Charmouth

| Maison de Stuff | John's Page | John's Pictures |

Over August Bank Holiday - Saturday 25th to Monday 27th August 2001 - me and Chie travelled down to Charmouth (or thereabouts) in West Dorset, to meet up with Michelle and co. for a weekend camping.

Saturday 11:42 Somewhere between London and Axminster (where I think we got off) on the train.

Saturday 13:08 Me and Chie, possibly on the same train, possibly on a different one.

Saturday 14:50 After a short bus ride, we were at the place where Michelle and Paul had arranged to meet us, whose name I have forgotten.

Saturday 14:51 Paul's lovely old Moris Minor.

Saturday 15:25 Our campsite, mine being the ridge tent in the middle, subject of much ridicule.

Saturday 15:49 After putting up our tent we joined the others on the beach - I think this is Charmouth Bay.

Saturday 16:26 I'm rather pleased with this picture taken along the shoreline...

Saturday 16:26 Chie and more shoreline.

Saturday 16:26 Me by the sea. Not sure what the strange pose is all about.

Saturday 16:28 Now this beach is famous for fossils. Not being particularly expert in fossils, I couldn't tell you what this is, but it might be an ammonite.

Saturday 16:28 Chie attacking me whilst I was busy looking at fossils.

Saturday 16:31 Another fossil. I think either Michelle or Paul later picked this up.

Saturday 16:32 The sea again. This seems to have an accompanying sound sample.

Saturday 16:33

Saturday 16:40 At the other end the rocks were all covered in green seaweed.

Saturday 16:43 That looks a bit fossil-ish - and look at the size of it!

Saturday 16:47 Yet another fossil.

Saturday 16:48 Chie having a wander about.

Saturday 16:48 ...and another fossil.

Saturday 16:56 A rock strewn landscape.

Saturday 16:56 Chie, almost lost among all the rocks.

Saturday 17:02 More rocks and sea basically.

Saturday 17:02 Me and Chie, with just a few rocks visible.

Saturday 17:06 Chie, possibly looking for fossils.

Saturday 17:17 Paul was also busy taking pictures... of rocks...

Saturday 17:33 Chie having a bit of a sit down.

Saturday 18:57 Back at the campsite now, and I'm rather pleased with this picture of Chie taking a swig of Heineken, just as the sun is starting to think about setting. Looks very festival-ish.

Saturday 18:58 Ben, Paul and Michelle, sitting around the camfire, well, barbeques.

Saturday 19:31 Looks like some beans and burgers are on the go.

Saturday 19:39 There's nothing like the sort of serving finesse you get with barbequed food.

Saturday 20:21 Ben thinking about standing up.

Saturday 20:35 Hannah's boyfriend here, whose name I don't recall.

Saturday 20:35 Starting to get dark now...

Saturday 20:59 Definitely dark now. We seem to have some sparklers to play with as well.

Saturday 20:59 ...not exactly traditional on August Bank Holiday, but there you go.

Saturday 20:59 Interesting moody pictures abound...

Saturday 20:59 Look, it's Kate (I think) with a sparkler.

Saturday 20:59 More interesting lighting.

Saturday 21:00 Oooh, lens flare.

Saturday 21:01 The sparkler effect I'd been trying to achieve for the last five or so pictures.

Saturday 21:01 ...and again.

Saturday 21:01 Turning the flash on seems to lose a lot of the magic!

Saturday 21:01 ...and it's gone out.

Saturday 21:05 A series of night lights, responsibly placed on the pile of disposable barbeques.

Saturday 21:54 Drinking of beer seems definitely to be taking place.

Saturday 21:55 Michelle is off pottering about.

Sunday 06:55 The next morning. A rare glimpse at what I look like first thing in the morning when camping.

Sunday 07:03 Our campsite. I assume I'd just been to the toilet, as I can't think of any other good reason for me to be awake at this time on a Sunday morning.

Sunday 07:12 Chie, on her way back from the shower/toilets block. Still way too early.

