30th April 2011 - Saturday

10am and sitting on the car park at Horcum Hole. Very bright and breezy.  What is it about the human herd instinct which means that when you drive onto a wide, empty car park, park up and begin to cook breakfast, another car arrives, ignores all the rest of the space on the car park and parks right next to you?

Just had our fried eggs and mushrooms, looking out over the wide expanse of North Yorks Moors. On our way to York. It’ll be a relief to do some flat walking after 7 days on the Cleveland Way and the 199 Steps at Whitby.

Had a fairly relaxed day, yesterday. Weather turned out nice and we drove down to Robin Hood’s Bay. Quite busy with lots of dogs around, so didn’t stay too long. Jay doesn’t like other dogs much. Pretends to be macho. Strangely, he decided to ignore the huge Irish Wolf Hound, although keen to warn off the Cavalier King Charles.

Walked down to Whitby for a drink in the evening. Proper pubs. G. lucky enough to get his banana rock, this time, but it just wasn’t how he remembered it. Ended up in the rubbish bin half way up the 199 Steps.

Looking forward to York.  Hope Rowntree Park CC Site lives up to its reputation.

29th April 2011 – Friday - Royal Wedding Day

A clever political decision on the part of The Palace to stage William and Kate’s wedding today. Creates a very long Bank Holiday for many people. Union Jack bunting went up outside the campsite Club this morning and the family who have pitched next to us have come well prepared for celebration – brought a chiminea with them. Raining quite heavily at moment but, according to Accuweather, may clear later.

Went to Falling Foss Waterfall in Sneaton Forest yesterday. What a good decision! Walked up along the side of a beck for a couple of miles. Lots of rocks and little waterfalls, primroses and violets and other flowers which I couldn’t identify. Disturbed an adder on the bank. G was in lead and said it reared up at him and Jay. It then slithered off among the rocks. Apparently there are loads of adders in the area and dogs are frequently bitten by them. Weather was lovely.

Pub meal in Whitby in evening. G wanted to treat himself to some banana rock, but all shops shut by 9pm.

28th April 2011 - Thursday

Woke at 6am dying for a wee and knew I’d never be able to get back to sleep without one. Only one problem, the Thetford was full. Could hear wind howling outside, (ok, ‘howling’ might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it was blowing strongly enough to rock the van). Dogs, alarmed and disgusted at being woken so early, were relieved to snuggle immediately back onto their quilt when told. Outside, my worst fears were realised. It was bloody freezing! Well, at least I managed to get another couple of hours’ sleep. Learning point number 325 ‘Always ensure there is plenty of room left in Thetford before going to bed’.

‘Do you think there’s a ‘funny’ atmosphere on this campsite?’ asked G.  I know what he means.  Half the people seem to be long-term residents, and that’s not the retired people with holiday chalets. There’s bit of a feeling of, if not exactly ‘Travellers’ then something similar. You can tell the holiday makers – last year’s chain store leisure wear and happy, hopeful faces – just like our own!

After a run on beach, left dogs in van yesterday while we went down to Whitby and round the Abbey. Surprisingly, I can’t remember ever having been round it before. English Heritage. Maybe we always thought it too expensive in the past. Well worth the money, though. Audio tour which is what we like best.

Then took dogs south along Cleveland Way towards Robin Hood’s Bay. I’ve told before how splendid this path is, and this section was no different.

Lovely sunny day. Bought fresh crab and had salad for tea, sitting outside in sunshine.

Haven’t yet decided where to go today, but cloud is lifting and looks as though it’ll be another lovely day.

27th April 2011 - Wednesday

  

On the first couple of mornings of our trip we were woken at 7am by smiling and apologetic Dallies poking their heads round the curtain and demanding, in the nicest possible way, that we get up and greet the adventures of the new day. Now all that has changed. In short, they’re knackered and just want to snuggle down with their quilt. They’ve been out for a wee, had their breakfast and gone back to bed.

We’re now pitched on the cliff top at Saltwick Bay, about 30 min walk along the Cleveland Way
from Whitby.  There is a steep footpath leading from the camp site down onto the almost deserted beach.  Jay’s first experience of a beach, and very exciting, with all of the new smells and textures. Dogs even found a poor dead baby seal which had been washed up with the tide. When we brought them back up the path from the beach, they both stopped half way, like reluctant children. They were looking back down to the beach and sniffing the air.

