Channelling my inner Gladys Pugh

stitchesoftimeLeave a comment

For those of you who watched British TV in the UK in the 1980s, you may remember a series called Hi De Hi, set in a holiday camp.

Friends joked when I started my new job as a Site Assistant that maybe I would need a xylophone to make my announcements, reminiscent of the lovely Gladys, played by Ruth Madoc. You can actually still watch the series on UK TV Gold, and I remember it with great affection.

Although there are a few similarities between my new role, and what the staff at Maplin’s Holiday Camps did, most of it was very different, so I thought I would share a little bit more about the role. I know a few people who follow my blog also travel, and it’s a popular second career choice for nomads.

I have already told you a bit about the site in a previous post, so this one will focus more on the actual job.

After my recruitment day in early December I found out at the end of that week that I had been successful, and had got through to the recruitment pool. I was lucky enough to find out just before Christmas that I had got a contract, but that can vary, as the club have a large amount of work to do sorting out staffing. 

There are currently 85 UK sites, and over 400 staff, and as staff move sites at least every 3 years, that is a lot of organisation. Once I was sorted then there is a process of liaising with HR, ordering uniform, and getting contacted by your area manager and site manager. 

Top tip, don’t do what I did and order large sizes for your uniform. They are very generous and I looked like a kid whose Mum had bought it to last the whole 5 years of secondary school!

The support from company is excellent, from the initial recruitment day, to the end of this year’s contract I felt really happy, knowing what was happening and what I had to do. I have mentioned the training before, there are a few online modules that you do in the first couple of weeks, things like Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity, and retail training. 

The rest is hands on, and covers things like the cleaning procedures, how to use all the equipment, and how to greet and pitch campers. This is specific to each site and camper of course, but there are some basic things that are common to all sites, such as the gap that needs to be left between tents, and caravans, for fire safety.

On our site, in common with many others, we had gravel pitches, which were clearly marked, as well as grass ones as in the photo below. It was important that you were clear with people where to pitch, so you didn’t end up having to tell them to move later, especially once they’d pegged their awnings in!

You have a 12 week probation period, with reviews at 4, 8 and the end of the probation. They gave me a chance to get some feedback,  set targets and give you a really clear idea of how you are doing. With only three of us on site, and due to days off, usually only two on duty any day, you get involved in everything really quickly. 

The working day depended on what shift I was on, I had the same ones each week, which did surprise me, as I thought they might vary. I worked 10 until 7, Mon, Tues and Thurs,  and 8 until 5, Weds and Friday, with Sat and Sun off. There is also an hour break for lunch halfway through the shift.

Mornings on late shifts always started with a quick catch up with my colleagues, usually sorting out what we would be doing, depending on the weather, and how many campers were expected that afternoon.

Campers leave by 12, and start to arrive from 1pm, so we could schedule grounds tasks for late morning, and the afternoon, in-between arrivals.

My first task on lates would be to do the cleaning,  which was my choice. I really enjoy cleaning, so volunteered to do it Mon to Fri. Cleaning is always done between 10.30 and 12, so I would start at 10.15 with brushing up around the shower and toilet block, and sorting my equipment. 

At my site I had 5 showers, 8 toilets, a urinal and 9 sinks to clean across the male, female and accessible facilities. I estimated that by the end of the 4 month contract I had cleaned the toilets about 750 times! This was the very last one of all of those.

After cleaning there would be check out admin, checking the pitches, then on to afternoon tasks. Mostly this was grounds work, mowing, weeding, and lots of general tidying up. What was particularly nice was seeing the later blooms, such as these daisies and Jerusalem Artichokes that we had decided not to get rid of the earlier weeding.

The first task on early shift would be an 8.30 check on the facilities block, as well as a walk around the site. This gives you a chance to check on any grounds work tasks. Luckily we had great weather, apart from one big storm, but we would check for fallen branches, soggy ground etc.

Facilities were also checked at 4pm and 7.30, which also gives you a chance to wander round and chat to the campers about their day.

As well as the outdoor work I was also on Reception duty some of the time. The office and shop was open 9 till 10.30 and 4.30 till 6, so one of us would be there then. Some of this time was for general admin, like daily check ins, giving advice, extending stays, checking up coming bookings.

