Camp as a row of tents

Our home for the next three nights, (excluding Daryl who has too much sense) will be our 8-berth tent, pitched in a site in Shropshire. My love of camping, and the outdoor life in general, will be fully put to the test by the early May weather, the forecast of which isn't exactly promising. It makes me think of our last camping expedition last summer....

A 5 day trip to South Wales turned sour within 90 minutes of arrival at our campsite as the weather turned extremely nasty. The sunshine which greeted our arrival was quickly replaced by heavy rain, and it literally never stopped for the remainder of our stay. At one point, Ellie and myself were huddled together in one bedroom, clinging on to the inside of the tent with dear life. Philip and Jane were doing exactly the same in the bedroom opposite, the fear of being blown away now very real. Thankfully it never happened, but it was probably the most frightening night of my life. We were all feeling dreadful the following day, the lack of sleep now taking it's toll. When our car broke down and left us spending the day waiting for the RAC, it confirmed our suspicion that the trip was cursed. For the first time ever, we couldn't wait to go home, and we left early on the final day. Typically our departure was greeted by the arrival of a mini heatwave, with glorious sunshine sweeping across much of Britain. It summed up a difficult few days, and we were glad to get home.

Despite this experience it hasn't changed our views on camping one iota. It remains the perfect way to spend a family holiday, and just watching the children enjoy themselves is reward in itself. The moment the tent is unzipped in the morning for the first time, until it is drawn closed at night, Philip and Ellie will throw themselves into the most important part of campsite life; having fun. They are very excited at the prospect, and we can just hope that the weather is kind to us. Fingers crossed.