The Scilly Isles / Photo by Nick Weston
Granted we don’t have the most agreeable climate when it comes to ticking the most important holiday boxes. Sun and heat are the highly sought after factors for most people…oh and beaches too. But don’t we have beaches here? For me, adventure and experience are way more important than temperature and solar rays, though they are quite pleasant. We live on a small island by global standards, we have islands off our island in the hundreds, most of them uninhabited, and those that are pass their time in a state of glorious rusticity.
We are a nation that has more than our fair share of rainfall, grey skies and the occasional ray of sunlight. Britain can be rubbish, especially now in the darkest of winter months. But how can you belittle a perfect British summer day? Every year at the first signs of summer, Brighton, Bournemouth and even Skegness are swamped by the great unwashed who have been patiently waiting for the day to come. Our last few summers have been wet, so shouldn’t we be used to rain by now? Rather than complain about it, why not embrace it. The thing is, there is just sooo much I haven’t seen in this country…and that gives me serious cause for concern.
Isle of Skye / Photo by Nick Weston
I’ve seen the adverts for New Zealand on the box, yes great…I do think it kind of looks a bit like this country, but on the other side of the world. You can bet your ass they would have filmed Lord of the Rings here if it had not been so built up! Some of the best holidays and short breaks I’ve ever had, have been here. I love popping down to some ramshackle cottage in the back end of nowhere in Devon or spending some time on a Scottish island, fishing, having BBQ’s on the beach, eating some good local nosh and drinking some fine local brew. Even If I get the chance to go down to my mother’s cottage in Sussex, I feel happy and rejuvenated.
Hit the road
Two things that have really pushed me to see more of this island we call home have been surfing and fishing. Once I had taken the first major step to independence and passed my driving test 10 years ago, this country opened up hugely. Although most journeys usually involve the A303 to the end of the road (Stonehenge is the most obvious milestone on any journey out west), my Peugeot 205 did get to go North during my Uni days at Newcastle and subsequently, most of the Northumbrian countryside got well acquainted with the soles of my shoes.
Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland / Photo by Nick Weston
The problems with trying to explore our island up close are unfortunately on the increase. Nowadays campsites in the Devon & Cornwall, and no doubt other parts of the country are geared towards the happy campers with gas stoves, frame tents, caravans and head torches. Unless you are a family or couple you are unlikely to be able to pitch up, don’t even ask about having a campfire… it ain’t gonna happen. What is camping without a fire? I would like to say that it is health and safety gone crazy, which it could well be, it seems as though the fun police are all for making life sterile for the masses.
One reason I like to go abroad, is to escape the Natives. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of time for my countrymen and women, but I can meet them at home. You only have to experience getting a cheap flight out of Gatwick South Terminal at some ungodly hour to understand what I am getting at. Tatooed skin heads in their England shirts, orange wives clad in velour tracksuits and screaming kids that seem to know more swearwords than me. On that particular occasion, I felt I had seen the last of them for at least a week. They wouldn’t want to go to Fuerteventura, land of big waves and not much else. Then my girlfriend pointed out Fuerteventura was one of the Canary islands…oh no!
Where to go? What to do?
Dartmoor secret spot / Photo by Nick Weston
Over the years I have managed to sift through all the rubbish and find some carefully hidden gems, but to share those with you would be high treason, I like them how they are. Much to my girlfriend’s dismay, we always tend to camp, but since we now have a briefcase gas stove, throw-up tent and blow-up mattress, she has seen the more comforting side of sleeping under canvas: when camping you don’t always have to rough it. The way I tend to plan out my treks around the British Isles usually begin in front of the computer:
- Look at a map and decide what you wish to do and where you wish to do it.
- Go to www.multimap.com, here you can get a good look at your destination, by flicking between the OS map and the Aerial views. The landscape will be revealed and place names will be shown.
- Type in the name of a nearby farm or village into Google, search for campsites, if none appear, try and get the number of a local pub and give them a call to see if they have the number. It just so happened I once called a pub in a small village on Dartmoor and asked for the number of a local farm, turned out the farmer was sitting at the bar a little half cut. We had a chat and after arranging a small fee (£3 per night) his field by an amazing stretch of river was ours!
- Its always best to ask local farms if they do camping or can suggest somewhere near that do, never presume they will say “Alright boy, you can ‘ave me field”. It is also worth asking about having a fire, quite often its fine and they will even sell you some wood too.
- Finally, If you cant find somewhere to pitch for the night, don’t be afraid to do it wherever you are, just don’t leave any rubbish and move on early.
Our car turns into the A-team van when we go away on a short break, because there is so much we want to do. The little Peugeot strains under the weight of surfboards, food, camping stuff, a smoker, spear guns, fishing gear, skateboards, climbing garb…anything that you may need to face the unexpected. But it is always worth it, I get so frustrated turning up at a beach in the middle of nowhere only to find a perfect break with no one out and the surfboard is back in the flat in London.
