Gallery - UK and The Motorcaravanners' Club

Some odd pics from our travels in Deep Red...

Until recently we had travelled very little around the UK in Deep Red. Since the early days, once we had the van in a useable state, we were off to the sun and less-crowded roads of southern Europe at every opportunity! However, having got that out of our system (for the moment anyway) we have managed a few trips and some snapshots of those are below.

August 2017 - A short trip to Norfolk

Due to other pressures in 2017 it wasn't until late August that we were able to get away in Deep Red. We spent a few days in Norfolk then returned home for a short break before setting off for Wales.

On a CL near King's Lynn, Norfolk

On a Caravan and Motorhome Club Certificated Location (C/L) near King's Lynn. Having started our trip in Lincolnshire we made our way eastwards and, just beyond King's Lynn, found this delightful site close to the village of Grimston (!).

View of the sloping site

Situated on a slope, the site was just large enough for the 5 units allowed. We discovered later it was once a Roman burial site...

The adjacent wheat field waiting the combine

View of the adjacent wheat field from the van. Idylic Norfolk countryside at its finest. What we didn't know was the combine harvester was coming...

The wheat field after the combine has been

...Two days later and the whole field has been harvested leaving hay bales for the tractor. Luckily, a steady breeze blew the dust that rises from the combine away from the van.

September 2017 - A short trip to mid-Wales

We had been to Wales on many occasions with our caravan in the dim and distant past, but thought it would be fun to go again and follow the coastline in a clockwise direction starting from Swansea. We'd planned to begin with a few days on the Mumbles peninsular, but we weren't able to do that as the weather had been very wet and the campsite we planned to stay at was flooded.

So, first stop in Wales was at Pembrey Country Park. A very spacious Caravan and Motorhome Club campsite near the coast just west of Llanelli. Warm sunny day with little warning of the storms to come the next night!

After an horrendous night of high winds and heavy rain, possibly the worst we've ever experienced in Deep Red, we debated whether to carry on as the forecast wasn't good for a day or two. We stayed put for a couple more nights until the weather improved and decided to carry on.

A commercial campsite a couple of miles inland from Tywyn on the coast in mid-Wales. We had chosen this site in advance as the Talyllyn narrow gauge railway line runs alongside the site. There is a halt where one can request the train to stop to get on or off - just like the bus!

View from the van. This is at the southern edge of the Snowdonian National Park. Although sunny there was an unseasonally cold north wind; the temperature stayed around 14 deg. C., not really warm enough to sit outside.

Rhydyronen station on the Talyllyn Railway; a very short walk from the campsite. Trains from here head north-easterly under the bridge towards the upper terminus at Nant Gwernol.

Looking south-west from Rhydyronen station towards Tywyn on the coast. Timeless scenery.

The engine on 'our' train: Dolgoch, built in 1866, one of the six narrow-gauge locomotives in use. Kept in immaculate condition by volunteers.

Mad Mumsie stays in the warm in the first class carriage. It added another four pounds to the rover ticket price, (but the seats weren't any better) - just a bit of fun...

At Nant Gwenol, the upper terminus. After 'running round' the carriages, the driver couples up the loco for the return run down to Tywyn Wharf 7 miles away.

At Tywyn Wharf station. A rare pic of an empty platform - it was lunchtime and there is a very good cafe. Some carriages are adapted to carry wheelchairs. We thoroughly recommend a visit.

August 2016 - A short trip to the Moray Firth, Scotland

Although we were both suffering some health problems during 2016, we found we had a couple of weeks free in August when we could get away; perhaps not the best time as schools are on holiday, the roads can be very busy, and campsites often crowded, if not full.

One of Mad Mumsie's favourite parts of Scotland is the Kinloss area on the Moray Firth. It's usually not so busy with holidaymakers and tourists as other parts of Scotland - so where better to go?

At the start we followed the same route north as the 2015 Scottish trip described below, but once over the Humber bridge, we headed for Whitby on the coast for a couple of days. Rather than follow the A9 main road north from Edinburgh, we chose a circular route eastwards following the coast road from Dundee up to Aberdeen, then inland to Elgin and on to Kinloss and Findhorn Bay. Eventually, on reaching Inverness, we turned south to Edinburgh and headed home with the odd detour along the way.

