Trying to catch up with dozens of posts. Just including a few shots from the Swansea Air Day, held in July 2009. The Saturday was rained off amid our glorious British summer, but Sunday was a success. As part of the Swansea Unit of the Maritime Volunteer Service I was crewing on one of the RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boat). We were acting as safety boats, patrolling the air exclusion zone. The Swansea MVS provided three RIBs and a jet-ski. A successful day, which involved rescuing two wind surfers and a canoeist who were unable to return to land due to strong winds and tide.

Shooting from a RIB in a swell required some pretty fast shutter speeds, and a certain amount of luck. This is my favourite shot of the day

This is mainly to establish who has the best sandwiches!

....and this is Tug demonstrating that it doesn't do to show off!

Hurricane Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

The shutter speed for this shot was a 1250th of a second. This is a noisy bit of kit!

Crew Member Samantha Kiley - an experienced hand

Spectacular as ever!

Pembrey holds fond memories for me. as a 13 year old my Dad would take me with him on the weekends. He was in charge of building the bombing range, still situated at the far end of the long Pembrey Sands. I learned to drive on an Austin Champ (an ex-army vehicle with an amazingly large Rolls Royce engine. Three gear sticks! Forward and reverse, 1 to 5, and high and low gears. It was great fun travelling at high speed along the beach in reverse!

The site has changed considerably today. The range still exists, although the RAF no longer drop anything, it’s all done electronically. The old airfield is now a Country Park and first class caravan site. Pembrey Caravan site ticks all the boxes – little wonder it is so difficult to get a site unless booked well in advance. Everything about this site shouts “quality”. Purpose built in magnificent surroundings. Large pitches, modern facilities for both those seeking a quiet time away, and for families. Well managed by friendly and helpful staff. Ideal for the outdoor holiday, although there is little on offer in neighbouring villages if it rains (this is Wales – it always rains!). A good central point for exploring the South Wales coastline, even though it would involve some driving. Plan where you might want to visit beforehand on the “rainy day backup” principle. 9/10 in my book. Probably a swimming pool would have made it a 10.

One point worth noting – several caravans missed the entrance road. It is signposted “Pembrey Country Park” with no mention of the caravan site. It is easy to overshoot, I did it twice. A pain in the butt if you are towing a caravan. Someone should get the signage sorted!

Carol & I, together with Pete & Jean spent most of yesterday wandering the Gower Coast in South Wales doing a reconnaissance of local caravan sites. Needless to say, we are about to go into the silly season when the kids break up from school, and most sites are already booked up. Another factor is that people are choosing to holiday at home due to the current value of the pound, which has certainly contributed to the popularity of a caravan holiday.

We were disappointed at the generally poor quality of caravan sites in the Gower – especially since the area is regarded as the jewel in the crown of the South Wales coastline. I must start by saying that we have actually only stayed at one site so far – Three Cliffs. So comments on the others are based on a run through of the sites.

Three Cliffs Caravan site (see here) is set in a prime location overlooking Three Cliffs Bay. It gets full marks for location. You would be hard pushed to find a more beautiful location, and it is a photographers paradise. In fact, photographers can be a bit of a problem as they visit the site in droves at times. This is private property, so the site owners charge them for the privilege, and I have been told that the money is then donated to charity. Access for caravans is reasonable, with only a short stretch of narrow road to the site once you turn off the main road.The beach is accessed via two paths that I could see, one from the site which is steep and a bit tricky, the second back through the entrance and then by turning left after about 100 yards. This also is not an easy path if you have any difficulty walking. It is worth the effort as the beach and coast are stunning. Remember that the tide comes in rapidly (this is the second highest tidal range in the world), and it is easy to get cut off along all of the coastline. Pitches are on grass and reasonably flat in most places. Staff are friendly and helpful. There is a small shop on site: the nearest store seems to be in Scurlage. The only slightly negative comment on the site is that the showers are not wonderful – sufficient, but could do with improving. 9/10 in my book.

