'The river floods to here' smiled Katherine, the campsite owner, as I admired the top of the picnic tables. The difference this year was that the sun was out and we could see the grass, as apposed to 2012 when the site was flooded out.
The usual suspects gathered throughout the evening in a delightful field next to the river.
Saturdays ride headed west and south, through Welford on Avon and onto the tearoom at Long Marston, where we quaffed tea and munched cake on the misplaced crockery from Barn antiques next door. Our next stop was Hidcote Gardens. It looked lovely, flowers, shrubberies and grand views and there lay the catch, uphill, so why change the habit of a lifetime, we cut across to valley to lunch by the church at Preston on Stour. We entered Stratford via the cyclepath and the children feasted on ice creams in the hot sun. Back to the campsite via the canal and just enough time to pack the swimming costumes for a dip in Stratford leisure pool and it's inflatable followed by munching our way through 30 pizzas at Pizza Hut.
Sunday headed North and East and it was getting hotter. Many of us hadn't been to this area, preferring to simple pass by on the motorways, but it was proving to be great cycling, flat, quiet lanes and loads of mock Tuder mansions. Dorsington had got into the spirit of being truly peaceful by trying to ban weddings or confetti rage as Lester put it. We arrived at Packwood House for an ice cream and coffee whilst the deal of the year was negotiated, to get into Baddisley Clinton, non National Trust members had to buy a £1 raffle ticket to access the cafe - great. We mooched around the afore mentioned property with it's moated house and simple gardens, before heading back to the site.
It was even hotter on Monday, how lucky was that. A few of the families left as exams beckoned for teenagers, which the rest of us headed round the north of Stratford to Charlcote Park. Back through Stratford that was stuffed with cars and people and back to the site via the canal towpath.
So another Bank Holiday May W/E over and the campsite was so good, I've booked it for 2015!!