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Sunday 16 September 2012

Landrover weekend at Eastnor

Being an avid fan of landrovers...

Err nope...

Start again...me and Annie went along to the LR weekend at Eastnor for the Bank Holiday. Arrived and realised I had to take Tillie down a bit of a steep hill. No problem with this, apart from the fact I had to stop at some stage, grab a showguide and a wristband and drive through to the camping field.

Not helped by the fact that the dogs were now stir crazy and Homer was yowling in my eardrums...I slowly coasted to the man at the side of the road, told him I couldn't stop as my brakes were a bit 'tempermental' so did the wrist armband relay and grabbed it quick as we drove past

The road in


It was getting late so manically tried to pitch the Mr men bell. But something wasn't going right. I was on a bit of a hill so it explained the guys being at a funny angle. So I tightened them up. Again. And Again. Until the top of the bell walls were now on the ground.

Bit of head scratching and said to Annie, this cant be right?? Anyway it wasn't. My bent centre pole from the previous weeks had give up the will to live and folded itself in half. My bell tent was not about 4ft high. Perfect for my OH but slightly low for me


Luckily I had brought the spare pole with me and got it out of my batman utility belt (not really. It was in the van and this was only the 2nd time i had actually brought it, due to the bendy pole at the VW festival)

Finally got pitched in the pouring rain and went to bed.

Next morning we went round the event, thinking there's bound to be loads of stores apart from LR bits. We spent about 2 hours looking at LR bits until we had lost the will to live, then had a nice chicken tikka masalla from the Arji Bhaji takeaway van. Annie was very restrained round the pick and mix van, and didn't buy her own weight in liqourice this time



Oooh pink!


Oooh a tipi!!!...full of LR stuff


So we strolled back with the dogs and the unsettled weather decided to play up again. Now Barley HATES 2 things - thunder and fireworks...

So we started to stroll back and there is a massive crack of thunder, we stayed under a tree for a while (yes yes thats the thing you dont stand under when there is thunder and lightening) by which time Barley was a dithering wreck and pouring valium down her throat. After about an hour, thankfully it all subsided as we got back to the tent between downfalls

Nicely settled for all of 5 minutes....before the bonfire display started. Barley is now writing letters to the PDSA listing the cruelty she is suffering here

So in times of stress and uncertainty..I went to bed for an afternoon kip. Woke up a few hours later and no sign of Barley, but thought I heard something at the other end of the tent


Ok you can come out now, drama queen


Few beers round the campfire later with Gumball and his daughter and then we had an early night. In anticipation of another day looking at LR's

Decided in the morning to visit Eastnor castle, as we got a subsidised rate being avid LR groupies

First we decided to go in the 'kiddy' maze, after re-assuring Annie it would be a doddle to get out, and dont worry about your claustrophobia...


Half hour passed...'Yep Annie you're nearly out now!'


Another hour passed...'Nearly there now, try left..no right...err turn around...'


Sooo finally we escaped and had to get a move on to try and get round the castle quick

Castle was pretty impressive, alongside farmyard animals, dog show and various other activities


Went back to the campsite and had to get through the stewarding process again. This put me off my dinner a bit

Now I'm no skinny minnie, but a crop top, seriously?!


Another walk round the show...which might have been a bit more exciting had the 'monster truck display', 'LR through the years' and 'LR tight rope walking' actually taken place...but as the ground was muddy they didnt want to mess up the arena. So they had some posh bird talk...and talk...and talk...instead

Went off foraging for wood later to build a bit of a fire. (not allowed but as we are responsible law abiding citizens they were ok letting us have one)

So a few more beers, the general talk about absolute rubbish round the campfire and the weekend was over, bar actually getting out of the campsite

Now you would think a field full of stocky 4x4 landrovers would mean a deep trench of mud would be childplay for these experienced drivers. Except they weren't. The majority of them had no idea whatsoever how to get over the mud.
I had found an allie on the camping field - another veedub! yayyy!
He was also an avid LR fan (his dad dragged him there). So when he departed on the Sunday night I ran over to watch him negotiate getting through the mud, with a large audience

Psyching himself for the mud run....


And yessss! out in one! cheers and a round of applause and he was off!


That showed them!

And just to finish...

Here we have the LR being towed out of the show field....

mwwwaahhhhaaahhaaa!


And yes I did get Tillie out ok!

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