Tag / camping

Books Camping Visits Yorkshire

The First Caravan Trip of the Year

I really look forward to the first trip away each year in our caravan. Usually, we hitch up and away in January to visit our grandson in Brighton for his birthday but after an unusually busy January, February and March it was April this year before we could get a trip organised.

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The Caravan and Motorhome Club has a campaign ongoing this year called ‘Read, Tour, Explore’ which encourages members to visit places that they have read about in a book, taking inspiration from the location that the book is set in. I thought about some of the books that I have read and decided my first trip of this year in the caravan would be somewhere close to Howarth in Yorkshire, which is where the illustrious Brontë family lived in the parsonage in the village.

This was an ideal distance to travel, with less than an hour towing the caravan, as it is quite close to my home in Wakefield. We recently swapped our towcar and it was just far enough away from home to see how the car and caravan worked together. We had nothing to worry about, the two of them got along famously. I had chosen the Caravan and Motorhome Club site near Hebden Bridge as a base as I knew from my research that we could easily drive to where we wanted to visit or catch a bus or a train.

The campsite is a couple of miles out of Hebden Bridge close to Mytholmroyd and is small but very cute. The wardens were so helpful to us as we had a couple of ‘teething problems’ with the caravan: the fridge tripped the electric and they suggested we run it on gas, which worked out just fine and then our plumbing was leaking so we were advised where to go to buy some new ‘push fit elbows’ and, after a bit of huffing and blowing, we managed to fix our leaks.

On our first day we ventured directly to Oxenhope where we hopped on a steam train for a round trip although we stopped off at Haworth so that we could explore the village and visit the parsonage. The Worth Valley Railway is run largely by volunteers, and it is clear to see that they are enthusiasts, from the lovely old-fashioned uniforms and the toot toot of the whistles and how they wave as you chug away from the station. This is where the film version of the book The Railway Children was filmed, and it seems nothing much has changed in the fifty odd years since that film premiered.

The walk from the station at Haworth is very steep and it is all cobbled, we took it steady and just kept stopping to catch a breath and take in the views at the same time. The wild moors are all around and this is where Emily Brontë took inspiration for her novel Wuthering Heights. There are some gorgeous little shops, cafes and pubs on the climb up to the top so plenty to distract you from the incline!

Finally at the top we walked by the church where Mr. Brontë presided and then directly onto the parsonage where the family lived. It is not the first time that I have visited the parsonage but this time, just like the first time, I was utterly enthralled. The sitting room where the girls, Charlotte, Emily and Anne wrote their novels, the sofa where it is reputed that Emily lay on when she died, Barnwell’s chaotic bedroom, the bedroom where Charlotte slept with her husband and subsequently died…. There was so much tragedy in one family and so much genius too!

After our visit we made our way back down the cobbled hill and back to the station where we caught a train back to Oxenhope where we had parked our car. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and full day, and I was keen to head back to the caravan to have a read, yes, you guessed it Wuthering Heights, and to cook our dinner, which was a recipe from my own book Meals on the Move: A Campsite Cooking Journey (which is available to buy here). I chose Coq au Reisling, which is chicken in white wine and cream sauce, easy to do and restaurant worthy!

The next day I was determined to continue with things on a literary level. I had discovered that author and one time Poet Laureate Ted Hughes had been born in Mytholmroyd. In addition to this his first wife American author Sylvia Plath was buried close by in a hilltop village called Heptonstall. Heptonstall is a stone’s throw from Hebden Bridge, so we combined our visit and went to both. Hebden Bridge is a very popular small town, home to an abundance of independent shops and frequented by colourful and artsy-looking individuals. I thoroughly recommend a visit. There are buses and a train service plus it has the Rochdale canal running right through the town, so it is interesting to walk the tow path and see the narrowboats that are plentiful.

On next to visit Sylvia. Another dark and tragic life, Sylvia took her own life when she was in her early thirties and was mother to two small children with estranged husband Ted Hughes. Hughes arranged for her to be buried in Heptonstall as they had enjoyed some happy times together at Hebden Bridge. The village is quaint but very quiet and her grave is not easy to find. We did find it and we paid our respects before heading back down towards the campsite. We located Ted Hughes’ birthplace easily enough; it is an end terrace house just off the main road through Mytholmroyd. It has a blue plaque as you would expect and is now a holiday rental.

