We had planned our destination for today, but on arrival it really was in the middle of nowhere and there was no chance of meeting Matilda’s culture quotient. We are beginning to be more adept at accurately deciphering the BritStops entries. We had already discounted several pubs which mention their children’s play areas as, with daughters in their twenties this is not a current requirement of ours. If it says “popular with walkers and cyclists” it is likely to be without anything except beautiful scenery and consequently far too remote for Matilda. We looked at the map and found another place slightly closer to home, about an hour’s drive further on and set off. Bodiam boasts a steam railway, a castle and a pleasant country pub. We came here many years ago to celebrate Ruth’s third birthday and had a lovely day with the extended family so we have fond memories of the place too. As we had had a very substantial meal the night before, we travelled before having breakfast so it was more like brunch in Alan on arrival. This could be the way forward as we are both quite early risers but not necessarily hungry first thing. […]
Monthly Archives: May 2018
As we have previously stayed with friends or somewhere which provides breakfast, today was our first experience of catering on Alan. Robert had invested in a number of compact ground coffee making options and a cunning device to make toast. Overnight, we had flattened the leisure batteries as the generator had not automatically switched on. Manual over-ride did the trick but we need to make sure this is functioning properly when Alan goes for the next enhancements. There were issues with the first coffee making option as this tripped a fuse on the leisure battery as it was drawing too much power. Despite this, even when using the engine battery, the coffee was not exactly hot, and took some time to produce. The second option relied on elbow grease and the kettle, but this was also luke warm. Matilda is considering reverting to instant coffee. The toasting device – a frame which rests on the gas ring and funnels the heat upwards – was more successful although Robert complained about the healthy brown bread. Today’s task will be to buy some white bread. Wanting to be environmentally-friendly we also tried the eco setting for the hot water, but this did […]
We are determined not to be just fair weather motorhomers, so despite the weather forecast predicting three days of thunder storms, we set off for the south coast. Matilda was more concerned about Robert’s health than the weather as he has a debilitating cough which had been keeping us both awake at night. On the way to Peacehaven we passed the Westerham Brewery, and felt we really should call in. Robert has tried their beer on various occasions, and although this is actually very close to home we have never visited before. It is the second largest brewery in Kent and the barman was truly welcoming and friendly. It is in beautiful countryside and we plan to visit the Brewery Tap in the future. After a one and a half hour drive almost directly due south we hit the coast to the east of Brighton and the cliff top location of Peacehaven which was specially built for returning, injured soldiers after WWI. It is also famous for the scene at the end of Quadrophenia when the character Jimmy Cooper sends his moped over the cliff. Our location for the evening was the car park at the back of the Telscombe […]
We travelled up to Lower Loxley, home of Robin of Loxley, better known as Robin Hood where Duncan had thoughtfully recently created a perfect parking a space for Alan at the end of his estate. Matilda was more interested than Robert in the royal wedding whilst he was more interested in Saracens beating Wasps. It is always a pleasure to meet up with old friends and two of them opted to stay with us in Alan, foregoing the comforts available indoors. Lesson for the day: when you can, take your time and conserve fuel. The return journey allowed us to meet our new great nephew for the first time.
An invitation to a reunion of Robert’s youth club friends, to co-incide with the royal wedding and the FA cup final, provided the impetus for the first overnight stay. We decided to break the journey and stay somewhere half way to get the feel of it. The Gate Hangs High. Matilda was convinced this would prove to be the site of an old gallows, but in fact the truth is far more hospitable and welcoming: “the gate hangs high and hinders no-one” – so all are welcome. The food was tasty, the staff were welcoming and breakfast was also available. We filled up with water, hooked up to electricity but neglected to turn the water on to heat up overnight, so had to wait for it to reach an appropriate temperature to shower in the morning. The self-levelling system caused us some problems and we assumed this was because the ground was too uneven, but since then is has coped with some serious gradients. Lesson for the day: turn the water on to heat overnight.