Rained On

You know how it is: July, summer, garden, barbecue. So despite forebodings we drive up to Dartmoor, to our friends who have retired to Poundsgate .

We had lunch in the pub, after a long trek over the moor (17 paces from front gate to pub). Someone left us with their puppy.

Then of course, the rain set in, or rather the cloud. The tents were up, the pergola went up, and fortunately there is a large car port.


We messed about with the lanterns and ate off the new barbie which doesnt mess about with it's purpose. It even has a small slot for veggie sausages (apparently), which was nice.


Me, like a fool, found myself in the middle of the Moor, with no baccy (happily sitting on the kitchen table at home). The pub helped me out by letting me switch on the cigarette machine, and lending me a lighter. Fags in pubs are £5.80! egad! For 16!. My Amber Leaf off the ferry costs £1.50 and it lasts 2 weeks. 16 fags lasted me most of the day and then the pub refused me change for another pack. Swine.Despite the rain, I now had everything (or most things) to Keep A Boy Happy

Dartmoor rain is a special thing, renowned for it's wetness and humidity. Water was inside our 10 year old BoyTent almost immediately so we ended up sleeping in the lounge. 6 in the house, 4 in Tent Of Luxury (which we slept in at the IOW festival 2 years ago) and 4 went home.
Today we bought a self inflating camping mattress which, in the absence of instructions, we tried to inflate by blowing into it. Idiots. It is the de-inflating that is the hard part.