EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

RelievedSheff

MrsPorridge said:

We stop at campsites as I prefer the security - I don't like just parking in laybys or car parks.  Yes, I have heard that the NC500 was horrendous this year with so many people  Whilst we haven't done the actual 500 we have done those roads on motorbike (in our younger days) and also by car.  Some the of roads are quite narrow and I wouldn't be happy going down them in the motorhome!

I live in Cornwall so am only too well aware of tourists.

We did the NC500 this year and it was fantastic. We only stayed on one site in the 16 days we were up there. All of the locals were super friendly and we never saw, heard or witnessed any of the behaviour that was purported to be happening up there. 

While some of the roads were narrow they were also very quiet. We had no real issues with the roads. 

Next years two week trip for us is Devon and Cornwall. We are in the process of planning it now and so far have a decent mix of sites, car parks and free spots selected. 

Parking in car parks and lay by doesn't bother us but we were used to just mooring anywhere with the boat, so we get a good kip wherever we stop. In fact we tend to sleep better in car parks and lay bys. The only times we have had disturbed sleeps is when we have been on campsites and other campers have been noisy!

EssexHebridean

There have been cases on the NC500 route of some quite violent behaviour to campers in off-site locations overnight, so I think you were probably fortunate to a degree. A lot does depend on how people present themselves though - those who interact, stop and chat, and most importantly use locals shops and cafes etc will get a far more welcoming reaction that those who - and we’ve seen it with the Hebrides - arrive with a car or camper full of Waitrose bags and don’t put a penny into the local community. From what I’ve seen on UK Campsite there are an awful lot who take the view that wild camping “doesn’t cost anyone anything” which is of course nonsense, even if they were taking all their rubbish home with them (as if!) they’re still using the roads and in a lot of cases impeding locals trying to go about their day to day life. (Passing places are there for a reason, as are mirrors, use both, together if needed! 😆) Best advice I’ve ever heard anyone given for travelling around up there is learn to reverse swiftly and faultlessly, and if at all possible, be the one to do it. (And it ASTONISHES the locals when you can do it, too, they’re so used to visitors who can’t - or won’t).

today so far then - well not that much tbh. 

MrEH is off at the barbers, he’ll drop in to the land of £’s too and get batteries for the Christmas lights.
I’ve put away a bit of washing up while I was waiting for the toaster to do it’s thing.
Ordered my repeat prescription the very moment the reminder appeared - annoyingly though I’m not going to squeeze another in on the pre pay card I don’t think, it’ll certainly be close. 

Remembered to stick my watch on to charge when I first woke up too.

Now time to get on with the day - lots to do! 

Cheery_Daff

I've never been to the Hebrides, but I do a lot of reversing where I live 😂 I always take the view that the better driver should be the one to reverse 😉😉 This works particularly well to calm my annoyance when driving a Yaris and being faced with someone driving a shiny giant 4x4 who won't drive onto the verge 😉😂

greenbee

But Cheery, if they drove on the verge it might affect the shininess! 

savingholmes

I am useless at reversing. Near Swallow Falls this year I ended up reversing up someone's drive to break the gridlock then waited 4 mins for the shaking to stop before carrying on

RosaBernicia

Cheery_Daff said:

I've never been to the Hebrides, but I do a lot of reversing where I live 😂 I always take the view that the better driver should be the one to reverse 😉😉 This works particularly well to calm my annoyance when driving a Yaris and being faced with someone driving a shiny giant 4x4 who won't drive onto the verge 😉😂

Thank you for this idea - I'll try and remember it next time I am doing similar in my little car! 

EssexHebridean

Cheery that’s a genius approach!! The flipping 4x4 thing really annoys me, and I have been known to shout “Learn to reverse!” through an open window at people! 😂 SH - get someone you trust to go with you to an empty car park and practise - it’s more of a knack than anything, and finding what works for you, but it’s - IMO - a skill as important as being able to competently perform an emergency stop. 

Well I’ve only been through the drawers of doom in the front room! 😱 They’re our equivalent of that drawer most folk have in their kitchen - where everything that has no home elsewhere gets chucked. Sorted out an old cloth shopping bag’s worth of rubbish, a good number of charity shop items, two old phones - one no longer charges, the other does, so will be factory reset and sent to the charity shop…best finds were several cases for iPhones I no longer have in regular use, including two still packaged, plus two cat collars still on their cards… 🤦🏻‍♀️ It’s been YEARS since we had HRH for goodness sake! Those have gone to the CS and will do someone a favour I imagine. Also took a small carrier bag of old batteries either leaky and decrepit, or in sizes we - as far as I recall - have never had anything to fit… and MrEH found two new sets of batteries for his big Maglite which is handy as it needed new ones! 

Also been shopping, bought some more presents, dropped CS stuff off, and packaged up the books that will be part of Mum’s Xmas present, plus had lunch. Not bad! 

milann

Sounds like a productive day 👍

Cheery_Daff

Gosh, an excellent sorting out job there! 

I had a horrid reversing experience years ago in my first year of driving. I was driving a van (transit sized, my first 'car' 😁) through a town in Wales. Followed a line of cars up the high street, except when I was most of the way up a coach driver coming the other way decided he'd had enough of waiting, and just drove towards me, followed by a line of cars behind him 😠

I (and the queue behind me) had to reverse, and it was AWFUL. Parked cars both sides, loads of people watching, and the coach got SO close, wouldn't give me an inch, just a few feet in front of me and moving always towards me. 

I made it, Mr Cheery made a LOT of angry hand gestures at him, and I did end up in tears. We were so cross/upset we didn't get coach reg/company otherwise I would have complained. I get he was sick of waiting, but that was extremely unnecessary.

Anyway, none of my reversing experiences since have ever been as bad as that! (And the advantage of having a large van as first driving experience is that everything after it is much easier 😂 I do love driving a van though!)

milann

Cheery I don’t think I’d ever get behind a wheel again if that happened to me 😳😳😳😳