Monday 10 August 2015

That's it - our holiday for the year is over!



Well, that's it for another year.  Our do-it-in-a-day go away holiday.  We had sold a chest of drawers we won't be taking with us when we are able to downsize and needed to deliver it to a friend in deepest Dorset.  We set off Saturday morning, and had a lovely visit with her and her family, looking over their new house (much to do - reminds me of when we first came here, 28 years ago).  I will respect her privacy by not showing any photos, but believe me, it is a lovely spot, and I want her orchard!!


We spent Saturday night at a camp site in Cheddar.  Very convenient - you could walk up into the town, BUT boy was it noisy.  I had forgotten quite how noisy it is when you are in a tent and can hear the least thing.  Let alone passing traffic (the nearby road turned into Le Mans after dark), the barrage of Fireworks in a field close to the site, followed by the Disco with the most awful music (I could have enjoyed 60s or 70s stuff!), then drunken revellers with loud voices returning to their tents and talking outside for ages, then a late returning car passing our tent. Not to mention people snoring, yappy dogs barking etc.   This would have been just about bearable had there not been an extremely loud church clock striking EVERY quarter throughout day and night.  We were extremely bleary-eyed after that, I can tell you!


Of course, we couldn't leave the area without going down Cheddar Gorge (and we had to drive up it in order to come down again.)  We stopped several times for me to take photos.  They are a bit hit and miss because I was so tired, but you get the general idea.  It is hard to imagine that it was once the most immense cave which lost its roof . . .


This cave entrance (crawling in!) was close to the road and some work had been done on it recently to clear debris.  I'm not sure whether this was done by potholers or archaeologists.



There were feral goats, and some Soay sheep grazing the steep valley sides.  A perfect location for them.





As you can see, nature has made the most of what is available and slippered itself into every nook and cranny!






Well, we had stayed at Cheddar because we had heard there was a HUGE car boot sale there every Sunday (along with market stalls too).  Of course, that was a temptation too great to pass by (much as I wanted to spend the night down on the Moor and have my fill of Dartmoor for the year.)  Had we had a better night's sleep we could still have had the day down there, but it was not to be.

Anyway, the car boot sale WAS huge, and we spent three hours walking round, buying some nice pieces for the Unit, and just generally relaxing.  We found a little cafe that did a good cup of Earl Grey, which please my OH.  We had started the day (at 5 a.m.) on very basic rations!  Home-made Banana flapjacks, but no hot cuppa.



Then it was time for home.  We didn't linger because we were both so tired.  We got back indoors mid-afternoon, which hadn't been our original intention, but at least the cats were glad to see us early (not that they had starved as a neighbour had been down to feed them).  Now it's back to normal and a huge clean up before T and her boyfriend arrive at the weekend.


18 comments:

  1. I love Cheddar Gorge, we have recently bought a 1930's electric cooker from there.
    Your photo's are beautiful, hope you are catching on up some sleep.
    Fondly Michelle

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  2. I first visited the Chedder Gorge 40 years ago this month I have only returned once lovely part of the country, The camping didnt sound to good such a shame some people just have no consideration for others, think I would have been packing up my tent and moving some-where quiet :-)

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  3. Gosh those photos brought back memories, taking the children to the caves at Wookey Hole. Know that feeling about camping in a busy spot, but at least it did not rain for you, and it looked a great adventure...

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  4. Reminds me of an enormous cliff that dropped away off the Plataeu of Lasithi on Crete

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  5. It is fifty years since I went to Cheddar Gorge but it made such an impression on me that I recognised it from the first photograph. Lovely place.

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  6. Chedder Gorge is stunning, we often drive through it when we are back home, your photo's are stunning.

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  7. Awful about the noise. I've been at campsites like that, once where I literally asked the next tent over in a whisper to keep their voices down at 1:00am and they heard me and happily did.

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  8. Years since we went to Cheddar, perhaps I should add it to my Gap Year list.
    Thank God our campsite is not like that one, it sounds awful, that's the joy of being small and club members only, I have only once had to go out in the middle of the night to ask people to quieten down a bit - they didn't believe I could hear them indoors - sound travels so far at night.

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  9. Hello in the middle of trying to move too. Have an offer on house in London and have had an offer accepted for house in Somerset. Now it's is just a paper blizzard of surveyors, lawyers and procrastination. Herefordshire is beautiful, one of the nicest parts of the country if you ask me. Also great fishing...

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  10. Thanks all, I think everyone loves/recognizes Cheddar and you will Marlene, as it's on home soil so to speak.

    Michelle - not much sleep last night but I did get to see the Leonids, which are magical.

    Dawn - well, since we had to be up at 5 a.m. anyway, we just stuck it out but won't be going back there unless we hire one of their sound-proof Eco-pods.

    Thelma - we tried to get a Airbnb apartment in Wookey - wish it had been available.

    Simon - crikey, that must be a wonderful site.

    hart - hello. I couldn't face getting dressed and going out to say shut up. The church clock wouldn't have listened anyway!

    Sue - It would have been very peaceful on your site. Even the road through Cheddar turned into a racetrack once it got dark, so everything was stacked against us!

    Charles - hello to you to. I hope that your move goes smoothly and you enjoy your new home. Good fishing where we live now, close to the River Cothi here in Carms.

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  11. Oooo Bovey Belle - are you the one who Pam from Wales is friends with? This is my first visit to your blog via CT at Countryside Tales. I've never been to Cheddar Gorge, your photos make it look amazing :

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  12. I recognised the first photo immediately. Did you wave? I can see cheddar gorge from my house. Recently all the emergency services were called out when walkers heard "someone" crying for help in a ravine. It turned out to be a goat!

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  13. Hi Rachel, yes that's moi (takes a bow!) I hope you will visit again (and go to Cheddar Gorge).

    Kath - gosh, you have got good views from your eyrie then. I had to smile at that goat in distress! I did think of you when we were down your way, particularly when we passed the sign for Burnham-on-Sea and thought of you dog-walking on the beach.

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    1. I'm following now so I shall be here more often!! Cheddar gorge is very far away from me so I'll just have to hope!

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  14. Oh I haven't been to Cheddar for years! It was lovely to see your photos. Sorry you had noisy neighbours- I bet your own bed that night was heaven x

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  15. I was a child on a school trip the last time I went there. You would not catch me camping!

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  16. I think I've been on that site! But now I only camp on Club sites, where there's no noise after 11pm (and usually it's quiet long before that). The biggest nuisances are caravanners who have their TVs set up in the awning, for some reason. I was once in an orchard where I was unable to sleep because of this, and ended up throwing apples at their awning. A few accurate throws eventually got them to switch it off!!! They never knew where the apples were coming from!

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  17. We had a realtor that was very good, looking hard to find us a house. One day I saw a sign on the property of a house that went on sale Monday and called my real estate agent. he said it wasn't even in the MLS. We got a bid in first, won the bid, and now live in the house. Do your homework and help your real estate agent if you want total success.

    Jacqueline @ Buyer's Option Realty Services

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