After much thought we decided we were, just about up to (health wise) going up to Shetland this September and overlapping with the beginning of wool week as we did in 2022. Michael has had problems with his mobility all year but we thought he could manage the motorhome and we would have everything with us that we needed. So on September 2nd, a Saturday, we finally left after what has seemed like checking lists for days and days. The motorhome was packed with lots of wool and dyeing related things, including the digital microscope, electric spinner, hand dyed balls of coordinating pink/purple Shetland yarn I had dyed as well as more natural dyeing, weaving and some (possibly) Mesolithic flints from the garden and some lead spinning whorls found in the village. All part of the sharing that is part of wool week and the weeks surrounding it.
We decided we would only drive a short distance for the first day as we would be up early and however well organised we were, there would be last minute packing! So we booked Clumber Park, in Sherwood Forest a Caravan and Motorhome site which we really like.
We left at 10.00 and then took a detour to our nearest town to buy Kwells from a decent sized Pharmacy. These are my insurance in case the ferry is choppy. We couldn’t get any yesterday anywhere! We have always been fine on the boat but not having any of these with me seemed like asking for trouble!
So by the time we reached Suffolk, Elevdon, it was time for coffee in the courtyard Farm Shop. This is the first eating place I can remember seeing a notice saying they were completely cashless. There was waitress service and the food and drink were good too. We made a purchase or two and Michael was treated to a new case for his tablets.
The journey north up the east coast is so much easier now the A14 improvements have been done and the parking better sorted at Cambridge Services, Today we made our own lunch, one of the bonuses of travelling in the motorhome. (1) The service station was not particularly busy which was nice.
One more stop needed before we reached Clumber Park. We usually stop at North Grantham, parking is easy and we have never found it busy. This could be because the services are limited. We decided we would go in to Costa, really to have a break away from the motorhome. As I was studying the food offering I noticed our last female Prime Minister was also in the building too! I now eat much more savoury food and yet why is it that the offering to go with tea is predominantly cake or in this case solely cake, cake and more cake! I decided I would therefore boycott Costa for eating and instead just had a drink but we were able to sit down in a quiet place. As we left Michael confirmed what I had observed in terms of seeing ‘famous’ people as she sat behind me. She was accompanied by a couple of bodyguards and I guess like us had to stop somewhere. I do wonder why service stations on the whole are such joyless places, those that do it well are really pleasant places to stop awhile.
We were glad to arrive at Clumber Park. We like this stop a lot, we back onto woodland and could easily stay here more than a night. It was 25 C when we arrived and it seemed incongruous that in a few days we would be wearing full winter gear.
So lovely to be in the forest
The bonus this year was that there was the chance to have a wood fired sourdough Pizza for supper. These were super. Many of the larger camping sites have ‘street food’ visits at weekends and our experience of these entrepreneurs has been entirely positive. Great food, lovingly cooked at a great price.
The nearest I got to wool and textiles was thinking about them!
- Some of you will know that a regular health check went badly wrong for me last summer (2022). I had a week of daily contact from the surgery as I was found to be pre- diabetic, have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. I had already joined the waiting list to take part in the Zoe Personal Nutrition Programme as an attempt to check up on and improve my gut health which was better but not perfect following the very bad food poisoning I suffered from in 2011. Following this programme since last November has significantly improved those 3 issues. Eating my own food is the easiest but I can still eat out and pretty much anything I like. I will be referring to eating during the journal of this trip to Shetland.
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