Chat from the Chair

Well, I guess for most people that the camping season has finished, For me the final fling was the Southern Clubs Camp at Headley Country Club. The atmosphere was ‘laid back’ to say the least and the weather was wonderful. What a fantastic finish to camping for 1999.

Our September meeting was better attended but still not up to our usual numbers. After some discussion it was felt that we should try another venue nearer to the A3, which is the major artery of this part of Surrey’s network. Later in the letter I will give details of the next meeting (i.e. I have not yet tried the pubs).

Barry managed to pay a visit. It was lovely to see him but it made some people feel his loss even more. However, the family is settled and starting new schools etc. in Lincolnshire so we wish them well. I am sure we will be inundated with articles from this outpost just as we have been with technical tips etc. over the last five or more years !!

I hope to see more of you in the next months. Work hard on bringing new members with you. There are 2CVs out there somewhere !

                                    Gill

Next Meeting THE TALBOT - RIPLEY, 
October 12th, 8 pm

Southern Clubs Camp

We were so lucky with the weather for the whole time. When I got there at about 5pm, 3 tents were already there. I put my tent at the bottom of the garden steps so that if Bill came later that night (4000 word essay had to be posted before he came) it would be easy for him to find me. However 2 other cars arrived and pitched at the bottom of the steps, so I warned them that a stranger might arrive ! As it happens he came Saturday morning. He did try Friday but his Ripple died on a roundabout and he was trailered home by the RAC (Coil problems I believe).

Throughout the camp we were forced to eat fudge and peanut toffee because one of the Puddleducks had acquired LOTS and it would be binned if we didn’t eat it. I never thought it would go but most of it did ...

On Saturday morning people did their own thing and others arrived to set up. At about 2.15 we went on our convoy to the Meadow Farm Cottage Ice Cream ‘Shop’ and then to Frensham Pond. The Ice Cream was a great success. Some greedy people ate 3 tubs. Karen’s (Fils de Vitesse) children were told to find somewhere to sit to eat theirs and chose the railway sleepers which were the top of the slurry pit - how nice !! We then went on to Frensham Pond and enjoyed the ‘beach’ and scenery for an hour and returned home.

A BBQ followed and Colin Jenkins - who finds that Vodka now disagrees with him - brought his collection of full or not so full bottles down and we helped him empty the lot. The evening was warm enough to stay outside, drink, listen to the last night of the Proms and then go to bed.

On Sunday many hands made a success of a communal breakfast. It was good fun. More day visitors arrived and a good time was had by all. Some went ‘car-booting’, others just enjoyed the sun and the children were busy with games and competitions set up by Gail of the Puddleducks. After lunch people were most reluctant to pack up. The weather was still good so it was not until gone 5pm that the last of us left such a wonderful camp.

Next time we hope to see even more of you there even for a day if you are not camping.

                                                Gill

Jasmine Goes West

(or The Devon International)

On returning home from work on the evening of 21st August, I was greeted with “there’s loads of ‘phone messages for you !” Well these were about the trip to Barry’s for a BBQ that didn’t happen. But also included in Ham’s message, “Leaving on Thursday for Devon ?” Eh ?? I had planned Friday. Oops ! Well as luck would have it, a bloke who was supposed to come on Thursday to sort out some windows that weren’t locking had been on Saturday morning so Thursday was free. Yippee ! So after taking Dave to work on Sunday - returning home & no trip to Barry’s I started to think about Devon & what to take.

Monday & Tuesday were spent with my parents in Rustington (W. Sussex) and Wednesday with my friend Julie in Yateley. When I got home I rang Ham to find out what time we were to meet. He said “leaving Fleet at 1.45pm”. Excellent. I spent the morning running around filling up the trailer with stuff that (as usual) would come home again, unused ! After dropping the tow hitch of the trailer on my toe I finally was ready. I shot to Farnham to get some wages then I was en route to Fleet services.

I was rather early - 1 hour 15 minutes to be exact - so I left the hood up on the car and decided on coffee. Pulling into a spot I saw Dave Shove further up the car park, so I moved in behind and we both went for coffee. Eventually others rolled in and we left on time. Shortly before stopping halfway it started to spit with rain, so we pulled in to put up the hoods (blast !) and then we carried on to a Little Chef where we stopped to fuel ourselves and the cars. By the time we were ready to leave the skies opened and the rain just fell down. After pulling out and getting underway again, it soon cheered up and we were into the camp site. On pulling into the south field (Quiet ?!?!) we saw Bob and Ray waving furiously and so we gathered around and soon tents were appearing. No sooner were they up than gazebos just appeared from everywhere and a nice little row - Le Mans style - was achieved. Soon after, Dave Farmar said he was going for food, so we wandered up to see what was what. We discovered that there were rows of loos but only 2 gents showers and 4 ladies showers and all demanding 50p !! Well we then sampled the food & drink. Lasagne was delicious and the beer good. The music was a bit loud so we soon returned to the tents. Back there a lot of talking and wine drinking went on and then adjournment to sleep before the revellers returned. At some point a car screeched round our field at full revs which worried some of us who were waiting for the ‘bang’. But luckily it went away. But at 7.30: crack, rustle, rustle, rustle, BANG. “What the **** was that ??!!” came the prompt cry from Bob’s tent, followed by a zip going up. It turns out that a huge piece of branch came out of the tree and landed feet from his tent and Ami. When we all heard what had happened we didn’t come out of our tents until we had dressed etc. Those of us under the tree were very wary after this event !!!

