Friday 23rd – Friday 30th October
Friday 23rd October
Normally we have a long weekend in Swanage in May each year – us in the Motorhome, my brother and his wife in the caravan, but obviously, this year, that got wiped.
So we are off to pastures new …….. a newish Caravan & Motorhome Club Site near Bridport Bingham Grange in Dorset. https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/southern-england/dorset/bridport-bingham-grange-club-site/ I believe the site was purchased as a going concern by the Club a couple of years back and so not quite the familar format of a standard club site, but good nonetheless.
Our journey was slightly delayed as we got stuck behind a tank on the back of a lorry; obviously on it’s way back to the Tank Museum at Bovington – must go there again one day. https://tankmuseum.org
We arrived first and started to get set up.
My brother (JW) and Elaine arrived and were able to pitch opposite. It’s been a while since the caravan has been out and about but, even though it is 16 years old now, we’ve had it from new and it’s still looking pretty good – JW takes care of the washing etc.; I take care of the admin.
Our turn to cook dinner in the motorhome …….. what’s for tea?! JW’s favourite …….. Ham, Egg & Chips, with wine of course!!
Mileage – Storage to Bridport Bingham Grange = 197 miles
Saturday 24th October
Bridport market is brilliant! It’s on every Saturday so we set off earlyish to browse the market. OK it was very rainy and very, very windy and we were initially suprised how easily we got parked on market day …….. yup, the market was cancelled! Such a shame, but we still enjoyed a damp wander around Bridport’s many nooks and crannies.
A bit of shelter and elevenses in The Ropemakers’ pub http://www.theropemakers.com. Friendly people, nice coffee and a memory stirred of paying a penny to go to the loo.
We moved on from Bridport to Lyme Regis for lunch and a stroll. I think the photos tell all.
A treat tonight with dinner out at The Club House at West Bexington – part of the Hive Beach Café group – https://www.theclubhousewestbexington.co.uk. I may have mentioned it had rained during the day. It has since rained more and more and we set off in JW’s car hardly being able to see a few feet in front of the bonnet as the rain lashed down and the wind blew us sideways.
We reached the restaurant where the immediate parking area was full so proceeded into a car park built out into the sea. There was no lighting at all so with iPhone torches on we began to negotiate the few yards across the car park to the restaurant’s door. What was difficult to see was the gi-normous, deep puddles and with giggles and shrieks we each arrived at the door in various states of dampness!
I cannot recommend The Club House highly enough – cocktails and dinner served by lovely staff in our own room; the fish particularly was scrummy.
Sunday 25th October
This morning a rainbow followed by a fabulous blue sky with fluffy clouds.
So, after elevenses at The Watch House Café https://www.watchhousecafe.co.uk, the second in the Hive Beach chain, we set off on a circular walk from West Bay, via Eype. Broadchurch fans will recognise below the lawyer’s home on the cliff and, at Eype, the scary chalet; it looks nearer to the edge of the cliff than it did during filming!
It was a lovely 3.6 mile walk (JW will say it was further!) with stunning views.
The kindly folk at Highlands End Holiday Park https://wdlh.co.uk/holiday-parks/highlands-end/ let us into their Martin’s Bar & Restaurant https://www.martinsbarandrestaurant.co.uk just to have coffee right before they began serving Sunday Lunch to a zillion people; it’s obviously very popular. They also, randomly, have one of England’s largest and most important private collections of fire engine memorabilia – must go back!
Will we remember in years to come the many cruise ships moored near Bournemouth, Portland and Torquay because of the pandemic? We saw P&O’s Arcadia (I think) en route back to her mooring point near Torquay after a refueling trip to Southampton.
This evening it is JW and Elaine’s turn to supply dinner in the caravan – fabulous pasta-bake cooked by Elaine; I’m sure my brother helped with some part of the evening.🧐 Obviously a jolly time was had!!
Monday 26th October
Today a stroll on Hive Beach and then elevenses at the famous Hive Beach Café https://www.hivebeachcafe.co.uk, so now we’ve been to all three of their café/restaurants – stunning day – and lovely to be outside drinking coffee in October. (My brother didn’t think so – brrrrr! 🥶).
We continued along the lovely coast road to West Bexington so we could review – in the daylight and in the dry – the giant puddles in which we had trodden on Saturday night. Wow what a difference!
Beach to the West 
Beach to the East
The Club House, West Bexington – bit of a jumble of buildings in the daylight but fabulous food!
Further along the coast road, the most amazing view over St. Catherine’s Chapel, Chesil Beach, The Fleet (lake) and Portland.
