Days out in my campervan in April 2026

We're not actually having many days out in the campervan, just weekends away. Which is ok with us as I aim to spend at least one night a month in the van this year. I'm booked for May and July/August, but struggling to fit something in for June, at this rate It'll be a night at a campsite near work. 

I take the campervan to work once a week to give it a run or when Peter needs the car as it's cheaper to run being a hybrid.

In April our trip was to Brighton, which of course *yawns* was for my marathon.

We're members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club and there are massive savings to be had, but you need to book early. Showers, toilets and washing up facilities are amazing, but they do shut the blocks at set times for cleaning, which does work out well on sites like this where there are 2 blocks, unlike the site in Newport.

There's loads of space between the vans as a 'fire safety break' and it's easy to find a space and pitch up.. We didn't have the awning for this trip as it was supposed to be just two nights, but we struggled to find parking for the Sunday with the marathon on and roads closed so we stopped an extra night.

It only takes around 5 mins for us to set up. We each have our own jobs. I pop the roof and sort the bedding out and the table and organise the kitchen area, while Peter sets up the electrics. We fill the water tanks when we arrive on site and quite literally that's all there is to it. We just repeat the process when we leave. The Caravan and Motorhome campsites have drainage pits when you leave so we just drive over and empty the tanks before going home.

We do have to be very careful with the wildlife, no leaving anything outside unattended or it's away. Shoes included. In Tenby last weekend, something got into the awning overnight and made away with a parcel containing a bar of chocolate and ate it all. I discovered the wrapped in the morning.

The campsite is at the top of the hill a short walk from the Marina and handy for the parkrun on the Saturday morning.

It's a 35 minute walk from the centre of Brighton, which I had to do on the Sunday before the mArathon. On the Saturday we caught the bus in and out and explored the Laines.

It looks warm, but we're in winter gear on the beach.

Fish and Chips on the pier.

I spent a lot of time in Brighton as a child. We caught the bus into Peacehaven on the Friday night to meet up with my cousin and her fiancé for dinner. We're back in June for their wedding, but staying in their house as they'll be in a hotel over the weekend.

My next trip in the campervan is to Northern Ireland for the Whitsun week where I'm staying on my sons drive for the week.

The best bits of April 2026

In no particular order:

Our next cat. Been hanging around our house and garden for quite a while now despite Pushkins seeing it off on a regular basis, although at the time of writing not seen for a week or two.

Enjoying the sun, but why she has to sit here, I do not know.

Watching us while we do the garden.

Not helpful at all.

A visit to Brockhampton Estate.

A day out at countrytastic with child2, Dil and the grandchildren.

An easter party in our old neighbourhood with our oldest friends.

Three football matches this month. It all went a bit Peaky Blinders for the game against Blackburn.

Attendance was low against Preston North End. I'm in the yellow coat.

Last home game of the season against Bristol Rovers and I got whacked in the head by one of their players.

Great to get the washing out on the line. There has also been a lot of gardening done but too many photos to choose from.

Kath turned 50. She is the one responsible for me running the Brighton Marathon. I've got to blame someone. She is also my motivational coach who kept me going when I didn't think I could do it.

Flowers and good luck card from Kath the day we travelled down to Brighton.

Fundraising was probably the hardest part of the marathon and I'm grateful to each and every one of you who dropped something in the pot, with almost £2000 raised since last September.

Nails painted in the colours of Bowel Research UK. It's a great way to get the conversation started and now I can casually drop in 'oh did I mention I ran a marathon for them to raise funds in memory of Stephanie?'

And finally the Brighton Marathon.

Before:

During:

After:

And my final finally my support crew - Peter. He's not a big fan of featuring on my blog. In 2024 I insisted on taking a selfie a day for a year and he moaned like mad about it. At Stephanie's funeral he acknowledged how grateful he was for all the photos I had taken over the years of us all as a family as we had so many photos of Stephanie to choose from, he's just not a big fan of me sharing them everywhere.

Week 15 2026 One Daily Positive and Project 365

The negatives

I'm several weeks behind with commenting and it matters to me, so I will be catching up over the weekend. It['s the same with comments left on my social media sites. whilst I've raised over £2000 over the past 6 months since I started training for the marathon, I've found this the hardest part, the fundraising

The positives

I made some time on Friday evening to read and catch up with comments and I feel so much better that it's getting done. I followed advise and waited till Friday before going out for a run and it felt good, despite the rain and I've had no aches or pains or injuries. In fact my body doesn't feel like it ran 26.2 miles just under a week ago.

Saturday 11th April Woke to the birds around 5.30am then back to sleep till 8am. I walked down the road to the East Brighton parkrun for 3 laps round the course and back up the hill to the campsite for a shower and breakfast. I've realised that I need the first 5k as a warm up and I must have breakfast and a coffee at least an hour before I run. we decided we'll stay an extra night rather than having to stress about the parking situation on Sunday and we chilled out and caught the bus into Brighton for the day to spend the kids inheritance on the pier in the 2p slots, wander around the Laines, drink coffee, have a leisurely lunch and catch the bus back to the Marina to pick up last minute food supplies for Sunday. Peter had dinner, but I couldn't eat and spend the evening prepping my clothing  and packing my bum bag and in bed after a shower by 9pm. It was a very wet and windy night, but I had a good sleep.

