Halloween Rally 2009~ Brookfields, High Ongar
We arrived at about 3.30pm, on a mild, but cloudy afternoon, expecting to be one of the few units on site, but there had been a 3pm rush.
Joan and Ann were running about, booking in units, which continued to stream in, well into the evening. There was a holiday atmosphere in the air, I wonder if this was because it was half term for the kids. People were out chatting to neighbours and newcomers; some were sitting outside their units drinking tea and watching the world go by, or in this case arrive.
Phil went over to the barn to help Ian with the Halloween decorations, only to find that Ian, with Rick, had all but finished. Ian had started decorating at 7am that morning. There were real flying broomsticks, Harry Potter style, a crystal chandelier, a huge book of spells, a smoking cauldron, skeletons and the walls were lined with scene setters.
As Denise and Wes were at work until 5pm, we didn’t have dinner until quite late into the evening and decided against going over to the barn for a chat. A few other campers were able to and I’m told that the two heaters made it nice and cosy.
Saturday dawned grey, but dry and 10am saw lots of eager campers and their dogs assembling for Bob’s walk. I don’t think he managed to lose anyone and soon after their departure, the sun came out. Everyone else took advantage of the sunshine on site or visited North Weald Market.
We went to the fish and chip shop to place an order for 68 portions of cod/sausage and chips for our supper in the barn that night. The shop is run by a Chinese lady and her assistant and they are always very helpful.
Most people spent the afternoon decorating their units for Halloween and lots of families took part in the ghost hunt, all of which were found and duly named. Hiding them was a tad difficult, as the landowner had requested that we stay away from the periphery of the field. The sun continued to shine and Murphy practised his best Halloween howls for later.
6pm saw the beginning of Trick or Treat by the children; it was surprising how many children were actually on the rally. The atmosphere was eerie with lots of ghosts, ghouls, mummies, witches and zombies roaming around the field. Most of the adults walked around the field to view the decorated units and compare costumes.
At 7pm the kids were treated to spooky stories read by Daphne and Esmerelda, the resident scary West Essex DA witches. This was followed by a game of ‘Pass the Parcel’ and a children’s version of ‘I a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!’
Shaun auctioned off a Halloween cake which had been beautifully made by Tracy and he raised £28 for MacMillan, our Chairman’s Charity. Well done Shaun!
Our supper had been arranged for 7.30pm, but unfortunately, despite sterling efforts by the ladies in the fish and chip shop, with help from the rest of their family, it was a little late, but much appreciated when it did arrive. Most of us were starving! So were the rest of Ongar as they were behind Wes and Phil and queuing out of the door.
After dinner, Ann and Wol entertained us with a grown up version of ‘I’m a Celebrity....’ aptly named ‘I a Camper, Get Me Out of Here!’ A raffle ticket had been distributed to everyone in the barn and contestants were pulled out of a hat. Anyone not wishing to take part could nominate someone else to take part and instead donate 50p to the Chairman’s Charity. Most contestants, however, rose to the challenge, with the tasting of such delicacies as hard boiled eggs and pickled onions.
Following the game, we were grateful to Debs for providing the music, with some people dancing and others just chatting or circulating. It was just like being at a party. All too soon it was 11pm and time to go quietly to bed.
Spooky or what! We were woken in the early morning by one of our skeletons tapping on the roof of the van where the wind had flipped it during the night. When I first heard it, I thought that we had giant seagulls tap dancing on the roof. This was followed by torrential rain.
After breakfast, we went back to the barn to help tidy up. Once again, Ian and Phil had got there before us and removed all of the scene setters and decorations. We had coffee morning at 11 am and welcomed a few new ralliers and some guests from Herts and North London. Most people had departed the site by early afternoon on account of the weather.
It was a shame that the weekend had such a soggy ending, but everyone had had a great time. Roll on next year!!
June ~ West Essex
Cycling weekend at Felstead
I arrived home from school at approximately half past three and as soon as I got in Mum and dad were chasing me to get changed (come on hurry up we want to get on the way ) by the time I was changed the caravan was loaded and dad was ready to go, we arrived at sunny brook about an hour later Alec and I fetched the water ( we are still waiting for our £ ) whilst mum and dad set the caravan and awning up, once everything was set up we had tea, Alec and I then played ds mum and dad sat in the awning and had a couple of drinks
We woke around 8 on sat and had a leisurely breakfast and got ready for the cycle ride (Alison and Ian kindly lent us a day sack to put some bottles of water in ) at 1100 the family of four set off on our bike ride (most of the campers gave us a wave off ) dad said we would be back in 10 minutes and off we went laughing ( following very brief direction we had received from the stewards ) at first the going was a little rough and the track not the smoothest we continued following what we thought was the track until we came across a locked gate so we had to back track where dad found a turning we missed through the hedge this brought us out on the Fitch Way ( which is part of the cycle Brittan route ) we went left and cracked on at a good rate it was a very gentle uphill ride I think we must have gone 3 miles when we came upon a busy road we decided to have a rest at this point (think the oldies were struggling a bit) we were glad we brought the water after a 10 min break we set of on the way back it was a nice easy ride back downhill the oldies could not keep up with me and I had to keep going back for them. when we got about ¾ of the way back we met some other cyclists (proper ones you know all the lycra maps and all the stuff I was impressed the even changed a puncture whilst we were chatting to them we asked if there was a shop nearby and the said there was a nice café at Rain station which was about 3 miles further on we said our good bye and set off again which again was a gentle up hill after several more water /rest/ walks we arrived at Rain station. Alec and I had a hot chocolate with cream which was very nice Mum and dad had tea, we had a well deserved half hour rest and toilet break. The nice lady in the café refilled our water bottles; mum; dad and Alec were struggling a bit by now so we had to keep stopping we arrived back at sunny brook at about 3 to quite a bit of amusement, we were all a bit tired. Alison made mum and dad a cuppa Alec and I had a can of coke, we then just chilled until about 5.30 dad set the bbq up and I cooked us sausage and burgers whilst mum did salad and chips. Once we had eaten Alec and I relaxed in the Van (we were both shattered to tell the truth ) mum and dad joined the rest of the group who were sat outside Ann and Walls van, they didn’t stop long and we were all in bed by 10. I woke up Sunday about 8.30 we were all aching a bit all mum kept saying was next time I am having a gel seat (think she was a bit saddle sore )
The Stewards did Coffee morning at 1100 it seemed to go on for ages I think someone said that it beat Wes’s record
After coffee we packed up and came home
But next year we are hoping to do the bike ride again and hopefully we can get more of you to join us
Craig
Highland Games ~ Weeley THS, Sunday, 30 August 2009
12 noon saw the opening of the children’s series of the 1st West Essex District Association Highland Games. This was ably directed by Ian MacWarren, resplendent in his modern day tartan kilt with West Essex DA tee-shirt. He was competently assisted by Phil MacMarsh sporting a version of his clan’s gentlemen’s summer kilt, West Essex DA high-vis vest, a hard hat (useful in this case) and a remarkable pair of legs! Commentary was given by Wes MacLockhart in a natty green and gold number.
The ladies of the clan kept scores, splendid in their own versions of their family tartans.
