Not for Michael a village hall party with sausage rolls and cheesy music – I picked up Kissinger on Friday lunchtime and drove it back to Dorset to fill it with goodies and wait outside the school where he teaches! As soon as the bell went we were surrounded by admiring students and a very bemused husband and then we were off, surf boards on top, to the wilds of North Devon. Chosing a campsite had not been an easy job, despite the great list supplied by Zoe, as we had to be near a big screen to watch England -v- Tonga in the Rugby World Cup. Luckily North Morte campsite fitted the bill perfectly – quiet site, great views, near the sea and pub within walking distance. Despite a hairy journey down part of the M5 (Kissinger did all Pete said it would in terms of wobbly steering and almost non-existent brakes compared with our modern estate!) we arrived just in time to book in, park up and dash off to the pub, glimpsing Tonga’s haka through the windows of the caravans as we raced past! A win for England was the icing on the cake! Putting up the awning in the dark was more amusing, but we did it, and all settled down to a good nights sleep. With near perfect weather the next day we pootled down to Woolacombe where Harry and his dad surfed all morning, coming back to the carpark for freshly cooked porridge and bacon baps and lots of jealous looks from fellow shivering surfers! Being a surf widow in the afternoon as well was no hardship with a heated van and a bottle of red wine and Morthoe’s other pubs kept us fed and entertained in the evening. Packing up on Sunday morning we headed off to Putsborough for a full cooked breakfast overlooking a looking glass still sea! No surfing there, but we moved on to Croyde through terrifyingly steep and narrow roads, grateful for a van that people didn’t mind giving way to! More surf, followed by hot drinks and then to Broomhill Art Hotel for a cream tea and wander round their amazing sculpture garden. It seemed a shame to be heading back to Okehampton but modern day sat nav made that an interesting experience in itself, taking us the “quickest route” down lanes with grass growing in the middle of the road! Not the most relaxing experience but I have to admit I haven’t laughed so much in years! Best bit? Sitting in the back watching the driver and passenger in the front bob up and down all the way!!!!! Hilarious!
