After hiking to the summit of Mount Snowdon, I left the North-West of Wales late that afternoon, to make my way to the diagonally opposite side of the country, the Forest of Dean, near Monmouth South-East Wales. It was the Sunday of a Public Holiday weekend hence the roads were very busy. When it began to get dark I started to worry whether I’d be able to get a pitch at my campsite of choice. I couldn’t reach them on the phone to book-in either. I kept dithering as to whether I should find another site on the way, but I wanted to keep driving, and finally arrived at my campsite, in Coleford, after dark, just after 10pm.

There were no lights on in the office, and I hadn’t booked, so I drove straight in and was shocked that the three fields were rammed! I found a spot in the far corner and pitched up. With a head-torch, setting up camp in the dark was so much easier than I thought it would be, and the site has an open-door shower and toilet block, so I could get washed. All turned out well after my worrying, paying for my pitch the next morning.

I’d woken early, so enjoyed the peace and early morning sunshine. When the twenty or so kids arose, I went back to my tent for a kip. On waking I was pleased to find nearly all the other campers were packing-up or had gone already. Result, by lunchtime there was only four other tents there!

I had a totally chilled day, it was beautifully sunny, I took a few strolls over the meadows surrounding the campsite. It was bliss not to have to do anything, as the two previous days I had been busy mountain biking and hiking.