Bank Holiday Camp To Albion May 31 2010

With the British weather up to it's old tricks bringing wind & rain to the South Coast on Saturday, it didn't look promising for the weekend ahead and the chance to meet the girls' friends who were down in Dorset for a few days celebrating Amy's Birthday. The uneasy thing was that they were camping though. Having had chronic bronchitis that week ( man flu ) we drove over to the Purbecks on Saturday afternoon to say hi & to get a taste of what I may have bbeen letting myself in for.

Last year at the biggest scooter rally in the world at the Isle Of White, I swore, after sobbing through the night,wet, freezing, in a tent held together by 48 safety pins, that I would never, ever camp again.

Now here I was with a chance to blame sickness, validly I might add to re-coup at home for 48 hours. On Sunday though when it was time to go the Jags battery was flat & not even with the help from my friend Rob The Mod & his Jag parked alongside with jump leads, it wasn't budging, so I had to stay at home & sort it out  waving the girl off on her way.  Result? 

Then suddenly within an hour, it's funny what love can do to you. I missed the girl, her smile, her laugh & being near her. So, out came Sabrina, my 1962 Vespa GL! At the moment having no front brake & no second gear I knew it could be an eventful trip. Once off the ferry from Sandbanks though I soon remembered that the best way to travel through the sunny rolling English country side is on a classic scooter. Miles & miles of roads to myself  through valleys under Victorian Railway bridges and round long sweeping bends. When I arrived at the Square & Compass Pub to meet her & fourteen friends I hadn't minded that I'd swallowed three flies as I've an open faced helmet, or that one wasp had been quite happy in my helmet for at least a quarter of a mile of the way. I'd stopped twice, had to jump start it once, to a round of applause from the slow oncoming traffic jam. And I'd enjoyed it. Having a love for old Vintage & Classic vehicles makes every trip you take memorable & worthwhile.

Then we put the tent up. Marvellous that was.

Walking across the campsite on the way to the Pub for dinner we spotted an adorable 1963 Commer campervan. With cool caravans being on our minds of late this was a perfect oppotunity to talk to the owner & gain some inside knowledge. That night in the Commer they were sleeping five! And the dog! Fairly comfortably he said. With a touch of Vintage snobbery coming out we agreed that VW campers are a little too common on the road even these days this is something we'd love to own in the future. Although quite rare they could bee found for half the price of a VW also. Jackpot! Now " we gotta get one hun " was shared between us all night!

                                       

Camping could never be a bad  thing in something that cool! Warm, cosy, lovely teak cupboards & kitsch interior!

All her friends were groovy, arty thirty something London types all with quirky looks, hilarious tales & fun listening to when drunk in the middle2 of the night when playing a repetitive memory alphabet game which ensured " coffe makers", "ostriches" & "rohypnol" were the primary themes for my dreams that night. We moved on to English grub & board games & Battleships was up! And cheating at Battleships. Then long walks in the pitch black back to the campsite.

This time through the night it was warm, dry & actually fun because we were together under the stars, in her pink camoflauge tent.

Of course wanting to miss the traffic back and with an early start the next day, a perfect ride passing Corfe Castle with only one bee headbutting me on the way, pleasant again 't'was.

Thoughts that the same scenery would have been viewed by young lovers on days out in there all new motor cars in the 50's & 60's made the trip worthwhile. I never thought I'd say it, but God Bless our English country side, Albion dreams while there's roads to elysium!