Sunday 5^th May 2019

Bakewell was our 2^nd C&CC rally and we have found the social aspect of both to be non-existent – it may be some time before we try another. So today we made the decision to move on.

We tried but couldn’t find a site that wasn’t fully booked (Bank Holiday I guess) so I had resigned myself to staying on the boggy show ground field for another night but my clever husband rang our next site at Castleton to see if we could arrive a day early. They said they had only one narrow pitch available – we jumped at it.

As we had been using our LPG for heating, cooking and running the fridge freezer for the last couple of days we checked our levels and decided we needed to top up on the way. This meant a rather big detour to a Shell garage near Derby but better to be safe than sorry we thought. It’s a good job we did as it turned out – we put in 36ltrs of gas (42ltr tank) so were pretty near empty.

We had a late lunch in a lay by and arrived at the C&MC Castleton site at about 4.00. They were very friendly and we found that (due to someone breaking down) a full sized pitch had become available for our now 4 night stay, so we wouldn’t have to move when pitched.

We did a quick trundle around the site picking up a few things in the Information Room before I let Nigel loose on our evening meal.

He does a pretty good job on a one-pot-wonder and after the washing up we just chilled and watched TV (happy to be on hookup again) before settling in for a good night’s sleep.

Monday 6^th May 2019 (Bank Holiday)

The weather forecast warned of sharp showers from lunchtime so another early start (leaving the outside chores until our return later).

We trundled the half mile or so into the village of Castleton, stopped briefly at the little general store for a few postcards –the local pork sausages looked so good Nigel couldn’t resist –so that’s tomorrows breakfast sorted.

Onwards on the rather narrow pavement passed old cottages and a couple of pubs and Hotels. There were a lot of walkers/ramblers all with stout walking shoes and some with sticks heading in various directions – some toward the Castle others to Mam Tor –

we could see both but even though the Castle is maintained by English Heritage it’s only accessible on foot and you’re pretty fit. It was a struggle on the 2G’s to even get to the Visitors Centre but Nigel did – just to get a fridge magnet.

We explored the rest of the village finding the ‘Emporium’ (Antiques / junk) in what was originally the Rope Makers cottage and workshop.

Various other artisan shops for Jewellery and silk goods as well as the ‘Best Fish & Chip Shop’ – all were closed – for the Bank Holiday presumably.

There is a lovely brook running through the village which afforded some nice pics.

All too soon the clouds started to build and the cold started getting to us as well. We opted to get some fresh bread and return to Voyager for a warming bowl of soup – which we ate to the sound of drumming rain and hail on the roof.

Between showers Nigel emptied the grey and refilled the fresh tanks and dealt with the Toilet cassette. Now some Bloggers and You-Tubers seem to get away with emptying their cassettes twice a week – it must be all the medications we take that means we have to empty daily. That and Nigel refusing to pee in a bottle – unless he’s in hospital he says.

The rest of the day was relaxing – TV reading etc.

Tuesday 7^th May 2019

The weather has improved (doesn’t it always seem to after a Bank Holiday) so today we are off to visit Chatsworth House and Garden. On the way we did another shop at Morrisons in Chesterfield – it took a bit longer than normal as we were not familiar with the layout.

Then as we left their car park Nigel noticed a warning light on the dash board. It was orange and in the shape of a bulb. We pulled over & Nigel jumped out to check the exterior lights were all working. They seemed to be so we pushed on. When we were parked up in Chatsworth Car Park (no cost for Blue Badge users – bonus) Nigel got out the laptop & looked up the lights meaning in the Fiat manual – basically an exterior light –  so we checked again and still couldn’t find any failure.

I sorted a quick sandwich for lunch while Nigel got the 2G’s out and ready for our exploration of the gardens.

We headed to the house first (not sure how much we would be able to see) and were met at the ornate gate by a couple of volunteers. We parked up our scooters behind their hut and borrowed a wheelchair for the house. Nigel pushed me up the fair incline to the entrance and in to the pay desk. No reduction for disabled or carer here – but we were quickly told that with use of the lift we could see the entire house (all 4 floors) the same as able bodied people so paying full price seems fair.

All the rooms and collections are very impressive and the guides in each of them are more than happy to pass on addition odd facts – I won’t spoil it for you but if you visit pay particular attention to the violin in the music room.

After the house we did the gardens (quick return of the wheelchair & pickup of the 2G’s first)  – very large with

a gravity fed cascade as well as statues,

flowers,

trees,

a maze

and a rockery bigger than most houses with a wonderful waterfall feature.

There is something of interest around every corner – truly amazingly breath-taking.

A wonderful day – and loads of photos and video taken.

Back to Voyager – drive back to site – get pitched up again – outside chores for Nigel while I sorted our meal.

Unload all the cameras to the laptops – and a quick scroll through the pics we took – looks good for a nice video on our YouTube channel as well as here.

TV & bed.

Wednesday 8^th May 2019

Rain all day – so a total chill day with diary stuff for me and a bit of video work for Nigel – well a start anyway.

Thursday 9^th May 2019

Our data expired on the 3 network SIM in the MiFi – Nigel thought we had another somewhere but we couldn’t find it anywhere. So just mobile data on our phones until we get another one.

That’s OK as its return home today – my next Dental appointment looms – as well as a pile of washing, then ironing and a bit of sewing on the fitted bedsheets so they fit better.

Oh and Nigel’s little grey cells had been pondering on our warning light issue and suddenly realised that he hadn’t checked the number plate lights –  and one of them was out. Now both replaced with LED ones from EBAY.