Camper-van visit to Bossington on the edge of Exmoor in West Somerset

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Rob
on December 16, 2008
in West Somerset and camper-van
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Olde Worlde Bossington village car park, Exmoor, West Somerset

Olde worlde Bossington village car park, Exmoor, West Somerset

When I want to visit the shingle ridge that borders Porlock Bay, I often park my camper-van in the old village of Bossington. It has a nice car park, some beautiful old thatched cottages and some splendid secluded tea gardens to get a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

Kitnor tea rooms garden in Olde Worlde Bossington near Porlock, West Somerset

Kitnors Tea Gardens in olde worlde Bossington near Porlock, West Somerset

A short level walk takes me to Porlock shingle ridge and the Bristol Channel.

In the Summer, this is a wonderful spot where I love to amble slowly listening to the sounds of the birds and the sea in the distance.

Inside at the olde worlde Kitnors Tea Gardens, Bossington

Inside at the olde worlde Kitnors Tea Gardens, Bossington

If you are looking for a pleasant place to visit an old thatched village close to the Bristol Channel in your camper-van, Bossington old village could be for you but you might find the roads very narrow and challenging.

However, if you can find your way through the tiny roads, it is a charming place to visit.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online writer

Campervan visit to Selworthy village, Exmoor near Minehead, West Somerset

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Rob
on December 15, 2008
in Exmoor, West Somerset and campervan
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Selworthy overflow car park and a lovely suntrap in the Summer

Selworthy overflow car park and a lovely suntrap in the Summer

One of my favourite places to park up my campervan and take a stroll is amongst the thatched cottages of Selworthy Village on the Northern fringes of Exmoor near Minehead, West Somerset.

The overflow car park is an absolute sun trap in the Summer.

View towards Dunkery Beacon and Exmoor from above Selworthy Green near Minehead

View towards Dunkery Beacon and Exmoor from above Selworthy Green near Minehead

There are great views from the tiny lane that runs up the side of the hill over to Dunkery Beacon and Exmoor.

It’s a fantastic place from which to explore the wooded walks up the side of Selworthy Combe and onwards to Selworthy Beacon or to the Iron Age defended settlement Bury Castle.

Selworthy Green in Selworthy Village near Minehead, West Somerset

Selworthy Green in Selworthy Village near Minehead, West Somerset

Selworthy Green is a tranquil place to sit and contemplate the beautiful countryside or chat with a few friends and I have often enjoyed tea and cake at the Periwinkle Cottage tea rooms on the side of Selworthy Green.

The road up through the village to the parking places is quite tiny and might be quite challenging in some campervans. My Ford Transit camper van conversion made it reasonably easily, although it might be more difficult in the Summer with more people using the road.

Bye for now

Rob Hopcott - online writer

Campervan chilly option in frosty weather at Dunster by Candlelight, West Somerset, Exmoor

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Rob
on December 11, 2008
in camper-van and campervan
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Dunster by Candlelight in West Somerset - amazing stilt walking

Dunster by Candlelight in West Somerset - amazing stilt walking

Brr, it was cold when I parked up last weekend on the old main road just past Dunster Steep in West Somerset to visit Dunster by Candlelight.

Fortunately, I was just using my camper-van for commuting to these late night shopping celebrations so I was able to sleep later on in a comfy bed instead of shivering by the side of the road, trying to keep myself warm through the night. There was ice on the road - it really wasn’t camping weather.

However, Dunster by Candlelight was great and is obviously extremely popular because Dunster High Street and all the shops in this Olde Worlde Exmoor village were packed, giving the Christmas event a really warm feeling.

Warm open fire at the Stags Head Inn at Dunster, west Somerset

Warm open fire at the Stags Head Inn at Dunster, West Somerset

There were folk musicians, carol singers, stilt walkers, Morris dancers, fire jugglers and all sorts of medieval type sideshows to enjoy.

People were friendly too and we even got a seat next to the open log fire at the Stags Head Inn where we stopped for a pint of Exmoor Ale and a glass of wine.

The lady who kindly gave up her seat to me - I think they were leaving, hopefully I don’t look that old yet - said we should visit the Williton Social Club where she is the Treasurer.

If they’ve got an open fire, I might give it a whirl sometime and, even if I don’t, it is always nice to be invited. It sounds like a friendly place :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online blogger and warm weather camper

Ideal campervan offers low cost full-time executive travel and living accommodation module for one

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Rob
on December 1, 2008
in campervan, ideal campervan and writing
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Wanted, a low cost full-time executive travel and living accommodation module for one

Wanted, a low cost full-time executive travel and living accommodation module for one

Having identified that the Nu Rio wasn’t my ideal campervan because, at least, internal standing was not enough to prevent me regularly banging my head, I thought it would be interesting to consider the points that would make up my ideal or perfect campervan.

In this world where so many products are offered, it still surprises me that my perfect campervan still doesn’t seem available.

As a travelling writer and musician, I move around as widely as I can on a very limited budget. If the campervan is not extremely economical in its use of fuel, it is no use to me. My ideal form of propulsion would be electricity in whole or in part. I consider an investment of significant sums of money in outdated fossil fuel technology vehicles not only wasteful and foolhardy but also abhorrent.

