Life in a Tin Can

Bertha

 

My little two-berth caravan is a bolt hole.  A place to retreat to when times are tough or just to be away from the television, instant Internet access and 'phone connection and from the never ending housework and 'things to do' list.

 

 

Bertha is 20 years old.  She looks a little sad next to her more modern larger neighbours with their satellite dishes, awnings and barbecue equipment.  But appearance doesn't matter when the pleasure is priority.

 

 

Inside this little tin can, cosiness hugs me like a teddy bear.  It is a little home and reminds me of playing 'house' as a child.  It has a little kitchen sink and cooker, storage units to keep board games, radio, books, crafting equipment and other essentials.  Her rear end houses a toilet and shower, wardrobe and shelves.  The seats at the front double up as two single beds or, one double bed if I feel so inclined to unravel the base and make it up.  It's easier for getting out in the night to use the singles and a sleeping bag.

 

Plugging into the on-site electrics means I can be warm in winter and food can be kept cool in the fridge whatever the temperature outside.  I have been her owner for the last five years.  She was towed by the seller to Beehive Farm Woodlands Lakes, South Derbyshire where she sits for an annual storage fee.  Other caravans come and go for the weekend or longer being towed by their owners from near or far.  The field Bertha resides in is a no-children area, a separate field is allocated to families, so it is quieter for us oldies without little ones around.  Bertha is next to the short walk to the Lakes.  Hubby thinks this is paradise as he is a keen fisherman in the dry weather.  Whilst he pursues his hobby I erect the caravan table and write, make cards, sew knit or weather permitting relax on a sun-lounger with a good novel to read in the sunshine.  I recently made new curtains for Bertha, do you like them?

Everyone on-site is friendly and occasionally there is a party in the social room.  The staff at the Beehive Farm are helpful and a delight to chat to on each visit.  Caravans, camper vans, tents and pod campers are all well catered for with use of shower blocks, pan washing facilities, an animal petting farm, woodland walks, 3 fishing lakes, blackberry picking (when in season - a lost pastime) and nearby a café for an all day breakfast or coffee and cake.  Just a little walk away in the village is a pub, general store and fish and chip shop.  A little further away is a Chinese take-away who will deliver your meal to the caravan site.

 

 It has become quite a neat ritual sorting out what to take and when the car is loaded with a cool box of food stuffs and bags of clean towels, tea towels, pillow cases and suitable clothes, off we set leaving behind town life.  Instead of looking out on our garden and neighbouring houses across the road we can gaze on the greenery of trees and bushes and a big expanse of sky.  Instead of town wear, campers seem to wear shorts all year round; and instead of being worried and busy everyone is happy and relaxed.

 

Near to Beehive Farm Woodlands Lakes is Rosliston Forestry Centre, a garden centre, Swadlincote and Burton on Trent town centres and Barton Marina so there is always somewhere to visit at our leisure.

 

Barton Marina

 
One of the Lakes at Beehive Woodland Farm

 Rosliston Village Baby peacocks

                                                                                                        at Beehive Woodlands Farm

Rosliston Forestry Centre - on a forest walk

 

 



 Life at the Beehive Farm gives me rest and refreshment and reconnects me to nature.  The resident farm tame rabbits skip about and sometimes chase their wilder relatives.  I have often watched the huge white tame rabbit try to befriend his smaller brown cousin but they never quite connect.  Watching the farm peacocks strut about learning the ropes from their parents and seeing them grow has been lovely.  They walk between the caravans, hop onto benches, squawk and open their fan tails. 

 

Overhead the Canadian geese honk as they fly by in their 'V' formation and at night and owl can be heard hooting.  The noise of the sheep and cows in nearby fields is so much nicer than hearing neighbours drills or lawn mowers.  It is a nice change to see a wider variety of birds too.

 

'A Theme from A Summers Place' by Percy Faith is playing on the radio and it takes me back to Bournemouth 1960 where my parents took me on a family caravan holiday.  We visited Bournemouth swimming pool where there was a show of clowns doing tricks from diving boards and a team of synchronised swimmers dancing in the water to this tune.  May be my happy memory is why I like life in an old tin can so much.