I also did some specific things during my time there, such as reorganise and update our walks section, and add areas to our information boards about local facilities, local events, and more about the prisoner of war camp.

We always had lots of interesting people staying on site, and it was a great privilege to be able to help people with advice about where to walk or cycle, or how to organise a distillery visit.  Many of our European visitors  were particularly keen to do that as the region has over 30 whisky distilleries.

Meeting and talking to the campers was definitely the highlight of the job, especially as they were all so kind about the site and complimentary about our hard work to keep it looking good. I was always especially happy when they told me how clean the showers and toilets were!

We had visitors from so many different places, lots of Dutch and German,  but also Swiss, South African, American and Australian.  It was brilliant seeing all the different vehicles that they arrived in, these are just a few that really stood out.

I loved the Overland truck, but think the little micro caravan, or red and white Eriba are more me!

My colleagues, Steve the manager, and Tony who was a new starter like me, were absolutely wonderful.  They were so helpful, not only with work related things like when I couldn’t start the tractor,  but also helping me sort things out with the caravan.

I honestly didn’t have any issues with living and working on site, one of the things that was mentioned a lot at the recruitment day. I think it helps that I have spent the last three summers living on sites, and that my colleagues are both nomads, as many of the staff are. They live in their motor homes, and love travel, so we already had lots in common. 

So to conclude this very long post, loved the job, the people, the area. Never had a day when I wasn’t really excited to go to work. To be honest it didn’t really feel like work, just an excellent way to spend the summer in the company of like minded people. So, very much looking forward to starting again next year and for the new adventures I will have.

I am really pleased I took that step, and went for it, it has been amazing, and I am proud of myself for all my new skills, especially driving the tractor!

Until next time, hope you are enjoying life, see you soon and thanks for visiting. 

The magic of the sea

stitchesoftime2 Comments

Maybe it’s because I am a water sign, or maybe it’s something else but I just love being beside the sea. Even if it’s just having a glimpse of it as I travel, or the little view from my house in Spain. It just instantly makes me feel calm and happy.

I was lucky enough to have four sets of visitors this summer, and so spent more time at the coast again with them, revisiting some of the coastal beauties of this part of the UK. 

I did have sometime off for some of these visits, though not when Dave and Louise came from Somerset.  We did have the evenings together,  and my first bbq of the season. 

This really is an undiscovered area for me, I had no idea how stunning these places were, and will always feel blessed that my first job with the club was in such an amazing area.

I now know where I am.going to be next year,  it was a surprise to me, and everyone else, and I shall reveal all in a bit.

Most of my coastal trips were beautiful weather, however the only inclement one was when my sister, Jacky, and her dog Ryan arrived at the end of July. This was the week before that very big storm that hit Scotland, and poor Jacky was in Orkney by then!

We had a visit to Spey Bay, to the dolphin centre there, and although it was grey and damp, and there were no dolphins, it was still a lovely place for a walk, at the mouth of the Spey River and the start of the Speyside Way. 

When my friend Sharon arrived from Yorkshire we were a lot luckier, and visited the fishing village of Buckie, and then on to Findhorn again, for glorious views. I think Findhorn may be one of my favourite places on this coast, but there are other strong contenders.

Maggie and Peter, also from Yorkshire,  and the previous owners of Lotte my lovely caravan,  also came that same weekend,  and we went back to Cullen, to do the coastal walk, on a wonderful hot, sunny Sunday.  My photos just don’t do justice to this amazing coastline. 

At the very end of my contract, on the last weekend,  I used my welfare nights to go to Rosemarkie, one of our sites on the Black Isle above Inverness.  Rosemarkie is famous for dolphin spotting, and I did see some, but the choppy waves made it difficult to photograph them.

It was a beautiful evening walk to the lighthouse though,  and more chance to.practice arty photography. 

I also took a trip to Cromarty, at the end of the Black Isle, one of the many historic fishing villages in this area, now home to oilfield pipe terminals, and a cruise ship port in the Firth.

There is still so much to see and do in this area, and I will come back at some point. I am now on my end of contract busman’s holiday, making my way down the coast, via Northumberland to Yorkshire for a catch up with friends, before I fly back to Spain at the end of October.

