Today
we relocated over one hundred and sixty miles south, travelling from South
Yorkshire through Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Warwickshire and down into
Gloucestershire, grazing other counties as we came. The route was a
straightforward one following the M1, onto the A42/M42 , joining the M5 south
west of Birmingham, remaining on these major roads until the last leg through
Bishop ‘s Cleeve to the racecourse here at the northern edge of Cheltenham.
The
Chauffeur takes credit for choosing this camp, a rather gallant claim given
that it has turned out less than our expectations. The racecourse is a grand
affair, with a gateman and plenty of activity going on even on a day of no events,
several large grandstands and a far cry from the racecourses we have stayed in
New Zealand. But then no New Zealand racecourse hosts such prestigious races
such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase
and the Stayers Hurdle, or has the facility to accommodate 67,500 spectators.
The
camping area here is scattered about one end of the course, mostly on tarmac,
and mostly not quite level. While the directory states that gas can be bought
here, they have ceased to do refills, most frustrating for us. The laundry
boasts one top loading washing machine and one dryer, both demanding the same “fee”
as we have been paying for larger front loading machines. The showers look
great but are a nightmare when it comes to shuffling bags of clothes, linen and
bottles, especially if one is making the most of continuous hot water supply as
I did this afternoon to wash my hair and attend to other personal matters more
difficult to deal with by washing with a basin of water in a tiny shower
compartment in a caravan. I ended up making such a mess that I had to set to
and mop up most of the shower area, but then some of that was due to the fact
my bottle of shampoo had leaked; bubbles everywhere. Given that I had been so
looking forward to caravan club site bathroom facilities, I was greatly
disappointed.
But
for all my whining, I managed to deal with the bags of laundry and myself, and
we are all set to explore the area over the next few days.
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