Tentastic!

What a fantastic Easter Bank Holiday! For those of you who may not know; we have about 6 or 8 BH’s in England - not sure what it is for the rest of the UK – but basically it’s a day off work in the week and most everyone agrees BH’s rock! Easter we have two – Good Friday and Easter Monday.

We decided to make the most of our four day weekend and go camping in the New Forest. I partly grew up around Christchurch and Mudeford and spent a lot of time in the Forest and wanted to share that with my partner. So we decided to pack the car, take the dog and head out on the open road…

I should give you some background: the New Forest is England’s newest national park and one of the most stunning areas of natural beauty. It’s also a massive place famous for (among other things) wild ponies, commoner’s rights (the right to graze your animals in the forest), cream teas, magnificent trees and wildlife and pretty villages dotted here and there.

The Forest got its name in 1079 by William The Conqueror who claimed the area as his ‘new hunting forest’. The ancient system established by William to protect and manage the woodlands and wilderness heaths is still in place today through the efforts of Verderers, Agisters and Commoners – literally the judges, stockmen and land users of the forest. And its proximity to the sea is most obvious in places such as Buckler's Hard, where ships for Nelson's fleet were built, using the mighty oaks from the forest.

We had to set off on Saturday because Friday I spent the day with the RNLI Tower Pier crew on a photo assignment being taken up and down the Thames on a very fast rescue boat! It was a great day and really nice of them to let me hang around drinking tea and biscuits with them. We were due to head off at stupid o’clock on the Saturday but common sense prevailed and in the end we drove off just after 8am.

We stayed in Lymington on the edge of the forest and we couldn't wait to explore. We got to the campsite with a very mellow pooch (he slept for most of the journey, seems his travel sickness is a thing of the past) and put up our new tent. After unpacking, we made sandwiches and sat in the sunshine with a cup of freshly brewed tea before heading back out to Christchurch.

Christchurch is very pretty! There are the castle ruins, the huge and very attractive Priory and the river Stour leading down to the harbour full of sailing and rowing boats, swans and ducks. And on a lovely sunny day it’s bliss to get a really big ice-cream (strawberry and mint choc chip – weird combination but it worked for me) and look out over the water. The dog was very excited by it all and it was nice to go for a fairly long walk and stretch our legs. We then went and got a coffee and looked in a few shops before ambling back to the car. That night we sat round the fire eating pasta and drinking beer. Later that same night however, we were hunkered down in our double sleeping bag with everything we could think of either on top of us or on us – it was FREEZING! We were wearing hats and jackets and all sorts. Pluto was in with us and we made him a little den just in case even his fur wasn’t enough. The next morning very early, I stumbled out of the tent, started a fire and put a brew on. About an hour later after a hot shower, I started to thaw… and once again it turned into a hot sunny day.

Restored by egg rolls and tea, we jumped in the car and this time went to Mudeford Quay. I took lots of photos and then bought some crab lines, bait and a bucket and we sat crabbing for an hour… we caught five but they went straight back in. I managed another ice cream and when we felt we had harassed the local crab population for long enough, we took the very scenic A35 up to Lyndhurst where we stopped for pasties before heading to Emory Down to go for a long walk in the Forest. Pluto made friends with a young pony; we saw two deer (that was a real treat), a custard yellow butterfly, 2 kestrels, and a variety of other birds… We also happened upon some gorgeous young cows and bullocks (I have a thing about cows) and I took at least another 20 photos.

That night we cooked burgers and sweetcorn and thankfully it was less cold so we slept better. We needed to head home the following morning so we packed up, filled up (bacon and egg rolls and more tea) and headed off… sad to be going but really, really happy that we had such a fantastic time.

Camping is great. If you have a sense of fun and adventure then camping is definitely for you. Yes it can be a little uncomfortable and it can get very cold, but it’s a fantastic way of getting around spontaneously and without spending a huge amount of money. Our trip was so cheap and yet we did so much. So for anyone that hasn’t been camping or is fairly new to camping (this was my first ever time) here are some top tips:

1. Don’t underestimate how cold it can get. Throw in extra t-shirts which are great for adding layers, and if you have a car, take a couple of extra blankets.


2. If you have knee or back problems, a roll mat may not be comfortable enough – try an air bed.


3. A portable bar-b-q is great for cooking and warmth. Take along some bundles of wood for after you’ve cooked so it feels like a campfire.


4. Don’t take loads of pots and pans. We used one old frying pan and one pot the whole weekend. In fact don’t be suckered into thinking you need loads of fancy equipment – you really don’t. Take the basics and ask other people what they take when they go camping.


5. Pre-cook food, we took along a big pasta dish which just needed heating up and home made garlic bread which we just stuck on the barbie.


6. Don’t forget a bottle opener, a sharp knife and lots of matches/lighters!


7. Wet wipes are great for a quick spruce before bed if there is a long queue for the wash rooms.


8. Look on the review sections of campsites and listen to what people that have actually stayed there think. You might think it’s worth joining the Camping and Caravan club – we’ve just joined.


9. Remember to air tents and sleeping bags on the line when you get back in case they are still a bit damp…

We live in a very beautiful country so my last tip is just to have fun and explore. It only took us 2.5 hrs to get back and we spent a contented afternoon unpacking, doing laundry and then grabbing a very satisfying nap. One of the best Easter’s I’ve ever had… and yes, there was chocolate too!

“But in its wild scenery lies its greatest charm...... Nowhere, in extent at least, spread such stretches of heath and moor, golden in the spring with the blaze of furze, and in the autumn purple with heather, and bronzed with the fading fern. Nowhere in England rise such oak-woods, their boughs rimed with the frostwork of lichens, and dark beech-groves with their floor of red brown leaves, on which the branches weave their own warp and woof of light and shade."
John Wise, 1895 - The New Forest. It’s History and Its Scenery.