Train on the road

Having packed the van yesterday we only had to load the fridge and pack the last minute items like toothbrushes. We left at 10.10 with plenty of time to get to the camp site near Cromer. However the traffic lights at a section of road works four miles away caused a 2 mile tail back which took over twenty minutes to drive through. That was not a good start.

The radio announced an earlier accident on the anticlockwise M 25 that had closed two lanes but Van-Man reached Clacket lane services as the queues started forming.

As I began driving from the services the radio announced that all lanes were now open which was proven true by the traffic queues evaporating as we rejoined the motorway. Sadly we began queuing for the tunnel back at the junction before the tunnel and drove slowly under the mighty Thames, after which the traffic started flowing. Then rain started falling but I had no trouble on the drive round to Bishop Stortford services on the M

Was this the train we followed?

11. I feel much more confident driving the motor home on the motorways and duel carriageways now but Van-Man still has to tackle all the other stuff.

“Oh you take over now,” a long queue on the slip road made me exclaim. It is easy to change drivers when we stop in queues of traffic as there is room to stand up and change places in the roomy van cab. I was glad to let him park as the caravan area was crammed full. He found two narrow spaces in the main car park and parked with one wheel in the next bay

Lottie liked this choice as we had more space and grass behind us where she lay while we ate lunch.

After using the service facilities I drove on to Lakenheath after experiencing driving on narrow single carriage ways for the first time. I felt proud of my achievement but relieved when I stopped in a lay-by and let Van-Man resume driving.

After Fakenham we were slowed down by a tractor which Van-Man eventually overtook. Rather him than me! After we passed the junction to where we stayed last year we joined a long snake of cars crawling along. As cars overtook the cause of the holdup and turned off we saw we were following a steam tank engine sat on a low loader.

“It’s not every day you see a steam engine on the roads,” Van-Man remarked by the time our van had only two cars between it and us.

Just relaxing

It must be going to the Heritage railway that runs through Sherringham Park,” I suggested looking at the map. I was right as we followed it at crawling pace to Sherringham. The tight corners on the road meant the lorry had to crawl forward as it had to cross the white line on the tighter turns. Van-Man was unable to photograph the engine as his camera was shut up in one of the over head lockers. Soon after Sherringham we turned off for our camp site at West Runton which was at the bottom of a long bumpy narrow track.

It was a large site with level hard standings. The facilities were close and the dog walk was a short distance to a gate out onto high heath land with views over to Cromer and along to the Wash. Naturally Lottie took us out to inspect her facilities. Afterwards she lay down on the grass beside the van proudly surveying the site. Eventually she came in just as I was cooking dinner. She lay down on top of my feet so she could look out of the habitation door.