Cropredy, Narrowboats and Sunshine.

Not far from our home is the small pretty village of Cropredy.

It was made famous by its link with Fairport Convention and the Cropredy Folk Festival where every year in August swarms of people descend on the place for the annual three days of music and good fun.

The rest of the time it is a charming place with a canal running through its centre and lots of colourful narrowboats moored up, or passing through the locks and some lovely walks along the canal or around the village itself.

On the entrance to the village there is a plaque telling of The Battle of Cropredy Bridge, which was a battle of the English Civil Wars fought on 29 June 1644 . Immortalised in the lyrics to the song Red and Gold written by Ralph McTell and sung by Fairport Convention.

So, on a sunny afternoon we decided to pack a delicious lunch and head off in the bus for an afternoon by the canal.

Joe manouvered the bus down the narrow street leading to where we wanted to park and we found a lovely spot and flung open the side door of the bus letting in the birdsong and a much needed breeze. Of course the kettle was on in minutes and we decided to eat before we explored.

The camper is such a comfortable space to relax in and it is so good to be able to take it to all these lovely places. It is like taking your house to a picturesque place, opening the side of it and looking at the view! I don't think I will ever get tired of it.

Well, delicious food eaten, we lock up and head onto the towpath. Immediately I am struck by the beauty of the surroundings, greenery everywhere, wonderful willow trees overhanging the water and brightly coloured narrowboats moored alongside.

We stop to speak to a couple with a friendly old cat, all three soaking up the sunshine on their boat, she has her hand-made jewellry for sale, all set out at the front of the boat. They are from Yorkshire, retired, and live on the boat from May to September. We talk about travelling with Cats, about life on the canal, and the glorious sunshine.

People moored, or passing on boats, wave and say hello, there is a relaxed happy feel around the place as we continue our walk.

We leave the towpath and take a walk around the village, it is a warm sleepy afternoon there are flowers everywhere, bees buzzing, butterflies and birdsong.



We make our way down to the bridge where I look in the gift shop, a real aladdins cave of colour and smells. Then down the steep stairs and back onto the towpath to make our way back.

We sit a while and watch the boats manouvering through the locks, the regulars doing it with relaxed ease, the holiday makers looking slightly stressed, anxiously watching the side of their boat as they rise as the water gushes in to the lock.

Walk over, we are warm and in need of a drink, we climb into the bus and before long are leaning back on cushions drinking coffee in the cool shade of the trees.

Then back in the cab, music on, we head for home.

Another beautiful day!

Cropredy Village Website
Fairport Convention and Cropredy Festival
Listen to the song Red and Gold

Independence Day - July 4th at Sulgrave Manor

This Journey is very close to home.

Sulgrave Manor is surrounded by beautiful rolling English countryside and is famous for being the home of George Washingtons ancestors. It houses the largest UK collection of George Washington memorabilia demonstrating the British contribution to the origins of the USA, with a separate exhibition on George's life and career in the US.

A popular tourist attraction, every year among its varied events it celebrates Independence Day, which proves a popular destination for American visitors, as they also get free admission on this day.

As locals we are very lucky to have a free pass to the Manor and all the special event days, so on a sunny July 4th we decided to pay a visit and celebrate American style!

There were coaches and lots of cars in the small car park to our right as we walked up the long gravel drive toward the Manor. As we approched the entrance we could see the American flag on the wall of the covered archway.

We entered and turned left in through the gift shop and up to the admission desk where we flashed our passes and were handed a programme and told to have a nice day.

Checking the running order of the events I was sorry to see that we had just missed one of the performances by the visiting Appalachian Dancers.

My attention was quickly diverted as we walked out into the sunny courtyard and spotted the magnificent American Eagle. He seemed very calm and was obviously used to the routine and the attention of children and their parents.

People were sitting around at the tables in the pretty courtyard drinking coffee and enjoying the sunshine while others were touring the house or looking at the exhibitions. With the high entrance price people usually make a day of it.

We are lucky just to be able to come and go as we please and we head off toward the gardens.

