Review Holiday Resort Unity Brean, Somerset.

 We were looking for a nearby place to do a " shake down" visit with our new van Pebble. At only a few days old, we really needed to check her (and our) response to the downsizing. 

After a few traumatic days of packing and re packing we were ready for a break. We never thought changing vans would be so stressful! A garage full of camping equipment, empty pockets and heads full of new instructions ( which we kept forgetting and having to look up) made our heads spin. To add to the confusion lots of things these days only come with on line instructions, which are not always easy to find. A few calls to the dealer for further instructions and the local Fiat garage, to sort out the extended warranty, (which had to be done within 14 days of first registration,) we were ready!! As well as all this, there were changes to insurance, registration details and  a new French Crit Air and German UmWelt to apply for.  The Avtex TV needed sorting, another phone call, we had the wrong bracket and the Wi-Fi router had no instructions, except online. Just as well we are retired with time on our side.

We are seasoned campers and Pebble is our eighth new van, so not exactly novices. How newbies manage we have no idea? Still ,we made it and we are still married!!

So off for two nights to Holiday Resort Unity at Brean Somerset. We thought we were on safe ground as we had been many times before and enjoyed the change. It is a massive site usually with things going on, we thought we would be safe off season. 

First big change the site has been bought out and is now called Unity Beach Resort, what's in a name?? We opted for the Yellow field with hard standing. We had stayed there before many times. We made an online booking for two nights for £80, OK short notice, so it was about what we expected in price.

Only about 45minutes from home maybe an hour with traffic. It was a Tuesday so all should be well. Alarm bells rang when we arrived at our pitch. The wardens gave us a few options all about the same type of pitch, pretty seedy we thought. Near to the toilet block. The Yellow field had changed from a nice open area to a new lodge field, landscaping still under way. The Wardens said that the touring pitches here had been reduced to 30 serviced pitches. We chose the best one flat with gravel, services and a small mouldy patch of grass.

The shower and toilet facilities were clean but dated, perhaps there are plans to improve them. The Wardens shack adds to the general feeling that tourers are not really welcome. We did go over to the Brown and Green fields to have a look, they were generally better for camping but a lot further from facilities.

It actually looks better in this picture than it was. Just for a contrast! Some previous pictures taken on the Yellow Field.

Unity Yellow Field  June 2015

Yellow Field June  2013.

I guess the moral of the story is never go back.

The two nights passed really quickly. We enjoyed the most rubbishy drinks in "The Wonky Donkey" on site pub ( a revamp of he old Tavern) The drinks were so bad we took them back and had a refund. We think the new staff hadn't learned how to service the beer, or wash the glasses properly. The food provision seemed canteen style. We didn't risk trying it after the episode with the drinks. We gave up on the entertainment, RJ's club was closed, so no alternative food provision, the swanky new Pavilion, was closed too. Brean Splash and the golf course was open but the other outdoor venues ice cream, burgers etc. closed. Even the new flag ship golf course restaurant was closed for a private function.

We wandered into Brean to find food. The Seagull, a huge pub was closed, eventually we settled on a very nice curry in the Indian Restaurant, Bengal Bay, excellent service and good food.. The following evening we made our way to Ocean View up the road and had a nice drink and lunch there which was very pleasant.

Sad to say, we felt that Brean had been really neglected, which is a shame as the beach is beautiful. It was relatively early in the season  but the beautiful weather may have been an incentive to extend the season. There were quite a few people about but the general air was "neglect" and there was too much rubbish around the place.

Would we try Unity Beach Holiday Resort again? Down the road and really handy for us ......NO!! 

Knaus Boxlife 600 MQ. Pebble Adaptations!

 We have now had Pebble for nearly four weeks. Strange how you get a brand new van to your exact specifications, or as near as possible and then set about changing things.

First adaptations involved removing all the surplus equipment.

• Out went the bed boards and padded boards for making the front bed.
• Next the ladder, now resting peacefully in our loft.
• Closely followed by  the cargo nets for the bed on both sides and the fittings.
• The cab carpet also sadly got it's marching orders as it wiggled about a lot and felt unsafe.

With the weight considerably reduced we set about adding back things we felt we needed.

• An additional mobile fridge/freezer in the back. Fits perfectly and we have had an additional 12v and 240v plug point put in.

