Chester

We were so excited about taking Birdy to Chester! Her first trip on the ferry! However last minute ferry complications meant we had to leave her behind and go on the train! Little M was heartbroken but there was nothing we could do. Connor and Annas wedding celebrations were going ahead with or without us and we wanted to be there so what could we do?We were glad we went ahead as we bumped into my dear Aunt Gina and her daughter Ger on the ferry which was a wonderful surprise! Sorry Birdy, maybe next time! Little M soon cheered up with promise of a visit to Chesters famous sweetshop and a bit of shopping for summer gear. So off we went!

I love Chester, its so lovely with its tudor buildings, muddy canals and stunning scenery surrounding it. It has so much to see (and snap!) that the day we had wasn't enough so we will definatley be back, not only of course to see Connor, Anna and Cian who always make us feel so welcome!The next day we enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the canal with Connor and Cian before heading home... which had a few dramatic moments but overall was a peaceful lovely walk!

Hidden Valley

So our first real camping trip, we headed to Hidden Valley for the weekend. It was brilliant! We got there early enough to have our pick of the bays and we picked the very last one which overlooked a small beach by the river. The campsite has been recently done up and is fantastic, each bay has its own tap and electricity and the facilities were really great.

Setting up camp was great fun, although there is not as much work with a van as with a tent, we were quickly relaxing in the sun... It was so warm and so Big B decided to take a dip in the river, which turned out to be colder than it looked! He said he felt amazing afterwards, but wouldn't be doing that again in a hurry!
Little M found some friends and spent the day catching little fish in the river, while the Grub enjoyed the freedom of this new "walking" malarky! Our little dog Bo spent the weekend playing with other dogs and it was thought by all of us that she had the best time of any of us!
By the end of the day the campsite was full up with huge motorhomes, which left our little van looking quite out of place! Cute as heck though!

We spent the evening sitting around a camp fire, making s'mores! They are just too good to resist!

People say you are either the camping sort or not, well we are! I spent nearly every childhood holiday in a chalet tent, and have a special fondness for running across dewey grass to the loo in the early hours! Big B also had a childhood of camping in France and we love the "do nothing"ness of the whole affair... Nobody is busy, nobody on their way anywhere. Camping is for families who enjoy the company of one another without external entertainment, for whom each other is enough... and thats us!