I've spent the past few days on a 600 mile round trip to attend a re-union of former work friends. As on previous occasions I turned down offers of accommodation, as I prefer to combine the visit to Sussex with a camping opportunity. I also wanted to try out a new tent and to stay at a small private campsite that I've often used in the past.
The re-union was as riotous as ever, remember, that we were all pre-Snowflakery generation, and if anyone was fashionably offended we were not aware, but luckily no arrests were made even though the meeting was held in a public place.
The campsite is just 3 acres, on the rural outskirts of a small Town, at least it was once a small Town, but now the Developers have it in their grasp. Where the Street Market was held since Medieval times there is now another market, a German Super Market, and also a Fitness Centre where the newly arrived residents with their Tanning Lounge orange skins and 4x4 BMW's congregate.
The owner of the campsite was strangely subdued when I spoke to him and I was not surprised when he explained why. 1100 new houses are to be built in the green fields that surround his property. On the opposite side of the narrow country road where the campsite is situated another 700 houses are planned.
He and his wife are in their 70's, he was born in the house that stands on the campsite.
Anyway, that's progress, The new developments will have names to lure the incoming City folk, names like Bluebell Meadow and Badgers Dene I expect, although the Bluebells will have been torn from the earth and the Badgers either poisoned or gassed to allow the green fields to be concreted over.
This is the tent, A Vango, and I'm happy as it does everything that I require of it for car camping.
These are the surroundings, a last look at English countryside before it disappears for ever.
On a more cheerful note. It transpired that someone who had been very briefly attached to my old troop had recently died and quite a few of the blokes had sent sympathy cards, condolences etc: to his family. He had a well earned reputation as being extremely tight fisted, he made Scrooge look generous....
A younger man unknown to us turned up at the re-union and revealed that he was the deceased's Son and wished to thank the card senders. He was asked about his Father's funeral, when and where had it taken place ?
" Dad donated his body to Science, to save the expense of a funeral" was his explanation.
Collapse of numerous elderly blokes, all crying with laughter and the complete loss of any discipline or order thereafter..
..
The re-union was as riotous as ever, remember, that we were all pre-Snowflakery generation, and if anyone was fashionably offended we were not aware, but luckily no arrests were made even though the meeting was held in a public place.
The campsite is just 3 acres, on the rural outskirts of a small Town, at least it was once a small Town, but now the Developers have it in their grasp. Where the Street Market was held since Medieval times there is now another market, a German Super Market, and also a Fitness Centre where the newly arrived residents with their Tanning Lounge orange skins and 4x4 BMW's congregate.
The owner of the campsite was strangely subdued when I spoke to him and I was not surprised when he explained why. 1100 new houses are to be built in the green fields that surround his property. On the opposite side of the narrow country road where the campsite is situated another 700 houses are planned.
He and his wife are in their 70's, he was born in the house that stands on the campsite.
Anyway, that's progress, The new developments will have names to lure the incoming City folk, names like Bluebell Meadow and Badgers Dene I expect, although the Bluebells will have been torn from the earth and the Badgers either poisoned or gassed to allow the green fields to be concreted over.
This is the tent, A Vango, and I'm happy as it does everything that I require of it for car camping.
These are the surroundings, a last look at English countryside before it disappears for ever.
On a more cheerful note. It transpired that someone who had been very briefly attached to my old troop had recently died and quite a few of the blokes had sent sympathy cards, condolences etc: to his family. He had a well earned reputation as being extremely tight fisted, he made Scrooge look generous....
A younger man unknown to us turned up at the re-union and revealed that he was the deceased's Son and wished to thank the card senders. He was asked about his Father's funeral, when and where had it taken place ?
" Dad donated his body to Science, to save the expense of a funeral" was his explanation.
Collapse of numerous elderly blokes, all crying with laughter and the complete loss of any discipline or order thereafter..
..
