Bambi Owners Club Rally: Riverside CP, Southport, March 2012
Wednesday 14th
An early start, up at 5.30AM to get the final items packed into the van and off for the 250 mile journey to Banks near Southport. Managed to get away at 6.15AM and my first port of call was McDonalds at Braintree – ha ha, you’ve got to eat and a McD’s always hits the spot 🙂
Arrived at Riverside at 11.15AM so only 5 hours for the journey which is pretty good going for a weekday. I only saw 1 set of roadworks on the M6 so a nice trip.
There’s quite a few vans here now but many are not hitting the bar tonight opting for an early night instead. That will not be happening in my case 😉
Thursday 15th
Took a trip up to Southport centre today, walked the length of Lord Street, had a wander into B&M but that was about all I did for the day. Now it’s rumoured that Napoleon III lived on Lord Street between 1846 and 1848 after escaping from prison in France. Upon his return to Paris he instructed his Austrian pal Baron Georges-Eugene Hausmann to rip up the medieval centre of the city and put in wide tree lined boulevards, and arcades just like Lord Street. Coincidence? You decide 🙂
The evening session was a meal out with the family in the ultra popular Bistrot Verite situated in Birkdale village. This tidy place has ended up being Michelin listed and when you sample the food and service, it’s not difficult to see why.
Friday 16th
I’m on the third day and my trip here is going quicker than I would like. Today I’m not doing any cooking at all and show my dedication to the cause by having a full English in the Riverside Cafe. Late morning, I’ve hopped on a bus to the centre of Southport and then switch to the train down to Liverpool city centre.
For lunch I met with my daughter and went to the Sakura at Exchange Flags, a Japanese restaurant doing a two course meal deal for £9.95. Unlike most Japanese meals it actually filled me up.
I walked some of it off with a trip round Liverpool centre and found the Yates wine lodge that has the revolving wall by accident. A circular part of the wall moves, you can see a video of it here but it now looks defunct.
Some of the architecture in the area is stunning, like the Liver Building and St George’s Hall – a sign of how much money was pouring into the port at the height of the British Empire.
Returning back to Riverside there are more vans here now as the “long weekend” people turn up, so we have a good number here now. I think it would be appropriate to round the day off with some beer, I’ve been warned it’s Karaoke night 🙂
Saturday 17th
Another van has arrived bringing our total to 25 – this is a superb turnout. As well as all the vans turning up, the sun started to make a welcome appearance near lunchtime.
A few campers have taken their awnings down as the wind has been quite ferocious on the last couple of nights. I didn’t even bring mine this time as I remember how much trouble it caused last October for me here.
Marianne and Mary decided to hold a joint 70th birthday party which kicked off at 3PM. They had a superb spread put on by the Riverside staff, and to be honest I haven’t been cooking in the van much as I’ve been eating out in the Riverside cafe quite a lot. It’s nice food and nice prices too 🙂
Talking of eating out, the day finished off with a family meal at the Hesketh Arms in Churchtown. This is a pub I’ve been going to for many years and is well known in the area for top notch food.
The day closes and the rain is beating down on the roof of the van. Time for bed, it’s an early start in the morning and off back home.