{"id":18624,"date":"2015-11-05T11:16:01","date_gmt":"2015-11-05T11:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ourtour.co.uk\/home\/?p=18624"},"modified":"2021-06-14T12:56:49","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T11:56:49","slug":"your-tour-snail-trails-robina-and-neil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtour.co.uk\/home\/your-tour-snail-trails-robina-and-neil\/","title":{"rendered":"Snail Trails – Robina and Neil"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"snail-trail-logo\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We are Robina and Neil, a couple just into our sixties (the new forties) who will be free from work from April 2016.\u00a0 We plan to tour Europe at our leisure following the weather and our inclinations.<\/p>\n

We are currently based in York where we have lived on and off for the past forty years, although neither of us is actually from the city.\u00a0 Neil is originally from South Africa and I was born in Northern Rhodesia, raised in London. \u00a0We are new to motorhoming which will probably become obvious to you if you read on\u2026<\/p>\n

Our van is Portia-the-portly, a three year old Bailey Approach 620.\u00a0 She is English-made but despite this does not seem to leak oil.\u00a0 We bought her unexpectedly in July 2015 having planned to carry out much more, sensible, in-depth research in the months up to April next year.\u00a0 We are happy with our purchase.<\/p>\n

Meet Portia:<\/p>\n

\"snail-trail-portia\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Built on a Peugeot Boxer van she is a two person, low profile, end kitchen motorhome with two parallel benches behind the cab for the living and sleeping area.\u00a0 These can be two singles, for hot countries, or one huge double for cooler climes.\u00a0 We did not like the idea of a space-hogging, albeit convenient, fixed double bed and at least this arrangement means we can avoid the hassle of making up the bed if we cannot be bothered.\u00a0 There is a free-standing table that can be set up in the aisle between the benches but it is way too heavy for easy handling and so large that it gets hopelessly in the way once up.\u00a0 We have already found a smaller, lighter camping table to replace this.<\/p>\n

Portia is only six metres long (not counting the bike rack) and under three metres high (not counting the satellite dome).\u00a0 Fingers crossed that ferries, trains and toll roads count the same way:-( She is also 2.42 metres wide which is apparently a little on the portly side.<\/p>\n

Newbies in North Yorkshire \u2013 Thirsk Racecourse Caravan site<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why Thirsk for our first outing in our new motorhome?\u00a0 Because it is only 23 miles up the road, is flat, has toilets, has hot showers and is close to Lidl (yes, we have been reading OurTour religiously).\u00a0 And principally, this being a trial run in Portia, we wanted to be close to real home with all its comforts, just in case. Why is the prospect of staying in a well-equipped van so nerve-wracking to house-dwelling, drain-connected, power-supplied, centrally-heated, normal \u00a0people? Beforehand it seemed to represent freedom \u2013 throwing off the shackles and heading for the wild blue yonder. Suddenly the wild blue yonder threw back a whole bunch of unknowns and what-ifs. OhMyGod \u2013 no electricitygaswaterdrainstelevision!\u00a0 What\u2019s the worst that can happen?\u00a0 No hot water \u2013 boil a kettle.\u00a0 Cooker does not work \u2013 go for chips.\u00a0 Shower does not work \u2013 well \u2013 do your skin a favour and don’t wash for once. Anything else does not work \u2013 go find a B&B. So with well laid fallback plans in place we set off.<\/p>\n

Taking off in a great big vehicle for the first time is also nerve-wracking.\u00a0 Even though both of us have driven large vehicles in our chequered pasts, none of them had a body wider than the cab.\u00a0 We had to keep reminding each other that delivery vans, builders lorries, emergency vehicles and so on navigate our not-very-wide street every day. \u00a0And we made it to the small caravan site with only one instance of van-on-van wing mirror action and no harm done.\u00a0 The main driving lessons: go slow, don’t drive like you do in a car and adopt a more phlegmatic attitude to other vehicles (yes, even the ones clearly driven by idiots), slow down a lot and well in advance for roundabouts even if the way seems clear, and do not try to nip into any gaps where you would have in your other car.\u00a0 In fact, do not try to do any nipping of any sort \u2013 motorhomes do not nip.\u00a0 Reflect that although you often see car drivers snarling rude words and making rude gestures, you never see HGV drivers reacting like that.\u00a0 Whatever they may be thinking, they seem to manage a professional zen-like calm behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

