Sunday 28 November 2010

Crafty weekend in Sandringham

Mikes new Clubman on Saturday morning

We set off East for Sandringham to meet Mike and Margaret at the CC site, on the royal estate, in order to visit the Food and Craft fair. It was also Mikes first trip out with their new Clubman caravan. We arrived in mid afternoon on Friday with a very wintry weekend forecast.

Sure enough it was a very cold night and we awoke with 2 or 3 cm of snow on the vans - very picturesque.

The craft fair was really big and just up the road from the site. We went in Mikes car to spend a few hours shopping for some xmas presents and partaking of a few samples in the food tent. Margaret ran out of money first so went off with Mike to find a cash machine, while we pondered the purchase of a clock for the mantle piece. Having bought a nice hand turned walnut clock and chatted to some exhibitors from the next village we walked back to the site.

It was a bitterly cold night, our fresh water tank froze as did the site taps, but it did not snow again! We both decided to return home a day earlier after seeing the weather forecast. We helped Mike get away first so that he could get back on his steep drive before any more snowfall. My wipers and heater fan refused to work but after the engine had warmed the engine compartment for about 10 mins they both sprang to life - what a relief!

Our van before we left on Sunday
Rosemary wanted to visit the farmers market at Sandringham House visitor centre so we just had to stop for an hour or so. I sipped a cappuccino and took in the 'snow scene' from the coffee shop, while the boss shopped, before heading back to Leicester. The snow gradually lessened until we hit the high ground in Leicestershire where there was several inches still lying on the ground. We arrived back just as it was getting dark to find that our neighbours had managed to get the central heating turned up for us. Well done Catherine and Jacky.