As usual with us the plan was very fluid (i.e. non-existant) and no sites were booked in advance. We just take the campsite books of the various clubs to which we belong and some good maps.

Wishing Well pub at Dyke, Lincolnshire

The view from the sofa: unspoilt, timeless, peaceful Lincolnshire countryside - just the place to unwind. The Wishing Well Inn, Dyke, Nr Bourne. £10 per night including electric. They have a lovely carvery on Sundays served from 12 noon till 8pm.

Camping and Caravanning Club temporary site for holidays

The Camping and Caravanning Club have a huge number of 'temporary sites for holidays' all over the UK each year. These are organised and run by selfless volunteers. This was one of two sites close to Whitby in Yorkshire. It cost £9 per night.

Park and Ride facility just outside Whitby town centre.

The Park and Ride facility just outside Whitby town centre. The local folks at the campsite recommended we use it as parking in Whitby is difficult (i.e nightmare) in August. We got a discount of 50 pence on each £2.50 fare as we had our twirlies* with us. Thoroughly recommend using these facilities as they saved us a lot of grief with traffic etc. The only downside is buses don't have toilets!

* Apologies for using the vernacular. A 'twirly', for those not familiar with the word, is a corruption of 'too-early'. A bus driver would say 'too early' when an old person gets on his bus before 9.30am flashing an old person's bus pass that is only valid after 9.30am.

Harbour View Cafe

The Harbour View Restaurant, Whitby. Established 1928 it's been serving Whitby fish and chips ever since apparently. We had our lunch here; not sure it's the best fish restaurant in Whitby, but the fish was well cooked in a superb batter. The 'rough cut' wedge-shaped chips were disappointing (some had clearly been cooked several times over). One situation where a bit of research in advance into the best cafe/restaurant may have paid off - although to be fair, they do get a lot of good reviews (and some dreadful ones).

Not quite sure where the 'Harbour View' actually was - the front of the cafe faced into a narrow street lined with shops both sides.

Farm site near Coldstream on the Scottish border

After leaving Whitby and heading north towards Edinburgh we stumbled upon this idyllic Camping and Caravanning Club 'Hideaway' Farm site a couple of miles east of Coldstream in the Scottish Borders region. Not a sound to be heard other than the birds singing (once the tractor had brought the last of hay bales in!). On a small farm owned by two delightful elderly spinster sisters. £6 per night; no electric and do boil the water first. In contrast...→

... Heading north-eastwards towards Dundee and a stop at Balbirnie Caravan Club site at Glenrothes, in the Kingdom of Fife. Pleasant enough site in woodland, but at £23-odd per night for two (and club members at that), rather expensive.

Walled garden on a farm just south of Nairn

Just south of Nairn at Geddes farm - a Caravan Club 'Certificated Location'. In a delightful walled garden, with only one other camper (a family in a caravan). £10 per night with electric.

traffic free minor road near Nairn

Busy minor road close to the Nairn campsite! Apart from the popular towns in the area, such as Forres, we saw very little traffic along this coastline until reaching Inverness.

On a bench in Findhorn Bay

On a bench in Findhorn Bay Mad Mumsie recalls memories of previous visits to nearby RAF Kinloss airbase with 'her boys'. They were actually 'old boys' who were friends from Mumsie's association with the Air Training Corps; sadly two have since passed on, one of whom was a rear-gunner in a Lancaster bomber in WW2 and survived 25 missions!

Perth Caravan and Camping Club site

Now this was fun. Heading south now and camped at Perth Camping and Caravanning Club site when a young lady (whose name was Clare, I believe) in the self-build Mercedes van recognised Deep Red and came and said hello. We had a good chat for an hour or two. Site was very busy, but we got a place without pre-booking and at £18 with electric a fair price. If one booked the 'special deal' in advance the price for several nights stay dropped considerably.

