Brazilians make great Zombie Kombis…
This was our first venture to the Brazilian Bay Halloween meeting at Anita’s Campsite in Mollington, near Banbury. The forecast was for it to be unseasonably warm on Friday and Saturday and, sure enough, when we got up on Friday it was tee shirt weather.
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| Programme |
Alison had packed most of the van on Thursday, so we got away by 10am, for the usual stop-start drive down the M6. It wasn’t too bad and we made reasonable progress until we got near to Birmingham when a massive jam slowed our journey right down.
Once on the Toll Road, things got better so we stopped for a coffee at Norton Canes Services (as per usual…). It was heaving with people in there – I think a couple of coaches must have stopped for a comfort break.
Suitably refreshed, we set off again via the M40, having used our Caravan Club Membership cards to save 50% on the Toll fees. If you tow a trailer or caravan and use the Toll road as often as we do, the cost of membership is soon repaid.
We left the M40 at J12 and were headed to Mollington when we saw Tony and Penny in their van, obviously lost as they were headed in the wrong direction. I sent a text but they didn’t receive it but it didn’t take them long to get back on track and they arrived at the site about 10 minutes after us. It’s strange that the Sat Nav always takes us one way to Anita’s and then back another, via Coventry and with less motorway driving. It doesn’t make a big difference in time, as we can’t go much over 60mph on either route (until we get about 50 miles from home, when Mrs B’s right foot seems to get disproportionately heavy…)
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| Sunshine and Blue Skies |
We’d taken our event shelter to tag onto the Club’s own to give us more room for partying so we handed it over to John and Sharon who very kindly put it up, whilst we got on with decorating Absinthe.
There were two competitions over the weekend – for the best dressed scary Bay and the best carved pumpkins. Alison and Gabbie had carved a pumpkin each and I made a start on one on Thursday night but gave up and chucked it away. Arty stuff isn’t really my forte.
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| Our (unimpressive in comparison) pumpkins |
A week or so earlier we’d both gone into Chorley to try and get some dolls to decorate the dashboard of the van. We must have visited every Charity Shop and Alison got 5 or 6 to use. In the first shop, where she found three in a box, the assistant said, “Ooh, are you going to dress them?” We hadn’t got the heart to tell her, “No, we’re going to pull their heads off, gouge their eyes out and make them glow in the dark!”.
We’d also got a coffin and skeleton, some window stickers and a raven with glowing eyes to put on the roof rack. It all looked very effective, particularly at night, when Alison pushed glow sticks inside the dolls head!
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| Scary… |
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| Boris “chats” to Barney |
The pumpkins though, were frankly pathetic, compared with some of the masterpieces which others had produced. We were very impressed.
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| Zombie Konbis |
As others started to arrive, we had a bite to eat ahead of the Friday night gin tasting party. There was a quiz on Scary Film Movies (I think we might have come second or third) and some serious gin drinking! A number of people had brought different types of gin and it was a good way for novices to experience the different types. We took some Carounn from Scotland which is drunk with red apple instead of lemon or lime.
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| Will there be enough gin? |
I suspect, though, that a number of people may have had too much…
Saturday morning was a lovely sunny one, so after breakfast a few of us decided to walk to Farnborough, a pretty little village about 2 miles away. The walk was across fields and through the grounds of Farnborough Hall, a local National Trust property.
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| Lilyvdubs in a Lych Gate |
We passed through the churchyard and down into the village for a quick drink at The Inn at Farnborough, a good looking, if expensive, pub which looks like a top place for an evening meal.
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| Inside the Bar |
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| The Inn at Farnborugh |
The walk back was just as pleasant with a chance to catch up with friends old and new – what being in the Forum is all about.
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| Where’ve they all gone? |
Saturday night was party time again but not before we’d all voted for our favourite pumpkins and the scariest Bay window.
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| Spectacular pumpkins |
There was a tie for the pumpkin competition between last year’s winner, harryhornet and our van neighbours, Lilivdub. Rather than fight over the trophy and chocolates, they decided to share them between them. Very sensible, particularly as I saw that look in Penny’s eye…
Amazingly, Absinthe won the scary Bay Window display – no trophy but some chocolates which I’m sure will disappear this weekend.
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| Winners |
Saturday night was also Fancy Dress night with some fantastic costumes, none more glamorous, than Sira, dressed as Dracula’s Bride.
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| The Baileys; out for blood… |
There was dancing (to John and Sharon’s cheesy soundtrack – just what the doctor ordered), copious types of cake and the drink was flowing although some who’d partied too hard on Friday were conspicuous by their absence. I shan’t name, names.
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| Would you fight this woman for a trophy? |
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| Looking devilishly handsome, Mr V |
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| You can’t have too much cake… |
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| A happy little pumpkin |
That just left Sunday morning and just as Alison took Boz for his walk the heavens opened. I’m not sure who was wettest when they came back, but I’m pretty sure Boris had the saddest face . He doesn’t do rain!
We had to take the shelter and sun canopy down in the rain and as I write this Blog, they’re both in the garage drying out (much like some of Friday night’s over-indulgers, I’d imagine) – we’ll be packing them away tonight to stop any over friendly rodents getting involved.
I’d like to say a massive thank you to John and Sharon for organising the event – it’s our last outing of the year in Absinthe and it was a great way to finish the season. Likewise, to all our Forum friends – thanks for another great year and we’ll see you in 2015.
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| John and his pumpkin or vice versa… |
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| …for making the event happen, John & Sharon… |
There are more photos here: Flickr
Many thanks to everyone I’ve borrowed photos from, they’re much appreciated.