As we take a right turn we notice the top of a small red and white striped tent, as we get closer we realise it is a Punch and Judy show, all set up with a blanket on the ground waiting for an audience to amass before the next show.

I don't hang around, I never did like Punch and Judy!.
In the distance there is another area set up with 5 or 6 Siberian huskies surrounded by children, they have obviously pinched the Punch and Judy crowd. We continue on our way.

I am amazed at how wonderful the gardens are looking as I catch a glimpse of the Manor house and the Marquee set up on one of the lawns. It really is a beautiful place with such a tranquil feel.

We walk through the small orchard complete with pretty white beehives and I hear a Father say to the small girl holding his hand "do you see those white things" he crouches down to her level while pointing at them, "yes" she says all wide eyed, "do you know what lives in them?" he asks tenderly, she thinks for a moment, then looks up at him as she answers falteringly "parrots?".

I smile to myself as eager to see what is going on we head on toward the Manor house and the Marquee. I love the first sight of the Manor looked at face on, as you approach.

It always flies both the English and American flag from its flagpoles.

Well, the marquee and tables and chairs are empty right now, so I head toward my favourite part of the garden, the herb garden.

It is a one of The Herb Society gardens, and has different sections showing medicinal herbs, culinary herbs etc.

It is always a delight to see and smell all the wonderful plants.

We notice people moving through to the area near the Vegetable garden, we cut through the herb garden to see what is going on.

On a grassy bank are gathered a group of smart young men with American accents. It turns out that they are The Tigertones an acapella choir from Princeton University in the USA. They were nearing the end of their European tour and had been booked to entertain the visitors at the Independence day celebrations.

They are very good and the crowd that contains lots of Americans are suitably appreciative.

Next there is to be a tree planting ceremony. A Virginia Dogwood Tree is to be planted by a local MP while at the very same time in Pope's Creek, Virginia, USA, birthplace of George Washington, an English Oak is being planted.

It is filmed by one of the two National Park Service Rangers from Pope's Creek, Virgina, who has been on hand throughout the day to answer any questions from visitors.

As the Tigertones mingle with the crowd we head off back through the garden.

We make our way back round to the front of the manor, where I am struck by the beautiful flowers in front of the old window.

We see children talking to a couple and as we get closer we notice the parrot casually sitting beside them on the arm of the bench.

Then as we watch, we see the large cockatoo that was sitting on the mans lap disappear up inside his Tshirt! "he gets spooked by the wind" he told us.

It turns out that they were visiting for the day celebrations and that they take their birds out everywhere with them.

We decide that it is about time to head home for a cup of tea. So we retrace our steps back through the gate up toward the Orchard, noticing the unusual chairs dotted around for visitors to use.

Then quickly past the Punch and Judy tent. One last look back at the manor before we leave. It has been a really lovely afternoon.

Back through the shop, down the gravel drive and within 10 minutes we are back home with the kettle on. We didn't need the bus on this journey but we as we didn't want you to miss out on the day, we bought you along anyway!

Sulgrave Manor - Link
About Sulgrave Manor Garden - Link
The Princeton Tigertones - Link

A Birthday Trip to Bourton on the Water

Bourton on the Water and Stow on the Wold

My birthday arrived bringing with it a beautiful sunny day, a welcome relief after all the rain we have had recently. We had decided to wait to see what the weather was like before making any plans for a day out, but as the sun was shining brightly we decided to visit Bourton on the Water. We had never been there before but after checking how far it was (about 30 miles) and reading a bit about it online, we decided that it was going to be our destination.

We did our usual stop off at the supermarket for fresh crusty rolls to join the rest of the provisions already packed in the bus and set off through the countryside with the music playing.

BOURTON ON THE WATER
As we drove into Bourton on the Water we were amazed at how busy it was and at the sheer volume of tourists there.

We drove past a huge car park full of coaches and day trippers and followed the road through the town itself, to see if there was a car park closer to the centre, unfortunately the one we came across had a height restricted barrier which we couldn't get under, so we turned around and headed back.

I then noticed parking spaces by the side of the road and someone was pulling out! Joe skillfully manouvered the bus into the gap and we now had a free parking place with two hours to explore.

