16th April 2024:   OUR CAMPSITE IS NOW DRY AND WE ARE READY FOR OUR WONDERFUL GUESTS TO REAPPEAR.  Apologies for our late opening this year but the heavy rainfall made our fields so muddy.  We will never be flooded, we are close to the top of the North Curry Ridge but even the surface water couldn't run away fast enough because the ground was so wet, it didn't have time to dry out before the next downpour.  Even our ewes nearly needed welly boots this year!  Work has begun on the drainage at the rear of our house.  The surface water came down so quickly that it seeped through the walls of our conservatory, said a brief hello to our kitchen, greeted the utility room and gave a final goodbye as the rainwater left via our back door.  We had our own little stream running through our house a few times!

 Lambing is almost over and thankfully John does not have as many sheep or hens these days.  We are getting older quite quickly I have discovered.

3rd March 2024:   Like everywhere else our fields and campsite are currently waterlogged and it is beginning to look as though we will not be able to open at Easter as planned.  On 14th March a groundworks company known to Dave is coming to put in bigger drainage at the rear of our house which is unfortunately on the lowest part of our farm.  They are also going to put in a new retaining wall to divert the surface water away from our house as this is sure to happen again with global warming happening.  However it can't rain forever and when it stops we will be ready.

18th February 2024:   John had to sit paddling while he ate his breakfast this morning (nothing interrupts John's meals) then he had to call for help from Andy and Dave to help get the water off of our kitchen floor!  They were heroes and while Andy brushed the water out of the kitchen, Dave dug a trench to let it run away.  It was made worse by one of John's sheep licks falling into a soakaway trench and blocking it!  Always has to be about sheep in this house.  

 Having mentioned sheep, we have started lambing.  We have the tiniest lamb ever, obviously named Minnie, born a few days ago.  We think Minnie was premature but she is suckling well, her mum seems to have plenty of milk, is a good mum and both seem to be doing well.  So the chaos begins - oh how I hate the lambing season.

11th February 2024:   I am slowly getting my strength back but still need a lot of help from Liz and John.  It was so nice to see David and Helen Jones from South Wales again during a visit from them early last week.  Bookings are coming in for the 2024 season so hope to see you all again soon.

2nd February 2024:   I am sorry for the break in continuing with my blog.  As you know, I haven't felt very well for several months, especially over Christmas and a couple of weeks ago I woke up unable to breathe very well.  Liz called 999 and a short while later I was off to Musgrove Hospital with sirens and blue lights.  I spent a few days while every test was done, connected to wires and oxygen, but apparently my lungs had fluid in them because my heart wasn't working as well as it should have been.  3 days after I was discharged I was rushed off again with the same problem and had all the tests again!  Hopefully I am sorted now but I am still in shock (being rushed off in an ambulance as an emergency twice in one week) and I feel very tired.  It will take time to recover properly but Liz and John are looking after me, Liz is even sleeping on the settee for a bit, bless her heart.

Despite my lack of energy I have finally finished drawing up our campsite booking diary for 2024 and am looking forward to seeing you all again.  We have stayed the same price as for the past 2 years and are still asking for cash payments as I can't cope with new technology!  Please bring sunshine too. 

23rd October 2023:   We currently have Clive staying in his tent and we wondered at his wisdom of camping at this time of the year.  However Clive lives in Aberdeen, so he actually made a very good weather decision this year!  Still no news about John's hip Xrays, but I am getting lots of phone calls from people trying to help me escape from my house and garden which is totally unsuitable for someone in a wheelchair.  Watch this space.

15th October 2023:   It has been a busy week in the Turney household, full of appointments, tree surgery, visitors and we have started to get the wood burner into action.  The cold weather has played havoc with John's back and my joints everywhere.  Very sadly we have lost a good friend and neighbour, Mr Ted Collins, who had his 100th birthday last month.  Ted lost his wife Joy last year and they had been married for 76 years.  We still have a few guests on site but will be closing at the end of the month.

1st October 2023:   I haven't been feeling very well, having had cellulitis and loads of antibiotics.  I have come to the conclusion that things have to change in our house, my eyesight is failing and John's back is very bad.  I have to work out a way of getting out more and having access to more areas of our house and started today with Andy throwing out one of our living room chairs to make room for my wheelchair.  Lots more ideas are being put into action when I can get the help.  It might now be worth my while to learn how to switch on the TV.  I can't currently get to our washing machine or the freezer and I cannot get out of our front garden without a lot of help.  We will need a car that I can get into and building work done.  Watch this space.

We currently have The Jolly Roger flying at Doolittle's because we are hosting The Marauders Canoe Club for a few days.

16th September 2023:   Yesterday John bought me a huge bunch of roses as it was our 50th wedding anniversary and on Tuesday we are having lunch with a neighbour who is celebrating his 100th birthday.

11th September 2023:   In Somerset you can visit the wonderful area of Exmoor (Lorna Doone country), Wells Cathedral, Glastonbury Tor and so many more lovely places to visit.  Weather forecast not too bad and we have plenty of room.  See you soon.

4th September 2023:   We are having a few lovely days warm weather and we have large pitches available and beautiful moorland walks on our doorstep, so come and stay with us before we close at the end of October.  We have a good crop of plums, apples and pears on our trees.  Our neighbour is making apple and pear juice but he doesn't get the plums - I eat them!  The greengages and victorias are the best ones and the walnuts are coming along nicely.

13th August 2023:   We are still getting over last Thursday's road chaos.  There was a bad accident on the northbound M5 near Bridgwater (closed between mid-morning and 8pm) and the southbound had to be closed for the air ambulance for a bit as well.  All traffic was diverted off of the M5 onto the old A38 between Taunton and Bridgwater which obviously couldn't take this volume of traffic.  All of our local roads and lanes were converted to car parks, it wasn't even possible to get from North Curry to Stoke St. Gregory at one stage and lots of local people were helping out the best they could.  Burrow Mump cafe on the Glastonbury road cooked for as long as they could and gave out free bottles of water.  Sat Navs all had headaches and everyone was going everywhere, or nowhere.  Here at Doolittle's the phone was a hotline from campers from Devon or Cornwall, wanting to take a break and staying the night, so we did our bit too.  One guest took 8 hours to get to us from his Cornish campsite.  All back to normal now though.

6th August 2023:   Despite the dire weather warnings it hasn't been too bad but the campsite is quiet, no doubt due to the expected wind and rain.  The grass is like a lawn and the weather forecast is saying we will have warmer weather, so come and see us soon.  

30th July 2023:   We have been quite busy despite the weather, although we have had better weather than most areas.  No really heavy showers and we have had lots of sunshine, though it has often been overcast.  John had to have an XRay on his spine this week and we are now waiting for the results.  The pod now has balustrading around it's verandah and nice steps with hand rails on both sides.  It will be available in September/October as a "wooden tent" but the electricity cable won't be laid until we close as it would be too disruptive to other camping guests.  The Shepherd's hut continues to get mostly 5 star reviews and good bookings (only available on Airbnb).  Josie's brother Harley went home on Tuesday but he nearly got left behind, as his dad was leaving the campsite he realized Harley was not in the car and he had to come back for him but he will be back for more spoiling on 1st September.

23rd July 2023:   Cornish Richard is here with his family and collie Harley (Josie's brother) but I think Harley has moved in with us.  He and Josie are having great fun but both have amazing temperaments, they love everybody.  Richard does our tree surgery, so we are all smart again now.  Quite unexpectedly I have been contacted by the dental access team, so my dentist will be resuming her visits.  John's physio told him she needed an Xray of his spine last week, so I booked an appointment for him with his GP for a referral - end of August was first available!  Then there would have been a wait for the Xray to be done.  I rang Nuffield Hospital to see if he could get it done privately and we could just about afford it, but they wanted a GP referral, so back to square one!

16th July 2023:   We have had such a busy week, quite a lot of campers and Dave has finished painting the inside of the pod ready for the mattress and seat cushions to be ordered.  Although we have had quite a few nice storms of rain the ground remains firm and the grass looks good.  Neighbour Ted is getting on OK but will need time to regain his mobility.

9th July 2023:   Another very busy week on the campsite, some guests making multiple bookings for their friends and family.  We have had some rain storms which are difficult for me because John sits saying how much we need the rain, then moans because he has to much to do outside and can't get on with it.  Our sheep have finally been sheared and all went well, except that our lovely neighbour Ted had fallen in the garden opposite the shearers and broken his hip.  

