IaninSheffield
Veteran
- Location
- Sheffield, UK
Day 1 (12th July)
It's been trickier to get away recently, Pandemic notwithstanding. The house needs a little building repair work done and the first slot the roofer had was around the end of June/ beginning of July. That clipped my wings somewhat and meant I daren't arrange any time away. A couple of weeks ago the builder got back in touch to say the recent wet spell had held up his other jobs and it would now be the end of July before he got to me. He did warn me this could happen so I've no gripes, other than I missed the chance to go away. Still, at least I managed a week before the school holidays begin and the hordes of folks who might, in normal times have gone abroad, descend on the campsites. It's perhaps a sign of the demand for sites that I struggled to find a vacant pitch at the coastal Camping and Caravanning Club sites I first considered, and weekends seemed to be unavailable anywhere. And that's how I ended up with a midweek booking at Wolverley, just outside Kidderminster.
At just over a hundred miles, Wolverley's not too far from home, so I had plenty of time to pack the van, go for a run, take a shower, then grab some lunch before setting off just after midday. It was a few miles down the motorway when I remembered that I hadn't loaded the cool stuff into the fridge. Shame about the couscous salad I'd prepared for my evening meal, but I could pick something up when I get there, together with some milk and spread in lieu of those which were also in the fridge at home!
The traffic was flowing freely and with no navigational errors I arrived on site, was checked in, hookup connected and fresh water filled up before 3pm. So much quicker than pitching a tent and sorting 'under canvas' sleeping arrangements. I bought the ‘tin tent’ - a micro camper a young chap had self-converted - last year, but circumstances have not allowed me to use it as much as I would have liked. Hopefully that should change for the better in the near future.
St Mary's, Kidderminster, alongside the Staffs & Worcs Canal
Having checked on Google Maps that the Sainsbury's alongside the canal in Kidderminster was still there - I remember calling there whilst on a narrowboat holiday many years ago - I decided to walk there to stock up. Although I'm pretty sure it was more than the mile and half Google had said it would be, it didn't matter; I was enjoying being back alongside a canal. In fact I passed the supermarket and walked up into town for a mosey around. There's clearly an industrial past to Kidderminster, but the town centre, though nondescript, was far from unwelcoming. I walked up to the station to check on train times for a RailRide I might do later in the week, and with the Severn Valley Preserved Railway station alongside the mainline station, I popped in to see whether there were any trips I might fancy. No trains to see today, but there are some excursions later in the week. Unfortunately, all the trips seemed to be packaged up into return journeys visiting highpoints on the line and no tickets available to travel from one station to another as one might do on the mainline. Shame.
I made my supermarket stop on the way back and was surprised how quiet it was, given that it was now back from work time. But the quietness - and reduced number of potential Covid spreaders - suited me perfectly. A return journey along the towpath brought me back to site at just the right time and with an appetite for my evening meal. There's a canal side pub just off site and I wondered whether I might be brave (foolhardy?) enough to pop in for a meal and a beer one evening; they appear to have plenty of outdoor seating. I haven't had a a draught beer from a pub in over eighteen months now, but with case numbers on the rise once more, is now the right time? I'll ponder on't.
It's been trickier to get away recently, Pandemic notwithstanding. The house needs a little building repair work done and the first slot the roofer had was around the end of June/ beginning of July. That clipped my wings somewhat and meant I daren't arrange any time away. A couple of weeks ago the builder got back in touch to say the recent wet spell had held up his other jobs and it would now be the end of July before he got to me. He did warn me this could happen so I've no gripes, other than I missed the chance to go away. Still, at least I managed a week before the school holidays begin and the hordes of folks who might, in normal times have gone abroad, descend on the campsites. It's perhaps a sign of the demand for sites that I struggled to find a vacant pitch at the coastal Camping and Caravanning Club sites I first considered, and weekends seemed to be unavailable anywhere. And that's how I ended up with a midweek booking at Wolverley, just outside Kidderminster.
At just over a hundred miles, Wolverley's not too far from home, so I had plenty of time to pack the van, go for a run, take a shower, then grab some lunch before setting off just after midday. It was a few miles down the motorway when I remembered that I hadn't loaded the cool stuff into the fridge. Shame about the couscous salad I'd prepared for my evening meal, but I could pick something up when I get there, together with some milk and spread in lieu of those which were also in the fridge at home!
The traffic was flowing freely and with no navigational errors I arrived on site, was checked in, hookup connected and fresh water filled up before 3pm. So much quicker than pitching a tent and sorting 'under canvas' sleeping arrangements. I bought the ‘tin tent’ - a micro camper a young chap had self-converted - last year, but circumstances have not allowed me to use it as much as I would have liked. Hopefully that should change for the better in the near future.
St Mary's, Kidderminster, alongside the Staffs & Worcs Canal
Having checked on Google Maps that the Sainsbury's alongside the canal in Kidderminster was still there - I remember calling there whilst on a narrowboat holiday many years ago - I decided to walk there to stock up. Although I'm pretty sure it was more than the mile and half Google had said it would be, it didn't matter; I was enjoying being back alongside a canal. In fact I passed the supermarket and walked up into town for a mosey around. There's clearly an industrial past to Kidderminster, but the town centre, though nondescript, was far from unwelcoming. I walked up to the station to check on train times for a RailRide I might do later in the week, and with the Severn Valley Preserved Railway station alongside the mainline station, I popped in to see whether there were any trips I might fancy. No trains to see today, but there are some excursions later in the week. Unfortunately, all the trips seemed to be packaged up into return journeys visiting highpoints on the line and no tickets available to travel from one station to another as one might do on the mainline. Shame.
I made my supermarket stop on the way back and was surprised how quiet it was, given that it was now back from work time. But the quietness - and reduced number of potential Covid spreaders - suited me perfectly. A return journey along the towpath brought me back to site at just the right time and with an appetite for my evening meal. There's a canal side pub just off site and I wondered whether I might be brave (foolhardy?) enough to pop in for a meal and a beer one evening; they appear to have plenty of outdoor seating. I haven't had a a draught beer from a pub in over eighteen months now, but with case numbers on the rise once more, is now the right time? I'll ponder on't.