New Awning!

Just bought a new awning! and its big! Not sure how we managed it but ended up with an awning the length of the van, just a reminder the van is 7 metres long! plus a bedroom extension, for a very reasonable price as well.

Just got to find a pitch big enough to site it! By the time Ive put it up it will be time to pack up again! The awning will only be going up if we are staying in the same place for a minimum of 7 days.

Now Ive never put up an awning before, so it should be interesting, so if you happen to witness a large bloke fighting with a piece of paper, a load of material and looking threatening holding a pole - probably in the rain and wind, changing from red to purple (thats me not the awning)  it will be me! Best to keep well back and watch from a safe distance! Which reminds me, best get one of those torches you strap on your head, it may take me a while first time round!

I thought we could rent it out during the 2012 olympics when they come to Portland for the water sports, Its big enough to home the Kazakstan windsurfing team for the duration! If not and Billy Smart is looking for somewhere he now has another option!

On a different subject, joined two caravan/camping type sites and add to the forums on both, one is very friendly and all for our venture with lots of positive posts, the other, negative and full of doom and gloom! I found it rather strange! I wonder if its because one is from a large caravanning magazine and the other I think is totally independant, the indie one being the most friendly.

Some of the advice has seemed a little strage -

One suggestion was to get a freezer so that we didnt have to keep going to the shops, well, to be honest we dont use the freezer at home, as we prefer to always buy fresh and even organic when we can, so Im buggered if Im going to be lugging one of them around with me. We will be staying in touch with civilisation, not off to join our friends in the windsurfing team! Pre cooked vacum-packed gunge re-heated in some form of packaging design to blister your fingers is not my idea of a good meal. Do people really move about with a freezer?

We both enjoy cooking which is why the 4 burner hob etc also played a part in our decision. I love to cook with cider, sometimes it even finds its way into the food! Looking forward to cooking in the new van as our old faithfull abbey only had one burner that worked, and then we turned the grill on to get a bit of extra heat through! Still, did the trick and managed to cook some great meals! But must admit to enjoying the outside air when eating, you just cant beat it at all.

The new van also has an outside gas tap/attachment thingymehoojer for a gas bbq, just need a gas bbq now! Been using a barrel shaped floor standing bbq, works a treat, but the grass does tend to suffer a little underneath! So maybe next year will splash out on one.

I think the plan for this weekend is packing and painting, not sure which order but sure at some stage Ill be having to do both, neither are my favourites. Another postive thing with the van, no more painting or decorating! Now that is a big bonus!

Hopefully they will come and collect and pay for the sofa tomorrow morning! More than likely wont turn up and will of wasted our time, as we are seriously pushing it for storage space at the moment, having to store that would take up a fair chunk of space, mind you we do have the awning now! DFS had a job to get it into our lounge. I just dont want to be having to get that upto my lockup!

Just had a thought as Im sat here at my desk in my office at home, 2 pc's side by side paperwork everywhere, books all over the place, Ill certainly have to be more organised! The picture below is on a good day!

At least in the van I should be able to find things more easily, it can take me 10 minutes to find something buried on the desk sometimes! Ill have to be ruthless with the keeping of paperwork and bits and bobs that I tend to accumulate at an alarming rate!

Well off for a pint - thats if my other half manages to carry all the shopping home as she has been out since this morning! and the later it gets the more she could of spent!

Till later....