Nine go [Retro] Camping

Nick writes - Well it finally came off after a couple of months of planning and a trip out with Bob to check out the campsite. As soon as Molly, the campsite owner, said you can light a fire and there isn't too many rules Bob and I knew this was the campsite for us...........


The people who went were Martin Kath Morris Richard Gill Cannon Tim Nicky Dennison Bob and I. Sorry I nearly forgot Jet (Nicky's dog) this sounds something like an Enid Blyton novel.....

Tim getting hammered...

Nicky showing them the ropes...

Once the tents were up etc. we went for a drink and a lovely meal in Bala town, after our meal we headed back to the campsite, we lit a fire on the beach beside the lake, a couple of drinks and a laugh by a beautiful lake in front of a roaring fire on a summer evening.......WOW......

The next morning we woke up to the smell of canvas and the dawn chorus, so we rubbed our eyes and started boiling water, cooking on every retro method that Bob would allow, Kath's chilli omelettes went down a storm, Tim's home made bread sliced on the Landrover bumper went down well with the spicy sausages and bacon.

Two men in a boat

After a good breakfast we got the canoes out, when I got to the lake Tim and Nicky were already cruising along the lake in Tim's canvas and wood canoe which looked very stable and safe. Bob said "we will go out in mine " "yeah OK I said" still feeling the effects of Richards bottle of whiskey we shared the night before by the fire. We set off into the lake, I said "Bob this boat feels a bit twitchy" Bob replied "Ive been right across this lake with my son when he was younger in this canoe" straight after those comforting words we capsized! Both full clothed Bob even had his heavy duty walking boots on and his deerstalker, at least he had his life jacket on, but I didn't as there was only three life jackets, fully clothed I swam back to the shore.  [Where are those photos? - Sue]

After a hot shower we all decided what we were going to do. Tim went for a walk, Nicky went for a ride with her dog in tow literally!!!!!!!

Bob Richard Gill Martin Kath and I went for a ride around lake Vyrnwy which turned out to be one of the nicest rides I've ever been on, steep in parts but beautiful scenery, we stopped at a Hotel, had a drink with the lake as our backdrop.

One of the aforementioned hills.  Also one of the top 10 in Britain...

What a pretty picture - and
you can see the lake too!

A few more hills later we all met up in Bala town and had a chippy meal, Bobs fish was that bad it had more use as a shoe insole. we then went to the pub across the way taking it in turns to yawn, so tired and a bit cold we set off on our bikes back to the campsite, three minutes in to the journey we had a monsoon we all got soaked and braved it back in the heavy rain, thankfully Nicky's car headlights were behind us so we could see our way along the country lane....

Bob prooves he has 'sole'

The next morning spirits were high, a good hearty breakfast, everything packed away we all made our way home full of smiles and memories and a bag of wet clothes.

After all the talk and planning the retro feel really worked for me and I think i speak for the others too.






More pictures...