The young lads and lassies joined in with ‘hurling the haggis’, ‘slinging the sheath’, ‘flinging the welly’ (this proved to be a dangerous spectator sport) and others, including space hopper racing. Rain did not stop play, but the arrival of an ice cream van did for a while. The games ended with a ‘tug of war’ which was won by the lassies. Gold medals and a small prize were then given to the winners, with sweets for all participants.
The adult games commenced at 3pm, with a great hullabaloo caused by the arrival of the MacBailey clan. This fearsome tribe marched to the arena in full regalia, carrying their clan flag, banging drums and shouting. They were led by their elegantly dressed matriarch, Ann, along with a huge, athletic young man who made much din and called himself ‘Sweaty’.
They marched proudly in step to a full pipe band, which followed behind at 5 miles an hour, all carefully loaded into a Jeep Cherokee.
It was a fear of these people which had prompted Hadrian to build his famous wall centuries earlier.
One of the MacBailey young ladies had made a good marriage some years earlier into the mighty MacLockhart clan. It was fascinating to see that she was MacBailey when winning, but MacLockhart when losing. The joining together of these two great clans has brought much joy to the lowlands of West Essex.
There was much catcalling and rowdiness from the English Sassenachs of the crowd and the organisers were nearly forced to bring in MacMurphy and their crowd control dog unit. That said, humour was good, with no violence.
Lassies and lads lined up and the games commenced with ‘throwing the hammer’, followed by ‘tossing the caber’, some of the male contestants did not realise their own strength and towards the end, the caber began to suffer injury. It had also been necessary to retrieve some of the hammers from the undergrowth for similar reasons. This was then followed with an intricate relay of aquaroll racing and space hopper racing with an egg and spoon. Some of the lads were rather exuberant in this game and there was some injury, but fortunately, nothing serious.
The games were then concluded with egg throwing between lads and lassies and a grand tug of war, which the lassies appeared to win, however, there did seem to be more of them. Winners’ cups were presented at coffee the following morning.
Later, in the marquee, that same evening, there was music and dancing with the clans. The ladies of the Macmarsh/Macwarren clans arrived, elegantly attired in their Macnapkin dress tartan kilts and sashes. These were specially designed and created by a new designer, PM Upholstery with some help from his good friend Yves Saint Wotsisname!
Everyone had enjoyed the day, the rain held off and the kids went home exhausted. A good time was had by all.
June – West Essex DA
CAREFREE WORLDWIDE TRIP CANADA 2009
We entered terminal 5 at Heathrow with some trepidation due to the bad press but were pleasantly surprised to see how smoothly everything went with no long queues to book in. After a 9 hr flight we landed at
Day 2. The tour took us to all the touristic spots and then left us, by consent , at
Day 3 A coach took us to the RV depot where we collected our RV’s and drove to catch the ferry to
Day 4 Some people went to The Highland Games whilst others went to the inner harbour at
Day 5 saw us returning to
Day 6 We left
Day 7 saw us all set off to Historic Hat Creek Ranch, near Cache Creek, via H99 and
Day 8 Started with a guided tour of Historic Hat Creek Ranch. Firstly we had a very informative tour and talk by a female shuswap Indian learning interesting facts about their culture and beliefs and saw examples of their cooking facilities, garments, and homes. Some of the fitter men even exited the Kekuli, a traditional tribal winter lodge, by climbing up the tree trunk steps through the roof, as the Indian men used to do. We were then taken on a tour of the original Hat Creek Roadhouse, which stands on the
Day 9 Some of the men played golf in the morning and saw the black bear in an adjacent field. We went over to see the bear, from a distance, and take some photos. After lunch we took the RV out to visit
Day15 We left early to visit
On the last day we cleaned out our RV’s, packed our bags and drove to
The best thing about this trip was the good company of like minded people, the fantastic wildlife viewings, the beautiful scenery and the helpful friendly Canadian people. The only bad things we could think of were not having the home comforts of our own vehicle, some road conditions and the strange and sometimes lack of useful road signage. We would recommend Carefree worldwide trips to anyone worried about travelling alone such a long distance from home.
Our Two Week Holiday To The Isle Of Skye
Saturday, 4th July 2009 saw us start on our 2 week holiday to the Isle of Skye. Knowing that to make the trip in a solo leg would be foolish, we scheduled a stop over in both directions. Unlike in our previous few years, this year we chose to use club sites, so our first stop over was at Moffat. As we had never done a trip of this magnitude towing a caravan before, we also decided that each stop over would be for 3 nights; thus enabling us to explore the surrounding area, and recover from the long journey.
We left home at 7:20am and before long were heading in a north north westerly direction along the M11, A14, A1 with an (M) in places, A66, M6, A74(M) before turning off at junction 15 for Moffat. Just over 7 hours after leaving home, we were setting up the 'van for the first time in Scotland.
Sunday dawned with heavy rain, but this soon cleared and the sunshine eventually won. We had a wander around the Hammerlands Centre and Moffat Woollen Mill, before returning to the 'van for the rest of the day.
Monday arrived and having picked up a free book entitled walking in and around Moffat from the Tourist Information Centre on Sunday, decided to do a short walk. We chose the longer of the two waterside walks which was billed as a circular riverside and town walk. The river was the River Annan, the return leg was along the Old Edinburgh Road, for centuries the route to the capital via Tweesdale and the walk was just over 3 miles in length. The afternoon saw very heavy rain but fortunately this then cleared to enable us to have a nice evening sitting outside the 'van.
Tuesday saw us start the second leg of our journey, Moffat to Skye. We knew this was going to be a long run, it was another three hundred odd miles; we also knew it was going to take most of the day to get there, so we wanted to start fairly early; we were also on holiday! We pulled out of Moffat at about 9:45am, rejoined the A74(M) and headed north. The route was quite simple, A74(M), M74, M73, M8, A82, A87 and A850; 8 hours later we were setting up camp at the new club site on the Isle of Skye.
Wednesday saw us waking up to glorious views across Loch Greshornish. Following the long drive yesterday, decided to have a fairly easy day. Went for a short walk into the nearby village, Edinbane, then walked out again! Later spent a couple of hours fishing in Loch Greshornish and caught a solitary mackerel; well at least I had something to show for my efforts!
Despite all the driving done on Tuesday, we decided to hit the road and go for a drive on Thursday, although for the first time this holiday, without the caravan attached! First stop was Dunvegan Castle, although we didn't go in as we wanted to do that on another visit. Then we headed south to the Cioch Outdoor Clothing Company, where they manufacture and sell made to measure outdoor clothing. As Dave's walking coat was starting to look old and shabby he thought why not, and ordered a new coat (in case you're wondering, Gill had bought a new walking coat only two years ago). Lunch was then had in the Old Inn in Carbost before a visit to the Talisker Distillery (the only distillery on the island). Now you can't visit a distillery without tasting the end product, and once you've tasted the end product, you can't leave without buying a bottle or two! Next stop was Portree for some shopping, before heading home via Uig just to see more of the island.
Friday morning saw Dave's revenge on the mackerel; having found out that the best time to fish is two hours either side of high tide, and under the understanding that high tide was at 8:00am, he got up early (remember we are on holiday), and was back at the caravan by 9:30am with half a dozen fish. Later we visited the Stein Inn in Stein for lunch, before a drive around the Trotternish Peninsula and a visit to the Museum of Island Life in Clachan. The evening saw us enjoying the fruits of Dave's labours earlier in the morning in a mackerel paella.