So with the credit crunch in full swing, dust off the road map of Britain. Travelling at home is the new travelling abroad. This country was once great and it still is, you just have to look a little closer to see it. Think Orkneys, Anglesey, The Black Mountains, Dartmoor, Northumbria, Inverness and the Outer Hebrides. Pack up the car and drive…you never know what you might find.
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Travelling In Britain: Adventure Begins At Home
The Scilly Isles / Photo by Nick Weston
Granted we don’t have the most agreeable climate when it comes to ticking the most important holiday boxes. Sun and heat are the highly sought after factors for most people…oh and beaches too. But don’t we have beaches here? For me, adventure and experience are way more important than temperature and solar rays, though they are quite pleasant. We live on a small island by global standards, we have islands off our island in the hundreds, most of them uninhabited, and those that are pass their time in a state of glorious rusticity.
We are a nation that has more than our fair share of rainfall, grey skies and the occasional ray of sunlight. Britain can be rubbish, especially now in the darkest of winter months. But how can you belittle a perfect British summer day? Every year at the first signs of summer, Brighton, Bournemouth and even Skegness are swamped by the great unwashed who have been patiently waiting for the day to come. Our last few summers have been wet, so shouldn’t we be used to rain by now? Rather than complain about it, why not embrace it. The thing is, there is just sooo much I haven’t seen in this country…and that gives me serious cause for concern.
Isle of Skye / Photo by Nick Weston
I’ve seen the adverts for New Zealand on the box, yes great…I do think it kind of looks a bit like this country, but on the other side of the world. You can bet your ass they would have filmed Lord of the Rings here if it had not been so built up! Some of the best holidays and short breaks I’ve ever had, have been here. I love popping down to some ramshackle cottage in the back end of nowhere in Devon or spending some time on a Scottish island, fishing, having BBQ’s on the beach, eating some good local nosh and drinking some fine local brew. Even If I get the chance to go down to my mother’s cottage in Sussex, I feel happy and rejuvenated.
Hit the road
Two things that have really pushed me to see more of this island we call home have been surfing and fishing. Once I had taken the first major step to independence and passed my driving test 10 years ago, this country opened up hugely. Although most journeys usually involve the A303 to the end of the road (Stonehenge is the most obvious milestone on any journey out west), my Peugeot 205 did get to go North during my Uni days at Newcastle and subsequently, most of the Northumbrian countryside got well acquainted with the soles of my shoes.
Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland / Photo by Nick Weston
The problems with trying to explore our island up close are unfortunately on the increase. Nowadays campsites in the Devon & Cornwall, and no doubt other parts of the country are geared towards the happy campers with gas stoves, frame tents, caravans and head torches. Unless you are a family or couple you are unlikely to be able to pitch up, don’t even ask about having a campfire… it ain’t gonna happen. What is camping without a fire? I would like to say that it is health and safety gone crazy, which it could well be, it seems as though the fun police are all for making life sterile for the masses.
One reason I like to go abroad, is to escape the Natives. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of time for my countrymen and women, but I can meet them at home. You only have to experience getting a cheap flight out of Gatwick South Terminal at some ungodly hour to understand what I am getting at. Tatooed skin heads in their England shirts, orange wives clad in velour tracksuits and screaming kids that seem to know more swearwords than me. On that particular occasion, I felt I had seen the last of them for at least a week. They wouldn’t want to go to Fuerteventura, land of big waves and not much else. Then my girlfriend pointed out Fuerteventura was one of the Canary islands…oh no!
Where to go? What to do?
Dartmoor secret spot / Photo by Nick Weston
Over the years I have managed to sift through all the rubbish and find some carefully hidden gems, but to share those with you would be high treason, I like them how they are. Much to my girlfriend’s dismay, we always tend to camp, but since we now have a briefcase gas stove, throw-up tent and blow-up mattress, she has seen the more comforting side of sleeping under canvas: when camping you don’t always have to rough it. The way I tend to plan out my treks around the British Isles usually begin in front of the computer:
Our car turns into the A-team van when we go away on a short break, because there is so much we want to do. The little Peugeot strains under the weight of surfboards, food, camping stuff, a smoker, spear guns, fishing gear, skateboards, climbing garb…anything that you may need to face the unexpected. But it is always worth it, I get so frustrated turning up at a beach in the middle of nowhere only to find a perfect break with no one out and the surfboard is back in the flat in London.
So with the credit crunch in full swing, dust off the road map of Britain. Travelling at home is the new travelling abroad. This country was once great and it still is, you just have to look a little closer to see it. Think Orkneys, Anglesey, The Black Mountains, Dartmoor, Northumbria, Inverness and the Outer Hebrides. Pack up the car and drive…you never know what you might find.
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