Tuesday 19th June 2018

Off to France. I have a polite request to the owners of motorway services in the U.K, please can you have the proper signage and parking for those of us who have a caravan, in this case Clacket Lane services on the M25.  If the 3 spaces you have are full you have no option but to rejoin the motorway………….just as well I noticed these 10 available spots……they will do!

The whitish cliffs of Dover!

Well, when this ferry comes in we shall be on our way to La Belle France, just time for a quick steak and kidney pie before we leave!

We arrived at Château du Gandspette at around 7 in the evening only intending to stay one night, but after a  quick inspection of the beautiful site we soon decided to stay another night!

It makes my heart sing when I see Jane reading books like this, its so much better than other titles like “How to Put Your Husband on a Diet” or “Smile at Your Partner’s Bad Jokes”……..still not too sure of the hand gestures!

Wednesday 20th June 2018

A mile away from our campsite was the Blockhaus d’Éperlecques (now a museum), which was a site set up to build and fire the V1 and V2 rockets at London.

It was built by slave labour that arrived in cattle trucks like this one. We stood inside, closed our eyes and listened to a simulated train journey and air raid.  It was just the two of us at the time and it was hard to believe that they crammed 70 people or more in here during the war!

There are still many craters around left from the heavy bombing that this place sustained.

The barbed wire added to the chilling atmosphere that this austere building exuded.

Only the blue skies added a little colour to the drabness of the surroundings.

The heavy bombing laid waste to some parts of the the site…………..

……..whilst some areas remained mostly unscathed.

The V1 (nicknamed the “doodlebug”) aimed at London……………..

Spitfire pilots in their faster planes were able to catch these rockets and, using their wings, were able to tip the wings of the V1s and send them off course!

It was very damp and eery inside the bunker, then you turn a corner and see this……….

The V2.  This was another story, 3,000 of these rockets were launched over England and they were responsible for well over 9,000 casualties.

There are many military vehicles around this site, it was very interesting for me and I’m sure Jane enjoyed it as well!