We decided to visit Dunvegan Castle and Gardens on Saturday. Dunvegan is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for nearly 800 years. After a walk around the castle and gardens, we went on a boat trip to see the seals that have made Loch Dunvegan their home.
Knowing what we had planned for Monday, we decided to have a relatively relaxing day on Sunday. Gill's way of relaxing was with a book, whilst Dave's preference was with rod in hand. On his return to the 'van the count was 9 mackerel! After lunch, a quick trip to Portree for some supplies before returning to the 'van for a mackerel supper, this time simply griddled with some seasonal vegetables.
The plan for Monday was to go on a tour of the Outer Hebrides with Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries. All started well, we arrived in Uig and bought our tickets, and on cue the ferry taking us on the first leg from Uig to Lochmaddy on North Uist came into port. We boarded the ferry and made our way onto the viewing deck. I thought it strange when the vehicle loading ramp was raised without any vehicles having boarded the ferry! Half an hour after we should have sailed, an announcement came over the ferry's tannoy requesting we go to the information desk on the 4th deck. Apparently the ferry had snagged something on the way over from Tarbet, and they were awaiting divers to untangle what ever had been snagged. The result was that our tour had to be cancelled, and a full refund would be made available to us back at the ticket office. By way of an apology we were invited to stay on board the ferry for a complimentary cruise to Lochmaddy and back and get our refund upon our return, which we accepted. So we had our cruise and then got our full refund, therefore a special thanks to Caledonian MacBrayne for a very enjoyable day, which didn't cost us a penny!
After yesterday's exploits, had a late start on Tuesday, but that ultimately did not stop us clocking up more miles with a drive down to Elgol, with a stop off at Sligachan for lunch. At Elgol, we went for another boat trip, this time to Loch Coruisk and back. Due to our time of arrival at Elgol, we were unable to disembark to view the loch, but we did get close to some seals for more photo opportunities. This drive also took us close to the Cullin Hills, the tallest and most spectacular hills on the Isle of Skye.
We decided to spend our last day on Skye relatively quietly. We had a leisurely start and Dave decided to have his last session fishing on Loch Greshornish. Gill joined him for lunch, then afterwards he had a few more casts before packing up the tackle; whilst not quite as successful as on previous sessions, the count was 4 mackerel, bringing the final tally to 20 fish. The afternoon was spent putting things away in anticipation of the long journey ahead; tomorrow would see us start the long haul home, with the first leg taking us to Jedburgh.
We left Skye at 9:30am on Thursday and the route to Jedburgh saw us retrace our earlier route to Skye as far as Spean Bridge; then we took the A86, A889, A9, M90, M9, M8, A720 and A68, and arrived at Jedburgh some 8 hours later. Having spent all that time in the car, we decided after dinner to go for a short stroll into the town centre, just to get our bearings and to stretch our legs.
Friday morning saw us wake up to a very wet Jedburgh. I don't how long it had been raining, but there were already puddles just outside our 'van and we were on a standard grass pitch! The rain didn't ease up all morning, so by lunchtime we decided to walk into town to find somewhere to have lunch. We decided on the Pheasant Restaurant and Bar in the High Street, and had a very pleasant lunch. Afterwards with the rain still falling, we visited A.J.Learmonth butchers, who had recently been crowned Champions at the British Pie Awards 2009 for their Chicken, Haggis and Peppercorn Pie, and decided that we had to have one to take back to the 'van for dinner. We then visited Jedburgh Abbey and afterwards with the rain still falling, did a bit of shopping and returned rather soggy to our 'van.
With the rain still falling heavily, Saturday started a little earlier for us than we had expected, with a knocking on the caravan door at 12:30am; it was the Holiday Site Manager advising us that the site was going onto "flood alert" as the Jed Water, which runs by the site, was threatening to burst its banks! If we went to a "flood warning", we would need to evacuate the site, but no need to panic yet! We decided to take him for his word, and went back to sleep! Woke up at 8:15am to silence, no pitter patter of rain the 'van roof; looked out of the windows, the puddles on the grass were receding; so much for the excitement overnight. Paid a visit to Edinburgh Woollen Mills & Jedburgh Woollen Mills, both of which are just opposite the entrance to the camp site, then wandered into town again for lunch. The rains returned in the afternoon after we had returned to the 'van; let's hope we don't have a repeat of last night, we've got a long drive home tomorrow.
Sunday saw us complete our journey home, our route was fairly simple using the A68, then A69, A1, A14, M11 and then local roads back home. We left Jedburgh at 10:00am and were finally home at 5:20pm. It had been another long tiring drive.
Looking back over the holiday, we had a good time, would we go there again? Yes we would, we planned to do quite a bit of walking, and as I'm sure you'll have noticed, we did very little, there were also many attractions that we were unable to visit. Would we change things? Again yes we would, driving 300 miles a day was too much, and we didn't need to spend three nights at each of our stop overs; 200 miles a day would have been a lot more relaxing, and a single night stop over would have been fine. You live and learn, we've had agreat holiday and we've learned a lot about our capabilities; here's to the next one.
Gill & Dave Carrington
Tuppence's Weekend Ferry Boat Inn June 2009
My name is Tuppence and I go to all WEDA rallies with my Mum and Dad, Bob & Joy. Dad came home from work on Friday and I knew we were going on a rally so I waited in my bed. When the time came we got into the car and went to get the caravan, I kept telling mum and dad to hurry up as I wanted see all my friends again, including that nice little pussycat,
When we got to North Fambridge I had to wait while mum and dad set the caravan up, we then went for a drive to Burnham on Crouch to get some fish & chips but the shop was closed. My Dad usually gives me some chips but they had to have chicken salad instead so I miised out. They then both dropped off to sleep and didn't wake up until nearly 2 o'clock in the morning!! They then decided to make the bed up so we could all go to sleep more comfortably.
On Saturday my dad took me for a walk down to the River Crouch. On the way we had a look at the deer farm and we walked back through the boat yard past the Ferryboat Pub.
I was left to look after the caravan when my mum and dad went to join everyone to have some scones with cream and strawberries which Hayley and Alan had arranged. The weather was very good and it was very hot so we chilled out for the rest of the day and mum and dad had dinner in the Ferryboat Pub later that evening.
Sunday was even hotter I called to some of my friends as they went by again and I looked after the caravan while mum and dad went to coffee morning. Later Uncle Alan and Auntie Lyn came to visit and dad and Uncle Alan took me for a walk down to the river. When we came back they talked to Ralph the Chairman and Joan about being a steward at Weeley which sounded like it could be fun.
Sunday evening came and we were the last caravan to leave so we "turned the light out and shut the door" (I do not know what that mean as there was no light or door!!!)
I'm looking forward to the next rally at Felstead on the 26th - 28th June which sounds fun as it is a School Days Weekend.
Tuppence Hill
Bailie’s weekend at Clare May 2009
It all started on Thursday, I knew mum was up to something, she was in and out of the van all day. I expected to go to granddad’s again, but when I woke Friday, mum was that busy getting everything ready, I think she forgot to take me to granddad’s.
