Dave D

I know I haven't been around much so this is just a really quick post!

Sorry, things have been non stop and tomorrow we are off to Cornwall - can't wait!!!

Just a quick snippet that I wanted to share ...

A couple of weeks ago SD and I did 3 car boot sales in one weekend (that's selling, not buying).

We didn't make much money but it was a lovely weekend and one was by the sea so all was not lost.

One thing that really made my weekend was bumping into Dave D.

SD and I both know him independently from waaaay back - Dave D was ALWAYS out.

I've always liked Dave D although I've always refrained from posing for him in his photographer days when he often asked me to model for him topless because 'clothes get in the way of ART doncha know' - I suspect he's asked SD to pose for him as well.

Dave D has always been notoriously unlucky in love, in life, in almost everything really.

The love bit is pretty easy to explain - everyone thinks Dave D is gay because he is incredibly camp and they assume that he's in denial.  Maybe he is, I'm not sure but I have to confess to never feeling particularly tempted or special when he asked me out because to be honest, Dave D asked EVERYONE out in those days.

Anyway, it was lovely to see him when he stopped by to say hello.

Dave has a slightly mournful and self depreciating manner and was clutching a small plastic bag of slightly tired looking broad beans.

'It cost me a quid to get in and a quid for these - I think I've just bought the most expensive broad beans in existence .... - think I'll cut my losses and go home ...'

Two hours later as we left to go we passed Dave looking even more mournful in the car park.

'Bloody vans broken down and the recovery service have told me it's going to up to another 2 hours before they get here' he said sadly still clutching his beans.

'They guys here want to lock up so they are going to push me out on to the road and the toilets have been closed and I'm dying for a pee ...'

Poor Dave D - it seems his luck never changes ...

Anyway, I'll be back properly in a week or so with plenty of tales of Cornwall so I'll catch up with you all then and get around to reading what you have all been up to.

Have a great week!!!

Swanning Around

I asked SD the other day why he thought his past relationships hadn't lasted in the long term.

He said he guessed that the girls he'd been out with liked the idea of him, liked the idea of his lifestyle but in the long run they really wanted something a little more stable and he just wasn't willing to compromise.

I get that.  Had we become a couple all those years ago (and it must be almost 30 years since we met) then I might have felt the same.

I've always been drawn to his way of life, the beaches, the parties, the travel, the music events but I wanted a family, a home and a sense of belonging too and those were the things he couldn't, didn't want to provide and I suppose I sensed that and respected his very clear view on the way he wanted to live his life.

I'm so glad I did or we would have been over before we had even begun and there may have been no going back.

We came together at the right time for both of us so, while I'm a little sad that I missed so much of the fun I DID get my family and my house.  The only thing missing was the sense of belonging and now, so many years later SD and I have that together and we both want what we have.

Some people may find out lifestyle too hectic.  We rarely have a weekend without something planned and 'free' weekends and evenings are spend doing jobs either here or at the farm.  We never just sit and watch the TV, in fact the TV is never turned on unless we have a film to watch.  I guess we are both too restless, too conscious of the things we could be doing instead.  Our downtime is spent sitting by the sea, walking the cliff paths or meeting up with friends.

It's right for us, it wouldn't suit everyone, I get that, this isn't a criticism of the way others lead their lives and I'm not suggesting that that our way is the right way.  The right way is whatever makes you happy.

I'm just glad that the same things make us happy.

Well, I've gone a little off tangent.  I really wanted to tell you about our weekend.

Last weekend we hitched up the buggy and headed for Swanage:

Just setting off

Swanage is probably the highlight of my year.  So many of the things we do are VW based but this, this is just for buggies.

37 of them in total!

I don't think anywhere else sees such a large gathering of Beach Buggies and it's all because of the Swanage Regatta.

We are so fortunate to be invited back each year to open the carnival and, as an added bonus, the local football club let us camp on their land only 10 minutes walk from the seafront:

I love this place!

The sun always seems to shine when I'm in Swanage and this weekend was no exception.

As well as it being the start of the Regatta it was also pirate weekend!

So of course there was a pirate ship!

And

Plenty of pirates around ...

We could have up to 3 nights heavily subsidised camping all for 10 minutes work driving through the town centre at the head of the carnival:

And there's nothing a beach buggy owner loves more than a chance to make a bit of noise and show off!

The rest of the time was our own to:

Drink coffee

Pose in front of murals

look silly

look even sillier

Act VERY silly

Every year we have a theme and most people dress up.

This year it was Sit Coms - which pretty much stumped everyone.  It's not so much that it's hard to think of a Sit Com. it's just really hard to find a costume that people will recognise.

So it was changed to Hawaiian.

But not everyone got the memo ...

So we had Dad's Army ...

Actually no idea on this one ...

Hi De Hi

And then the rest of us

Oh, and we also had a Batman but somehow I didn't get a photo of him.

it really was

an amazing weekend!