On the Road Again!

After our stay a couple of weeks ago we decided to come again. The £17.50 a night on a grass only (no EHU) pitch was still running and so we booked another two nights. This time from Sunday to Tuesday. Packing the van up for two nights with our new larger outdoor mat and table we collected from Go Outdoors last time, was simple enough. I set the route to miss the narrow roads but TomTom Camper decided to choose the narrow road way. Until we got pretty much to where it thought we should be and my route.  Then it sorted itself out. On arrival we were met by the warden. I kept my foot on the brake so that the stop/start system didn't drive away.  On the Ducato when you come to a stop, the system stops the engine. When you release the foot brake, the engine restarts.  With an automatic, the van simply drives away.... Except it didn't this time. The engine didn't start. I put the gears in...

The first game of the new season and it was an 8pm kick-off at the Emirates Stadium. With the trains as they are I was on the 4.57pm train from Folkestone West.  As it is still school holidays I has expected the train to be a little busy, but it was quite packed. It seems the trippers to Folkestone go home much earlier than in the past.   I got a seat as I stood where I used to for a decade on the train when I went to work. The doors open right in front of me.  I won't give away my secret.... I met Helen by Marks & Spencer in St Pancras and we voyaged to Arsenal on the Piccadilly Line.  There were rumours of delays but we got on the second train that came along. My brother Neill was already there but we didn't get the table we usually have as Phil wasn't there tonight! Instead we had to stand. It was Neill's turn for the drinks and we opted for Diet Sprite.   There's a new system in place. Barriers rather a queue. Barriers that take £10 off your ca...

Over 61? Then the government doesn't give a fuck if you might have prostate cancer... Or so it seems... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0pvxe5jgzo

I signed up for this. Not for the free t-shirt but because prostate cancer and me have a relationship that is ongoing for the last three years. The original ad photo.. I have seeded the Justgiving page with £10 plus the tax amounting to a further £2.50. The ChatGPT version with my face added  Hopefully I will get some more donations. 

A winning start for Latics at home to Port Vale in League Two.  A very satisfactory start to the season. BBC Sport Sky Sports Highlights

This weekend, August 15th and 16th, is the Biddenden Tractorfest.  I have not been before and so when Kent Greyhound Rescue, where I volunteer, asked for people to work on a stand at the Fest, I said I would go. The job was simple as I only had to wrangle the dogs. We had four. Two bull lurchers, Frank and Peaches, and two greyhounds, Reef and Otto. The stand... Reef taking a rest after a walk As the day got hotter we kept alternating the dogs on the stand and into the car with the air conditioning on. We were on the main route for the tractor rides. I had a few walks with the dogs, one at a time, firstly to the classic car display.  There were bikes too. The old Lambretta is 65 years old in unrestored "patina". Later Peaches and I had a turn around another area where there we scaled down versions of full scale vehicles.  Around 1pm, it was g...

I have a habit of booking the first and last nights away on our trips to cement them in place.  This time I have booked the first only online. It's a place where we have stayed before and it's about two hours down the coast at Cayeux-sur-Mer.  There are now three Camping-Car Park aires in the area and I have chosen the one closest to the ville.  We stayed there the last time in 2024. These get cleared away at the end of summer!! At the moment it's just for the one night. I booked us from 12 noon so we have plenty of time to get there and know we have a space. We actually have three nights to work our way across the the central Normandy coast and the D-Day beaches.