some heatwave that is happening elsewhere in the UK. Brighter note, no midges!!!

 

[Sasquatch]

Back upto Fort William to get the caravan after it being on site for 7 wks whilst I've been working up there. Long drive but it appears no one has told Fort William about some heatwave that is happening elsewhere in the UK. Brighter note, no midges!!!

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Nice and cosy in the van though.

 

[JDC]

Will be once the heating is on.

 

[Martinw]

Safely back from the Old Warden Shuttleworth flying weekend, Very hot every day and a bit windy every day except the Sunday which was flat calm. Those familiar with the location will know that flat calm means the flying of Edwardian aeroplanes, and we were all treated to the full set being exercised. Granted the 1909 Bleriot can only hop in a straight line while managing to get its wheels 4ft above the ground, and the 1910 Deperdussin does the same but can manage to rise a good 15 feet up. The 1912 Blackburn can still fly circuits and the two modern replicas (still around 60 years old), the Bristol Boxkite and Avro Triplane, fly well with slightly more modern engines. Lots of other more recent aircraft flying from the 1st World War, 1920s/30's/40s too as well as old cars, buses, all manner of stuff.

Had a bit of a problem with the 3-way fridge in the van, Chilled it down before departure via home mains electric, then battery power kept it cool on the journey to Old Warden. Once there switched over to gas power and it soon lost all cooling properties. The gas was running, I could hear it ignite, and after a while feel some warmth penetrating through the wall of the cupboard it sits in, at the lower back end where the working bits are. Sadly the inside of the fridge soon warmed up to very non-fridge conditions so I lost my milk supply and the chocolate completely melted. No idea how to fix this at all, it was quite happy to run on battery on the way home.

 

[Ali-G]

Back upto Fort William to get the caravan after it being on site for 7 wks whilst I've been working up there. Long drive but it appears no one has told Fort William about some heatwave that is happening elsewhere in the UK. Brighter note, no midges!!!

Could do with some of that weather down here.

 

[JDC]

Could do with some of that weather down here.

Your welcome to it. The sun has popped out now. Scottish summer heatwave is here. 19°. Getting the sun cream out now. Haha

 

[Ali-G]

Your welcome to it. The sun has popped out now. Scottish summer heatwave is here. 19°. Getting the sun cream out now. Haha

My motto is "twenty is plenty"

 

[Stay Frosty]

When in Lourdes... currently praying for 25C...

 

[cossie]

My home town. Desperate Dan and Minnie the minx from the Beano and Dandy books.
You should head to Broughty Ferry
That’s where I live.
It’s got a huge Sandy beach next to a cracking castle.
Also has great pubs, hotels and shops.
It was a small fishing village that Dundee swallowed.
I can advise on pitches and loads of other things.
Pm me for information.
I can send you up a few different glens with free off grid pitches if your going further north up the east coast

I’m looking at a solo trip to Dundee, then over to Aveimore, spean bridge then ending with a night or two at Fort William.
Done Fort William a few times, I’m after plenty of long walks/scrambles and some decent pubs and wanting go discovery in Dundee (May try squeeze in a trip over to Skye).
Any advice on decent sites and places to visit would be much appreciated

 

[JDC]

You also need to take a drive down to Oban from Fort William through the mountains or along the coast road, both fantastic drives.

 

[JumpShip]

Sunny Cheltenham for a couple of days .

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

I’m looking at a solo trip to Dundee, then over to Aveimore, spean bridge then ending with a night or two at Fort William.
Done Fort William a few times, I’m after plenty of long walks/scrambles and some decent pubs and wanting go discovery in Dundee (May try squeeze in a trip over to Skye).
Any advice on decent sites and places to visit would be much appreciated

Hi. My pals dad owns at campsite in monifieth that’s just outside Dundee on the beach. It’s a cracking beach with good walks along to Barry Buddon a live army training ground.
Monifieth is a nice wee village but not as nice as Broughty Ferry for shops and pubs. The Ferry is lovely with a beautiful beach with a castle on it. Plenty great pubs and shops. The Ferry is attached to Dundee east side and monifieth is attached to the Ferry.
If you are travelling north up the east coast I’ve got some great places to visit with either free camping or sites. I can send you up a couple different glens with waterfalls and great walks.
I can advise you on pitches on Skye if you go too.
When is your trip ? I could have a look for free pitches in the Ferry when I get home this weekend. I know great spots but would need to check the signs at them to see if you can stay overnight. It’s not something I’ve paid attention to with living there.

 

[Stay Frosty]

Lourdes again and a fresh 24C so watching the pilgrims at Notre Dame.
Am I allowed to say I'm sure this guy was toting an holy RPG...

Turned out it was a wax replica... very popular here this morning though and you can actually buy an holy hand grenade but again only a replica.