However I won’t be back next year,  as my contract is going to be at Glencoe! I was really surprised, as thought I would be staying but am so excited to be given this site. I stayed there for a few nights last year so know a bit of what to expect.  It is going to be a very busy site, and very different to Speyside. This will be my office view though, so I think I am going to have an amazing time there. 

Lotte has been moved to winter storage, and I am going to be back to pick her up in early March. Meanwhile there are historic houses galore, and the excitement of getting back to Spain and planning more adventures. 

So I hope that you are all still enjoying life as much as I am. I can’t tell you how brilliant this summer has been, and I am so looking forward to next year.  See you soon and thanks for visiting. 

Highland highlights

stitchesoftime1 Comment

I have so enjoyed being in this part of Scotland for the summer. I love the gentle forested hills, the sparkling rivers, and the stunning coast with its layers of misty blues.

I will find out in a few days where my contract will be for next year. Fingers crossed it is here, as there is so much more to explore, but anywhere in Scotland will be fantastic. 

I have spent some more time in the local village of Aberlour recently, firstly doing the walk up to the Linn Falls. This takes you past the distillery, and you can just get a glimpse of it through the trees.

You can see one of the huge copper stills at the back of the distillery, as always the smells are amazing.

The village itself is very pretty, it is a planned development built in the 1812 by Charles Grant, and named after one of his sons.

Its full name is Charlestown of Aberlour, and there is a smaller village just up from our campsite, named Archiestown, after his other son.

As well as being the site of a great local Co-op,  butchers and deli, it also gives you access to the river and the Speyside Way.  There are many of these beautiful bridges over the river here.

Like many of the places round here Aberlour hosts a Highland Games, and I was lucky enough to be able to visit, as I have had weekends off.

It was amazing, all of the surrounding towns and villages support each others’ games, so there were dance, athletic competitors, and pipe bands from the local area. This meant there was a great attendance and atmosphere, and thankfully fantastic weather.

My favourite part was definitely the pipe bands, there is just something about pipes and drums that touches your soul, and the drum majors were particularly impressive.

The Highland Dancing, and ‘heavy’ competitions such as tossing weights and hammers were also wonderful to watch. I can finally say I have a seen someone toss a caber, and it is very impressive!

I have also been being creative during my time off, and have painted lots of stones to decorate the campsite. These are some of the types of campers that we have had visit this summer, and they are on display near our facilities block.

I got chance to do a little bit of caravan upgrading as well, with fablon covering the kitchen area. You can see the original surface in the second photo. I have also bought new fleeces and cushion covers for the colder evenings. It is starting to feel very autumnal here now. 

Sadly my trip to Dingwall, that I wrote about last post, did not end well. It  was the week of Storm Floris, and although I got there OK on the Friday, the weather was bad again on Saturday, so I decided to come home, getting a split pole in the process of taking the tent down.

I have another welfare weekend planned next weekend, at one of our coastal sites, so hopefully that will go really well, and I can share the photos of that, along with some more coastal trips in my next post. 

Meanwhile I hope you are having as much fun as I am. Thanks, as always for visiting, and putting up with the less than frequent posts!

Thoughts on Darwin and dandelions …

stitchesoftime2 Comments

I will explain the post title a little later on, but here is a summary of my first couple of months at my new site assistant role. All is going very well, although for some parts of the job there is a lot to learn.

Ours is a relatively small site, only 50 main pitches, with a tent field if needed to give us an additional 20 pitches. Most of our visitors so far have been motorhomes, campervans and caravans, but we are seeing more tents as the season progresses.

It is a site with lots of beautiful trees, and I have spent some time working out what they all are, with the help of a new plant finder app, Flora Incognita, which is brilliant.  We have Birch, Scots Pine, Spruce, Rowan, and Bird Cherry, as well as some gorgeous Crab Apple trees with wonderful lichen growth on them near Reception. 

There are also lots of plants, mainly in beds that have needed a lot of tidying up. The site was closed for 7 months over winter, so most of what myself and my colleagues dud initially was trying to get the site looking neat and tidy again.

I forgot to take a before picture, but I took seven wheelbarrows worth of weeds out of this bed by the facilities block. It looks so much better now and we have Comfrey, Lupins, Columbine, Dog Roses and Geraniums blooming there now.