25th June 2023:   Still no real amount of rain and we are getting busier.  My bookkeeping diary is still a bit wobbly though I do try hard to keep a note of all of the bookings.  We had a lovely backpacker recently, he was walking from Land's End to John O'Groats.  When he left I asked him where he was heading that day but he said he didn't have a very good sense of geography or direction though he had a compass and was just going to head North.  He was taking a gap year after getting his university degree.

18th June 2023:   We are still struggling with the heat and haven't had more than a couple of light showers so our campsite is hard and dry.  We still have plenty of spaces for last minute guests.  We have had a few strawberries from our garden.

4th June 2023:   Dave has been working almost all day on our camping pod.  The fence is finished and he was painting inside.  Liz did her monthly craft stall at the village hall.  John's been busy trying to keep control of the grass which is growing out of all proportion.  We have old friend Lisa and Steve back to visit us again today, but we are not particularly busy.

28th May 2023:   John took a friend's car for an MOT last Thursday from Othery to Chard for an 11am appointment.  Just before 11am John phoned me to say that he had a burst tyre, he had phoned his friend and he was on his way to rescue him.  At 1pm the annoyed friend rang to say that despite searches John couldn't be found and he was not answering his mobile.  We were all phoning him every few minutes and at about 1.30pm we decided that if he wasn't found by 2pm we would phone the police for help, Othery to Chard isn't that far.  I phoned our son and then Liz who was on her way to Exeter, so she turned around and headed for Chard and so did another friend who left from our home.  Just before 2pm John rang to say that help had arrived.  Apparently he had made a detour to get diesel and taken an alternative route, but he had not given exact instructions as to where he was.  He then had a nap while he waited for help.  Later that day Liz discovered that he had his phone on mute mode so he wouldn't have heard it ring and he didn't think to ring anyone else again.  He was in the car for nearly 4 hours!  Divorce pending! 

Not very busy this Bank Holiday weekend but the grass looks good and we are getting good reviews, especially for Liz's shepherd's hut which is booked through Airbnb.  Dave was busy again this morning and the pod is almost ready for painting which his friend Matt has volunteered to do - thanks Matt.  The shepherd's hut is being painted whenever we have a few days without bookings.  It was difficult to do beforehand because of the wet/damp weather.

21st May 2023:   Our royal trio are all doing well and have today moved to a small paddock with another sheep.  Apparently we now have a lot of grass but the sheep and goats are managing to keep up.  Dave and his mates were all putting the fencing around the new camping pod this morning and I am told that it looks very nice.  We still have a couple of spaces for the coming bank holiday weekend if anyone is interested, the ground is now much firmer and John has been tending the grass very nicely.

14th May 2023:   I am sorry I have neglected my weekly blog but we have been very busy.  I loved the coronation but it was pity the weather wasn't kinder for all those who had to wait through the rainstorms.  John came in and watched the parade at the end.  King Charles must have been exhausted afterwards but he appears to be doing an OK job so we wish him the best.  John has been struggling to keep the grass mowed because it is growing so fast, though we ended the lambing season as we started with triplets - Charles, Camilla and Anne (sorry but it had to be).

 It was North Curry's May Fair yesterday, it was a lovely sunny afternoon and Liz enjoyed having her usual craft stall there with help from her friend Ann.  

17th April 2023:   We were almost full at Easter helped no doubt by the lovely weather and still have spaces for those who want to have quiet get away when the sun shines.  I am beginning to look forward to the coronation - I want to see the dresses worn and that gold coach doesn't appear very often.

2nd April 2023:   We are getting there with campsite work, we just need some warm dry weather to complete what we need to finish, including a fresh coat of paint on the shepherd's hut (bed in a shed with extras).  Dave and friend Jody have been working on the new pod which will soon have windows.  Cornish Richard has been coming and going this week, he brought us a lovely Pollock which Liz cooked for our tea tonight.  There was a lot over so I have spent the evening making fishcakes for tomorrow's supper. 

I disgraced myself recently, my lovely chiropodist was sorting out my feet as I sat on the edge of the bed.  The phone rang and Hilary said she didn't mind me answering it (might have been a campsite booking).  When I had finished the call Hilary was laughing as apparently I had told the man that I couldn't give him the information he had wanted "because I was in my bedroom with someone".  Well it was true!

26th March 2023:   WE ARE OPEN for our 2023 Season which will end when the clocks go back at the end of October.  If you fancy a stay at a campsite close to a village with excellent facilities, really good footpaths and walks, amazing wildlife on the moors and putting up with an interesting family with a good sense of humour, then come and visit us.  We are getting older so John now does zoomies around the campsite on his mobility scooter which he shares with our daughter.  We have almost finished lambing with only a couple of ewes left which is always a relief.  Come and see us soon.

19th February 2023:   All of the moor roads are now open and the church bells will be rehung in time for Easter we hope.  My new pride and joy is a bowl made from the large tree that kept the walls of the bell tower together and from which the biggest of the 8 bells hung.  The tree was over 800 years old and would have supported the bells that rung on our wedding day nearly 50 years ago.  It was made especially for me by a local wood turner.  John has had a few more lambs this week so he is happy.  Looking forward to see you all and meeting new friends in the summer season.

29th January 2023:   Just a reminder that we still need to be paid in cash, the WiFi on the campsite is OK but not in the farmhouse and I can't get up the steps in my wheelchair - sorry for any inconvenience.  On the plus side we are still charging £20 per night as last year.  They are able to pump out the floodwater into the tidal river every day now, but it looked very pretty.

15th January 2023:   It's been a quiet week but bookings are coming in quite quickly especially for the bank holiday weekends.  I have sharpened my pencil and started to rule up my exercise book to write them all down.  No expense spared here on technology, I have invested in the perfect pencil and rubber!  John and David are having to drive to Taunton to get the other side of the moor this week as the floods have not given up.  Liz is starting to tidy the shop for the summer craft bits and pieces.  So looking forward to warmer drier weather and to seeing everyone again in the Soring.

8th January 2023:   We had our first lambs on New Year's Day so the bunfight has started!  We have been overwhelmed by the amount of bookings we have already had for this year (open on 25th March).  I need to get out my exercise book, ruler and sharpen my pencil and put my hostess hat on!  At the moment the moors around us are flooded and so pretty, but we are on a ridge and never cut off from Taunton, Bridgwater or Langport and we have ordered good weather for March!  There are so many birds around us, the murmurations of the starlings are amazing this year and as are the number of swans.  I think we have been very lucky with the avian 'flu so far.  

31st December 2022:   We wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy 2023.

26th December 2022:   We hope that you all enjoyed a peaceful Christmas with your friends and family.  Thank you for your support in 2022, we miss you and look forward to meeting up again in 2023 which we hope will be a better year for the whole world.

 Liz did a lot of craft stalls in December and sold almost all of my gloves!  I think I will have to start now to be ready for next year.  She cooked us an amazing Christmas dinner and being Boxing Day we are now full of bubble & squeak. 

30th October 2022:   The main campsites are now closed though we have 2 pitches alongside the track which will remain open for the winter, except for periods of very bad weather.  Can't book too far in advance but worth a phone call if you fancy a break on the spur of the moment.  Our sincere thanks to all of our guests, both regular and new, for their help in a year which turned out to be difficult for everyone. 

23rd October 2022:   Our optician called on us this week but we didn't get good news.  We both have cataracts coming.  John needs stronger glasses and I am almost blind in my left eye - not only could I not read what was on the screen, but I couldn't see the screen at all!  Everyone's had their covid and flu vaccinations and David is still testing positive for covid after 6 days though I don't think he feels too bad.  Liz has had a couple of craft orders, one for felt ghosts for halloween and a local store has asked her to bring them an assortment, of which she has made some beautiful things.  I have made my christmas cakes, puddings and mincemeat and it must be the first time ever that I have completed all 3 in October, all appropriately swimming in brandy soaked fruit with a splash more added just for luck!  I get more alcohol from a piece of my christmas cake than the rest of year put together.

9th October 2022:   This week we have our Cornish friend Richard here to keep our trees all looking beautiful and well manicured.  My Uncle Ben loved trees and planted some beautiful ones here over the many years it was his home and we have tried to maintain them in good health.  We have a weeping willow, horse chestnut, cob nut hedge, silver birch, oak trees, maple trees, all kinds of fruit trees, a row of laburnum trees, ash tree and many more I expect.  John has mown the grass on the campsite hopefully for the last time this season and we only have the odd guest coming and going from now until the clocks go back when we close and bring our lambing ewes home.  Collie Josie is having a good time because Richard owns her brother Harley so their appear to be collies everywhere.

