Penney's on Tour - 10 Years On

 TUESDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 2014 Week 2

We had to make a quick pit stop in Newark to get a few things fixed on Amethyst. We arrived at Portsmouth at twenty-five, but we have photos to prove our start point on the 1st of September and, of course, the all-important start mileage clock. For any of you who have bought tickets to guess the mileage we travel or who are planning to buy, then this is VERY important.

We then travelled pretty close to Bognor Regis for two nights, where we walked along the shingle beachfront and then sat on the beach eating fish and chips, with not an amusement arcade in sight. Bognor is a lovely small seaside town (smaller than Skeggy) and it was such a beautiful day and not very busy due to it being the first day back at school. Yay!

We moved on to Littlehampton, which was very picturesque. The weather was still glorious, so a mooch along the promenade was called for. We found the longest bench made from what looked like an old toy railway track (apparently, this is the highlight of Littlehampton), two large rusting anchors, and a lovely little marina area that they called the Riviera. It would have been even lovelier if there had been just a couple more trendy shops and bars to sit out at and watch the world go by.

We then moved on to Washington as we couldn't get into a campsite in Worthing. I'm not sure why, as school had started again, but we managed to get the last pitch. We stopped off at Arundel Castle. Wow! This place was amazing. As I do have a bee in my bonnet about castles and stately homes, then I've been to a few in my time, and this has to be the best. It's a working castle, i.e. the Duke of Norfolk still resides there, and it was seriously imposing and impressive, walking up the hill to the place, the gardens and the house inside, especially the Library and the chapel. Oh my, if I lived in a house like that, I would be a permanent fixture in the library, which is very Gothic, atmospheric, and haunted. Excellent, everything I could need to write a book about!

We also walked along the South Downs and up to Canterbury Ring, a wooden circle of trees that have been linked to UFO kidnapping, devil worship, and pentagrams found made of flint! It's a circle of trees on a hill! Even though I'm not that gullible, people like to think in the fantastical and mystical; someone even reported people levitating there. Hey ho. But the scenery and views when we reached the top were breath taking, and it's moments like this that I love doing the UK tour. The walk uphill was a killer. A friend of mine used to call me a Mountain Goat when I was younger because whenever we were walking, especially when walking in the Lake District, I could climb anywhere unfazed, with no aches or pains to speak of. Well, this spritely young goat feels like Old Billy Goat Gruff these days. Crikey! Ache! Phew, it was hard work but worth it.

#travelblogger #coastlineofBritain #travellingmotorhome 

A Year in a Motorhome = Ten Years On

 TUESDAY, 2 SEPTEMBER 2014 Week 1

We had a week to kill before making our way to Portsmouth, the starting point of our yearlong travelling adventure. So we went to see Chatsworth House, as I haven't been there since I was a child. I still remember the big entrance hall, and I thought it would be nice to see some sights inland, as the majority of the travelling this year will be around the coastline.

The weather could have been kinder, but overall, it was a lovely day. The house was amazing, and I love stately homes that are generous with the number of rooms you can walk around and nosey at. Considering the Duke of Devonshire and his family actually live there, I was very impressed. I know I wouldn't like people nosing around my house!

We went onto Warwick and parked the motorhome in the middle of Warwick race. Yes, there is a caravan park in the middle of the racecourse. We decided to do an O.D. in culture and go to Warwick Castle, too. Now granted, it is supposed to be the best castle to look around in the country (apparently); however, I have seen better, but I like them crumbling and falling apart. The royal rooms you get to look around are impressive, and you move through medieval banquet halls to Tudor and Stuart times to the turn of the twentieth century when Queen Victoria's eldest son used to stay with Earl Warwick a lot; it was his haven from the royal court.

The castle was bought by Tussauds, so there were lots of waxwork models depicting how the other lived when it was still a working castle. We watched Knights sword fighting, a falconry display and even saw a condor. We watched an accurate jousting match, and you could have a go at archery if you so wished. It was a great day out, especially to wear children out just days before they go back to school... But I really don't think it was worth charging £24 entrance fee. (other tours cost extra!)

At the end of our fill-in week, we spent three days in Skegness. It was nice as far as British seaside towns go. A big fun fair and Butlins holiday camp meant one end of Skeggy was very busy indeed, so we walked the other way to the town itself. It was a small seaside town, and we easily walked around in half a day, but it was pleasant enough and a nice break before we started the challenge.