Friday dawned misty but sunny - excellent day for looking around and all of us went our own ways. I drove through East Budleigh village to Budleigh Salterton. The villages are so beautiful with their thatched cottages and little streams and brooks. At B. Salterton there was nowhere to park, so I continued on into Exmouth. Here I got a couple of spots in different places and had a walk round the harbour and round the shops but this was much bigger and typical of most towns. After this I drove back past the camp and east, stopping for a superb ham salad & shandy. I went into Seaton, spotting Bill & Gill before parking. I wandered around the town, bought some fish for the barbecue Dave S. was doing that evening and then onto the beach. It appears that I didn’t put enough cream on, because I burnt !! (It’s still peeling)

The flea market went well, most of us sold what we had. Rod & Jade bought my boot box, which I helped fit, to his satisfaction. So I’m pleased its gone to a good (& local) home. I later saw them using it as a table - as it is designed to do. I stopped to say hi! and was made very welcome and also plied with wine !

The other really notable thing was that I told Ray of my disappointment that the convoy to Barry’s didn’t materialise. His comment was “Ah ! a technical problem ! You can’t have a camp without a technical problem ! See Bob, he’ll have the special tool to do it !” I had a broken carburettor gasket that was leaking petrol. Barry had told me what was wrong, get the bits from Ecas & he’d do it when we were at his place. But we didn’t go.

When Bob was told he rubbed his hands together with glee and couldn’t wait to get started. Well Friday evening - out came this specially ground down 12mm spanner - Oh ‘eck, it doesn’t fit - those are 13mm nuts. (Well it never goes according to plan, does it !!) So off comes the oil filler etc. (crowds around the bonnet)  and then, hey presto, carburettor is off and there is the culprit, in 4 pieces ! The new bits are duly got out, the old bits put in a bag to show Dave (hubby) and then “Got any grease ?” Well - I always carry grease !!! (NOT). Oh dear, now what ? “I’ve got some says Dave F and roots around and comes back with a little tube of grease !! (Thanks Dave) so all the bits are greased up and put back except those two 13mm nuts. I was instructed to go to the Ecas tent and get the proper ones. I did this Saturday morning, just as Dave S. and Gill were setting up the flea stall. I trotted back to the camp and produced those nuts. “Ah” says Bob, “we can finish the job off now.” So he and Ray get all oily again and put the nuts on and tighten down. Job done. It did have to be tightened after I had been out that afternoon as I could still smell petrol. But those two were great, I owe them a lot - Thanks guys. Grand job !

Well we all trotted into Dawlish on Sunday, after the convoy & cream tea (yummy) and 6 of us played frisbee and tennis ball. That was great fun. Just a shame it wasn’t really hot, or we would all have been swimming. We had a cup of tea and banana fritter (discovered by the Macs) before heading back to camp.

The fireworks were super. I spent the evening with Bob and Ray - we had food first then got fed up with the music (far too loud) so we moved over to a bench where we could talk, then saw the fireworks. After that (and a few beers) I got to drive the Ami 6 back to the camp via a narrow gap (but with no scratches !!) I was rather smitten by this little car. Really comfy and fun.

But all good things must end. Down came gazebos and tents - including my new tent, known as Robyn Towers !! and down also came the hoods as Monday dawned a scorcher !! Off we went but the roads were really busy and we did struggle to keep up. Lynne & Ham were at the front and they found a super pub, just off the A303, where we had refreshment out in the sun. Then we continued on, found petrol and were off home. At Fleet services everyone but me came off - I live only 5 minutes away, so I was probably indoors before they left. Many of them having at least another hour to go.

It was a thoroughly excellent camp in a super part of England with super weather. It didn’t rain, good grief !

I also went to the Blandford ‘Great Dorset Steam Fair’ on Thursday & Friday and the weather there was hot and sunny. It must be at least 10 years since it didn’t rain there !
Roll on Scotland next year !! I have never been there, so that should be really excellent. I do hope lots of you will go to that, as the atmosphere and camaraderie in Devon was the best I have encountered. Everyone mucked in and a really good time was had by all. (Despite Rob not being there !)

                                                Robyn