Continuing to Weymouth, the first thing we saw was the council digging up the train track that used to run through the town’s streets to the harbour. Such a shame it couldn’t have been saved and used for some sort of tourist tram or similar. 🥲
Weymouth, was a bit busy. After a light lunch in the M&S café, we strolled separately around the harbour and town, dodging on and off pavements and sideways to avoid people where necessary. The harbour is always so colourful.
Another cruise ship in the background 
In the evening, drinks and canapés in the motorhome followed by a takeaway pizza from a visiting miniature van – excellent, proper pizza!
Tuesday 27th October
I have no worthy photographic evidence of this day; mainly I think because it rained and rained and rained.
We kicked off with breakfast ‘out’ at the Symondsbury Estate which, via a long and bumpy drive, has shops, walks, cycle trails, glamping, weddings, animals, picnic areas and a café with a roaring fire. https://symondsburyestate.co.uk/shop/symondsbury-kitchen/
It would be lovely to go back on a sunny day to walk from there up the famous Colmers Hill – a distinctively pointy knoll with a group of trees at the top; frequently painted by local artists.
After breakfast we continued into Dorchester for a mooch – it was pretty empty of people and quite sad actually as so many shops were closed or closing down. The High Street looked desperate.
PS – my brother, JW, does have a photo to share – mainly it’s a lopsided picture of a fire hydrant in the rain but, still, he seems pleased with it!
Wednesday 28th October
This morning we are leaving Bridport Bingham Grange; JW & Elaine bound for home, we are continuing to Swanage for a further two nights.
While we were at the Hive Beach Café on Monday, Husband noticed their menu contained a Haggis and fried egg breakfast, so we returned for breakfast by the sea, this time with the motorhome. The car park is quite large, but as there had been so much rain we weren’t able to park on the wide area of grass, however, the National Trust guy was extremely helpful in finding us somewhere sensible to park on gravel and with a very nice sea view!
Haggis!!
Later, we arrived at my favourite Caravan & Motorhome Club site – Haycraft – https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-sites/england/southern-england/dorset/haycraft-caravan-club-site/ in sunshine which was immediately followed by lashing wind and rain.
During the afternoon we arranged to meet my ‘longest known’ (I don’t want to say oldest!) friend, Sheila, for a meal at a nearby pub after she had finished work. We said we’d book a table and began to ring around nearby pubs – of which we know several – and couldn’t get in anywhere. All fully booked with their lower capacity because of Covid. Finally, we found room at The Halfway House, Wareham https://www.thehalfwayinnwareham.co.uk. Weirdly, it was fairly empty, which was odd, perhaps because of it’s position halfway between two places!!
Sheila kindly picked us up and dropped us back to the site too, saving a taxi fare. Lots and lots of goss and great pub grub. As ever, a snatched visit. In 2021 we must meet for more than a couple of hours!!
Mileage – Bridport Bingham Grange to Haycraft, Harman’s Cross = 49 miles
Thursday 29th October
This morning did not go well. When we only have the motorhome and no car, we would normally catch a Steam Train into Swanage from Harmans Cross – a few steps away – and return by Purbeck Breezer Bus. You don’t want to do it the other way around as the bus stop is up a very, very steep and long hill on the top road! The Steam Trains were running but not stopping at Harmans Cross because of the Covid booking system. Not to worry, I found a different bus which runs along the lower road, noted the timing of the hourly bus and set off with time to spare.
First mistake, we were at the stop far too early as Google had also allowed time for our walk as had we, giving us around 35 minutes to wait. We decided it might be quicker to get a bus in the wrong direction to Corfe and travel on the Steam Train. We watched the bus on the live tracker leaving Swange and then, in horror, make a turn and go up to the top road. It turns out there is no bus in the Autumn/Winter on the lower road, so we are now miles from any transport, oh and it was pouring with rain. It was one silly mistake after another. Best option …….. burst into tears!
Eventually, I called a taxi, which is probably what we should’ve done in the first place bearing in mind the weather – oh dear! When we finally got there, even in the rain, Swanage looks good to me!
The Wellington Clock Tower which has no clock! 
RNLI Lifeboat Station 
The Swanage Pier Trust has done a lot of restoration work in recent times, including the refurbishment and extension of the old café – now called the ‘1859 Pier Café & Bistro’ – making it an excellent and well patronised venue; they were totally booked for lunch and the menu looked good. However, elevenses, with cake, was excellent too. https://www.swanagepiertrust.com/cafe
Friday 30th October
Pack and go this morning – writing now (January 2021 – yes, I’m a bit behind) who knew that would be the last time the motorhome would be on the road for so many months?! 🥲
Mileage – Harman’s Cross to storage = 171 miles
Total Trip Mileage = 417 miles
TiddleyOmPomPom on Tour 