Staycation Dorset - Day 1

We left home about 1050. Loading up was easier and I added the small table and chairs to the underseat locker accessible from the outside.

All in the hope that it would be sunny, or at least warm enough to sit outside.

The first problem was before we arrived at Ashford. Some total dick thought it was a good idea to close the M20 from J10A to J9 London bound on the Sunday of a bank holiday weekend. Yes folks. These people walk amongst us every day.

Traffic had to go through the centre of Ashford. Guess what the original name of the M20 was called? Yes. You guessed correctly - The Ashford Bypass.

It took 25 minutes via Hythe Road A20 to rejoin at J9. Traffic at walking pace if you were lucky.

Once free there was little holdup until the M25. A couple of slow bits where we almost came to a stop. As such we decided to miss our usual coffee and Reggie pee break at Cobham and to continue to Fleet on the M3. Around this area there's roadworks in several places.

They are widening the carriageway at the A3. It will be marvellous when finished. We'll all save a minute or two. It will make all the difference. In about 30 years we'll have recouped the time spent stuck in the current jams... 😉

Fleet came up and we stopped in the signed area for caravans. It's shared with HGV's and do must be a nightmare on a weekday mixed in with the 40 tonners!

Claire bought a couple of sandwiches for lunch in the Waitrose and I got coffee at Starbucks. We ate in the van. Loads of dogs around but sadly not inside the main building.

Back on the road our ETA has stretched to 1624. The going was good and the ETA came down to 1613. We arrived at 1615. The road to the site is barrow and had loads of speed bumps.

Checking in was easy. Finding the pitch more difficult. Shouldn't have been but we went wrong anyway.  After an extra long drive around the site we eventually arrived at pitch 138.

Super fast setup today. Levellers out. Not only need to bring the front up and slightly leaning to one side. That was sorted by complete fluke.

Then a walk for cheeky beer for me and cider for Claire in the bar before a walk down to the beach area.

Then back to get the chairs and new table out. Another can of Aldi cider between us. Then it was a little chilly and we packed it all away again!

So a bit of Kindle reading and doing the blog.

[Unless they have sorted the problem with email submissions, Travellerspoint will be wrongly spaced.]