26th September 2022:   On Tuesday John and I had our 4th covid vaccinations and we were both fine as usual.  John has been busy cutting back some of our overgrown hedges - he and Andy discovered they could run faster than they thought when they found a hornets nest, though neither got stung.  We also have an infestation of small spiders in our weeping willow tree which are falling to the ground in their millions!  We are so lucky to have Dawn from Penzance with us this week, she attacked our campsite garden today and I am told they look so much better and the toilet block never looked so shiny!  Thank you Dawn.

We are pleased to welcome Alex Beck from Stoke St Gregory into our mobile home, Perrywood.  Alex moved in last Tuesday and will now be a permanent resident here at Doolittle's.

18th September 2022:   Like most others I have spent the week watching all the events surrounding the forthcoming funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.  It leave us with pride at being British and we realize how lucky we are.  At the beginning of her reign there were 8 countries in the commonwealth, now there are 56 and countries are still wanting to join us in this community.  King Charles is currently hosting 54 presidents, monarchs and heads of state and it isn't likely that any other country have had such a well respected monarch.

2022:   John hasn't had the best of weeks.  First he lost his glasses and then his pipe, his beloved old van has been waiting for a repair for weeks (unable to get the right part, it is rather old, like me), his physio session was cancelled due to illness, delivery of Liz and his mobility scooter was also cancelled due to illness, he doesn't want the bother of solar panels but has agreed to let Dave sort something out, he doesn't want to rebuild the goat shed either but has also made a start and two of his best laying hens have decided to go walk about and are still evading capture!  His problems aren't over yet because I have decided to deck the area outside of our back door and have an outdoor platform lift for my wheelchair beside the steps, then I will also be able to access the laundry and freezer room where I have more plans which John will hate.  Please don't tell him about this yet, I am warming him up to my plans and it has to be done carefully and sneakily.

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8th September 2022:   Our condolences to the royal family, Queen Elizabeth II was a remarkable lady and a wonderful Queen.  We have been so fortunate to have her as our monarch when we realize how much we have benefitted from her intelligent, commonsense leadership, diplomacy and service.  God save the King.

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4th September 2022:   Mobility scooter arrives on Tuesday so guests beware because John will be able to move faster.  We haven't seen our squirrels for ages but a family of badgers have been having a picnic with my greengages.  The clear up of the goat shed began this morning and hopefully the old shed will be cleared by the end of the month.  We are still investigating having solar power panels to aid with the huge electricity costs of the campsite.  I think the annual rally was a great success again, it is the 20th year that the old grammar school group of friends have been coming to stay with us and as they have the whole campsite at their disposal they are now bringing their grandchildren!  We have a wonderful new farm shop - Levels Country Store - open between nearby Lyng and Durston and my cousins cider farm - Parsonage Farm - is also on that road.  We are fairly quiet now, so if anyone fancies a quiet break, now's the time.

14th August 2022:   The drought continues and even the rabbits are hungry.  The campsite has been quite busy and the pitches under the hedge and apple trees have been the most sought after.  John and Liz are thinking about buying a new mobility scooter because John is currently using the ride-on mower as campsite transport so watch this space and if you see him coming - run!  We are not growing older gracefully it would seem.  While John is praying for rain, our conservatory roof leaks and I have plastic sheeting at the ready to cover my computer and office stuff. 

7th August 2022:   Our latest group of guests must have had a good time because 4 couples have booked the same few weeks in 2023 so that they can all holiday together here again.  If anyone wants to come and bring mum or dad, don't forget we have a shepherd's hut on Airbnb.  It is like a camping pod with a nice bed, as we appreciate it being left ready for the next customers and we don't supply linen but it is getting good reviews so we must be doing something right.  

31st July 2022:   Dave has done more work on the pod but it won't be ready this year.  Apologies to our current guests but John is hoping for rain, our grass is now brown.  John is a great great uncle again, to a beautiful little girl called Everleigh, a grand-daughter to his niece. 

This weather always makes me feel I wish I could go out more, rather than having to remain between my bed and the short distance to the conservatory where my computer is, but physical restraints like steps, grass slopes, lots of gates and a busy road make it currently impossible.  I went onto the campsite for 1/2 hour at the end of August in 2021and I actually got off the premises a couple of months ago for a couple of days, albeit in an ambulance!

17th July 2022:   We are all getting ready for the heatwave predicted for tomorrow, but luckily the South West should be the first area to cool down a little bit on Tuesday.  We haven't done very much this week because of the heat and our grass will welcome a little rain soon.   

10th July 2022:   It has been so overwhelming hot today that our visitors have been glad of the shade under some of our lovely trees.  Sad to say goodbye to Mick and Jane today, they will especially be missed by our collie Josie.  Josie had her annual vaccinations at the vet this week and she has put on 4.1/2 kilos since last year so those treats will have to go, sorry Josie.  John's sheep were all sheared this morning so the guys were really tired and ready for their lunch today and I bet the sheep were glad to lose their jackets. I am always glad when the shearing is over, John is like a bear with a sore head until it has been done.  A bonus was that the man who sheared them also bought some of the sheep while he was here.

3rd July 2022:   The robins have left the pod and left lots of presents as well.  Dave was going to do a bit more today but it took him a long time to clean up and block future entrance!  Josie's brother Harley has been with us for 10 days and they have enjoyed all their romps together and I will miss Harley's morning visit into my bedroom to say hello.  

26th June 2022:   Our Cornish friend Richard (who looks after our trees) and his family have been staying with us but unfortunately he wasn't at all well last Tuesday and I had to call an ambulance for him.  A local paramedic picked up the call and rushed over, arriving before the ambulance who themselves took only 10 minutes and Richard was well looked after.  He was taken to Musgrove Hospital for a check up but was discharged in the evening with a clean bill of health.  We have an amazing ambulance service, they got to me very quickly a few weeks back.

19th June 2022:   Wow that weather was hot, but we still have spaces for the next heatwave.  Dave brought John a naughty Father's Day card and I have told him he's mean and out of our will - again, but John didn't mind as it was delivered with a rather nice bottle of wine.  We have Josie's brother Harley staying here so Josie will hopefully lose a bit of weight because Harley is bigger and very active!  Our kitchen has looked a bit like a bombsite due to having a new gas boiler being fitted, all done now though.  

12th June 2022:   Jubilee cake all now gone but Liz made £50 for the church Jubilee Bell fund.  We are getting busier and good weather predicted for the coming week.  Dave's hut has been wired for electricity and Mrs Robin and offspring are still in residence.  Dave's bench and Andy's firepit have been welcomed in the shepherd's hut but they have inadvertently got more requests.

5th June 2022:   Liz was lucky, it didn't rain yesterday afternoon and luckily for her family there was left over cake!  We still have spaces all summer, except for the August Bank Holiday so come and see us soon.  We are getting amazing reviews for our shepherd's hut but work has slowed on David's hut because a robin decided to help him out and built her own nest in it.  Dave now has 4 chicks the size of his thumbnail with constantly open little gobs!  The robin doesn't mind him there but she won't feed her chicks while he is working so he has to keep taking long breaks to let her in!  Can only happen here.

22nd May 2022:   Dave made a new bench for the shepherd's hut and Andy made a fire pit and used horseshoes to make a beautiful top so that pans can be used on it.  I sent for some strawberry plants that claimed to produce giant strawberries - well the leaves are about 9" across so we are impatient to see how big the berries will grow - they're mine!!

15th May 2022:   Campers are coming and going and it is so good to see life returning to normal after the past two years.  We had a late night last night, Liz and I watched the results of the Eurovision Song Contest and then she drove to Crewkerne and collected her brother and friends from their annual rugby club dinner and dance.  We didn't get to bed until about 2am.

5th April 2022:   Last Sunday was not a good day.  First of all one of our favourite neighbours died suddenly, then I had chest pains when I breathed.  I phoned 111 for advice and the lady asked me a few questions, then said "I need to ask you a few more questions but an ambulance has been despatched".  John and the ambulance arrived soon afterwards and I was whisked off to A&E with a suspected clot on my lung.  The evening passed with all kinds of tests, Xrays, injections, CT scans, pills and so on and I was eventually transferred to the Acute Medical Unit at 1.30am.  There was no clot on my lung so the hunt was on to find if it was somewhere else or had been dispersed with the medication I had received.  Further tests revealed that it was probably in my right leg which had been sore for a few days but had been dealt with by the blood thinning injections.  I was ejected for good behaviour at tea-time on Monday.  I came home, went to bed and slept right through to about 9am this morning.  Liz and John have worked on keeping the campsite working while I am getting better.  See you soon.

