Waking the Hymer, England 2023

Date: 23-24th May 2023

Travelled: 50 kms, from Bosham to Oxford in Oxfordshire   

Visited:  Just the Road  

Stayed: The Red Lion Old Marston, $55, N51.77230, W01.23730  

Budget: days @ $ per day

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Our flight to London is a little different this year. After flying via Singapore for the last several years we balked at the cost taking the Emirates option via Dubai saving ourselves $500 per person return.

Both legs were pretty well on time and the food and service was excellent. Pam managed 7 hours sleep on the first leg, a new personal record. The Stewardess was concerned Pam had passed but a timely bit of snoring saved us from diverting to Mumbai.

The border entry at Gatwick is a dream compared to the usual hour queueing at Heathrow, our driver Tony has us at Church Farm loading the Hymer 90 minutes later. Running all the usual checks on the Hymer everything works but the water pressure out of the taps is woeful.

As the day is slipping by we decide the water pump is tomorrows problem and drive off to the Tesco, do some shopping and onto our booking at the C+CC CP at Bosham. Pam makes an executive decision and we walk the 200 metres to the Traveller’s Joy for drinks and dinner.

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Next morning I waste some time playing with the Hymer’s plumbing system before breakfast, deciding I need some advice. Anyway Pam’s keen for a walk so we head off to explore Prinsted, a wetland that’s part of the Bosham peninsula. The laneways are lined with some lovely thatched homes.

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As you can see it’s low tide. The tidal flows here are huge which is the only way you can imagine how these land-locked boats can escape the marinas and get to the sea.

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Love this photo. Either side of the gate are large elaborate pigeon roosts, the home of some fat white pigeons. But somehow we thought the adjoining gate tells the real story.

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Nearly 6 kms later we find our way back to the Hymer and make ready for the road. Driving back to Church Farm we pop into the motorhome services for some advice. Thats’s where we’ve had bits and pieces repaired or serviced for the last several years. Mike listens to our tale of woe and diagnoses a problem with the water pump, that’s not rocket science I thought but he explains they had two weeks of sub-zero temperature this winter and even the smallest amount of water remaining in the pump freezes breaking off one or two of the impeller blades. The pumps still runs but obviously not properly.

Mike tells me replacing motorhome and caravan pumps has been a real money spinner this year. A new pump and water filter fitted and tested and we are back on the road for Oxford and the Red Lion. It’s one of our usual haunts, free parking behind the pub.

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Michael + Pam