Garden/Driveway Surfing

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ScoutingSquirrel

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This occurred to me a while ago, when there was an introduction from a Newbie (which I now can't find of course) that said they were driving around with tired stroppy kids looking for somewhere to park up and a lady came out of a garden and invited them in - they were VW campers and had an outside loo/shower and EHU for their own vans ...

When I introduced myself on the 'Squirrels from Sweden' thread I felt it very natural to say that anyone travelling this way would be very welcome to park up here - use toilet/shower/laundry facilities and share experiences and social times, meal, etc. with us.
(Small village in Southern Sweden, 5km from gorgeous National Park and on the bus-route to it)

I'm a member of Couchsurfing and have hosted quite a few people - which has been great, some wonderful 'different' peoples that I would not normally have met and feel the better for doing so - but with my two little horrors I feel that having our own space is essential so we would be camping at a hosts place or parking up the bus .... it would be wonderful to have the contact of a 'host' to share a meal and experiences with, relax around the campfire whilst the kids drop off to sleep nearby, local advice and suggestions of places to visit, philosophy and life's experiences and all else ...

Couchsurfing does provide this as well, though of course it takes a little hunting beyond the usual Couch- or Spare Room-surfing to find those who say they have a garden for campers, and there are subforums for campers and vancampers too ...

Myself and the little squirrels will be touring Britain this summer and I have thought that I should search through Couchsurfing to see if there are any interesting sounding hosts along our routes who would be fun to meet and would support our camping needs for a night or two ... So I though I'd share the idea on here as well ...

Do any members here welcome the idea of a mini mini meet, of hosting another van/camping family for a night or two ... parking place either on your property or nearby, any facilities to share (toilet and a decent shower?) or just like the idea of joining another site member at a nearby wilding spot or campsite for a meal/drinks/campfire?

Helen
 
ScoutingSquirrel said:
This occurred to me a while ago, when there was an introduction from a Newbie (which I now can't find of course) that said they were driving around with tired stroppy kids looking for somewhere to park up and a lady came out of a garden and invited them in - they were VW campers and had an outside loo/shower and EHU for their own vans ...

When I introduced myself on the 'Squirrels from Sweden' thread I felt it very natural to say that anyone travelling this way would be very welcome to park up here - use toilet/shower/laundry facilities and share experiences and social times, meal, etc. with us.
(Small village in Southern Sweden, 5km from gorgeous National Park and on the bus-route to it)

I'm a member of Couchsurfing and have hosted quite a few people - which has been great, some wonderful 'different' peoples that I would not normally have met and feel the better for doing so - but with my two little horrors I feel that having our own space is essential so we would be camping at a hosts place or parking up the bus .... it would be wonderful to have the contact of a 'host' to share a meal and experiences with, relax around the campfire whilst the kids drop off to sleep nearby, local advice and suggestions of places to visit, philosophy and life's experiences and all else ...

Couchsurfing does provide this as well, though of course it takes a little hunting beyond the usual Couch- or Spare Room-surfing to find those who say they have a garden for campers, and there are subforums for campers and vancampers too ...

Myself and the little squirrels will be touring Britain this summer and I have thought that I should search through Couchsurfing to see if there are any interesting sounding hosts along our routes who would be fun to meet and would support our camping needs for a night or two ... So I though I'd share the idea on here as well ...

Do any members here welcome the idea of a mini mini meet, of hosting another van/camping family for a night or two ... parking place either on your property or nearby, any facilities to share (toilet and a decent shower?) or just like the idea of joining another site member at a nearby wilding spot or campsite for a meal/drinks/campfire?

Helen
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What a fantastic Idea Helen .......I know if I had my own driveway it would of been something we would of loved to have done. We used to host young students from abroad for their summer vacation and I thoroughly enjoyed it but then my family grew and space became limited. Let us know where you and your little squirrelets are heading when you come over and I am sure we can do some sort of Mini Meet.:)
 
Last week of June - Brittany, campsite (Thanks David from here for advice!)

