That is absolutely bloody IT, I give up on camping

[3stripesandout]

Bar one trip this year the weather has created havoc.

Drove 6 hrs to Cornwall and it bucketed it down, kids bored, everything wet, miserable treks to the loo everything damp. Gave up last night abandoned tent and DP hired a mobile home at a nearby park.

Went back this morning, tent under bloody 2 inches of water, stood in the pouring rain packing up, dumped tent in the bins on the way out. Now stick in hellish A303 traffic with 3 bored kids and a truck full of clothes that need washing and drying.

[3stripesandout]

And we are seasoned campers! I don't mind some rain, we have all the bloody gear but if you cannot rely on sun in the middle of August then I frigging give up.

[hyperhops]

oh stripes that doesn't sound any fun at all. poor you sounds very similar to our trip last year when we drove 4 1/2 hours to Devon to sit in cold tent in pouring rain for a week....best afternoon was sent in the launderette trying to get anything vaguely dry enough to wear

hope you're soon home and at least warm and dry.

[Slubberdegullion]

Syphilitic rain

[SmileAndNod]

We came back from Cornwall on Thursday. Rain wasn't too bad but it was cold. Not what I was hoping for in August! It was our first trip camping, so for you professional campers, when is a good time to go - when it's not raining, is hot enough for the beach and warm enough to sit out with wine in the evening?

Hope you're off the 303 and home soon. That's a horrible journey.

[zipzap]

We were hoping to go away this week - for various reasons we didn't know if dh would have the time off and be able to go so hadn't booked anything. But having seen the weather forecast we just thought why bother? And that was to stay in a hotel or mobile home rather than a tent!

If we'd wanted to get far enough away to get warm and reasonably dry weather this week (not even hot!) we were looking at south of France which is too short for a week when driving with young kids.

You're incredibly brave to have stuck it for as long as you did!

[ElephantsNeverForgive]

This is why we don't camp. If we can possibly help it (have family next to campsite, thought it would be convenient as caravans are expensive and were booked. Rain, no sleep, 5 hour drive. Not fun. even though cousins lovely)

Weekend in a premier Inn near somewhere with lots to do is the only kind of UK holiday I'd ever do from choice!

It poured the entire 1/2 term we were in Cardiff. It didn't matter. We shopped, we swam and we went to Doctor Who. We ate in a cafe on the docks with buckets on the floor. It would have been great camping.

[3stripesandout]

SmileandNod, it really is a bloody crap shoot! We spent a week at the beginning of August which was ok (Met office said it would be crap but we had two really good days). Also we did the Orchard in May which was boiling!

Anyway if anyone wants a 9 man Coleman there's one in a bin just outside St Austell it's a bit wet though

[millimat]

OP, have you just been on radio 2/? Very similar situation, stuck in traffic leaving Cornwall and a tent in the bin too.

[millimat]

OP, have you just been on radio 2/? Very similar situation, stuck in traffic leaving Cornwall and a tent in the bin too.

[millimat]

OP, have you just been on radio 2/? Very similar situation, stuck in traffic leaving Cornwall and a tent in the bin too.

[lk26]

Poor you. Been there and bought the t shirt. 2 horrendous wet years in Cornwall with 4 teenagers pushed me over the edge.
For the next 2 years we did SW France and the heat was fab. Kids loved it and happy days.
We had our 2 wks in the heat wave earlier in the holidays and Thankgod we did or we would have been in your situation.
At least you will be in your own bed tonight. :)

[3stripesandout]

No it wasn't me! Not surprised though, lots of people eating breakfast in their cars and bailing out tents this morning.

Home now, A303 over an hr tailbacks because of people slowing down to look at Stonehenge. DP declared they should be bulldozed and sold as hardcore, I think he had had enough by then

[dreamingofsun]

we had this week off for around 7 years running. it always rained. the one year it didn't rain there was a hurricane. And when i say rain, I'm talking bad weather warnings....not the odd shower. each year i thought it can't do it again, but it always did. one year i remember walking along the beach being sandblasted in my winter coat. the last full week of the school summer hols is jinxed

[pictish]

Awww poor you OP.

Honestly, we Scots get a better holiday deal that down south. We finish up at the end of June, so get the whole of July to go camping. Ime, the best camping weather happens in June and July.

Can I just say....camping heaters.
Those little single bar gas heaters you can buy in outdoor shops. Don't sit there wet and cold...fire a heater up!

[SmileAndNod]

Ah the 303 always takes ages near Stonehenge. Road is rubbish there as it narrows. Glad you're home and warm now.

We did have a heater for the tent but it was still bloody cold. In August. So we need to move to Scotland you say?! Think we may try and camp a bit earlier next summer. Also trying to persuade DH that once we get the hang of it, France may be an idea...

[DownyEmerald]

Dp's holiday is mid-August. He says it often rains.

[DownyEmerald]

I meant birthday!

[TheFantasticMrsFox]

After a catastrophic camping trip (funnily enough to Cornwall, in August ) DH swore he would never do more than a weekend in the UK again. Seeing the rows of bedraggled campers driving by us as we sat in the pub by the log burner read the Times and prepared a nutritious organic meal with no grass in it made me think he may actually have a point
Currently waiting for 2015 bookings to be released for Southern France :o

[millimat]

There's no guarantee though. We've just returned from France and had atrocious weather - apparently the worst in 30 years!

[millimat]

There's no guarantee though. We've just returned from France and had atrocious weather - apparently the worst in 30 years!

[Cereal0ffender]

We only camp with there is decent weather forecast, I appreciate you can't do that in Cornwall as you have to book the site 5 years in advance.
We camp in France for our main holiday. I think we were lucky this year, there was some rain but on the whole it was lovely.

[FrozenAteMyDaughter]

Weather is such a nightmare in this country, combined with the need generally to book everything in advance.

Like a lot of people, our main camping holiday is in France for that reason but after a couple of not particularly spectacular September camping holidays in the Dordogne and that sort of area, we went right down south late June/early July this year and got lovely weather. But then it was beautiful here too. From now on we are tied to school holidays and I would definitely vote for them to be moved to start at the beginning of July.

We just do weekends in this country and this year we were lucky, but all our camping was between late May and early August so we got the benefit of the good weather. Our Easter camp on the other hand.... (But then you expect bad weather in April).

We are debating a final weekend in late September/early October - that can be a good time and, of course, booking will be easy, but the nights do start early and you DEFINITELY need a camp fire.

[jennylambchop]

Would definitely recommend camping closer to home, and, if you can, waiting until the BBC Weather 10 day forecast has firmed up. www.bbc.co.uk/weather/
Ideally make a shortlist of good well-reviewed campsites and then ring round 5/6 days in advance and book one once the weather is looking reasonable. Cornwall looks beautiful, but equally there are beautiful places in Dorset/Somerset where you would have a lovely holiday and immediately halve your travel time. Equally waiting until the forecast is clearer would allow you to bail out and not go in the first place if it looks poor.

[3stripesandout]

Yep, as much as I love Cornwall I think I might have PTSD after yesterday

Feeling bad about dumping the tent too! Anyway no more camping this year (unless we get a heat wave during the half term!)

[SmileAndNod]

We were hoping to go to Dorset at the beginning of August, but lots of the campsites were of the 'turn up and pitch if there's anything free' nature. With three small children and tons of stuff in tow we decided against it. Surely there has to be a better way. Maybe we're just not spontaneous enough..