My ideal campervan must have an on-board and fully functional shower and toilet cubicle. Foul water and grey water disposal must be easy and efficient so that bathroom facilities would normally be used in preference to camp site facilities.

Cooking facilities do not need to be extensive but a fridge is vital and must have a one week long capacity as ideally I would only return home occasionally at weekends.

Since the campervan is essentially just for me, I only need a single or three-quarter bed however the option of expanding it to a double would be useful. The bed needs to be long enough for me to comfortably stretch out to my full six foot length. There needs  to be sufficient head-room for me to read in bed. Heating and insulation must be satisfactory for all year around use.

A permanent office space with a good seat and table for me to do my writing is vital. The campervan must have electric systems that are adequate to support full-time office working and evening living without recourse to external power resources.

If I had to describe my needs in one sentence I would say ‘I’m looking for an executive travel and living module campervan for one that maximises work effectiveness and minimises running costs’.

So, Santa, if you are out there, don’t bother about my chimney - just leave it parked outside :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author, travel writer and musician

Campervan motorhome laptop electric power from solar panels?

Published
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Rob
on November 12, 2008
in campervan, motorhome and solar panel laptop
. 2 Comments
Writing in my campervan at Blue Anchor, West Somerset (as long as my electric power holds out)

Writing in my campervan at Blue Anchor, West Somerset (as long as my electric power holds out)

Electric power is  vital for my campervan motorhome because I need to run my trusty, if rather battered, laptop so I can get on with my work as an online writer when I am working away from home.

The problem for me is that the power from my leisure battery only keeps my laptop running for a few hours.

Admittedly, my laptop is rather old - a bit like my campervan and also me - so I think it probably uses more power than a more modern, latest state of the art, version.

The problem is compounded by the fact that my leisure battery doesn’t seem to be charged up by driving around and running the laptop off my vehicle starting motor battery is a recipe for getting stranded in a lonely (if beautiful) place  on Exmoor just when I want to be going home and tucking into my supper and congratulating myself on a good days work done.

So, at the end of each day, I have to put my campervan leisure battery on charge. This is OK if I am just going out for the day but creates lots of problems if I am staying away from my home office for several days.

So, the big question today is whether solar panels are viable for running my laptop in my campervan. Yesterday, there was a programme on television about power generators and a solar panel was claimed to be sufficient for running a laptop. Whether that included a dull day in Winter on Exmoor, I don’t know. I have my doubts.

So checking out solar panels is now added to my long list of office in the campervan projects - along with many others so it could take a while to get around to.

However, they say a problem shared is a problem … well shared and, who knows, there may be someone out there who knows the answer :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Second hand Nu Rio campervan motorhome had insufficient head height … Ouch!

Published
by
Rob
on November 11, 2008
in camper-van and motor-homes
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Second hand Nu Rio

Second hand Nu Rio

Well last Sunday arrived and I was still fretting about this fantastic camper van that I saw down at Bampton, North Devon at the Bampton Folk Festival (After the Fair).

Since it was pouring down outside, I did some browsing on the Internet to see if there were any dealers selling Nu Venture Rio camper-vans a bit nearer to me than Wigan.

Joy of joy! There was a second hand - oops, sorry, pre-loved - Nu Rio at a local camper-van retailer near Bridgwater. My wife was agreeable so we phoned up to make sure they were open and sped over to check it out.

The salesman opened the rear door and, full of excitement and enthusiasm, I leaped in … Ouch! I’d banged my head on the roof! I’m only six foot tall plus a bit added by my boots but it was enough. The only bit of the second hand Nu Rio I could stand upright in was under the skylight.

Even though I now had a headache, I checked the camper-van out and it was quite nice inside. There was a shower and toilet but the beds as singles would be far too short and I don’t really need a double as I normally travel alone and would prefer just to slump rather than make up a bigger  bed.

My wife checked  online with Nu Venture and seemed to think that this year’s Rio didn’t offer much more head room than the older one we saw.

So, it’s a shame about the Nu Rio but it looks as if I will have to keep looking for my perfect camper van.

Ideas welcomed, of course :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author who likes to work in his campervan on the side of a sunny Exmoor hillside

Perfect campervan motorhome spotted at Bampton folk festival ‘After the fair, North Devon

Published
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Rob
on November 10, 2008
in camper-van and motor-homes
. 3 Comments
Morris dancing at Bampton, North Devon

Morris dancing at Bampton, North Devon

Last weekend I spent most of my time playing folk tunes on my various musical instruments in the pubs at the ‘After the Fair’ Bampton folk festival in North Devon. I had a great time but a bonus was spotting a camper-van that looked very close to my ideal.

Finding a campervan that is just right is really difficult. They are all so expensive for an impecunious writer like me and they are always bound to be a compromise.

Camper vans that are small enough to squeeze through the narrow Exmoor lanes are too small for a week spent away from home on a travel writing trip.

Whereas campervans that border on motor home size present parking difficulties almost everywhere.

Fundamentally, I only need a vehicle for one person because my wife hates folk music and prefers posh hotels so camping by the side of the road is out of the question for her. (However, the option for a double bed occasionally would be nice as I am quite a big guy.)

