Anyone Fancy A Christmas Camp?

All my bedding - including the duvet & cover - live inside my Dandy. They only come out for cleaning. I've found that the bed will still fold down and allow the 'bolts' to operate with it in situ. Only the pillows are moved to the centre well of the camper.

Helen, Mr Itch has got a roof box. You obviously haven't seen it or its contents.  
He would be lucky to get a pair of socks in it let alone a Duvet.   
Mrs P thinks he should get himself a onesie and if he put it on before he left home he wouldn't forget it.    
This one might suit him.    




[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

2nd thrilling installment

Warmed up after lighting the heater and a gas ring. A warm brew finally calming any chill. Woke up chilled but OK once snuggled into sleeping bag again after 2nd warm brew.
My normal supplementary heater in the shape of a Tilley Lamp was not functioning too well. Three of them with destroyed mantles and one with a small break. Note to self don't transport lamps in Dandy in the future, it is a lot rougher ride than in the car.
The Sunday was still quite dry and very cold. The snow at the side of the Dandy had not thawed despite some rain. Should have got the best out of the day but I was obviously coming down with a cold or similar.
Sunday was spent in a hunt for things we forgot or needed for other reasons but as nowhere is a metropolis we failed miserably.
Found the local equivalent of the cheap tat/pound shop. Given it is winter the solar fairy lights wouldn't operate and such lights are needed if only to annoy Chris. From the first time when my large set of lights were used at Goodwood it was clear that they annoyed or embarrassed Chris. They were only partially used as decoration, my reasoning was that it would be a massive site (and it was) and lights help you navigate back to your unit at night if disorientated.
The battery operated LED lights in the shop just had to be bought. Alas upon returning to the Dandy I discovered they were only 5' long and so not suitable as a display.    
Monday I needed to pick something up from Catterick but we added some value to this trip we had been told of two really antiquated pubs. This was one

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Images taken from photos on Google images at the pubs address not sure how to credit them.

Though it may look it this isn't a twee pub. There is a door just beyond the one under the steps. Not been in an outside gents for a few years. As for the interior it's obviously taken in summer as there was no fire in the grate. At the side of the grate is a swinging arm and hooks for boiling pans and I don't think they are reproduction items.
I've not been anywhere like this in...... I'm not sure i was ever in anywhere like this.

By Tuesday things were getting windier and wetter. We went out for a jaunt to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Now this place is absolutely lovely. Yes perhaps a few places that scream touristy. I doubt it's local support that keeps the galleries in business but  there are three pubs all dog friendly and the parking is not pay and display but instead a pay what you think it's worth box for the upkeep of the village green.
Then there is a campsite and perhaps this is the jewel in the crown.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Doesn't look like a jewel in the crown? Then read these [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] They appear to have pulled off the impossible. No one, no not anyone at all has anything other than praise for these people. A lot of their visitors are coast to coast walkers who they freely upgrade to the two old static caravans they have. Hence the photo above and here is the blog from the lady who took the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Really fancy a trip here at some point. I'd suggest the end of the year if we can get the Phoenix's to come but they would have to bring their larger van. No not Dylan the Dandy 6 but their larger van and not the Astra. It appears all the apples are left to fall and that is just not right if one has a cider press at home.

On the way back we popped into a well known hostelry at the side of a well known bridge.




If you want confirmation of how you can't please even most of the people most of the times read the Google review of [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Personally I found the landlady enthralling but could see how others had a bad experience. You won't be taking your dog inside and you will be removing your cap before you are served. You wouldn't want some anodyne nonentity behind the bar. This pub is the embodiment of the tea totaller spinster (at least she says it's her sister who helps her run it) licensee.
The ford in the opening sequence is just a couple of miles up the road as well and it's still just as in the opening clips.

