Due to continued frustration with the speed of uploading photos I have moved to a new site.

You can continue to read all about my travels with Him'n'Her

here

(http://harveydiamond.wordpress.com/)

Twenty: Dorset, Somerset & The Cotswolds: Part Five (21/07/09)

And it goes on, and on, and on - to point where my rain shelter (or sun canopy if the weather is right!) tries to divorce itself from me. Just as well He remembered to peg it down. After a while they get up, unhook me, roll up my rain shelter and off we go - leaving the bikes and my lovely pitch-marker/bird feeder behind - must mean their memories are really getting bad now, or that we are coming back later today.

20 miles or so through the pouring rain and we pull into a car park near Abbotsbury and they go off for a stroll along Chesil Beach, another place they are excited about visiting. They couldn't go too far along it's 17 miles, however, as most of it is closed to human's between April and October due to sea-birds laying their eggs on the pebbles.

Still, they agree that it is a fantastic place and they really enjoyed lying on the pebbles in the drizzle (yes, the rain had softened to a drizzle at this point).

They could see the swannery at Abbotsbury from Chesil Beach and we went there to have a closer look at the swans, but when they saw the size of the entrance fee (£9 each) they decided that it wasn't worth it - after all they have seen lots of swans all over the place - and so they went for a wander around the quaint village of Abbotsbury instead. Mind you, everything seems to be expensive round here - including their lunch of baked potatoes - must be where all the rich folk from Sandbanks come for a day out ;-)

On the way to Abbotsbury, He had spotted a viewpoint that gave a view right along Chesil Beach and we agreed to stop there on the way back so that He could take some snaps but no dice...it was that misty I had to get her to turn my fog lamps on.

Still raining, we called into Bridport to do some shopping before returning to Bingham Grange. Despite the rain, they seem as if they had a good day and that's all that matters, bless 'em.

Twenty: Dorset, Somerset & The Cotswolds: Part Four (20/07/09)

9.00am and He's got into Her seat, pulled me forward a few feet on the drive and then got out again. What's he up to now? Call that a test drive?! Ah! - making enough room to get his pudgy tummy between me and the hedge while He fills my water tank - must mean we're away and I'll have to say a fond farewell to the dogs and my holiday home. About 30 minutes later, She's in the driving seat and we are, indeed, off.

After about 40 minutes we pull into a grassy, sloping car park at Lulworth Cove and He's getting all excited, bouncing up and down and saying that He can't believe He's finally gotten here. Turns out He'd wanted to come here since He was knee-high to a leek (well He is Welsh!!).

They leave me with a lovely view of a hedge while they go off and enjoy fandabbydozey views of the cove. Apparently, they not only went to the beach at the bottom of the cove, but also climbed the path on the eastern edge and came up over the top of it, where they saw, and He photographed, a Kestrel hovering over the cliff top searching for prey.

This was followed by a short jaunt to Stair Hole, a lovely blow-hole caused by sea water eating its way through the rock, a cuppa in the cafe near the car park and then they walked right past me without so much as a nod to a blind bat on their way to Durdle Door - a natural arch. This was, apparently, even more fandabbydozey than the cove, and far more impressive in real life than when they had seen it on Coast, and I think I agree with them having seen their piccies.

They especially enjoyed their tramp along the beach to Butter Rock, a small stack that seems to merge with the headland of Bat's Head behind it. Incidentally, Bat's Head also contains a small natural arch called Bat's Hole (what else?).

On their return, He arrived back first and stood next to me until She arrived and they then put their bags on board and then went off for food and mucky beer in the pub, before we set off again.

After about an hour we arrived at Bingham Grange Touring and Camping Park just off the road between Melplash and Bridport. I'm shown to a large hard-standing pitch up in the corner of the site, tucked away nicely with hedges on 3 sides - tidy! They quickly get me hooked up, cook some tea and then settle in for a night of reading and chilling. That night, however, the rain returns, accompanied by quite high winds.