In need of a break

[Gagakev]

Spent nearly 4 hours today planning holidays/breaks for the coming year.
SWMBO works in the care sector and works every other weekend and this year fell mostly on the bank holidays.
Me I was not amused, sort the dates then change the dates then just for fun change them again Grrrrrr
Then as the daughter and grandson join us sometimes we give a copy to them and guess what, yep you got it, cant do that one GRRR
And the final outcome.........only 36 nights away and I have to take five days of them unpaid.

Oh well only 15 years to retirement

 

[Martin24]

Here it's easy???!!!! School hols grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr fitting in with the entire NHS for swimbo and the most annoying thing?? me at home with no commitments with nothing more than running the house to do! Now if we were away all the time I wouldn't have to do that either! Another 20 years for swimbo and another 10 till the last one hits uni! oh well roll on February Half term!!

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Hi Kev .Just to cheer you up I have just booked Easter away for a week in the New Forest and two weeks on the East Coast (Summer),got to look now to see how many more aways we can get in this year.
Hard work working out all these holidays.
Regards Sir Roger (WM)

 

[Dustydog]

When I worked we took the caravan away on my trips using the Company's hotel allowance for the campsite and food.
It's more problematic with kids I agree.
Mum and dad can enjoy the caravan on many nights even if it's only say 20 miles from home and you go to work from the site spending the evening at your site. Just a pleasant change and still enjoying the caravan.

 

[emmerson]

Sorry about this Kev, but by coincidence, only this morning did I put our already-booked dates into my diary.
We will be away in the van for 132 nights between now and November!
And that's only the booked ones. It does not include the on-the-spot days when life gets too much, so we just hook-up and go.
Ain't retirement wonderful?

Sorry.......................................................!

 

[Gagakev]

Sorry about this Kev, but by coincidence, only this morning did I put our already-booked dates into my diary.
We will be away in the van for 132 nights between now and November!
And that's only the booked ones. It does not include the on-the-spot days when life gets too much, so we just hook-up and go.
Ain't retirement wonderful?

Sorry.......................................................!

I knew I could rely on emmerson for some sympathy

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Sorry about this Kev, but by coincidence, only this morning did I put our already-booked dates into my diary.
We will be away in the van for 132 nights between now and November!
And that's only the booked ones. It does not include the on-the-spot days when life gets too much, so we just hook-up and go.
Ain't retirement wonderful?

Sorry.......................................................!

132 nights! Good effort!

 

[Mel]

Kev, this may not work for you at all, but have you thought about doing weekends at sites in travelling distance to Mrs Kev's work. That way you get more time away, It is still a change for her and the grandkids can join you even if she is in work. We have thought about looking for a seasonal pitch or a store and pitch site not too far away for similar (ish) issues, as we could just get in the car straight from work on Friday without the time it takes to hitch, unhitch and pitch. Haven't done it yet but it is on the "must sort this out" list.
If you are convinced but she is not here is the marketing vision. "Just imagine, love, pulling up to the caravan after work, with a glass of wine waiting, no housework and sitting in peace and quiet watching the sun go down"

(now totally convinced of my own brilliance)
mel

 

[emmerson]

Kev, I did apologise before I told you I'd be out 132 nights!
Nigel, this year is only moderate; last year (2011) we did 172...............................

 

[Gagakev]

Kev, this may not work for you at all, but have you thought about doing weekends at sites in travelling distance to Mrs Kev's work. That way you get more time away, It is still a change for her and the grandkids can join you even if she is in work. We have thought about looking for a seasonal pitch or a store and pitch site not too far away for similar (ish) issues, as we could just get in the car straight from work on Friday without the time it takes to hitch, unhitch and pitch. Haven't done it yet but it is on the "must sort this out" list.
If you are convinced but she is not here is the marketing vision. "Just imagine, love, pulling up to the caravan after work, with a glass of wine waiting, no housework and sitting in peace and quiet watching the sun go down"

(now totally convinced of my own brilliance)
mel

Thanks Lady Mel, the problem is the OH drives the tow car to and from work and my company vehicle is not suitable for the weight of the van, shame really as we are in South Devon and are surrounded by sites.
Not quite ready for seasonal pitch just yet we do like trying differant places when we do get the chance!!!!!
But thanks for the "food for thought" and hope we can get a few more nights in on an ad hock basis somewhere along the line.

 

[Gagakev]

Kev, I did apologise before I told you I'd be out 132 nights!
Nigel, this year is only moderate; last year (2011) we did 172...............................

Go on Sir emmerson keep rubbing it in. I can take it

On a serious note obviously you can and you clearly enjoy it and I wish you all the best, it just makes me think about what I can look forward to in the future. Keep it up.

 

[RogerL]

the problem is the OH drives the tow car to and from work and my company vehicle is not suitable for the weight of the van, shame really as we are in South Devon and are surrounded by sites.
Not quite ready for seasonal pitch just yet we do like trying differant places when we do get the chance!!!!!
But thanks for the "food for thought" and hope we can get a few more nights in on an ad hock basis somewhere along the line.

