Day 8 Catch Up and Ready to Move On

Each time that we moved onto a different camp site Molly and I felt that we were going on another holiday and a new adventure. Coming home for a day in between travelling the coastline of Girlguiding Kent East and the Counties of Girlguiding Sussex East and Sussex West's coastline really does create a break. By my very rough reckoning I've travelled 121.5 miles along the coast from Sheerness to Dungeness and have another 120 miles to travel from Camber to West Wittering - I'm happy to stand corrected if anyone knows better!

Molly kept a tally of our first 6 nights away, in total we have:

• taken 80 minutes to pitch the tent
• driven 599.5 miles
• visited 14 beaches - but driven passed many more
• eaten 6 ice-creams each
• had 3 days with some rain
• built (with help!) 139 sandcastles
• found 2 geocaches
• visited 2 international Guide and Scout camps

I wonder what the next 5 nights away have in store?

Whilst I was away with Molly, Nick was enjoying a week in Greece with his sisters, Kate and Ali - plenty of R&R round the pool so he'll be ready for action this coming week! My husband Mac is a keen orienteer and spends a week or two each summer with the GB Junior Squad and coaching team in the Highlands of Scotland. A 6 day festival of orienteering either in Scotland or the Lake District follows which Nick and I usually join him for. This year he cut the '6 Day' short and left for the World Masters in the Italian  Alps as I was setting off for Kent. The reports coming in via text messages are of some very good results so far - brilliant runs in the sprint and hoping to qualify for the long races on Saturday. Nail biting stuff in the McKerrow household!

Moving on .......

We're going to be camping in Bexhill-on-Sea on Friday and Saturday, moving on to Angmering for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights.

The weather forecast for the next week doesn't look too bad - we'll probably be driving in rain tomorrow morning on our way down to Camber Sands and Rye but hopefully after that the rain showers will be few and far between.

I've taken the opportunity to ditch 'Useless' and to pick up the traditional and very robust old beach wind break, vital when camping by the sea. I've also swapped the leaking airbed for the hopefully intact one. We've packed a portable BBQ and aim to buy some fresh fish tomorrow which we'll stuff full of freshly picked herbs and chunks of lemon and serve with new potatoes and chargrilled courgettes - with any luck. I'm very fortunate that Nick enjoys fish so we'll be making the most of being by the sea again this week.

If you're down Sussex way in the next week then please do make contact: call or text me or email pipmck@girlguidinglaser.org.uk or Twitter @PipMcKerrow and meet us on a beach to attempt to beat Tuesday's record of 118 sandcastles on Greatstone beach with Goddington Brownies.