Cornwall: the rush has started!

[GeoffL]

We've just come back from visiting the van to check it was OK (we store half an hour's drive from home) and noticed there was a lot of westbound traffic -- about the same as we'd get on a normal August bank holiday -- with about 10% of the vehicles either a motorhome or tugging a caravan. There was almost a mile of very slow moving traffic on the approach to Landrake on the A38 (this is a usual bottleneck). Heaven knows what time these people must have left home to get to Cornwall by 10:00! So we returned home via the back roads -- and noticed a lot of local traffic doing the same.

 

[barryd]

Pity we are not having the spring we had last year, struggling to get into double figures here. I fear its going to be carnage though regardless.

 

[jeffmossy]

On the M6 and M56 Chester are also lots of motorhomes and caravans

 

[mariesnowgoose]

I think it's a pity we're not having the spring we had last year, but not for holiday reasons.
It's wreaking bl**dy havoc with the plants I'm due to deliver!

With any luck the cold snap will deter some folks, but I think the pent up need to get out and away will be bigger than the weather forecast.

Just listening to the radio and looks like an awful lot of folk are going 'real' shopping in 'real' shops instead! Yay!
And I'm talking about ALL ages - retail is definitely not dead, let's just hope the pandemic is dying instead

 

[trevskoda]

I went to B&Q to get some washers, thought i was in a football stadium, packed it was.

 

[SimonM]

I went to B&Q to get some washers, thought i was in a football stadium, packed it was.

All spitting, tugging shirts and kicking shins?

Or was that just you?

 

[maingate]

That is why we are not leaving until Wednesday, avoid the worst of it.

 

[Obanboy666]

Just arrived at the lakes after travelling along the A66 from Teesside.
I have to say the roads especially the A66 relatively quiet with no more more motorhomes / caravans than a normal Monday.
Will venture into the tourist hotspots of Keswick and Amableside tomoss when I reckon it will be busy.

 

[Fisherman]

We have to remember that each one of us contribute to this, and I for one will be happy to see people out enjoying themselves responsibly.
Yes there will be more than normal due to what's going on, but let's just be thankful that we are able to get out and about, sadly many will not.
Patience and maybe even tolerance may well be required, but let's celebrate this day, and let's hope its the start of better times.
We have two more weeks up here till we get the go ahead, and on that day we are off to the west coast.

 

[Deleted member 56601]

Drove from Devon to Kent this morning and only saw 2 caravans heading West.

 

[Makzine]

Drove from Devon to Kent this morning and only saw 2 caravans heading West.

OH NO!! you mean the rush to Kent has started best head up north tomorrow to miss the crowds then Only trouble with that is we come back on Wednesday

 

[Nabsim]

Only been local today so no idea what roads outside Hull are like. On the way to the park to walk the dogs though there were queues outside barbers and loads sat outside pubs enjoying a drink. While there were lots of cars in the car park the actual tracks and roads inside East Park were a bit quieter today, seems like there were more family’s with kids enjoying the fresh air than masses of more adults I have been seeing walking round.

 

[molly 2]

I bought a head Strimmer from aldi ,sorted . BUt the wife won't let me doo hers

 

[RichardHelen262]

I have just done a delivery to Bishop Auckland, and have seen quite a lot of motorhomes on the A1 in both directions, it was quite nice to see them out and about again, even if it did make me slightly green with envy

 

[Penny13]

Are guests are all in and throwing electrical problems at us cat not going out to many dogs onsite lol we are a Devon based campsite

 

[GeoffL]

We have to remember that each one of us contribute to this, and I for one will be happy to see people out enjoying themselves responsibly.
Yes there will be more than normal due to what's going on, but let's just be thankful that we are able to get out and about, sadly many will not.
Patience and maybe even tolerance may well be required, but let's celebrate this day, and let's hope its the start of better times.
We have two more weeks up here till we get the go ahead, and on that day we are off to the west coast.

Remember also that this is the second week of the Easter school holiday (at least, it is in Cornwall) and the Easter holiday is traditionally the start of the season. So I'm not in the least surprised that the roads are busy. However, I was surprised that so many of the vehicles were either motorhomes or towing caravans -- but that might be because hotels aren't allowed to open until next month and so camping and "holiday cottages" are the only legal ways to currently have a holiday.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

However, I was surprised that so many of the vehicles were either motorhomes or towing caravans -- but that might be because hotels aren't allowed to open until next month and so camping and "holiday cottages" are the only legal ways to currently have a holiday.

Think you're spot on with that, Geoff.

It'll be those who have booked onto official sites - with maybe the odd seasoned wild camper mixed in and taking their chances

 

[barryd]

Just arrived at the lakes after travelling along the A66 from Teesside.
I have to say the roads especially the A66 relatively quiet with no more more motorhomes / caravans than a normal Monday.
Will venture into the tourist hotspots of Keswick and Amableside tomoss when I reckon it will be busy.

Will be interested to hear what its like. We are about 50 minutes from the Lakes. It was dead the other week but might fancy a trip over with the Kayak.

 

[Fisherman]

Remember also that this is the second week of the Easter school holiday (at least, it is in Cornwall) and the Easter holiday is traditionally the start of the season. So I'm not in the least surprised that the roads are busy. However, I was surprised that so many of the vehicles were either motorhomes or towing caravans -- but that might be because hotels aren't allowed to open until next month and so camping and "holiday cottages" are the only legal ways to currently have a holiday.

I just think this is time for celebration, and that we should all appreciate that things could have been so much worse. Just think where we would be with no vaccine. Also let’s not beat ourselves up to much about what will undoubtedly unfold. Yes there will be areas with to many visitors, poor behaviour by some, and acrimony from those living in the affected areas. We have be pragmatic here, millions who would have travelled abroad will be on staycations, and many with little knowledge of our countryside will venture there and forget that they are not in some Spanish holiday resort. And we now have many inexperienced members of our community who’s ignorance will lead to some poor behaviour, most of which may be unintentional. But the vast majority of this poor behaviour won’t come from us, and we will be vastly outnumbered, yet our presence as usual will be exaggerated by some who seek to do us harm.
But for all that we are free to roam again, and that has to be good news.

 

[GeoffL]

To avoid doubt, I'm absolutely not saying that the rush is a bad thing. It isn't; it's one more step towards normality.

Given that Cornwall is normally rammed during school holidays, there's a limit to capacity, and it can be difficult to get a pitch, I suspect that it's not going to be significantly different -- except that perhaps the busiest time of the season might get to be a little longer than normal.

With all that said, I got an even bigger surprise when I phoned up a campsite that we used last year for the first outing of the season (i.e. to make sure that everything's as it should be before venturing too far from home) and to meet up with fellow musos for a few days jamming. It's a small site that I expected to find completely booked up. However, they said we could pretty much get our choice of dates and we've booked a week where, unless the situation changes, we'll be the only unit onsite!