Sunday 07:22 I wanted to get a picture of the sign to our campsite, it was very basic but very nice. Basically a field with a shower and a toilet.

Sunday 09:18 The others start to get up, and Michelle seems to be cooking breakfast.

Sunday 09:29 Mmmmmm fake bacon.

Sunday 09:36 Kate and Helen, only just visible here, seem to have those fold up chair thingies. Now that's just cheating.

Sunday 09:41 Paul's rather lovely car again.

Sunday 09:41 My hair was interesting and dynamic after a night in a tent.

Sunday 10:08 Chie, with a mug of what might be tea or coffee, leaning on a fence and looking a bit cold.

Sunday 10:14 Paul and Michelle get ready to drive us into Lyme Regis.

Sunday 10:40 People standing around in one of Lyme Regis' many beautiful car parks.

Sunday 10:49 The seafront at Lyme Regis.

Sunday 10:49 ...and again the other way.

Sunday 10:50 Actually this is all of our group, with the exception of me, and probably the only group shot I got all weekend. It's a shame everyone is too far away to see!

Sunday 10:51 Was trying to zoom in on Chie here, but she turned away.

Sunday 10:53 Hair still interesting and dynamic.

Sunday 10:57 Chie.

Sunday 11:24 Here's Dinosaurland. It was whilst waiting outside here that a seagull kindly decided to empty the contents of its bowels onto my clothing. Thanks for that.

Sunday 13:46 Whilst the others went off for fish and chips, we decided to try and find something a bit more unusual. As we were by the sea, I thought it might be a nice opportunity to find a seafood restaurant for Chie.

Sunday 13:46 Chie enjoying her dinner.

Sunday 14:04 I've always thought eating whitebait is a bit like genocide to be honest.

Sunday 15:12 After lunch, and I assume we're leaving Lyme Regis, as we're in a car park again.

Sunday 15:32 Paul, Hannah and Michelle standing around, probably still laughing at my expense over the seagull incident.

Sunday 15:34 Paul in his car.

Sunday 16:33 Now I think this is a street in Dorchester, where, given the weather not being too great, we had decided to come for a bit of a wander round.

Sunday 16:57 In another of the region's finest car parks, Michelle looking a bit like Monty Python's Mr. Gumby.

Sunday 17:00 Now this must be Dorchester Castle, which looked far more like a hill to me.

Sunday 17:07 ...it felt a bit like being on a school trip.

Sunday 17:25 Obviously something interesting on the floor here.

Sunday 18:55 Michelle's sunburn - nasty.

Sunday 19:41 Back at the campsite once more, and the sun is beginning to set.

Sunday 19:52 Ben enjoying corn on the cob.

Sunday 20:26 We decided to have a break from the campsite, we'd pop along to a nearby pub for a few beers...

Sunday 20:29 ...and a game of table football.

Sunday 20:39 ...for which we had some spectators it seemed.

Sunday 20:40 I'm not very good at this sort of thing.

Sunday 20:40 What strangely coloured skin I have here.

Sunday 20:40 That's a bit better.

Sunday 20:41 Michelle, possibly talking to someone very short.

Sunday 22:16 Back at the campsite once more, for more beer.

Sunday 22:16 Ben, looking a bit pensive.

Monday 07:53 The next morning, a survey of the litter around our campsite (which we cleared up obviously).

Monday 07:53 Chie, possibly making her last trip to the facilities.

Monday 07:53 I think she was a bit cold again.

Monday 07:59 This may be the last time this tent (which invited so much ridicule and feelings of claustrophobia) was ever used.

Monday 08:22 A view through the tent.

Monday 09:02 Everyone packing up...

Monday 09:11 ...and getting ready to leave...

Monday 11:01 Me and Chie had some difficulty getting back, given that we'd bought tickets to Axminster, but had been dropped off at Dorchester. So apparently our tickets weren't valid for most of the journey, as it was a different line (even though they were just a few miles apart at this point). This, of course was compounded by the restricted service on bank holiday Mondays. So this is me venting my frustration in the direction of Dorchester West station.