This is the notice that has upset Sally so much:

Sunday (4th) was uneventful, really. THEY had café-croissant at Baie de Somme services and we travelled on through very fine weather – which is unusual for us in Picardie – stopping for fuel at a Centre Commercial just off the motorway before Calais and for lunch at Epitre, where, on other occasions, we’ve spent the night.

We’ve never seen Calais’ beach looking so inviting! 

The Channel Crossing was ‘millpond’ smooth – in fact, I’ve seen choppier millponds, and seemed to go quite quickly; well, it was only half an hour (!).

Leaving Dover was slow, but we weren’t stopped, unlike others around us – we can’t look guilty however hard we try!

Then we motored on to Bransgore, near Christchurch. Christchurch is in Dorset, but Bransgore is in Hampshire. That day we’d done 468kms, making 1,369kms from Sunejo. That’s about 855 miles. I need a rest!

We parked up on the pitch which had been reserved for us, with a notice in the window to tell us where it was although the office was closed, and had a ‘3 tin’ meal for supper.

Monday 5th August: up fairly early to take Harry to see Ben, who did the major repair last year. An oil leak needed sorting, but it was nothing to do with the previous repair. The weather was wet so we spent the rest of the morning at the garden centre where they have a café with free wi-fi. –

And how did you get from Ben’s workshop to the garden centre? Was I there or was I not there? Was I any use at all? And what would you have done if Harry had not been fixed on that day? Would you have gone anywhere or just been stuck?

We wouldn’t have slept in you, that’s for sure. But of course, you were very useful, and have been all the time – do you want to write a bit of the diary?

Non.

Right. (I wish she’d stop sulking – we’re probably not going to sell her anyway; the people from the Isle of Wight who were going to meet us because they wanted a car already equipped to be towed have made other arrangements.)  We’d been there so long that we thought we should have lunch at the garden centre, then we browsed and bought some stuff, like birdfood and citronella flares which were on BOGOF. Meanwhile we had contacted Martyn (Carol’s Brother) and agreed to meet him and Jasmine at the pub in Bransgore later that evening.

Tuesday 6th: I had an appointment with the Chiropractor in the morning. We do know now what’s been wrong with THAT leg for the last year. My French Doctor finally sent me to have it x-rayed, and we can see that all the cartilage has gone from the hip joint. So it’s just a matter of time until I say ‘let’s have a replacement’. Meanwhile, no serious walking; swimming OK, also cycling.

Wednesday 7th: a lazy day. We called on Martyn & Jasmine in the evening and we also went looking for Trevor and Pam. (Trevor is the Esperanto speaker whom we stayed with last year while Harry was being repaired and we went to his wedding with Pam in January.) However, for the second time when we’ve been in Mudeford since the wedding, they were away.

Thursday 8th: Another session with the Chiropractor, then back to the caravan park to collect Carol AND SALLY –

Huh!

And we got on the road for Welwyn. Once parked up there, Sally, what happened next?

I took you into Potters Bar to Carol’s Brother’s house.

You did. And there we met the first of the babies, not to mention Arnie, the dog:

This is Sophie (the Baby, that is), the daughter of Nick and Ceri whose wedding we went to in Wales in October.

Ah, oui! I did that. Harry was not present. You see, I can be very useful.

No-one ever said otherwise.

Friday 9th: took Harry to Hitchin to have his hab. service, and a couple of other jobs. But one job couldn’t be done because parts are needed, so we’re going to come back in two weeks. Sally?

Oui?

Do you want to say what we did while Harry was being worked on?

Ummm …… si  tu veux. I took you to Baldock to see Hilde.

Where we had elevenses, or ‘zweites Fruhstück’. Very welcome, thanks, Hilde!

Then I took you back to get Harry.

And after browsing motorhomes and the accessory shop, buying a table and a solar battery charger, we travelled in convoy via Tescos back to the Caravan Club site at Welwyn.