Thank you to our unknown friends

So with low skill and high will, we set off a couple of weekend's ago on our first carvan trip. As the kids (twins aged 15 morphing from cherubs to little devils) were going to be sleeping in the awning and we'd read about "divorce in a bag" - we'd invested in a Kampa Air Pro so we "hoped" all would go smoothly...

After a stop at the services where husband amused two men watching him trying to reverse out of the parking spot (!) we arrived at Carsington Water. The warden couldn't have been more helpful, explaining the set up and how the pitches are self selected, where the water, toilet blocks were etc..

We pitched up next to a couple from Sheffield in a Bessacar motorhome. He was so helpful - little things like lending us a mini step ladder to assist with pulling the awning onto the van, awning lubricant which literally made it glide more easily! He also chatted to us about nice sites.

I caravanned for years when I was little (now the young old age of 50) - Southport, Castleton, Hebden Bridge, Chirk, Coniston , they were our regular haunts - and it really was with trepidation that I returned to the experience. Would it be as good? Was I remembering it through rose tinted spectacles?

And it was all and more! I visited Thailand in March for said 50th and we paid a ridiculous amount for the holiday (school holiday price hikes) and whilst there I realised I could have been in any hotel, on any beach, anywhere and it all felt a bit ....empty.

Drvinig home from Carsington, my husband and I were struck with how sad we felt that we were coming home, a feeling I cannot remember since childhood.

So exactly 5 days later, in the pouring rain we hitched up at Newark, reheated the mash I'd made in the microwave, sizzled the sausages we'd brought and had a cheeky weekend away. Even in the rain it was fantastic!

Off for a week away on Saturday to Broadway and I cannot wait!

Thank you to every single person who has provided advice, (both on site and on here) lent us things (on site) and has been incredibly friendly just in passing or at the shower block or at the warden's hut or in fact...anywhere.