Hi Everyone

Similar here. We started to get the Troll ready yesterday morning for today's lunchtime short journey to Knaresborough CMC site., but half expecting a move for Lancashire from T2 to T3. We were In our childminding bubble until teatime when we heard that Lancs was moving to T3 at midnight & everything was off.

Immediately got on live chat with CMC agent who was lovely and helpful but confirmed that we must cancel. Phoned site & spoke to warden who was also lovely. She wondered how far Harrogate & Knaresborough might be off being "promoted" a Tier because of being so close to Leeds, with its high rates. I also phoned the local pub that we had booked a meal in for Ks birthday to cancel.

We have that feeling, that I guess others share, of a mix of sadness and frustration, as we were really looking forward to using the Troll for the last time before putting it away for winter. We are unsure if to leave things for the first couple of fortnightly Tier reviews to see if there is any change and we can get away for a final couple of nights, as we have used it in November before (but it was blooming cold at night)

But as others have already said we are still alive and relatively well - we have been extremely careful.. Seeing the chap in his 60s recovering from Covid in the Liverpool Hospital yesterday after being fit & active until he caught it was very sobering.

We are also lucky in that we are in a childcare bubble to look after our daughter's two very young boys after not being able to go near them for 6 months.

Best wishes to all
MikeT

Hi Randa

Ribble Valley is semi-rural area and number of infections has been relatively low. However areas round us are all very high eg Preston, Burnley & Pendle. Saw some figure that Preston had 3900 + cases and Ribble valley around 200.

There was apparently a worry that people from other areas on local lockdowne were simply driving the short distance to our area to eat & drink & theoretically spreading the virus and so we were brought into the county lockdown.

The problem is that it has become so confusing nationally that no one seems to know the reality of the situation, except that hospital admissions and and number of deaths seem to be rising everywhere. We know a few people who work at quite a high level in the local NHS and they are very concerned at the immediate situation. For us that is enough to make us very cautious again.

I'm not sure how much of a risk we are in our little vans & awnings keeping ourselves to ourselves, and using the facilities as little as possible, but I guess we have our part to play.

We were in Angelsey a few weeks ago and the precautions that the majority of places had taken made us feel very safe and relaxed.

Strange days
MikeT

Trust that you enjoyed your chillii and scotch Colin.

Good news about the hospital .

Hopefully when the markets do eventually revive your pension investments will start to recover their value.

Mike

It's our "local" site only an hour away so have been many times.Yes you have to pick your pitch carefully because of the trees but we normally we go early Jan Feb time as our 1st trip of the year so not so much of a problem.
Leaving the site betwen those times only means that you will have to give way to incoming vans etc.
THE 1 PM still doesn't stop early arrivals queuing at the lane entrance, why do they have to be 1st on site. At least they are prevented from entering the site unlike at most sites which then puts the warden in the dilemma of either letting them book in early or refusing to let them in until the stated arrival time. Personally I'd turn them away
I don't see the problem regarding showers, I usually shower in the morning but after several visits to various CMC sites we adapted. Go for a shower in the evening, get by with a strip wash in the morning, wash up in the van, use the toilet in the van it's there for that reason. Plan your day at this site leave early take a packed lunch or risk eating out, that's obviously a personal choice. Spend a day in the beautiful parkland visit the house ( but nor at the moment) and gardens. Having just added a puppy to our household we spent most of the time with short visits into the park. It was the deer rut and we watched the Red Deer Stags on the hillsides protecting their harem, but what a noise, started about 3 in the afternoon and went on through the night until about 10 next morning. We were also lucky when walking in the park to see 2 Fallow deer stags running close ro us making their way to the river, magnificent animals.
Personally I think the wardens are doing a brilliant job under the circumstances, our friends are the wardens at Blackshaw Moor CMC site, the hours of unpaid work they are putting in to keep sites open is unbelievable . At the Belper site the warden there told me he and his wife are working in excess of 70 hours a week and being paid for 48, it is a 1 couple site!
In these terrible times we have to adapt and make the best of it, it was brought home to us when our neighbours wife sadlydidn't make it out of ICU. he made it out OK.