Life at the caravan for the first holiday 12 may 2016

Sorry about the delay in this post but life seems to of got busy again, so here we go.

Sorting out where everything should go was the first thing to consider, there seemed lots of cupboards and drawers in the bedroom but not a lot for storage in the kitchen or elsewhere.  We sorted out our pots pans etc and food, made the bed and sorted out cothes etc.

The weather was quite cold so we were grateful for the central heating, I had taken a radio and my tablet computer and Jane had her laptop but no access to the internet. Instead we had plenty to read plus it was a novelty for me to be out in the countryside so a trip round the site eas a good start.

It was interesting to see how the site had been laid out, they had obviously gone to great lengths to avoid the typical rows of uniform caravans, instead there were pleasant cul de sacs and part hidden units on a slope with plenty of hedges, trees and other vegetation to break up the view. There were also daffodils scattered about in various random areas on the site and some bluebells were starting to appear. Depending on where and which direction I faced the view of the countryside changed. To the left it was a raised view across the countryside and the hills, the other way it was trees with a view of a village in the distance, it was a pleasure to wander round the site.

I also took time to explore how people in the different units had their patio laid out, some had decking others the flags, there was a whole range of garden furniture from very expensive full suites to small fold up chairs. Nowhere did I see any sign of a garden swing which I am contemplating buying. Some people obviously wanted more privacy going by how they had their seats whilst others were very prominant.

At different points of the site there were very good places to stop and see the deer, rabbits and pheasants going about their daily life. I met a mixture of people as I walked round the site some would engage in a brief chat, others I would get a nod of the head, then there were the others who just did not engage at all. There does seem to be a difference between those that are there permanently and those that come down at weekends. It seems those regulars have more time and are more relaxed as the staff at the site are and they seem willing to put themselves out more.

Within the site there are a number of nature trails to explore, which I found quite relaxing, but I am not sure about how the deer felt when I came a little to close and they ran away. The pheasants seem obliviously to anything else and the rabbits I have only seen in the distance so far.

During our time there we went out in the car a few times for food and extra bedding, but also to visit the local villages nearby. It seems that this is an area of outstanding beauty,  so I am now contemplating joining RNID and the local association that runs a series of courses and events to encourage people to become more involved in the community.

When we went there we took Janes halogen cooker which she had found very useful at home, and our plan was to make soda bread, which I enjoy, we bought the ingredients and then tried the first loaf, I know it sounds silly but we were both quite excited to see how it came out. The first loaf was a little bland but then the second was just right, so for the rest of our time there we cut out normal bread and ate the soda bread, maybe this will become a new cottage industry for us both.
Fortunately or not we spoke to the staff about their internet provision and it seemed that if we signed up now we got a better package for when their new service came into place. This was a mixed blessing as then we spent time checking our e mail websites etc rather than just sit relax and read as we had been doing. I am hoping to try to limit my usage in the future.

One of the things we chatted about was buying magazines and writing in to them with a view to them paying us for our contribution which could help with the running costs of the caravan, so far we have bought magazines but not followed through.

The weather over the 10 days was a mixture of very cold at night but quite warm some days, so I spent time trying to insulate underneath the beds to make it warmer, I am obviously unsure how things will work out in the summer.

At the end of the 10 days we had to go through a process of turning off gas, boiler and water and draining diwn, as well as emptying the fridge and freezer as well as gathering together the bedding and other washing that still needed doing, it was quite sad in a way leaving after the pece quiet and tranquillity of the site, but at least now we have a better idea of what to expect next time and what to take

A New Beginning 2nd May 2016

For a long long time I have talked to people about acquiring a caravan or similar, in pleasant country surroundings, that I could relax and spend quality time in. I even did the maths when I first divorced to prove that it was financially viable, the big problem was finding this elusive place despite conversations with my friends.

People who had them both as a permanent home and those who used them as holiday homes, explained some of the issues to consider, one of the most important being the difference between permanent residential sites and holiday sites,but also between static caravans and lodges. Another important issue was the annual service charges and restrictions on how long the can be used for, many it seems close down for some months in the winter. Most important seemed to be to find somewhere that was not to isolated and ideally near to bus and other transport links.

All of the above made it hard to find this elusive place that ticked all the boxes, so in the end I decided to do some travelling instead,  as you will of read from my previous blogs and spent some of that money that I would of allocated elsewhere.

In the meantime I had a series of health issues that restricted my exercise tolerance, made my arthritis worse and I aquired heart problems as well as issues with my breathing, so seeking this elusive place was forgotten for a number of years.

A couple of years ago I had spoken to an acquaintance who had a holiday caravan somewhere in Cumbria, it sounded a pleasant setting and reasonable cost to run. I had considered asking him at various times if I could visit his caravan to gain some idea of what was available and what sort of cost, but did not wish to impose on him.

A few weeks ago a group of us were in Cumbria including him, so I asked was it this area that his caravan was located. He confirmed this and asked if I and others in the group would like to see it, five of us said yes so off we drove to the site. We turned off the main road and travelled down a series of smaller narrow lanes passing a number of other sites.

