Rain, Rain and more Rain

It is not raining cats and dogs - it is raining cows and horses here !!!! My tent is surrounded by a lake of about 2 inches of water and I am standing on what feels like a watebed with holes in it - getting very wet feet. There is no point in trying to do anything about it, apart from lifting anything I can off the ground.

It makes you wonder if camping is worthwhile in this country. The rain is relentless - I have just spoken to my brother who is near St Ives in Cornwall and it much the same there and heading this way, so it is likely ot get much worse before it gets any better. What joy.

The site is not very well prepared for rain - drainage is very poor and tends to be angles to go right through pitched tents. Another reason why this campsite should NOT be awarded campsite of the year 2009.

While I am on the subject, here are the pro's and con's of Hidden Valley. First the Pro's...

• It is in a beautiful part of Devon
• The pitches are pretty big and have water and TV point close at hand.
• The shop is reasonably stocked (but not wonderfully) and opens into the evening
• There is a cafe on site serving hot meals as well as teas and coffee
• The toilet block is clean, and appears to be ample, although there are only 3 showers in the mens block.
• Reception are friendly and knowledgeable on the area.
• There is a nice walk through the woods

Con's

• It is stretched out along a long thin valley, so a walk to the shops and cafe is quite long.
• The play areas - of which there are 2 are situated out of the way (out of site out of mind) and are rather run down and lacking in anything of any note for children to play on.
• There is no green space to run around and play with a ball or otherwise.
• The shop is very expensive, and concentrates on novalty biscuits, sweets and drinks more than essentials.
• The drainage is poor, and in heavy rain, we get flooded out - and being a clay subsoil, water has nowhere to go.
• They pitch you all on the same side all facing away from each other - i.e you are looking at the back ofthe tent in front. OK for privacy, but not for socialising.
• Near a main road, so the sound of vehicles can be heard much of the time.

Having also stayed in Clippsby Hall in Norfolk this year, who came runner-up, I would have to say, the judges got it wrong.

Ilfracombe Tunnel Beaches

We woke to rain - yes it was still raining. However, after breakfast, it had stopped. We decided to go to Ilfracombe Tunnel beaches today.

We got there mid morning and when we went down, the tides was still in. We picked a spot and were about to pitch our stuff when a big wave came in and washed over where we were about to pitch. We decided to go up and have coffee instead and cameron played on the pirate ship.

At about 12:00, we went don and found ourselves a good pitch. Cameron played in a little rock pool before lunch, and scraped his legs on the rocks.

After lunch, we went rock-pooling, but Cameron was being such a whimp and a woos that he refused to go in any water. It was a waste of time and very embarrasing to have such a whimp of a child.

He later ewanted to play with to other children in the rock pool near us, but again refused to go in the water. I cannot beleive I have brought such a whimpy child into the world - it is an embarrassment.

Later, when we returned to the campsite, Cameron, covered in sand, refused a shower once again. This caused such a conflict between him and Julie and I. Tea then got cold because of him. He refused to eat tea, I ate mine seperately, Julie was in tears and couldn't eat all hers.

This was the start of things to come......... read on.

Rain Rain Go Away

Sunday, we had rain. It was raining when we woke up nd it was raining when we went to bed. It just didn't stop. We decidedto go to the cinema and see Ice Age 3. Cameron was a little scared - he is just not used to anything like that.

After that, we did some shopping and then headed back to the tent - not much more we could do that day. A thoroughly miserable day.

Woolocombe Beach

Saturday 25th July and today we are heading for Woolocombe beach with a picnic, our bucket and spade and all the other stuff we need for a day at the beach. We paid for parking - £5, and then headed onto the beach, down some steps and then a very sandy walk down the dunes. We found a pitch, set up the windbreaks and beach shelter and Cameron was off - digging in the sand. I had planned to do some body surfing, but by the time I had finished playing in the sand, the tide had retreated somewhat, and the waves were not so good. We spent a very pleasant day playing in the sand and the pools left behind by the retreating sea and didn't leave the beach until after 4pm. We stopped briefly in Woolocombe to look in the shops, and then headed back to the campsite.

Julie and Cameron went off for a shower while I prepared tea - a momentous moment as Cameron had never had a shower while camping without the loudest of protests - or screaming at the top of his voice !!! He enjoyed it, and came back to tea - Tuna and pasta bake.

Once again, after tea, we headed for the play area, until it was time for Cameron to go to bed.

Tomorrow is supposed to be very wet, so tune in again to see what we found to do in the rain - not much if the tourist info stuff is anything to go by!!!

On our way to Devon

van and CampoingWe (my wife Julie, son Cameron and myself) were travelling down to North Devon for a week and a bit camping with our Holiday 400SE trailer tent. We left Martlesham Heath (nr Ipswich) at 4:30 in the morning of Friday 24th July - the idea of travelling on the Friday was to avoid the usual holiday traffic of a Saturday.

The first part of the journey was very good, making our way along the A12 to the M25 in a little over an hour. The M25 was slow due to roadworks, but at no point was there any hold-up, and before we knew it we were on the M4. We stopped off at the Reading services for breakfast about 7:10am - Full English.

We were on our way again about 8:30am. We drove through a couple of very heavy showers, and soon, we reached the M5 - so far with no hold-ups. We stopped again at the Bridgewater Services - remind me never to stop there again - it was a nightmare getting parked with a trailer - bad signage, imbeciles directing you, etc. We grabbed a quick coffee to go and were on our way again.

Our luck changed, and there was an accident between jct 21 and 22 of the M5, so we quickly redirected our Tom Tom and took a diversion via Weston Super Mare. It added about 20 minutes to the journey - but better than sitting in a long queue of traffic.

At 1:00pm, we arrived at Hidden Valley Camping and Caravan Park, nr West Down in North Devon. It was voted Caravan Site of the Year 2009 - and so it should be as it was the most expensive campsite we had ever booked at about £41 per night. We checked in and were taken to our pitch by the warden.

They were very large pitches, close to water, with electric hook-up and TV point. We set about pitching the tent - in case we were in for another downpour. Before too long, we had the tent up and we were dry. Julie took Cameron to explore the campsite, and more importantly the play areas while I set about getting everything else set up.

By 5pm, we were ship shape and Bristol fashion. All set for the week. We had ourselves spaghetti bolognase we had defrosted on the way, and then went exploring some more.

The site is very pleasant, although we were a bit disappointed with the children's play areas - located out of the way in dark and dingy areas of the site and somewhat old and tired. They are in desperate need of rejuvenation, and moving to a sunny open part of the site. We also visited the shop with a few questions and to place our bread and paper order. We asked about freezing our freezer packs and also about the TV point. Freezer packs cost 20p per pack per day to freeze - a service just about every other campsite we have stayed on has offered for free, and the TV line is 50p per day - which, when you pay £41 per night for a pitch with TV point, you would expect it to be included.

To be quite honest, we are yet to understand why Hidden Valley was voted Campsite of the year 2009 - we have stayed in far better sites and can only assume the judges stay but a single night, do not use many of the facilities and do not judge on the extras that are charged.

Anyway, enough for the first post. Tomorrow is another (sunny apparently) day - we best make the most of it as rain is the forecast thereafter.