Plan was to go to Dorset, maybe Minehead since we don’t see the sea often these days and the weather is still ok.  Plan stuffed by the fuel shortages with the crisis still in full flow.  Tewksbury seemed like a good idea, since it is only 100 miles away,  more or less on the way home and has shops and good public transport links.  We still have a possibility of moving somewhere else afterwards should the crisis abate.  Every petrol station we passed on the way had queues or was deserted, and none had any diesel.  Load of cars going into every motorway services.

Day one was very pleasant – sunshine and people sitting out even though it could hardly be described as warm.  Here is the abbey bathed in sunlight:

Tewksbury Abbey

Day two rained cats and dogs all day.  Not going out in that, so no wine and still no fuel.

Day three and very cold out.  Got the bus to Cheltenham which took longer than expected,  The bus passed many petrol stations, all of them with queues to get in and yellow tags on the diesel pumps saying “not is use”.  Cheltenham was freezing and not much fun, but at least we got to see a half-man half-bull person:

The Minotaur and the Hare

We did not intend to go home this early, but the fuel situation is hopeless.  Home is a couple of hours away from here and we have enough diesel to get there – just.  Meanwhile, government ministers rant on about there being plenty of fuel at the refineries, so no crisis.  My arse – if it can’t get to the pumps, I can’t put it in my tank, so their words are as empty as the petrol stations.  And idiot in chief, I mean Chief Secretary to the Treasury, says that the shortage of lorry drivers (which is causing all of this) is nothing to do with brexit.  Really?  That was a waste of an expensive and elaborate education.  Muppets.

Next stop Sparkford:

Why come to this small village a few miles from Yeovil?  Simple – this.

An excellent collection of vehicles, mostly free of the ropes that usually fence off access to the exhibits,  meaning we can walk around most of them  Well done to Haynes for setting it up like this. 

Lancia Flavia convertable

1939 Delahaye

Delahaye interior

1936 Auburn

Why are all the cars I picked red?

Breaking news – fuel crisis.  Not so much panic buying when we got here but the pumps were dry by the time we left.  200 miles from home with just over half a tank of fuel, maybe about 250 miles worth in real world driving.  Pants – this holiday is coming to an end. 

Another mini-holiday kicking off from Birmingham. Next stop Winchester:

The campsite is due to close for refurbishment, to reopen next summer.  We’ll be back then as it’s a handy distance from the midlands and an easy drive.

Usual things to see in Winchester:

Winchester Cathedral

Fine building – but they are charging money to go round it.  The French ones are usually free.

Wolvesey Castle

This one is impressive, interesting, and FREE.  No doubt if this was in France it would cost money to go round.

2020 was a disaster due to Covid.  We managed  to get a short break after the 2021 lockdown:

Nice Campsites and nice weather, but France this was not, which is where we would expect to be at this time of year.

Chirk Aquaduct

Tank floral arrangement at Bridgenorth

These flowerbeds at Bridgenorth were great.  In addition to the tank were other war-related subjects.  These were in the castle grounds in the upper town.  Best thing about Bridgenorth, though, were the hot spicy sausages from the butcher in the lower town, not far from the funicular.

We did manage another “holiday” this year.  Going south we stayed on the M40 and doubled back to Bladon Chains whereas going north the sat nav took us north on the A roads and joined onto the M40 at Banbury.

Not many pictures taken.  Here is Scotts Farm campsite in East Wittering:

Chavland
Nice campsite and nice place – the other visitors not so much.  It’s so cool for three generations of moronic chavs to cick balls around and play hide and seek around your motorhome while swinging from its wing mirrors.  Never again.  Mercifully they had gone by the time this picture was taken.

Not a great year for going on holidays.  We did manage a week in Southport after the first lockdown.  This was a miserable affair with wind, rain and generally rubbish weather.

Pleasureland indeed

The trip: