A proper weekend away . . .

Although we've had a fair few nights in the caravan this year, this is the first proper weekend we've had.

We overnighted at Ferry Meadows in the February snow, then spend a whole week in the temporary campsite at the NEC for the February caravan show, but this weekend, we've visited Abbey Wood and Crystal Palace CC sites - the latter is where I'm writing this.

So it's been a chance for us to actually have a proper bit of a break, and sort the caravan out. This year, we've got a temporary loan of a van from the French manufacturer Trigano - their UK importer, Freedom Caravans, fixed up for us to have the use of one.

In the next couple of weeks, we'll be filming a first report on it - I wanted to before, but because we've been too busy, we haven't got around to it, and it's just as well in some ways.

The problem is that in many ways it's ideal for the French, with their slightly better weather than ours, and not quite so good for us. But with a four-berth (two convertible dinettes, and there's a version with two bunks) in a short space, it is very comfortable for herself and me . . .