The evening of New Years Eve/Old Years Night was to be spent in the Tan Hill Inn. Of which there has been no great reference to so far. I fear I might damn the plaice by faint praise. It's alright. The beers and the food are adequate though I think it trades on and prices to where it is rather than what it is. As it isn't round the corner from anywhere it tends to rely on live in staff. Of which at holiday time a good few are students. Now the students were local ish and were fine lads it's just that I've often found local "characters" are the most interesting staff. Perhaps this is somewhat unfair and I'm not sure what I'd expect the management to do. After all it's a lot better than pidgin English with Latvian, Lithuanian or Slovakian staff who are contracted to x months at a time.
Official entertainment was provided for the evening along with food. With such a disparate group of customers I'm not sure how you would successfully spin disks for the entertainment of all and neither evidently was the evenings MC.
Far more entertaining was the unofficial entertainment later that evening. It's some years since I last worked in the licenced trade and I departed before the widespread use of certain other recreational substances, or at least the widespread use of these substances in places that I worked in.
Upon going to the loo there was an animated conversation between one of the bar staff and a young gentleman which whilst I was engaged in precipitation became a conversation between the barman and two young gents as another had emerged from one of the stalls. After completing the matter in hand I decided to linger for a while. I flatter myself that it was so as not to leave the barman alone but in truth I am both useless at non verbal communication (very evident in my writing) and I'm very nosey. Following behind the party as they left the urinals we entered an anteroom to the applause of several. The over exuberance of those on Columbian marching powder had been evident to most of those gathered  there.
There then ensued a group activity of the full compliment of bar staff explaining to the four "Friends of Nigella" where the door was. Emboldened and no doubt somewhat paranoid the group were incapable of taking the hint as to the doors whereabouts then sleeping there excesses off in their car Or perhaps talking animatedly in it for the next 4 hours. No the young rakes ended up beating a hasty retreat to their vehicle after the required bout of non verbal communication outside the Inn. Unfortunately they then continued their retreat in the vehicle. There are only three roads leaving Tan Hill All terminating in or near small towns. While the staff didn't have the reg of the car they believed that a description of it's make and a three panel gouge on the near side formed as the car struck a bollard upon leaving would be adequate.
Had I the literary skills a full three act play could be constructed from the automated handling services desire to route the call to the wrong police force then the police's desire to attend to the accident at the Tan Hill along with an ambulance. Though in error this attendance was fortuitous for when they left (in a different direction) they then came upon the car within a couple of miles. One of the passengers suffering from head injuries and fortunately for one of the other passengers enough wit had now returned to allow him to return to the scene. He had initially fled when sighting the flashing lights. The moor was both large and cold though, cold enough to numb the fear of facing his actions.
As I'm not involved in the licenced trade anymore I do have two questions: Has the incidence of the use of coke increased in pubs? I was in Chester for a meal and a few drinks two weeks earlier and though better behaved there was a large party indulging in similar. I gather the days of lines on the cistern are long gone. If so why does the taking have to be a group activity in the stalls, but for this group activity the practice wouldn't be so easy to spot.

We were due to leave on New Years Day and it was not over consumption that prevented us. It was just too much wind and rain. Even two handed The panels of the Dandy would have been torn from us.                                
Fortunately the following day dawned brighter and we departed though there was still enough of a breeze to make sure our actions were considered while collapsing the Dandy.

Naturally once on the way home within half a dozen miles of hitting the M6 the sun came out and it became a lovely day.

Within a day or two of arriving it would have been impossible to leave till we did. At no point were the winds such that I feared for the Dandy. Despite forgetting my duvet I was still warm enough. I've experienced worse winds and greater cold. I don't know if it was the protracted wind and rain or that combined with the remoteness of the location but this was more trudge than enjoyment.

This must be the only time I've used just the Designer without the awning. The space is still adequate. If you compare what you have to any form of tent it's wonderous. The one thing I did notice was water creep from the door along the carpet. I know not if it was the direction of the rain or my Dandy not being level but there was a pronounced wet patch. "Don't think I missed the Comfort bottle"

The wind rain and lack of outdoors activity desperately upset one of our group.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Not exactly Hawaiian Shirt time.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Kevin great pictures but your rugged good looks dont show    so i played with the picture.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]