Retiring the Blog

 After some thought I have decided to call time on our blog...

This means it will still be visible and useable but no further posts will be added

I joined the Instagram fraternity around 18 months ago and after almost 300 posts can see that it is far easier for folks following our travels and activities to keep up to date on that forum

The format is just so much easier for me, see it, snap it, post it.......

Writing and posting here on Blogger has been a real pleasure but at times a big task as we've either been too busy to post or latterly just not travelling as we usually do. This makes chronological photos and event recording quite challenging when the blog is months behind

The ability to post a couple of shots and perhaps a little prose sometimes whilst still at the venue over a cuppa just does it for me so sorry to those of you who prefer this type of rambling

So now I'm picturing those of you not on Instagram thinking what the heck do you have to do to get on?

Easy peasy really and you don't need to possess teenager tekky skills either. A simple download of the App and a choosing of your username. You don't even have to post anything to go off cruising the World's posts (inc mine)

'Your account can remain entirely private and once on you'll see mine is too so just click the `follow` tag then the 'request' option and I'll respond and give you access

There's a link back to this blog under my 'Bio' top left too to cross reference at any time so whatcha waiting for?

Thanks for reading my rambling over the last nine and a half years and I hope you've found at least some pleasure and interest in what you've exposed yourselves to, good and bad

2 van travelling is on the cards come this summer if the van arrives on time so a very different way forward finally for us both

There will be much to do when our new baby arrives 😄

Some highlights from recent posts over on Insta are below...

See you on the other side👍

Idling away the summer

 After returning from our extended stay in Suffolk we bed down in Derbyshire for whats left of the summer 

Regular trips to see Ryan and physio assessments at his excellent facility in East Bridgford back to back with as much exercise as Nina can cope with is the order of the day

One of the essential trips out is to Norwich to see a plastic surgeon to assess Nina and her facial scarring so we make use of the Black Swan again at Horsham St Faith. This gives us the opportunity next day to call at Wells next the Sea on our way home

Just outside Wells we have the good fortune to discover a small farm based brewery selling their wares so money is laid down and beers lifted...

One to consume with relish with beer officionado Pat laters...

You see correctly! 😨😨😨

Thats both screens coming out the RV

On returning from Suffolk previously Nina announced on the motorway that the screen her side was coming out... WHAT!

A whole host of oxidized bits (thats rust to you and me) had dropped inside and on to the dash creating a convincing windscreen shake

The guys at National Windscreens were brilliant both in their initial advice and subsequent refitting of the screens. What wasn't so nice was spending two nights sheeted up with no screen with me working daytimes on removing all the frame rust with a grinder and priming the life out of it

A recent trip to fetch LPG proved successful so hopefully now no water ingress and a secure screen 🙏

I seem to have been enlisted as an extra pair of hands on the farm recently and this is fine with me as it passes time and lets me hone my tea making skills

The guys are busy building fences, intalling gates and chopping down trees...right up my street!

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy....enter Pat & Jane..

Two very pleasant nights are spent chez Cathcart that sees us hitting downtown Bingham together with Rosie & Ned for an evening's frivolity including an excellent Chinese meal in the village

We are royally driven next day to Foxton Locks where we spend an afternoon leisurely strolling the waterside before dining out in East Bridgford at The Royal Oak

Starters!

Simon and Mandy invite us over one Sunday afternnoon for a spot of al fresco dining at their location near Rugeley

It quickly turns in to a feast of summer delights and a very pleasant afternnon spent in great company as ever 

Simon's impromptu creation which he foolishly placed right next to me 😋

A short drive away and we are soon ambling it off on the nearby canal towpath

Our plans now seem a little more firmer, something I've not been able to say for a while

We are looking to take the RV down to Weymouth for a few days next month for a break and of course the  annual MOT/Servicing followed by a few weeks back 'home'

Then comes a welcome return to wheels a rollin' hopefully

Things look good for a couple of months stay down in Suffolk to see out this year then a three month winter trip to Spain early next year giving the RV some much needed exercise and more importantly a much anticipated return for us to full time touring....