Back at the caravan site it was time to cook once more. Another recipe from my book, this time Marry Me chicken, creamy and delicious. I served it with pasta much to my husband John’s disappointment, he is not a pasta fan but I enjoyed it so much!

Our last day and the weather was set to be fair so we had a spin on our electric bikes. I wasn’t keen to cycle on the road as they are new bikes and I am a bit cautious. We found a cycle path where there was no traffic to contend with, other than a few pedestrians and dogs. The cycle ride was a success, especially as we found a great little café and had a very welcome bite of lunch.

As it was our last night on site before returning home, I pulled out the stops and bought a couple of fat steaks as a treat. This recipe is the first one in my book and it is very simple: steak with sauté potatoes. As I was preparing it, I had a brainwave and discovered that Wuthering Heights is available as an audio book. I loved listening to the story as I chopped and stirred when getting our supper prepared.

The next day it was time to pack up and leave. We were in no rush to get away, so we took it at a leisurely pace taking time out to chat with a few motor homers who were embarking on travels much further afield than us. One couple has sold up to take two years out of work and were on their first trip in their campervan. One of the many benefits of campsite life is the way you can fall into conversation with people as you go about the routine tasks involved when you use a leisure vehicle, filling water tanks, emptying loo cassettes, whatever it is you are up to there is always someone around to chat with and exchange hints, tips and general chitchat.

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When you get the chance this year, why not hitch up or rev up, book a caravan and Motorhome Club site and ‘Read, Tour, Explore’. For more details visit https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/

Books Camping Recipe

Meals on the Move: A Campsite Cooking Journey

I am excited to announce that my new book Meals on the Move: A Campsite Cooking Journey is being released on 12 September 2023 and is available to buy now! You can order it from my shop shop for a 10% discount (and free shipping). It is also available at Alan Rogers, Amazon, Waterstones, and Darling Reads bookshop in Horbury.

This new book follows the 30-day campsite journey I took this summer through France, Italy and Switzerland. It is not just a travel book but a recipe book too as I share 30 recipes – one for each day of the trip. I created recipes that used local or regional ingredients or were typical of the area of country that we were staying in. All the recipes can be cooked in around 30 minutes, using only basic equipment so that cooking on a campsite can be both simple and delicious!

The book also includes diary entries for each day of the journey, describing the fun, the stunning scenery, and the highs and lows of the tour. Through this book I hope to give insights and inspiration for both seasoned campsite users and those taking to the road for the first time.

The book is hardback and has 200 fully illustrated colour pages.

Fasten your seatbelts, prime your taste buds and get ready to discover Meals on the Move!

Baking Caravan Blog September 2020 GBBO Visits

Caravan Blog: Day 4

Here we are on day four already. Still the sun shines, it is so fantastic and makes a big difference to a trip. Terry – my friend that I met while we were both competitors on The Great British Bake Off – arrived onsite. He drove down from his home in his motorhome. It was so brilliant to see him again, we keep on touch by zoom but its always better in real life. We decided that we would do a local bake on site and video it. We came up with a Malvern Pudding. It is normally steamed but we decided to bake it in the oven to save the gas, steaming takes so long. The bake itself is like an apple cake (remember all those apples from Elgar’s orchard!) We made a caramel sauce to pour over the top. Everything worked out fine and the elderly gentleman next to us was intrigued with our antics. He said ‘please get an article in the Caravan and Motorhome magazine’ as he thought it would prove to be of interest to members, perhaps we will 🙂

See on this photo, Terry’s little dog Meg got a piece of the action. She is such a little princess and just as fluffy and even tempered as a teddy bear. gorgeous!

Remember the pizza dough I made yesterday? Well here is the result. We enjoyed it sat in the sun and we also had something very special to wash it down with. Terry has his own craft brewery and as a surprise brought us a big crate of three of his finest. I am not a beer connoisseur but these were really fine and a little history with each bottle. Also he brought cheese from his own cheese place and some honey from his bees.

We had a meal in our caravan. I made something from Rick Stein, not fish though, it was a Croatian pot roast, slow cooked in balsamic vinegar and red wine with dates and apples in the mix! Beautiful!!

So that was day four. A steady day all on the campsite. Next up is a trip to a patisserie in Cheltenham, see how the professionals do it, very excited to see. Watch this space, will report asap!

