Camper trip to England

[Dad's Army]

My idea is going with Benno to Salut this year, and visit England by camper.
Any tips for places to park overnight, nice places, English rules, crossing the channel by boat or train, etc. etc.

It would be nice if you got some good information for me, so I can plan a good trip.
Thanks for your help in advance!

[Gowan]

Well as I have spent the first 10 years of my life in the Uk I will tell you a few things I know. First of all drive on the left, I hope you know that already . Secondly it is best to get out of the cities as soon as possible, they are dirty and horrible. Stone henge is a good place to visit as it is right by the side of a major road that goes pase Sailbury which is a nice place to visit. I grew up in the same region in which you will find Stone henge so I know alot about this area . Oh I have never visited stone henge I just drove past it a million times Other cool places to visit are (in the south) Bath, where the roman baths are and where my sister was born. Devises a market town along the canal and there is a flight of lochs like giant stairs outside town. The many white horses. Avebury a realy cool place where there is ancient stone circles and monoliths and a medieval village.

Best of luck for your trip

[Winttrix]

Secondly it is best to get out of the cities as soon as possible, they are dirty and horrible.

Probably not as bad as many US cities, but I'll leave that to someone who's been to both UK and US cities

[musketier]

Having been to London and most Western European Cuties and Big Cities in the US, I found London to be quite nice and no city I saw in Europe could compare to the filthiness I found in New York city though. Sorry Remco I wish I could offer you some travel advice on your trip but I can wish you safe passage and I hope you will enjoy your time. By the way Chicago is one of the best cities

[Fire at Will]

Depends what you specifically want to see and how far you want to travel. Just concentrating on the military and within easy distance of the South East:

National Army Museum/Imperial War Museum in London, if you are into planes then include the RAF Museum at Hendon

Loads of castles go to the English heritage site an pick out whatever you fancy
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

Regimental Museums
http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/National_Museums_map_2008.pdf

The tank Museum at Bovingdon
http://www.tankmuseum.org/home.html

[Winttrix]

I would love to go to Bovingdon, they seem to have an excellent collection that is much better maintained and actually staffed compared to Aberdeen, MD where I have gone.

[ModernKiwi]

I will add a big PLUS for the Bovington Tank Museum. Remco, you'll be in paradise there.

[zzed]

Don't try to camp within Stonehenge rocks, that may upset the local people

Ask Rich to talk to them first

[Peter]

I hope you can swim From one wet country to another wet country

[west1871]

The New forest is worth a go mate. Its about 90 mins away from London, great for camp sites, cracking surroundings and bovington is an hour the other way in my neck of the woods . Stonehenge is full of tourist and you have to pay £7 to walk round it, remember no touching Portsmouth historic dockyards is well worth a visit, HMS Victory and the Mary rose plus a host of other stuff.
Always remember to queue, always say sorry if someone else bumps into you even if its not you fault and moan like hell about the weather

Pub rules are, when at the bar remember who was before you and quietly wait while holding money in your hand on show to the bar staff. Normally when they ask "who's next?" a slight nod of the head will do.

If we as a nation give nothing else to the world then the ability to form and orderly queue is something to be proud of (cue patriotic music, flag waving and a stiff upper lip ).

[zzed]

I will take only one amend to this
If you are standing in a line at the show, and you can see that the guy in front of you will take the last box of hardly available figs, just say 'sorry' and knock him down, while Benno can start with the usual 'Maniac, maniac, he was touching me' stuff

[Dad's Army]

Thanks all,

How about nice modelshops we must visit?
And can a camper stay overnight on a parkingplace or where is the best place to go to...

Seen some nice suggestions, please don't stop.

Thanks for the advices!

[Gowan]

Don't try to camp within Stonehenge rocks, that may upset the local people

Ask Rich to talk to them first

He will have a hard time tying to find local people around stone henge, or as the locals call it stown enge , as a former wiltsher inhabitant, the county where stone henge is I can tuley say there is no houses for miles around stonehenge.

Oh sorry remco and Benno if you were planning on doing so . I believe it is now impossible to camp at stonehenge overnight . They wont even let you touch the stones anymore. Or so I have heard, from my father who used to attend the illegal stonehenge music festival

As for good model shops I can't really help you . I have lived in New Zealand for 7 years now and only went back once in 2007. But if you go to stonehenge the best place to look for modelshops is in Sailbury. It is very close buy and is a nice place to visit. Oh my father also worked in the Cathedral there making up for what he did at stonehenge no doubt

[Winttrix]

The inhabitants must be pagan ghosts and nature demons. You don't wanna mess with them

[Cameronian]

Beg or borrow a copy of: The Rough Guide to England

[Cameronian]

Additionally you might find this of interest:

http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/

Personally I would look for a site near a rail station and get a train into Salute. Once the venue has been announced, the internet will tell you which London station is nearest, therefore which line is most convenient to use. Check out internet for 'rover' -type tickets on London public transport which will allow tube and bus use. I know little about London but there must be someone on the forum who lives there and has up to date knowledge of this kind of thing.

Best of luck.

[zzed]

..I can tuley say there is no houses for miles around stonehenge..

Well.. I was thinking on inhabitants of the.. a-hem.. island.

@Remco - I noticed that Harfields http://www.harfields.com/Index.aspx is maybe the only shop at Salute with 1/72 range plastic figures; they will also bring desired kits at show if you ask them before.

[Paul]

I´ll ask a couple of people for parking possibilities in and around london and the west of england. Model shops? Only one decent one but it is in a good part of the UK. I´ll PM more info.

The festival was never illegal..it was tolerated until the coming of the 12th year. If the "authorities" had let the event take place on the 12th year, the organisers would under 14th cent law be allowed to occupy the site on the dates of the festival. A lot of lame excuses were given why they event was banned but the court records show who actually started proceedings, court records released to friends of mine who got caught up in the notorious "battle of the bean field".

[Guynemer]

My recommended place, the Imperial War Museum in London: http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london
I won't say anything more about it.... Apart from that it has aircraft hanging from the ceiling and tanks and aircraft interiors all over the place! A nice atmosphere, although the Holocaust exhibit was a bit eerie. Don't bother buying model kits at the gift shop though-everything was Airfix when I went there about two and a half years ago.

As for a hobby shop, there are Modelzone shops everywhere but they're nothing spectacular. Although I haven't been here, I have ordered from them and they're apparently the largest hobby shop in England: http://www.hannants.co.uk/

Hope this helps a little!
Bani

[Gowan]

I´ll ask a couple of people for parking possibilities in and around london and the west of england. Model shops? Only one decent one but it is in a good part of the UK. I´ll PM more info.


The festival was never illegal..it was tolerated until the coming of the 12th year. If the "authorities" had let the event take place on the 12th year, the organisers would under 14th cent law be allowed to occupy the site on the dates of the festival. A lot of lame excuses were given why they event was banned but the court records show who actually started proceedings, court records released to friends of mine who got caught up in the notorious "battle of the bean field".

That is not what I ment. What I ment was what went on there was illegal. I just have to ask my father... Alot of "sex, drugs and rock-and-roll"