My first proper camping experience – because apparently a tent in the back garden when I was 10 doesn’t count – was in a vintage VW camper called Daisy. The men were in Portugal playing golf and drinking into the late hours of the night, so Kate and I packed up the van and along with her beautiful boxer Lola, and we set off down to Bredy Farm.
We pootled down on Friday afternoon listening to some 80s hits and the occasional static from the authentic cassette player.
When we arrived at Bredy Farm, our first job was to set up the awning. Neither of us really knew how to do this, but thanks to WhatsApp, the men were able to tell us we did an alright job and a celebratory cider was in order. Our second task was to cook. Being an experienced camper, Kate had precooked a tasty chilli for us to heat up on the portable stove and while she tended to that and the rice, I sat on a picnic chair grating cheese into a white enamel dish.
After dinner it was time to explore the campsite and see what was on offer. Unknowingly, we picked a quiet weekend for this adults only campsite, but we made friends with fellow campers and toasted to a girly weekend away over some sweet Jesus cider in the cider barn. Come 2am when the fire was dwindling, we headed back to Daisy. Clothes and fluffy socks on, we climbed into our sleeping bags, settled Lola on her bed in front of us and got our heads down for a good nights sleep. I slept well, as if I was in my bed back home, but the crisp morning air was a shock to the system compared to my usual routine.
The Saturday was quite chilled, we had a classic campers fry up for breakfast, showered in the block just up the gravel drive from our pitch and then headed to Hive beach for a coffee and cake while Lola frolicked with a pug puppy.
After our trip to the beach, we returned to the awning to cook fajitas before heading back to the cider barn to listen to some awesome live music. Maybe it was the band or the cider, or the artistic backdrop to the stage, but I was loving it. Once the music stopped, we carried the party on back at the van raiding our snacks of crisps and chocolate raisins and had another late night around the campfire.
Come Sunday, it was time to pack up. We bundled the pots and pans back into the van and attempted to neatly fold away the awning ready for the next adventure.
That was it, my first camping experience. I couldn’t have asked for better – there was a toilet and shower block meaning I didn’t have to face my fears of the compostable loo on the pitch, there was entertainment and I managed to sleep even without the recommended ear plugs and eye mask that I had been advised to get. Plus it was just a nice, first campsite to visit and one that we agreed we should take the men to at some point.
Food Love and a Van 