The First Trip: Brecks Farm, Holt-ish, Norfolk

Discussion in 'Norfolk' started by Cov1987, Jun 4, 2015.

  1. Well it was supposed to be a half-term camping trip but ended up a few nights away as the rest of the time was a mad scramble to get everything ready.

    The day before the bus interior was all hurriedly re-installed and the make-shift "facia"/insulation was put in place.
    20150529_175442_resized.jpg 20150529_175119_resized.jpg 20150529_175138_resized.jpg

    The big question was "will everything fit?"....especially with my rather large toolbag and spares. Was very impressed by what you can stash under the front seats!

    Everything was going swimmingly well until I took a toilet break and on my return noticed that the awning was still in the hall and not on the roof rack as first believed - yes we almost forgot it tuesday_wildchild. So after a bit of repacking we were ready for off.

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    I pulled off the drive to let my wife park her Berlingo on it before we set off and then hit the first problem. The dog restraint didnt really help restrain our dog's desire to sit in the driver's seat - he has always hated travelling in cars and usually has to be carried in and out. The only reason he got in the bus was that he hadnt quite twigged yet that it moved!

    At this point we were only 4 hours behind schedule, on an already truncated trip but the wife improvised and within 5 minutes had come up with a suitable solution using some surplus ply that was lying around.

    20150601_120449_resized.jpg Need to come up with a more strategic solution for this, with maybe a modified westy box between the seats.


    Finally, We were then all ready, and off we set for North Norfolk which proved relatively uneventful - only stopped twice, once for a flapping tarp and another for lunch and the oportunity to investigate some non-specific noises coming from the front. On the way up the A11, through thetford forest and towards Fakenham and beyond we met with lots of smiles and waving; of note were a red camper going the other way who were full of smiles and a lowered modern golf whose driver was flashing vigorously and giving a big thumbs up.....can only assume that he had left his bus at home.

    Arrived at Breck's farm just outside Holt - very easy to find. The lady who checked us in asked for 30 quid for 2 nights even though I told her we were 2 adults, 2 kids, 1 dog, a camper and awning....result. It wasnt too busy so we had lots of choice where to pitch, finally opting for the Meadow as we didnt need/have a hook-up.
    20150530_205541_resized.jpg If you notice in the photo the driveaway awning isnt really attached. In th pandemonium of trying to get the bus ready we had made some assumptions about what wasin the bag...like clamps for connecting to the roof doh! Oh well need to get those then. Consequently didnt really get a chnce to try this out and it was used more for storage. I am not sure I would use it when touring as putting it up and down was a bit involved - seemed a bit more useful for being relatively static, say in the Lakes for a week. Oh yes it was an Outwell CountryRoad.

    First nights sleep in the camper was awesome. Had a great nights sleep and didnt need any of the contigency plans- the forecat was for wind and lots of rain overnight so we could have withdrew to the awning if the leaks got too bad! No leaks at all, depite most of the rubber seals on our import being dried out.

    In the morning things got even better as there is an guy who turns up at a breakfast booth selling tea, bacon butties etc !!!

    After getting stuffed for breakfast off to the extensive shower block. Had token(50p) operated showers which caught me out the first morning as you only get about 3 minutes!! Aparrently shower 1 in the ladies time restriction mechanism seemed to be broken.....although that would have been a bit pervy for me to use.

    Rambling a bit and dont want to make his overlong. As the kids had non-pupil days we were staying til Monday and it is fair to say almost everyone left on Sunday. 20150531_201057_resized.jpg

    Unfortunately the downside of this was that the breakfast booth wasnt open next morning.

    Had a great time checking out Sheringham( Norflok Ice cream at Ellies was tops) and saw a nice green bay from Norfolk Retro Hire...or something like that. Driving around i thought we had a problem with the "big end" but turned out that the dog was shaking aand knocking the cupboard door- a big relief. Also there appeared to be a problem with the roof rack and the wind getting under it so when we arrived back on site I made my kids sit on it as it appeared to have lifted......my son decided he liked to read up there after that.

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    Location was great. Liked the site , although I could have done with longer in the shower...maybe 2 or 3 tokens worth. There was a bigger site along the road which proved a lifesaver for us to pick up a 907 campinggaz bottle and had a nice shop also.

    All in all a great first trip out with no need for reovery services, even though we limped home the final 20 miles with a suspected rear drum problem - still need to verify.

    One final question, how do you easily pass chocolate minstrels from the front seats to the back - at full stretch we could barely get a handoff.
     
    hailfrank, skirk, Buddy Hawks and 4 others like this.
  2. sANDYbAY

    sANDYbAY On benefits-won't sponsor!

    A lovely write up, glad you had a good time.

    The Minstrels problem (other small sweets are availiable) is easily solved by using a piece of plumbing pipe to deliver stuff from the cab to the back and vice versa. Just tilt it the right way.
     
    Cov1987 and tommygoldy like this.
  3. Great first trip:thumbsup:

    As for the Minstrels, the driver shouldn't be faffing about with sweets. Tell the kids that these old buses need to be driven properly and require your fullest attention.
    Thus the kids keep quiet as you are engaged in tricky Dad stuff and you get to scoff all the choccies:D
     
    Cov1987 likes this.
  4. Zed

    Zed Gradually getting grumpier

    Nice write up, I like Breck Farm, they almost make you have fires and supply old steel car wheels for fire pits - scores of them, there's no fighting over them. It's like Glastonbury sometimes. :)
    A line of boundary huggers.
    [​IMG]
     
    Lasty and Cov1987 like this.
  5. Unfortunately the wife was driving so I was chockie monitor and seemed a bit harsh to eat them all.

    The plumbing pipe would have to be plastic for health and safety, and there may be problems with the kids getting the requisite vertical elevation to make it work but that would all depend whether they are distributing(epic fail) or receiving(might just work) and of course there is the joker in the pack of the big stupid golden retriever who will eat anything, even if it could kill him!

    Other alternatives; my son thought a pulley system...might be over-engineering it and my daughter thought a butterfly/fishing net......although with the latter I am still traumatised by childhood memories of my bamboo pole becoming separated from the wired-net that got swept away down river while "fishing":(
     
  6. Yes the old wheels are everywhere. We were getting to grips with the new stove so didnt give it a go but on the first night there were several folks forraging for wood going and some good flames.....although I did also spot some jugglers but luckily no "human statues"!
     
  7. dog

    dog Tea Boy

    Think I might have seen you drive through. I'm the plant stall on Sheringham market. Glad you enjoyed my county :)
     
  8. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

    haha, i got the reference - no sign of them swans then?
     
  9. rickyrooo1

    rickyrooo1 Hanging round like a bad smell

    why don't you get a travel cage for the dog, ours have both been brought up with them - it's their bed and safe haven when we go in a vehicle they know it's camper time.
     
  10. It's were we (well not me everyone else in our Norfolk club) have out next club... Glad you enjoyed it, I tend to avoid this campsite on bank holidays and July, ....shudder
     
  11. We were there over this bank holiday.

    Great site. We will be back !!!
     

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