27th March 2022:   WE ARE OPEN and have Donna & Stuart and Dawn & Howard here as our first guests and it is so good to catch up with them.  Liz is cooking us a roast beef supper because it is Mothering Sunday and it smells great.  Dave will be here in a minute to join in.  

20th February 2022:   You will be pleased to know that we did not get blown away despite the best efforts of Eunice.  Lots of minor damage, lost a tin shed, lost a bit of the goat shed and a chicken shed, half a tree fell on two fence panels and others got damaged, lost another apple tree but on the whole not as bad as it could have been and all repairable in time.  

23rd January 2022:    Lambing is in full swing - triplets, twins and the odd single and John is a happy mum!  John and David both seem to be having expensive van problems, they do both love their vans.  

9th January 2022:   Summertime bookings are arriving and I am desperately trying to get my booking diary all ruled up and my pencil sharpened to keep up.  Dave's ladies had their rugby match cancelled today due to their opposition having covid issues, so he has been working on the pod again until he ran out of nails, he still thinks it will be finished in time.  Very unusual for me but I have been taking advantage of the January sales and bought myself some new cardigans and new duvet covers.  John put his hand right through the duvet cover and I realized that we chose them to match our bedroom colour scheme where we used to live.  We moved here in 1986 so they must have been over 40 years old but the pillowcases are still going strong!  Forgot to tell you that triplet lambs has already arrived, the rest have been twins. 

We are intending to operate under the same guidelines as last year and ask that all guests leave the sink, shower and toilet facilities very clean and we are continuing with the reduced number of pitches.  Keep safe everyone. 

3rd November 2021:   We have finally closed after a very different season to normal and we would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our guests for the extra efforts they have made to help us to keep the toilet and shower facilities extra clean in what has been a very difficult time for many.  

24th October 2021:   John's sister Meg, and niece and husband Dawne & Adrian have been to stay with us midweek for a few days.  It is always so good to catch up with family and we all had supper together on Wednesday.  With both Richard and Meg now having left, our house seems a bit quiet.  Our ram has been poorly but is now on the mend.  John met his new vet for the first time who commented that the post handwashing facilities (on the campsite) were well in excess of what he was used to on farms!  

17th October 2021:   We are very proud to tell you that we have been nominated as a Best CS Site and are in receipt of a big rosette which I am showing everyone who is kind enough to want to see it.  The whole Doolittle's team are smiling this week, well they would be if we weren't so busy.  Our sincere thanks to our wonderful Cornish friend Richard who has done a magnificent job of pollarding our huge weeping willow tree.  He has come up from Cornwall for two weekends to do it, helped by our friend Chris because John's back is still very bad.  The camping pod now has 3 sides as well as a roof, so the pod crew have been busy as well and coffee and tea has been flowing freely from my kitchen.  

3rd October 2021:   It rained all day yesterday but our boys still managed to put the roof and felt on their camping pod this morning.  Dave's rugby matches were all cancelled due to a few members having tested positive for covid.  Our shepherd's hut guest managed to escape with their little pug pups as Liz wasn't quite quick enough to grab Minnie when she followed her in the orchard!!  Liz loves pugs. John has had an expensive week because he managed to take one of the mirrors on his elderly van off yesterday and the van is so old it is hard to find replacement mirrors. He also appears to have misplaced his long ladder which the boys could have done with this morning.

19th September 2021:   John suffers so much with back pain but he has finally found a back brace that helps a little.  It is a rather fetching turquoise colour which he insists on wearing outside of his clothes bless him.  The sheep have made a good price this year which has pleased him.  The campsite is getting quieter now that summer is coming to an end but we will keep going until the clocks go back as we usually do.  Then John brings home the sheep ready for christmas lambing.

6th September 2021:   John and I have both recently been reminded that we are not as young as we once were and our children are stepping up and doing a lot more for us these days.  They are making plans of their own regarding the future of the campsite which is all as it should be and we are very proud of them both for working so well together and taking the strain a bit for us.  All is now back to normal since the tent rally and everyone seems to be forming new friendships, enjoying their holidays and looking forward to the sunshine that the weathermen have promised.

28th August 2021:   The annual August bank holiday private tent rally is underway and all seem happy just to be relaxing and being able to get back out and about.  Our camping pod frame arrived yesterday, thanks to our son and friends who also brought in our new settee, but I am not at all sure I like it!  The old one is still outside under the verandah just in case.  We all had a buffet supper outside to help Ash to celebrate his birthday, but I am not sure he got much of his birthday cake.

22nd August 2021:   The campsite is still keeping us very busy and some keep us busier than we want!  Some young guests got us out of bed before 7am this morning because they were leaving and wanted John to call them a taxi.  I will not repeat what he said to them as you are all too young!!!

15th August 2021:   We are currently very busy and have some guests who are keeping us all on our toes.  The Poster Boys are back for their annual visit and had everyone bemused by unloading their washing machine and tumble dryer and leaving them under the tree alongside!  I know I reminded them (and everyone else this year) that the facilities had to be kept scrupulously clean at all times and they told me they were "very hygienic young men" but the washing machine was rather unexpected!  Josie's brother Harley is back on site with his family - all safely enclosed in Pitch 12 and since both motorhomes packed up at the last minute they very bravely came in tents and awnings with 5 dogs and a cat.  Then the Mark 1 Landrover and motorbike guests arrived.  We do lead an interesting life here but you have to be brave and have a sense of humour.

8th August 2021:  Everyone seems to have been having a good time this year, probably happy to be able to get out and about again.  The weather was much nicer than the weathermen said it would be but as I tell as our guests - the weather is always nice here at Doolittle's!  Many of our happy campers have made friendships with others on the site and we have never had to many compliments.  John's sheep made a top price last weekend and bless him he donated it to the new pod fund.  We are still waiting for the local council's advice regarding disabled bungalows so I have spent another year stuck at home, or maybe they have forgotten us, time will tell. 

1st August 2021:   The campsite is now filling up and it is so good to meet up with old friends again after not opening the site last year.  Our new shower is a big hit as we knew it would be and the shepherd's hut is full almost to the end of this month.  John sold 11 lambs at the market yesterday and then went with David to buy wood to begin the build of a new camping pod, so they had a busy day.  We have 4 guests arriving today and a busy weekend will be had by all.

25th July 2021:   We have been so busy for the past few weeks.  A guest brought a lovely little tortoise here for a holiday, but she could run fast!  Liz's shepherd's hut only has a few nights free until the end of August and we have still not had any response from the council for pre-planning advice about disabled bungalows here for Liz and ourselves.  The hot weather was difficult to cope with and did not do any good for our arthritis.  Dave has rescued us on a few occasions recently, mostly to do with sheep (as always).  Although the government has relaxed the covid regulations, we are continuing to not use as many of our pitches as usual to give people more space.  Fortunately, being an adults only site, almost all of our customers start their enquiries with "we've both had our double vaccinations"!  Make sure you have all had yours please guys - keep safe.

4th July 2021:  Not a soul on the site this weekend but next weekend we are full.  John's had a difficult week (not all my fault) because his lawnmowers have needed repairs and replacements and today he ran over his good hedgetrimmer with the tractor!

26th June 2021:   Not a good start to the day, one of our camping guests left the gate open to the top field from the paddock and during the night all of our sheep (had all been brought home for shearing) walked out through the campsite and were heading the for the A378 at 6.30am this morning.  We were fast asleep but lucky a farming friend shut them into his yard and John was able to retrieve them but he's not happy!

24th June 2021:   6 guests arrived today and it was shearing time.  I knew it was imminent because John arrived home last night with arm fulls of cans of beer though he is normally prefers wine.  Shearing is thirsty work apparently, well it must be, either that or they were washing the sheep with it!!

21st June 2021:   John has taken up wild swimming.  He didn't mean to but his friend's sheep had got into the river and John went to help.  He told me that getting the sheep out of the river was fairly straightforward but getting his rotund friend out of the river, up the bank and over the wall was a different story and might have ended up with calling the fire brigade!  He was glad that it didn't appear on UTube or it would have been a hit.  When he got home he was dripping wet to he stripped off just inside the back door and "streaked" through the kitchen and living room to get up the stairs.  I have recovered fairly well but Liz may yet need counselling!!  