It was such a gorgeous day, sunny and warm and the place had a real holiday feel.

People were sitting and enjoying the sunshine (and ice creams) as children and dogs played in the shallow water.

We had a lovely couple of hours exploring and enjoying the holday atmosphere before heading back.

We were parked in a quiet spot near the church and decided that we may as well stay there to have our lunch.

It was nice and cool in the bus as we had made sure that the curtains were drawn on the window facing the sun.

We soon made and devoured our delicious rolls and drank a much needed cup of coffee.

Suitably revived! we found a second wind and I suggested that we call in to Stow on the Wold before heading home.

It was only about 7 miles away and was somewhere else we had heard of but had never visited before.

We climbed in the cab and set off on the next leg of our journey.

STOW ON THE WOLD
We pulled into the pretty main square of Stow on the Wold. I was struck by the beautiful flower filled hanging baskets everywhere.

It was a picturesque place but nowhere near as busy as Bourton on the Water had been. By this time we really needed to stretch our legs again, so decided more exploration was in order!

There were some interesting shops and lots of galleries with colourful pictures adorning the windows. As it was now getting quite late in the day a lot of shops were already closed and the few we managed to visit were just about to lock up for the evening.

So we took a leisurely walk around and did some window shopping (a much cheaper alternative!) as we took in the old buildings and the ambience of the place and enjoyed the early evening sunshine.

We were now beginning to feel a bit weary and decided to head back to the bus for another drink. It was really nice, relaxing, drinking coffee and people watching through the tinted windows.

COINCIDENCE
Then a van drew up alongside and I could see the driver looking at the bus. He obviously didn't realise we were inside, as when he caught my eye through the open window he looked shocked! He asked if we converted the bus ourselves and Joe and he got talking and we invited him to come and have a look inside.

He parked up and came over and we opened the side door - he looked inside and shouted "a bus for us!" (the name of the blog Joe kept to document the self build conversion project) we laughed! and he said it was our campervan that inspired him to start converting his! What a small world!

He was a really nice guy and we talked for a while and showed him round etc. We forgot to ask his name but if by some chance he ever reads this and recognises himself - hello! it was great meeting you!

By now it was getting late so we headed for home, deciding to stop on the way for a bag of chips (french fries for my American readers :-)) - a delicious end to a wonderful day!

We decided that from now on, the birthday trips out would be an annual event - it makes such a wonderful memory and experiences last longer than presents - though don't get me wrong, I am not saying instead of presents - I will have presents too! - ;-)

About - Bourton on the Water
About - Stow on the Wold
Blog - A-Bus-For-Us

Cats and Coffee Close to Home

It was a quiet afternoon and the weather was trying to make up its mind whether to bathe us in bright sunshine or soak us with torrential downpours.

Feeling optimistic during one of the longer sunny spells, we decided to load us all into the bus and go for a short drive so the cats could get another chance to get used to the fact that this 'room' moves!

All aboard and with an accompaniment of miaows of various pitches, off we went.

Our destination was to be a beautiful secluded spot about 10 minutes away from home.

We intended to park up in a quiet country road overlooking the lake at Marston St. Lawrence, where we could relax, enjoy the scenery and read a book for a while, as we drank copious cups of coffee.

As we are usually open to unexpected changes of plan we frequently find other things on the way to our original spot, and today was no exception, so we pulled over just before we reached our destination as the view of a sunlit field with the grass moving like ocean waves in the wind was captivating.

The kettle was soon on and both cats and humans were enjoying the view. . .


















































When all of a sudden, the Sun disappeared and the rain started, not just gentle drops falling but buckets hurled from the heavens!

Coffee in hand with the thundering sound of the torrent on the roof we decided to slowly drive down to our original destination and take some shelter under the canopy of the trees. Coffee sloshing in our cups, we made our way down the bumpy road, and parked up.

Overlooking the lake at Marston St Lawrence
































It's a wonderful spot and looked beautiful, even with the rain.

















Two views in one day, a cup of coffee overlooking a sunlit field and the next overlooking a rain soaked lake all from the comfort of our busl.
This is one diy project I am glad was started! Wonderful.

