camping calamities

Buttermere campsite is welcoming visitors once more but you have to book ahead as they have reduced capacity... so a few weeks ago we booked in and hoped the weather would be kind. It wasn’t kind in the slightest. But we aren’t the type to be deterred/use common sense so we went anyway. We pitched up in relatively low winds and rain but once the promised weather got, well, weathery, things got interesting. Just as we put all the kids to bed a huge gust of wind caused the front porch/living area of our tent to rip right across the front and it all fell into the main tent. The children were whisked into the car to stay warm, dry and safe while we worked out what to do. Some really kind campers came and helped us move the remaining part of the tent so that it could better withstand the wind and lashing rain (not an easy feat in the cold and wet) and we ran around frantically sorting out the mess. I got back to the car after a while to find the poor children weeping like the Von Trapps when sister Maria returned to the abbey because they thought we’d be heading home. Meanwhile I felt a bit like crying because we weren’t heading home but was glad to cheer the children up with a return to the tent!

And then for a night of peaceful slumber for the children and wakeful fretting for the grown ups. But we all survived and the children were naturally thrilled by the adventure once it had passed!

Grateful for Antony being chief tent person, giddy children and the yellow mac Isaac wears (bought for Zeke in Concarneau a few years ago).