Motorhome Madness with the Walters

 Unbelievably the day dawned bright and sunny. We lazed about then I thrashed Ian in the crossword off. While lazing we noticed a chainsaw kind of noise emanating from the basin. It was some kind of radio controlled boat meet. I threw some very nice egg sarnies together for breakfast while we got high on engine oil fumes. I did go and have a little look and it was quite exciting. Boats racing We both had time for a shower, although Ian has taken to cleaning Dame Shirley to within an inch of her life every morning so I had to chivvy him along and make him promise to make it a quick one. While he was gone I did my job of ensuring there are no rattles. It’s the only job I am allowed to do. Happily. I also put out the decorations, as it’s St George’s Day.  Flying the flag Only half an hour later, about 11.30, Ian came strolling back. He is very blasé about the 12’o’clock departure time. Me not so. So there were just all the Ian only jobs left to do. He did, however, give me a less...

 Despite the forecast for heavy rain, Kathy’s 32nd birthday dawned bright and sunny. With no Misty to wake us we slept in till 8am before lazing about. A scrappy crossword off was won by someone, not sure who, then the pub quiz was won, emphatically by me. Ian not knowing what MSG stands for in food, or that Luton is in Bedfordshire. We breakfasted on porridge and toast, before lazing some more then going for a shower. The staff at Baltic Wharf are super efficient and the shower block only closes for 20 mins for cleaning, meaning even Ian can find time to go. Then we had a lovely Skype with Kathy and watched her open her presents. That was fun.  Present time By now it was almost time for Vicky to arrive, but we had a super quick walk out onto the wharf and Underfall Yard. Underfall Yard Looking back toward Dame Shirley Just outside the secret gate. We made a sandwich and Vicky and Alex arrived soon after. Vicky had been to the races the day before and looked very Shelpid. Soon...

 Less than a week after returning from our wonderful trip to Norfolk we were off in Dame Shirley Bassey again. This time to Bristol. Ian had the pesky little task of going to work on the Friday morning but i nagged him so much on the problems of the school run and the M42 that he was home by 2.30. Having done all the packing earlier we were straight off before the first child had chance to set foot in mummy’s Range Rover. The first bit was easy going, but an accident on the M42 (ha!) meant we had to go round the top of Birmingham on the M6. Never quick on a Friday afternoon. After negotiating roadworks, cyclists, and a million of those e-scooters, we rolled into the Caravan and Motorhome clubs Baltic Wharf site around 6.30. Perfect. We chose pitch 48, as it faces onto the city, and got DS set up. ‘Hm’ Ian mused. ‘The electric is not working, and Number 47 has plugged himself into our socket. I’m off to confront him.’ Two minutes later he was back. ‘It’s a twister again.’ I said not...

 We awoke to the sound of hob nailed boots on the roof of Dame Shirley. Then came ‘coo coo coo’ . Pigeons. Who knew they were so heavy footed. It was a little gloomy as Ian took Misty to the woods and I lazed in bed. The customary crossword off ended in a customary victory for me. Yay! Porridge and toast for breakfast then we began to prepare for departure. We won’t take as long as the tent in the corner though. It took them three hours on Friday to erect it, in the rain, now they are dismantling it. We took some magazine shots before we left as we were both wearing our special T-Shirts. At 11am Ian trotted off for a wash. The fool. I bet you lot all know that the toilet block closes for cleaning 10-12! So he trotted off to the far, far, end of the site to see if that one was open. It was. Then it was time to leave Sandringham, and Norfolk. The king and queen From the woods I know we moan about kids but this site has been brilliant. It’s massive but you aren’t on top of everybody e...

 We awoke to the pitter patter of rain on the roof. My turn to get up as well. Never mind. As it happens the rain stopped and the morning walk through the woods was amazing. This site is surrounded by woods, with gates set in the fence for dog walkers. You can walk all the way around it’s vastness. We never saw another living soul either.  Early morning at Sandringham  We lazed around a bit with a crossword off. (No comment) but not too long. We had places to be this morning. I had booked us in for a visit to The Big House itself. I was really excited, Ian not so much. Hot cross buns for breakfast, then I took Misty for another little stroll as she would be left at home. Too many corgis. The rain had blown over, the sun had come out, and the weather was perfect as we retraced our steps from yesterday, without the one mile detour. You can stroll around the Kings garden as well, which we did before entering the house at our allotted time of 11.40. It was very poignant as th...

 We woke to full sunshine, thank god, and Ian took Misty for a stroll up the lane. We chilled before the crossword off (🤷🏻‍♀️) then had porridge and toast for breakfast . We prepared for departure quickly, then Misty and I stood back with fingers and paws crossed to watch Ian try to reverse Dame Shirley off the nice dry mud. Thankfully he managed it first time so we stopped at a lay-by and had bacon butties.  Bacon buttie I really liked The Shieling, just not the mud! If we had got pitch 3 we would have had a lovely sea view. The shower room was nice but no washing up facilities. All in all a solid 7/10 It wasn’t long till we rolled into The camping and caravan club site at Sandringham. A very friendly lady greeted us and took us to a nice pitch under no trees, but worryingly near to the childrens playground. It was also near to a toilet block, but there are three toilet blocks and this one was closed. Never mind. We got set up and, due to the sunny weather decided on the aw...

 After a rainy, stormy night, I awoke to bright sunshine and the sound of birdsong. What is going on with this Norfolk weather?! At least we have avoided a drenching so far. I fed Misty then took her for a stroll along the lane by the site that Mark had indicated as a dog walk. It was just a track for the first bit, but then opened out into a field with a beautiful panorama of the countryside. The wind up there certainly blew any cobwebs away as well.  Back at Dame Shirley we lazed about and had a crossword off (I won, again) before I rustled up a full English Full English in Dame Shirl We had a bit of a problem with the sink draining while trying to do the washing up, and I took a ferocious blow to the head when the door swung back in the wind, but we were soon ready to take a walk. We walked up through Cley and past the famous windmill before heading to the beach at the Cley Bird reserve. Misty did not like the pebbly beach one little bit, so we returned to Cley to a very ni...