Day 295 of Lockdown. It is the first month of the year and it is me Gabby the motorhome . They have deserted me almost a month ago. They drove me up the potholed road on the 18th December . The driver has been up twice to check me over and that is it . Left alone in the cold . Unloved. Unwanted . Unused . I feel dumped. I am muddy . That is from the mud on the road when they brought me to the walled garden. They never bothered to wash me and get me clean again. They told me the walled garden was salubrious. I would enjoy it there along with the other overwinterers . Well that is not true . I am wedged up to a wall with a few bits of farm machinery to my right and another motorhome to my left . It too looks unloved . The gates are padlocked . in and out . Barbed wire and electric fences kept me safe . The gate is covered by CCTV and the chain around the gate is the thickest I have ever seen.It is not cheap to keep me here .
In fact for this price I would expect luxury. Luxury this is not . There is a large RV in front of me with a steering lock on to prevent anyone stealing it . And a green caravan . It is not really green. It has been there so long it has grown roots and is covered with green mould . I wondered if it had been abandoned by its owners . It reminded me of an Austrian or a Slovenian campsite where a caravan rolls up and pitches up . Over the years it acquires a tent , a lean to , a toilet , an outdoor area and a coating of green mould on its tarpaulin. Happy Days I thought and then I heard it.
A car had rolled up and stopped at the gate . It took a while for whoever in to open the car door, walk to the gate and put in the code . I heard the gate opening and footsteps . It was the driver and the to take me away . , I thought. I heard the clunk of the key opening my door
looks and unalarming and in they climbed . I head them talking - yes I did look awful in all that frost and ice last week , Yes you would have cried navigator if you had seen the state I was in . Yes you have neglected me . Yes you up more often . Lockdown is no excuse . It will be reviewed later this week . perhaps it will be lifted . Sadly Gabby I dont think that will happen . It might be reviewed but it wont be lifted for at least another three weeks and that will be another month gone down the pan .
They started to rummage in my boot and took out the Remoska and a stool . The navigator tried my battery control . She sounded despondent . She let out a Hey - never seen that message before !!! Seems like up with some battery management system check . Hope nothing is wrong with me and my nice shiny Lithium batteries . I know they dont like icy cold weather . Perhaps it is that . Or maybe they just needed a wake up. The limited
Winter sun is putting a charge in and my engine battery was full of life and started first time . My leisure battery was 100%!d(MISSING)ropping to 99%!a(MISSING)s it pushed a bit of power into my engine battery . They seemed pleased . But you never can tell can you? They emptied my fridge . A packet of long life milk and a few slices of mouldy bacon . And then they left me . Again . Alone in my walled garden .
Glenn drove me down the potholed and rutted road that was shared with a few isolated bungalow, the Emral Stud and the campsite . I wondered why they did not get together and keep the road a bit more in good order . Shared with sheep it was a mess . Ziggy bounced up and down in fear of her springs . Would I camp on this David Bellamy endorsed site ? Not in the winter that was for sure . In the summer it might be a different kettle of fish but today I wouldnt touch it with a barge pole .
I was dropped off at the lodge. Originally one of three lodges leading to the once impressive Emral Hall . It was the only one left in its original form . Grade 2 listed it was sweet .
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