HOTTEST VEGAN CAMP

[Guest guest]

HOTTEST DRIEST VEGAN CAMP ON RECORD

 

Lyme Regis, Dorset, it said in the advertising blurb! But in fact it

was Uplyme, Devon, only 2 miles away, up stream on the River Lim, and

up hills! It started Saturday August 2nd, and because of other

commitments, we decided that Thursday 7th would be a good day to

join. Up in Scarborough we were hearing about the exceptional high

temperatures that some parts of the UK were enjoying this summer, and

were hoping that they would stay whilst we travelled 320 miles south.

The day started clear, though with mist on the sea; the journey was

cool, and misty in places, quite thick too - rear fog lights were

needed. Dilys was persuaded that 3am was the best time to get up for

a 4 am start! We gently drove away, fully loaded with camping stuff,

at 4.10 am. As the day grew older it eventually got brighter and

warmer, though the real warmth didn't really seem to hit us till we

were on the M5, south of Birmingham. Then it appeared to get steadily

warmer as we neared our destination. Axminster WAS HOT! We bought a

few provisions and had Carob ice-creams and finally arrived in the

summer heat of Vegan Camp at about 2 15 p.m.. The few campers there

greeted us and like them we made for the shade till it cooled down

below the 29ºC in the shade. In the sun it was nearer 38ºC. Dilys

continued to rest in the shade whilst Chris got on with erecting the

tent single-handed. Thursday ( & Sunday) evenings were the communal

meal days when we all ate together, putting out food to share. It was

good to see a lot of our old friends again with welcoming Vegan Camp

hugs. As usual there were a number of newcomers too. After the meal

there was an organised " Cone on Spoon " race. Two age groups of

children, and adults!!! Then the best children raced the best adults!

Chris excelled himself, coming 2nd in his two races LOL.

 

The next day we decided to walk into Lyme Regis. As Chris had

forgotten to bring any swimming trunks, we had to search for some new

ones, and then happily clad in new beach wear on the hot sands we

gently lowered ourselves into the cool water, and for the first time

for MANY years Chris actually swam a few strokes in the sea! The heat

out of the sea was overpowering and shady areas with seats were hard

to come by, but eventually, under the watchful eyes of herring gulls

and their large chicks, we ate our lunch on a seat in the cooler

shade. We bought a number of postcards and did a little window

shopping and walking back slowly up steep inclines in the searing

heat, wherever possible under trees! We found that the camp shop was

selling Vegan carob ices so these were devoured on our return. Here I

must point out that the main camp site was not a Vegan group, just

the single ½acre field that we had booked. We had our own small

community tent, kindly loaned by Keith & Helen Bevan, usually used to

keep out of the rain, but this year to keep out of the sun LOL! A

number of children ( & a few " adult " children ) enjoyed the splendours

of throwing buckets of water over each other, or firing of water

pistols. The buckets of water fights had to stop as it was wasting

precious water, but the water pistols were allowed!

 

 

On the Saturday morning Stella gave us a short talk about MCL (The

Movement for Compassionate Living). This is a group of Vegans who,

like us, believe in compassion for all life ( www.MCLveganway.org.uk)

and was held in the Bevan's Communal tent. In the heat of the

afternoon Dilys & I went for a another walk into Lyme Regis, but this

time in a more picturesque style down by the river Lim. This was a

lovely walk along the banks of the river, in woodland and across

fields, in and out of the sun & shade. When in Lyme Regis we walked

on the Cobb, made famous by Jane Austin in `Persuasion', which Dilys

was reading. We found a shop selling what turned out to be Vegan ice

slush flavoured with fruit flavourings, which was very welcome in the

heat. In the evening we went to see the Carnival procession, which

was not particularly enthralling - maybe the heat was too

overpowering! But the fireworks later on were beautiful. Thanks to

Wendy & Tony for taking us.

 

Sunday was a restful day, still in the heat of summer. In the morning

we attended the Quaker Meeting in Uplyme, in the recently built

village hall, and in the afternoon we were just plain lazy!!! LOL The

evening was Communal meal time again, followed this time by singing,

with George & Mark on their guitars.

 

Monday promised to be yet another hot day, and we decided to go to

Dorchester (Casterbridge in Thomas Hardy's novels!). First, though,

we had to see the " Cerne Abbas Giant " . The origin of this is unknown,

but is probably meant to be a caricature of a naked Oliver Cromwell,

a huge chalk " drawing " dating back to at least the English civil war

period. On this " History Lesson " trip we were pleased to be

accompanied by Helen Bevan and Gil. Our next port of call was to

Dorchester where the Romans had been in occupation, many years ago!!!

