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Travel Journal, 2016 April to June

8 May 2016
After a couple of days spent putting David's tandem together and then testing his and ours in the brilliant cycle-friendly Almere environment, moved to another marina, this time at Spakenberg.
This is an old fishing town where the fishing boats of yesteryear are lovingly maintained and even raced. Not surprisingly, given the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, sailing history seems to be in the blood.
Jenny and Rosemarie were suitably impressed.
5 May 2016
Found a pleasant marina at Almere Haven for our van and booked a spot for Jenny and David's rented van.
Discovered it was a family environment...
...and went for a ride on the tandem to admire some creative Dutch housing.
3 May 2016
A smooth crossing on the Stena Line Britannica. You can just make out, on the horizon, a massive wind farm in the middle of the North Sea between Harwich and Hook of Holland.
A smooth crossing on the Stena Line Britannica. You can just make out, on the horizon, a massive wind farm in the middle of the North Sea between Harwich and Hook of Holland.

We'd planned to meet Jenny and David at Schiphol on the Friday, but only about a week earlier we were still struggling to sort out the van's water pump problems and wondering if we'd be able to fit everything into our Littleport storage container.  Fortunately, both issues were resolved;  see below.

3 May 2016
Another pump, but this time 30 psi rather than 20. Made all the difference.
We'd had our doubts about fitting all our UK possessions, including the Fiat 500, the Ducati and its trailer and assorted bicycles into our 20' container at Littleport...
...but we needn't have worried. There was at least 5mm to spare.
26 Apr 2016
Still to find out how this could have happened. It felt like it just jumped out of gear. I'd like to know what design or maintenance oversight allowed this to happen. The van had recently been inspected.
Still to find out how this could have happened. It felt like it just jumped out of gear. I'd like to know what design or maintenance oversight allowed this to happen. The van had recently been inspected.

Today I (John) should have been doing my HGV licence test to convert from my Australian licence.  


Terrified of the ignominy of failing after holding a heavy goods vehicle licence for 50 years, I over-did the study and scored highly on the 100 question multiple choice and the hazard perception tests last week.  But the wheels, literally, fell off my ambitious plan to complete the practical test in a tight time-frame.  As the photo shows, the axle half-shaft was just about to leave the vehicle and possibly send us into the ditch when Kim, my excellent instructor, screamed at me to stop.  This happened yesterday and there was no time for repairs, nor a replacement vehicle, so the test will now wait until we return from the Continent in a couple of months.


We'd been staying at Wellington Country Park, near Reading, for the previous 10 days or so while I swotted for much of the time.  See shots below.

26 Apr 2016
Master of all he surveys... While Nelson's is much more public in Trafalgar Square, Wellington's Commemorative Column was erected on his Hampshire estate at Stratfield Saye House, by a grateful people in 1863.
Meanwhile a couple of kilometres away at the Wellington Country Park...
...water birds abound.
26 Apr 2016
Wellington Country Park, a tiny segment of the enormous estate granted to the Duke of Wellington 200 years ago, and still in his family under the 9th Duke, we just about had the area to ourselves..
The red deer, in another part of the vast estate.
Probably not up to Australian fire fighting equipment standards!
17 Apr 2016
Clouds above the Kennet & Avon canal near Devizes
Clouds above the Kennet & Avon canal near Devizes

Headed for Bristol today to have the repaired Webasto heater refitted after a busy ten days or so at the excellent Caravan Club Abbey Wood site.  We celebrated Tim's birthday over Vietnamese cuisine in East London and farewelled Louisa, leaving the following day for a quick two week trip to Sydney during a break from work as she moves to a challenging new job.

17 Apr 2016
Along with many other places in the UK, the history of the Abbey Wood area is extensive.
The sign says "Lock Flight Pumps Powered by the Sun". The Caen Hill Locks, restored during the 1990s have a solar powered water back pump installation for the water-hungry 29 lock 19th century engineering masterpiece.
Waiting at the auto-electricians at Bristol for the repaired heater/boiler to be refitted, after two weeks of buckets and staying at locations with full facilities.
12 Apr 2016
Good weather, so time to jump on to the Bromptons (temporary folding bikes pending replacement by Bike Fridays!) and ride to the Thames Barrier for a closer look.
Views of the O2 stadium at Greenwich with the City in the background. However the workings were closed to the public. They are open infrequently, but there's a big closure on October 2 coming when we plan to revisit to see how it all works.
Passed this sculpture at historic Woolwich Arsenal on the way back to Abbey Wood along the Thames.
10 Apr 2016
The first new leaves of summer in Abbey Wood, 2016
The first new leaves of summer in Abbey Wood, 2016

We're now back at one of our regular London sites, the Caravan Club's Abbey Wood.  It has great facilities that allow us to function pretty much as normal considering that we won't have central heating, hot water or even running water until our heater is repaired by the Bristol electrical engineers.


Our plans to go to Hungary have had to be shelved.  Instead, we're making good use of the time to catch up with the children and to attend to some medical follow-ups for Rosemarie after her leg operation.  All good. 


10 Apr 2016
The bluebells are out in Abbey Wood, a stone's throw from our motorhome campsite.
The visitor experience site at the 800 year old Lesnes Abbey ruins is being enhanced...
...and there's a timeline reflecting the Abbey's path through the history of England.
6 Apr 2016
The climb up to the Chapel of St Mary Tory is worth it for the great views of Bradford-on-Avon.
The climb up to the Chapel of St Mary Tory is worth it for the great views of Bradford-on-Avon.

We'd been hoping to catch up with our good Sydney friends, Mike and Lee, but the bunged up heater looked as though it might disrupt our plans.  However, Mike and Lee drove across southern England to meet up with us at Bradford-on-Avon.  


Bradford's canal, the Kennet and Avon, was restored, largely by volunteers, and was reopened in 1990 providing access from the Bristol Channel right through to London.  


The Tithe Barn is one of Bradford's key attractions, see below.  For more information, click here.

6 Apr 2016
An impressive structure; the Tithe Barn's roof weighs 100 tonnes...
...and needs an extraordinarily constructed cruck roof to hold it up.
650 years later, it's a tribute to the builders and craftsmen of the day.
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