Christmas on a Campsite

We find just before Christmas is more exciting, Xmas markets and fairs, everyone bustling around. Used to do an Xmas shopping weekend up in Edinburgh, superb along Princes Street with the European style market, ice rink, Jenners was still open, then we used to have a day at the Zoo, that was good pre Christmas. 

Between Xmas and New Year, North York Moors and Whitby. Very busy with folks.

Easy to decorate van, battery operated lights, rechargeable batteries. We took some to wales with us this week, cottage had a lovely Xmas tree up.

Thank goodness the answer to ET's questions seem to be mainly a resounding "no" because I couldn't think of anything worse - not sure just why folk find organised (by others) "entertainment" so appealing!

We will again be down in Cornwall in our static van for Christmas - we will have some small get togethers with friends on and off site both before and after, but Christmas Day itself will be just us and the dogs. A relaxed late ish breakfast (if allowed) and then a long walk with Ralph over Penhale Dunes and back for a late lunch/early dinner. (How early/late will depend on Mr M's organisational skills and whether the smoke detector goes off! )

Boxing Day we'll be down on the beach for the Big Swim (warmly wrapped up and spectating only! ) and later in the week will be the Pets' Carol Service at Truro Cathedral.

The family get together will be in the new year.

Sounds lovely M. Boxing Day is great for events, we went to Old Trafford one year, Velodrome at Manchester for another. Working in the Leisure Industry meant we got to see lots of events, and even organise some! My first post was in a huge Leisure Centre, and Boxing Day we got the whole place to ourselves to play in, wave machine and all! 

 We go away in our caravan every year on a trip from early December to mid January, and have done so for over 20yrs now, staying on quiet CLs, far from the madding crowd.  We try to meet up with our family sometime during the trip but do our own thing on Xmas day. This usually means a walk, weather permitting, with a packed lunch of smoked salmon & salad buns, mince pies and a flask of mulled wine. We have dined on the top of places such as Ingleborough, Gragareth, and Frogget Edge. We cook our Xmas lunch when we get back to the van and relax. 

I think the only year we have not been away at this time, since I retire, is when we couldn't get the van out onto the road because of thick frozen snow and ice.

Lovely Nellie😁 We once did Xmas Eve up on an icy Ingleborough, coming down in the dusk. We only had to climb up and down from Crinna Bottom mind, we had gone with friends who had friends at Crinna, nice warm meal waiting for us. I think I would remember Christmas days spent like yours, more than down on a site. 
We’ve done beach walks on Christmas Day. Sandsend when we used to go away in a cottage. Dogs have to be walked somewhere no matter the day! There’s usually someone out having a freezing cold swim😁

Christmas Day is really just another day in the year for many folk, you make it what it is! Winter caravanning can be fun, relaxing and good for the soul if you choose the forecasted weather and location to suit your wishes. The van itself just becomes the mobile bed for us in a venue we chose to be enjoying ourselves in. Love those cold sunny, sometimes frosty or snowy, walks out observing the season's nature  wrapped up in appropriate clothing and cosy fireside meals and drinks in cheery hostelries. Each to their own! If folk are fearful of making misery then that’s up to them, don’t do it.

Have you considered that some folk choose to go away rather suffer all the over bearing festivities. Year on year we enjoy Christmas less. 

We don't go away because where we live we have countryside all around us. We can walk, cycle or take the car out for a lovely drive/walk.

I spent 20 years, when we lived in Germany, cooking Christmas dinner for single soldiers, who for one reason or another didn't go home on leave. It was an unwritten policy that 'singlies' should be invited to family homes on Christmas day. We always had at least 5 and sometimes many more would drop in for a drink later in the day.

Our 2 boys loved it as they had lots of attention and people to play with them and their new toys. We have lots of memories of the boys and soldiers playing and building train sets, scalextric, racing games and even taking the boys outside to build igloos and snowmen. One year we all went to the camp hill to teach the boys how to ski.

When we returned home to Scotland, our house was always filled with teens sleeping over at weekends. Once the boys went to Uni it was students descending on us. Our eldest joined the army so when he was on leave quite often his friend came to and when he was stationed in Scotland we had lots of visits at anytime he was travelling up and down the road. 

Nowadays we prefer to have a quieter time at Christmas and prefer to stay at home rather than a campsite with its over inflated prices and lots of families.

We've spent Christmas with our gKids when they were little and lived it. They are now all teens and prefer to see their mates and go out, rather than sit in the house with their parents and grandparents. We don't have a problem with that. They work hard at school, their parents all work hard so a bit of downtime they deserve. 

Have a good Christmas whatever and wherever you choose to spend it. 🎄🎅

We have in the past spent Xmas and New Year on campsites abroad - Spain and Portugal - all very pleasant and good fun, however, doing the same in the UK has no appeal. 

That said we have just spent a couple of nights on a UK site - £24 per night on a full service super pitch - but the motive for this was to test and exercise the RV.  I had carried out some repairs and mods that I felt deserved an extended trial.  I'm also not keen on leaving a fairly complex machine unused for months at time.  

All worked well and despite the grey drizzly weather we quite enjoyed the stay, possibly because of the quality of the site, the location and the excellent local hostelries.  

Not something I would repeat for a UK Xmas and / or New Year and certainly not on a normal basic CAMC style site.  

My family is spread across the country so we have spent many a Christmas away in the motorhome and caravan just to celebrate Christmas with them either parking outside their homes or staying on a nearby CL, but never on a site.  The whole purpose is to be with family, so we have no interest in spending time on overpriced sites with folk we do not know. My FIL lived alone until he moved into a care home and when spending Christmas with him we often entertained in the van with a full three course Christmas lunch and trimmings, once for six when other relations were present. If not celebrating with relations we would rather stay at home.

in answer to your questions Rowena:

Preparation: How did you prepare your caravan/motorhome for the winter weather? Any specific maintenance tips?

The only precaution we have taken is to have a container of water inside the van just incase the van system freezes up. It has never happened.

Decoration: How did you manage to bring the holiday spirit into a limited space? Are there any compact decorations you can recommend?

We have a small decorated Christmas tree with lights which we put in the van along with a few christmas cards and perhaps add some window decorations if they do not get in the way of the blinds. The main decoration is the table, Christmas  cloth, crackers and servettes.

Cooking: What's your approach to cooking Christmas dinner in a small kitchen area? Any favourite recipes that work well in a caravan setting?

We have a four burner hob and oven in the van so on the occasions we have entertained in the van we cook a normal roast, its easieir just to do a turkey breast, with roast potatoes, stuffing, sprouts or peas and carrots cranberry sauces etc. Unless you have a microwave, Christmas pudding is not an easy option. The starter is usually cold e.g. prawn cocktail or pears in blue cheese sauce. yummy! A pre dinner drink or two, wine with the meal and coffee and brandy to follow. Clearing up in the van, with limited washing up facilities is perhaps more difficult than meal preparation.

Activities: What kind of activities did you do while on site? Any local attractions or events worth visiting?

Don't go on sites and neither are we there for activities or local attractions but we might play cards after clearing up, UNO is popular.

Happy Christmas to everyone

peedee