Better weather approaching...

[Blu]

So I have booked for next weekend.

Anyone else?

Yes, booked a while ago though so not weather dependent - we always camp at the solstice, even on a school night! Mad as ever here, we get up early and eat croissants in the car on the way to school .

Fabulous!
Yes, it was the solstice that pushed me into a last minute booking. The longest day of the year and I have not yet had a warm evening sitting out. Fingers crossed.

Where are you going, Lavendersun?

Our favourite local place for 2015 - Wardley Hill. 45 mins from school so we need to be in the car by 8am!

Taking the tipi so we don't need to get up until 7:30 as the tent is down and car packed in 15 mins and we won't be taking much for a couple of nights.

I will make coffee and hot chocolate in travel mugs once we are up and feast in the car get the car cleaned when we get home.

We have always camped on the solstice, well since I left London in 2004 anyway.

It looks lovely Lavendersun - I was thinking of you last night as I perused another Norfolk site that allows fires - Dreamy Hollow in Stanhoe, over the other side of Wells.

I just ran the idea of an early dash to school from the campsite on Monday morning past DC and was met with a horrified 'no!' but then we have a longer, traffic-gamble of a trip and take far longer than you to pack up. 15 mins! :impressed:

We were going to go midweek, ie tomorrow, but DH has now got a free jolly to the races Wednesday night/all day Thursday. Luckily I hadn't booked.

He's saying we'll just go at the weekend. Hmmmm. Where's going to have space and be a good experience in Kent this weekend? Don't want to go too far....

Haven't heard of that one Blu, someone told me about Baconsthorpe the other week which looks ok, very close to home.

I love a weekend camp, means we are not looking jobs at home, old house and land - jobs are endless.

I will report back on how Monday morning goes!

not doing jobs at home!

Would love to up sticks and go this weekend but commitments are keeping us at home until first weekend of July when we are going to west country.

Then not long until summer hols and France here we come

Love the idea of camping for Solstice.

I have booked so many weekends it is easier to say when we are not camping , I am such a big kid, we are only at home for four weekends between now and the 19th September. Lots of fun, but not productive at all (other than in the fun stakes)

We did this as children though, Dad used to drive us up to Scotland (from North Yorkshire) for 4/5 weeks every summer and he would then leave us and go to work as necessary. We would move around when he came back.

Have had this weekend booked for a group camp for my birthday since April so feeling rather pleased that it's looking good at the moment! Very rarely book anything in advance, prefer to just go if there is a nice weekend.

Damn now looks like rain on Saturday.

THIS WEATHER!!!!

Never mind Campers, we will endure it , our forecast is better now than it was on Monday - warmer with just a bit of rain early evening - can see me having to dry the tent on Monday anyway as we are leaving so early.

We live in a woodland, by the time the canvas is dry there is usually bird poo on it so I have to wash it off, leave it to dry again and go round in circles, sometimes for days. I hate putting the tent up again for that reason alone - and the fact that my 'lawn' is a mass of molehills right now. I quite like moles !

Wow, rain and thunderstorms now predicted for where we are going on Saturday. I may cry.

Still not too bad in Norfolk although rain very early on Monday morning so drying the tent will be on the cards.

Fingers crossed hz, they are often slightly wrong.

It is cold here tonight, I am going to light my fire at home . Thermals all round tomorrow I think.

Well, that was much better than expected. Bit of drizzle Saturday morning, short burst of rain around lunch time but otherwise rather nice. Much fun had by all. :-)

Great to hear hz. We had great weather too - we sat outside until almost midnight last night with a fire .... and managed to get to school on time this morning despite DD still being awake (in bed though) at 10:30.

I have only been home for 30 mins, car unpacked, coffee then shower before I start work for the day.

Now that I have never tried Lavender! What time did you have to get up?

OK does anyone know what it is going to be like this weekend. I'm excited about our upcoming trip... Going middle midlands - to a fab looking campsite.

Well hz, DH managed to join us which was lovely (working away) and we got up at 5:30, we get up at 5am anyway at home. Had coffee and a rare bacon roll, we usually have porridge with a chopped apple or some fruit in it when camping.

He left at 7 for a very long drive, poor man. DD got up at 6:45, croissants and smoothies, before and in the car for her and we left at 7:45 We were at school at 8:55, just after the bell (by seconds). Only 40 miles but grim traffic.

It was really lovely though. Three tents in 6 acres, a wooded glade and a fire.

Sounds lovely, Lavender.

We had two lovely long evenings , Fri and Sat, thankfully the terrible burst of heavy rain on Saturday teatime did not completely extinguish the fire we had so carefully lit and nurtured ready to be just the right bed-of-embers for cooking that evening , and we were able to lay the wet logs round the fire and dry and warm them a bit so that we could build it up again after we had cooked.

And a damp morning cleared up and was warm so that the tents were nice and dry for the pack up.

That sounds lovely too Blu - apart from the heavy shower bit. A dry pack up is fab though.

Our tent was 95% dry this morning at 7:30, just the green bits at the bottom that are slightly damp and the groundsheet was wet ... I hung the floor on my rotary dryer when I got back and it is wetter than ever.

Should be fine in an hour or two but my conservatory looks like this ....

Wow. That is pretty hardcore Lavender, lovely though to get that extra time. We had two clear nights with fires past midnight and star watching to boot. Was so warm on Sunday I got a bit burnt. Whoops. Never trust the weathermen. About time summer kicked into action!