Motorhome Madness with the Walters

 Ian woke up around 2am to find the heating had gone off completely and the cab was 12 degrees. We haven’t quite got the hang of the timer! I didn’t stir as I was toasty under the covers, until an early 7am departure crunched off. What is it with these people who can be up and off for seven? If we are out for midday it’s a bonus!  I got up around 8 to make the coffee and looked out of the window.  Snow! A tiny bit of snow had fallen overnight. The first ever snowfall while we have been away in Dame Shirley. The timer had done its job this morning and cranked up the heat so we were lovely and warm inside.  Sadly, we were heading home today, unless there was a blizzard of course. I prepared porridge for breakfast and we sat looking out as a few further flurries swirled around. I noticed MI5 next door had lowered the satellite. No spying to be done in a snowstorm I suppose.  Ian had been doing his back exercises outside but the cold and damp drove him in to do them...

 I was awoken around 5am by Sally, the bedroom TV, flashing red and blue. I fumbled about for the control and pushed a few buttons to stop the rave. I drifted back off before being awoken again. One of our neighbours was going for the early 7am departure. Lots of crunching of tyres on gravel and a barking dog. Next time I woke up it was 8.30 and Ian was preparing the coffee.  We did some lazing around as the weather had taken a turn for the worse and rain was pounding on Dame Shirls roof. Then it was time for a nice Full English. Full English We had planned a walk into Matlock but I wasn’t looking forward to it in the rain and the cold, but by the time we were ready the rain had petered out and there was a weak sun peaking through the clouds.  The path into Matlock started along the usual motorway before heading onto a quiet bit of uphill road. After that it was three miles downhill. There were a few short showers but mostly the weather was kind and I really enjoyed it. A...

 It is a truth universally acknowledged that if Ian decides to drag the binoculars round on a walk, no birds or wildlife will be seen.  We awoke to a bright but chilly day and debated what to do. We settled on a walk we had seen in the information room, with a pub half way. Lunchtime food meant porridge for breakfast to leave some room for later. “I think I’ll take the binoculars”, Ian said before we departed. I turned away before he could see me roll my eyes and smirk. Looking at the OS map, the walk appeared to be downhill all the way there, and uphill all the way back. Never mind. Leaving Dame Shirl for the day The first half mile or so was along the motorway we went along yesterday, before we turned off onto a quiet lane. The sky was so clear and blue I had to put my sunglasses on. Soon we left the road and crossed a field. We proceeded to go downhill over several undog friendly styles. Ian would have had to lift any of our dogs over. Good job we didn’t take them. Eventual...

 In November 2024 I jumped on the Caravan and Motorhome club (CMC) website and booked a few days in York for November 2025. Bookings at this site are like gold dust as it is right by the river in the centre of town, especially around Xmas as York has a Xmas market. Sadly, it being right by the river in the centre of town makes it prone to flooding. We had had no rain since March, were under a hosepipe ban, and instructed by Yorkshire water to shower, not bath, and even keep that to a minimum, so all should be well shouldn’t it? The answer of course is no. A few hours of rain later and the river was so high the site had to be evacuated the day before we were due to arrive. Resignedly I jumped on the CMC website, cancelled this year, and booked a few days in York for November 2026. That’s something to look forward to.  All packed up and nowhere to go we looked at other sites not too far and decided on Lickpenny, near Matlock, a site new to the CMC network, but one that had been ...