The Showground at Seaburn, Sunderland

Another Camping and Caravanning Club 'temporary site for holidays'. This one on the showground at Seaburn, Sunderland. We were heading home on the Friday before August Bank Holiday Monday Weekend and, rather chance long traffic queues, took a detour to this site. The sandy beach and sea is to the right in the pic beyond the perimeter wall and close by is a Morrison supermarket. With sunny, warm weather all weekend it was very enjoyable.

Seaburn Showground

View of the rest of the showground looking inland; the Morrisons' supermarket is on the left. Whilst a lot of vans were pitched, we never felt crowded in and, surprisingly, at no time was it noisy. With water tap, elsan disposal and skip for waste all conveniently placed (no elec), at £8 per night a real bargain.

Using the winbreak at Seaburn Showground

As is usual by the seaside one can get strong breezes blowing for most of the day. A windbreak can make all the difference to comfort if one likes to sit outside in the sun. We don't often use it as it is a lot of work to put up but, on this occasion, it was worth it.

View of the beach at Seaburn, Sunderland

No, not Spain - but the beautiful sandy beach across the road from the showground! The centre of Sunderland is about a mile in the distance to the south. Just look at the colour of the sky - can this really be a bank holiday Monday in England..?

2015 - Scotland and the Isle of Skye

In late June, we set off for a 3 week trip to Scotland. This had been much delayed as the weather in Scotland had been very poor for some time (more on that later). Our route would take us up through Lincolnshire, over the Humber bridge to Yorkshire, on to Northumberland, where we'd follow some of the old road by Hadrian's Wall, then over the border into Scotland near Gretna Green. We'd follow the coast around Dumfries and Galloway, then cross the Erskine bridge at Glasgow and on up to the Trossachs and Loch Lomond. From there we'd head west towards Oban then north to Fort William and on to Mallaig and the ferry across to Isle of Skye.

We were in no hurry and had nothing booked in advance, our only 'plan' was to stay a couple of days at the MCC Yorkshire Group holiday rally at Malton on the way north. We had decided to try and stop at the odd country pub at lunchtimes (something we don't normally do), so we wouldn't always have to cook a meal in the evening.

Wishing Well pub at Dyke, Lincolnshire

The first pub on our Scottish trip and we've barely covered a 100 miles... The Wishing Well Inn, at Dyke, Nr Bourne, Lincolnshire. We stumbled on this pub purely by chance having spotted a brown tourist road sign. Super pub in lovely surroundings and...

Wishing Well pub at Dyke, Lincolnshire

...it has a campsite at the rear with some electric hook-ups! We didn't stay overnight as it was only lunchtime.

The Picturedrome Cinema, Sleaford

Beautiful old cinema building in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. Opened as the Picturedrome in November 1920, showing silent films (movies!). It has been through many guises since; the last we heard it was a bar and snooker club.

Woodhall Spa campsite

First night away and a pitch at the Camping & Caravanning Club site at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. About £16 per night inc electric. Quiet site in the middle of some very pleasant countryside, except for the odd jet fighter from the nearby RAF station! Caravans still very popular with C&C club members.

Poppies in corn field

An abundance of poppies near the Woodhall Spa campsite.

Humber suspension bridge

Heading for the elegant Humber suspension bridge; once the longest single span suspension bridge in the world. Links Lincolnshire to Yorkshire over the Humber estuary and cost us a modest £1.50 toll to cross.

Etton village, Yorkshire

Just north of Beverley at around lunchtime and we saw a roadsign for Etton. Just for fun we turned off the main road and found The Light Dragoon pub in the centre of a lovely unspoilt village; not a single piece of litter or yellow line to be seen.

Malton Rugby Club

Motor Caravanners' Club Yorkshire Group 'holiday rally' at Malton Rugby Club. Great thing about these events is advance booking is not normally necessary, one can arrive and leave on any day the rally is on, and if you don't feel sociable - you don't have to join in. It cost £8 a night including entertainment in the clubhouse on Saturday night (our ears are still ringing from the male singer's amplifier!).

