Power cut and Camping.

River Nene passing through March.

Yesterday afternoon while chilling out Dot decided it was time for a shower only to find that there was no electricity. We hadn’t noticed that the ceiling fan in the lounge had stopped working either. Sure enough Mick, our landlord came out of the house to investigate the loss of power to his part of the house. I suppose we were without power for about an hour, just as well we didn’t have a Sunday roast in the oven. Eventually service was resumed but we are still none the wiser as to what caused the black out. After nearly four years of living afloat and generating our own electricity we were never without power, here two weeks on land and connected to the national grid we are powerless, well what do I say!

Last night on BBC2 there was a very interesting programme on the history of Camping. It all started in the late 1800’s with what was described as Cycle camping where all the equipment was designed to be carried on a bicycle. A Cycle Camping organisation was set up with membership only reaching into the hundred’s. It was a tailor who first came up with the idea of using light weight materials for tents even before the military who had traditionally housed it’s troops under canvas which was bulky and heavy.

This new kind of camping was strictly for the well to do in the beginning. It wasn't until after WWII that the working classes caught onto the idea of cheap family holidays away from the traditional seaside boarding houses where your life was regimented by the landladies and meal times. Farmers and land owners soon caught on to the idea that camping could be a nice little side line for making money with camp sites springing up all over the country. Of course this bought the townies out into the country where life was different and it took a while for the two parties to come to some understanding between each other.

Eventually the Cycle Camping Group changed to the Caravan and Camping Club with membership now into the thousands. As time has gone on manufacturers have adapted, modified, invented and improved equipment for the camping fraternity so that now it’s more like a home away from home rather than the old adage of camping being having to rough it. All in all this was a very enjoyable and informative programme.