Nature's Bounty

Last camping weekend of the season - back to Laneham where we went last year and got flooded! Got there nice and early, tent went up very easily, and we were soon sitting with friends with a cucumber g and t.

I love my tent, but this might be the last time we pitch it - I'd quite like a new one for next season...
In the evening we walked by the River Trent

into the village and the pub for fish and chip might. unfortunately they'd run out of fish and chips :-(

Still, a good night was had, and we were up bright and early for our famous communal breakfast, and a walk to the next village to get the bus to Retford (my home town).  After a coffee we joined the canal towpath for our usual walk - the Chesterfield Canal is lovely.

The sun was shining, and we soon made it to my favourite-named lock

where some took the opportunity to strip a nearby bush of sloes

Others played with the lock!

There was a goit by the lock which was full of trout. We carried on, past many fishermen, swans, ducks, moorhens, coots, and past the wild hops in the hedgerow, just past a pub called The Hop Pole.

 We also saw this

which we later discovered to be a rose bedeguar gall, or a Robin's pincushion gall, on a rose hip. Fascinating.

Eventually we reached another pub, The Gate, where we had a lovely lunch.  A walk back to town

Some shopping for the meal later, and the bus back. We stopped for a drink at the local brewery, and managed to pick up bramley apples, eating apples, plums and eggs from honesty stalls outside peoples houses in the village. Back at the campsite we picked a bag of lovely blackberries, and made a blackberry and apple crumble for tea. Yum!
As we thought it might be too cold for a BBQ (we were wrong), we had a chilli, rice, garlic bread, jacket potatoes, and pudding. Lots of music, and some wine and beer to wash it down with.

Then we walked to the pub and met my family for a drink - a lovely evening, and followed by a nightcap or two in our friends van.

Lazy Sunday morning, another communal breakfast, including a lot of fried bacon

and I managed to pick a carrier bag of wild damsons from a tree on the riverbank. Eventually got the tent down, and drove home, where I began the task of turning our wild pickings into sloe gin and damson vodka. A great end to the camping season.

Camping at Rowsley

Another camping weekend over, this time our annual trip to the Grouse and Claret at Rowsely. A lovely pub just through Chatsworth which conveniently has a campsite at the back of it. Normal routine on Friday - get there, pitch tent, have minor argument about how to do it, fill tent with all gear, and join friends in sunshine for drinks and nibbles. Dinner in the pub, and back to gazebo for nightcap. I have new, solar powered fairy lights for our tent, whch was very exciting!



Saturday morning was a communal fry up, then the bus to Ashford in the Water and a walk to Bakewell, partly along the Monsal tail which we joined at Thornbridge station.



Then walked to Hassop station where there is a lovely tea room and book shop. Lots of wild flowers along the way,



and lots of bikes. Groups of hikers and groups of bikes on fairly narrow trails don't exactly mix well, but not sure there's an answer. Arrived in Bakewell in time for lunch at The Peacock and a look round the shops and a visit to the ducks of course



Where we saw some interesting coloured babies



before starting the walk back, which involves a bit of a climb but gets you some lovely views.



More early evening sunshine and a BBQ - normal stuff, chicken, burgers, sausages, gammon, lamb - and a bottle of chef's privilege (Prosecco) for the two cooks.



Got some good pictures of the "supermoon"



Next morning a leisurely start, mainly because we could hear it raining, so stayed in the tent Then we went to Rowsley station and caught the steam train at Peak Rail which goes to Matlock and back several times while you have Sunday lunch in their Palatine cars.


Joined by some of my family including my Mum and Dad who were celebrating their Diamond wedding anniversary, so the Queen came too.


Lunch is excellent, roast beef and all the trimmings followed by a real sweet trolley! And you get to see the steam train .




Luckily it stopped raining for the walk back to the campsite, and we sat around a bit or played on the now empty campsite


and then had another BBQ.
Next morning we were up and off early, leaving a couple of wet tents so we could get to work by 9. But the sun Shen all at, and when we went back to get them in the evening they were dry. Apart from the inside of ours, and we seem to have sprung a leak!

Another great weekend, good company and some sunshine.

The curious incident.....

Last weekend's camping trip to Hope will be remembered for more than it's fair share of incidents! Friday we arrived and with the tent half up found ourselves being battered by a hailstorm. After a quick retreat to the car, we managed to stay fairly dry getting the rest of it up. Then the sun came out, so we were able to have an early evening tipple before walking into the village for dinner.

The next day dawned bright and sunny, with more than the sun shining for one of our party, who had a very fetching shiner of her own following the curious incident of the iPad in the night-time. So, after a communal breakfast we set off on our walk, through some lovely lanes with hedgerows covered in wild flowers,

through Aston and Thornhill,  past an interesting sign

then back to the Rising Sun in Bamford for lunch.

 In the afternoon we walked through Shatton (you'd be amazed how many jokes you can get out of that....), past the ford,

 and got back to the campsite late afternoon, in time for a BBQ.

Although it had been warm during the day, the skies were clear and it was very cold in the evening, so we had to wrap up well in the awning. All of our wonderful slankets came out!

Another sunny morning, another communal breakfast (we all cook something and then share it out), and we had our airbed out on the grass trying to find the leak that meant we were constantly sinking in the night. Applied a patch to the hole and we thought the job was done.....  Then we set off to walk to Castleton - a route we've taken many times along the bottom of Lose Hill, with stunning views over to Pevril Castle and Winnats Pass.

 There's even a playground along the way, and a farm shop with animals to feed.

