He-di-hi campers!
Yes, we the Hillier family, have finally made it camping. Well,'Glamping' actually-the negotiations that took place between Rob and I prior to the trip included making sure there was an electric hook up so I could straighten my hair. Which is ironic as I never actually get to do my hair at home. Plus, the fact that I can write this post with a very good 3G signal suggests that we are no where near a forest that harbours bears and things.
Unfortunately, we are more like Ted Bovis and Gladys Pugh than Bear Grylls the Chief Scout dude and that lovely Blue Peter presenter Helen who sailed down the Amazon in a canoe. Even the fancy fleeces that we are wearing, apparently a campsite fashion must, can't disguise the fact that we aren't seasoned campers.
Never mind! All that matters is that we 4 are here to spend quality time together!
Fortunately, we have managed to drag ourselves away from a ballroom lesson with Barry and Yvonne in the 'Club House'. For now, anyway.
We arrived yesterday afternoon at the campsite to a meadow and a pitch that was basked in sunshine; we were all alone and the smell of freshly cut grass made us feel that summer was finally attempting to show its face after such a grizzly winter. Immediately I fell for the romanticised depiction of camping.
That was until we started to put the 6 man tent up. Two and a half hours in the blazing heat and 2 very miserable young children later, we finally had our home for the next few days (don't even get me started on the awning).
If you ever find your relationship in crisis don't bother with expensive therapy. Get to 'Go Outdoors' immediately and buy the cheapest but more importantly, the biggest tent you can find. Two hours later, if you haven't impaled each other with tent pegs, it probably means that this one is for keeps.
Anyway, I didn't cook as I had anticipated. We had chippy from 'Fish'n'Chicken' and went to bed, wondering what our first full day would bring ...