But first we needed a little sustenance in the way of salad Baguettes

in a nice little restaurant who kindly put in the fillings we

requested. Then in the searing heat we walked to the Dorchester

museum to view its long history from prehistory via the Romans

(Dilys's main interest) to Victorian times and Thomas Hardy (Helen's

interest). Chris sat down in an upright chair to rest from the heat

for a few moments and was woken up from his dreams 15 minutes later

LOL. We trooped down the line of the Roman wall (the modern road is

in the large ditch!) in the welcome shade of an avenue of trees, to

view the remains of a small Roman villa, then back again to retrieve

the car before the time ran out and stopped at a near by Amphitheatre

(Maumbury Rings) which the Romans had adapted from an earlier Iron

Age structure. Dilys thought it was the most impressive amphitheatre

remains she had seen in Britain. Our next stop was to a country

woodland walk, " Far From The Madding Heat " , to see the cottage once

lived in by Thomas Hardy, where he wrote two of his famous stories

and had grown up as a boy. This was a really delightful country

cottage, with a beautiful garden, preserved by the National Trust,

and open to the public twice a week. A refreshing cup of tea was had

at a near by cafe that had a good selection of teas and drinks. Then

we visited Maiden Castle. The time was now around 6.30, but this open

air monument had no closing times. Castle is really the wrong word

for this giant fortification on the top of a hill with three ramparts

and two ditches, all enormous. Now that the temperature had cooled to

acceptable degrees, we found our energies renewed for the long steep

climb. At the top we could see for miles around; it was obviously a

superior place for defence and keeping out intruders. There were

remains of a temple at the top and little else. This visit was marred

only by the fact that we found a dead rather bloated ram and a second

ram who was obviously not well. On our way down we tried to contact

the RSPCA, and eventually found the owners and reported these facts

to them. We hope the ram survived. A long hot day, but well worth it.

 

On the Tuesday we had a more relaxing day. The heat was still with

us, so we decided to pay another visit to Lyme Regis via the

beautiful river walk. A number of others joined us this time, though

once there, and after our swim in the sea, we all split up and went

our various ways. In a craft fair Chris found some vegan liquorice

without the added flour and aniseed flavourings!!! We also found a

few presents for friends.

 

The next day was Wednesday. Would it rain? Wednesday, by tradition,

at all vegan Camps is a day of rain! The day started as normal for

this years camp, HOT and sunny. In the morning we had the AGM for the

camp to help decide the camp's future. It was decided to hold next

year's camp at Bamburgh, or in a place near there. (Northumberland) A

new committee was elected: Frieden, Gordon, David (Mather) John

Strettle and Russell. David & Jill Martin and Steve agreed to help

when they could and Chris was co-opted to run the for the

vegan Camp. (If this is wrong please correct me!)

 

In the afternoon we decided to go on a narrow gauge tram ride from

Seaton along a stretch of the Axe & Colly rivers. Sophia Howard came

with us. Though the sun still shone on and off, there was a marked

temperature drop, and increase in wind. We had a lovely walk round

Colyton, a nice quiet village, with plenty of history, including a

church with an octagonal tower, a rare shape. Our return to the camp

site found it getting cloudy and colder. Then what did it do? YES, it

rained! Now normally Wednesday is the WET day, so a big cheer went

up. IT HAD RAINED ON WEDNESDAY at Vegan Camp; the tradition had held!

BUT after about a dozen large drops, it stopped as suddenly as it had

started!. But it had happened! That night was the coldest of the

week, and next morning started cold and cloudy.

 

Thursday seemed like a wonderful day to walk along the sands about 3

miles to Charmouth, as it was a cooler day! A party of about 11

started to walk, down the now familiar river path to Lyme Regis, and

9 of us walked the sands and rocks to Charmouth. Whilst we did this

the temperature again rose as the sun came out and the familiar heat

of this year's vegan camp returned. All along the coast there were

clearly visible strata in the cliffs, and many a fossil could be

found. Mysterious black clay and various coloured sands and stones

and rocks intrigued us, as did the may rock pools. The tide was on

its way out, and this walk is possible only at low tide. Those who

came included, Sophia, Russell, Bill, Cathy, Harry & Miriam and

Steve. Later we met Andrew there as well. Some of us returned by bus,

others by foot. The evening was the last of the communal meals

followed by a Quiz set by Chris & Tony. Questions were varied,

including some of Chris's famous `cryptic' clues, music questions,

Vegan Camp questions and a section about the Lyme Regis area.

 

For many Friday was the last day. Though, as at most Vegan Camps,

people were coming and going all the time. Only about half stayed at

least a week the rest came for three or four days, and a few kept

coming and going all the time! We decided to go to Ferne Animal

Sanctuary near Chard (in Somerset) and took Sophia, Cathy and David

(Tony Martin's son) along with us. The sun and heat had returned, but

not with quite so much intensity. At this sanctuary many animals are

given a place to live from the cruelty or abandonment that they have

suffered in the past, including cats, dogs, chicken, birds, horses,

donkeys etc. Not long after our return, the day went cloudy and in

the early evening it RAINED. NOW WHY should it rain on our last

evening, when it had been dry so far? (We had really thought we'd

have dry tents to take home!) Well, it did! The only really wet time

we had just had to be before we packed!

 

Next morning, we finally drove off at 9.10 am (with a wet tent) after

the usual good-byes and vegan camp hugs. Our drive home was pleasant,

and the heat returned! By 6.15 pm we were home. It had been one of

the best Vegan Camps ever. Certainly never before had there been so

much heat and dryness!

 

Chris & Dilys

[Guest guest]

LOL. I read your post title, and I confess at first I thought

to myself, " Oh no! Some bloke has posted a bunch of

horrid vegan based sex spam to the list. " I was delighted

to find out it was not true and in fact a wonderful account

of your vegan camp experience. Thanks for sharing it here

with us. Sounds like it was much fun!

 

~ pt ~

 

 

 

, " Chris Phillips "

<chris@p...>

wrote:

>

> HOTTEST DRIEST VEGAN CAMP ON RECORD

By 6.15 pm we were home. It had been one of

> the best Vegan Camps ever. Certainly never before had there been so

> much heat and dryness!

>

> Chris & Dilys