So after squeezing every last drop out of the 6 weeks holidays getting back from Devon on Sunday night and back to work on Monday morning, it was a pretty tiring week.

The thing I’m loving about the camper is that most stuff we need (apart from food, clothes and a few sundries) stays in ready for the next caper. Thus we didn’t really rush to pack up. Friday, me & the offspring were home by 4 and ready to rock but KB was a bit later and we didn’t get off till half five, which in hindsight was too late.

Ludlow is not the shortest of drives but shelling out for the M6 toll takes a good chunk off and we arrived just shy of 8 o clock. 11 ruddy quid the poorer mind.

I’d booked in with Mrs Woman in advance. In all the years we’ve been going, you can never be sure how many will be in the back field so I sent her a cheque – how very 20th century. As we made the final approach amongst the cowpats and brambles we took bets on numbers. We were both wrong as the back field was completely empty. Seemed even emptier due to the lack of the McHaakerz this year.

Being repeat visitors, we picked a spot, plugged in to the cable languishing in the hedge and made our way up to the house to let her know we’d arrived and pay up.

Bless her, she’s as batty as a fruitcake and got us confused with someone else and tried to get us to park up in the front field, which would just be too weird, but we settled it and paid up. Nothing much had changed, apart from a few encroaching fairy lights. Facilities were still good and clean, and the sight of me granny’s table always brings a smile…

Sparchford Farm, Culmington £17.50/night including EHU.

It was starting to get dark so we decided not to faff about putting the mess tent up in the dark, we even bypassed the preplanned chicken/pesto/pasta combination dinner in favour of a cheeky bacon butty and an early night.

The back of the van had been full of chairs/table/BBQ so KB chucked up the tarp to make a mini shelter for the gear in case of nocturnal precipitation, which proved fortuitous with the inclement early morning drizzle.

Saturday we had a leisurely morning, got the shelter up and headed for the park and ride – at the racecourse this year so much nearer and with some very jolly chappies directing traffic.

We arrived in time for lunch, which for me was a crispy duck wrap, for him was curry goat and for them was pancakes.

All the old favourites were there – Norm at Corvedale Brewery, Dennis at Gwatkins etc and we began with some of Ralph’s Cider and Perry.

We perused the entertainments in the moat, bumped into m’colleague Mr McKee and partook in various samples. The children did Roman writing and we sampled salted roasted peas and the mistress made a Roman sweet. The boy child enjoyed the bees and being transported about by piggyback.

Ice creams were dispensed, I had a scone as big as my face (cream and jam entirely the wrong way round for my liking) and could only shovel away three quarters of it.

We were looking forward to seeing the demo by a certain international rugbyman of Cornish descent, but unfortunately missed a good portion due to the smallest and his bowels.

By fiveish we’d had our fill, bought some Longhorn beef Ribeyes and burgers for a BBQ tea along with a few choice souvenirs, and caught the bus back.

The front field was full of noisy canines so we kept ourselves to ourselves for the evening and after a good nosh moved indoors as it was getting dark and cold.

We put the heating on and made up the beds, tilting the head end up and piling all the pillows up and the four of us settled down for movie night.

Sunday we knew it wouldn’t take too long to pack away and it was fine and sunny, and we were away by one. That’s probably the last weekend away now until half term. Better let the (mucky) wheels cool down a bit