Later, Thalia came round with lots of bags, but I stayed close to mum I thought I have got this far, I am not letting them go without me now. Then dad got home from work and things got really crazy with lots of coming and going, then all of sudden in the car, whoopee! I am going as well; we were in the car for what seemed ages.
When we arrived, Susie was already there with her mum and dad and they made mine a cup of tea whilst we got our caravan ready. Susie said she had a small walk whilst her dad put the signs up, dad seemed grateful, but I was disappointed as missed out on a walk.
I had my tea early then went for a short walk with mum. I did not see much of them after that. They were busy meeting lots of people, but I had the boys and Thalia to keep me company. It was nearly bed time before I saw mum and dad again, which was another short walk. (I am getting on a bit so I do like lots of short walks), then off to bed. I like sleeping in the caravan as I get to sleep under the bed instead of in the kitchen.
We had a bit of lie in on sat morning and sat around enjoying the sunshine. At around mid morning I went for a walk with mum, dad, the boys, Thalia and another boy. We went to the park, but I had to stay outside with dad because I was not allowed in, which was a shame as the kids looked like they were having fun.
Mum went off for a while and then came back later, I guess she had been to the shop because they all had ice cream. I did get a taste, but they did not give me my own like they had. On the way back dad and the kids went up this huge hill almost a mountain, I stayed at the bottom with mum where I met a young female Springer spaniel, (if only I was 10 years younger!)
Around tea time they all had a BBQ, it smelled really good but I didn’t even get a sausage just my usual biscuits, I got a walk before being left in the caravan it sounded like they were all having a good time outside. I think I heard mum a few times, I am sure I could smell alcohol on mum and dad when they came to bed, but I don`t think it was red wine, as mum went straight to bed and didn`t get up.
We had another lie in on Sunday then lots of people gathered outside our caravan and had a drink and biscuits (nobody gave me one!) It was too hot for me so I stayed under the van in the shade, after that, we just enjoyed the sunshine, I did not want to come home but mum had to work.
Bailie – Sheltie – East Essex
Petersfield Antiques, Gosfield ~ 22 – 25 May 2009
We arrived on a pleasant Friday afternoon to open up the site and were enthusiastically greeted by Jacquie the owner. We found her, as instructed, by following our noses to the tempting aromas of the Bath Shop.
After a whistle stop tour of the centre, (who would have thought that an old tin barn on the outside could look so good on the inside), including an introduction to the French chef in the restaurant, we finally arrived on the rally field.
Houston we have a problem! A tractor was frantically circling the huge field, trying to cut the grass, but to our eyes, making little headway. Our fellow ralliers would be arriving shortly and we were not happy bunnies. The tractor driver then wound down his window to shout to Jacquie that he was leaving at 4pm. She saw our faces drop and said that he would return tomorrow if necessary. Apparently, he should have started mowing at 11 am, but had not turned up until the afternoon. (Luckily for us, he managed to complete the whole field by 5pm).
We set up camp on a swathe of grass which has already been mown and waited for everyone to arrive. At 4pm, it was like check-in at the Port of Dover on the first day of the school holidays. Is this what they mean by ‘Operation Stack’? We were booking in at a rate of more than ten units per hour.
Note to self: must remember high vis jacket next time, as some people were so eager to get on the rally field, I nearly got run over by a caravan! Think it was an Elddis! You would not get that sort of behaviour from an Abbey owner!
As it was a very pleasant evening, most people sat outside chatting until quite late and it was almost like being on holiday.
Saturday dawned bright and sunny and we greeted further arrivals, some even whilst still in our pyjamas. Please note: I don’t do mornings!
Wes and Phil departed for Abbess Roding to collect the trailer and marquee, whilst Denise and I busied ourselves filling party bags without eating any of the sweeties destined to fill them. Well, perhaps only one or two, and those were when a bag burst!
As the weather was positively tropical, most people chilled out in the sunshine. Many willing hands helped raise the marquee and then it was handed over to Warren and Co., party decorators extraordinaire to transform it into a Hawaiian paradise.
The walls were lined with a bamboo scene setter, Hawaiian scenes and Hawaiian bunting. Paper lanterns hung from the rafters, along with fairy lights, an inflatable palm tree stood in a corner and a thatched beach bar was the piece de resistance in the opposite one. Outside was a windsurf board, complete with sail.
At 7.30pm promptly, partygoers started to arrive. There were Hawaiian hula girls complete with leis and grass skirts and lots of cool dudes in Hawaiian shirts, some carrying surf boards, with their names on. This was in case they suffered memory loss later in the evening. Several of the gentlemen and some ladies favoured that famous designer ‘Matalan’ and three of the gentlemen even dressed as triplets!
Many of the grownups and some of the children availed themselves to the punch drinks specially created for them and served from the thatched beach bar.
The evening commenced with a hula hoop competition to see who could twirl it around their waist for the longest time. More difficult that it looked. This was followed by a limbo dance, with hopefully not too many bad backs the following day. Sharne seemed to be quite good at this, but was this because she is smaller than the rest of us?
As Phil was celebrating his 7th birthday (4+3=7), we also played pass the parcel and musical statues and sang happy birthday while he blew the candle out on his cake. (Please note: only one candle, as 43 would have been a fire hazard!)
A good time was had by all and the evening was completed with a slice of cake and a party bag containing sweets and a balloon.
Sunday was another lounging around day in true holiday style with beautiful weather.
At 7.30pm, we were back in the marquee for an evening of bonhomie and good company. Music was provided by Chris and Lee on a borrowed lap top, borrowed hard drive and borrowed iPod, played through the D.A.’s amp.
As we were celebrating National Camping and Caravanning Week, the beach bar doubled as a display area for some old camping photographs along with a 1965 copy of our club’s handbook. This was quite enlightening, including a pattern to sew your own tent and advice about where to dig a hole for your toilet tent, which caused much amusement to the members. The good old days?
Coffee morning on Bank Holiday Monday was a subdued affair, as it started to rain. The marquee was hastily dismantled and placed in the trailer, even the children helped. Wes and Phil returned it to storage, whilst Denise and I tried to do our sums and paperwork.
By lunchtime, the sun had come out again and Wes and I had a nice meal in the restaurant. We all spent the afternoon enjoying the sunshine, but were unlucky to be soaked by a sudden continuous downpour when packing up. Hopefully the weather will be good again next week.
Looking forward to Clare Priory next week.
June – West Essex
A Cat’s Tail
Hi I am Holly, move over canines and let a feline tell a story. I have been camping now since I was a kitten. I am well travelled, been up to Scotland and down to Cornwall and many places in between.
This year prior to Hallowtree, I have had to stay at home to look after Tracey who has not been well, but when my mum and dad got back from Holland I put my paw down and insisted they take me to Hallowtree.
The journey took about an hour and a half and as I now travel in a cage I do not see much. So I just sleep, except when certain tunes are on the CD, when I sing along. Mum and dad are not impressed, but I have to show them that I am in good voice. Anyhow the weekend was good fun; I was taken for walks and got the smell of all those interesting scents I like again.