We also have a large stone bed near the entrance that we haven’t even tackled yet, with gorse, alpines, and lots of rosebay willow herb.

There are three of us on site, and neither of my colleagues enjoy gardening, so I have taken responsibility for the flowering parts of the site, as well as sharing in basic ground maintenance. We have done some new planting as well, and put up hanging baskets and repainted and replanted existing areas.

There has also been lots, and lots of weeding, which brings me to the title of the post. What is a weed, except for a plant we don’t actually want in that place? I have taken out so many things, including many dandelions. Every time I do I think about Darwin and his theories about adaptation.

Dandelions, plantains, clover, buttercups and daisies grow really well here, and yet some would consider them weeds. It is such a pity, and I am very tempted to let the all grow. Obviously they do really well in this environment,  are very well adapted to live here. It would certainly make the job a lot easier, rather than constantly trying to remove them.

However, it has to be a balance, between keeping the grass neat and tidy, and having it more wildlife friendly. Long grass is difficult to pitch tents on, as it holds moisture, so we do a lot of mowing. I am now much more confident with the ride on mower, which has been very exciting to learn how to use.

The site was a prisoner of war camp in WW2,  housing both Italian and German prisoners, and later a resettlement camp for Hungarian and Ukrainian refugees.

All the old Nissan hut bases are still here, some are used as hard standings for caravans and motorhomes. Others are partly overgrown, which means you have to  be very careful when mowing!

It has been a brilliant first season, and has gone really fast.  Only six weeks until I finish. I will find out in early September where I will be next year, as I may be moving sites. Wherever it is I am hoping to still be in Scotland as I love it so much. Fingers crossed!

Next weekend I am off to stay at another of our sites, a bit further north at Dingwall.  We get two free nights camping at any other site every month, so we can have some r and r and also to see what other sites are like. I will be back as soon as I can with more updates, until then have fun and thanks for visiting. 

Paddles and pebbles

stitchesoftime3 Comments

I don’t wish to start this post with a complaint but it has been so hot in Scotland whilst I have been here. As you may know, I can’t tolerate heat, which is part of the reason that I leave Spain for the summer.

When I got the contract through for a season in Scotland I was expecting a cool, and damp summer, which was fine. I ordered lots of practical uniform, such as waterproof overtrousers and fleecey layers.

However it has been a consistent 24 to the dizzy heights of 32 degrees for the last few months, and I have been sweltering!

Thank goodness that the coast is only a short drive away, so I can not only get cooler weather, but enjoy the amazing scenery.

My first coastal trip was to the village of Portsoy, for their annual traditional boat festival. As well as the boats on display, there were related events, such as skiff rowing, a raft race, and demonstrations and displays of boat building. 

There was also lots of music, dancing, and a food festival. It was a wonderful introduction to maritime Highland culture.

The town is centred around the 17th century harbour, which has been beautifully restored, and has an amazing coastline.

I stayed overnight at an aire just a few minutes drive away, at Cullen, birthplace of the fish soup, Cullen Skink. The aire is in a gorgeous location, right on the coastal path.  I spent a very happy evening watching the sunset.

I also had some very delicious locally smoked Mackerel for tea.

My next coastal trip was on the hottest weekend so far, to Lossiemouth for a very welcome paddle. Lossiemouth was a key part of coastal defences during WW2, and still has the concrete blocks put there to prevent tank invasion. 

The views across the Moray Firth were just gorgeous.  Over the water is Caithness, part of Scotland I have yet to explore.

Last weekend I had another overnight, at the aire at Findhorn.  This open expanse of beach leads to the bay, and the River Findhorn, and the village was an important harbour in the 1700 and 1800s.

So many beautiful pebbles, the variety of stones were amazing. I have brought some back for some painted stones I am doing for the campsite, that I will share when they are finished.

There is a very interesting little heritage centre, with some great interpretation and photos. 

I have plans to visit more of this coast in the next few weeks, I only have 7 weeks left of my contract, but am then spending the rest of September in this wonderful country.

I love it so much, and am so happy to have had the chance to explore more. Love the job, love living in my little caravan, very, very happy 😊

I hope you are all happy whatever you are doing, thanks for visiting and see you soon.

