Trip 7: Ilkley RFC, Ilkley West Yorkshire. It took us 2.5 hours to get here but most of the journey was on the A1. After we had seen the stewards we filled up with water and then circled the main rugby pitch in search of a free pitch. We went for one that faced North-ish …
Iona visits a Cathedral City
Trip 6: Braham Farm, Little Thetford, Ely, Cambridgeshire. Ely Cathedral The Sat nav took us around Peterborough and down to Ely. It seemed a long route but it was easy driving although there was an abundance of roundabouts. I had looked on Google Earth to get a visual of the farm entrance and it was …
Iona goes looking for Hang Gliders
Trip 5: Sandy Gulls Campsite, Mundesley, Norfolk. It took us 3 hours travelling and apart from a couple of tractors and some slow older drivers the drive seemed to go quite quickly. This is our second time visiting this campsite. Last year we also came here in April so we hope the weather will be …
Iona finds a Diving Centre
Trip 4: Fortway Farm, Stoney Stanton, Leics Stoney Stanton is a small village south of Leicester. It once was busy & productive with stone quarries. One of the quarries was formerly known as Lanes Hill Quarry or 'Top Pit' to the locals until it went out of use and filled with water. It then became …
Iona starts 2023 amongst the Lakes.
Trip 1. Return to Kingsbury Water Park. Sutton Coldfield. It is 4 months since we went away and the motorhome was emptied for the winter. Now it is all back together and filled ready for our first trip of the year. Hopefully the check lists were right and we have everything we need. We arrived …
Preparing for 2023 Season
It is the time to plan for this years's trips away. With the energy prices so high the majority of campsites have put their prices up, some have gone stupid while some are reasonable but we still have to decide what is the max per night we will pay. The price is difficult to agree …
Iona goes looking for Coal
Silverhill Colliery, Teversal, Nottinghamshire. Testing for Gas Silverhill Woods was a mine spoil heap on the site of the former Silverhill colliery which closed in the 1990s. It was subsequently landscaped in 2005 by Nottinghamshire County Council, with tree planting, numerous footpaths, and a viewpoint. It is one of a number of recreation sites in …
Iona finds an Oasis
Trip 17: Oasis Lakes, North Somercotes, Lincs. This is probably our last trip this year although we did have a trip in November last year. We arrived at the site which consists of a reception area with the toilets and showers. It was looking out onto two of the three lakes. The camping pitches were …
Iona is on the Trail
Trip 16: Lindsey Touring Park,Market Rasen. We made quick time to the campsite but because we could not arrive before 2pm we stopped at a layby and had our lunch and a cuppa. We were given the choice of 2 pitches so we chose one near the entrance. The campsite is long and narrow with …
Iona goes Cultural in Stratford.
Trip 15: Riverside Touring Park, Stratford upon Avon. RSC Theatre We had an easy drive down to Stratford and the campsite was easy to find. The warden took us to the motorhome service point where we filled up with water and then we had a choice of pitches so we chose one near the facilities. …
Iona goes to Harrogate
Trip 14; Bilton Farm Park,Harrogate Knaresborough We set off on Tuesday morning for Harrogate. The first 80 miles on the A1 and then across country to Harrogate and Bilton Farm Park. The campsite is in a field next to the main campsite but it does have limited number of electric points,however we went off grid …
Iona heads East
A trip to Sea Palling in Norfolk.
Bridlington calls Iona
Trip 12: Royal York Yacht Club, Bridlington. ⛅️ 🌬 Two weeks ago we were in York at the Sports ground where we were able to see Yorkshire take on Northampton and then a couple of days later Lancashire in a county cricket competition. Now keeping to the county we are off to the Royal York …
Iona goes to Jorvik
Trip 11: August 2022, York Sports Ground. We head north to the York Sports ground this trip. We have been here before and it is a great walk along the river Ouse into York. This year we have just learnt that there is a county cricket match on the day we arrive. Yorkshire v Northampton …
In search of Fish & Chips
Trip 10, Glebe House School, Hunstanton,Norfolk We arranged a local trip to Rutland Water where we were just testing the repair to the alternator, which is now back to full working order. Since returning from Rutland Water (Trip 9) we have had a new Cambelt and Water pump fitted as recommended by those who know …
Iona goes Rural in Rutland
Trip 9: July 2022, Lyndon Top, Rutland Water. We started the day by heading to Grantham to try out a different garage for Autogas. The forecourt always looked a bit tight for the motorhome but after looking at Google earth I have decided to give it a go. If it is viable then we have …
Iona goes to Suffolk
Trip 8, Clockhouse Farm, Glemsford We left the house at 9.30 because it was just over an hours drive. Once on our way the sat nav told us 2 hrs 49m so we were not going to arrive too early. The route was mainly dual carriageway until we reached Bury St Edmonds and then it …
Iona goes to Kingsbury Country Park
Trip 6: Kingsbury Water Park, Sutton Coldfield. This was a late change in our plans and being a Camping & Caravan Club site is not a normal venue type for us. However the campsite is in the middle of a massive country park of over 600 acres, with fishing lakes, bird sanctuary, water sport lakes …
Iona goes for the Mussels
Trip 2: Burnham Deepdale , Norfolk. 2022. Brancaster Staithe Harbour Burnham Deepdale is a small village on the North Norfolk coast. We have been here twice before. The campsite is a comprehensive camping and backpacker’s site with full facilities plus a cafe,shop and garage. They also have a market with Pop Up stalls and Shops. …
Iona goes Back in Time
Trip 3: The Lodge Trust, Market Overton. The first recorded mention of the village is in the Domesday survey of 1086 where it is simply called ‘Overtune’. The name is a combination of the Old English ‘ofer’, meaning ridge, and ‘tun’ meaning farmstead or village. Thus ‘the settlement on a ridge’, a perfect description of …
Iona’s Looking for Mussels
Trip 2, Burnham Deepdale camping. Brancaster is next to Burnham Deepdale. The village of Brancaster Staithe to give it the full name, Staithe is an old word meaning landing stage or Wharf where boats can be loaded and unloaded and Brancaster is famous for it’s mussels. We arrived and got set up fairly quickly. We …