XRV Kids weekend pics and report

[Lord Vader]

Well just stopped on my way home at my daughters so you will have to wait a bit longer but what a brilliant Weekend.
530 mile round trip for 1 night camping,worth every mile
Thanks to everyone for a brilliant time

Ok enough of the being nice stuff,got some pics which i could sell for lots of money.Just love blackmail

[Whealie]

Molly and I are home safe - five hours with two stops and detour due to an accident on the M4. Bathed and feeling relaxed now. Think tonight may be super sleep night.

I echo Pete, great time, great place, great company. And I got some corking photos when I took my hangover for a walk to the lake at 6 this morning.

All of that will have to wait until tomorrow.

[Lord Vader]

small problem
I am struggling to get my pics out of my new phone so you have to wait a bit longer

[Mabels Old Man]

Been back a while, great weekend actually managed the compulsory U turn on the beer run as well.

[Sharribee]

We left the Chads at Aberystwyth 3 hours ago and have finally arrived home, had a fantastic weekend, just uploading the photos now so will post them up later




(If I can stay awake that long)

[TWIN BURNER]

Great weekend with Great company, We even had some sunshine on Saturday and a dip in the lake

Will post some pics later

[TWIN BURNER]

A few pics at the lake

[StumpyFingers]

those photos look ace.

[Lady Vader]

Fantastic weekend, thanks to everyone for their great company, even though i also nursed a hangover. Managed to demolish a packet of resolve which whealie and i shared

The kids had a great time at the lake, as soon as LV gets the pics off his new phone we will post a few.

Once again many thanks to everyone superb weekend

Debs

[Whealie]

After an "interesting" start to our weekend away (see here for the double pannier Whealie's zebra as a pinball story), Molly and I made it to our hotel in Hereford about 9pm and hit the lights about 10.

The cupboard looked cool though with both our bike gear in it:



Then we headed off to the Ancient Camp in Ruckall. My outlaws owned this pub when we got married so I wanted to show Molly. For several years different owners have been trying to change the use of the place to a private home. I know why. It would more then treble in value I reckon.

It turned out to have become a guest house but one that does than not welcome any guests (having run down the pub to prove it was uneconomic the change of use has not fully come through yet - so I guess they have to prove it is uneconomic as a guest house).

Molly and I were met by a woman who resembled the gran in a Giles cartoon, who basically told us to clear off and shut the gate after us. This was even after I had politely explained that I got married from there 15 years earlier wand wanted to show my daughter.

There is a public footpath in front (which the gran was not happy about) so I took this photo of the Wye with Wales and the Black Mountains in the background.



The path used to go up to the pub terrace but they have blocked that off - you would not do that if you were running a guest house. The Ancient Camp stands even higher, making the view from there spectacular.

From where I was standing, holding the camera above my head, all I could photo was this:



Molly and I then headed to Eaton Bishop village hall where 15 years ago Kate I were married in a humanist service.



It was all locked up but we spoke to a neighbour whose mother had worked at the Ancient Camp back in those days. She filled us in on how much everyone hates the new owners and how many campaigns there have been to stop the demise of the place.

We then headed off the campsite, twisting and winding along fantastic roads. Molly loves proper biking roads and we had a ball. It was only about 30 minutes away though.

That would be 30 minutes if you could find the campsite. We eventually did find it, about half an hour after arriving in roughly the right place. We got the tent up and everything stowed. And Twinburner (Geoff) offered to drive me in his car to the shops as the sky turned grey.

Molly, who had initially insisted on coming with me, had, by this time, forgotten her shyness and was off with Terri-Ann finding newts. The campsite has won a David Bellamy award for conservation. There were swallows swooping around too - nesting above the rubbish bins.















Molly had come out of her shell by now:



Mom arrived and brought the Welsh weather with him. And boy did it rain and blow a gale.

We sat in the awning of the Geoff's caravan drinking beer and it would have been a miserable night otherwise as Mom had an even smaller tent than I did.

In the middle of the night I heard a flapping and feared my tent had come loose. I ran out in underpants to find that two the broom handles used as pole in a wind-break Geoff had set up had snapped clean in half because of the wind.

The wind and rain kept up in the morning and then suddenly cleared as everyone else arrived. They all came together because Chad and Vader had got even more lost than I had and Sharrie and J had to go the find them on the way in.

All the girls got on like..... well like a boot full.



The new arrivals brought the sun. And what had been the most miserable of mornings, turned into the most sumptuous of afternoons.

The children went into the lake (followed closely by lots of adults). There were canoes to use too.











Jay went next:



And Sharrie walked in:



Then we had a BBQ and, typically, the Vaders lowered the tone:



I woke up the next morning at 6 and took my hangover for a walk. There were rabbits everywhere:



And the lake looked stunning:



Much better looking than this lot:



The tent came down in sunshine and we made it all the way home with no rain too.

We must go back there and get everyone there together for longer next time.

It was a great place and great weekend