The National Motorhome & Campervan Show 
Peterborough
21st - 24th April 2022

​We're back in Peterborough to work with Warners! But it's not all work, we have our great mates camping with us.  

Warner's organise several shows up and down the country and have invited us to speak and give presentations. In addition to our scheduled presentations we step in to cover Kat from Wandering Bird's presentations when she was too poorly to attend.  We also hosted a daily YouTuber meet up and I did and exclusive Facebook Live wandering around the show with my lovely friend Tash (Life Beyond Bricks).

It wasn't all work though!  We also enjoyed a fantastic weekend camping with our great vanlife mates!

14th - 16th April
The Captains Wife 029 2053 0066
https://goo.gl/maps/FYW46rJS2EigJitF9
The Lighthouse Inn 01633 680800
https://goo.gl/maps/R65tgtoLoJw2Xdo67

After we left Lincoln Farm Park we first tried a visit to Diddly Squat Farm, but it was crackers busy so we skipped that and headed straight to South Wales.  Our first stop is at Steve's brother's house in Pyle for some very overdue family time.  

After visiting Aberavon Beach (Steve's childhood beach) we decided to find a nice pub stop for the evening.  Unfortunately we were just too big for our first choice; The Captains Wife. Our next choice was the carpark at Cardiff's international pool, but we didn't find that very inspiring. So finally it was a Third Time Lucky moment and we struck gold at the Lighthouse Inn.

13th -14th April 2022
Lincoln Farm Park Campsite
lincolnfarmpark.co.uk

This trip starts with disaster! We've once again knocked the fresh water pipe, and dumped all our fresh water all over the road. But rather than crying over spilt water, we decide to head off anyway and just use campsite showers and bottled water.

Our first stop on this part of the school holidays is one of our favourite campsites; Lincoln Farm Park.  We first camped here because it is the perfect location for a Friday after school pitstop on the way to Nanna's in South Wales.  

The site has been updated and upgraded since our last visit and all the facilities look fresh and lovely.  The park boasts two swimming pools that can be booked out privately. We recommend booking the pools at the same time as booking your stay as they are fantastic pools and really great value.

Mam Tor & Ilkley
8th - 10th April 2022
Castleton Park Up: https://w3w.co/inspector.theory.fish
Ilkley Park Up: https://w3w.co/flick.report.cupcake
The Ilkley Plaice: https://ilkleyplaice.co.uk/

​For our second trip out in our new van we wanted to head up't'north to visit friends and family. The UK is currently experiencing fuel shortages, so before we set off our very first priority is to find some fuel - not an easy task but eventually we get on the road.

Our first stop is the hub of UK Vanlife; Castleton.  At the head of the Peak District's Hope Valley, nestled beneath Mam Tor (Mother Hill) is the beautiful village of Castleton. Castleton is the perfect free ParkUp with easy access to Caves, Walks and VanLife friends. We had a fantastic 24 hours catching up with great mates, but we had an appointment to meet Grandma in Ilkley so it was time to push on!

The lovely Mandy Musgrove had recommended a stop to us in the middle of Skipton which is just a few miles from my Grandma in Ilkley. Unfortunately the stop in Skipton was inaccessible in our 9m motorhome. One way was too tight, another way was over a hump bridge that would have damaged the underside of our van. So after an U-Turn and several rude words, we decided to "Skip"-ton and head straight to Ilkley.

We love Ilkley, it's a stunning town at the southern end of the Yorkshire Dales. A former Spa Town, which rose to fame in the 19th Century when many visited for it's fresh air and wonderful hotels. We can confirm that the air is still fresh, and our ParkUp, right in the heart of the town was truly wonderful. For dinner we had Fish, Chips and Scraps, then took a walk following an unexpected stream through the centre of town to my favourite Wetherspoons. I love that 'spoons!

The next morning was clear and bright. Our ParkUp was in the carpark for Ilkley's Darwin Gardens and Millennium Green so before we set off, we took George to explore the gardens and puzzle out the maze. 

As we pulled off the carpark, we drove over a very slight hill, ground out, and damaged the fresh water pipes - which dumped all our fresh water out on the road! Thankfully Steve was able to borrow a screw driver from Grandma's home and was able to create a temporary fix.  At 91, Grandma was in fine fettle! We had a blumin' lovely time catching up and when we left we headed to meet Auntie Chris for lunch.

After an afternoon of family time, we came back to the van to discover that we had run out of gas. We also had a phone call from our neighbours telling us that there was an alarm going off at home!! Rather than head to Skegness, we decided to follow the "signs" and head home to regroup.

 

The Mill Wheel Pub, Hartshorne & PP Protect
1st - 2nd April 2022 
https://www.themillwheel.com

We finally have our wonderful new Motorhome, we have a Swift Kon-tiki 874, and she is a cracker! 

Before we even picked her up, we had decided that she needed her paint protected with a Ceramic Coat, and of course we turned to our great mate Richard from PP Protect. We were booked in on Saturday morning so decided to head up the M1 on the Friday night and spend the night with Richard and his family in their local pub.

Richard is friends with the Mill Wheel team and had already OK'd our stay, when we arrived we tucked in to the corner of the carpark and headed inside. Dinner was wonderful, the wine flowed freely and we enjoyed a relaxed  evening catching up and getting to know Richard's family better.

Here are links to some of the interesting products we use in our van:
Clever stacking pans: Tefal Ingenio Pots and Pans Set, Stainless Steel, 13-Piece, Induction
https://amzn.to/3JRMKY6
Tefal Ingenio Essential Non-Stick Pots and Pans Set, 5-Piece, Starter Kit
https://amzn.to/3jIRZib
Joseph Joseph Nest Utensils Set https://amzn.to/3jIzIBw


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