Consider sites like Stowford Meadows (in North Devon) who also do storage and tow on/off services - you could use it for frequent short stays and then take it off for a week or two when you do get proper holidays.

 

[Gagakev]

the problem is the OH drives the tow car to and from work and my company vehicle is not suitable for the weight of the van, shame really as we are in South Devon and are surrounded by sites.
Not quite ready for seasonal pitch just yet we do like trying differant places when we do get the chance!!!!!
But thanks for the "food for thought" and hope we can get a few more nights in on an ad hock basis somewhere along the line.

Consider sites like Stowford Meadows (in North Devon) who also do storage and tow on/off services - you could use it for frequent short stays and then take it off for a week or two when you do get proper holidays.
[/quote

Thanks Roger,again food for thought, currently keep van on drive at home so no storage fees but between you and Mel (and DD in an earlier post) think you are convincing me there are alternatives.
Actually like Stowford, bought my current van from them and stayed there twice last year, and of course up again for the PC rally this year.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Oh well only 15 years to retirement

Don't wish your life away Kev because I can guarantee you that once you retire the days fly by. I must admit that if I had to go back to the ambulance service now they'd need horses to drag me back and at the first opportunity I'd top myself

Even when you've retired all isn't plain sailing as you will see in another post when we had to cancel because of our dog

Still loving life despite the stress of the last few weeks though

All I ask is to wake up breathing. My worse fear is to wake up dead

 

[emmerson]

hey up mate, welcome back! Have you thought that if you die in your sleep, you wouldn't know about it till you woke up?

 

[joeby]

Just to cheer you up gagakev , had a couple of nights away last week , and on the 25 Jan we fly out to Australia for 2 months , and in April we have booked a site in Evesham for a week , then 7 nights at Stowford farm for the readers rally , once you have retired you have to cram as much in as you can while you are fit enough to do it , also there are no pockets in a shroud

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

hey up mate, welcome back! Have you thought that if you die in your sleep, you wouldn't know about it till you woke up?

That's one of my phobias Emmo

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

there are no pockets in a shroud

... and it serves no purpose to try and be the richest man in the churchyard

 

[Gagakev]

Just to cheer you up gagakev , had a couple of nights away last week , and on the 25 Jan we fly out to Australia for 2 months , and in April we have booked a site in Evesham for a week , then 7 nights at Stowford farm for the readers rally , once you have retired you have to cram as much in as you can while you are fit enough to do it , also there are no pockets in a shroud

A flying caravan-------got to see that let me know on take off

 

[joeby]

i am actually hiring a camper van for a while when we get to OZZ so why would i need a flying caravan , Britains not the only country that has them , if gagakev you had read it right , i said we as in 2 people are flying to OZZ

 

[Gagakev]

i am actually hiring a camper van for a while when we get to OZZ so why would i need a flying caravan , Britains not the only country that has them , if gagakev you had read it right , i said we as in 2 people are flying to OZZ

Hi Joe, have a wonderful time in OZZ did a stop over there back in 2005when we went to New Zealand and stayed in Melbourne, way too hot for me and the OH, stayed in the air conditioned hotel on the last day!!
Fancy the camper van thing to explore the South Island(NZ) if and when we eventually get back there, earthquakes permitting

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

My wifes penfriend comes from Oz and she's come and stayed with us five times now, usually a month at a time

She prefers it over here and she hates the heat. I did say to her that they had air conditioning in their homes and cars but her reply was you can't stay in your car or home all bloody summer, sometime you have to go outside

She's Oz born with a Maori father. When she comes here to stay she brings five empty cases, one inside the other, then fills them with new clothes to take home. Last time she came she didn't even have room for the clothes she came in so we had to send them back in a parcel. If it's too hot for her it'll certainly be too hot for me

 

[joeby]

Dear LB , Australia is 45 times larger than the UK , its 2.5 times larger than Europe including the sea , if go onto the web and look at a map superimposed with Europe superimposed on Europe you will see what i mean , if your friend finds it too hot why does she not move to a cooler part they even have Ski resorts there , its mainly in the North where you get it really hot , i have never found it too hot , it can get a bit clammy at night , we stay normally on the Eastern Coast between Brisbane and Sydney and so far this summer the teperature has been around the 70-85 F mark as i am writing this on the Gold Coast its 10,45 PM and the temp is 70 F , some people talk about flies , but i see more in the UK than i ever saw there , but they do have a massive spider there called a Huntsman which my wife can testify to she must have been doing 50 mph when she came running out the bathroom i trapped it in an ice cream container and put it outside , i really enjoyed there lifestyle , as my Grandson only lives about a 100 yards from the beach i used walk there dog up there at 6,30 AM every morning , a lot of the natives are already in the sea surfing before they go to work , same again in the afternoon , and why your friend buys lots of clothes in the UK , is because the cost of living is more expensive in OZZ , not because they dont have a good living over there , its because our £ is so week against there $ , but the wages are a lot higher there , my old Job as a Bricklayer i would get £50 more a day than i get in the UK , if i could move over there i would , but unlike this country where any body can come in , they have lots of restrictions in place