Bank Farm Caravan Park. Umm? Not my cup of tea. VERY popular, but a bit like Butlins-on-sea. This obviously has a regular customer base. A very large site of both statics and tourers. Seems to have every conceivable amenity. Vans appear to be tightly packed in. Easy access (as long as you take note of the route in – noted below). This seems to be a family orientated site with everything the kids would want. I freely admit that our preference is for a quieter location where we can chill, so in that I am prejudiced. If a comprehensive child catering site is what you are looking for, and you don’t mind crowds, plus a good beach only 10 to 15 minutes walk down the hill, then this may be for you. Sorry, I like somewhere like Freshwater East, where the rabbits come up to the caravan as you are sipping on a glass of wine and reading a book. Sounds as if I have arrived in the “Grumpy Old Men” category! Just not for me.

There are a couple of other sites also in Horton – I don’t have the names at hand, but will add them later. As you drive past the Bank Farm turn off there is a second site a short distance on the left. Again, not for us. Packed like sardines (especially the statics!).To me a caravan site is about getting away from crowds. The way the tourers are parked reminded me of the tightly packed terraces of the Welsh valleys. Ugh! Driving further down into Horton (which is a nightmarishly narrow and winding road) there are a couple of other sites which seem to be more acceptable – smaller, more space, closer to the beach. However, remember, this is a particularly popular resort. If you are looking for peace and quite, avoid Horton.

Kennexton Farm, Llangennith (http://www.gowercamping.co.uk/ ). – Even though this site has it’s down sides, I was impressed by the friendly welcome and level of helpfulness. This is a good site in the making. Toilets and shower block are of a very good standard; lots of room on the pitches. Family & dog friendly. Enough space to accommodate peace seekers and lots of lively kids. Road access is good – a little bumpy on the entrance, but the impression is that the owners are working hard to improve all aspects of the site. This is one we would consider. Down side, it is not on the coast, but all of the Gower beaches are within a short car journey. This is one to watch for next year, and I don’t doubt that we will be booking in here.

Pitton Cross ( http://www.pittoncross.co.uk/index.cfm );- This could be the prime site on the Gower, after Three Cliffs, but needs a considerable investment in order to bring it to the highest standards. A comprehensive shop on site, friendly welcome. There road around the site needs to be tarmacadamed and pitches need to be improved. Toilets and showers are not up to the standard that we are coming to expect. Undoubtedly improvements are ongoing, albeit slowly. Great location for touring the Gower, and a wide variety of activities within easy reach. At the moment not for us, top prices for a poor site.

These are my personal views, and I acknowledge that I may be seeking something quite different from other peoples tastes with regard to a caravan holiday. More site comments as we visit them.

One general point for all caravan owners heading for the Gower from the M4 if you are using a GPS – if you are told to leave the M4 at junction 47, the GPS will take you down through Gowerton and Llanrhidian. Turn left onto the B4271 at Llanrhidian, after about a mile and a half take a sharp right over the common for Reynoldston. Over the hill, and as you approach the village of Reynoldston take the first hard left, then follow until join the A4118. Two major problem roads with the GPS. The GPS will tell you to stay on the B4295 towards Fairyhill. DO NOT TAKE THIS ROAD. Divert to Reynoldston. This is a narrow, winding and dangerous road, difficult with a car – crazy with a caravan. The other point is that the GPS will try and take you through Reynoldston, Although this is possible with some difficulty, this is a narrow winding road with passing points, and a bus route to boot! Forget it, turn left before you get into Reynoldston and avoid the problems.

This blog has been sadly neglected while life has got in the way. I’ve been considering for a while that it needed a “big issue” to kick-start it once again, but maybe because I am so laid-back these days, I just cannot be bothered. So the plan is to enter both daily trivia and retrospectively add comments and photos of what has been happening in the large gap since I last wrote. I’ll try and avoid the banality of twitter! I’ll be putting in some major work on the gallery – out of shame, since I now have hundreds of photos to add. Watch this space.