When we got there he led us to his caravan, it was not a conventional park with rows and rows of uniform looking units, rather small clusters dotted about the site with bushes trees and vegetation keeping them looking in a more natural setting. His caravan was in a group of three  in a small cul de sac, as wee went down the side he had steps onto a broad decking area, there was a set of table and chairs that looked quite in fitting with the scenary, better still to one side was a small pond and trees, it was bliss, then along came a peacock ( later found out was a pheasant   )hopping up the steps oblivious to us all. My first reaction was to say please can I have your caravan now.  The rest of the group went inside to look round inside the caravan, whereas my friend asked if I would like a tour of the site, which I happily agreed to.

It seemed there were 140 units about the site and it is owned by a family, they had been very thoughtfully set out in the landscape with plenty of trees and bushes to break up and disguise the units. Some had breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside, I said I was really interested in buying a caravan, so he took me to the office.
It seemed there were four units up for sale, ranging from quite reasonable to quite expensive ( these were equivalent to 3 bed bungalows) of the ones in my price range, one was second hand 5 years old and one brand new, one of the issues is that the site only allows caravans on up to the age of 15 years, then they have to be removed,  which made it more complicated, plus its a holiday park so youhave to prove you have a permanent alternative address, even though the site quite unusually is open 12 months of the year if you choose to stay there.

We went away and I had a think about it all overnight, ( we were staying locally) then I decided to go back for a further look the following day. It still seemed very attractive and the second hand one looked immaculate almost as though it had never been used, but the people were still using it at times whilst waiting for their replacement unit to be installed on the new position on the site, I asked for more information I could take away, also if there was any chance that one of the large companies may buy them out. It seems that was not going to happen, plus the site would not be attractive to some people as it had no bar, clubroom or swimming pool and most of the people liked the setting peace and quiet in a natural setting more.

I returned home and spoke to family and friends about it all trying to weigh up the options. The following morning I woke up and looked out of my bedroom window at the brick walls of the flats opposite, then later the view and disruption to the rear where there is a primary school and decided, that going for one of the caravans was the way forward to a happier stress free life.

The next thing was how to fund the purchase, them to continue to pay for the running costs on top of those for my existing home. I realised that I could afford the next couple of years without struggling whichever caravan I went for. So then went with friends that weekend to have another look round and to make a decision on which to go for. It was a good chance to see the site when it is busy as it was the bank holiday weekend.

So off I went with friends to look at both, the older seemed better laid out with better quality fittings, although there were one or two points that affected the choice, in the end I spoke to the staff and made my decision to go ahead with the older one and paid my deposit on the understanding if there were problems I would cancel. It was explained that the caravan would not be available until the end of April as the people who had owned it were being allowed to use it until theirs was ready, which I accepted.

I was still agonising over it all and it was only when my friend Jane, said why not think of it as a years holiday and review it after that, in a worst case scenario,  if I changed my mind all was not lost, although it would of bren an expensive experience,  I could always sell it on, admittedly at a loss,  but at least I would never have the regret of what might of been.  On the other hand if I enjoyed it I could then explore how to continue to stay there at that time.

This was one of the quickest and most expensive decisions I had ever made in my life, but it felt the right thing to do, partly because the money had been sitting in the bank and now I could benefit from it whilst able to. At the same time improving my health and wellbeing,  maybe that Mindfulness course I had attended had been more influential than I had thought at the time.

Until fairly recently for the last forty years at least, I had always been involved in some sort of voluntary work that often filled my time,  but was very stressful, whereas now hopefully I would be able to spend quality time in pleasant surroundings,  hopefully exercising more and improving my physical and emotional health. One of the decisions to do with this was to get out in the fresh air, to read more, watch less TV and to try to stay off the Internet so often, we will have to wait and see.

Well the magic day came a week early, when i had the e mail to confirm my date take over the caravan, all I had to do was to send the balance and I could have it a week earlier tham I expected. It was such sn odd experience seeing the money leaving my account knowing it was never going to be replaced. But there again the excitement of having a special place to enjoy for the foreseeable future.

I then chatted for the umpteenth time to Jane about what now needed to be done, I feel the need at this point to say she supported me through out the process without telling me what to do whilst patiently listening to my various thoughts on it all trying to help me explore my options.

We had made a list of essentials that I needed to buy for the caravan rather than just use all of my existing belongings for home, because some would not right for the new place. She had also paid for a number of items herself as early birthday presents such as a vacuum cleaner. We went off to Ikea first and she helped me choose suitable items without running up to much cost, we also visited various other less expensive shops for other items needed.

It now felt as though it was really going to happen, on the day before we loaded up my car only to then find I had misplaced my keys, so back to my flat for the spare set. On the day we finished loading mine then Janes ready for the trip there. We set off separately,  but arrived about the same time. I was givem the keys and Tom one of the staff took us through the various rules to do with the caravan and site,  but also how things worked.

Then it was start unloading everything inside and sorting out where things went, whilst doing this I finally found my missing keys. Soon we were settled and could actually start to enjoy our time here. We had no Tv or intermet but were happy to listen to the radio and read for a change.