04 Tuesday Nov 2014
Posted in General, Mini Break, Travelling in the UK, Weekend Break
Tags
Blackpool, Blackpool Illuminations, Caravanning, Caravans, Manor House, Manor House Caravan Park, Touring, Towing, Travel Trailer
Monday 27th October was the start of our next trip, our annual ‘cycle Blackpool Illuminations. Well I say annual, it was actually the third time we have done this. We again opted for a return visit to one of Tranquil Touring Parks member’s sites, the excellent Manor House Caravan Park at Marton Moss run by Jeremy and Sharon Haworth. Continue reading
28 Monday Oct 2013
Posted in General, Travelling in the UK, Trips, Weekend Break
Tags
Blackpool, Blackpool Illuminations, Caravan, Caravanning, Caravans, Manor House Caravan Park, Squires Gate, Touring, Towing, travel, Travel Trailer, Travel Trailers
Trip number 30 was becoming our annual jaunt to Blackpool to cycle the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations. Last year we stayed at Eastham Hall, but this year while staying at The Old Oaks, Tara had given us a book, “Tranquil Touring Parks Guide“, which listed 30 top adults only touring parks. The newest member was Manor House Caravan Park (http://www.manorhousecaravanpark.co.uk/) just outside Blackpool at Marton Moss. For us it was conveniently located about three miles from Squires Gate – the start of the illuminations – so we could cycle straight from the site to Squires Gate, along the prom all the way to Bispham and back again. A total of about 20 miles. Continue reading
25 Tuesday Sep 2012
Posted in Travelling in the UK, Trips, Weekend Break
Tags
Blackpool Illuminations, Caravanning, Caravans, Eastham Hall, Lytham, Meteor, One Hairy Caravanner, Towing, travel, Travel Trailers
The end to Sue’s two week break was a trip back to Eastham Hall so we could see Blackpool Illuminations on their 100th Anniversary. Sat in my office at home writing this, I can’t believe how lucky we were with the weather as the rain lashes down on the window and the wind is blowing the first soggy autumn leaves around the garden in big swirls. As Eastham Hall is only 60 miles from our storage site, there was no rush in loading up. As we had only come back from Winchcombe four days earlier, we knew the van was in stand-by mode and all we needed to do was replenish the food boxes and a wardrobe change.
Stopping at Rivington Services (M61 N) for a coffee. All 38 foot 6 inches of outfit fitted lengthwise…..
We set off from the compound just before 10:30. The bit of light rain we had first thing by now had dissipated and it was brightening up. We hadn’t been going that long really and my caffeine levels were severely depleted and that required a quick coffee shop stop.
It has been a few years since I’d been into Rivington Services (a loo stop on the way to work I think when I was at BAE Systems). Since the services had been made famous by Peter Kay a few years back for his “That Peter Kay Thing” TV series, they have gone through a bit of a transformation… well less a transformation and more a “that’s crap, knock it down and start again” upgrade. At least this time someone at the planning stage had said “what about caravans?” Continue reading
Caravan Chronicles 