Local Camping

[Clevercat]

We have decided against a weeks camping holiday in Mid Wales which we had hoped to achieve,  in a bid to keep costs low we are hoping to camp somewhere a bit closer, I  don't mean as close as Brokerswood, but New Forest type distance.

Would appreciate any heads up on any recommended family orientated places to go.

[Yokel1]

Fotest of Dean - pedalabikeaway, puzzle wood, clearwell caves, dog and muffler - sorted!!

[Clevercat]

Dog and muffler??

[Clevercat]

Well we ended up having a very pleasant time in the New Forest, just outside of Fordingbridge.

Lovely campsite, owned and managed by a very robust and jovial character, who is not in the best of health, having had strokes and lost his wife, he is such a pleasant man, but despite his health works damn hard.   

He has quite a sense of humour, which I always find appealing (refusing to tell us where the local butchers was, saying he would not be wise to make our holiday too easy)

The site was lovely, set on the edge of Forest, a few sections of fields marked out for campers.   The children made lots of new friends and had a very sociable and 'free' time which was lovely to witness.  (apart from when mine were arguing between themselves)

We visited the New Forest, went to a lovely, quieter beach for the day rather than  a main, walked through the woods, and generally just relaxed (as much as you do with three children, hahaha)

All in all a lovely place to visit, met some lovely people, and have contact details exchanged ready to keep in touch.

[Clevercat]

I feel I should acknowledge the horror we dipped into slightly when we drove into Fordingbridge on the second day of our holiday.

It was obviously just after the discovery of the poor woman and her beautiful children who had been killed by their father, before he hung himself.

We were caught up in all the traffic chaos, and had to drive slowly through, Police were everywhere, on foot, in the Helicopter, knocking on doors, people all just stood outside their front doors, looking panicked, and News reporters just setting up and getting ready to interview people.

There were people everywhere.   We asked someone what was going on and I immediately regretted having asked, because then my children wanted to know why would someone kill their own family    Explaining to my five and eight year old something that to an adult does not make sense ...........

The mood we felt through the TOwn for that small moment in time was literally over whelming and left us feeling uneasy.

May they all rest in peace x