So for a long time I’ve been looking for a campervan that was just right for me. It needed to be small and agile in traffic, economic on the fuel to suit my tiny pockets yet large enough so I don’t have to make the bed up at the end of the day and sleep with my legs bent at the knees.

When this campervan arrived and parked in the public car park at Bampton, it caught my eye immediately. It was small, it was compact, it was pretty.

Later, in the pub in between playing tunes - the owner was a fine squeeze box player - I asked him how it was to own. He said he had owned many campervans and this was the best yet.

Unfortunately, I never did get a chance to look inside and Nu Venture motorhomes who make the Nu Rio are all the way up in Wigan - somewhere near Scotland, I believe - so it’s unlikely I can drop in and check one out.

However, to know that there is a small campervan out there with all the facilities (as far as I can see) of a motorhome, including a proper shower, is a step forward.

Now, I wonder whether I can get a Nu Rio powered by an electric motor :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author

Writing in my camper-van at the Sidmouth Folk Festival in Devon

Published
by
Rob
on November 7, 2008
in Devon, Folk festivals, Travel, camper-van, tourism and writing
. 3 Comments
Promenade dancers during Sidmouth folk festival in Devon

Promenade dancers during Sidmouth folk festival in Devon

One of my most often visited web sites is my Folk Music, Festivals and Sessions blog which provides me with an ideal excuse to get away regularly for weekends and the occasional week under the guise of writing up various folk festivals.

One of my favourite festivals to visit in my camper-van is the Sidmouth folk festival which lasts a whole week. Almost every pub has sessions where folk musicians and singers play their instruments, sing or even sometimes dance. The sea front promenade is alive throughout the day with traditional dancers of all sorts. There are lots of paid for folk music events and traders galore to keep the shopaholics happy.

Thorn park temporary camp site at Salcombe Regis

Thorn Park temporary camp site at Salcombe Regis, Devon

I generally park up at the Thorn Park Golf Centre near Salcombe Regis close to Sidmouth which offers a large field for caravans, camper-vans and tents during the Sidmouth folk festival week. There is a dedicated bus that takes festival goers between the camp site and the town avoiding the horrendous hill. Generally, there is quite a party atmosphere in the bus but the only downside, for me, is when somebody starts singing “the wheels on the bus go ’round and ’round” :-(

So when August comes around each year, I will be checking again for the dates of the Sidmouth festival and be looking forward to a week playing my instruments in the pubs and writing on location about my thoughts in-between :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author, camper-van blogger and folk musician

Writers retreats in Southbourne, Bournemouth and my camper van

Published
by
Rob
on November 6, 2008
in Bournemouth, Dorset, Southbourne, Travel, camper-van, retreats, tourism and writing
. 2 Comments
Southbourne zigzag leading to beach and a useful writing bench

Southbourne zigzag leading to beach and a useful writing bench

I regularly like to get away from my home office and do my writing in my camper van but, occasionally, I like to get even further away and have a sort of writers retreat in Southbourne, Bournemouth where I have some in-laws who have a small family hotel.

Getting away into a completely different environment is great to get the creative juices flowing. I don’t really understand what is happening but somehow the combination of sandy beaches stretching off into the distance, the zigzag paths down to the Southbourne Undercliff and the busy Christchurch harbour trigger my creativity for story writing perfectly.

Sometimes I write in my room, sometimes I write seated at a bench on the Overcliff and sometimes I take my camper van off to Hengistbury Head and write alongside the golfers, kite fliers and walkers.

My in-laws have  now even given me a mention on their blog. If retreats at their hotel really take off, I could see myself going down there much more often although I think chatting to other authors might be a bit too tempting and get in the way of work :-)

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author and lover of writers retreats

Writing in my campervan at Valley of the Rocks, Lynton North Devon - soaring rock faces and giddy walks

Published
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Rob
on November 5, 2008
in North Devon, Travel, camper-van, tourism and writing
. 0 Comments
Spooky mists at Valey of the Rocks, North Devon

Spooky mists at Valley of the Rocks, North Devon

Valley of the Rocks at Lynton near Lynmouth on the North Devon coast is one of my favourite destinations for a quiet bit of writing.

There are usually lots of parking spaces and the car park nestles in a hollow between the craggy rocks which can form a very nice sun trap on a cool but sunny day.

Without heating in my campervan, if you don’t count putting the gas cooker on, I rely on the sun for most of my heat.

I have to confess that many of the humorous sketches for Cafe Hopcott were written at the Valley of the Rocks and the local goats bear a more than passing resemblance to the undercover MI5 referred to who were (fictionally) camping on the hill.

The Valley of the Rocks occasionally has the most incredibly spooky mists and these are ideal for ghostly themes and I’ve used them in various places but especially for the header of my paranormal site.

At lunchtime, to get the blood circulating, I like to go for a walk and there is a path that leads all the way back to Lynton from Valley of the Rocks. If you are fearful of heights, perhaps not the best choice, though, so I tend to wander around the less vertiginous walks slightly inland.

Bye for now

Rob

Rob Hopcott - online author, writing from his campervan