Caravan and Camping Club site, Haltwhistle

Pleasant pitch at the Caravan and Camping Club site just south of Haltwhistle, near to Hadrian's Wall. Located at the bottom of a steep, wooded, single track road we met a big army truck coming up and had to reverse back quite a distance. Let's hope the Fiat clutch survives the experience.

New England Bay

Following the beautiful Solway coast, Dumfries and Galloway. Mad Mumsie relaxes at the New England Bay Caravan Club Site. This is close to the most southerly part of Scotland and in an area little visited by tourists.

Galloway coastline

A stop for lunch south of Girvan, South Ayrshire. Just above here we left the coast and turned inland towards Glasgow and the Erskine Bridge.

Luss, on the shore of Loch Lomond

A view of a misty Loch Lomond. At Luss Camping and Caravanning Club site. We only stayed one night, the pitch was very small and amongst dense trees and felt very claustrophobic. This was the only time we were bothered by midges.

Road to the Isles

On the magnificent 'Road to the Isles' which runs from Fort William to Mallaig. Pic taken just west of the famous Glenfinnan concrete viaduct. The steam train is the 'The Jacobite' which runs throughout the summer from Fort William to Mallaig. In the pic, an ex-LNER K1 locomotive pulls a rake of BR Mk1 coaches on the return journey from Mallaig; it's running tender first (moving right to left in the pic) as there are no turning facilities at Mallaig. Harry Potter fans will probably recognise the area.

Coastline at Arisaig

Still on the 'Road to the Isles' near Arisaig. The old road at Arisaig is single track, but well worth turning off the new by-pass for views like this. Very popular area for walkers and cyclists.

Mallaig ferry

The Caledonian Macbrayne (CalMac) ferry at Mallaig. A smallish ship, it takes a few dozen cars and the odd motorhome. The crossing to Armadale on the Isle of Skye takes about 30 minutes and cost us £46 single. Booking in advance is advisable in July/August. We booked the day before at the CalMac office by the railway station in Fort William.

On board the Calmac ferry

Leaving Mallaig one can see Skye clearly in the distance (on a clear day!). Of course, nowadays one can cross to Skye using the 'new' bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh, but this ferry is a far more romantic way of doing it! There is also a much smaller seasonal ferry at Glenelg that takes only a few minutes to cross and runs every 20 minutes.

Sligachan to Dunvegan road

Heading north on the Sligachan to Dunvegan road on the west side of Skye, whilst behind...

Cuillin Mountains in distance

... view of the Cuillin mountains to the south from the same spot.

Uig campsite

Uig Bay campsite on the Trotternish peninsula, and not far from the most northerly point on Skye. If you ever go this way do make sure to follow the single track road to the top of the peninsula and round to Portree - the scenery is unforgettable. The weather has not been good here all winter and since; according to Martin Madigan the site owner, he had counted only 4 sunny days up to our arrival in July! It rained very heavily on one of the days we were there such that rivers formed and ran down the grass camping area on either side of the site road.

CalMac ferry at Uig

CalMac ferries to the islands of Harris, Lewis and North Uist regularly leave from the pier at Uig.

Crieff rugby club

Heading back south now from Skye and the Camping and Caravanning Club, Scottish Motor Caravan Group 'site for holidays' at Crieff Rugby club. Very close to the town and just £8 per night. Whilst it was sunny and fairly warm during the day, with a cool breeze blowing it quickly became chilly in the evenings. We can recommend 'The Meadow Inn' in the town for meals.

The Famous Grouse

The Famous Grouse at Glenturret distillery near Crieff. One can do a tour and taste.

The Forth railway bridge

Iconic Forth Railway bridge - now a World Heritage site. A stunning piece of engineering, it never fails to take our breath away.

Otley Rugby Club

In no hurry and on our way home, we decide to break our journey a little off our route to somewhere new to us. Otley Rugby Club: a very popular Camping and Caravanning 'site for holidays'; £8 per night and right in the town with an ASDA supermarket next door. Surrounded by some lovely countryside with a nearby preserved railway...

