Wyatts Covert - Covid and QPR

 We had been home only a couple of weeks before our next jaunt in Dame Shirley. With it being the football season most of our trips until next April would be centred around who The Millers were playing away. A visit to QPR enabled us to set up a visit to the Wyatts Covert CMC site near Uxbridge, one which we had stayed in many years ago when the kids were little in the old caravan. It was also conveniently located for a meeting with Heather and David. The best laid plans and all that.

The weekend before the trip Ian came home from work with man flu. Just a cold we thought, until he decided on a covid test. Positive! Damn. No way did I want to give the coronas to Heather and David as they were both very ill last time. We ummed and ahhed whether to cancel. The decision was made when I returned from work on the weds at deaths door. Even thought the test was negative we decided not to go ahead with the planned meal out. After checking the governments latest guidance however, ‘stay off work if you feel ill, go about your daily business if you don’t’, we decided football fans are fair game and the planned trip to Uxbridge was still on! 

The beauty of Dame Shirley is that we can leave most things in there so packing is very simple. On the Friday morning I added a few clothes and a bit of snap to the fridge. A bottle of red completed the loading process and Misty and I were free to take a trespassers W in the woods.

Ian had decided to work at home while he had the coronas (see, we do have a heart) and we were able to set off as soon as he finished at 4pm. Which was just as well as the Friday evening traffic was, as usual, horrendous. We had to arrive at the site before 8, and received a phone call about 7 asking how long we would be. Sat Nav Said 7.30 and, despite a road being closed for the Demon that is HS2, we arrived round about that time. Wyatts covert is a pretty small site, only 50 pitches, and we were soon settled in, drinking wine and eating home made lasagne. There was a minor panic when we realised we were on gas, meaning the electric wasn’t working. Ian discovered he needed to twist the plug in the socket and all was well. After a long day I decided to turn in leaving Ian watching seven dwarves of Auschwitz.

We both slept like the proverbial logs and it was after 8 before we rose for coffee, although my perfect planning went out the window with the realisation that the porridge pot was empty! We had to make do with pastries for breakfast

Earli(ish) breakfast outside Dame Shirley

We pottered around for a while, taking in the peace, the geese, the lack of children, and the endless drone of light aircraft from Denham Aerodrome before I decided to go for a shower. Bizarrely Wyatts Coverts one shower block closes 10.30 - 12 for cleaning. ‘Maybe people get up early in the South’ said Ian, who had absolutely no hope. I managed to squeeze in beforehand however, and emerged nice and clean. 

At exactly, precisely, bang on midday (she’s a Last) Vicky arrived. We snaffled a quick sandwich and cuppa before heading to West Ruislip tube station. Who knew how long the journey would take so we left plenty of time. On the way we passed a big C and a long complicated discussion ensued about charges we may face. Congestion? LEZ? Ultra LEZ? None? Turns out none, just a few quid for the car park. And in the end it didn’t take us long at all to get to White City tube station.

We left such a long time for the journey because we knew of old that to get to the away end at Loftus Road requires a walk of approx two miles once you reach Loftus Road, involving some kind of spiral maze. We did stop off on the way for Vicky to do a swab to see if she can be a donor for a blood cancer sufferer who supports QPR. Ian and I also wanted to be tested but were much too old! Even with the swab and the hike we entered the ground in plenty of time. 

QPR tickets are notoriously expensive, and this time they had sold them in two categories. Gold, right behind the goal, or silver, behind but to the edge. We noticed that, being Yorkshire folk, almost everyone started off at the edges. There was nothing to stop the 400 of us migrating though, and most duly did. We however had a great spot with a nice metal shelf to bang in front. Ian could also get right in the refs ear, which he did on regular occasions. Once telling him to watch the foul on the keeper. Thank god as there was a clear foul on the keeper, which he spotted. 

Silver drum seats with the gold seats behind

In the end we got a very creditable 1-1 draw with Chieo scoring once again to add another couple of million to the price tag. We visited the loos on the way out. As usual being almost the last in the ground. Only Richard Woods wife was behind us, luckily for Vicky. As I was drying my hands a steward came in and asked if she had been in the cubicle long. ‘No, she just gone in’ said woody’s wife. ‘We have to keep an eye out for people sniffing drugs’ said the steward!

We were soon back at Wyatts Covert and Ian got the BBQ going for tea.

Eventually, after watching athletics, Queens of Disco, and Match of the Day, Vicky decided she was staying the night so we lowered the emergency bed and turned in.

Ian had tested again the previous night, still positive, so we decided the best course of action was for Heather and David to come over to Wyatts Covert and us all to sit outside. luckily it was a nice morning and we had a smashing, socially distanced, cup of coffee (Heather brought  her own mug). It was lovely to see them, so lovely that I forgot to take any photos! 

About half past eleven all our visitors left and we prepared Dame Shirley for departure. As we emptied our smelly waste water we had a nice conversation with a Sheffield Weds fan who had been to a Coldplay concert at Wembley the night before. Eventually we pried ourselves away, swerved around the puppy running amok, and left for home. We had had a very successful first football away game trip. We had also learned to avoid the M1 south on a Friday evening in the school holidays.