Hole Station Campsite. In the very heart of rural West Devon.

A place for people who would just like to wind down a bit.

Yesterday we had a fair old gale here, apparently the wind was gusting up to 75mph. Not something you wouldn't notice happening.

I grew up close to the sea near Plymouth, and as a youngster would sometimes go the the cliffs overlooking Plymouth Sound to watch the waves crashing in, and to feel the full force of the storm blowing straight at me, the experience was thrilling, completely raw and elemental. I never considered a storm an inconvenience, it was something to experience, something wild, to be savoured.

Nowadays of course, a storm is an inconvenience, there is always much to do here and if there is one thing that stops you doing it, it is a storm.

But yesterday I remembered those days and nights standing on the cliffs, and thought perhaps my time might be better spent out there in it, forget all the stuff that I really should be doing and simply be out there in it and suck the whole thing in.

Not standing on a cliff mind, those cliffs are 40 odd miles away, and why drive all that way when I have a perfectly sound and considerably more dangerous environment to hang out in in a storm right here, in the woods?

So out I went. Wow! If you ever want to feel really alive walk through a wood when the wind is raging maniacally, the rain is lashing down, and the trees are swaying at really crazy angles back and fore. It definitely isn't sensible, that I can tell you.

But it isn't good to be too safe, or too sensible, all the time. There are times to step out and experience something very raw and uncontrollable. It gives perspective. Comfort zones are not always a good thing.

I have started this blog, that's what.

So why do that then? It is because I have looked at the site stats for the first time in a month and unbelievably people are still looking  here, and quite alot of you too, so I thought I ought to at least give you something to look at seeing as how the site is now closed till April.

I also had a quick look at our ad on UK Campsites and noticed two more reviews, one of which had a few pertinent things to say about the facilities here (Hi Huw, how's it going in the architects business), such as the siting of the recycle area wasn't ideal, and that the hot water situation needed looking at amongst a few other things.

As it just so happens, I agree with what Huw had to say. We have already started on making a few changes, and top priorities are sorting the hot water and the recycling. We are installing an 11kw woodburner to provide hot water, which will connect to the showers (of which another is being installed), the washing up area and the wash basin taps, and we are moving the recycle centre.

This is all of course overdue, but as those who stayed here in 2009 will know, it is overdue because the firm that supplied the loo block were ridiculously late in doing so and we had to go with what we had regarding the hot water.

Took old Holly the dog for a walk in the woods this morning. Holly, I am sad to say probably won't make it to next season, she is 14, becoming a bit dopey and we will really miss her. She had a very bad turn this afternoon. Back to where I was, whilst out with Holly  I spotted two deer standing absolutely motionless about 25 yards away from us. I held Holly's collar (she hadn't seen them) and the deer and I stared at each other for 5 minutes. They never moved. Why is it you don't have a camera on you when you need one?