Keighley and Worth Valley Railway

The delightful Ingrow station, near Keighley, on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. A very wet day, but it didn't stop the steam trains running...

Ingrow Station

An ex-LMS 4F locomotive built in 1920 still pulls a rake of BR Mk1 coaches with ease through Ingrow station. It was on this line that the charming film 'The Railway Children' was made.

2014

In the Savernake forest, Wiltshire

July 2014 and a rare gathering with our family and relatives (they were all in tents) in the Savernake Forest, Wiltshire. A Camping and Caravanning Club run Forestry Commission site; popular, especially on a sunny first weekend of the school holidays.

Angel of the North

Many years ago we went to the Beamish Museum of the North in County Durham. As we were heading for an MCC rally in Scotland, we thought it a good opportunity to re-visit the open air museum. En-route, on the A1 road at Gateshead, the 20 metre tall, 54 metre wingspan Angel of the North casts a steely “sense of embrace” around the traveller.
Update, July 2015. We hear the trees have now grown so high they mask the view of the Angel from the road. Sir Antony Gormley, the British sculptor of the Angel of the North, has been trying to get Gateshead council to cut them down.

Beamish tram

At Beamish and a beautifully restored balloon tram. Getting on board the tram with its high step was a struggle for Mad Mumsie and her bad knee (we should have carried our van folding step!). We had a great day and would recommend a visit.

Finchale Abbey campsite near Durham

For our visit to Beamish we had planned to stop in Durham at the Caravan Club site, but it was full. Nearby was the Finchale Abbey campsite, an immaculate site with good facilities, but at £26 for one night in mid-September, rather expensive.

MCC rally at The Hirsel Estate, Coldstream

The Hirsel Estate at Coldstream, just a mile or so over the border in Scotland, and an MCC Scottish Rally in mid-September. It was just starting to get chilly in the daytime (about 15 degC.), the punch served at the afternoon gathering warmed us up...

Sunset on a Certificated Site in Minehead, Somerset

Beautiful sunset seen from the sofa through the open sliding door, by the sea at Minehead, Somerset, in late September. Many folks with van conversions say a sliding door gives the feeling of having an extra room with the outdoors being part of the van.

By the river Thames at Benson, Oxfordshire.

Another glorious sunset in mid-October 2014. Beside the river Thames at Benson, Oxfordshire, with a group of Mad Mumsie's ATC cadets doing a Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award (they hike for 2 days, camp for one, do their own cooking and carry all their camping gear in rucksacks).

It was unusually warm with the daytime temperature reaching 20degC and dropping no lower than 14degC at night. Lovely!

2013

Outside Magnums in Grimsby

At Magnum's premises in Grimsby on a very wet 2013 November day...

interior of magnums warehouse

... and inside - an Alladin's cave! All a self-builder could want.

Wild camping in Wiltshire

Wild camping in a wet Wiltshire, October 2013, (actually visiting our daughter and family, but sleeping in the van over the weekend). If one wants to employ 'stealth mode' (a challenge in a red-painted van) then using the silver screen over the windscreen is out. One can however...

Wild camping and keeping warm

... use pegs to hold up a heavy blanket to not only hide oneself from curious neighbours, but help keep the van warm on chilly autumnal nights. Another smaller blanket stuffed down the gap between the floor and sliding door also stops draughts from that area. Turning the air intake knob on the heater control to 'recirculate' and shutting the dashboard vents can also help.

The Six Bells pub near Lavenham, Suffolk

September 2013. The Six Bells at Preston St Mary, near Lavenham, Suffolk. A Camping and Caravanning certificated site. Lovely old pub and grounds in a tiny village. Friendly hosts, excellent home-cooked food made with locally-sourced ingredients and all at a very reasonable price. A real gem.

Rear of the Six Bells

At the rear of the Six Bells. One can camp on the grass, but we didn't bother.

By the river at Ross-on-Wye

May 2013 at the Caravan and Camping Club East-Worcs Group 'site for holidays'. A delightful spot by the river near Ross-on-Wye.