Dad won the horseshoes with Uncle Shaun, so the family was happy. Dad also excelled himself by eating 6 bacon butties on Sunday morning, oink!
Anyway, it was good to get out in the real countryside again. I am lucky because guarding is not deemed a cat’s duty. I can sleep when I like, but show claws when least expected. I can catch people unawares which is why I am known as "Killer Cat".
The next weekend away was Colne Valley Railway; it was great to get out again. Unfortunately, dogs were not allowed but we cats were. The smell of the coal burning trains was wonderful. The field we were in was next to the river; along the banks were lots of stinging nettles. What fun I had sneaking through them, it was a shame I was on a long lead as I could have run off and had more fun watching mum and dad looking for me.
I remember the time when I did get loose and had all the campers out looking for me in this bean field. I also remember the time when dad got so angry he drove off with the caravan and left mum behind to wait for me to stop playing hide and seek. Ah! The things you do when you are young!
Back to Colne Valley, Dad was disappointed only 4 other units turned up, but you win some and lose some. People went out Saturday and had fun but we stayed on site to arrange the evening in the staff coach.
They had a get together, a few drinks and lots of laughs while I guarded the caravans. (Well I slept with one eye open).
Sunday was a 1940's day and people arrived in clothes of that era, how strange they all looked, especially as it rained most of the morning. The sun came out about 12.30pm and the day turned out well in the end. All’s well that ends well.
I am looking forward to the rest of the year .I am hoping to get to Blenheim Palace for the NFOL and then on to Weeley for our THS. Great place Weeley! You might just hear from me again.
Holly x
Eastern Region AGM & Family Fun Weekend at Nacton – 8 -10 May 2009
I believed that those three little letters, A, G and M could not fit into a sentence with the word ‘fun’ in it. So, hands up, I wasn’t really looking forward to the weekend at all. It felt akin to my 6 monthly checks at the dentist. Something you have to do, but would get out of if you could.
Friday evening, the local takeaway managed to substitute my chicken and mushroom pie for a vegetarian one, so the weekend was sliding downhill already. On the plus side, we were on the outer reaches of the site, so lots of lovely space.
This brings me on to Nacton, the city that never sleeps. Fortunately, the hum of traffic from the A14 was strangely hypnotic. (Do Suffolk Highways know that there is a bump, just level with the rally field, which every HGV hits?) Then, in the dark, wee, small hours of Saturday morning, we discovered something amazing. (The toilet flush water ran out, as it does). We became aware of the birdsong coming from nearby trees. So nightingales don’t only sing in Berkley Square; this was Nacton on a beautiful, moonlit night.
We all presented ourselves in good time for the AGM Meeting, which started at 10.30am. Please note: I am not a morning person, but this meeting was actually quite interesting. Names were put to faces, which is always helpful and it was reassuring to know that other people were experiencing similar problems with computer systems.
We had a coffee break at the end of the AGM and then had a Members Open Meeting, which was informative.
We chilled out in the afternoon, so missed the family games activities, but it sounded as if the participants were having a great time. Denise and I were treated to a barbecued lunch by our very own Gary Rhodes and Anthony Worrell Thompson.
In the evening, we followed the trail of campers wandering over to the hall for an evening of music from Ray Durrant. Floating tea lights had been placed in small glass jars on each table to give a nightclub ambience.
It was still daylight outside and initially, we proved to be a challenging audience for Ray to work with. However, as the light faded people got into the swing of things, they started to sing along with him and in some cases even dance! Some under more duress than others!
As the night progressed, the floor became filled with gyrating dancers, having a good time. The atmosphere was fantastic; we East Anglians certainly know how to party and all too soon the evening came to an end.
We woke up starving on Sunday morning, so had our breakfast before the Bacon Butty Breakfast Bar opened. As I say, I don’t do mornings, so then went back to sleep, so missed the morning activities, but was still in time for coffee morning and prize giving at noon.
There was a cake stall selling homemade cakes and it was very difficult to decide which ones to choose. We saved ours for tea later that day.
The walk down to the river was a little overgrown, but the view was excellent. We had a late lunch and only just managed to be packed up for the 5 o’clock deadline, as we wanted the weekend to last as long as possible. This says it all!
Would I go again? You bet I would!
June – West Essex
‘Allo ‘Allo Rally’ - Oakview Nursery – April 24 -26
Hi I’m Murphy, Susie’s cousin. Thought I should take the opportunity to put the record straight after her report about the Easter Rally.
After much bribing with cooked sausages, (my favourite), I agreed to act as official guard dog and mascot on the ‘Allo ‘Allo Rally. Susie might be bigger than me, but the old girl’s as deaf as a post and might I say a little bit confused at times. Naturally, I was a much better candidate. I provide my own special brand of security, as I’m not of the dangerous dog persuasion, I howl continuously, until any uninvited guests are forced to leave, fingers in ears!!
Anyway, I’ll cut to the chase, (well, I would if I wasn’t on this confounded lead!) Dad and I left on Thursday evening to stay on the CS Site, so that Dad could prepare for the rally. Mum thought that it would be good for us to have some quality time together, as she had to go to work on Friday.
Without Mum in the car, poor Dad had to drive and follow the Sat-Nav, which was a bit tricky and we ended up down a narrow country lane. My navigation skills are purely restricted to food smells, you understand, so not too good when driving.
Friday morning dawned bright and sunny and I woke up and forgot that Mum wasn’t with us. I knew she wasn’t in the caravan, so I figured that she must be in the awning and went flying out there to find her. My life flashed before me in slow motion. I was in such a hurry that I totally missed the caravan step and went flying through the air and crashed to the ground. I landed on my back with my legs in the air and was so stunned I couldn’t move for ages.
Dad was horrified, as he knows how much the vet charges to sort me out and that Mum would kill him. Gingerly, I picked myself up and then remembered that Mum was at work. I didn’t want Dad to get into trouble for not keeping an eye on me, so bruised and battered, acted normally when she arrived that evening.
Phil helped Dad set up a checkpoint with ‘halt’ written on the barrier which was raised to let each unit onto the field. Dad was dressed as a German soldier and everyone else as French people in striped tee-shirts and berets. It could have been a lot worse! At least they didn’t dress me as a French Poodle.
They proceeded to book new arrivals in from lunchtime, while Phil barbecued my favourite lunch; sausages in French bread, but for me, without the onions.
Campers continued to arrive until evening time. Fortunately, we didn’t have any gatecrashers, so my services weren’t required and I could just enjoy what was going on.
Saturday afternoon there were lots of games with silver balls (boules) and round things (quoits), which everyone seemed to like. I wouldn’t have minded joining in, but I only have a small mouth, so picking the boules up would be problematic.
Mum and the other ladies sat around chatting and drinking something resembling mud. It must be good, as it makes them all giggle a lot and sometimes trip over!
On Saturday evening, everyone went into the marquee for a big party to drink wine and eat cheese. The cheese was disgusting, I have a very sensitive, delicate sense of smell and even from the distance of the caravan, it made my eyes water!
It sounded like everyone was having a good time and I could hear them laughing. Guard dog duty is a very lonely task and I dared not sleep in case of intruders. I take my official duties very seriously.
