Day 54 (12th August 2022)

 Last night while checking my route for today, I realised that I wouldn't be able to stay at my booked caravan site as it doesn't have a toilet block. Quite why sites that can accommodate 65 caravans don't is beyond me, and anyway, it was too far away from the stop I had missed 3 days ago before I came to the IoW. So I had to find another which given the weather, was looking decidedly dodgy. However, I managed to get the last pitch here which is near Wickham in Hampshire.  No sooner had I arrived, I was off again.

Before I left the IoW, I checked out the Garlic farm and Quarr Abbey. What an unusual place. It reminded me of the church in the French Town of Albi, a massive red brick stunner of a church. There are ruins of a Meadieval Abbey but these are inaccessible as they are on a private farm.

I then popped in the present day Abbey just after the Monks had start their singing and ringing the bells. It was wonderful. They don't allow you to go very far into the Abbey itself unless you sign up to be an apprentice monk, not something I will be doing any time soon. 

I also visited their little produce shop and was delighted to find that the sell home made Mulberry jam from the fruit of their orchards. 

I was unable to persuade the man at the ferry check in to allow me an earlier crossing so ended up having an underwhelming and over-priced ( and bordering on over-cooked) lunch at the pub near the terminal.

I arrived at camp, bagged that last pitch and set off to find stop #117

A WILTSHIRE FIELD 

Had I taken more notice of my driving atlas, I would have realised that this area of the Hampshire/Wiltshire border is all in the New Forest so fields were non existent.  My pic is taken in the village of Hale, opposite a playing field. Well, it's a field of sorts! I got my boot laces caught in bramble, much to the amusement of two young teenagers who promptly took the piss. Little monsters.

Got back to my signal free pitch so have been catching up with this this morning.

Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and 

Day 53 (11 August 2022)

 Up early in the hope to beat the crowds I just knew would be at stop #114

THE NEEDLES

I did get to the carpark really early - all the "attractions" weren't due to open for another hour, so I took a leisurely stroll up the hill to the Old Battery before it got too hot. By the time I'd sorted out my picture the doors were open. It was a surprisingly interesting place.

I had a video of me walking through one of the tunnels, but sadly it exceeds the maximum permitted download size or something. 

By the time I got back down the hill, the Needles attraction park was rammed. They have glass blowing, sweet making and creepy magicians giving lots of treats to children. There were a hell of a lot of people there, so my possible take two of a pic of me in a boat by the Needles evaporated there and then. 

Instead, I headed to Ventnor to see if I could resurrect any memories from 85/86. Apart from those crazy zigzag roads into the town, and that particular tiny shingle that makes up the beach, I failed to get any nostalgic tingling. I texted Melvyn to see if he could remember where the B'n'B was we stayed at. He sent back something along the lines of "you're joking" only ruder.

Ventnor is a pretty little seaside town that sits on the southern side of the Isle. I flopped into the sea amongst the paddleboarders and splashing children and zoned out floating on my back for a while.

Mindful of getting another parking ticket (Luckily Guy had opened any official looking mail and intercepted the last one) I made my way back to the Alphard and made myself a cuppa (the people parking next to me said I was bonkers!). I realised when I looked at the map that I had already driven past stop #115

ROCKEN END

Now this place looked fairly easy to find on the map, but it took me a couple of wrong turns and when I eventually got to a carpark at the (dead) end of the road I was looking for, it was chock-a-block full. The cars squashed into the last couple of passing places should have given this away. I u-turned and parked about half a mile away and set out on foot, using pathways off the road on occasions. Then there was another challenging cliff walk, with paths that would split with no clue as to which one to follow!

When I finally emerged on the beach, one thing was blindingly obvious. This was a beach favoured by naturists. Without breaking stride, I made my way to the rocky headland that I guess is Rocken End - kind of obvious really - and took my pic. Almost slipping on my return to the beach proper, I thought "well, when in Rome", stripped off everything and went for one of the most refreshing swims I've had in ages.

Rocken End is pretty stunning.

My final destination of the day was, I thought, going to be the easiest.  It isn't a Germinal CCXXIV place but is the name place on the very first copy of the Carrion 7" vinyl I bought. It is very close to Ventnor and I thought finding it would be a breeze. hahaha. stop #116

DUNNOSE

So, Dunnose. I don't really know how to pronounce it. On the map, I assume it is a slight headland. This is what it looks like on OS;

The red arrow is me but the path I'm supposed to be standing on no longer exists. There have been some serious landslide action going on since OS last surveyed the area, and I spent ages walking up and down trying to find it. When it eventually dawned on me what had happened I went for a little scramble ramble and got as close as I could without causing another avalanche and took the pic. The tree was fab, and as there was evidence of a wild camper / rough sleeper I didn't hang around too long. 

I took a slightly different route back, stumbling across the Old St.Boniface Church dating from 1070. It was locked so I couldn't peek inside.

According to the map, there was a pathway cut between some of the houses. What I failed to take into account was the gradient...

It certainly was the pits. I was absolutely beat. Headed back to camp and decided to have a pub supper. Half a mile walk down the road felt more like two and the pub was heaving but they took pity on me and fitted me in, eventually. 

Sitting outside the Alphard waiting for tonight's Super Moon and feeling quite melancholy as I've only got seven days left of my Germinal CCXXIV adventure left!

Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and out 

Day 52 (10th August 2022)

 It feels like I'm a world away from where I was this morning, and in a funny kind of way I am. This will make sense later on, so stick with me. I was up super early as I really did have some miles to do. My first stop involved a ferry ride, and unlike all the others, I hadn't booked this in March, so I was pretty lucky to get on at a reasonable hour. The ferry left from Poole and took me to stop #112

BROWNSEA ISLAND 

Probably most famous for the very first Scout camp by Robert Baden-Powell in 1907 (little known fact, I achieved the Chief Scouts Award in 1977), it is now run by the National Trust and has a castle owned by John Lewis offering their staff the opportunity to holiday there. My brother-in-law Nick works for them, I can only hope he has his name on a waiting list!

There is an interesting little church on the island I had a look at.

I didn't stay long, although my quick getaway was thrawted by my good manners / lack of assertiveness... there was a group of people standing in front of the return gate and I stood patiently behind them only to watch the return ferry leave without anyone getting on. When I asked the NT volunteer why it had left without us, she realised her mistake in thinking I was with this bunch who had congregated in front of the gate having just arrived. Trying to hide my frustration, I told her not to worry, and went and got a cold drink as I was sweating buckets.

I popped into the reception area to buy a guide book, and told the staff why I was here. They were delighted with my Germinal CCXXIV quest and took my photo! One of them told me that the volunteer (Shirley, I think her name was) was mortified with what had happened, so I went and had a chat with her and we had a laugh about it.

I had the return ferry all to myself, but the delay had cost me one of my planned stops. I might try to get there in a couple of days time.

Instead, I travelled into the New Forest, which is looking decidedly tinderbox dry. Love that there are ponies and cows wandering around without a care in the world. Ended up in the Beaulieu Estate where the poperties get achingly expensive and gorgeous to get to stop #113

BUCKLER'S HARD

Hard to imagine this place as a major ship building centre, but that is what it was once upon a time. Some of the ships that took part in the Battle of Trafalgar were constructed here, including the Agamennon which Horatio Nelson served on. Apparently it was known as the "Eggs and Bacon" by many of her crew.

All this ship building probably accounts for why so much of the New Forest is full of wide open, treeless spaces. I didn't really hang around long enough to get a feel for the place as (a) I had another ferry to catch and (b) if you only stay for 15 minutes, parking is free, before leaping up to an extortionate amount of money thereafter. Quite why anyone would only visit for 15 minutes is beyond me, but today, I was one of those people. 

Got my allotted ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.

I haven't been here since 1987. In 1985 & 86, Melvyn and I had a weeks holiday in a B'n'B in Ventnor. In 1987, he met me on his motorbike after a half day during a hot summer spell when I was an Operating Department Assistant at Eastbourne District General Hospital and said he fancied crab sandwiches for supper. Didn't say where though, so I hopped on the back while he drove us at ridiculously illegal speeds to Portsmouth, boarded the ferry and rode to Shanklin where we had a crab sandwich supper before riding the same journey  back again that very evening. We used to do shit like that when we were young!

I'm here for two nights. I was going to surprise Andy Barding at AAA Records, but he got married today (congratulations!!) so something tells me he isn't going to be at work tomorrow!

Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and out 

Day 51 (9th August 2022)

 Up and out before anyone had arisen this morning. As it is predicted to be another hot, still day, I wanted to get to at least one of my Germinal CCXXIV places before it got too busy. My first leg of the journey was going just fine until I crested a hillside and gasped at the view.

What the pic doesn't really show was an old building on top of one of those hills. From this distance it looked something like a castle's keep or a church. Checked out the map and it turns out to be Abbotsbury.

Definitely worth a detour.

This building is St.Catherine's Chapel. The town below used to be the site of Abbotsbury Abbey, of which almost nothing visible remains, but the parish church is a knock-out.

The village is full of wonderful thatched cottages and it was difficult to tear myself away. But I did, finally arriving at England's most spectacular shingle beach. Stop #109

CHESIL BEACH

There were very stern signs discouraging swimming, annoying as I'd just changed into my swim shorts. But I didn't want to run the risk of being told off so early in the day, so I looked at a billion billion pebbles for a bit 

before heading east through the very congested Weymouth to get to stop #110

DURDLE DOOR

Strewth, the car park was rammed. Had a little chat with the parking attendant who was interested in the Alphard. Distracted, I ended up halfway down the steep dusty path before realising I'd forgotten my phone. Cursing heavily I made my way back up, ditched my sweaty T in the van and headed back down. Had a very refreshing swim underneath the arch, soaked my cap in the water and made my way back.

I met the same attendant and told him my tale of woe. He said rather than walk to my next stop, I could drive instead as my parking ticket was valid in that car park too. I could have hugged him, but instead got in and drove to stop #111

LULWORTH COVE

I was here a few months ago (in the pouring rain) with Guy and my friends Monica, Larissa & George, but in the heat and the crowds, it felt like a very different place. 

Stopped off at the church at West Lulworth as it looked interesting from the outside. Inside, not so much!

Made my way back to tonight's campsite earlier than usual as I just wanted to flop and drink some wine. There are deer and adders here - eek - so I'd better not drink too much. 

Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and out