Gelly Babes November Nocturne

17th November 2014

The Day (and night) of Reckoning

or

five go mad in a camping barn!

 

In celebration of Pam's milestone birthday this months gathering involves a sleepover! The venue - The Reckoning House camping barn at Mandale Campsite, Haddon Grove.

Www. mandalecampsite.co.uk

Those of us with lots of time on our hands arrived at about 3pm to prepare things for Pam's arrival. Sadly Lynn wasn't able to join us - perhaps next time. The barn is in a most idyllic spot and although quite basic was perfect for our requirements (once one of our number had accepted that you don't get five star facilities in a camping barn!)

Pam didn't quite manage to arrive before dark but with the help of a the rest of us flashing our torches she eventually joined us and the first cork was popped.

 

Ready, steady, cook!

 

Your starters for five

 

Srummy!

 

After the delicious starters (starter of the evening: spicy gourd) we had Pam's present opening.

 

The Wash Green warbler

A cushy number - what not handmade!!

A perfect match

A musical note

 

and one for Helen J!

 

Cheers!

 

and again!

 

The food was delicious, vegetable curry (with compulsory cauliflower) and dhal from Maggie's kitchen, chicken curry carefully created by Jo, fish curry made by my own fair hand and rice and naan bread provided by Lynn all sprinkled with ample scatterings of coriander all washed down with lashings of Prosecco.

 

Eat my face!

Yes Jo this one really does have carrots in it!

 

Day 2

Who on earth brings a silk kimono to a camping barn in November?

Morning all

 

After tea and coffee in bed courtesy of Jo and discussions of who snored the loudest we all joined the queue for the shower and gathered ourselves for breakfast. Sadly Jo had to leave us as she had to go to work but we ate her share of the mushrooms and scrambled eggs and did her share of the clearing up!

 

Early morning rainbow

 

Onwards and upwards

 

The four surviving babes headed for Lathkill Dale for a walk and a spot of bird watching, with Pam proudly flaunting her new binoculars!

 

What a lovely pair of bins1

 

You were very clearly told not to go down that hole!

 

Spot the dipper

 

 

What - no risk assessment!

Bateman's House

 

Spot the buzzard

 

Made it - recovering from a muddy scramble up from the Dale

 

Our bird list for the two days:

Blackbird
Black-headed gull

 Buzzard
  Collared Dove
Coot
 Crow

Dipper (GB first!)

 Jackdaw
 Mallards (bit frisky)

 Moorhen
Robin
 Tawny owl (for those of us softly sleeping)

Wood Pigeon

 Wren

plus, of course, that extremely  rare porcelain Wash Green Warbler!!!!!!!!!! 

 

Lovely Lathkill

 

What a lovely two days we had - when can we do it again?