Thurs 26th August 2010 Day 1 - Collecting the caravan!

We collected the caravan from Lady Bailey today at 10am, prior to this I had to dash to my parents as I forgot to take the number plate off the old van, so took it off our trailer which my parents kindly look after.

The handover went smoothly with no probs, the awning is still boxed and is a heck of a weight! and will no doubt take up a bit of room!. We also bought a set of mirrors, a hose to make life easier filling the aqua roll, (no more back ache or wet legs)! a new set of heavy duty screw in metal pegs, a 25 metre hook up cable as ours is only 10 metres and finally a socket extension so that I can wind the legs down with my cordless drill - How lazy am I getting! Oh and new waste hoses.

After all the paper work was sorted we hooked up and were watched out the gateway - We Are Off!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our first stop was Blackmore Vale Service Station, where we exchanged our Butane for Propane, stowed these away and off we trundled to our first camp site, at West Orchard, not far from Shaftesbury. A grassy level site with hookups all round the edge, surrounded by a free range chicken farm complete with Lama's, but they could of been alpaca's?

Lama's or Alpacas??

Chickens & Lama's/Alpaca's

Chicken taking part in new high risk sport of roof diving!

View of Hambledon Hill, where the Dorset Clubmen were beaten by Cromwell, many years ago! Also said to of been the story of the old nursery rhyme, The grand old Duke of York, he had ten thousand men, he marched them up to the top of the hill then marched them back again. Well thats the hill! All though this is only rumour!

Once we had pitched, "M" was in dire need of the loo, in her haste she forgot to open the flap on the cassette, and as a result spent the next 15 mins upto her neck in wee, well, as I pointed out to her, it could of been worse, lucky she didnt have a Mooter!

West Orchard Site

We set up inside and it all ready feels like home (just as well)! Everything seems to work, so we are well chuffed! So much space for storage, we keep finding new places!

Several times we have stopped and asked ourselves if this is really happening - we are both so happy!

China - our Corgi cross Chuwahwah has settled in well and has made herself at home.

Till later......