Tillie meets the Toerag

When Tillie was a mere twinkle in the eye I had actually pre-ordered a Touareg from belltent, having sold a few bits off, my Toerag fund was ready.

So duly ordered and delivered this week earlier than expected, it was a perfect excuse to clear off yet again (yes the house is buried in dog hair, the kitchen is a shambles and any day I expect to go home and find the windows boarded up, grafitti all over the house and a few squatters moved in. Hopefully the squatters will be good at DIY and can finish the house in my absence. Just shove Steve off the sofa if he is in the way)

All packed up and set off Friday after work to go to Brook Meadows (Northants). After about 8 mile I was on the M69 and warning bells started. Tillie was struggling at 45mph and her temperature gauge was steadily rising so high I could have boiled the kettle in the engine...with 7 miles to the next exit off the motorway I had visions of a lovely weekend in a layby on the M69. It wasn't until I looked down and noticed I was in 5th gear. However Tillie only has 4 gears (all arranged in a circular grab it if your lucky sequence) and it dawned on me that perhaps 4th gear would be a better option than the 3rd she was pleading with me to change...

So in the right gear we carried on (I am a novice still, give me a break) and managed to cover the 27 miles there with no further mishaps

I arrived nicely at 6:30pm just in time for it to get dark. Brilliant idea hey, new tent, clueless and a torch in one hand

Luckily the Toerag was a doddle to pitch, even though all the guylines needed tying on. So with a belly full of fish and chips (thanks to cathy), a bottle of cider, and 2 hours later we were sorted for the night

Homer was obviously highly distressed by now...

Up the next morning and surveyed the pitching, apart from not bothering with one side of pegs, and slack guylines it looked ok

Complete with the german tarp it made a perfect set up

The sun streams in with the windows and it is very airy and light in there

And a perfect channel to Tillie's kitchen area

Porch is probably a bit OTT, but at least if it rains I can gather the whole campsite under there (Moroccan plastic matting from here)

Had a quick trip into Market Harborough (I did remember to dismantle ehu and gas bottle rather than drag them along the lanes of Leics)

Got back and just chilled round the tent until Smoky and Scep arrived. Within an hour they were here and pitched up with 'surfer dude' tent (there is a panel at the front that on ebay looked like flowers, however on close inspection they are little surfer men like you would get on a 7 year olds underpants)

So after Scep had chewed Smokys ears off about to how to correctly pitch, iron and press the tent everyone was set up. Scep made a few mods on his tent with a rather enchanting piece of B & Q turquoise plastic. After about an hour I think it is now lining the Brook Meadows skip

Having a play at breakfast with the swing out kitchen

Homer practices his gurning techniques

Rare shot of me, with Smoky and Cathy. Homer looks very pensive, I'm not sure if this after, thinking about, or about to rob someones food

Barley pleading with the neighbours that she has been dumped and left homeless. I think she prefers caravans, or maybe just any place that Homer isn't..

Time for a photoshoot round the lake

Packed up Sunday and went home via Foxton Locks

Homer pulling strange faces at the prospect of getting his ice cream

Few pics of the locks

The bridges are about 12 inch wide, was fun convincing homer he could fit over them

Pubs everywhere

Remains of the old lift system that was brought in to replace the never ending locks. Shame it wasn't workin as Homer could have done with a lift by now

And then the drive home...to be welcomed by the dog hairs and kitchen tip.

Next trip out is easter in Cornwall in the tin tent. OH is trying to convince me to take Tillie. However if we did, apart from another loan needed for fuel, it would probably take about 2-3 days to get there and back, and we would probably end up on the back of an AA transporter. I'm not embracing this idea