I went to coffee morning on Sunday with the rest of the family. Wes talked for ages; I was compelled to have a little doze to make up for all the excitement of the weekend. There were prizes for the competitions and the children had sweets.
I was slightly miffed, there weren’t any sweets for me and Wes didn’t mention me in dispatches. I have decided that as the terms and conditions of this job were not what I expected. They have not recognised my unique talents so I will be handing this job over to Holly the cat.
Murphy – Shi-tzu (age: wise beyond my years!)
Keith’s Easter Walk – The Grove Estate , Gt Saling, 09 – 13 April 2009
At our Easter meet at Grove Estate, Keith Barlow decided to check out the walk he was going to do on Sunday morning. He also took our Chairman, Ralph O’Connor with him.
With map slung around neck, they set off at approximately 3.30pm. After walking a short way and chattering, as you do, Keith looked at his map and decided that the lakes they were trying to get to, (would you believe), were by his reckoning, wrong on the map.
They pressed on and ended up on private land with a sign saying ‘TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED’. They then squeezed between a gate and a tree and went on a route march around the outskirts of the field, across 2 bridges, in and out of some squashy mud, then up a hill.
Would you believe what happened next? Yes, they ended up at the same place as they started. In the field, they came across a little brown plate (to Keith this seemed to be a land mark), so he took Ralph up another hill and down a pathway, and yes, you are right they ended up by the little brown plate again.
I am not sure, but it seems very strange that Keith should lose his way. Do you have the same opinion as me? I think Keith was trying to lose our Chairman. Anyway, they carried on, regardless. Keith said ‘let’s cut the corner off at the pathway’, which they did. Then, they had to get through an electric gate which was closing, then over a sty and back through the garden.
This is only a short version of what happened, after two and a half hours they both walked through the gate looking worse for wear
Well, Sunday came at last and Keith gathered everyone together and we all set off. This time, Keith only took us on a short walk, which was very enjoyable.
So if Keith ever says ‘I am going to check out a walk, would you like to come’, don’t forget to take your sandwiches and a flask of tea, you never know you may see that little brown plate. I think our Chairman Ralph is still recovering!
Thanks and well done Keith!
Carol H – West Essex.
Easter Rally 2009, the Grove Estate, Great Saling
I was quite excited about going caravanning for my Easter Holiday. Last time my Mum and Dad went away on a rally, I couldn’t go too. They said it was a thing called an AGM and that I wouldn’t like there not being any grass to roll on and that I might be bored because there wasn’t much to keep me interested. So I stayed at home with the boys.
This time I was determined they wouldn’t leave without me and kept guard on the front door, so that they couldn’t go away without me. My strategy paid off and we left early afternoon. I was so happy that I sang to them all the way there. Problem is, they say that my singing sounds like howling and they keep telling me to shut up. It doesn’t help that I am tone deaf, so don’t really know what sort of noise I’m making, I was just pleased to be going on a rally because there is always lots to see and smell.
Anyway, when we got there, they put me on my lead outside the caravan and I was able to watch the world go by. There were lots of children playing on the grass and lots of other dogs arriving with their families, so I wasn’t at all bored.
Later that evening my Mum and Dad had friends round to visit and my Dad even let me have some crisps, although my Mum says I’m supposed to be on a diet. Dad understands that diets are no fun. Sometimes, they drop crisps on the floor and I help them out by hoovering them up.
Early in the evening, I took myself off to my bed at the other end of the caravan because I was very tired as Mum had started doing the hoovering at 6am that morning, so I couldn’t sleep then.
On Saturday, my cousin, Murphy (he’s a Shih Tzu) arrived with his family. I love Murphy to bits, but sometimes, he just takes the biscuit, if you’ll pardon the pun! He gets in my bed, drinks my water and just acts like it’s his caravan, that dog’s got more front than Blackpool! It’s just like being at home, when Sam the cat sleeps on my bed and I have to lie on the floor. Still, it’s nice to have some doggy company from time to time.
When Murphy and I were younger, he and I used to play together, but now, as I’m 15, I consider myself too grown up to play silly games.
I did meet lots of new doggy friends this weekend, though. There was Izzy, the cocker spaniel who was there with her family. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a lovely girl, but she does like to bounce around like tigger. At one point, she even tried to jump right over the top of me and I’m almost twice her size. I try to act like a lady and be sedate, but I suppose as she’s only four months old, she has a lot to learn. Her dad was having great difficulty keeping her and both the kids out of the mud at the same time.
There was also a springer spaniel opposite us, but this was his first rally, so I didn’t get to find out his name, as he was a little shy. It always looked like he and the children in his family were having lots of fun and played lots of games. Tuppence, the sheltie in the caravan next door liked to sit outside her caravan watching the fun like me.
Mum took me for lots of walks which I liked, especially to the recreation ground opposite the rally venue, which had lots of lovely grass. This felt like a real luxury as where we were parked was very stony, a bit like Chesil Beach and it was a bit uncomfortable for my feet.
We didn’t go on the ramble on Sunday, as Mum thought it would be too far for me, but everyone who went had a great time.
I think Mum’s friends need to have a word with her. She will insist on taking me for early morning walks in a bright pink dressing gown and bright pink matching clogs, just like Barbie. I am so embarrassed, what if someone were to see me with her. What if I meet a boy I like? Parents can be so embarrassing!
Anyway, I suppose I’d better have another nap now, as a girl can never get too much beauty sleep and my poor feet are absolutely killing me after all of those stones!
I can’t wait for my next rally.
Suzie – aged 15 ½ - collie/whippet cross
WEDA EASTER 2009 - GROVE ESTATE GREAT SALING
Ann and Wol, Hayley and Alan, Joan and I, arrived and set up ready for the arrival of the others. Wol and I then set off for Abbess Roding and the trailer.
Imagine our surprise when on our return to the site, there had been an influx of units, with vans as far as the eye could see. Alan, with his trusty rope was already in great demand rushing here and there measuring distances. He was glad to see us and promptly handed over to Wol. The trailer was soon unpacked and the marquee erected thanks to all the helpers.
Still the vans rolled in and the committee experienced a mild panic on Thursday evening, with 25 units on site; it was obvious that that we could not fit everyone into the marquee. A quick phone call to the appropriate authority, however, secured the use of the local hall for Friday and Sunday nights. (We had already booked the hall for Saturday night).
Friday morning saw the return of Caroline, the site manager’s daughter and an agreement was reached to utilise more hard standing area. This was just as well, as 5 more units arrived, taking our total on site to 30 units. This is the highest number of units for a WEDA meet for some time.
Ann and Wol had prepared a full programme for the weekend, beginning with hot cross buns and tea/coffee Friday morning. Children large and small had been given cards to colour in readiness for the Easter egg hunt on Sunday.
The entertainment for Friday night was organised by June, Denise, Wes and Phil and took the form of the t.v. game" Blankety Blank" with the committee members making up the celeb panel and 4 members as the contestants. The ultimate winner was Eileen who was presented with a WEDA pennon in a glass frame well done to her!
After a short break we played "Play Your Cards Right”, the winner was another Phil who kindly donated his winnings to the Chairman’s Charity.
Saturday afternoon began with the children making Easter cards under the direction of Mandy and Linda. The adults then showed their prowess and the afternoon finished with ladies sherry time. The men were playing horseshoes and Keith and I went for a walk. We were gone two and a half hours trying to find a suitable route for Sunday’s ramble.