Then it was miaow, miaow, miaow all the way home!

More about Marston St. Lawrence - Link

Our First Overnight Stay

We decided that it was time for an overnight stay in the camper to try everything out. As Joe's birthday was coming up, we agreed that if the weather was good, that would be the time to go. As we were only going overnight we decided to leave the cats at home so we didn't have to watch the 'escape artist', we wanted to be able to relax, get the feel of the bus and enjoy Joe's birthday.

We kept our eye on the weather forecast and the day before we had decided to go, it was a lovely, so we rang the campsite, booked ourself in and loaded up the bus. Cat bowls were filled, water bowls topped up and litter trays sorted and before you knew it we were in the cab, sunglasses on, music playing, and off on another mini adventure.

After stopping off at the supermarket for birthday goodies, we headed off to the campsite, it wasn't too far but we could have been miles away! We had found it once when we were exploring and had always meant to go back, as it had such stunning views.

We arrived at Fir Tree Farm and quickly found ourselves a great pitch, right at the top of the field and pulled in and parked on an angle to make the most of the wonderful views.

Before long we were set up, hook up cable plugged in, kettle on and the chairs set up outside.

It is a really lovely place, green and idyllic, overlooking a steep valley.

It has a Falconry Centre and a fishing lake in the lower 'valley' part of the site which we could see from our vantage point on higher ground.

After a cup of tea and a check to see that everything was still in place after the journey, we went for a walk, following the edge of the field down the steep hill. We took our time, enjoying the sunshine, the birdsong and the beautiful countryside.

We stopped for a while to get our breath back before returning up the hill, and sat and took in the views.

Then we headed back to the bus to chill out and start the birthday celebrations.

We had bought lots of nice food to eat later in the evening and despite rarely drinking anything alcoholic these days, we had decided that the occasion called for it.

The first night out in the bus, Joes birthday and this lovely evening - all cause for celebration.

So, we filled our glasses and as we sat and relaxed, looking out at the glorious view and enjoying the evening sunshine, we drank to all the things we had to celebrate!

With the sun in our eyes, we talked about the steps of the journey, from collecting the old tired minibus, to sitting outside it now, a fully converted motorhome and it was looking great.

Now, feeling the effects of the unnacustomed alcohol and the warm sun, I slipped into a quiet reverie, my arms suddenly feeling very heavy. Joe was laughing as I told him that I felt as though someone had wrapped me in bubble wrap.

I picked up my writing pad and started to write down what I observed around me.

"Sitting watching the shadows grow longer. Sun sinking slowly in the June sky. Skylarks sing, Insects move lazily through the heavy air. Fields like random jigsaw pieces decorate the horizon.

Individual blades of grass, sunlit and waving gently in the almost imperceptable breeze. The click of mobile phone keys.In the midst of this natural wonderland, emails are still checked. The vodka I am unused to, wraps me in a blanket, as I reach for another sip."

The sky grows darker and we go inside, marvelling at our first experience of hook up, we use all the lights and watch a DVD, as we quickly polish off all our food.

I sit in the toilet with the small DVD player on my lap, watching the end of the film as Joe makes up the bed. Full to the brim, and a little bit worse for wear, we clamber into the newly made bed and prepare to sleep our first night in the bus.

Bright and early the next morning we wake to a misty view, the sunlight of the day before has vanished leaving us with grey clouds. We drink coffee as Joe opens his birthday cards, balancing them on the back of the seat cushions. We throw open the side door and watch and listen as the day comes alive.

I see my writing pad from the night before and we laugh as we remember my arms not working. :-)

Coffee is sipped as I write about this morning after the night before.

"Morning after, grey light, still air, tractor in the distance, faint birdsong. It seems the world is not yet quite awake. The valley spreads out in front of me, a feast for my eyes. I sit quietly while my vision absorbs the colour green."

It was a wonderful overnight stay, the first of many.

We packed up our stuff, got in the cab, turned on the music and headed for home.

Links:
Fir Tree Farm Campsite
Falconry Centre at Fir Tree Farm
The National Herb Centre - Very close by and worth a visit - especially for its nature trail.