13th June 2021:   We have been quite busy and caught up with several regulars who we missed meeting last year.  The new shower is a great success and quite a few have extended their stays and made new friends so we are all happy.  John's not had such a wonderful week as his ride-on lawnmower broke, he got it mended and it broke again, then the manual one broke as well.  To add insult to injury he went to see some of his sheep sold at the market yesterday and had a puncture which he had to call Dave to help him to mend.  Liz is meeting a friend tomorrow at our local garden centre and she will need to buy a garden leaf rake and a trowel, other broken things.  Good job he made a good price for his lambs at the market, it will go a little way towards all the repairs needed!

6th June 2021:   We have been very busy and had the chance to meet up with many long term guests.  Our toilet and shower block is now open, though we are asking guests to leave as clean as found (a box of anti-bacterial spray and wipes is available) as we are trying to be very careful.  The facilities have been much admired - our farmhouse plumbing has been upgraded!  Stay safe and we hope to see you soon.

30th May 2021:   We have our lovely niece Dawne and her husband Adrian staying this weekend and have planned a buffet supper on the lawn later.  Josie is out doing her job of Campsite Hospitality/BBQ Inspector but she is being so spoilt.  She is so sweet with any little dogs that come, or cats, and she has her favourite guests but I feel so sorry for her when she goes to their pitch and finds they have suddenly gone!

23rd May 2021:   We are ready for opening the campsite this coming Friday 28th May, but we are fully booked and also for the August Bank Holiday as well.  Dates available for most other times, so come and see us.  We have all had our two vaccinations now, so that is a relief.  Many apologies for a breakdown in computer availability earlier in the week but all better now.  Dave came and helped to trim the goat's hooves this morning and we have made plans to renovate the goat shed in July.  He starts his new job tomorrow.  See you at the weekend!

We have been having squirrel wars.  For a couple of years I have had a little squirrel come and share the bird's peanuts but suddenly a very large one turned up and has caused havoc.  John bought a new feeder and moved them around, but the intruder just unhooked all of them and broke them all!  I will just have to make do with the woodpecker's daily visit for the moment.

9th May 2021:   Liz has been on holiday to Perranporth in Cornwall and we looked after little Westie Pearl who arrived with her little travel bag of pills, drops and medicines.  Although she often spends time with us, the first night she just cried until John finally gave in and slept on the settee with her.  It was his intention to leave her asleep and go back to bed, but he fell asleep first!!  Poor little mite was still getting over her operation.  Our friend Chris came back today after shielding for most of the past year and it was so good to see him again.  

2nd May 2021:    Bookings are arriving for the campsite and my diary is ruled up and my pencil sharpened because I can still only manage the old fashioned way!  We did contemplate getting a card machine to take payments though the reception is so poor in our house (not too bad on the campsite but I can't get up there at the moment) that it might not work anyway.  John's Landrover was MOT'd and serviced last week at a cost of £3,084 and Liz's little Westie had an operation so we have to keep working!!

25th April 2021:   I want to move to a bungalow where I can access not only our garden, the campsite and the wider world.  I live my entire life in the 30ft between my bed in the dining room, through the living room and kitchen to my computer in the conservatory and very rarely leave this line (once a year if I am lucky).  Someone commented on our beautiful lilacs and the magnolia and cherry blossom will soon be out as well, but I haven't seen these for many years, on the rare occasions I am in view of them they are usually long over. 

18th April 2021:    We have come to the conclusion that age and health are catching up with us and our homes which we love are not going to be appropriate for much longer.  Being in a wheelchair and trying to make an 1884 cottage accessible is becoming a struggle as there are only so many things that can be done.  At the same time, Liz's old caravan is causing her mobility problems and although she is only at the top of the steps, I can't get to her, and even if I could, there is no wheelchair access.  Running the campsite when I have only seen it a couple of times in the past 2 or 3 years is getting difficult.

28th March 2021:   John decided to take flying lessons on Monday, he was climbing over a fence and tripped and didn't land very elegantly, in fact he thinks he has broken a rib and is now trying not to sneeze or cough!  Fortunately we have now finished lambing and all are out gambolling about in the fields quite happily.  We have now all had our first vaccinations without any ill effects.

15th February 2021:   It was a good job that Luke mended our boiler when he did because he fell down the stairs soon afterwards!  He hurt his shoulder and is now all strapped up.  John has been able to  help him with his lambing and sheep but get well soon Luke.  Cornish Richard needed to come up to cut his withies to make his lobster pots for the year but he slept in our shepherd's hut so I didn't see him.  

29th January 2021:   John had his covid vaccination last Saturday with no ill effects.  I was invited to go with him but it was a last minute phone invitation and I couldn't arrange transport in time.  It was a good job that I didn't though because I would have had to transfer to another wheelchair and I wouldn't have been able to do that.  I will have to wait for my turn and arrange something.     Sadly we still don't have our heating boiler mended and continue waiting for the replacement part to arrive but it should be any day now and hopefully before we freeze.

25th January 2021:   We have not been doing very well for the past few weeks.  John and I have both had eye tests which showed that I had macular degeneration in both eyes, the untreatable type, and John is developing cataracts.  We are also recovering from paying for new glasses for us both and are now saving up for a hearing test for John so that he can continue to hear me nag him!  Last Tuesday John came down to find our kitchen flooded due to a faulty kitchen tap, mopped up and went outside to find that his poorly ram had died but he was too heavy for him to lift with his bad back.  He came back (I was still in bed) and told me to find a plumber and then went off to feed his sheep!  Thank goodness for wonderful sons.  David came, switched off the water supply, arranged for a plumber friend to come and lifted the ram into John's van.  By lunchtime we had a new kitchen tap.

Sadly the gods were still out to get us because on Friday night our heating boiler packed up.  Luke came over on Saturday but new parts had to be ordered and won't arrive until Thursday.  Naturally it snowed on Sunday and we have to endure another 4 days of no heat or hot water, though Luke is hopeful our boiler will survive another few months and there is a note in the diary to buy a new one in June as ours is 23 years old anyway. 

 10th January 2021:   The usual sheep antics are underway.  The ewes and their lambs were all brought back to the farm today but 2 of the rams had a fight and one might not make it.  John got hit by one of them during the week and couldn't use his swollen hand for a few days and we have 3 in the shed needing extra care.  The sheep moving didn't go well but John blamed his friend and the friend blamed him, so everything is going completely as normal - chaos from beginning to end.

 Very sadly we lost a dear friend to covid on Friday and we are still trying to get our heads around what happened.  Please folks, stay home, stay safe, stay sane. 

 4th January 2021:   Twin lambs born on Christmas Day and another pair on Boxing Day.  I have called them Lamb, Chop, Mint and Sauce!  We have had more since then so lambing is well underway.  Unfortunately the main flock is currently on the other side of the moor and the road barriers are up due to the floods so John has a long daily journey to check them.  As is quite normal we have no idea of their sex because we can't catch them!  We will bring them home as soon as we can but they are on my cousin's farm so they kindly keep an eye open for them.

 There is obviously no campsite news but so many of you lovely campers have asked me to continue the blog in christmas cards, many thanks.  Dave's rugby team (ladies) kept posting on FB photos of their christmas trees and every time I said I was jealous because I didn't have one.  Following one evening's training session Dave appeared got the tree out, decorated it and left (took about 1/2 hr).  Later on FB he posted "Mum has a tree!"  Thank you girls.  Christmas dinner was the usual mayhem - a wonderful roast dinner cooked by Liz.  I bought some crackers with little clockwork figures inside and the men worked out that they could invent their own game and see whose figure could be the last one standing! 

28th December 2020:   We hope you all managed to have a nice christmas despite all the covid restrictions.  We will remain closed until it is safe to re-open, even though we miss you all very much.  Take great care of yourselves and stay safe until we can meet up again.

17th April 2020:   Lambing has now ended as it started with our little Kerry Hill ewe giving birth to triplets last weekend.  We don't know what sex they are because despite several attempts, John can't catch them! 

25th March 2020:    Had a lovely birthday then the world exploded.  Caravan Park now shut down and we have all been told to stay at home and self isolate.  John has to go and do his daily sheep and chicken feeding runs and we are now dependent on grocery deliveries when we can get them.  I had lots of chocolate for birthday presents, so if we can live on chocolate we will be OK.  Stay safe everyone.

