The Friday gang Wally campout

Its now a tradition that one of the many camping trips of the year is to Wally with all Lily's little friends that used to meet up on a Friday. With most now in pre-school and with parents working it was a slow start. I roll in just after midday and found our spot under the trees at the end of the site.



Within a couple of hours I was pitched, showered and sipping ice cold cider in the chair before falling asleep reading a book! Soon the tranquillity was shattered by the arrival one after the other of the five families joining us.



Much pegging and erecting and we had a little village of tents. Dinner was rustled up and soon it was bedtime for the small ones. Herding nine children to bed is never an easy task, but by the time it was dark most were snoozing away. Leaving the adults to natter until midnight.





Saturday dawned bright and sunny and soon everyone was up, pancakes were made for the kids and a variety of fried efforts fed the adults.







As is the norm we set off for town, coffees and lunches were taken to the Castle grounds where a picnic under the trees gave enough energy to climb to the top of the castle hill and back.







On to the splashpool to cool off and ice creams before the majority headed back to camp for the afternoon. A couple of us went hunter gatherer and bought meat for the BBQ.





With three hot grills going we turned £50 worth of meat into feast and left many with the meat sweats. Then a round of smores were served up, choccy biscuits with melted marshmallow in the middle.















With the knackered kids far easier to get into bed we again settled in for a night of natter and cider.





Rain greeted us on Sunday, but it soon cleared and after a mammoth breakfast of bacon, black pudding & mushroom wraps with optional fried egg we packed away dry. The children sat and read books and before long it was goodbye time.







We trundled into the town and parked up for a quick walk round and a coffee before the slow cruise back. It was another successful weekend under canvas/tintop. The adults got to relax (a bit) and the kids all played nicely, there were no broken bones (just!) and now the planning begins for the next one!



Steve.