We parked up, unpacked and connected the electricity.\u00a0 Things worked!\u00a0 The fridge lit up and the lights came on.\u00a0 Then we disconnected the electricity, repacked and drove around to the water supply.\u00a0 Note to selves: get the sequence right next time; get a water carrier of some sort. We have a Whale pump system so the best option for filling is to be within 7.5 metres of the tap. Note to selves: get an extension hose. Reparked and friendly neighbours advised that we should disconnect the lead from the electricity source as well as the van rather than leave a live cable lying on the damp grass:-(<\/p>\n

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Amazed at how, despite appearances, \u201cflat\u201d really isn\u2019t. Note to selves: get levellers and chocks. Amazed at complexity of Truma heater and hot water system instructions.\u00a0 Even more amazed when the water came out hot!\u00a0 Disappointed when it did not do so the second time and much knob twiddling was required to get it going again. Think this may be a fault. Amazed at goodies and value in Lidl.\u00a0 Bought a bottle of champagne (real!) for \u00a39.97 and amazed at how good it was. And so to bed (on the single benches \u2013 only so much new stuff a brain can take in one day!)<\/p>\n

Thirsk is a quiet North Yorkshire market town with some charm and enough to do for a day or two.\u00a0 Did you know \u201cLord\u2019s\u201d the cricket ground has nothing to do with the House of Lords or any peer of the realm? It is named after its founder Thomas Lord who was born in Thirsk in 1755.\u00a0 His birthplace now houses a small museum of cricket memorabilia and displays of local life of the time (free, but donations appreciated).\u00a0 And it is just opposite \u201cThe World of James Herriot\u201d (not free). How much culture do you need in one day in one small corner of North Yorkshire?<\/p>\n

On a less elevated note, we also hit the local pound-type shop to pick up things we had forgotten \u2013 hosepipe connector, watering can, cheese grater, sieve, wiper blade for shower and so on.\u00a0 Should have paid more attention to Ju\u2019s Essential Packing list which I have now printed out and started ticking off:-)<\/p>\n

Beside the seaside in September \u2013 Beacon House caravan site, Flamborough.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We were in France, in a house, for the whole of August so Portia was safely stored away five miles up the road from home.\u00a0 Our road and driveway are not suitable for parking her unfortunately, so daily fiddling about and casual familiarisation is not possible.<\/p>\n

Feeling bolder this time we looked further away.\u00a0 Flamborough \u2013 on the North Yorkshire coast.\u00a0 Doubling the distance to fifty miles seemed daring enough.\u00a0 Possibly down narrow country roads! There is a little caravan site a mile or so outside Flamborough: level pitches, shower, toilet, EHU, 15 minutes to the pub. Only six places and no children – what\u2019s not to like.<\/p>\n

We took the wider roads, despite Stella Satnav\u2019s preference for goat tracks, and found the site had peace and quiet, charm, gladioli and a view over the fields. Portia felt particularly at home when the nice man on the site brought us some flagstones to level her up on yet another deceptive pitch. Must buy those levellers. The site had only one toilet and shower in the same dankish but OKish room.\u00a0 I suppose this is enough for six pitches but I hoped there would not be too much queuing in the morning.\u00a0 We have not tangled seriously with our toilet yet \u2013 reserving it for minor night time visits if you get my drift.\u00a0 Our little shower works fine however for the hosedown-lather-rinse sort of wash \u2013 so another tick on the list.\u00a0 Hair washing may be a bit water-greedy so I may get a very short haircut.<\/p>\n

\"Portia<\/a>

Portia in the evening sun with gladioli.<\/p><\/div>\n

The north sea coast was less than a couple of miles away and the weather was the idyllic Indian Summer we all dream of as we sit through the rain in July.\u00a0 We cycled downhill into one of the several pubs in the village and had a good meal on Friday evening.\u00a0 Then pushed the bikes back uphill \u2013 well, I did, Neil was OK on his. \u00a0Eating main meals out, even in modest, good value pubs would be a bit expensive as a regular thing.\u00a0 I cooked the next night – one of these weekends I will be properly organised and get enough food in to cook dinner both nights, and feel very virtuous.\u00a0 The night sky was clear, un-lightpolluted and starry. And a bit nippy to be frank so, time to test the heating and the double bed.<\/p>\n

New things this time:<\/p>\n