20th March 2020:    "My" rugby team (I intend to adopt every single one of them) put a video on my FB page of them all singing happy birthday to me and producing a bouquet of flowers at the end - now proudly on my dresser in the kitchen.  So don't mess with me I have friends!  My retired police sergeant cousin said he had connections with a police rugby team too but I pointed out that mine were women and he caved.  I had a wonderful day, Liz cooked us a roast beef supper and made me a birthday cake and you can't do better than that.

15th March 2020:   Work has begun on our very posh new shower and it should be finished by the end of next week ready for painting.  I was reduced to tears today on receiving a wonderful bouquet of flowers from Crewkerne Ladies Rugby team, of which I am their No. 1 fan.  I also had a card with a photo of the team and they had all signed it inside.  All beautiful girls and amazing rugby players, they are unbeaten and I expect the signatures from their first season to be valuable one day!  David is a coach/referee with Crewkerne.

2nd March 2020:   It was sunny today and I sat on my verandah for a few minutes. Instead of making me feel more positive I felt very melancholic as I am stuck indoors all day every day and currently cannot even get out of my garden without a lot of help.  My lovely home is just not set up for a wheelchair user and I am not sure what to do about it.  Would love a local ride but getting from my home to a car is so difficult.  I miss my disability scooter so much as when I had it I could go for little outings whenever I wanted.  People keep telling me about things in the village but I haven't been able to go there for over 5 years now and I miss it.  

17th February 2020:   The lambs are still arriving and so far haven't minded the abysmal weather too much.  John is about 2/3 through now.  Two of Liz's fence panels blew down last night but they were old and wobbly (like me) so we weren't too surprised.  

27th January 2020:   It's started - triplets born late last night - 2 white and 1 black.  Bottle feeding has started - would-be shepherds you know where to apply.

22nd January 2020:   Awaiting quote for the campsite shower room to be refurbished, the shower will be larger, sparkly and modern.  We really do try to spoil our lovely guests.  Lots of bookings coming in already.

3rd January 2020:    HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.  We are so high tech here at Doolittle's, I can't even own a mobile phone and have no idea what an app. is but they sound rather painful.  However if you think you can risk a camping holiday with us, the welcome will be warm.  

John didn't start off the new year very well, he went to Asda in his transit this morning but came home on the back of a recovery lorry!  He loves that van more than me, it really has had it's day (also a bit like me). 

25th December 2019:   Merry Christmas everyone, looking forward to seeing you next year, which we hope will be a healthy one for you all.

5th October 2019:   I have been struggling to cope with the produce for a couple of weeks, but I have made 9 1/2 jars of chutney, 9 jars of damson jam and made a blackberry and apple cake.  However I need a lot of help to do it, so thanks to Liz, John, Bridget, Andy and everyone else.  We are still picking runner beans and John is pleased because a couple of his new hens have started laying.  Our apologies that the first few eggs are a bit small (I pickle the very smallest ones though).  

14th September 2019:    We had our class school re-union yesterday afternoon which was a lovely distraction.  The weather was beautiful and the years rolled away and we all enjoyed it so much.  Sincere thanks to Sue who came all the way from France to be with us and to Janet, Jill, Brenda and Pam for the wonderful buffet.  We also raised £125 for Cancer Research UK.  I cannot deny that I am very tired today, so I will be watching Sanditon tonight and going straight to bed.

10th September 2019:   Having been paid for the canoe club's weekend stay John immediately rushed off with the money to buy as many point-of-lay hens as he could get.  Our hens are going off-lay as the weather is getting colder and the nights darker.  He is so excited he has gone out twice to see how many of them have roosted - so far there are 9.  I am told this is good news but I have no idea how many he bought.

8th September 2019:   The Jolly Roger has been flying over Doolittle's Campsite this weekend to the alarm of other guests.  The Paddock was booked by The Marauders Canoe Club but they weren't scary pirates at all and their canoes were amazing.  I am sure they enjoyed the good weather for their excursions, though today they went for a ramble instead.

31st August 2019:   John was very brave and caught a sparrowhawk inside of our covered chicken run yesterday afternoon.  We thought that it might have been a fox when we heard the noise.  One of our housemartins still returns to our laundry most nights though we think he should have gone by now.  John has taken some sheep to the market this morning and hoping for a good price. 

28th August 2019:    Just a reminder that our shepherd's hut/camping pod needs to be booked through Airbnb.  There are no cooking facilities other than a BBQ and no bedding is supplied but this is reflected in the very reasonable price.

19th August 2019:    I have been a bit fed up this week because I cannot get out of my garden in my wheelchair by myself, due to multiple gates, slopes, drains, etc.  I can't even get onto the campsite without a lot of help, little has gone right this past year. 

12th August 2019:   Airbnb have kept the shepherd's hut fairly full and everyone seems to be having a good time which even a couple of thunderstorms haven't affected, though our weather has been much milder than most places have experienced.  

28th July 2019:   It's been quite a few days on the campsite, we have had nervous guests in a thunder and lightning spell, some ladies who had packed everything for their camping holiday except the tent and this morning an unfortunate couple who had come a very long way and when they parked and opened their caravan, discovered that their cat had stowed away under the bed (they drove all the way home with it and came back - exhausted).   Howard & Dawn are here and excited to find that a woodpidgeon has a nest of babies in the tree alongside them.

21st July 2019:   The week is starting badly as I have a bad cough and a broken tooth, hope next weekend will be an improvement.  One of our shepherd's hut guests got excited at seeing a green woodpecker and we don't see them as often as the lesser spotted (red tummy) ones.  The rabbits are having a lean time because we haven't really had enough rain.  John blew up the engine on one of his tractors last week and our tractors are ancient (like me) so it was not easy to find another one.  

7th July 2019:   Frankie the squirrel is fine and visits me every few days and the housemartins have mostly gone though they do pop back every now and then.  We must be doing something right because one adorable lady camper insisted on giving us extra money because she had had such a good time.  The weather is perfect here in our orchard so if anyone wants to come and join us - tel: 01823 490686.  The sheep shearing is finished and so they are all happy now with their hot woolly coats gone.

30th June 2019:   Life has become very busy, John and Luke are sheep shearing at all hours and the hot weather brought a lot of weekend campsite bookings.  The housemartins have hatched - 3 big babies and 1 little one - and they daily take their flying lessons in and out of our kitchen.  They are unbelievably noisy, wanting to be fed all the time, but we have become used to this annual event.  My little squirrel friend hasn't visited for a few days, so hope he is OK.

22nd June 2019:   John was viciously attacked by a baby wren this week.  We are quite used to baby housemartins flying around our kitchen when they take their first flying lessons, but this little bird fought back.  My brave husband managed to finally overcome his adversary and get it safely outside and he has the scars to prove the fight.  He is mortified because he said the baby bird was so tiny.  Our neighbour Anne said she had a very small woodpecker on her bird table, then it was joined by it's much bigger mum.  We are overrun with rabbits and squirrels too.

12th June 2019:   Sadly we have had mostly tents this week and the heavy rain was very unwelcome.  I have just started to do my books to complete my annual self-assessment form and I am fed up with it already.  Serves me right for just shoving everything financial in a box and only looking at it once a year!  We are currently over-run with squirrels and I even have one that comes to see me every day, I call him Frankie but he has put on so much weight I am wondering if "he" is going to have babies!  Our guests favourite is the woodpecker though.

4th June 2019:   We survived the inspection and the inspector was very nice to me, or perhaps he was scared of me, it was difficult to tell.  Either way he liked our site.

30th May 2019:   CAMPSITE INSPECTION TOMORROW.  I have been told off by John as when the inspector said he had called on us a couple of years ago and I asked him if he was "the one I had complained about".  The man was quite nice about it (when he had got his breath back) and assured me that he was sure it wouldn't have been him!  Watch this space - I have crossed swords with them before and I am not feeling my best.

12th May 2019:   It was our annual May Fair on Saturday and it was amazing.  The sun shone, it was wonderfully organized and at 4.30pm when it should have ended, no-one wanted to go home.  Liz and her friend Ann had their usual craft stall and like all the others did very well.  It was also nice to catch up with old friends after such an awful year.

 John did his usual party-piece and put his mobile phone through not only the washing machine again but the tumble drier as well.  The phone didn't survive on this occasion but Liz put the sim card in a new phone (I bulk buy phones as John does this so often) and it is fine, but John was tickled pink when the following day Vodafone sent him a message thanking him for putting his sim card in a new phone - we are obviously under surveillance. 

14th April 2019:    John is threatening to do some gardening on the campsite but I am a bit worried as he doesn't really know the difference between a flower and a weed!  We did plant another magnolia tree last weekend which when it gets established with the flowering cherry trees will make for a beautiful campsite.  We do try our best. 