Caravan Blog September 2020 Visits

Caravan Blog: Day 3

Days are flying by on this trip, I seem to have to gallop to keep up to things. So day three was very steady, we had a grocery trip out, I love supermarket shopping, perhaps its because of all the inspiration I get from browsing the aisles. I did need some specific things as I was hosting the cookalong live I referred to last blog. We were making Thai pork meatballs and I needed bits and bobs for that. In addition my friend of the Bake Off Terry is joining us, did I say that already? We are going to bake together on the pitch. I also wanted to make some pizza for lunch so out there in the sunshine before 8 in the morning I was having a workout with some pizza dough!

After our shopping trip I was getting set up for the zoom cook a long. I did consider doing it outside but folks were chilling out on their emplacements and I thought better of it. In the caravan I had a few tense moments with technology, nothing new there, I am learning on the hoof so to speak and I do have some worrying episodes. Last week I was casting a Youtube video to play on our TV at home but instead it landed over the road on our neighbours’ telly, embarrassing!!

I got there in the end and here I am looking all jolly with my tripod and laptop. I was not frying those limes by the way!

The Thai pork meatballs were easy to make, except one of the ingredients was toasted ground rice. Toasting I managed but I resorted to a rolling pin and a plastic cup as I do not have a pestle and mortar, raised a few eyebrows on site by folks wandering past as I sat grinding and pounding away.

We ate the meatballs for our tea, had a couple of bevvies and settled down for Last Night of the Proms. We clapped and sang our hearts out, especially the Elgar tunes having been to say hello to him just the day before.

Well readers, if you have stayed with me so far, that’s fab, must dash I have a Croatian Pot Roast to deal with, I know, I know, blazing hot day and I choose a pot roast!

Recipe

Vegan Chickpea Curry

This is a quick curry that is perfect for a speedy dinner. Great on its own or with rice, chips, or – like I have included here – a quick pan fried naan bread. I developed this speedy store cupboard recipe for the NEC Caravan, Camping and Motorhome show live food demo.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large sliced white onion
  • 1 heaped tsp garlic paste
  • 1 heaped tsp ginger paste
  • half tsp chilli paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tin chickpeas
  • 1 tin coconut milk (stirred well with 3/4 cup removed for the naans)
  • 1 tin spinach (optional)

Optional Extras

  • 2 Chopped fresh tomatoes
  • 2 red chillies thinly sliced lengthways
  • 3 Handfuls fresh baby spinach
  • Handful crushed cashew nuts
  • Handful coriander

Method

  1. Chop all the vegetables and rinse the chickpeas
  2. Put a frying pan on a medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and onions.
  3. Sautée onions for five minutes until soft.
  4. Add the garlic, chilli, and ginger with the curry powder. Cook for 30 seconds.
  5. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and coconut milk. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
  6. Cook for 10 minutes and serve.

Quick Panfried Naans

Ingredients

  • One and three quarters cups plain flour
  • 1 heaped Tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 Tsp Salt
  • 2 Tsp Sugar
  • 2 Tsp Oil
  • 3/4 Cup coconut Milk
  • Olive Oil and garlic paste mix for basting
  • Garlic Oil Fry Light

Method

  1. Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix together.
  2. Add the coconut milk gradually and mix until smooth.
  3. Split into four and shape into balls.
  4. Roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin.
  5. Spray a frying pan with FryLight and cook the naans for few minutes on each side.

Recipe

Brazilian Picadillo

This week I have been doing live demonstrations at the Caravan and Camping Show. As part of this, people were invited to submit their favourite camping recipe for me to cook on stage. I had a wonderful day with my husband John and my girls Kit and Vanessa plus the amazing Terry from Bake Off to support me.

Press pass!

I selected this recipe because I had never heard of it and it sounded delicious. I have cooked it a couple of times since and have added it to my rotation of recipes.

Ingredients

  • 750g lean minced beef
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 sliced red onion
  • 1 sliced white onion
  • 4 crushed garlic cloves
  • Half green pepper sliced
  • Half red pepper sliced
  • 50g black olives sliced
  • 50g green olives sliced
  • 75g raisins
  • 75g capers (rinsed)
  • 2 cans chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Method

  1. Soften the vegetables in the coconut oil in a large pan.
  2. Add the minced beef. Stir until meat has browned.
  3. Add the spices, olives, capers, raisins, and the white wine vinegar along with the tomatoes.
  4. Simmer for about twenty minutes and serve.