My goodness I can't believe its been 17 days since my last blog, and as stated in my last blog hmmmm we have NO idea of the concept of time any more as I thought I hadn't blogged in all of a few days. So where to start without boring the very pants off you??????????????????????????????
Backwards would possibly be the best way think of this blog as a Benjamin Button film, 17 days backwards. So i'm writing this sitting in the conservatory with the rain pouring off the roof. I have 3 HUGE loads of washing to do but NO dryer and if it doesn't stop raining soon when we go away on Monday we'll all be naked
. Hubby refused point blank to take them to the launderette when we were in London yesterday (still have no idea where one might be around here or if there would be one???). We arrived back after being away for the past 8 days, 2 days in London and 6 away at Camber Sands (possibly wouldn't recommend to anyone lol).
So as I say we arrived back last night at 10pm after setting off at 11am. Long journey oh yes!!!!!! Brakes went in the car and so we were forced to stay on the motorways (despite awful traffic) just so that we wouldn't need to use the brakes so much (hadn't obviously counted on the traffic). Managed to make it to drop oldest son off to his home (he has 6 days of CBB to catch up on as our holiday area didn't have channel 5 yet, ooooppps!!!) and £260 down the brakes were fixed. Both brake pads and discs needed replacing, oooops again :( my bad :(.
Holiday however (despite expected arguments between the boys and the obvious lack of CBB for oldest son) went really well. Caravan itself was littered with dog hairs everywhere and when you have a 9 month old that is crawling around on the floor or the more impressive walking for a few steps then thumping down with a bang head first onto the floor its not such a great thing. Starting to worry about the dog we've adopted now (later!!! lol). So after numerous visits to the reception about cleaning our caravan (properly) we came back from the beach to a (almost) beautifully clean caravn with (this is fab) a tablecloth on our table (bless).
Personally I love caravan holidays and have been on them all my life since I was a little girl (yes a very long time now) and although I do (normally won't admit though) miss going abroad for a proper holiday, finances haven't allowed it for a very long time and unless we win the lottery I can't see it happening for a very long time. Last time was for my sisters wedding in Antigua (see we didn't even pay) and she recently announced that she was planning to do something for her 10th wedding anniversary hmmm!!!! That long ago, although we have had small breaks abroad such as our honeymoon in Paris before we got married last year that was 5 days (lol).
The area we went to Camber sands pretty deserted really but you could get to the beach, had a club and swimming pool (and yes I EVEN went swimming TWICE) and the most expensive small store
possibly in the world (we found Tesco's 7 miles away).
Mostly stayed on the site but ventured off a couple of times after deciding that our choice of beach, swimming or staying in bed was wearing thin. After driving to the Tescos on the second day we'd come across Dungeness (and the name was driving me mad as I felt like there was something I should know about it) we did this on our last day. HMMMM!!!!
Description from a visitor after visiting the area (couldn't put it better) other than a suggestion from hubby that it felt like we were in an episode of the X files.
Dungeness, If, as some people argue, the world is actually flat, then I’d like to nominate
Dungeness as one of the ends of the earth. It certainly feels remote and strange enough for maps of the area to tell you that in the sea beyond the coast “Here be monsters”.
Dungeness is at the end of a mile and a half shingle promontory, between New Romney, Lydd and Camber on Romney Marsh in Kent. Aside from a collection of seemingly random huts and shacks, it has two nuclear power stations (once upon a time you could visit them, but in these days of tight security, that was thought to be a bad idea), two lighthouses (one defunct), is the terminus of the miniature Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (of which more soon), some fishing boats moored on the shore, and a collection of flora and fauna unique to its shingle landscape.
Apart from this though, there really is almost “nothing to see” at Dungeness. There is a unique atmosphere, its almost as if the area is disguised as. This is just another example of Dungeness’s strangeness. It’s almost like the place doesn’t want to be categorised. A nature reserve with a nuclear power station attached; a chapel that wasn’t and now is; a beach you can’t swim off. That’s probably why I love it.
I'm probably not in the same category of I love it, in fact possibly wouldn't choose to go back but it is SO eerie it draws you in. We started walking past all the beach huts (or should I say actual houses) but look like beach huts and then saw a small puff of smoke coming in from the desert (seriously a shingle desert would describe this place perfectly) and the train puffed into the tiny station. We ran back like fools giddy with the excitement that there would be something to do there (must be kind you can also go up the lighthouse) get to the station master who is dealing with a customer in front of us (please hurry we might miss the train) 2 adults and 2 children return £39.50. Now I don't often swear WTF??????? We would have 3 adults and 2 children and our holiday (due once again to finances) is on a tight budget. We slowly walk out with our heads down and walk back on the deolute road back to the pathway to the beach. There is beach all the way along BUT most the areas say DO NOT ENTER see????? really really weird place.
After having our picnic on the beach, no dipping your toes in here the waves seriously lash at you and you can see 1 foot in and it turns amazingly deep. Apparently even the strongest swimmers can't swim in these shores. We drive out of the no zone area and into the RSPBA and the kids LOVED the 3 mile walk I made them do around the bird and wildlife sanctuary. Its one of those walks though where even if you change your mind about completely the route you'd still have just as far to all back.
At least they got some fresh air aside from having to listen to the "are we nearly there, where are the birds, i'm tired, i need to sit for a while, can you carry me" etc etc. EVEN I was shattered by the end of the walk but the boys were happy at the end when they received their certificate for spotting the birds (that mostly they didn't).
Ah well the joys of day trips outs (lol).
One day we also ventured into RYE which was just 3 miles out from the holiday camp, now that is a very pretty place but for such a pretty place the pavements are tiny and traffic still goes through at a pace. Boys developed an extraordinary (but not X files) interest in antiques and curiosity shops (and trust me we probably counted almost 20 of them, including retro shops with nothing but 60's stuff in it).
Back at the holiday camp I seem to have developed an extraordinary (seems to be my favorite writing word now) addiction to red berrie and lime cider
mmmmmmm its gorgeous and at £4.95 a bottle (in the club) its needs to be. Hubby took to smuggling in his beer and glass to save on costs just so that I could have my precious drink. that's LOVE!!!!
Watched a few shows, the under 12's talent show was particularly good especially the two children at the end one 8 year old girl singing an Adele song and an 8 year old boy who was singing (can't for the life of me remember but it had a rap part in the middle) and he won. The next night we were too late for the talent show as the boys were all huffy and puffy about whether they wanted to go. And the final night before we left was the over 18's talent, ONE man singing Elvis
(now I love Elvis but had no idea of the song) so he sang then came back out to win, now thats talent!!!!
Part 2 of blog, pre holiday on way, just need to make another cuppa first.
TTFN!!!!
To the fact that i've just been off the blog for half an hour as I started looking for bouncy castles to buy again. Almost as addicted to our business as I am my red berry cider lol!!! Ps any investors wanting to contribute to this venture please contact us www.littlejumpers.co.uk, another small plug lol.