Highland beauty

stitchesoftime2 Comments

This area of the country often gets overlooked, there is so much else in Scotland to see, so it is easy to miss. That has lots of advantages though, as roads are quiet, and it is easy to park, unlike at Glencoe last year!

I have been doing some exploring of the local area, in between the domestic duties. The nearest supermarkets are about 30 mins away, though there is a little Co op in the nearest town 5 mins drive. That means trying to combine my fortnightly shop with other adventures.

Much of my time has been spent along the beautiful Spey River. The Speyside Way runs from the coast down for about 70 miles, using parts of the old railway line, and provides brilliant forest walks and cycling.

The above photos were taken on one of my first walks, at the little town of Charlestown of Aberlour, our nearest place. One of the features of these rivers are the gorgeous Victorian bridges that cross them.

Yesterday I went to visit one of the most famous. Built by Thomas Telford and erected in 1814, it was the main road crossing at Craigellachie until the 1970s.

The area is also famous for it’s distilleries, using water from the Spey. There are over 30 in the area, and while I don’t like the taste of whisky,  the smell when they are roasting is lovely. 

I recently went on a walk near the Tamdhu distillery, which is next to the old railway station.  Such a gorgeous forest trail with glimpses of the river.

Life has been very busy, the last two weekends I have been away, firstly to a very interesting training course, where I met lots of other new staff. It was fun to hear about their experiences so far. Last week I went to the coast, so will tell you about that in the next post.

I have also visited my first castle of 2025. I hope to see many more after I finish working, as there are lots in the areas I am travelling to then, but this was the lovely Brodie Castle, near Forres.

The castle was closed as there was a function on, but the grounds and the lake were enough to keep me happy.

I really am so happy here, I love life in my little caravan, and really enjoy the job. I am meeting so many people who love exactly the same things that I do, and feel so blessed to be able to do this in this gorgeous place.

It may not have the dramatic scenery of other places I have visited in Scotland, but it is a wonderful place to call home for the summer.

I shall hopefully be able to post again sooner than a month from now. The app is so slow that this has taken me nearly two hours, with waiting for it to respond, so it is not that I am neglecting the blog, it is just technical issues. Thanks for bearing with me, and fingers crossed see you soon.

Semana Santa – part two

stitchesoftime2 Comments

Our second glorious fiesta was on Good Friday, in the town of Lorca. We have visited Lorca twice before, once to see the goldwork museums there, and once for the fiesta.

This time we had seats, in a fabulous position near the start of the parade. This fiesta is one of the most amazing celebrations I have ever seen. Not only are there all of the stunning icons, but also floats with Ceasar, Cleopatra, various other Roman and Egyptian nobles, a Byzantine queen and the Pope!

The scale of this is hard to take in, and also includes chariots, incredible horse displays and groups of the iconic Semana Santa headdresses. It takes three hours to pass and just gets better and better.

This year, we had time for a good wander round before everything started, and a close up look at the floats.

They are even more incredible when you consider some are carried for three hours, on the shoulders of both men and women, particularly women for the icons of the Virgen Mary.

The costumes are just mind blowing, from the opulence of Cleopatra, to the detail of her companions. The embroidery on the charioteer’s cloaks, details different parts of the Bible story.

It is all just magical, and a testament to the many hours of work by the very talented embroiderers who made this possible, some of whom we met on our first visit. 

Life here in Scotland continues to be very good. We have been busy getting the campsite to look its best after the long

Meanwhile I hope you are all having as much fun as I am, and thanks for visiting. 

Semana Santa – part one

stitchesoftime3 Comments

Being a Catholic country, Spain celebrates Semana Santa, or Holy Week, in the most wonderful ways. I have shown you some of the fiestas before, however this year I got to visit a new one.

Palm Sunday is celebrated very uniquely in the nearby city of Elche, with a procession of palm sculptures.  The palms are wrapped in bags for month beforehand, to bleach the fronds, then woven into the most incredible tall sculptures.

Some are abstract patterns, some represent scenes from the Bible, but all are detailed, taking around two weeks to make.

The slow procession is accompanied by bands, and an icon of Jesus, around the centre of the city, before finishing in the cathedral. 

