Ady and I were chatting about Kessingland yesterday. I know we can probably raise the funds to come, particularly if we tent it but with it being a shade earlier than last year it is very unlikely that Ady will be able to come with us.
After the hiatus that was Hesfes for me I swore I’d not do another camp without him – and of course there is the whole Linda McCartney thing to consider too (and how would we bake cookies to show him how much we’d missed him from a tent! 😉 ) but I know the children really enjoyed Kessie last year and Scarlett particularly didn’t seem to get much out of Melrose this year so I’d like for them to not miss it. Also I’d feel pretty bereft at the thought of you all in a field sending mass texts to Sarah and coming up with new in jokes without me 😉
So I’m thinking I could manage it without him – he would come for the first weekend and maybe get the following Friday off work and come back for the Thursday night / Friday / Saturday pack up and leaving. But to do so I’d definitely need to be in a tent – I’d not want to be isolated in a static every evening with the children.
So the plan at the moment is to spend the next couple of months scouring car boot sales and the Friday Ad to gather together a basic camping kit. We already have a blow up bed and the kids ready beds. Other than a tent what would you all say are basic minimum requirements and what are the sort of princessy luxuries that even when slumming it I couldn’t manage without!
I’ve shared my cooker before and can do so again if required. I’ll be Max-less too for most of the week. I’m planning to get new pans this year so if you want my old ones, you are welcome to them. they aren’t big but they are perfectly serviceable.
I’d say a good quality light that you can charge in someones tent, hook up cables are a bit expensive.
Reminds me, Kessie woman didn’t ring back. Must go call her.
Comment by Merry — 21 February 2006 @ 11:16 am
A tent you can stand up in. It’s a false economy to get anything smaller, IMO, when you have kids. Something to cook on. A two ring stove will do it (it’s all we had for years), but a grill opens up all sorts of toast type possibilities, making the consumption of stale bread more acceptable. Folding table and chairs. Non-breakable crockery. Sleeping bags and fleeces. Decent battery light. A hook up is the thing that moves it from basic to luxury, but you are looking at about £100 new, plus another £100 for an electric coolbox new. However, it does also give you the option of electric light, breadmaker, hair-dryer, fairy lights strung round the tent………..
Comment by Joyce — 21 February 2006 @ 11:20 am
you could share with me. I have Sarah’s new tent which is bigger than my old one. Has 3 rooms. James isn’t coming either so would be plenty of space.
No problem if you don’t fancy it, but you’re more than welcome if you do 🙂
Oh and I have a hook up 😉
Comment by Kirsty — 21 February 2006 @ 11:56 am
Or, I could drive up for the weekend and leave you my van?! Although having to drive back to pick it up the weekend after would be a big bummer. Incidentally, we have a non-pupil day on 26 June – which dates is Kessingland being planned for?
Comment by Sarah — 21 February 2006 @ 12:15 pm
I’m waiting for her to ring back to confirm but i think it will be the 10th-17th June to avoid half terms. If i make it co-incide with your date Sarah, i’ll clash with HESFES, which would be a bit rude, given i asked him to move on a week so i could go earlier.
Comment by Merry — 21 February 2006 @ 1:00 pm
Actually, Nic – i think we’d decided to sell out cooker too, or dump it as the way it folds out freaks me out and it is a bit deep for our packing needs. It has a toaster, i’ll ask Max but if you wanted to try it out, if we do get a new one, you could and keep it if you wanted to.
Comment by Merry — 21 February 2006 @ 1:01 pm
We have a variety of stuff you’d be welcome to borrow! A 4 man dome tent (2x2man bedrooms, but you could esily get you and two kids in one room if you wanted), not much standing room though; or you could use our van and awning if you liked as I’m going to use the Khyam this year.
Advantage of the van is warmth 😉 so bedding from home would be enough, you wouldn’t have to invest in 3 season sleeping bags, just bring duvets and blankets! Disadvantage is having to sleep with the kids, but seeing as I did it with all 4 last year, you can see there is a fair amount of room!
Joyce’s list says it all really – you’ve probably got a fair amount already (chairs, picnic plates etc). I think I’m going to get a cooker with a grill this year, so if you wanted our old one (2 rings) you’d be welcome.
Leccy gives you luxuries e.g a heater – perhaps if you didn’t have to spend money on a tent you could get a hook up cable 😉 Will come back if I think of anything else 🙂
Comment by Alison — 21 February 2006 @ 1:14 pm
Those dates cause me a headache but will try to get around it!
We also have sharing space as it is a four pod tent and we’d only be using two of them.
Comment by Roslyn — 21 February 2006 @ 1:52 pm
Sorry Ros – i thought they’d be early enough to avoid dancing exams. TBH though, whenever i choose won’t suit someone, so i’m just plumping for a set of dates and hoping for the best.
Comment by Merry — 21 February 2006 @ 2:39 pm
I have four meetings in the first three days of that week already :rolls:
Comment by Paul McCartney — 21 February 2006 @ 3:31 pm
No idea about dancing exams yet! It’s Boo’s birthday and Tony will not be impressed! Of course there is always someone who can’t do the dates.
Poor Paul!
Comment by Roslyn — 21 February 2006 @ 3:34 pm
Nic, I did my first hesfes in Alison’s dome tent – okay, it was a heatwave so we cooked and ate outside all week, but it was plenty big enough to contain me+3 so you ought to be able to manage in it!
Comment by Sarah — 21 February 2006 @ 4:08 pm
Oh yes, that tent of Alison’s would be ideal. You don’t need to be able to wonder about singing Grease in it, I just meant if you can’t stand up at all, you sort of loose your shouting authority 🙂 And it’s got a little roll out awning thing doesn’t it?
Comment by Joyce — 21 February 2006 @ 5:11 pm
Oh, and gas bottle, hose and regulator. Much more expensive than you would expect to buy the first one, but after that to exchange them for refills isn’t at all expensive.
Comment by Joyce — 21 February 2006 @ 5:14 pm
Nic I’m going to come sans man too – perhaps we do a co-parenting/blended family type thing.
We did your first year in a 2 man tent – A’s would be luxurious in comparison, you’d be fine. And I don’t bother with any of that cooking lark either – beg someone else for hot water for tea & eat biscuits, fruit & cereal all week (or pizza) – easy 🙂
Comment by layla — 21 February 2006 @ 6:36 pm
‘beg someone else’ ???? – I’m not drunk really
Comment by layla — 21 February 2006 @ 6:40 pm
Begging aside I’m sure we could come up with a small group to communal eating.
Comment by Roslyn — 21 February 2006 @ 7:00 pm
Oi Kirsty! I’m banned from your blog apparently 🙁
Comment by layla — 21 February 2006 @ 7:07 pm
yup – you just gotr spaminated, or something. I did see the comment though so thanks. No idea how to let them through once caught though!!
Comment by Kirsty — 21 February 2006 @ 7:22 pm
Guess I’m in then 🙂 Yippe!
Yes please to the tent borrow Alison and yes please to the offer of borrowing cookers and pans too Merry.
We have got blow up bed / ready bed / sleeping bags for kids so with an assortment of bedding from home I’m sure we’ll get by there. We already have a folding table and chairs and various mismatched crockery.
I’ll be bringing my people carrier anyway as I can’t cope without a car for the week so I’ll be able to store all my stuff in there which will help keep space inside a tent to a minimum.
Communal eating for kids would be fab – I’ll happily take a turn at doing it and more than up for family blending Layla (which lets face it will mean we share fruit chopping for pimms duty I imagine 🙂 )
ooh feeling all excited about it all!
Comment by Nic — 21 February 2006 @ 9:44 pm