Camping Weekend at Debden House Campsite - 10th/11th July, 2010.

Our annual camping weekend at the Debden campsite on 10th/11th July was different this year, in as much as we weren’t all crammed in our tent drinking home made wine, whilst keeping out of the rain. Even so, it was still very enjoyable.

We set up the tents on a very crowded site. In fact to make one camper not feel too lonely, we completely surrounded her tent with our tents. As usual we walked to the Forest Gate pub, Epping, for lunch. It was very pleasant to stroll in the cool forest, but the full sun offset this at other times on the open horse rides.

When we returned to the site, the lone camper got her own back, or rather was on her own back, sun-bathing topless! Unfortunately she covered up before Paul was able to have words with her about her conduct.

At about six o’clock the barbecue was ready for the group to start incinerating their food, and because food was on the programme, the EFOG party was twice as large as during the day.  The food finished, it was games time - boule, and funny shaped ball caught only with difficulty.

The night’s sleep wasn’t the most peaceful I have encountered, as exuberant campers entertained each other with gay banter and screams of delight, accompanied by loud music of a thumperty, thump variety. Oh well!

Breakfast was very entertaining. You had a choice of four or eight cooked items. I ordered two breakfasts - a four item, and an eight item. There it was on the order slip - 4 x bacon, mushroom, tomato, and egg, and 8 x sausage etc.  When I was called to collect the meals I was confronted with four breakfasts of bacon, mushroom, tomato, and egg, and an argument between the man who wrote the order and the woman who served it up. Fortunately she hadn’t started serving up the eight plates of food. Gill had the same trouble when she ordered a double portion of bacon.

After the lack of a night's rest it was decided only to do a short walk as we were tired, and it was getting very hot again.

Peter G.