• A few little hooks in the space that housed the ladder. This proved another useful spot for flat things.
• Loads of small containers in shelf spaces for things like keys and glasses.
• A few lightweight plastic crates for storage under the bed.
• Two soft folding boxes for the wardrobe space. Not quite sure why its designated as a wardrobe, a short jacket just about hangs. Great place for storing other things like shoes though.
• A small really cheap magnifying mirror on the bathroom wall.
• Two mats to keep the muck out
• A new heavy duty mat for the cab which works really well and doesn't wiggle.
• A small fan for really hot weather.
• A couple of small door mats for muddy feet.

Everything else we carry fits in well. All our clothes fall into the back lockers over the bed. We even have empty lockers here, although I'm sure we will fill them. 

The big drawers under the sink are perfect for all the kitchen and eating essentials, including our small induction hob and coffee maker. I did actually find a mini washing up bowl but abandoned it for a rectangular silicon bowl instead, which I bought for the new super gas Cadac cooker. This bowl sits on the worktop without moving, so job done. The only extra is a small plastic fold up box under the table for anything else I want inside the van.

Bedding for our new fixed bed was slightly more challenging to source without spending a fortune. The bed has a foam mattress and foam topper. Lidl came to the rescue with double sheets and duvet covers at "Lidl" prices. A double duvet fits perfectly and a mattress protector, cheap and cheerfully, fits over both foam mattresses and then is covered by the fitted sheet. Job done. The bed is extremely comfy.

Linen duvet and pillow set in a stone colour. Bottom sheet jersey in grey.

Our very cheap magnifying mirror does the job.

Kitchens are always another challenge. We used non stick rubber coated shelf liners to cover the glass tops.

In the corner spot the silicon Soft Soak from Cadac. Made to soak the plates of the gas BBQ on the new Cadac 2 Cook Pro, range, doubles up as a washing up bowl ,with the added bonus that because it is silicon, it sits on the worktop and doesn't move. I usually use site facilities for washing up.

We have been pretty ruthless in getting rid of anything that we don't use. So far it has taken two trips. I suspect that more things will follow, after all we are supposed to be camping.

A  nifty little door mat and of course my bee cushion!!

We are in the process of putting a net curtain in front of the back door, as a privacy screen, bug net. Will report back when finished. We have yet to try the bikes on the new Thule Velo Swing, a job for next week.

Knaus Boxlife 600mq. "Pebble" Has Arrived!.

 Time for a change and the new baby has arrived. A Knaus Boxlife 600mq Platinum Selection, to be precise. Purchased from Davan Caravans & Motorhomes in Weston Super Mare. Ordered in October and born June when she arrived from Germany.

A very pretty Artense Grey, hence the name "Pebble!" A rolling stone and all that, we did try to find a more Germanic name but eventually Pebble seemed to fit. Connotations with "The Flintstones" will be ignored. 

 So here she is, a capricious teenager already. Lots of bits and bobs to get used to and remember. Her super duper 360 degree sensors are not quite right yet and her Sat Nav needs to be adjusted to fit us, but apart from a few minor niggles she's ready to go. It only took a week to load her up, good exercise though. Our neighbours must think we are crazy.

A big change from our last van Krystal. A fixed bed which moves up and down over the huge storage area. A dinette in the front and at 5.99m more comfortable to drive. We also had a Thule Velo Swing mounted on the towbar for the bikes, a solar panel and two Lithium batteries. We have ditched the under slung LPG tank which was becoming more problematic to fill and have a camping gas bottle instead with diesel heating. A TV with sound bar and a 5g mi-fi router is also handy. We have abandoned the oven, although we have a two burner gas hob and substituted a new Cadac gas outdoor cooker ( with extras, of course) instead of our electric outdoor cooker. The fridge freezer was quite small so we bought a My Coolman, fridge freezer for the back, handy to keep and use at home when not travelling, perfect for cool drinks!!. We have kept a wind out awning and got a sun shade for the front of it, which worked well on Krystal.

The big question, a smaller van so did it all fit in? Well yes, surprisingly and with space to spare. We did have a massive cull of everything we put back in and actually have room for everything, with two spare lockers. 

A positive change? Yes I think we will enjoy life in Pebble, probably loads more changes before we are totally happy with where things are, but the bed is super comfy and it feels very cosy. Time will tell. So far we are on night 3!!!