Sunday 12th April Woke at 7am, had tea and porridge, dressed and headed off to Preston Park. It was cold and windy with some rain and a 3.5 mile walk to the start line. I picked up a coffee on route and on arrival joined a very long queue for the toilets, explored the park, had another wee and the marathon started. I stopped at the first mile to remove my long sleeve running top as the sun came out, then ran non stop to mile 4 for another wee stop and ran again till mile 7 where I met Peter and handed over my running top and jacket. Whilst running through the city I saw my friend Jenny whose son Rob died 4 years ago from Sarcoma and her partners nephew was running for the charity. After seeing Peter the route out the cliff top to the windmill and back to the half way mark was demoralising, it was long, lonely, windy and cold, the toilets was dismal and the road never ending. The road then looped again at the pier, back towards the marina, then I met up with Peter again, but the 6 hour 30 minute pacer was hot on my heals, so I went back into full run mode for 5k into Hove and then it was run/walk lamppost to lamppost till the beach huts and once I composed myself for the finish line as I was getting really emotional, I head Peter yelling my name and I ran for the line. After collecting my medal and meeting up with Peter I spent 20 mins lying on the grass, catching my breath and we had a mile walk back to the City to catch the bus to the camp site, grabbing a coffee and a very hard walk up a steep hill to the camp site. I went straight to bed with a hot water bottle on my hips and apart from a visit to the loo, I didn't move till the morning.

Monday 13th April We packed up and after the drive home getting in at 2pm, putting the hot water on, and having a bath, we unpacked the van and I went for a short walk to post some vinted parcels, we had dinner and I was in bed by 8pm.

Tuesday 14th April Back to work. Several members of staff had tracked my Marathon and the kids already knew how I'd done and asked to see my medal. I drove the van into work to fill it up with diesel as the local garage had been named on Sky TV as the cheapest in the UK. Home, video call with the grandchildren, dinner and bed. I drive by this tank every day to and from work.

Wednesday 15th April Straight into town after work to get my nails redone. Same colours for Bowel Research and when people say they like them I casually mention that fact and shoe horn into every conversation 'I ran a marathon' I did some shopping, home, dinner, bath and bed.

Thursday 16th April Peter went to visit his mum in Keynsham. I went for coffee after work to check on my charity box, there was only a handful of coins in it. I spent some time blogging, watched TV and an early night. 

Friday 17th April Met Peter in town for a coffee. I got changed into my running gear in the car and I walked half way up the hill before running back home. No aches or pains and I enjoyed the run. Peter took the car back and made dinner which was ready not long after I got in. We watched TV for the evening while I did some blogging. After a bath I got everything ready for a full day out on Saturday and in bed around 10.30pm.

On the blog this week:

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June 2024 Days out in the camper van

We visited Brighton the middle of June to attend my Uncle's funeral.

We stayed at the Caravan and Motorhome Club just up from the Marina. If we're staying away for more than one night we like to be within walking distance of a town or on a bus route.

Our first pitch had no 3G signal but we just put up with it for the night as the following morning we had to pack up to drive to the crematorium and attend the wake afterwards. If we hadn't had to leave the site by car, we'd have just stayed and put up with it.

 The van looks so small in the pitch.

We haven't seen another Westfalia Ford Nugget conversion yet. All the vans we've seen as so different.

Our first pitch also had no evening sun, so we didn't sit outside for long.

I love the fact the roof pops at its highest at the back, where the kitchen is, it gives us so much more room than the vans with the kitchens along the side. Plus we get two sliding doors.

The day after the funeral, we caught the bus into Brighton and back and enjoyed a day exploring.

I also spent a night on my own in the Forest of Dean at the beginning of June. Once we got to grips with setting everything up and packing it all away, it is a one (wo)man job.

I travel with my milk brother and espresso machine so I can make a latte on the go.

We discovered this month that the grey water tank hadn't been emptying and we'd been driving around with a full tank, having mistaken it emptying with draining the fresh water tank before leaving the previous site.

It was easily remedied with a cable tie to push debris out the way. We discovered a snail shell in the tank. It was a dirty, smelly job. 

A day in Brighton

I spent a few days over Easter with my mum and her family in Sussex. I stayed in Seaford with my cousin, aunt and uncle, while mum stayed with her sister in Hailsham. My mums siblings are all in their mid-late 80's and my uncle is 90. Sadly over the past few months we've travelled down for funerals so I thought it would be nice for mum to spend time with her siblings on happier occasions.

Whilst the trip was family based, I did manage to spend 2 days out on my own, catching the bus first into Brighton and a second day in Eastbourne.

We spent a lot of time as children in the holiday times in Brighton and Peter and I have taken the kids camping in Sussex a couple of times, visiting the Eastbourne airshow and exploring the English Heritage sights. Whilst a lot has changed over the years, the Palace Pier still remains although the West Pier has since burnt down.

I spent some time wandering the lanes, took a walk on the beach, played the 2p slots on the Pier, enjoyed fish and chips and visited the Worlds Oldest Sealife Centre.

Exploring the Lanes

Coffee and Gluten Free cake stop.

The Royal Pavilion Gardens

Beach front walk.

Old time amusements.

Playing the 2p slots

The Worlds Oldest Sealife Centre

I visit saline centres wherever I am in the world, I could spend hours in them.

I spent £4 return on the bus. £7.95 for coffee and cake. £22.50 (cheaper if you book in advance) on the sealife centre and £2 on the 2p slots on the Pier. I took a pack lunch with me.