General Chat

:-D :-D
We used to hire a holiday home, but the immediate family has got so big - and it's usually just my sister, our children and grandchildren, (16+ people) that we now have to camp :-|

Our brothers are invited, but they and their families usually just come for one day.
One brother never married, but has exhibition commitments (he's a potter), the other goes on family get togethers with his wife's ( my sister in law's) family.

What is lovely, is that second cousins - ranging in age from 11 months to 16 years, get to know each other, look out for each other - and now we're on a campsite (no other people), can turn 'feral' for a while - climb trees, use a rope swing, just generally roam etc'

One morning, (about 5am) a huge low flying aircraft went over - it was so unexpected, low and noisy, it woke most of the adults up.
Before we'd managed to get back to sleep, there followed in quick succession, a fox screeching, a cockerel crowing, and an owl hooting!

As I'd found pirates in the family tree, we had a pirate party for family and friends on Saturday - there were over 50 people! :-0
We laid on a buffet for the day and pre-prepared curries for the evening.
Some enjoyed the revels around the huge campfire, and, due to the amount of rum (drunk by the adults) stayed overnight in tents.

I'd also managed to create the pirate side of the family tree, on lining paper (classy!) going back to 1207 - to my 22 x g grandparents (even I was surprised!) and a 'booklet' of facts (49 pages) verifying what I'd found. :-D :-D :-D

Well done for all your hard work, Maggie. The get togethers sound great fun and encouraging younger relatives to get to know others is a worthy result.

Lizxx

It definitely is a worthy result, Liz.
Last year I 'earwigged' the 6 to 10 year olds discussing name teasing (they all have slightly unusual - but traditional, maybe old - names). I said nothing, but they all came to the same conclusion - backed up by each other - that the 'name teasers' were idiots :-D

Hopefully, these discussions will go on as they grow older.

What was also lovely, was, even the children of friends, who some had never met before, played nicely.

Sounds as though you had a great time

Great idea but I am just trying to imagine keeping a running buffet goig for 50 people!! Hope you had plenty of help. and now time for you to relax and have a rest???? :-D

It wasn't too difficult, Ann - I like an 'easy' life! :-D
We bought cheese and tomato pizzas, the children decorated them as maps, with veg sausages as a path, and a cross of red pepper as the 'treasure. This ensured even the veggies could eat them.
Sandwiches were made, cocktail sausages of both veg and meat provided.
A few 'babybel' cheeses were decorated like pirates, plain cup cakes were bought - and decorated by the children, dips, Doritos, carot and cucumber sticks, breadsticks etc - and people also brought extra food to share.
Once the pizza's were heated, cut and out - we did nothing! :-D

Glad you had such an amazing time. :-D

Sounds like you all had fun :-D :-D :-D

What did you use to heat the pizzas when camping??????

Ah Sylvia - it has a kitchen - with 2 huge gas cookers and hot water, a 'school room' and an undercover eating area :-D

It's normally used by groups, like cubs, and guides etc. at a minimal cost, not the public.
My sister and an elderly gentleman run it (unpaid) on behalf of trustees, and any money made is put towards keeping the youth club open.

As my sister is unpaid, we're allowed to use it if there are no bookings.
Also, various members of the family turn up at random times of the year to clean gutters, paint buildings and deep clean all facilities, so it's a sort of 'thank you'.

Ah

The ideal camping spot!

I had visions of you trying to do it on a gas stove, or over a campfire :-D

I became proficient at cooking in pans and frying pans, along with a small tabletop charcoal bbq when we were tent camping but never progressed beyond that.

Definitely the ideal camping spot, Sylvia - and all ours :-D

I became proficient at cooking in pots, and washing in small bowls when I lived in a tent in Shetland for 6 months :-\
It was a 2 man tent (as used by Bonnington on Everest), with my then boyfriend, my now, ex.
Ex had a sleeping bag - As used by Bonnington on Everest - so he was warm.
I had a polyester number, with piles of newspapers underneath, and clothes on top :-|

he didn't share the warm sleeping bag with you??????

My thoughts exactly, SylviaInCanada

Luckily my sleeping bag was quite large so easily big enough for two cold people. Snow outside - a late Easter holiday in 1974.

No. It was one of those 'Mummy' ones. :-\

Edit\; As used by Bonnington - as he was fond of telling me
When we met Chris Bonnington in Tesco in Carlisle - I told him :-D

patchem .............

we had that on an August stop at Crater Lake in Oregon.

OH and I had double sleeping bags that zipped together, and our two female visitors (OH's younger sister and cousin) had warm-ish straight sleeping bags that zipped open but not together

Overnight stop on way north

OH developing a fever after dinner

Snow and freezing temperatures

Never happened before at Crater Lake, according to the Rangers

We ended up with all 4 of us lying on one of our bags, all snuggling up together and piling the other 3 on top of us as we tried to stop OH shivering uncontrollably.

Fortunately, his fever broke before dawn, and after a slow morning he was fit to drive the car ........... the only one of us able to drive in the US.

Ex got his tent and sleeping bag just for him.
Prior to going to Shetland, he had a job over Winter, putting the steps in Fingal's Cave - hence the small tent and very warm (single) sleeping bag.
He then went straight to Shetland, and asked if I would go.
He was hoping to rent somewhere before I got there - I arrived sooner than he expected!
We did, eventually, move into a croft house, in September.

Glad you didn't have to spend a winter in the tent!!

So am I!!! ;-)