Friday, 23 October 2026

Thame, Oxfordshire, England


Hospital visiting is necessary, but no fun. The days are long, even longer for the patients. But visitors and rest go hand in hand towards recovery. So after a night all cozy in Marge, her silver window screens fitted for extra warmth, we left the lush green grass of the farm campsite bidding goodbye to the calves that look out of the barn all day, probably planning an escape, and returned to the hospital. Originally, we thought we would return home today, but conversations needed to be had with the medical staff, and encouragement was needed for John's daughter to sit up, hold conversations, and most importantly eat a little. Her road to recovery looks to be long and slow, so patience is required. Around midday storm Austen arrived bringing a swathe of winds and torrential rain, so tonight we'll have to be sure Marge is once again tucked into the corner by the trees at the campsite. On a lighter note, yesterday afternoon whilst shopping for lunch at the nearby Sainsbury's, Angela saw a lady leave the store with eighteen bottles of Mateus Rose wine. For anyone who can remember the iconic curved shaped bottle, originally designed to resemble world war one hip flasks, was repurposed as a candle holder after the wine was drunk. With Christmas not far off, Angela thought, there's eighteen candle holders about to be gifted!





Things changed and as John's daughter was much better later in the day it was decided to return to Thame which we reached late in the evening after a horrendous journey. 

Thursday, 22 October 2026

Arrowe Brook Farm Campsite, Birkenhead

  Marge is not the swiftest of vehicles, so our journey this morning was slow. Angela will tell you she's definitely not the most comfortable either, but after our mammoth road trip early this year to Morocco, and our recent holiday in Scotland her buttocks, now 'Marge shaped', have realised they need to suck it up. At the end of the day, Marge wouldn't be Marge without her little foibles. Patients seem to change quite regularly in the ward John's daughter is in. Now and again a real character arrives, and at the moment one lady is not in the best of mood, anger would be an understatement.  The poor staff are constantly under attack. As for us, well, hot drinks required, they'll be brought to you. Excellent. Lesson learnt here, treat people nicely and you will be rewarded.





As it was chilly tonight the silver screens went up on the cab windows.

Wednesday, 21 October 2026

Moorside Farm Motorhome Aire, Market Drayton

Wake up Marge....time to pack you up and head off. This isn't a holiday though. We need to head back up to Merseyside to visit John's daughter who is still in hospital. There is concern over her blood results, so naturally he wanted to visit her. So this afternoon, with four pairs of socks and underwear each, hopefully that will suffice, we began our long drive, the torrential rain of the morning at last easing, we set off back to the little motorhome aire at Moorside Farm near Market Drayton.

The roads were busy and we were tired. So we welcomed a refreshment stop half way, before Marge was swallowed up once again in the slow moving traffic of rush hour.


As the skies darkened, a beautiful sunset in the west ended the day.

Tomorrow we will be up and away early as we still have an hour's drive ahead of us. Hopefully the news at the hospital will not be too bad, fingers crossed.

Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Thame, Oxfordshire, England

Most of the time we've been away we know the weather at home has been good. Now back in the midlands, it did not disappoint. Despite a little rain through the night, this morning the sun was up, the sky blue, and the mercury rising.

Bliss. Sadly though today would be our last day away.



But first before heading home there was a campervan to view again, after which a discussion about Marge's future, which she must have heard, because just as we joined the M4O at Warwick her wing mirror on the driver's side became loose and almost dropped off. So a swift stop on the hard shoulder before we carried on pulling off at the next junction, stopping at a Coop for repairs.

Marge obviously wasn't happy at hearing her days might be numbered. Calm down Marge, no decision has been made yet. Despite some problems last year with her, she's served us well carrying us all the way to the south of Morocco and back, a journey of over five thousand miles without missing a beat, and again on our Scotland adventure, clocking 2467 miles, once again without a blip, except for the wing mirror incident. Now safely home, tonight we thank Marge for her reliability and the memories she's helped to create with us this year. For anyone who's interested we have been away for thirty eight nights. Spent a total of £237.00 on overnight stops,  and £38.0O on showers which equates to just over £7.23 per night. Marge's fuel cost, well we didn't bother to document this figure, with the current price of fuel it was mega bucks, but that's o.k. with our overnight costs so low we could afford to splash out on keeping Marge moving. Back home now we've much to do, and think about. With, good weather forecast for the next week, we might just fit in a couple of nights away in Sussex. Don't tell Marge, there's another van we need to look at. It will need to be exceptional if it's going to replace Marge.


What the internet says about Thame

Thame is a historic and thriving market town in Oxfordshire, England, located about 13 miles east of Oxford at the foot of the Chiltern Hills.

History and Character

Thame (pronounced "Tame", with a silent 'h') grew from Anglo-Saxon roots, with archaeological evidence showing settlement activity spanning thousands of years. In the 12th century, the Bishop of Lincoln planned the town's layout, creating its iconic, wide, boat-shaped High Street which was specifically designed to host a bustling marketplace. Today, ancient medieval timber-framed buildings stand side-by-side with Georgian and Victorian architecture. It is also famous as a regular filming location for the ITV television series Midsomer Murders.

Top Attractions and Things to Do

Thame Museum: Located near the town centre, it details the rich local history and heritage of the area.

The Players Theatre: A community venue hosting drama, live music, and annual pantomimes.

Cuttlebrook Nature Reserve: An award-winning local reserve offering peaceful walking paths and diverse wildlife.

Rumseys Chocolaterie: A popular artisan chocolate shop featured in Midsomer Murders.

St Mary’s Church: A striking 13th-century parish church featuring a tall historic spire.

Local Markets and Events

Weekly Market: A traditional street market is held every Tuesday, alongside a farmers' market on the second Tuesday of each month.

Thame Fair: An historic annual fair taking over the town centre and upper high street every September and October.

Oxfordshire County and Thame Show: A massive annual one-day agricultural show held every July.

Here's a list of all the places we stayed on our September/October 2026 Scottish Trip, click on the photo or title to open that day of the trip

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------