On the Road Again... Again

Yes folks. Today i became a Vanker.

When we got back from the panto yesterday, at abut 6pm,  I turned on the laptop.  Logged into the Marlowe Theatre Peter Pan booking page for the 23rd December 2026. We like the 2.30pm performance so we can use the park and ride - see earlier blog. WHAT!!! I like the circle. There is less chance of being singled out for "audience participation". This year a guy called Matthew was picked and ended up on stage in one stage routine!  Not for me. Sadly, there were no seats together that wouldn't leave one unused seat! So I couldn't book in the circle. We are now in the upper circle where there were also few double seats left! But we are in the front row. So no one standing up in front of us!

Yesterday, December 23rd, was my 70th birthday!  The day my new driving licence kicks in and I can no longer drive vehicles over 3.5t.  I doubt I was going to anyway! We decided that as we were going to the panto in Canterbury that we use Molly instead of the car. It would mean we could dump the accumulated grey waste and get the park and ride bus into the city centre.  We would have used the park and ride in the car. Parking in Canterbury is a nightmare in any case.  Plus, they have had no thought at all into providing car owners and visiting drivers with roads that keep traffic flowing.  In the end there are three park and rides.  Luckily, Canterbury City Council are quite forward thinking in another area as one of the park and rides is home to a dedicated "motorhome aire".  This is at New Dover Road. There is a grid for both grey and black waste, cassette cleaning and grid washing down water and further back, a fresh water tap where y...

A reminder of how old I am courtesy of my Sister in Law Sally. I am quite limited!

My usual Monday morning, except Bank Holiday, is to drive up to the foster home near Folkestone, and feed and exercise a group of greyhounds. The foster home actually acts as a halfway house for retired greyhounds that are looking for a permanent "forever" home and two permanent residents that belong to Julie, the foster home owner. This week though, my job was to take two greyhounds to the vets' surgery at Vets for Pets at the Pets at Home store in Whitfield near Dover. One, Noodle, had cut his foot in a fog park on Saturday, and the other, Charlie, has damaged his tail.  I got them into the car. Both were muzzled as it the norm when taking them anywhere. It's for everyone's safety.  They tend to be very calm, but may get triggered by other dogs. As I was driving a face appeared next to me. Brindle, Charlie.  No muzzle. He had one in the barn!  I didn't notice as I bundled and secured him into the back seat of the car. Could I find it? No. He must have got it...

A Christmas message from German Motorail. I haven't used the service since 1999! But every year they send me the timetables etc. It was a great service from Cologne to Salzburg and Villach. "The Christmas season invites us to pause for a moment and express our appreciation. Therefore, we would like to thank you – all our guests who have accompanied us through 2025. Your enthusiasm and trust are our driving force and motivation. Being able to experience special journeys together with you fills us with joy every year. And in 2026, we will continue to do everything we can to bring you to your favorite destinations safely, comfortably, and with respect for the environment . On December 26, 2025, we kick off the 2025/2026 winter season : The first UEX night train departs from Hamburg-Altona to Landeck – including the option of taking your vehicle between Hamburg and Munich. A fantastic start to a long and exciting ski season! And we're adding even more: For the first time in ...

I went to greyhounds as usual this morning to feed and exercise the dogs that are in foster. After nearly four years I have graduated to more than feeding them. Another volunteer dropped out at the last minute to go to Wrotham near Maidstone to collect two new dogs and bring them back to the foster near Folkestone. I volunteered to do it. I fitted a second headrest lead in the car and with Claire riding shotgun, we arrived at the meeting point in torrential rain. We unloaded two females. A large brindle and a small more timid blue.  After a careful drive back we dropped them off. Luckily both have gone to other foster homes.

We follow The Camper Club on Facebook and Instagram and I decided I needed another sweatshirt for when we are out in the van. So very soon I will be a Vanker. .... In the past I have been a Tosser. What they call each other in the UKGSer Club.  Back them I had a BMW R1150GS. Once a Tosser now a Vanker!

At 16386 miles I put another bottle of this stuff into the AdBlue tank. I had filled it up already using the remainder of a container from Aldi that has been sitting in the garage for a few months.  Rather than risk the crystallisation of the AdBlue it was worth popping this in the tank. It's insurance rather than anything else! 

Wow.  It's renewal time. The renewal from MoreThan arrived today.  Again WOW!!! Last year we paid £516.84 over the year. When he ate the rat poison the total bill came to £828. Meaning that from our joint bank account and my credit card we had spaffed  away £1344 for his treatment and cover. After the months and months of waiting to see if they would pay the claim, MoreThan finally coughed up £640 of the £828, due to policy excess and a percentage they keep from the vet's bills!   At the end of the day like most insurance. It's a fcuking rip off. If you are lucky and the bill is really high it probably pays. But it's insurance isn't it.  Youy pay in the hope that if something goes wrong then you are protected, to some extent.  In the end having insurance actually cost me/us £704 for the year 2025. I had already decided once they settled that I would start to look elsewhere. Waiting 5 months for any contact about the claim, that was sent to them by the ...

Handing over the cheque to the RNLI.... We went along to Hastings. We had a ticket to park on the Stade.  And we were packed in pretty well.   https://www.campersandcoffee.co.uk Ticket sales raised £1200 and there was a collection taking place on the day as well. We had several walks around the Stade and took photos on both the little Sony and the Canon 1100D. Malibu Molly! This van was rebuilt and then made to look like this!!! My favourite Christmas display! We had a walk to the RNLI to have a look at the lifeboats.  It seems amazing that the lifeboat and the tractor system to get it to the sea cost in the environs of £4.5m!! From there along the seafront into the Old Town. We had lunch at the Albion pub. They have a pasties shop out front. The Morris Dancers outside the Albion Not what the dirty minds think!!! Drummers.... Once the pasties were history, and the Morris Dancers has adjourned into the pub, we went back to the van to rest our feet and give Reggie his ...