A wonderful morning, and well worth seeing, the sheer dedication of the weavers is incredible. 

There are of course many magnificent gold work banners to accompany the parade.

Hope you are all having a lovely time whatever you are doing, and thanks as always for visiting.

Meet the latest member of the family!

stitchesoftime1 Comment

Well of course you should have been reading all about the gorgeous fiestas I went to in Spain in this post, however I have skipped ahead for very good reasons.

I will get back to my time in Spain as soon as possible, but on the day that I was scheduled to post, we had a major power blackout that affected most of Spain, Portugal, and other parts of Europe. 

That was ‘interesting’, and made you quickly realise how very much we rely on having working phones, access to the Internet, ATM etc. 

One of my main concerns was that I was due to fly back to the UK two days later on the Weds, to be reunited with a very special new addition.  I have previously hinted at changes for this year but I would like you to meet Lotte.

Lotte is a ‘new to me’ 33 year old caravan, that I bought from my very good friends, Maggie and Peter in Yorkshire, last year. There have been lots of preparations in place surrounding the purchase and subsequent removal of Lotte to Scotland. Here she is on the haulage lorry in Yorkshire, and arriving in a very sunny Speyside 🌞

I needed a caravan to live in as last year I applied for, and was successful in getting,  a post as a Site Assistant with the Camping and Caravanning Club! The interview process started in October, and involved me flying back to the UK in early December for a recruitment day, and I got a job 🙃

I was so thrilled as this has been a long held dream post retirement from teaching. I was over the moon when a couple of days before Christmas I found out my post would be in Scotland.   

There have been a few stressful moments along the way. In the same week I had the blackout, finding out that the caravan towing company wouldn’t take her to Scotland last minute, and Katy having a seized handbrake and having to spend two days in the garage. However all got sorted and a day later than planned I set off for Scotland in Katy.

Lotte arrived last Wednesday evening, and I have been spending the last few days moving all of my new things in, and sorting everything out.

She is absolutely gorgeous and I already love living here in her. I have a lovely staff pitch, very shady, with lots of trees and birds around.

I have a fixed bedroom, which is great, with so much storage space.

Also a cute little kitchen area, and most exciting, a bathroom.  I have a toilet, and running water and everything 🙃

Also a lovely comfy lounge area, so I can sit and craft in the evenings as I listen to the birds. It is all just perfect and I am over the moon about it all.

I start work tomorrow, which I am so looking forward to.  Most of this week will be training, and at the moment I have the weekends off, so I will still be going out exploring this gorgeous part of the country in Katy. I plan to use the many stop overs and aires here.

I am further north than I have been before, just above Aviemore, so really looking forward to exploring. I took 10 days to make the journey up to my site, so got to visit some new places.

My first stop was at The Nook Cafe, in the beautiful Northern Pennines. They offer overnight camper stops for £5, with use of toilets if wanted. I had a very peaceful evening, watching the sheep graze.

I then stayed overnight with my very good friends, Sue and Chris at their house, before going on to the Oban campsite for four nights. 

That is a very pretty site, in a walled garden, with beach access across the road, and a beautiful set of forest walks next door in Sutherland’s Grove.

I also had an afternoon walk around the headland at Port Appin, with stunning views across to Mull and Lismore.

Then it was on to Loch Ness Shores campsite for another four nights.

The weather has just been amazing all the time I have been here, I am so lucky. On my last day I did the forest walk to the Falls of Foyers.

One of the best things about being here in May is that the rhododendrons and gorse are blooming, so gorgeous.

So here is one very happy little camper signing off. I will be back as soon as possible, work and lack of WiFi may slow things a little, but thanks as always for being here for my new adventure.  Hope you are all having fun and enjoying life.

On top of the world in Wales!

stitchesoftime2 Comments

My Welsh adventures continued with a visit to somewhere that is very special to me. When I retired, nearly four years ago I went on a bus and train camping trip, for seven weeks. Having not passed my test, due to delays caused by Covid, I had a wonderful time, visiting Devon and Wales with my new tiny tent, and all my possessions in a rucksack and a large bag.

All the time I was hoping, and dreaming about passing my test and getting a little van. As you know it all came true, and this visit I came back to the last place I camped at, Fairbourne, near Barmouth, to stay at the new aire they now have!