Hurley Camping Park

By the River Thames at Hurley Riverside Camping Park on 31st October 2012. In the cold Mad Mumsie, Adjutant 78 (Wembley) Sqn., provides female cover for a group of Air Training Corps (ATC) female cadets on a Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. The cadets were in tents on the other side of the hedge - brrr!

2011 and earlier...

Channel Tunnel

Channel Tunnel at Folkstone. On the loading platform.

Entering the EuroTunnel carriage

Entering the EuroTunnel train carriage. In 30 minutes we'll be driving out and in France - and with no risk of sea-sickness! A good way to cross, but one has to book in advance for an acceptable price - on this occasion (June 2011) about £85 each way.

Camping & Caravanning Club site, near Ashford

September 2009. Camping & Caravanning Club site, near Ashford.
Overnight stop before the channel crossing. We don't normally stop here as Folkstone is just over 2 hours from home, but this was first proper foreign trip in Deep Red, so a shakedown night to test all the facilities: the handbrake, wheel wedges...

sbmcc rally

Early days - SBMCC Annual Rally, Newark, August 2008 - spot Deep Red!

Some Motorcaravanners' Club rallies

MCC rally at Henley-on-Thames

The 2014 Chiltern group August Bank Holiday rally at Henley-on-Thames. No, they don't segregate red vans - we just happened to arrive as a new row was started!

MCC rally at Weyhill Fair, near Andover

In the latter part of September 2014, we spent five nights at a rally organised by the MCC East Wessex group at the Weyhill Fair, near Andover in Hampshire. The weather was changeable, often cloudy and chilly at times, and with no electric hook-up we wondered if the leisure batteries and solar panels would cope. They did, but only just - more details in Solar Power Section.

At the MCC Rally in Lisburn, near Belfast

At the MMC National Rally at Lisburn, near Belfast, N. Ireland, in May 2014. More photos of this trip on the Ireland page.

Chiltern rally at Shillingford

Sunset at Shillingford. August 2013 with the MCC Chiltern Group at their rally at the Brightwell Vineyard, Shillingford, Oxon.

MCC Chiltern Group rally at Bucks Railway Centre, July 2013

July 2013 and our first rally visiting the MCC Chiltern Group - and great fun it was too. In a huge field amidst lovely countryside and adjoining the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, near Aylesbury. With temperatures in the low 30s the Fiamma awning had plenty of use.

MCC Essex Group rally at Runwell Sports and Social club, June 2013

MCC Essex Group rally at a sunny Runwell Hospital Sports and Social club, near Wickford, June 2013.
We never have any trouble finding where we've parked Deep Red...

MCC Essex rally at Langford Museum of Power, July 2012,

MCC Essex Group rally at Langford Museum of Power, July 2012. Whilst a number of MCC rallies around the country were cancelled, due to waterlogged fields from weeks of awful weather, fortunately this one went ahead.

Dick Craven motorcycle museum

A very wet June 2012 - MCC East Yorks rally at the Dick Craven Motorcycle Museum. We should have been in the adjoining field but it was waterlogged (like most of UK). Never mind, we had a great time.

Beehive pub, Epping Green

Lunch stop at the Beehive pub, Epping Green, Herts - on the way to an Essex group rally at Pleshey in Essex. We noticed later an old sign by the entrance door states: no vehicles over 30CWT. (30 hundred weight = One and half tons). Oh dear - I think that's us...

MCC Essex rally, March 2012, Pleshey

Essex Group rally at Pleshey, March 2012. Multi-tasking Mad Mumsie knits a cardi whilst keeping goal for England.

MCC Essex rally, Clacton

Essex Group rally, Clacton, August Bank Holiday 2011. Pleasant site on social club grounds close to the seafront. First chance to test our new wind-out awning. Rather blustery day with the odd rain shower.

MCC Essex group rally at Coggeshall

Motor Caravanners' Club, Essex Group rally near Coggeshall, August 2011. Our first rally with the MCC and a lot of fun. Lovely location over a mile from the nearest road, with just a water tap and elsan disposal point. Very friendly group of folks. See Sources section for link to MCC web site.