22nd March 2019:   Lambing has started and John says he is already 1/4 way through his flock.  The only conversation in the house is about sheep now and I am resisting the urge to hit him.  Nothing has gone right for us for such a long time, the winter was long.

12th November 2018:  What an awful autumn we are having.  John decided to slip on the path and dive through the greenhouse at 8.30pm tonight.  After an evening in A&E he has to go to Southmead Hospital in Bristol tomorrow morning for an operation on his hand.  I would say it should slow him down, but I doubt that it will.  The state of the greenhouse is currently unknown.

The clocks going back caused problems in our house, John's bedroom alarm clock is still going off at odd hours and the cooker clock is still on automatic.  On Sunday John's head knew the clocks went back but his tum didn't as he and Chris came in at 12noon expecting lunch.  It will probably take us the next 6 months to sort it out.

2nd September:  I was throwing some left over fruit & veg into a saucepan with some vinegar and sugar to make chutney this morning when our Russian guest paid us a visit.  His colleagues introduced him to Somerset Scrumpy on Friday night; he can stand up today (Sunday) and will hopefully be OK for work tomorrow!

23rd August:   We have had a good sort out of vehicles, John's van finally made it through MOT, but Dave's Landrover is still trying.  Our car went on it's final journey yesterday afternoon after our friend Greasy took all the parts he wanted, then it went to the scrapyard.  We will have to pinch Liz's car if we need one now - love you lots Liz.  Sadly I think the next vehicle might need to be a mobility one.

17th August:  Our collie Josie has been promoted to Campsite Hospitality Manager and greets each guest in turn (she secretly hopes they have little dogs for her to play with or sausages) and always meets Andy and Anne on their return home from work.  She is so gentle and sweet and I feel sorry for her sometimes when she makes a really good friend and bounces out to see them (to play or share breakfast) only to find they have gone home, I always know when it happens as she returns to the kitchen quite dejected.

As many of you know I have a very old fashioned telephone - the one with a curly wire connecting the phone to the handset.  It does get twisted up and when I answered the phone this morning I got in real pickle and was still laughing at myself when I managed to speak.  The foreign caller was not amused, she said "How dare you laugh at me, you ........" and slammed the phone down.

 2nd August 2018:  What a morning I have had.  Collie Josie got tangled up in my wheelchair (at the back of course where I couldn't reach her) and she was squealing and struggling hard which scared me to death.  I managed to grab a kitchen chair and slide down onto it, then I was able to free Josie but I couldn't get back up onto the wheelchair and had to wait for John to rescue me.  I was shaking and decided a fruit lunch would be all that I wanted to eat and then I dropped a punnet of blueberries on the floor.  It isn't a good idea to go wheeling around a floor full of blueberries so I am sitting waiting for John again!  I should have stayed in bed.

24th July 2018:  John & I were watching a vehicle restoration programme at lunchtime (marginally preferable to boxing or fishing) and John was getting quite excited by a particular project because he said there were only 8 of them in the whole world.  I pointed out to him that there was only 1 of me, I am unique, and he got me for the price of a wedding licence so I was a real bargain.  He didn't seem overly impressed.  Men are so strange.

20th July 2018:   Our guests (Gill, Rosemary & Judy) have loved seeing the baby owls lined up on the top of the fence when it is dumpsy dark and yesterday the baby woodpeckers were in the orchard too.  Gill says we have the fattest rabbits she has ever seen.  I am doing a daily battle with my baby squirrels who are determined to keep digging about in my flower pots but fortunately our housemartins only had one small brood this year so we didn't need to wear our shower hats in the laundry.  The unexpected late lamb is still doing well and is at our son's home being taken care of, her mum still doesn't have enough milk so lambkins will have to continue with supplementary bottles for another few weeks but John doesn't mind.

My guilty secret is out.  Whenever I wanted to have an egg sandwich or make a cake, it was a lottery as to whether I could persuade John to give me some of his free range eggs - he usually said he needed them for his regular customers.  One of our customers urgently needed a couple of eggs for something she was making but there were none available, so I let her have a couple of mine (bought from Tesco and hidden in the cupboard)

2nd July 2018:  John finished sheep shearing on Saturday and was stunned when his oldest ewe produced a lamb on Sunday.  He doesn't know how it happened - you would think he would know about "the birds and bees" by now.  Sadly the ewe is ancient and there isn't much nutritional value in the dry grass so I think the lamb will have to be bottle fed but at least he won't need a heat lamp!

29th June 2018:   John and Luke have started shearing, oh what joy!  Temper tantrums (from the sheep as well) followed by beer on the lawn when all is forgiven and tales of sheep are all that is on offer.  

14th June 2018:   There are baby squirrels everywhere at the moment and while they are tearing around, the newest brood of housemartins are overhead doing their acrobatics as they do every year.

1st June 2018:   We are very sad and tearful today as Wendy and her family have taken their caravan home for the final time as they have decided to sell it.  I am sure they will be popping in occasionally but we will miss them so much.  We have had so many happy years with them and their extended families and we are comforted by knowing that we will always be friends and keep in touch.  Another ex-camper of ours volunteered to drive Wendy's caravan home for her and it is lovely for us to know that so many strong friendships have developed here over the years between our wonderful guests as well as with us.

 Our annual campsite inspection is happening on 7th June and we are busy getting the campsite in pristine condition - well as good as it can be.  I do cross swords with them from time to time, so he had better be nice! 

 30th March 2018:   It is a little soggy here but some intrepid explorers/guests have joined us, sadly they didn't abide by the rules and bring some sunshine.  However, I have decided that we will be having a long hot summer to make up for it.  John is all drippy and miserable.

 24th March 2018:   It is official, our camping guests are the very very best.  We opened today and owing to the weather we weren't able to switch on the water until the last minute, to his horror John then discovered broken pipes and panic set in.  He went off in a bit of a tizz knowing that we had people coming and no water supply to the toilet or shower but when he came back our first guest Andy was coming out of the shower.  Bless him, Andy had arrived, wanted a shower, discovered the water problems and being a metal fabricator, had just got on and fixed them.  John had to come in and have a cuppa to get over the shock.

15th March 2018:  Dave came down on Mothering Sunday with girl friend Roz and they chattered away about rugby injuries following Dave's ear incident on the field.  They left because Roz had a match in the afternoon (ladies rugby is apparently always played on Sunday afternoons) and I learned the following day that she had dislocated and broken her ankle in the match.  So rugby attacked them both last weekend - I am trying (unsuccessfully) to persuade them that making jigsaws is a much healthier way of keeping fit.

11th March 2018:  Dave phoned yesterday to ask his dad to lock up his chickens as he was on his way to A&E to have stitches in his ear following a rugby accident.  Apparently a "ruck" collapsed, yes well, some might know what this means (I don't).  We asked him to ring us when he was back at home but by midnight we hadn't heard anything so we rang him.  He was on his way home but had been held up because a specialist consultant had to be removed from his bed to come and do the delicate work.  Our NHS is brilliant.  Dave had to have 10 stitches on the cartiledge inside of his ear.  I inspected the needlework this morning and it was excellent.

3rd March 2018:  What a week that was.  We had enough snow to close the local schools and businesses and only emergency or 4x4 vehicles used the roads.  After it had taken John 20 minutes to get from the back door to the chicken run, he called for help from our son Dave and friend Ashley and asked them to bring spades and shovels.  Ash stayed here and made sure the steps and gates all opened and Dave went on the livestock run to help John with the necessary extra feeding and watering of the livestock.  Chris helped us today but we are now thawing slowly and we hope that by tomorrow things will be manageable again and we are just waiting to see if the moors flood!

 As well as lots of offers of help from people who live near fields where some of our sheep currently are. one of our neighbours went down through Greenway checking on anyone who might need help and there were so many offers of help on Facebook from villagers, it made me very proud of North Curry and those who live here. 

26th February 2018:  John had to call the vet yesterday to rescue a ewe having lambing problems.  He brought in a very poorly lamb and put her on the hearth awaiting the inevitable.  At midnight last night the lamb decided he wanted to stay in this world and bleated at full volume FOR THE ENTIRE NIGHT.  I woke John at 5am and told him I wanted a divorce - it was either the sheep or him that has to go.  This morning I have decided that the divorce comes first - then I can sell all of the sheep.  I have had no sleep since the night before last so nobody had better mess with me today and John must find a place to hide.

