SG7/RHOCaR Camping Trip
15th, 16th and 17th May 2009
Firstly, sorry for the delay in putting a report on here. Been a busy week one way and another. All the photos taken can be seen on Photobucket at http://gs102.photobucket.com/groups/m85/I29U4J3C99/?albumview=slideshow
Having had two successful camping trips in 2007 and 2008, we decided to go to Dunwich, Suffolk. The usual invites were sent out to members to join us, resulting in nine units, eight tents and one motorhome.
The following was the itinerary for the weekend:
FRIDAY 15TH MAY
ARRIVE ANY TIME AFTER 12.00 AT
CLIFF HOUSE HOLIDAY PARK
MINSMERE ROAD
DUNWICH
IP17 3DQ
http://www.cliffhouseholidays.co.uk/contact.html
BARBEQUE DINNER.
SATURDAY 16TH MAY
11.30 DEPART FOR DUNWICH, WALK TO THE MUSEUM AND/OR HAVE A WANDER AROUND.
1.00 LUNCH AT FLORA TEA ROOMS
2.00 DRIVE TO ALDEBURGH, RETURN TO THE SITE
5.15 WALK ACROSS THE HEATH TOWARDS SIZEWELL AND BACK ALONG THE BEACH.
7.30 APPROX MEET IN THE PUB ON THE SITE. OR OWN CATERING BY THE TENTS.
SUNDAY 17TH MAY
DEPART
Most of us had arrived by lunchtime Friday. The forecast hadn’t been too good but we didn’t see any rain on the journey there. John took the Westfield while I followed in the Fiesta with Charlie (our cairn terrier). Once we had all settled in, we spent a lovely afternoon sitting in the sun and relaxing. The site, as the name suggests, is right on the cliff top. The beach is shingle with a little sand at low tide; it is a vast beach stretching from Walberswick to beyond Aldeburgh without any sea defences/breakwaters.
The site is made up from a mixture of timber lodges, mobile homes, rental flats/cottages and the touring pitches. The facilities are very clean, heated and well cared for. The main problem is, if you don’t like being under trees, there aren’t many pitches in the open and the ones that are, don’t have electric hook-up. Sheila had made two cakes, so we all had a slice of the sponge once we had pitched. Very nice, thank you Sheila! Same again next year please.
We had a barbeque in the evening and had an enjoyable time; some of the men folk disappeared off to the pub, leaving the women to sit and chat and then get dinner ready. Oh to be a man!!!
I think most of us had a good night, nowhere near as cold as it was last year in Cromer, and we had glimpses of the sea from our pitches!
Martin arrived early Saturday and pitched his tent. Dominic and Steve Nichols and his daughter Beth arrived in their cars to join in with the day’s events. Andy Petrie must have been put off by the poor forecast and early rain.
On the whole, we kept to the itinerary, apart from waking up Saturday morning to rather heavy rain so we didn’t leave until nearer 12.00 by which time the sun was shining. John and Yvonne walked to Dunwich with Meg (their little West Highland Terrier – she was a hit with our Charlie… could have been a holiday romance going on there but we did the mean thing and removed certain items of Charlie’s anatomy when he was a puppy to stop him from having any amorous thoughts). As we drove into the village John was there taking photos of the cars. We parked up in the car park and were told that all the seats in the café were booked for a coach party. Bob had asked the guy running things there if we had seats reserved and was told ‘no’ – only for a coach party. Oh well, perhaps my fault for not re-confirming the booking. We all ate outside, luckily it was sunny still. The fish and chips were average. Loads of bones in our bits of fish and the chips were of the frozen sort and not that nice at all. Once finished, we went up to the museum and had a good look round. We were there last April and visited the museum then but it was still interesting to see things again.
Whilst in the museum, my phone rang. It was the Flora Tea Rooms.
“Hello, is that Mrs Tween?”
“Yes, it is”
“Hello, it is the Flora Tea Rooms here. We were wondering if you were going to be coming in today because we have seats reserved for you”
“Oh, we have been, eaten outside and now gone!”
Ooops!
I called back in the café before we left for Aldeburgh – the guy hadn’t put two and two together, he must have seen the cars drive in…. Never mind, we would have been more annoyed had it been raining.
It was time to move off now and head for Aldeburgh. We had a nice drive, avoiding going on the A12 and went via Thorpeness. There is a fascinating ‘house in the clouds’ – a house built on top of a water tower – most unusual to see it above the tree tops. Have a look at this link: http://www.houseintheclouds.co.uk . We drove right up to the marina, situated at the far end of the High Street. Good to see the cars all parked alongside the beach and how much interest they got from passers-by. We all walked off into town to have a wander round and then sat on the beach for a while just enjoying the sea and sun, although very windy.
Back to Dunwich and gathered for the early evening stroll through the heath up to the Coastguard Cottages and then down onto the beach and back to the site – quite tiring plodding through the shingle!
Some of us had another barbeque whilst others ate in the pub and then we all gathered again for an evening chat before heading off to bed. I think a good day was had by all. There had been a little problem with the allocation of pitches and a rather ‘jobs-worth’ warden who could do with lightening up a little. Martin, Bob1, Bob2 and Richard were all on the receiving end of his attitude! (An email has been sent!!)
Sunday came around all too soon and people soon packed up after their breakfasts apart from Bob & Carol and ourselves who had decided to stay another night. One by one the cars drove off and suddenly it all seemed very quiet.
Bob & Sheila went up to Southwold and Walberswick before going home, Bob & Carol had a friend come to see them and they went out for the afternoon and John & I just ‘chilled’ and took Charlie for nice walks. We sat with Bob & Carol in their tent before heading off to bed. Morning soon came round and it was time for us to go home so packed up and left just after Bob & Carol. Typically, just as we were about to take down the tent, we had a sharp shower of rain. Just enough to wet the tent!
It was a shame that we clashed with the RHOCaR trip to Yorkshire, which meant that Steve Altwasser was unable to join us; it is always fascinating to watch him prepare gourmet meals from bits he takes out of a cool bag! Hence the nickname ‘Delia’. Sandie was also going to come along but was unable to at the last minute as was the case for Bob Rowell.
If there is enough interest again next year, we will be off somewhere else so if you want to join us, watch out for details in the New Year.
Thanks to those who came:
Bob & Sheila Plastow - tintop
Bob & Carol Howes - Sherpley
John & Yvonne Hamilton-Smith + Meg - motorhome
Martin Pidd - Leugo
Roy & Sue Thomas – Dooster, Hot Rod
Richard & Caroline – Jago Jeep
Mike Montague – motorcycle
Mike Brain + Merlinne (his dog) – Merc
Paul, Maria & Nicky Taylor – Robin Hood
John & Helen + Charlie - Westfield & tintop
Steve Nichols & Beth - Westfield
Dominic - Westfield
Until Next Year!
Check out Martin’s report on his website at : http://www.eastangliankitcars.co.uk/sg7camping2009.htm
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