Small Man With Van: Up North

Thursday 9 October 2014

Up North

Parked in the car park

So Granddad Geoffers had found a campsite very close to him and my Grandma Brenda and Granddad Ernie. http://www.smithsonfarm.co.uk/ ( Do you know I have 4 Granddads but only 2 Nanas. How does that work?) It was a Caravan and Camping Club site at £15 a night. We arrived there at 1.30 and parked in the car park. Mama jumped out to find out where the site was and discovered we were in it.


A view of Pendle

The North of England is so very green. A different green to Dorset. It was cold though. We had stopped at Sandbach services and changed out of our shorts and into our thermals. Granddad Geoffers came over to see us and brought the Mr. D which Mama had ordered. Mama was beside herself. I have never seen anyone get so excited about a pan! Apparently it is a slow cooker which works without heat. So what! http://mrdscookware.com/ She is mad for it.
We walked to an Indian restaurant up the road. The Shapla. http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g503927-d3806755-Reviews-Shapla_Indian_Restaurant-Burnley_Lancashire_England.html
Mama had been singing her 'I'm gonna eat chilli song' for hours. She claimed she hadn't had a chilli since leaving Tooting but I don't believe her. She did that embarassing thing in the restaurant of asking the waiter a hundrerd trick questions to find out if it was going to be authentic food and then looked sad when it wasn't. I had a great time. They were really nice and really friendly. I ate everything up as it wasn't hot at all. I also made friends with a man called Jeff who shook my hand and said it was terribly nice to meet me.

The Cut

The next day we walked to Brierfield along the canal which is beautiful.

It was full of sunshine. They have built a marina where you can hire barges. Mama made lunch in Mr. D and we drove to Grandma Brenda's house and parked outside. She and Granddad came in and we had lunch and wine and cheese and sat parked in the road for 2 hours. It was great. I showed them round the van. Mr D's lunch was a success and I think Daddy may have had to eat his hat.
Aunty Jayne and Aunty Ping and Aunty Joyce and Uncle Keith came to see us the next day. They are lovely and said they are going to come and see us in Spain which I would like very much. We went for dinner with them. To another pub! I like pubs. I like my Aunty Ping and Aunty Jayne. I missed them when she went. Mama drank a bit too much as she was very grumpy the next day. She said she was grumpy because the site charged her £10.50 for the electricity which was only running our fridge for 3 days and they wanted 2 x 50p for every 5 minute shower. I think it was because she had quite a few glasses of beer. She refused to shower the whole time we were there. And she kept moaning because there wasn't any internet. And I stood in dog caca. And there was more dog caca at the back of the van.