22nd February 2018:  Have only just got around to updating my blog, sorry guys but making jigsaws is very time consuming!  We have just had our amazing Cornish friend Richard and his son's dog Harley (Josie's brother) stayed with us for 3 days.  Harley is just like his mum, soft and soppy and after his initial scenting all around our kitchen (and a dump on the floor) we enjoyed having him! Richard grows daffodils and my kitchen dresser is now groaning with them and he also makes lobster pots which is his main reason for visiting.  Somerset willows are the best or so my dad brought me up to believe.

 6th February 2018:   One of my dearest friends and ex-neighbour Mrs Jo Bimson died last Wednesday, she was nearly 103 years old and an amazing lady.

 John must mean business because he has bought some new wellies and he complained that they cost him £15, but he has sold some sheep.  Luke asked him if he needed help to take a few to the market but John said he didn't have the time (likely story) so Luke said he would buy some of them himself.  I like Luke, but not so keen on sheep. 

22nd January 2018:   The campsite bookings diary (exercise book) is ruled up, my pencil is sharpened and I am ready.  John is daily going around with a wheelbarrow collecting up the lambs - this is what happens when you put two rams in with the ewes at the same time - all the lambs come together!  Josie continues in her genetic make-up and yesterday was chased and cornered by a sheep and had to be rescued by John.  He really should give her "the talk" about how sheepdogs are supposed to behave.

1st January 2018:  Our bad luck has continued and we had a rather miserable christmas.  Last night we were all tucked up in bed by 11pm, so the new year entered unannounced and uncelebrated.  Nevertheless a new year has started and we wish you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful 2018 and hopefully you will be able to spend some of it with us at Doolittle's where we hope our luck will improve.

 EDF (our electricity supplier) wished us a happy christmas by sending us notification that there was a £1260 debit on our campsite electric account with instructions on how to send them the money forthwith,  so it is with very sincere apologies that we must put our pitch fees us to £15 per night (or £100 per week) for the 2018 season.  Just to add to the financial misery the wetroom electric invoice arrived the next day but I am contemplating selling John and the sheep to help with that one!

 24th October 2017:   It is complete, I now have an en-suite that is suitable for my needs.  At times I really did not think it would happen.  All we have to do now is pay for it, oh dear.

9th October 2017:   Anne, the lovely lady who lives in our mobile home, has offered to look after "Alan's garden" and we have gratefully accepted. 

3rd October 2017:  John, Liz and Dave have gone to Wales for the day to attend Alan's (my brother-in-law) funeral in Cwmbran. Many of you knew Alan as being the man responsible for the lovely garden that he planted and maintained on the campsite.  My friend Bridget is coming to keep me and the 6 dogs company.

 21st September 2017:  I think I disgraced myself this afternoon. 2 very nice young men were putting the floor down at the end of my bedroom. I had aplogised but told them to carry on but I had to lie down for an hour to change position. They were making a noise but when I got up at 3pm, Scott said that I had been very quiet watching the TV, but since I had no idea what was on I must have been sound asleep for the whole time as I am sure he knew!

19th September 2017:   The bad luck seems to continue as our son came downstairs to find burglars. He was angry because he didn't catch one of them, although for their sakes it was probably a good job.  David has a green belt in sumo wrestling (is one of the top 10 in the country) as well being one of the team captains of a local rugby club so I think the burglars had a lucky escape.

 At long last, the wetroom floor is going down on Friday and it is being tiled next Tuesday. Our wonderful plumber is taking over the completion of the job.

10th September 2017:  It has been such a sad day for us today. This morning John's sister Meg phoned to say that her husband had been rushed to hospital but he died this afternoon. It was sudden and unexpected and Alan was responsible for the lovely gardens here at the campsite which he has worked tirelessly on during this season.

6th September 2017:  Oh well the happy balloon has burst. Had a quote from the plumber to finish the job and I think he is a little out of our price range. Our son has promised to help out where he can and I will negotiate with the plumber when he returns for a discount for an elderly disabled lady! The wetroom will be finished by christmas, it is just a question of which year. It's been 18 months already into a job which should have taken about 10 weeks! The saga continues, 

13th August 2017:  My black eye is now more of a purple/yellow colour, I can open the eye properly and it doesn't hurt anymore. My lovely brother-in-law Alan has put a plank of wood across the entrance to the wetroom so that I cannot do it again.  John collected his new van during the week and is very pleased with it so far. Liz's little Westie Pearl had an operation to remove a lump on her neck yesterday, she is a bit unsettled but otherwise OK. We knew she had the lump there but she had scratched it, so when John took our little Ruby for a routine visit yesterday Liz asked him to take Pearl as well. Our lovely vet Ben decided to keep her and remove the lump and by lunchtime he was ringing Liz up to collect her. Pet insurance is a wonderful thing! It gave Liz a shock though when John didn't bring her home. 

4th August 2017:  I knew my wetroom would be the death of me and it nearly was.  John and I were discussing where to put the towel rail and the wheel of my wheelchair went over the edge and down I went onto the concrete.  I am now sporting a spectacular black eye but the paramedic who came to our aid was very handsome and took a lot of the stress away!  My blood really is embedded in the wetroom now.

 The shepherd's hut is getting very popular and every occupant so far has rebooked. Our most recent guest was enthralled to see a baby owl perch on a nearby post and on hearing a noise late in the evening saw a badger walking around the back of the hut (John and I aren't the only wildlife here).   

24th July 2017:  Campers rang us early yesterday morning to say our sheep were out but they had put them back with the others - the sheep were actually pedigree angora goats and not ours but we appreciated the gesture though sadly their owners wanted them back!  

 11th July 2017:  John is happy, it is raining for the first time in a month. Now the grass will grow and he won't keep having to move sheep around at high speed finding grass. My concrete patio was laid by my wonderful son and friend Matt on Saturday morning, baby steps. A housemartin shared our kitchen for morning coffee, he obviously hadn't quite the hang of "leaving the nest" yet.

2nd July 2017:  I am getting used to the curtain covering the hole in my bedroom wall.  The housemartins have left the nest, but they are not very good on directions yet as they flew out of the laundry and straight through the kitchen into my bedroom. Ruby was trying to catch them while I was peeping out from under the bedcover trying to avoid fall-out, though my room is such a mess at the moment that it doesn't much matter.  

 22nd May 2017: The bank holiday was very quiet, good job the inspectors were here and are leaving tomorrow. We had our inspection this afternoon and all good. They were such an improvement on last year's inspector who I now understand is working on a big club site. 

24th April 2017: John is 72 today but he has spent the weekend carrying blocks up a ladder helping our son with his building extension. I must be looking after him well. Not only are the housemartins back but we now have a baby squirrel to likes to come and ring the bell at the top of the back steps, he doesn't run away but stays to laugh at us for opening the door.

20th April 2017: I am not sure whether to be worried or not, the Camping & Caravanning Club inspectors are basing themselves on our site for two weeks while they check out all the other sites in the area. I am trying to get John to behave for 2 weeks but it is an uphill struggle!

20th March 2017: What a week we have just had, first Golly Goat was very poorly and the vet didn't really know what was wrong. We put him in a cage in the living room and his bleats kept me awake for 3 nights in a row, by 3am on Sunday morning I wanted him to lose his voice and by 5am all I could think of was "goat stew". The family took pity on me and put him in the shed with our lamb and he is OK now. 

John didn't know how the puppies happened (a likely story) but he put the billy goat in with Toffee and Fudge so he can't use that excuse again. I've had the dogs "done" and if he brings home another billy, it will have to sleep on his bed, it's not going near the nanny goats!!

20th February 2017: While we all watched "Call the Midwife" on TV last night Fudge gave birth to 3 enormous baby boys that Liz has called Cola, Cocoa and Goliath (guess who was biggest). All is well and they are cute but if any of you tell Liz or John I said so I will deny all knowledge!

19th February 2017: Despite our patience Fudge is as big as a house and is showing more signs of exploding than giving birth but something must happen soon. John and Chris have spent the morning putting bird netting over our chicken runs so we can promise that our eggs are still free range. Liz is busy getting the reception/craft shop ready and we can't wait to meet up with everyone again. John is drowning in lambs, nearly all twins and triplets but we just need goat kids.

9th January 2017:  Liz's craft shop will look pretty as usual and we still have the shepherd's hut for all those would-be shepherds out there (we can even supply a few lambs) for weekends or holidays.  

I did try to sell John on Facebook once but only got rude offers from his friends - they offered to pay me to keep him.