Bella's blog

GrannyJen · Jul 11, 2019

Wednesday 10th July:

We all set off on holidays today. Aunty Jen was driving and it was an easy journey: she never got grumpy once and I could sit in my special place between the two front seats on my special rug whilst Max sprawled out on the back being ever so clever and pretending to navigate.

When we got to Ferry Meadows, my best-of-all favourite place, Mum and Aunty Jen had a surprise for us. The daft bats had gone out and bought an awning! Really! Blind leading the blind! What a performance! If I had known what was going to happen I would have sold tickets for it. Max and I rolled on our backs laughing whilst for nearly two hours the hapless pair tried to put an awning up!

Just look at the state of it! Mum hammered in the rock pegs because Aunty Jen has a bad wrist and hand, Aunty Jen pretended to read the instructions but she might as well have been reading the adventures of Lassie. I half expected to see it being taken to the tip in 12 different bits by the time they finished!

Afterwards I just had to beg them to take me to the park so I could have a sniff around my favourite lake. I crept back into the caravan that night, hoping none of my friends would see that I was living in that hilarious excuse for an awning.

They are talking about taking it down tomorrow and trying again. I overheard the wardens talking about getting a video cam ready..... oh the shame!

More tomorrow, Bella xxx

Jay20cali · Jul 11, 2019

GrannyJen said:
Wednesday 10th July:

We all set off on holidays today. Aunty Jen was driving and it was an easy journey: she never got grumpy once and I could sit in my special place between the two front seats on my special rug whilst Max sprawled out on the back being ever so clever and pretending to navigate.

When we got to Ferry Meadows, my best-of-all favourite place, Mum and Aunty Jen had a surprise for us. The daft bats had gone out and bought an awning! Really! Blind leading the blind! What a performance! If I had known what was going to happen I would have sold tickets for it. Max and I rolled on our backs laughing whilst for nearly two hours the hapless pair tried to put an awning up!

Just look at the state of it! Mum hammered in the rock pegs because Aunty Jen has a bad wrist and hand, Aunty Jen pretended to read the instructions but she might as well have been reading the adventures of Lassie. I half expected to see it being taken to the tip in 12 different bits by the time they finished!

Afterwards I just had to beg them to take me to the park so I could have a sniff around my favourite lake. I crept back into the caravan that night, hoping none of my friends would see that I was living in that hilarious excuse for an awning.

They are talking about taking it down tomorrow and trying again. I overheard the wardens talking about getting a video cam ready..... oh the shame!

More tomorrow, Bella xxx

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Can’t wait lol

GillianC · Jul 11, 2019

Hope it isn't windy tonight

sapto · Jul 11, 2019

Dear Bella and Max
That sounds like a party with these two! Please be nice to them, they just give their best and everyhing to make you laugh and giggle and keep you happy! Enjoy your holidays and write soon!

Team Ronnie · Jul 11, 2019

Looks like your having Fun ! Can I ask if Bella sits between the two front seat how do you restrain her so she can sit there . We are new owners of a ocean and our dog restraint fits in to the bench seatbelt and isn't long enough to allow our dog to lie between the seats ?

GrannyJen · Jul 11, 2019

Team Ronnie said:
Looks like your having Fun ! Can I ask if Bella sits between the two front seat how do you restrain her so she can sit there . We are new owners of a ocean and our dog restraint fits in to the bench seatbelt and isn't long enough to allow our dog to lie between the seats ?

Both dogs wear harnesses. Max is secured on the back seat by a belt that clips into seatbelt fixture. Bella is secured by a lead fastened to the passenger seat head rest posts that gives hr enough movement to stand or lie between the two front seats.

motacyclist · Jul 11, 2019

The look on the Eriba’s face

and the Cali grinning next to it :Grin

says it all

BeagleMum · Jul 11, 2019

GrannyJen said:
Wednesday 10th July:

We all set off on holidays today. Aunty Jen was driving and it was an easy journey: she never got grumpy once and I could sit in my special place between the two front seats on my special rug whilst Max sprawled out on the back being ever so clever and pretending to navigate.

When we got to Ferry Meadows, my best-of-all favourite place, Mum and Aunty Jen had a surprise for us. The daft bats had gone out and bought an awning! Really! Blind leading the blind! What a performance! If I had known what was going to happen I would have sold tickets for it. Max and I rolled on our backs laughing whilst for nearly two hours the hapless pair tried to put an awning up!

Just look at the state of it! Mum hammered in the rock pegs because Aunty Jen has a bad wrist and hand, Aunty Jen pretended to read the instructions but she might as well have been reading the adventures of Lassie. I half expected to see it being taken to the tip in 12 different bits by the time they finished!

