IHOC Meet at Pontcanna Fields Cardiff
IHOC Meet at Pontcanna Fields Cardiff
October 24th – October 28th
This meet was a little earlier in the year than our usual gathering in the later part of the year but it proved a good choice. This was the second time the IHOC had had a meet at Pontcanna Fields, the previous time was at the beginning of December in 2010 when the site was covered in snow and some members were snowed in at home! This time, lovely sunshine ensured that all members travelled and arrived safely and were able to chat outside without shivering.
Useful information packs were provided which included some quizzes to challenge folk’s general knowledge or computer skills. An additional challenge was to guess the weight of a pumpkin. New members Steve and Maureen Tofts joined us and were made welcome There were also two IHers with their new vans, both of the new VW variety, so they were happy to open their doors for viewings.
Our hosts, Margaret and Trevor aided by Helen and James arranged a coffee morning in the onsite cafe “Pedal Power” for the following morning, Friday. As the weather had changed a little by then we appreciated the warm environment. Trevor as well as adding a few details to the W/E information, suggested a few possible local places of interest easily accessible through the adjacent park.
The City Centre with its river, docks, castle, museums and numerous shops and cafes soon became the focus of our day’s activities. It was however necessary to wear wet weather gear but we were all well equipped IHers so no problems there. The museum was a popular choice with a wide variety of exhibitions to choose from. As it was a half term week for some areas of the country it was a little crowded in places. Choices of lunch locations in Cardiff were all around us.
The Saturday also was not the driest day but it gradually improved and with so much choice of activities and places to visit only a short walk away from the site no problem keeping busy. In the evening our hosts had arranged a meal for the group at the “Cricketers’ Arms”, a short walk from the site. We were all seated together which made it a very sociable evening and the food was quite good too, not to mention the wine! Thank you to our marshals for organising this for us.
Sunday, sunshine and an extra hour in bed! Time to explore further afield, some of the group ventured to the docks making use of the boat service which had a departure point in the adjacent park. Some toured Cardiff castle and two members made use of their bikes to visit the nearby Castel Coch, six miles from site. Cardiff has made a real effort to cater for cyclists providing several off road cycle routes which connect to national safe routes. The Campsite has its own cycle hire facility if you do not have your own bike with you. There are also several tourist attractions such as St Fagins open-air museum accessible by van a short distance from the site. The dry weather continued and the competition results and wine evening was a very atmospheric one as the IH “witches and wizards” appeared. The overall competition winners were Ray and Bev and the pumpkin weight winners were Jenny and Charles.
It was still dry the next day which made packing up and saying our goodbyes before leaving the site an easier process. As is usual at these events we discussed the location of the next IHOC meet, there were several suggestions and some members are in the process of making enquiries. As soon as a decision has been made details will be posted on the IHOC website. If you have visited a suitable site on your travels or know of a campsite near you which can welcome a group booking do let the group know via Kath or Graham. Many thanks to everyone who contributes to making the IHOC a welcoming club and our special thanks to our marshals for our meet at Cardiff, Margaret, Trevor, Helen and James.
Mary and Tony
Thanks to Kath for her photo's