'RAIN RAIN GO AWAY'
'RAIN RAIN GO AWAY'
At the end of my last blog I thought someone had taken my raincoat that I had left in the shower room. But my faith has been restored in human nature. Someone kindly handed it in and I got it back. Apparently they found it when the office was closed and they got up late and eventually took it to the office. So all is well that ends well. And boy do I need that raincoat! I have never seen so much rain but saying that I am enjoying it as well, especially when I am snug as a bug in the motorhome.
My next port of call in the Peak District was Chatsworth House campsite. I was still very nervous about driving around in the motorhome, getting to grips with the width of the road and just how fast to go. I tried not to let the cars behind make me feel pressured into going faster than I was comfortable with, but if I am honest it did stress me out a bit. So at one stage, when I was struggling to find the campsite, I just pulled over into a lay-by. I went for a wee in my little loo and got a kitkat from the cupboard and calmed down. Then I set off again to find the site. And I have to say it was so exciting just to be able to do that to regroup.
I was glad the site had all facilities for showering, washing clothes etc so I could save my water in the tank. I was still avoiding having to fill it up because it just seemed like a big task, one that I knew I would have to eventually face.
When I arrived at the campsite and checked in they gave me a key to a gate which allowed me to go through into the grounds of Chatsworth house and walk around as much as I liked.
I was blown away with just how beautiful it was and the icing on the cake was a massive rainbow above the house. I walked for miles and I was lucky that I timed it during a break in the heavy rainstorms.
The beauty of my surroundings made me tearful. I felt so happy that I had the time to stop and take in the moment and I began to realise that this trip was going to be magical. (anyone who knows me knows that I loose my shit when I see rainbows!! I just love them and feel it is a magical moment in life, don't get me started what I am like if I see a double rainbow!!!)
My boyfriend and his teenage son came to stay for a night, I was a bit apprehensive about what they would think of life in the motorhome but I needn't have worried ,it was such good fun and we all fitted really well into the motorhome. When the beds are made up together there is plenty of room for three people.
There was no let up in the heavy rain, but we did not let that deter us from doing a six mile walk over Parkhouse Hill, which is a distinctive hill in the Peak District, north of the river Dove, then we climbed Chrome hill, which was a lot more tricky in the bad weather, very steep in parts, but well worth it for the views. As if that was not enough we then tackled Hollins Hill, which is 450m high but by now there was a gap in the rain and we got a chance to dry off a bit along the walk.
It was pretty scary in some bits in the strong winds and rain and I have to say at times I wondered what the heck we were doing. But the views were amazing and I did have a great sense of achievement when we had finished, even if I was very sodden.(see photo at top of this page)
The next day after my boyfriend had gone I decided I needed to bite the bullet and have a go at filling the water tank, as the next location I was going to was a remote site that may not be as easy to fill up.
Well I struggled for what seemed like an eternity to just get the water cap off in the rain, it just would not budge. I could feel all the other campers in their motorhomes and caravans looking on and passing comment about how useless I was, as they stayed nice and dry inside their vehicles. I would have done the same to be honest. I think a fellow camper took pity on me because he eventually came over to me and showed me how to get it off. So I thought I was on the home straight and it was just a matter of connecting my hosepipe to the drinking water tap and 'Bobs your uncle', it would be filled. If only the was the case. My hosepipe would not fit onto the tap fitting. I tried my other hosepipe but no that was not going to fit either. Then I remembered my boyfriend's father gave me an adapter for just this kind of emergency, but I could not remember where I had put it. And eventually I found it in the cutlery draw!! of all places.
So I finally got the water in the tank.
Not before time as well because I had to be at Radio Sheffield for an interview on Rony Robinson's programme at midday. They had asked me to be interviewed about my alternative lifestyle and Motorhome adventures as part of a travel programme they were doing.
I gave myself plenty of time because this was the first time I was driving through a busy city and using my handbreak a lot. Which is very low down on my right hand side, which for me is very counter intuitive. Thankfully there is a very loud alarm that goes off if I have not released it enough! and gosh did I need that a lot as I was making may way through lots of traffic lights and roundabouts. Sheffield is very hilly in parts.
Having worked with Rony many years ago at Radio Sheffield it was a pleasure to see him again.
I parked my motorhome in the radio station carpark and gave him a guided tour which he recorded for transmission a bit later. He was fascinated to see where I went to the loo and showered., and how I had packed all my 'STUFF'. He also quizzed me about my electric bicycle strapped to the back of the motorhome on a cycle rack. I explained that although I had not used a bicycle for twenty years I intend to use it to get out and about when the motorhome was parked up somewhere.
I stressed that it was early days and I was on a sharp learning curve. I even recounted the tale of my disastrous attempt that morning to fill up with water, much to his amusement! But I said I was lucky that now I could take my time to learn by my mistakes and hopefully I would be an expert by the end of my adventures.
He made me promise that I would pop in again next year near the end of my travels to let them know how I had got on.
The next thing to overcome was getting out of the radio station car park. It was packed with staff vehicles but I took the bull by the horns and did a three point turn!! I was so pleased with myself. I headed off to my next port of call, which was Harrogate, now that the world cycling championships had finished.