Afterwards I just had to beg them to take me to the park so I could have a sniff around my favourite lake. I crept back into the caravan that night, hoping none of my friends would see that I was living in that hilarious excuse for an awning.

They are talking about taking it down tomorrow and trying again. I overheard the wardens talking about getting a video cam ready..... oh the shame!

More tomorrow, Bella xxx

View attachment 47408

View attachment 47409

Tee hee, what fun you've had Bella its better than a pantomime! Cant wait for tomorrows episode :upsidedown

Sweet doggie dreams

GrannyJen · Jul 12, 2019

Bella stardate 11th July.

Good morning everyone.

Well, today you could not make it up if you tried!

Aunty Jen took us for our morning walk today and whilst we were having breakfast, nervously in the rickety-rackety awning, Mum and Aunty Jen were having a big discussion and Aunty Jen did not sound happy.

Apparently Mum wanted to move to the part of the campsite over the road which is all grass. This meant taking down the awning, a wise precaution anyway as it was about to fall down.

Watching them take it down was almost as big a hoot as watching them put it up. Mum pulled it off the caravan and Aunty Jen, she who knows everything about camping, trecking and mountain survival, proceeded to give us all a master class on how to pack it away. This consisted of her adopting various contortions whilst trying to pack the thing up so it would fit into what looked to be a ridiculously small bag. Eventually blaming her bad wrist she just gathered it all up into a pile and with Mum's help shoved it into the back of the van muttering various things which I will not repeat here. She then drove to the new spot, dumped it out before coming back for the camping chairs and tables again muttering various things such as "can't be arsed to pack it all away"....

Anyway, they made a better job of putting it up the second time, Mum swearing to bin the tent peg mallet and come back with a sledge hammer whilst Auntie Jen was looking for hammer drills to break up hardstandings with!

After all of that we went for a walk in the late afternoon and Aunty Jen then left us to go for a three mile run around some lakes somewhere. Thankfully the daft old bat avoided falling in one and returned all hot and steamy. Mum dived into the back of the camper and emerged with a bottle of red wine which cheered them both up immensely, although the colour of Aunty Jen's face matched the wine

A couple of pics, the awning now on grass and me getting the hell out of it and into the safety of the caravan before the Awning fell down.

See you all tomorrow,

Bella xxx

Barbara · Jul 12, 2019

I have been watching your awning/ Eriba with interest as we too are soon to do the same. We do not normally take the awing with the Eriba except when it may rain. We have tried several awnings as like the California the Eriba is lower than normal so many awnings do not really work. For the California I have now brought a side panel to use with the Thurl awing. I looked at the possibility of moving the Thurl to the Eriba when we are towing and using the caravan as well as the van. However although you can get a fitting for the Eriba it will not take the awing on the California. I have been able on one site to park the combination such that I can use the California awing between it and the caravan. Not possible on most sites due to the requirement to put the van as in your first picture. Have a great time.

GrannyJen · Jul 12, 2019

Barbara said:
I have been watching your awning/ Eriba with interest as we too are soon to do the same. We do not normally take the awing with the Eriba except when it may rain. We have tried several awnings as like the California the Eriba is lower than normal so many awnings do not really work. For the California I have now brought a side panel to use with the Thurl awing. I looked at the possibility of moving the Thurl to the Eriba when we are towing and using the caravan as well as the van. However although you can get a fitting for the Eriba it will not take the awing on the California. I have been able on one site to park the combination such that I can use the California awing between it and the caravan. Not possible on most sites due to the requirement to put the van as in your first picture. Have a great time.

Hi Barbara

Ours is a Kampa 340 air pro, specifically made for the Eriba. Norwich caravans were selling them off at quite a big discount.

Having put it up twice now the second time was so much easier than the first, helped enormously by having downloaded the instructions (our handbook had got wet and the pages were all stuck together so first time we tried to follow you-tube videos.

I must say after all the drama of the first day it has been a brilliant addition.

gvick · Jul 13, 2019

Hi @GrannyJen
Is that Ferry meadows kings lynn way? Always wondered what that campsite was like?
Looks very picturesque :thumb

GrannyJen · Jul 13, 2019

gvick said:
Hi @GrannyJen
Is that Ferry meadows kings lynn way? Always wondered what that campsite was like?
Looks very picturesque

Peterborough

CAMC site

Absolutely lovely. Walk out of the campsite and immediately into open spaces of lakes, woods, streams and rivers with a network of all weather paths. A heritage rail runs into Peterborough on some days, bus stop 10 minutes walk away or just walk in along the banks of the Nene through the Nene country park, a delightful 3 mile walk.