March Christmas Carnival.

Last night the township of March came alive with a real carnival atmosphere. Broad Street, the main road through the town, was closed off to traffic and a fun fair filled the roadway. An RAF flight simulator for the adults and rides for the tiny tot’s were among the usual fun fair games for punters to try and win soft cuddly toys some as big as the recipients.

Christmas 2010 lights around March.

RAF flight simulator.

Kiddy size Ferris wheel.

No fun fair would be complete without an air castle or slide.

March town main street closed for the festival of lights.

Nativity scene at the top of the town.

March town moorings where several boats joined in the festival of lights showing their light reflections in the River Nene..

The town Xmas tree which has a permanent home which is covered by a manhole for the rest of the year.

The main function of the carnival was of course switching on the Xmas lights which have been being erected around the town for the past few weeks. When we wandered up town this morning there was absolutely no sign of what had been there less than 12 hours earlier.

Twas a Month before Christmas

This is what greeted us this morning

Beautiful but a month early, will we have a White Christmas again?

More photos at the Auto Trail Factory

3  styles of LED lighting used in the Auto Trail vans.

LED lighting fitted in advance to make it easier for the electrician.

This machine hammers in the trim on the edge of panels. The trim is kept warm in an insulated cupboard below.

The completed sandwich side panel having all windows,doors and apertures cut out and not a hand saw in sight.

The shower box and fridge freezer on this side and the stove opposite. The blue hole at the back is for the spare wheel.

Grimsby and the railway.

Yesterday I made mention of how the railway line we had travelled over from Newark on Trent to Grimsby had missed the Beeching axe back in the 1960’s. A bit of internet research revealed that since it’s inception back in the 1890’s it has been a very important freight line which has kept it open until today.

The Great Central Railway had utilised the line for the coal trade from South Yorkshire and East Midlands collieries and steel from Scunthorpe mills.The fish trade out of Grimsby would have also been very important before road transport killed this mode of transportation. Later the deep port of Immingham came into being which is still used for the petroleum industry. We did actually pass a tanker train heading back to Immingham with empty tankers.

Barnetby Junction is extraordinary in that it is a large railway junction seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. In the past it did however serve the local village which had a Malt Kiln and the large rural community in transporting cattle. A lot of the old sidings are still in place with two storing old BOC  Liquid Nitrogen tankers. These have been in storage so long that tree’s have grown up between the tankers and will need felling before any of these can move again. The whole junction is dotted with old semaphore signals some of which are still in use.

Our class 153 railcar from Newark North Gate to Grimsby was already full when we left Newark but this service was obviously the local village school run because we stopped at several small stations which looked very much as they would have 50 or 60 years ago. At these rural outposts we picked up more children who eventually alighted at Lincoln.

The return journey was more enjoyable as we travelled on a 3 car class 185 where there were more seats available. This time we travelled on a different line from Barnetby junction which took us to Doncaster where we changed trains for Peterborough. Travelling over this whole section of the British rail network was very interesting especially where the track work was still in the old 60 feet lengths and we got the old clickety clack of the wheels that would have been familiar to train travellers before long length rail was invented. With the original station buildings and line side effects it was a bit like a time warp.

Grimsby and Auto Trail.

Auto Trail Factory in Grimsby

Our landlord was on the ball this morning picking us up just before 6am and getting us to Peterborough in good time for the 7.07 train to Edinburgh. We were only going as far as Newark North Gate where we changed to an East Midlands train to Grimsby. This line to Grimsby is quite intriguing in that you wonder why it missed the Beeching Axe back in the 1960’s but more of this later.

Grimsby signal box, closed and boarded up.

When we were about 5 miles out from Grimsby the surrounding farm land started taking on a white covering which we realised was the snow which had been forecast. During the course of the day we were aware of 3 snow storm flurries where the snow flakes were very large but didn’t really settle due to the wet ground. A taxi trip out to the Auto Trail factory got us there well in advance of the scheduled tour. Due to the atrocious road conditions further north the receptionist didn’t expect everybody who had booked for the tour to arrive. She was pleasantly surprised when the final couple arrived only 5 minutes late.

One of 2 production lines at the Auto Trail factory.

We learnt how every phase of the build takes place and that it takes only 3½ days from the time the chassis rolls into one side of the factory to the completed motorhome driving out of the other side. The factory  turns out 26 motorhomes a month at present but due to increased orders they want to increase that to 30. Another interesting fact is that from the time the chassis leaves Italy to the time the completed motorhome is delivered to the dealers yards it never travels more than 10 miles as they are moved on low loader lorries all the way.

All parts are cut out by a computer driven machine ready for assembly. Curved doors are ply that is steamed into shape.

The factory has the most up to date computer CAD technology and does 2 production runs of 10 identical vans simultaneously. While we were there the last Mohawk was under final inspection and 10 Savannah’s were following close behind. The factory also produces the CI range of vans and there were 10 x 625’s in various stages of completion.

