MamaBear, you have become as obsessed with camping in such a short time as I have - do you think there should be a helpline? Oh wait, this is it, isn't it?
Carry on camping
PS Must get my 12 year old to download me a flashy signature, like the others on here.
I've camped my whole life and just recently moved to the UK with my hubby and have just missed camping so much. We've gone once, last weekend to Newhaven and loved it. Still have to adjust to no campfires (I know there are some that allow them but not many), no picnic tables, no canadian hemlocks, yet. I had a great time at Newhaven and I did feel like I was camping. I was worried about camping here as some just felt as though it was someones backyard, but that's what the pictures did for me. So far, I have been proven wrong.
In the end, I'm just happy to be camping again. We have a 2 yo and a 13yo and my oldest has grown up camping as well so now we are starting the tradition with our baby. He LOVES tents, everywhere we see tents on display he gets all excited and giddy and has to run in them and lay down in the bedrooms.
This site has been great and adore the members here, so much help
To get back to your comment, obessesed, definately!
Oh, that expains it - did you move here for our lovely camping weather? We have a 3, 8, and 12 year old, and camping is quite an economical way to get out and about - hotels etc don't really cater for 3 kids. Well, welcome to England - our seasonal weather is usually predictable, and it gives us something to talk about!
Thanks for the welcome. It's a toss up on the weather. We moved here from the coast of North Carolina. It's probably about 90+ degrees there right now (even at 5 in the morn) and you could cut the humidity with a sharp knife. Plus our garden was about 3/4 of an acre, mostly sand but still had to mow the grass and fire ants that attacked from everywhere. Not good for a toddler. Felt like you couldn't go anywhere without airconditioning. And you need a car to get anywhere over there. Here, I can let my toddler out to play in pure grass and not worry about him bit by fire ants, snakes, or high humidity. I only have a 2 mile walk or bus ride to the town and I pop my little one in one of those big old fashioned but new prams and it holds everything.
Work benefits are way better here as my hubby worked 12 hour days with mandatory overtime every day, was there for 2 years and only had 1 weeks vacation. big contrast to what you get here.
I do like it here, miss my family dearly in the states, but my children are happy here and some of our family lives across the street.
Well it's interesting to hear that not everything in the States is rosy, I've always had the impression that standards of living, social time, amenities etc are better and cheaper. I wouldn't fancy fire ants, and am moaning enough about the normal black ones that seem to be living under my house, they don't bite, they just pop out all over the place from a new hole every day. I'm glad you feel it was worthwhile moving here. This summer is unusual - and we don't have anything particularly poisonous to ruin camping trips, the most irritation comes from wasps and mosquitoes (which we used to call gnats until they got really big). I shall look forward to hearing your non-State-side camping ventures!
Yeah, def. not all rosey but I think it's that way wherever you go. I do feel that your gov. takes better care of you here. Such as benefits when looking for work and extra help on your council taxes and housing benefits. Came in handy the first couple of weeks we were here. A bit of a pain to get so hopefully we'll never need them again, but great knowing they are there. In the states, you only get gov benefits for work if you were already working and you lost your job, you get a percentage of what you earned. Also we don't have a uniform health care system and the only way to get free care is to be destitute and not working and any living benefits are really for single families and even then you can't be working and you may only get 200 to 300 a month, you need alot more than that. So I do feel that your gov. is a bit more giving and you always have health coverage working or not, no deductables, no out of pocket expenses, no co pay, no high prescription bills. I had decent health coverage there, was paying 300 a month plus all the extras and still had to pay over 3000 for the birth of my child. I think when you have good insurance the doctors will check you for everything and admit you for any reason. On gov insurance your in and out in 5 min.
The one thing here is there is no respect from the youngsters and just a plain lack of respect for the police, fire and ambulance workers. It just seems like so much is let go because they don't want a confrontation.
I guess some things may be cheaper but the value of the dollar has gone down. I can buy a box of pampers in the states for 20 dollars and for that same box here, I just paid 9 pounds at asda. I do find the wages are a lot less here compared to the cost of living. Don't think we would ever be able to afford to buy, strange thing is, the rent is lower than expected considering the cost of homes. Odd, but I do like it here
We do tend to take the benefits system here for granted. I've had three caesarians, presumably that would have cost a huge amount in the States. I have also noticed that the cost of many things here are no longer cheaper abroad, nappies make a good example. Even in France this year I noticed that cheese wasn't much cheaper - there may have been more choice, but it wasn't the bargain it used to be. I bought plastic plates from Tesco today for our camping kit and they were reduced to 15p for 4, as were cups,bowls, and numerous other items.
Property prices are stupid, but in recent history it used to cost more to rent than to have a mortgage - you just couldn't always get the mortgage in the first place.
Unruly kids, there's a tough one. I don't know what the answer is for those that are out of control. I hope you've come across the good ones too, most are, it's just that they are doing constructive things with their time so they are not hanging around on the street. I think it's easy today for them to make bad decisions, my son is 12 and sociable, smart, and athletic, but I almost hold my breath waiting for it to go wrong.
Sorry everyone, reaslise that we are debating way off the original thread - perhaps someone clever could tell us how to move our posts to the general forum, without starting a new one, whilst making sure the people who have diverged know where to carry on.....
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Finally got our camp kitchen
i did buy a canopy for our hartford though !