First week July - Devon with family
Weekend - leaving Tall and Small and dog with Granny, Hubby and I heading north (Alone! Together!)
collecting some railway track (! yes, we have a garden railway in progress as well!)
and towards Manchester airport to send hubby back to work

Leaving railway track with my parents in Yorkshire until the final weekend, they already have two crossings that turn my bus into a helicopter!

Back to Devon, collect the rabble, I'm fancying Glastonbury area with my myths/legends, historical sites, deep spirituality sort of 7 year old

Weekend 13/14/15 Martin comes back into Manchester airport and travels by train to find us ....
? to BeWILDerwood, Norfolk - which was mentioned on here - thank you somebody!
Apparently we need to go and see some steam engines at Bressingham too ...
Send Martin back to do some work!

Have Yorkshire, Preston and Wigan to do ... quite possibly the Dude Ranch/LineDancing campsite place just outside Lytham St Annes that we used last year ... Up to Kilmarnock/Glasgow/Paisley at some point

Weekend of 28/29th July somewhere near friends in North Yorks, probably Ripley Castle Campsite again ...
Martin back out again for the weekend and then helping me get the whole outfit back to Southern Sweden

And after that .... I'll be needing a holiday!
Helen
 
:lol-053:OMG ....I need to lie down :scared:....Wow thats a lot to cram in but sounds like you have it all well and truly planned, hope you have fun and enjoy:)
 
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What's the name and addres of the line dancing/dude ranch campsite Helen? Sounds interesting

thanks Sue:)
 
Thanks Scampa

Thanks Scampa - I'll look into it and perhaps get around to paying my membership today! It's on the list of things to do before we leave!

SueJ -
Great Birchwood Country Park, but it's the San Antonio ranch
Great Birchwood Country Park , Lytham St Annes Campsites, Lancashire

They were friendly and welcoming, great food and music and the regular dancers were encouraging to a newbie.

It is - I very strongly suspect/recognise - a traveller community too --- several trailers in both modern and 'Wild West' style and some glimpses into their culture visible at the evening entertainments ... parenting philosophy/other behaviour of the resident young family or two, but nothing that bothered me or made me feel threatened at all, just other people living their lives in other ways to myself ... but I have taught Traveller children and have a respect for their ways as well. I don't think this would make anyone else feel awkward but if anyone already feels a gripe against this culture then it's not the place to go!

Huge Sunday morning carboot sale but we didn't hear them setting it up despite being only a field away and we got some very very good bargains on toys with the boys holiday pocket money ... great way to make their meague allowances equal a carrier bag full of toys each!

Hope that linky works!
Helen
 
Thanks OldishHippy! I'll try to keep the boys away from that, shall I?
Ours is 5 inch guage (and all of about 10 metres long at the moment, but I did get a nice path laid where I wanted it, in order to run the railway alongside it!)
Apparently there's only one commercial 5 inch guage one in the UK and it's in the Bristol area.
The grandparents in Devon have got another engine sitting in their shed waiting for us ... how the devil I'm expected to lug this lot around the country I do not know!
(the track bits are being left in Yorkshire, along with the track crossing already there, until our final weekend ... hubby can jolly well pack the bus then, and treat us to motels on the way home to Sweden if we can't access the camping gear or the fold down bed!)
Helen
 
I feel bad that I can't offer a home to Swedish Squirrels as I'm sure that place at Ripley will be dear, everything in Ripley is overpriced. Don't fall for the Ripley icecream con, its nothing special. Unfortunately we don't have a driveway, we live in a little terrace house. Hope you have a good time on your busy tour.
 
It could well be £20 to £25 a night in July, I realise ... I didn't think it was quite that bad last year but as that was my first year camping single handed with the boys I probably had other priorities.

I think I may have to have a word with my friends ... not to impose on them or anything ... but to pinch a bit of their driveway might just be necessary.

The beachside campsite in Brittany will be costing us less!

Helen
 
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