Its been a while....

A welcome break in Suffolk

 Summer is here and thankfully the start of a return to a normal (ish) life

Double jabbed and with a full tank of diesel we take the four hour drive down to Suffolk to stay on the site near Emilja and Richard for the next six weeks

Safely settled in and with the use of Emilja's car for the duration we start to make some radical plans about our future touring

Early on in our stay good friends Pat & Jane come to stay in the motorhome and a Suffolk itinery is planned to make the most of their stay

Obviously this was on the list!

Southwold too

An evening pigging out at The Four Horseshoes in Thornham Magna

Keith (Richard's Brother) runs a very nice cafe in Stowmarket so we take our chums to sample the delights of his establishment

After saying our farewells our next few days are spent soaking up the sun visiting the local parks and nature reserves to help with Nina's rehab

Nice to get out and about in the car as well after having made and executed a tough decision

So here's the thing.....

After much soul searching and facing up to the reality that Nina just isn't going to be comfortable riding the bike here or in Europe I ride to the dealership one saturday morning to discuss them selling the bike for me in their showroom

Totally top of the range bike with low mileage (thanks Covid) and kitted out with the very best it sells that first weekend and we are left feeling gutted...

Nina's ability to walk any real distance has been cruely taken from her and we have stumbled across an idea to return to touring both the UK and Europe effectively in the near future

Keeping us going throughout those long winter months with the bike tucked up in the garage was viewing many bike touring vids on Youtube 

One particular guy (Richy Vida) and his mates put out several touring vids of Norway and we noticed in most of his stills of bikes lined up there were campervans (Ducato Van conversions) parked up in the background at various viewpoints and stopovers...

An epic light bulb moment for us both!

A life changing injury and Brexit restrictions have really stuffed us so some creative thinking was required

Why not buy a van conversion, do three month tours of Europe in that and return for effectively six months in the RV set up in different UK locations?

Use the van as daily transport here in the UK and indeed discover the far flung areas of our own Isles as well as six months overseas

Two vans! Well why not?

Viewing suitable campervans in the UK at the moment is almost a non event as most available have been sold including the demonstrators leaving dealers with nothing to take to shows or have available on forecourts for prospective purchasers to view

With a mere 24hrs to spare we managed recently to secure the last available build spot for a Dreamer van conversion for 2022 so now have a very long wait until next spring/summer to take delivery

We feel its an excellent way forward for us to rekindle our love of travel and visit the places we could not get to even with our first motorhome

The possibilities for us are endless and it will enable Nina to make the best of the situation having had the freedom to walk all day where she wanted taken away so cruelly 

Flat Eric...bless him

Adorning the wall of neighbour Martin's barn where he kindly serviced Emilja's car which was long overdue

A day out in Felixtowe turned in to a really nice experience having begun with this monster of a meal at the Regal on the seafront

She's a lucky girl!

Sothwold pier on another gloriously sunny day

Old Felixtowe

In Nowton Park close to Bury St Edmunds

Several trips here for Nina to do her rehab

I'm let loose one day with Lola in nearby Bradfield Woods

A fine pooch...

Afternoon scones taken in Lavenham

Part of my daily walking route near the site at Beyton

A pleasant afternoon spent in Aldeburgh

Amid it all the drama of England's epic run in the Euro 2020 competition

Well done Lads each and every one of you!

Snape Maltings just outside Aldeburgh

Finally we get to enjoy our Christmas 2019 gift from Emilja & Richard

A 'Covid safe' Adnams factory tour

A shortened tour was amply compensated for by extra free beer at the end

RV dramas on the trip were:

• Constant high pitched low air warning buzzer on the way down
• 240v RCD tripping resulting in no sockets in use
• Windscreen shaking loose on our return

Thankfully the first two were fixed early doors on site and the latter very recently here back 'home' in Derbyshire by National Windscreens