At the end of my last blog I thought someone had taken my raincoat that I had left in the shower room. But my faith has been restored in human nature. Someone kindly handed it in and I got it back. Apparently they found it when the office was closed and they got up late and eventually took it to the office. So all is well that ends well. And boy do I need that raincoat! I have never seen so much rain but saying that I am enjoying it as well, especially when I am snug as a bug in the motorhome.
My next port of call in the Peak District was Chatsworth House campsite. I was still very nervous about driving around in the motorhome, getting to grips with the width of the road and just how fast to go. I tried not to let the cars behind make me feel pressured into going faster than I was comfortable with, but if I am honest it did stress me out a bit. So at one stage, when I was struggling to find the campsite, I just pulled over into a lay-by. I went for a wee in my little loo and got a kitkat from the cupboard and calmed down. Then I set off again to find the site. And I have to say it was so exciting just to be able to do that to regroup.
I was glad the site had all facilities for showering, washing clothes etc so I could save my water in the tank. I was still avoiding having to fill it up because it just seemed like a big task, one that I knew I would have to eventually face.
When I arrived at the campsite and checked in they gave me a key to a gate which allowed me to go through into the grounds of Chatsworth house and walk around as much as I liked.
I was blown away with just how beautiful it was and the icing on the cake was a massive rainbow above the house. I walked for miles and I was lucky that I timed it during a break in the heavy rainstorms.
The beauty of my surroundings made me tearful. I felt so happy that I had the time to stop and take in the moment and I began to realise that this trip was going to be magical. (anyone who knows me knows that I loose my shit when I see rainbows!! I just love them and feel it is a magical moment in life, don't get me started what I am like if I see a double rainbow!!!)
My boyfriend and his teenage son came to stay for a night, I was a bit apprehensive about what they would think of life in the motorhome but I needn't have worried ,it was such good fun and we all fitted really well into the motorhome. When the beds are made up together there is plenty of room for three people.
There was no let up in the heavy rain, but we did not let that deter us from doing a six mile walk over Parkhouse Hill, which is a distinctive hill in the Peak District, north of the river Dove, then we climbed Chrome hill, which was a lot more tricky in the bad weather, very steep in parts, but well worth it for the views. As if that was not enough we then tackled Hollins Hill, which is 450m high but by now there was a gap in the rain and we got a chance to dry off a bit along the walk.
It was pretty scary in some bits in the strong winds and rain and I have to say at times I wondered what the heck we were doing. But the views were amazing and I did have a great sense of achievement when we had finished, even if I was very sodden.(see photo at top of this page)
Well I struggled for what seemed like an eternity to just get the water cap off in the rain, it just would not budge. I could feel all the other campers in their motorhomes and caravans looking on and passing comment about how useless I was, as they stayed nice and dry inside their vehicles. I would have done the same to be honest. I think a fellow camper took pity on me because he eventually came over to me and showed me how to get it off. So I thought I was on the home straight and it was just a matter of connecting my hosepipe to the drinking water tap and 'Bobs your uncle', it would be filled. If only the was the case. My hosepipe would not fit onto the tap fitting. I tried my other hosepipe but no that was not going to fit either. Then I remembered my boyfriend's father gave me an adapter for just this kind of emergency, but I could not remember where I had put it. And eventually I found it in the cutlery draw!! of all places.
So I finally got the water in the tank.
Not before time as well because I had to be at Radio Sheffield for an interview on Rony Robinson's programme at midday. They had asked me to be interviewed about my alternative lifestyle and Motorhome adventures as part of a travel programme they were doing.
I gave myself plenty of time because this was the first time I was driving through a busy city and using my handbreak a lot. Which is very low down on my right hand side, which for me is very counter intuitive. Thankfully there is a very loud alarm that goes off if I have not released it enough! and gosh did I need that a lot as I was making may way through lots of traffic lights and roundabouts. Sheffield is very hilly in parts.
Having worked with Rony many years ago at Radio Sheffield it was a pleasure to see him again.
I parked my motorhome in the radio station carpark and gave him a guided tour which he recorded for transmission a bit later. He was fascinated to see where I went to the loo and showered., and how I had packed all my 'STUFF'. He also quizzed me about my electric bicycle strapped to the back of the motorhome on a cycle rack. I explained that although I had not used a bicycle for twenty years I intend to use it to get out and about when the motorhome was parked up somewhere.
I stressed that it was early days and I was on a sharp learning curve. I even recounted the tale of my disastrous attempt that morning to fill up with water, much to his amusement! But I said I was lucky that now I could take my time to learn by my mistakes and hopefully I would be an expert by the end of my adventures.
He made me promise that I would pop in again next year near the end of my travels to let them know how I had got on.
The next thing to overcome was getting out of the radio station car park. It was packed with staff vehicles but I took the bull by the horns and did a three point turn!! I was so pleased with myself. I headed off to my next port of call, which was Harrogate, now that the world cycling championships had finished.
........ come back another day! ☔️
ReplyDelete