16 - 18 April 2019
All shook up
Post from John
Boat owners will be familiar with the concept of the
“shakedown cruise” – the first trip after the winter lay-up, checking all
systems are working correctly. With a spell of good weather forecast in the
run-up to Easter, we thought we’d take the opportunity for a short trip in
Amelia to check all was well, before longer trips later in the year. One
complication – Ruth’s mum was staying with us. So, we decided that we’d take
the van the short distance down to the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at
Broadway, and use it as a base for a couple of days. I’d stay in the van, and
Ruth and Mum would come down each day.
Broadway is the archetypal Cotswold village; all
honey-coloured stone buildings, boutique shops and tea rooms. Whilst the ladies
spent the morning in the village, I followed on in the van a little later and
went straight to the site. This is on the edge of Broadway, right next to the
Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway. As the picture below shows,
if you pick the right pitch, you have a great view through the window…..
We spent the afternoon in the van, checking everything
worked, (which it did) and relaxing outside in the sunshine.
The next day we headed across the road to the station for a
trip on the railway. The beautifully rebuilt Broadway station opened in early
2018, as part of the extension of the GWSR from Toddington in Gloucestershire.
The 4 miles of new line is the result of over £1.1 million fund raising efforts,
and a huge amount of work from the volunteers. We had an enjoyable few hours
riding down to Cheltenham and back, followed by another spell of sitting in the
sunshine. The relaxation was punctuated by the occasional rush up to the fence
to photograph the passing trains.
After another quiet night in the van, on Thursday I drove
Amelia the 40 minutes back home, where we emptied and restocked ready for the
next trip. All in all, a successful few days, and proof that you don’t have to
journey too far from home to have an enjoyable break.
