China
This story happened on: 11/11/2012
Gallery
First off, apologies for this not being a caravanning story. But in my defence the club do have a rather popular site in the town that we stayed in.
China, no not the country, but the anniversary. On the 25th April this week herself and I have been married for 20 years. Google tells me it's the China anniversary and we took ourselves off away from the kids for a bit.
On our 10th we went to Kilarney in Ireland, on the 15th it was to the Lake district and now for our 20th The Cotswolds is the destination of choice (not really, it's just where we got the nicest looking hotel for the money on Late Rooms).
As it's only one night, we were pushing the boat out for this one, although there is a coolbox full of beer, wine and sandwiches for the room cos I refuse to pay room service prices.
The plan was to drop Jnr#2 off at school then set off from home with the intention of looking around Moreton in Marsh before checking into the hotel. Well, @DerekTheWeather and his forecast put the brakes on that idea. It pissed down all the way along the M4 over into England, it pissed down up the M5 into Gloustershire and it was still pissing down as we arrived in Moreton.
Herself had done her hair, and there's no was she is getting out of the car in the rain, so off we went on a trip to explore the area by car. First stop was the Caravan Club site in Moreton, looks very nice and close enough to the town to walk in.
We moved on and then stopped near Broadway for a spot of lunch taken in the car peering through steamed up windows into the mist.
We then head towards Bourton on the Water, and it's a chocolate box type place with chinese tourists snapping everything. I'm pretty sure that if a horse stopped to take a dump they'd be snapping away!
In Moreton we stayed in at The White Hart Royal and we did feel a little guilty about leaving the van behind, but it was hardly worth dragging it out for one night. I did consider it though, because for what it's costing to sleep here for one night we could have stayed for 5 or 6 at the club site just around the corner from it!
The White Hart Royal Hotel was once a coaching inn. Its reputation was enhanced when King Charles I sheltered in the inn following the battle of Marston Moor on 2nd July 1644. A copy of the King's unpaid bill is commemorated on a plaque within the entrance lobby. The cost of a bed for the night and food here is eyewatering; I think they are still trying to recoup the cost of that unpaid bill.