Saturday night in the hall began with children’s games including big children. The hat game was fun to watch and participate in. After a break for the American supper Wol ran a spot waltz led by Joan and myself. I managed to win a natty pair of leopard print boxer shorts. The evening ended with the raffle being drawn and more music.
Sunday saw the Easter egg hunt and was followed by the ramble. What a good turnout we had. The much keener of us had already been out for cycle rides and real walks over the weekend.
Sunday night in the hall began with games for the children and was followed by the Chairman’s Charity draw for the Large Easter Bunny (Guess the name of).
There was of course the Easter Bonnet Comp for both children and adults with a large entry for both. The evening finished with a game of cubes.
Monday morning was overcast but we managed to sit out in front of the marquee. Ann and Wol presented the prizes. Wes asked for stewards and promoted the “Allo Allo” weekend. Kevin spoke on regional matters and I thanked all and closed the meet.
The children had been good all weekend, the weather had been mostly dry and we were all on hard standing.There was very little mud to worry about and all got off safely.
The trailer was dispatched to Ardleigh for the "Allo Allo" weekend where Wes and Co look forward to seeing you. A great weekend was had by all.
For the statistically minded there were: -
13 West Essex
11 East Essex
2 South Suffolk
2 Herts & North London
1 Bucks, Herts & Middles
1 Lodden
Ralph
Blenheim School, Leigh-on-Sea -AGM Weekend, 27 March – 29 March 2009
We arrived on a chilly Friday night, just after dark, to be greeted by Wally, Shaun and Ralph, who had formed a welcoming committee. Five vans were already neatly lined up on a netball pitch and we chose the penthouse suite, which gave our 2 vans the whole area of an enclosed playground beside a badger sett, overlooking the park to ourselves.
Whilst we used the motor mover to position the van, the welcoming committee pushed Denise and Phil’s van painstakingly into place, only having to move it once to comply with the 20 feet rule when Wes insisted that he couldn’t be that close to Phil.
We commonly joke that as we are neighbours and our houses are joined together, that we go rallying to ‘get away from the neighbours’ or in this case to be 20 feet apart from them.
In line with the club’s ‘Eat Local Policy’ of which we are adamant followers, Wes and Phil promptly departed to the local fish and chip shop to purchase some locally baked pies and locally grown potatoes. This was accompanied by some excellent locally purchased wine.
Saturday morning dawned cold, cloudy and damp, so a paddle on the beach was now out of the question. After a leisurely breakfast, we drove a short distance to Southend to a very well stocked party shop to buy some gingham paper table cloths, French berets and bunting for our ‘Allo ‘Allo’ rally. This will take place two weeks after Easter. This shop is an Aladdin’s cave of ideas for rally themes, Hawaiian, Mexican, Italian, Caribbean, pirates, gangster, cowboy and Indian, casino, to name but a few. Sadly they did not have a French policeman’s hat.
We returned to site to have a quick snack, full of excitement and expectation for the 2009 AGM.
At 2pm we assembled in a classroom and chatted with our fellow members who had arrived for the meeting. Jan and Dave are looking well; unfortunately, Peter arrived without Carole as she was feeling a little off colour. The meeting was scheduled to commence at 2.30pm.
By the end of the meeting, the West Essex Committee had been increased by another five victims, sorry volunteers. Following the meeting and forum, a short committee meeting then took place.
Following all of the serious stuff, we were in need of sustenance, so once again Wes and Phil chose to eat local. I wonder if the local chippy would be willing to issue them with a loyalty card.
At 7pm we gathered in the school hall for a fun evening. As it was a school, Joan was in headmistress mode and made us pay attention and sit up straight to play the beetle drive.
This was followed by a buffet to celebrate the AGM and one of Tracey’s fantastic cakes and some other goodies to celebrate Joan and Ralph’s 40th wedding anniversary the previous week. Ralph had also provided wine for everyone to make merry with. Photos were taken of the happy couple cutting their cake.
Wally then put some music on; unfortunately the first track was Queen with ‘I Want to Break Free’. Despite what Shaun says, this is not Ralph’s favourite song!
By this time, our good friends and club members of many years, Rita and Mick arrived and we spent the rest of the evening chatting. Some of us even had a little dance, although this is quite difficult in bright light, in such a large hall.
We tidied up and went home to bed at 11pm, knowing that the clocks were going forward overnight to British Summertime, so we would effectively be getting up an hour earlier. Thanks to the Essex Police who seemed to spend the night circling overhead in a helicopter and the woodpecker who awoke early, we didn’t oversleep.
Sunday coffee morning was bright and sunny at 11 am and Ralph thanked us all for attending. Denise mingled amongst the crowd with the 2009 Rally Board and was able to enlist some more stewards to whom we are extremely grateful. The DA still needs stewards for rallies this year, so all volunteers will be welcomed with open arms and Shaun will give them a big sloppy kiss! (The ladies that is!) Maybe we would get more takers if Shaun gave a big sloppy kiss to all those who didn’t volunteer to steward rallies!
As the site closed at 3pm and we had spent so long chatting, we hastily went back to the vans and started packing. Everyone is looking forward to the Easter Rally at The Grove Estate, Great Saling, which Ann and Wol are stewarding and predict a heat wave. Don’t forget the sunblock. At least we have only 11 days to wait.
June – West Essex
Hallowtree Scout Camp, Nacton – Regional Workshop Weekend,
06 March – 08 March 2009
To the forecast of snow, high winds and other extreme conditions dreaded by our intrepid campers, we set of for Nacton on Friday night in the dark. I think that we caused quite a bit of consternation to the Caravan Club members who were travelling down Canvey Way to attend one of their rallies in a school around the corner to where we live. Were we lost? Why were we going the wrong way? Wasn’t there enough room on site? We need a sticker for the van ‘Follow me to the WEDA Rally!’
For once on a Friday evening the A12 northbound was like clockwork, so we made good time, Phil texted me several times to confirm our location, as he was starving and Denise had cooked a Thai curry for our dinner, but although she had already fed the dog, Phil was not allowed to eat before teatime.
Upon arrival, we found a car with hazard lights on, partially blocking the entrance to the scout camp. I went to ask if he was ok, we thought he might be lost, but he said that the steering had failed on his car and he was waiting for the RAC. We offered a push, but he said he was OK.
After carefully manoeuvring around him, we arrived on site to be greeted by the lady steward. She was adamant that we needed to present both of our membership cards, which we duly did. I think I confused her when I told her that this is a new rule brought out to catch me because I regularly of arrive on rallies with a husband or husbands, who don’t belong to me. She now thinks that West Essex are a strange lot.
Some of our fellow ralliers went over to the hall for the evening, but it was too late after we had eaten our dinner, so we stayed put.
We got up early on Saturday morning, ready for Denise and I to attend the first session of the Sites Clearing House Workshop at 10.30am with Ralph. This was an achievement in itself, as we don’t do mornings very often (well not at all, if it can be helped!) Denise was pleased to find that her first ever sites list for 2010 was perfect and didn’t clash with any other DA/section. We met Wendy from Norfolk and Suffolk DA who is another ‘new girl’. She is going to be their new sites secretary.
