benivanadventures

  Tuesday 20th April After three months of lockdown this is our first 'proper' trip out, we were invited by Alan & Cathy to join them on his birthday trip to Southport. We had packed the van over the last couple of days with only fuel and water to fill, once Adele had finished work we would be off. By 3.45pm we had left Kidderminster for the trip up the M6, by 3.50pm I had realised that I had forgotten to fill the windscreen washer bottle so we pulled in to the first layby we found, a good job we have plenty of water on board. Washers topped up we were soon heading north on the M5 only to come to a stand still with heavy traffic where the M5 meets M6, traffic was very heavy until we reached Keel, it then started to thin out, the rest of the trip was uneventful arriving at Southport at 6.40pm. We were met by Alan at the gates of the Camping & Caravanning Club temporary holiday site, we booked in, contactless, with the very friendly wardens who showed us out pi...

Good Bye 2020 Hello 2021 Well, what a year 2020 has been, the Covid-19 pandemic has effected us all, two national lockdowns, hospitality closed, campsites closed, our movements have been severely restricted , all our lives have changed, some have been very ill, some have lost loved ones, our thoughts and prayers are with all those effected. It may take us all a long time to get back to normal but back to normal we will get . Paignton Park up Our year started quite well with a lovely trip down to South Devon in February for half term, we visited Torquay and Paignton, we had a great day at NT Greenways, Agatha Christies home on the banks of the river Dart, we went to Brixham, Dartmouth, Totnes and Salcombe. We had a great week away to start the year. On our last day 'Vera' our benivan 120 sprang another water leak from the hot water system for the fifth  time, we contacted Marquis on our return who booked us in for the beginning on March, they changed the water pipes again and i...

Wet, Wet, Wet -  But Didn't Dampen our Enjoyment Restonguet Weir Monday  26th October Having packed the van over the weekend there shouldn't have been a problem getting off early, as it happened by the time we had had a spot of breakfast it was 9.00am  and we still had to get fuel. We were on the road by 9.30 so not that bad, the traffic on the M5 was quite busy until we had got past Avonmouth, the trip down the M5 was fine and we stopped at Exeter just after 12.00 for a break and a spot of lunch, Cornish pasty which has recently become a tradition. The rest of the journey was fine apart from the intermittent torrential down pours especially going across the moors, the wipers struggled to clear the screen. By the time we had arrived at Tregunwith the sun had come out, if only briefly. The site was a CCC cs site, a hedged field with EHU, CDP, water, recycling and waste, there are showers and toilets but these were closed due to covid-19. We parked up after a litt...

A Short Trip To The South-West October 2020 Monday 5th October. As Adele has been laid off due to her school closing because of Covid-19 we thought we would take the opportunity and have a quick trip away, we were looking at North Devon / East Cornwall, after a couple of phone calls to get a site we came across Old Orchard View, a Camping & Caravaning Club CL at Broadwoodwidger who had space so booked a couple of nights. We topped up with fuel and gas and eventually started at about 11.00am,the trip down the M5 was uneventful, we stopped off at Exeter services for a pasty for lunch then carried on down the A30, we arrived just before 3.00pm. Old Orchard View CCC cs - Broadwoodwidger The site is tiered with all five of the pitches looking out over the countryside, we are right on the border of the two counties so we are not quite sure if we are facing Devon or Cornwall, which ever, even with the mists closing in the views are lovely. We eventually decided on pitch 5, water and g...