Catching my breath

I'm sorry, I know I've not posted for a while. I had one day between getting home from holiday before I had to sprint off to Oxford for a course for two days. We had a fab week away, we did some Christmas shopping at Clacton shopping village and at the designer outlet village near Stansted. We went metal detecting on the beach at Walton-on-the-Naze. We played bingo on Clacton pier with the caller dressed as a monk. We climbed to the top of the tower at Orford and walked around the walls of Framlingham Castle. We went swimming in the pool at the caravan site (indoor). We visited Frinton and went bird watching from the sea walls at Point Clear. We played scrabble, did jigsaws and laughed a lot.
In short we had a great time. What do you like doing best on holiday, and where is your ideal spot?

Caravans and boats

Yesterday, Mr Nell and I went to the NEC to the caravan and boat show. Most of you know we have a touring caravan which we use as much as possible so it was fun to see all the new shiny ones which are on the market. In fact, as hotel prices in London are beyond mine and Mr Nell's budget we're taking the tourer to Denham for the Love Story of the Year awards and commuting in to London by train from there. At £30 for two nights on the lovely caravan club site it was a bit of a no-brainer.
Even better, at the show yesterday I found one of my favourite places has now upgraded it's touring facilities so I've booked to go there for October half-term. Clacton-on-sea here we come. I can't wait. We've had such wonderful holidays there, always in October. The belles are over the moon as we know it so well and we're busy planning trips to our favourite places - the pier, Frinton, Colchester - I love Colchester, the shopping village, the freeport shopping near Stansted. Can you tell I'm excited? The beach there is fab and the belles have always paddled even in the Autumn. We love walking through the gardens along the seafront and visiting the Martello towers. Maybe I'm a secret Essex girl.