Lunch was in the Bulls Head, where we witnessed a medical emergency as a man collapsed at the next table. Two of our friends are very experienced nurses and leapt into action to throw chairs out of the way and get him on the floor. I was very impressed with the emergency services, as a volunteer first responder was there within minutes, closely followed by a doctor, then a paramedic. It  was like being on the set of Casualty. I'm pleased to say the man was conscious and seemed OK.

A mooch round Castleton and the shops followed, and I managed to buy some jewellery, and we had an excellent Bradwells Ice Cream, and then some left for the campsite, but some of us were staying to see a concert - The Everley Pregnant Brothers playing in The Devil's Arse.
We had a nice early dinner, and wandered up about 7 for the concert

Amazing venue for a concert, but slightly underwhelmed by the two portaloos for the hundreds of people there!

We got reasonable seats, and as usual, the Brothers were amazing. So funny.
All the old favourites - No Oven No Pie, Hendos, and a new one written to the tune of Elbow's One Day Like This, called One Day on't Piss" - a charming A-Z of Sheffield Pubs in song format. Fagan's got the biggest cheer!

Thinking we'd be able to get the last bus back to the campsite, we hadn't thought about booking a cab, but we missed it as the concert finished later than we expected, so we ran to the pub, got there just in time for a drink and contemplated how to get back. Couldn't get a cab as all were booked, so set off to walk, but then hijacked a taxi heading to pick someone else up on the road. We were only going a few miles so didn't detain it long :-)  Got back for a nightcap in Andrea and Donald's van, and in the night there was a frost. And a flat airbed!

Monday was another glorious day (was it really a bank holiday weekend?), so we got the bus to Fox House, and walked through Longshaw,where we saw deer

 and then down Padley Gorge

where we passed the Money Tree which I'd not seen before, despite having walked that route many times.

Got to Grindleford station cafe for a coffee and a read of the notices, which seem to be a bit tamer than they used to be.  Then along the river where we passed some lovely bluebells

to Hathersage for lunch. After a look round the shops, and another drink we caught the bus back, where three of our party got involved in a heated argument with some very obnoxious people who got on the bus and argued with the driver, who turned his engine off. As they were clearly in the wrong, this was pointed out to them, but they didn't appreciate it. Almost a fight, but not quite.

Another BBQ, which had to be in our friends awning as it had started to rain

 and a night in the van as it was cold again, and then an early rise on Tuesday as some of us were back at work. Unfortunately it had rained all night so we took down a very wet tent and stuffed it in the car. The airbed went in the bin.

Another great weekend!

Camping again...

It's the first May Bank Holiday - so it's our first camping weekend. Last year we had ice on the tent, but we were hoping for something a bit warmer this year! A new campsite  - Upper Hurst Farm near Hartington. A brand new site, only opened last year, and it was lovely. Small, with a facilities block with underfloor heating. Luxury!

Arrived Friday afternoon, had the usual tussle with the tent given it was the first time we'd had to put it up for six months, but got there in the end!

I love our tent - just the right size and very cozy.
Just one disaster - I'd bought a box of fruit for the weekend. But Stuart ran over it.

There was quite a group of us this weekend - 3 tents, 3 camper vans and a gazebo, and eventually everyone was there and set up, so after drinks and nibbles we walked to the nearest pub, The Manifold Inn, for a meal. Back for some nightcaps in the gazebo, and then to bed. Halfway through the night we realised there was something seriously wrong with our airbed - it obviously had a leak!

Saturday morning was a communal breakfast, and then a walk along Beresford Dale.

Half way along we reached Pike Pool so called, according to Charles Cotton, who spent much time fishing in the river here, because of its grey monolith or pike that rises out of the water.

Beautiful walk, and we were treated to all of the kids climbing a steep hill on the way, completely unnecessary, and they would have moaned like mad if we'd made them do it.

Lunch was in the lovely village of Hartington, and then we had a wander round the shops, and called into the famous cheese shop.

Also found a fab Buddha's head in an antique shop, but didn't think it would be sensible to carry it back. After an ice cream by the huge duck pond, and a visit to another pub, we set off back for a shortish walk to the campsite. Some of the stiles were a little narrow for some of the party....

In fact, they were Lily sized:

Back at the campsite the kids played football and ran around a lot, and the grown ups had a civilised rest  - together with some frozen lager:

Then a BBQ, with lots of good food - kebabs, burgers, gammon, sausages, salad, jacket potatoes. In the gazebo someone thought it would be a good idea to make Vampire WooWoos. Not sure entirely what was in them, but they had a layer of black vodka floating on top:

Next morning, with a slightly thick head, we had another communal breakfast and set off on another walk, this time to Whetton for lunch, and then quite a long walk along the Manifold Valley, past Thor's Cave

Past a very welcome ice cream van

and through a disused railway tunnel

Finally we got back to the Manifold Inn  for a welcome pint about 5pm. About 8miles in total, and not bad for our five year old grandaughter to finish. Back to the campsite where the kids were entertained by rides round the site!

Another BBQ, another set of nightcaps in the gazebo, and off to our flat airbed. Next morning was sunny, and we had a lazy breakfast and packed everything away. Our car is packed to the roof, and the tent always goes in first.  We then quickly slam the boot down and slam the doors, hoping they shut.

Normally we would then drive off, but this time we couldn't find the car keys. Till we realised they were still in the tent.  Oops. So, everything unpacked, and guess whose job it was to crawl into the unrolled tent?

Found them, so we eventually set off, and stopped in Hartington where I got my Buddha, and it's now sitting happily in my garden.

Great weekend - some good food, walks, sunshine and smashing company.