Setting Off

Sunday 1st Dec 2013

We left the Scottish Borders on Sunday morning heading for a Premier Inn at Cannock and an overnight stop. The roads were fairly quiet most of the time, with few trucks, which is a benefit of travelling on a Sunday. We diverted to Cannock Chase for a walk in the early afternoon. The car park was mobbed with mountain bikers, though it looks fairly innocuous compared to other mtb centres, but ideal for families and small children. Like a lot of outdoor honeypots, as soon as you were just a short distance from the car park the crowds thinned out and we had a reasonably pleasant, if unexciting walk and few interesting views. But it gave us and the dog some excercise.

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Portsmouth

Monday 2nd:

The Inn was comfortable, though I would have balked at paying full price for one night. Next day we stopped off at Winchester and filled up with diesel and lpg at the Shell garage, Winnall. Then we parked at St Catherine’s P&R and got the bus into Chichester for a walk around the Xmas fair at the Cathedral. We returned by following a walk along the Itchen, over a small hill and back round to the P&R via the old hospital.

We next headed for Port Solent where we had read there is good parking before driving down to the Ferry port at 9.45 for overnighting. BF say to arrive after midnight, but others said to wait until the last ferry departure, which was at 10pm. When we arrived there were already around a dozen others. As an overnight it was fine, as long as you are prepared for bright lights and some traffic noise.