Our little camping trip in Norfolk this summer!

This summer we went camping for the first time, a 7 month pregnant me, the husband and Conner who is never away from his xbox for longer than ten minutes, and Noah who is nocturnal. This was going to be interesting to say the least! First obstacle was the actual lack of camping gear we owned, so we borrowed a tent and some other camping paraphernalia. We had prebooked at a newly opened campsite in Wells-next-the-sea in Norfolk, Blue Skies Campsite if you fancy a nosey. It is a family run site, and this summer was their first season, not that you would tell. 

If I am honest I didn’t quite know what to expect, and I had no idea what facilities to expect at a campsite. I imagined grim toilets and an old concrete shower block but I couldn’t have been more wrong. When you arrive at the site you drive in a gated entrance and the reception is a caravan with information notices outside and contact numbers for the staff, the site is staffed from first thing in the morning until late at night. There were quite a few pitches across two separate areas on teh site but the pitches were large and not all on top of each other. 

There was a large kitchen area with benches and green space, and the toilet and shower area. It was a pleasant surprise to find proper toilets rather than portaloos or cold unkept concrete toilets. And the showers were better than mine at home! For a camping virgin the facilities were excellent in my view. 

The trip itself went as all things do when we do them, we just winged it. I ran around chasing Noah as he fled like he were a caged animal grabbing his chance for freedom, while Andrew struggling trying to erect a tent all by himself. In the larger side of the site where our pitch was, they have kept the whole central area free of pitches and put some toys and play equipment and popped some bunting around to corden the area off. This served well at keeping the kids occupied and in sight. 

I must admit once Noah became obsessed with this swingball my life got a lot easier as I didn’t have to run my pregnant self around the field and carry him back every time he made a bid for freedom. He just ran to the swingball and played nicely. Sleeping was a whole other issue!! My children are not natural campers let’s just say that! We had Conner complaining he was cold, uncomfy, bored and scared. And Noah was running like a bull to a flag at the tent sides and generally being a ball of energy. We did consider just packing up and going home where he can be entertained by disney films and can bounce around his room as he always does, but we stuck it out. The remainder of the trip Andrew packed him in the car and drove around the Norfolk coastal roads to get him off and then carefully carried him into the tent and prayed he stayed asleep. 

Being the unprepared campers that we are we went to the next town along in the morning to get breakfast at Morrisons, but the next day we were better prepared and got some bits in for Andrew to cook us all bacon rolls! Might I add he hates bacon, tried it again in pure hunger, still hates bacon. I was a good wife though and done him some poached eggs for a sandwich, which is quite an accomplishment on a small camping stove in a square pan. 

Although we were poorly prepared for camping, we still had a lovely break and despite being 7 months pregnant at the time, I didn’t sleep too badly. We spent loads of time down at the seafront enjoying the sunshine and sat on the quay wall and had a beer, well I had a coke but it was lovely all the same. 

We went crabbing whilst down at the sea wall, although the locals inform me that it is actually called gillying (who knew?!) either way the kids enjoyed watching Andrew catch crabs, as they didn’t get a go, I don’t know how much was because Andrew didn’t want to share or that the kids couldn’t be arsed! 

All in all, it was a lovely weekend away in the summer holidays. The campsite was fully booked all summer so we were glad we had booked early. The site has a family feel to it and they make everyone feel welcome and go above and beyond what is expected of them, like when our phones were flat, the site owner took our power bank home and charged it and brought it back later that evening. We would absolutely revisit and would urge you to book ahead for next summer. I will drop their info below if you fancy a nosey.

www.blueskiescampsite.co.uk