This side panel has been sprayed with glue and galvanized strips placed where the furniture is to be attached.

The tour was very informative with everything open to inspection, materials used, techniques displayed and any questions answered. Each phase is inspected before being allowed to proceed to the next dept. It proved to us that the Autotrail range are top of the line and we would recommend that anybody considering buying a motorhome should ring Autotrail and make a booking for the next available free tour to make up their own minds. In the meantime pictures speak louder than words.

Next large sheets of 40mm polystyrene are placed on the glue. It then goes through the spray booth for another dose of glue before the GRP (Glass reinforced  plastic) Polyester sheet goes on top. It is then heated and compressed for 15 minutes.

Another heavy snow storm just as we were leaving to head back home.

DVLA Thanks for nothing!

It is now 3 months since I applied to DVLA for a provisional class C1  licence. The latest scenario was when ringing DVLA to enquire how my application was progressing I was told that they were awaiting the medical report back from my Doctor. This request was sent out 2 weeks ago. Next course of action was to ring my doctor who informed me that they had not received anything from the DVLA. Unbelievable! Back on the phone to the DVLA only to establish that they had sent the paperwork to the wrong surgery!!! More papers were sent out  to the correct surgery and it has been confirmed they got them this time.

In the meantime we had arranged a visit to the Autotrail motorhome in Grimsby. Due to the restraints of public transport we were going to hire a rental car. Upon arrival at the rental car depot I produced the receipt to say that the DVLA had my licence. The receptionist rang DVLA to confirm my details only to be told that their computer had been down all day and they were unable to supply my details. A Government Department and they don’t have a back up system? What sort of Mickey Mouse outfit is this? Public servants that are not serving the public interest’s, that’s obvious. Because of this the rental car company were unable to hire me a car so it looked like our tour of the Autotrail factory was going to be a non event.

Due to all this fiasco we had missed the 6pm bus back to March and the next and last bus was 8.20pm. I was furious by this stage and rang Mick, our landlord. He told us to catch the train and he would meet us at the March station which is on the edge of town, a good half  hour walk back to the apartment. When Mick picked us up he showed us some rail options that would get us to Grimsby on time. The down side was that we would have to leave March before 6am when there are no buses to catch the 7.07am train from Peterborough. It was then that Mick offered to run us into Peterborough by car as a birthday treat for me. This offer was gratefully accepted. We then investigated the return options which got us home by just after 6pm. This was all booked on the internet so we just had to pick up the tickets this morning at the station.

Another stage completed.

After quite a few hours on the computer today, we finally managed to arrange a flight back to New Zealand in August next year using our frequent flyer points care of Qantas . We will be going via Singapore, Melbourne, Auckland and finally Wellington after a week off in Auckland with family. Depending on the shipping schedule for the container ship we should be re-united with our motorhome within 6 - 8 weeks in time for the summer holidays.

In or Out?

Huge exterior mirrors with indicator.

Fold away feature of the driving mirrors.

It’s all coming together now

Now our motorhome is in existence at the dealers yard we can start to make plans for the next 12 months. This involves setting up the motorhome, 5 or 6 months more touring and then shipping it back to NZ. Our NZ agent will then take delivery and make sure that it’s NZ compliant so that when we collect it we can head off into the wide blue yonder.

Another problem to sort out is how we get back to NZ. It wasn’t that long ago that tickets available on the Frequent Flyers points system were virtually booked out 12 months in advance. Now all of a sudden there appears to plenty of tickets available. The airline concerned is Qantas so we are wondering if because of all of their engine problems recently they are getting lots of cancellations or people are staying away in their droves. Who knows but it could be our saving grace as we have sufficient air points which otherwise could go to waste.

Classy Rear End

Autotrail Arapaho. All 29 feet of her.

On the roof out of sight is a 85w solar panel and TV aerial adjustable from inside.

Now that’s what I call a bathroom!

Bathroom window and hand basin and toilet flush button.

Bi-fold shower door. No wet shower curtains here.

Bathroom cabinet and mirror. Can you see Dot's camera?

Vent by toilet to keep you warm on those cold mornings.

One piece shower cubicle.

Another peek!

190 litre fridge freezer with 3 way memory for 240v/12v/gas operation.

Seat belts for additional passengers in the front dinette.

Plenty of storage and pantry space here.

more photos to come yet…..

WOW, Cool, Neat, Over the Moon.

Below floor locker with batteries and storage, locker above the rear wheels for the toilet cassette and the rear door is a full width locker for long items.

At 8am we were on the road with our landlord Mick on our way to Cranham Motors. Having had a bit of a restless night (I wonder why?) we were tired but nervously excited. Arriving at the yard we spotted what we suspect was our baby sitting at the back of the yard. Once having made contact with Paul the Sales Manager we were off down the yard with keys in hand.

