France 169 - Day 1 Banbury Oxfordshire to the Tunnel/ a quiet night before the cock up at the Tunnel


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Europe » United Kingdom » England » Oxfordshire » Banbury
April 6th 2022
Published: April 6th 2022
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Day 1 Woke up early . We are not due on the tunnel until tomorrow but Gabby is all packed up ready to go. She has been washed and provisioned . Although the provisioning did not take long due to the new Brexit rules whereby we cannot take dairy back into the EU. It feels odd to have nothing in the fridge and the larder very . We made a late decision to head off south on the day before our train crossing and booked one night at Fir Tree Falconry . The lady who took the booking offered us a night for £15 . I should have remembered that we I got there but I didn't . Too much on my mind . The neighbour was looking after the cat for us and Sunday driving meant a quiet easy run down to Banbury.

The day was miserable with a dull grey flat looking sky. No sign of the sun at all . The only yellow the Coltsfoot growing on the grass verges . It was non descript start to the holiday . It could only get better .

We pulled up a the camping spot and met the warden . £20 he charged me and I willingly paid it . Only to be reminded later that he had overcharged us. It never leaves you feeling very happy. Our pitch was facing the fishing lake . We did not need any water nor any electricity so £20 for the night was a hefty fee. We looked forward to a more motorhome friendly France . How would we feel though after so long away. I walked around the lake which was surrounded with pussy willows which were covered in the largest bumble bees I had ever seen. A few ducks swam on the lake . Most of the plots were taken up with what looked like residents . Big fifth wheelers parked up with their slide outs open . Other caravans looked old and as if they were permanent fixtures .

We had a quiet night . A few caravans turned up and the shower block proved clean and tidy. We were still feel euphoric about our football team dumping out the team at the top of the league in the FA Trophy Cup. We had spent the night before booking a hotel near to London and booking our train tickets to Wembley. Tomorrow though would be another day and the shorter drive down to the tunnel .

Day 2 - Still in England . "When it is obvious a goal cannot be reached - don't adjust the goals . Adjust the steps" Confucius said that one and how true his words were as they rang in our ears. We woke to yet another dull and rainy morning . We are about three weeks earlier than usual going on holiday . And what a difference it is making . The gentle sound of rain pattered on Gabbys rooflights . Our first night went OK. We remembered where everything was . Everything worked so far. We had forgotten how to work the heater but then that is the sort of thing you do when you have not really used the van for over 2 years.

We were getting excited as we hit the road through Banbury and headed down to the M25 . We stopped for sandwiches at the service station at Cobham . Not just any sandwich - an M & S wensleydale and carrot sandwich on brown bread washed down with freshly squeezed orange juice . We did not notice a lot of motorhomers on the road and our trip anti clockwise around London went well until we hit Operation Brock where all the lorries and trucks were parked up waiting for clearance to go to Dover port . This did not affect us at all as we had a free run to Folkestone. However things started to go wrong when we arrived at the Tesco just before the tunnel and found that for one day only it was closed . We were not short of fuel but had just wanted to top up before going over to France .

Then queues like we have never seen before . It took 40 minutes to get to the ticket booths . All we normally do is rock up, the machine recognises us and asks if we want an earlier train . Today it seemed as if everyone was having a problem with the machine . When my turn came I had to confirm who I was , who was travelling, did we have animals ? Were we driving an electric car ? The list went on and on but eventually I got an earlier train by 30 minutes .

Sadly we found out that a train had broken down in the tunnel during the night and there were severe disruptions . 2.50 our earlier time went by without any chance of catching it. 3.20 our proper time passed by . In the end it was nearer 6.30 before we left the UK . By the time we arrived in La Belle France it was pouring with rain and the mist had dropped . We had to pick a different night stop. A quick check in our camper book and we found one . It was lovely and we were just glad to make it to bed after what was a fraught day stuck in the UK .

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