Gin all round!

Del's mate and work colleague has been bending his ear for a while now about us all going off caravanning for the weekend.   Steve and Jan are quite seasoned campers and often stay in a C&MHC site in Worthing - https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/south-east-england/west-sussex/northbrook-farm-caravan-club-site/.  Despite not having a toilet/shower block it was an easy drive for a weekend break.   What a lovely peaceful site it is too!   Nice big pitches, laid out in grassy areas in a remote part of Worthing!   - so remote that Del who lived in Worthing for quite a few years didn't even know it was there!

The heatwave for 2018 continues to soar and this weekend certainly didn't disappoint.   There really isn't much to report, it was a great weekend with lovely friends, lots of talking, sharing a barbeque and oh yes!  GIN!   Friday night we sat outside drinking rhubarb & ginger gin and Saturday night it was the turn of gin & prosecco - bloody gorgeous!!!!!! Steve who had not drunk for 30 years (in fact Jan had never known him to have alcohol) had recently found that a glass of G&T is really quite refreshing - the worm has turned.....

  
Lovely weekend, had a great time and we'll definitely be visiting again.  Oh yes!  the big news - I drove home (again).   Next time France!!!!!!

Heaven Farm CL site - new experience for us

We decided to try a CL (Certified Location) for a change.  For those non-campers the Caravan & Motorhome Club have several CL sites around - sites not owned by the C&MHC but are given the thumbs up by the Club and they are allowed to advertise on the C&MHC website and have a C&MHC sign.   This time we broke the golden rule and went on recommendation rather than read the reviews beforehand.   We knew not to expect a luxury toilet/shower block, we didn't mind because we were only there for two nights - Heaven Farm advertises toilets and showers, showers not to be used between 10am-5pm because they are also used by guests to the on-site tearooms, that too is okay because it is a CL not a full site.  However, when somewhere advertises toilets (and showers) is it too much to ask that they be clean?   The sort of filth by lack of cleaning rather than 'what people leave behind' - gross!   So, while I'm on a negative track I'll mention the other downer - the price!   It cost us £22.50 per night, whereas a weekend (2 nights) at nearby Alderstead Heath cost just £40.40 - £4.60 cheaper with luxury toilet blocks!   Anyway, moving on.....

The first little story - we were bombing along the M23 and I was getting the postcode on my phone I looked up and saw a Bailey Ranger zooming past us in the middle lane, for a split second I thought Billie was making her own way there!   Seriously I had to look in the door mirror to make sure she was still hooked on.

Upon arrival at Heaven Farm there's a noticeboard to tell you where to pitch if you are NOT C&MHC members, if you are members you go where you like in the lower paddock.  As we were the only campers we chose No.1 and started pitching up, neither of us noticed that in the field next to us were a family of wallabies and muntjack deer.   Many of the wallabies were albino and one had a little Joey in her pouch, they were so sweet.

You can just see the little Joey peeking from under her.

We are both members of the National Trust and decided that on Saturday morning we'd go for a walk around Sheffield Park https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sheffield-park-and-garden rather than leave it until later when it was even hotter.   Sheffield Park is fairly local to us and we have been a few times before but its beauty never fails to amaze us.  July is their Waterlily Festival - stunning.  I only wish the photos showed how beautiful it is.

It's been so bloomin hot here that neither of us felt like doing anything more, cooking, eating or anything so we didn't!   I think our little wallaby friend sums up exactly how we felt.

Until next time.....