Longbeech Campsite, Fritham, New Forest (Day 2)

As Angela drifted off to sleep last night she could hear animals outside the van. Unlike last weekend she didn't have a meltdown, it was just the ponies nibbling at the short dry yellowing grass.

This was more her type of wild camping. After the exertions of last weekend we took a relatively flat walk out to the Royal Oak pub at Fritham, stopped for coffee.

We then walked to Eyeworth Pond with its pretty waterlilies, followed by a stroll through the fallen trees stopping to look at a variety of fungi and the old black post box erected in 1820 by the Shultze Gunpowder Factory which was sited in the area, before a gentle amble back to Margery, stopping by the donkeys, where one young one took to John, following him across the road. Sorry only room for two in Margery.

Our time here in the forest is just what we need, a bit of a rest before our lives become manic next week when it will be full on redecorating and tidying one of our rental houses. So tomorrow we will once again 'kick back'. Angela has planned a suprise trip to somewhere nearby as part of John's birthday celebrations. He'll be seventy, Angela is sixty five, and as we both agreed this afternoon, age is no a barrier to 'going for it' in life. We think we proved that on the South West Coast Path.

A bonus was the many fungi we found growing in the woods, especially the Tiered Tooth Fungus, a very rare find.

Longbeech Campsite, Fritham, New Forest

After three days recuperating from our coast path adventure, we loaded up Margery and headed forty minutes away from home to Fritham in the stunning New Forest, where we are staying for two nights at the Adult Only Longbeech campsite. With limited facilities, which means drinking water and somewhere to dump your waste, the campsite is both tranquil and peaceful. Own toilet is obligatory.

Arriving at lunchtime Friday we were able to secure a perfect spot under the trees behind the campsite wardens.

Back at home in Poole this weekend a musical festival is taking place on the seafront a few metres from our home. To leave town for the weekend was a no brainer!

Here in the forest all is relatively quiet, the braying of the donkeys, the ripping of grass as the ponies feed and the rustle of the ferns as the cows amble through the site are all that disturbs us. We'll settle for that.