Sunset over Whitby Abbey was amazing.

We unfortunately shalln't be able to erect the drive-away awning here as we've been allocated a 'no awning pitch'. In any case it's quite breezy. G is now wondering whether, when we get home, we might find a private and secluded field somewhere, where we can have another practice run - that's in addition to the 2 practice runs we've already had on the drive.

26th April 2011 – Easter Tuesday

One of the best things about Flamborough is that it never really seems to change.  It’s almost the same now as it was when I used to go there as a child in the 60’s, and when we used to take Andy there 20 years ago. Hand painted signs advertising fishing trips and trips to the smugglers’ caves, and fresh crab, lobster and fish bring to mind people who only run these businesses as add-ons to their real-life existence as sea-farers.  It always was my favourite seaside place. Rock pools are much more fun than slot machines and bingo.

Walked along the windy cliffs from North Landing to South Landing.  Dramatic views down over the cliff edges where the sea birds swarmed and squawked round their nests.  Incredible to think that they lay a single egg on the ledge – no nest – can’t imagine what it must be like to be that baby bird, born on the wild cliff edge.

Moved on today.  Heading for Whitby.  Now parked up at Ravenscar, drinking our tea. Much cooler today, overcast sky and a spot of rain, but the view from where we are sitting, down over the Ravenscar cliffs towards Robin Hood’s Bay is spectacular. Sea is much rougher today – back to the grey of the North Sea, instead of the calm blue which we’ve seen for the last few days.

25th April 2011 – Easter Monday

‘The thing is, there are certain places you can go in a car but you can’t go in a motor home,’ said G.  Well, the bottom of the overflow car park at Bempton Cliffs is certainly one of those places. The smell of burnt clutch still lingers in the fresh sea air as the Learning Curve continues its equally steep ascent.

Another beautiful, sunny day but with a ‘bracing’ wind. We’ve actually managed to get out of Bempton Cliffs car park, but it was a more than a bit worrying. Now sitting with a brew in the car park at Flamborough North Landing. The stench of dog fart has, by now dispelled the smell of burning clutch, and the dog fart is actually preferable. At least it signifies normality. 

Bempton Cliffs are spectacular. The Gannets were particularly splendid with their very long, almost articulated wings. Didn’t see any Puffins this time though.

Had a beautiful walk, yesterday, north along the cliffs from Scalby. Then dumped the dog tired Dallies back at the van and walked down to Scarborough North Bay. Considered taking a ride on what I, as the local resident expert on all things ‘Yorkshire’, believed to be the local coastal miniature steam railway down to the South Bay. Luckily, G. didn’t show much enthusiasm cos it turned out to be a ‘kiddies’’ ride doing a circuit round the park at North Bay.

24th April 2011 – Easter Sunday

Just when you think the Learning Curve has flattened out it begins to rise again.  We now think we’re fully fledged motor homers having used the mythical ‘Motor Home Service Point’, for the first time.  We picked our moment carefully, yesterday afternoon, when no-one was looking. We enjoy watching other people making fools of themselves so naturally we know that we have the potential to provide hours of fun for other campers.

We ran out of water. I knew G was reluctant to go and fill up, when he started to sell the benefits of using camp site showers – which was a change of tune from yesterday when he had been praising the virtues of the shower in the van.  Having looked in the shower block, it was going to have a hard job persuading me. Clean but dated with that slightly muddy, constantly damp floor which prevents you from ever cleaning or drying your feet properly. 

So off we went to the service point, leaving behind the slightly inadequate levellers which we had bought and used for the first time. (Another lesson learned – we’ll have to but some bigger ones). With us we took the brand new piece of blue tubing, ‘ideal for motor homes’ with the ‘universal fitting’ enabling you to fix it to ‘any tap’ – any tap except the one we were trying to use.  First I tried. None of the water went down the tube; it just squirted back in my face. The harder I pushed the fitting onto the tap, the greater the force with which the water sprayed back at me. We then switched over and G had a go. He was more successful and we managed to half-fill the tank but not without spilling more water down the drain than we got in the van. We then slunk away, G saying that the fitting clearly wasn’t intended for the type of tap we were using. Luckily, I was able to spy on someone else very successfully using an identical fitting on a similar tap, later in the evening, so copying their technique, we had another go this morning and managed to fill the tank. We also fitted a new tank of gas and emptied the toilet! So that just leaves the drive-away awning that we haven’t yet publically erected. Our excuse for not doing that at Scarborough is that the pitch is not level.  We may be less lucky at Whitby.

