Tapp's Travels

Having left our beloved Nunnykirk – probably for the last time, we battled with the everlasting traffic jam on the A1 over the River Tyne and past the Metro Centre.  By the time we were under the shadow of the Angel of the North, the congestion had vapourised.  The A1M was as deserted as it should be on a Sunday afternoon.  And so to Danby Wiske.

However, two minor disasters struck immediately.  My tales rarely lack disasters of one sort or another!  You may have noticed!

We engaged the automatic mover and pressed for straight ahead.   But the caravan just moved in a left-handed circle.  Only one side had engaged on the wheel.  Obviously, I just had to disengage and re-engage.  But that just resulted in BOTH sides failing to get sorted.  So with reluctance, the old fashioned way of reversing the caravan into position was adopted.  The only problem with that is that it’s almost impossible to locate the caravan so that the wheel lock can be fitted.  That requires millimetre control.  So, no wheel security on this occasion.

Here I am under the van trying to sort the problem under instruction from the manufacturer!

After several attempts to lubricate the sliding mechanism, Powrtouch admitted that there was a significant fault – way beyond the need for additional lubrication!  “Looks like your actuators have failed, mate!”  “I can’t get anyone out to you this week, maybe next.  Where will you be then?”

While all this was going on, it proved impossible to connect the caravan to the mains.  It turned out that us plugging in had blown all the electric trips on the campsite including the shower and kitchen block and the church next door.  Everyone was without power!  Nice one!  Surely it can’t be anything to do with the mover.  That works directly off the battery!

The site owner was on the case by now.  After an hour of investigation involving switching every single power-consuming item in the caravan off and back on, one at a time, it transpired that our microwave had developed some sort of gremlin-powered failure.

A visit to the electrical retailer in Northallerton was required.  I took them the failed machine and was told that for £25 they would look at the gubbins inside, then tell me that they wouldn’t be able to fix it.  “No chance with complex microwave generators!”  Or I could just buy a new one and save the inspection fee!

By pure chance the shop had one – the exact same model!  Too much of a coincidence to be ignored!

We were entertained to dinner by Wynne.  Ex-Newcastle University Geography department friend of Glenda’s.   We took Sarah with us as Ian was in hospital.

Later we held a return match in the caravan!  A lot less spacious surroundings and a more “camping-style” meal.  But very enjoyable, nonetheless!

We made the compulsory walk around the lake at Osmotherley with Sarah, Maggie and Maddy.

Afterwards, on the way to investigate Yarm, we hesitated at Hutton Rudby for a cup of tea.  The local café on West End doubles as the local community centre.  It has work stations for the use of locals, dance classes, jigsaw tables, an art and crafts centre, tai chi classes, mindfulness workshops, astronaut training – oh, and on Sundays it reverts to a Methodist church.  What a wonderful place for the locals to meet for a cup of coffee and a chat, or something useful like how to put on a space suit!  A really friendly place.  All villages should have one!  The tea and scones were very good  too!

Prior to 1771, Yarm was the lowest bridging point on the River Tees.  It was also the tidal limit of the river until a barrage was constructed downstream in 1975 to regulate the tidal flow.

The wide high street, which with its cobbled verges was once voted “Best High Street in England”, is home to the town hall …

The local knitting club has taken to dressing the pillar boxes in fancy dress!  (Last year, we saw a similar practice in Thirsk – not a million miles south of Yarm.)  Maybe it’s a local tradition?

Over the years, I’ve visited Teesside dozens of times to carry out surveys of the river and the bay into which it flows.  But I can only remember visiting Yarm on two previous occasions.  And one of those was by boat!

Richmond is a lovely market town.  Always on our itinerary.

Medieval pits containing bones and clothing have been uncovered under Richmond market place during resurfacing works.

This has caused a bit of chaos with the weekly market, not to mention the traffic!  But medieval remains take precedence over the smooth running of town and the convenience of today’s population.

Anyway … that was then and this is now.  The last week or two of that trip went unrecorded at the time!  We met Lesley and Ian in Cheshire (instead of Richmond and Melsonby as usual because they have moved to the Sheffield area).  They joined us at Welltrough Hall campsite out in the country some miles south of Alderley Edge, with a distant view of Jodrell Bank telescope.

Well, I did say it was distant!  Here are Glenda and Ian discussing the sunset…

… and coffee in their campervan.

We made a group visit to Quarry Bank mill near Alderley Edge…

…and afterwards, on the recommendation of the head honcho at the National Trust entrance office, we had supper in the local pub, the Ship Inn at Styal.  Styal being “home” to several hundred convicted, felonious females.  Just saying!

Anyway, we had a delightful meal at the pub.  It was only as we left we noticed that we had chosen to eat at the local tapas bar rather than the Ship which was, in fact, just next door!  We had commented on the lovely, but rather limited menu and the absence of an obvious bar and any drinking-only customers!

While we were camped on Tapp Street in Lower Withington, we had a visit from a mobile repair mechanic.  He replaced our faulty movers.  He said that the actuator-sprocket-gimbal thingys had failed.  He came all the way from the far side of Liverpool to do the job.  On a motorcycle.   In the rain.  But he only bought one replacement part, so he had to the same trip again the following day!  We left him to it and I spent a happy day up close and personal with the radio-telescope while Glenda was shoplifting in Knutsford.

On site, we had fun with the electric meters (which are on every pitch).  The challenge was to not leave more than 5p on our meter when we left.  Actually we failed.  There was 7p left as we rolled south.  However, there was nothing on either of the two adjacent meters as we departed!  Cheapskates!  As we drove out we saw we were on Trap Street, not Tapp Street!

We met one of our favourite granddaughters, Sophie, in Birmingham where she is studying to become a Nobel prize winning vaccine developer or something similar.  I should add that all four of our granddaughters fall into that level favourosity.  However, Lauren insists she is “more equal” than the other three and rates herself “most favourite”!  So, as a result of the ratchet principle, they are now all designated at that elevated level!

We camped at the Chapel Lane caravan site for our stay in Birmingham.   From here we visited the caravan show at the NEC – oh and in the last 30 minutes before closing time, we agreed to buy a new home on wheels.  So that made it an expensive day!

A bit of a wash and polish and it’ll be grand!

The next and final stop was at New Barn Farm, near Malmsbury.  From here we visited Tetbury (among other places) and tried to extract the recipe for the delightful scones sold by Sasha at her bakery in the old railway station.  Apparently, she has given it to us on Instagram, but that technology is a bit beyond our capabilities.  Anyway, I really like Glenda’s scones!

We abandoned the caravan for a couple of nights and went to visit Rod and Marion in Hinton Parva.  Excellent accommodation.   A walk along the canal at Hungerford proved a tad damp underfoot.  But we were able to help someone through the lock a mile or so west of Hungerford.

Once back in town we called at the “Hungerford Arcade, Antiques and Collectables”.  Apparently, on the top floor of this rabbit warren, there is a café of high repute.  It remains “apparently” because the café was closed the day we visited!  But there were a load of fascinating things on sale – all of them we didn’t know we didn’t need.  But there was a well-lit collection of glowing glassware.  This vintage stuff contains uranium which makes it glow green under ultraviolet light.

I attach a photo of this collection for Neil.  Our Australian friend who collects the stuff, and who, after years living with the it, has started to glow in the dark himself!

Anyway, that has speedily brought the account of that holiday to an end.  Our week in the Italian Dolomites after New Year remains unreported but I attach a couple photos to prove we saw snow before going to warmer climes!

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We are now in Thailand on the way to Australia…  Keep up!