New 7 inch touch screen radio/CD/DVD player with intregal TV/radio digital receiver. SD card reader and aux; MP3/Ipod. It also does the reversing camera.

Paul explained that there were 3 new features that had been added since we had placed our order. 1. A new control panel for all of the services, water and waste tank levels,battery levels. 2. The 7 inch touch screen radio/CD/DVD player with integral TV/radio digital receiver. SD card reader and aux; MP3/Ipod. It also does the reversing camera. 3. The larger fridge freezer with a memory which helps it select it’s own power source from 240v/12v/gas, which ever is available. The side door has also been redesigned.

2011 model door. Very fancy.

After explaining the new features Paul left us alone to explore our new baby. Every cupboard and drawer revealed something new. Everything was neat, tidy and well thought out. Everything considered we are very happy with what we have seen. Of course Cranham’s haven’t had time to do pre delivery checks yet and everything was still wrapped in plastic which will probably stay in place for quite some time protecting everything. The time just flew and before we knew it 3 hours had passed and Mick had returned to take us back to March.

Rear lounge with 2 heating vents.

There are still some extra’s that we will have to buy closer to our pick up date but we will be able to look around for the best prices in the meantime. We have deferred our pickup until after the forecast cold winter (March) presumably and we then have 6 months to tour the UK before exporting the vehicle to New Zealand and returning home.

Double dinette in the front compartment converts to a double bed.

More photos to come…….

Queensgate Centre Peterborough

Yes it’s that time again, it seems to get earlier every year!

The baby arrives.

Last Friday we travelled down to London to spend the week-end with daughter Tracey for a multi birthday bash. Our motorhome was due in the dealers yard at the same time. The plan was that if it arrived on time we would travel down to Cranham Motors on the Saturday but alas this didn’t happen.

Today (Wednesday) while having lunch I received a phone call from Cranham Motors to say that our baby had just rolled into the yard and we could go and have a look at our convenience. As luck would have it our landlord, Mick, was home and on speaking to him found that he was heading down to Essex tomorrow morning so guess who’s going to Cranham Motors tomorrow morning? Yip, Mick is going to give us a lift there and back. Whoopee! Mind you Mick will be making the most of the situation as he imports products for the caravan/motorhome industry so  he will hopefully be able to add Cranham’s to his portfolio.

Needless to say we will be taking a camera so watch this space for pictures of the baby.

Visitor and Visiting.

Yesterday morning while sitting in our lounge I became aware of something moving around out on the driveway. Taking a closer look I was surprised to find a female Muntjac deer wandering down the drive. When I went out with a camera she hid in the hedgerow and eventually  made her way off the property before I managed to take a photograph. Considering we are right in the centre of town this was the last thing I would expect to see in the garden.

This afternoon while cleaning the apartment we discovered a water leak. As the landlord is away on business as usual I set about finding the problem. It turned out to be a badly sealed waste pipe. As I have ready access to his shed I went and found some silicone sealant and set about fixing the problem. It wasn’t a very tidy repair but as it is hidden behind skirting boards I don’t think it will matter as long as it doesn’t leak again.

Tomorrow we are heading off to London for 4 days for a 4 birthday celebration bash. As daughter Tracey is going to be in South Africa for Xmas we will be having an early Xmas party as well.

‘Remember Me’

It’s normally Dot who is the book worm whereas I’m normally the one for magazines and short stories. Recently Dot had just finished a book called ‘Remember Me’ by Lesley Pearse (Penguin) given her by Geoff and Mags of Nb Seyella. The whole time she was reading it, she was commenting about the story which got me curious. When she eventually finished the book she said “That’s another one for the charity shop”.

Before it disappeared I had a quick look at it and started to read the first few pages. Well it wasn’t long before I was so engrossed that I couldn’t put it down which is totally unheard of as I haven’t read a book such as this for decades. Five days and 542 pages later I finally reached the last page. The main reason for my interest was that it was based on a true story and the author must have done one heck of a lot of research and made it larger than life so to speak. 

‘In 1786 a fisherman's daughter from Cornwall called Mary Broad was sentenced to be hung for theft. But her sentence was commuted, and she was transported to Australia, one of the first convicts to arrive there.

How Mary escaped the harsh existence of the colony and found true love, and how she was captured and taken back to London in chains, only to be released after a trial where she was defended by no less than James Boswell, is one of the most gripping and moving stories of human endeavour (based on an amazing true story) you will ever read’ http://www.penguin.co.uk

A search on the internet of the author and it appears she has written similar books so we will have to keep an eye open for them around the charity shops.

March Fountain?

Situated in the main street to commemorate the coronation of King George V 22nd June 1911. There is no actual fountain in place these days.