I saw this being built when I was last here, and though it may not be the most glamourous of park ups, I was so happy to be there in Katy. I sat and watched the little trains go past, and had a lovely peaceful night there.

My next location was in West Wales, a stunning drive from Barmouth to Aberystwyth for supplies, then on to New Quay. I remember being on the bus four years ago, just marvelling at how beautiful this part of the country was, and was so excited to spend more time here this year.

My accommodation was a very luxurious three bedroomed caravan, on the Haven site at New Quay, just outside the town, again a wonderful bargain. I had a very large lounge, TV, and a beautiful kitchen, with sea views.

It was a really gorgeous site, overlooking the bay, and once again I was so lucky with the weather.

I managed to get a few more miles of the Wales coastal path done. The first walk was along the beach from the site, only accessible at low tide.

My aim was to get to the cliff top part of the coastal path, not only were the views wonderful, but I was also lucky enough to see dolphins, and seals on the same trip. No pictures of the dolphins as they were too far away and moved off quickly, but here is one of the seals. They were so close I could hear them barking to each other.

I love taking pictures of the signs for paths, and there was this wonderful old one hidden in the gorse bushes along the route.

The coloured houses in New Quay make it look so pretty from across the bay.

I also visited Aberaeron, another place I remember from the last trip, again with lots of beautiful painted houses, old Georgian buildings, and a pretty river walk. The town was once a thriving ship building community and port, and this is reflected in its gorgeous architecture.

I was only in the area for a week, so not too much time for exploring, but lots of lovely coastal and woodland walks.

I will definitely be back, and am very much a fan of the bargain Haven stays. I love caravan life as well as van life, and am looking forward to the ones I have booked for autumn in Northumberland and Yorkshire.

I was headed across Wales, en route to my sister’s in Worcester, again an area that I have never explored, and the drive was wonderful, so much so that I had to stop and take photos.

My next park up was somewhere I had heard a lot about, a bit of a legend in the van life and camping community, Coco’s Wild Camping. My photos really don’t do it justice, it is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been to. Just miles of stunning views, from what feels like the top of the world.

I can’t tell you how happy I was to be there in Katy, especially as the road up was very steep and quite rocky in parts, but we made it!

I am so proud of myself for having these adventures, and challenging myself. Facebook keeps reminding me at the moment that a year ago I was driving back through France in Katy. Even though I wanted to learn to drive for so long, I never thought that I would end up having so many amazing trips, so many wonderful park ups and such fun, though sometimes I end up on some very scary roads!

After a very relaxing two days at Coco’s it was time time to hit the road again. I had a stop off, and overnight park up, in Hay on Wye, somewhere else that has been on my list for along time. You can park overnight for free in the main car park, which is very convenient. I forgot to get a photo, but again it was a nice peaceful night, just a couple of other motorhomes there.

Hay on Wye is famous for its bookshops, and is such a pretty place to visit, with the castle and lots of gift shops and eateries. I was really good and only bought six books, restocking the box in Katy for the summer. There were some beautiful shops though, look at these gorgeous books! One even had a craft area with a display of Liberty fabric and I managed to resist that, on the grounds that I have so much here in Spain already.

My last stop before Worcester, was to two villages in Herefordshire, on the black and white villages trail. Weobley is one of the bigger villages in the area, and has its own heritage trail, with info boards about the buildings.

Eardisland is not only gorgeous for the black and white houses, but also the little river running through it, the Georgian Dovecote which is now the village shop, and the quintessentially English church. A stunning spring day, with drives through some gorgeous countryside.

I have already decided that I will come back to Wales next year as part of my spring adventures. There is so much still left to see, and it was a brilliant trip. There is so much beauty in the world. I know it can often get lost in all of the horrible things that are happening, but trips like these help me focus on all the loveliness, rather than the bad.

I have been having a very busy and sociable time here, with Easter fiestas, all of the wonderful things that Spain does so well, so will be back soon with that to share with you. Have also been doing some crafting in readiness for the end of the year’s fundraising, so will show you that as well next post.

Until then hope that you find joy in the little things, and happiness in what you do. Thanks, as always for visiting, and see you all soon.