Wednesday 5 September 2012

Camping !


Time to take the Flying Cloud down to Cornwall for a fortnight under aluminium rather than canvas
Canoe on top & everything we might need (almost) inside the Airstream
She towed fine down the A30
...never a shimmy or a sway
The chair & table are a temporary substitute for the dinette which will now be a winter job
 Our usual haunt in the wilds of Cornwall and after so much rain - some very welcome sunshine !
 Interestingly, when dismantling the inner skin, there was no sign of there ever having been a dinette or bench seats fitted, so she probably was supplied with fold-out table and chairs before the typical end dinette became standard.
A view of the estuary from the bed 
Cupboards, wardrobe, drawers and magazine rack refitted - the end one is the space for the Marvel fridge (still a work in progress) 
Our friends Shepherd's Hut 
 Morning coffee - Atomic style ! 

Now, we'd normally like to escape the news & TV altogether but camping had coincided with the Olympic fortnight... so we fitted a temporary TV !
 The wiring is all there but I haven't fitted the electrical system yet, so (apart from the telly) we had candlelight...
...and firelight (with the odd cowboy !) 
...and illuminated steps ! 
Coffee grinder & aluminium containers

Curtains - a re-issue of a Sanderson design from the 50s 

Shrimping 
at low tide 

with some freshly picked samphire 
The family glued to the Olympics 
...another win in the rowing for Team GB ! 
In the great lottery to get Olympic tickets, we came up empty-handed but luckily my brother lucked-out & had enough spare for us to make a family jaunt up for a morning's athletics 
 So we all headed up from Cornwall on the train to Olympic Central
...arrived early ! 
Fantastic atmosphere - intimate & vast at the same time 
the brilliant Mo Farrah about to win his 5,000m heat 
and the Thomas Heatherwick flame
Stunning wildflower planting around the stadium and all over the site 

Home on the train over Brunel's finest creation; the 1859 Tamar Bridge - undergoing a bit of an overdue restoration.
 Polishing still at an early stage but getting there...
Awning still to come but instead we rigged one next to the fire 
Hehr Standards looking good...
... & working well 
And despite not having resealed the outer seams, no sign of any leaks 
My favourite gravestone - clearly carved by a typographer way ahead of his time (or possibly hers)  
It wasn't all sunshine but in what has become Britain's wettest summer since records began, we had a pretty good fortnight
Its become traditional that I'm expected to build 'club fenders' around the fire bucket (unsurprisingly, this year's model has an Olympic theme) 
... so we can all sit back with feet at the right height 
 for gentle toasting  
Changeable winds meant that we weren't always upwind of the fire ! 

Time to sit, relax & read - I can recommend the A303, Highway to the Sun 
 Sailing in our old friends Enterprise dinghy
Lunch on the beach 
Friends round the fire 


  


Sandy with his Powerisers - boing ! 
Coming back with the incoming tide 
Clearly an ex-member  of a dodgy Country & Western combo ! 
 Early evening fix of the Olympics 
Heading home 
 She does tow like a dream
 ... even on 'Impracticable' roads !
Hope to see some of you down the road in your Silver Sheds before long




11 comments:

  1. Wow! What great progress. The photos are terrific. I would say it all looks quite American except for that samphire part. You eat that stuff?
    Frank

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  2. Thanks Frank - Samphire is quite a delicacy & delicious. Its often referred to as sea asparagus; either raw or boiled with melted butter, we love it.

    Ours is Salicornia europaea - I think you have Salicornia virginica which isn't quite the same gastronomically !

    Chris

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  3. Chris, everything looks fantastic. So glad to see you out on the road enjoying your hard work. . . and what a great looking camping trip.
    Cheers!
    Norm

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  4. Pure eye!
    I'm getting more jealous of that Atomic coffeemaker every time I see it. :)

    I'm so glad you guys had the opportunity to go to the Olympics! I was fortunate enough to go to a few events when the Olympics were in Atlanta in '96. My Olympic memories are treasured!

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  5. Chris, you have a wonderful way of telling your stories with photos. The Cloud looks so inviting, especially with the sunshine streaming in. A delight to see. I know you're thrilled to be camping.

    By the way, kudos to you Brits for a fine job hosting the Olympics. From opening to close, it was one of the best ever, certainly the best in my memory. It's nice to see your personal photos of part of the events.

    Dacia

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  6. There are quite a few Atomics on the US side of the pond - just type it into eBay (thought they're usually a few hundred dollars, but the coffee is worth it !

    Glad you liked the Olympics - I think the opening ceremony may have foxed a few non-Brits but I think we did a pretty good job of it & made it quirky and mildly eccentric. It was nice to see the whole country get behind it & brilliant to go up for a morning's athletics - even if it meant leaving the Flying Cloud for a day or two.

    And thanks for all your nice comments - it is great to be camping AT LAST !

    Cheers, Chris

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  7. Looks like a lovely trip. The campsite looks nice and laid back. You can't beat a night round the camp fire. Look forward to your winter projects.

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  8. Hi! I would like to use the one awesome picture of Robbiati's espresso machine in front of your airstream. You can check my Blog for its history! Thanks, Mik

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  9. Hi Mik
    Enjoyed your blog. Yes, you're welcome to use my Atomic/Airstream picture, though a photo byline (c Chris Vile) & a link to my blog would be appreciated.
    Best

    Chris

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  10. http://www.giordanorobbiati.com/2013/03/chris-does-it-with-style.html

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  11. Hi Mik

    Very nicely done & thanks for being so diligent with the credit on my pictures.

    Really enjoyed your site & keep brewing Atomic stylie - there's no better way to make coffee !

    Chris

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