Wes and Phil bottled out and took Susie for a walk in the sunshine.
This is usually an excuse for them to search out a pub, we don’t have a dog, so Wes has been known to take a gas bottle for a walk to the pub (the new Calor Light ones are his favourite, they don’t hurt his arm), he says they are easy to train, they stay and sit on command and you don’t have to clear up after them. On this occasion they were unlucky, Hallowtree is not near any pubs.
For the second session at 12 noon, Denise and Wes went to the Sites Clearing House Part 2 and Phil and I went to the PRO’s Session, as he is the new Webmaster and I am the prospective PRO. Both sessions were interesting and entertaining. What exactly are we letting ourselves in for though?
We broke for a welcome lunch of sausages in french bread with onions and potato wedges, with fruit for dessert, expertly provided by a very skilful catering team, great value for only £2 a head. Left to us, everyone would have been down the local MacDonald’s, as we would have been clueless!
Wes and Phil have got themselves a new friend; a lady called Molfrey.
After lunch we went to Sainsbury’s to replenish important supplies (wine, kitkats, crisps, lottery, more wine, etc.) and Susie was subjected to another lovely walk. She used to be a Great Dane before she did all this walking!
We rushed back in eager anticipation, as our good friends Kevin and Ann were presiding over a workshop entitled ‘How to Party’. We had been told that what Kevin doesn’t know about partying can written on the back of a postage stamp, so knew this was an occasion not to be missed.
The reason that we were unaware of Kevin’s talent is because he is a very decent, modest, shy, chap who doesn’t wish to boast, so had kept his wealth of information to himself, even his wife Carol, was amazed!
Needless to say, most of the West Essex gang piled into the committee meeting room to heckle (sorry support) him in this momentous event. We were amazed and surprised. This workshop was so good that it over-ran by 20 minutes and other club members threw open the committee room door to make sure that we hadn’t all expired from a lack of oxygen. We also learned quite a lot about organising themed rallies from Gill and Dave from Fenland DA. It’s always interesting to find out how other people do things.
Denise, Phil, Wes and I then piled back to our van with Wally and Ann for a much earned glass of wine. We were then back in the main hall at 6.30pm to be treated to an excellent three course roast lamb dinner with wine, all for £4 a head, followed by an entertaining Wacky Race Night presented by Duncan, Mark and the team from East Essex.
The evening passed all too quickly in the good company of Jill, Roy, Jane, Alan and another lady, all from Norfolk BCC. They’re posh in Norfolk, they drink their wine from silver goblets, not like the plastic ones us Essex folk have. We also had a taste of their very nice homemade wine.
Sunday dawned bright and sunny and bright eyed and bushy tailed we were once again over in the main hall. Chris gave us a short, precise presentation on the new regional website, which is proving to be very popular.
We were then given an unforgettable presentation about the demographics of the whole club and the results of a survey by head office on the membership, carried out last year. There were lots of graphs and figures and Chris ably played the part of an assistant (rather like Debbie Magee to Paul Daniels) in pointing out the graphs for the presenter, so that those of us at the back could get an idea of what the figures meant.
We were told that the site would close at 3.30pm, so headed back to the vans to prepare lunch. We were grateful to Mark and Lucy from East Essex for their help with regards to our new website and other useful info.
In typical fashion, when it was time to pack up, the beautiful sunshine degenerated into a squally downpour with hailstones and we got soaked. As usual we were the last to leave; we want our weekends to last as long as possible.
We arrived home to be greeted by 2 lots of neighbours who picked up their first new vans yesterday, asking how to join the club and when could they come with us on a rally? We looked a bit bedraggled, but obviously looked as if we had had a good time.
All in all, we had a great weekend and can’t wait until our AGM at Blenheim School, Westcliff-on-Sea in three weeks. Anyone for cockles?
June (West Essex)
Hertford Club Site – 13 to 15 February 2009 (14 units)
Due to icy conditions on local side-roads, we decided to depart for Hertford in daylight on the Saturday morning. Weather and road conditions were clear and for once the M25 was well behaved, so made good time to the site.
Site manager directed us to where the rally was. Ralph came out of his van to say hello and lead us to our pitch for the weekend. Clutched in hand, was his list given by the Site Managers the previous day.
Unfortunately, the two pitches allocated were ankle deep in water and ice, one already had a caravan on it. The other was waiting for a family of penguins to move in. Following discussions with the Site Manager, he allowed us to set up on two pitches where he had disconnected the mains, due to a fault.
No problem, we don’t usually have electric hook-up on rallies and we were in prime position outside the toilet block to put up our posters advertising the WEDA Easter and our ‘Allo Allo’ rallies. Unfortunately, most of our neighbours were too busy trying not to fall in puddles to notice, but nothing ventured, nothing gained!
After a reviving cup of something hot, we went for a walk down into Hertford and ran into some of our fellow inmates in a canal side pub. So over lunch and a few beers/diet cokes, we did a lot of catching up.
Later, we positively skipped back up the hill to the site, proving that the new gym membership we invested in before Christmas wasn’t a total waste of money!
Whilst Denise enjoyed the delights of the toilet block hairdryer (not bad for 20p), Wes, Phil and myself went to Jill and Chris’ to play about with the new website on the laptop.
At 6.30pm, we all left the site in a convoy of cars for the pub for our meal, booked for 7pm. Ralph was in front so that we didn’t get lost and he counted us all in to the John Gilpin Pub car park at Ware.
The restaurant is quite compact, so it was quite a cosy meal with two long tables set out. The waitress did a brilliant job of serving us all our roast dinners, as she was on her own and there were more than 20 of us. Puddings were of the comforting school dinner type, but everyone enjoyed it, albeit that the main course was not as hot as it might have been. However, in these days of credit crunching it was value for only a tenner.
It was good to see Carole and Peter, who came out for the meal and to see that Carole is doing well with her new knee. In conversation, we also found out that at least 3 of our members are going to be celebrating a milestone half century birthday this year.
At the end of the meal, we all wandered back to various vans to continue catching up.
Sunday morning was cloudy, but dry and coffee morning was a relaxed affair, with ‘bring your own’ being the order of the day. Mandy was keen to show off to passersby, the valentine’s card Keith had sent to a ‘Wonderful Wife’
Ralph and Chris updated us with club information, with the audience offering helpful suggestions at various points in the conversation. Chris then went on to tell us about the regional workshop at Nacton in 3 weeks time. This is apparently a good rally to attend and there was much enthusiasm amongst the members about it. As well as various seminars and workshops, lunch and dinner are on offer on Saturday and a race night with a difference on Saturday evening. Members, who have been in the past, say that it was most enjoyable.
As it was half-term and the Site Managers needed the pitches for their new influx of vans that afternoon, everyone went home at 1pm. But as we had been good boy’s and girl’s (and had no electric hook up) we were allowed to stay as long as we wanted.
Someone had been playing with the traffic lights at the Bell Common Tunnel on the M25, so we spent some time in a queue, admiring the view in the rain on our homeward journey, but we made it home before dark.
It’s a shame that we have to wait another 3 weeks before we can go rallying again, but I’m sure it will pass quickly.