The camp site at Scarborough exceeds our expectations – situated at Scalby, north of Scarborough. We’ve got a great pitch – loads of space at the back, leading down to a farmer’s field – ideal for ‘exercising’ the dogs. Not as packed as we had feared and lovely walks along the cliffs of the

Cleveland Way.

Scorching weather yesterday. Going to walk north along the cliffs today.

23rd April 2011 – Saturday

10.45 am and sitting in a lay by outside Scarborough. Just had fried egg sarnies and coffee. The self-sufficiency of motor homing!

Another glorious day, but may be heavy rain later -  a bit of a worry as we haven’t got hard standing at Scarborough C&C Club site and we’ll probably have a sloping pitch cos we booked so late. (And we still haven’t worked out whether we’re front or rear wheel drive!)

Had great walk yesterday, over the moors on the Pennine Way, then taking old pack horse trail down into Marsden. A very hazy day but good views down over Lancashire, then the approach to Marsden was a real delight – a lovely shallow beck with families  picnicking on the banks and children paddling in the water with their fishing nets –  the arch of a beautiful old pack horse bridge in the background. How to have a good time without spending loads of money! Eeh, when I were a lass we med us own fun.

In the end, we cut a bit off our intended route and only walked 8 miles. Think Bella was the most relieved to be back. Jay would have done the walk again.

Ate at The Carriage House, which was better than expected. Andy and Sarah joined us later – hungry as always -  and just managed to get their food ordered before the kitchen closed.

A very sound night’s sleep – and only 3 small glasses of wine!

22nd April 20011 – Good Friday

So here we are, on the longest Bank Holiday ever known to (English) man, sitting at a picnic table, overlooking Marsden Moor, eating porridge as the sun rises above the moor behind the van. Yesterday, I said I hoped we’d hear a curlew in the morning. Not to be disappointed – a curlew rose to order on the moor behind the van at about 5am.

Drove up yesterday afternoon – heavy traffic but sat nav got us here fine. We’re behind a pub called The Carriage House at Standedge. Andy and Sarah took us to a lovely pub The Rose and Crown at Cop Hill, Slaithwaite, last night. Home brewed ale, large portions of fresh food and lovely views down over the valley – and always good to spend time with them both.
(PS - Whatever you do, please don't try to get to The Rose and Crown in a motorhome!)

We know we’re in Yorkshire cos the woman in the tent next door came and asked us for a tea bag, first thing. Had to tell her we only had Earl Grey, so she took coffee instead. It all goes to help reinforce G’s prejudices about us Yorkshire Folk!

Weather forecast – temperatures set to reach 26 degrees today!  Off for a 10 mile walk.

And here are the Dallies

So here's the van

It's a 2008 Bürstner Nexxo T660. We plumped for this after months of research - but we probably both knew right from the start that we'd end up with a German van. We just like German stuff - plus we wanted to avoid the Fiat base vehicle that most of the British vans are built  on.
So far we love it. It's got a nice comfy double bed, a big fridge with plenty of room for bottles of wine and cans of Beck's (yes, German beer) - and it keeps them really cold; seat belts for the dogs. - (No, they don't actually sit on the seats, but they wear harnesses when on the road, and lie on their nice luxury quilt on the floor.) It's also got a TV and DVD player allowing us to spend many miserable hours watching Alan Bennett and Mike Leigh DVDs -We've promised ourselves we'll get something light next time.  The central heating and hot water systems are actually effective - which is more than can always be said about those in the house - and the cooker is small enough not to have to do any really serious cooking, but big enough to heat up something preprepared. - And the really big advantage compared to the 2-man tent? - No more creeping out, shivering and naked at 4am for a pee behind a hedge - Happiness is a proper toilet!