http://www.camc.com September 2019 Caravan and Motorhome Club Magazine 71
Lee Davey, wife Helen, daughter Poppy (17) and son Charlie (11) use their caravan to
pursue a wide range of interests. This month – visiting historic sites and memorials
given them a greater understanding of history and
helped them with their studies at school.
The First World War memorial in our village
pays tribute to soldiers who were killed at
Gallipoli and I was able to take a wreath paying
t r i b u te w h e n I to o k p a r t i n a n e p i c c a r a v a n
odyssey to Turkey during 2018. (As it happened
we actually travelled through 21 countries during
the Bristol to Bosphorus Challenge – see
baileyofbristol.co.uk/bailey-of-bristol/blog/444-
bristol-to-the-bosphorus for details of the trip).
Caravan and Motorhome Club sites up and
down the country offer seemingly limitless
possibilities when searching for memorials or
points of historic interest – a modicum of research
returns surprising results. Why not plan your own
h i s to r i c a l a d ve nt u re w h e n yo u g o o n yo u r n ex t
b r e a k? Yo u’ l l b e r i c h l y rew a r d e d.Fa m ily matters
PAY I N G YOU R R E S P E C T S FIVE SITES NEAR MEMORIALS
Charlie’s view
Dad and I followed our Second World War family
history last year in our old 1967 caravan. Finding
parts of Nissen huts on the site of my (paternal)
grandfather’s wartime camp was almost like finding
a monument but we found lots more memorials as
we got closer to the coast. One of the memorials we
visited was at Tarrant Rushton where my (maternal)
great-grandfather was based and recently, with it
being relatively close to home, we visited it again.Helen’s view
The New Forest Centenary site in Hampshire is
a great place to start if you are interested in military
history. During the Second World War this area
was awash with activity as trees offered cover from
aerial reconnaissance and hastily constructed
airfields were relatively close to France. Sections of
the site have wartime references such as ‘Spitfire’
while there’s an impressive memorial a short walk
from the main gate.where you will find the Town and
County War Memorial.
4 East Fleet Farm – Weymouth
Cenotaph on the Esplanade is a
3½-mile walk or cycle away.
5 Culloden Moor – two miles from the
memorial at Culloden Battlefield.MEMBERS SINCE...
Caravanners the Daveys joined the Club in 2006Sometimes it’s great to pitch up on a site, make
a cup of tea, take in the beautiful surroundings
and simply relax. However, we often plan specific
things to do while we’re on a break – go kayaking,
embark on a bike ride, attend a festival or find
a series of ‘geocaches’ for example.
I have a keen interest in wartime history and,
fo r t u n a te l y, my f a m i l y a re h a p p y to g o a l o n g w i t h
this passion. We’re going through a particularly
important remembrance period at the moment –
6 June marked the 75th anniversary of the
N o r m a n d y L a n d i n g s a n d , a s t h i s m a g a z i n e d ro p s
we will have marked V-J Day, which effectively
brought the Second World War to an end.
We h a ve b e e n m a k i n g t h e ef fo r t to g o i n
search of memorials and monuments that
remember those from both World Wars who
didn’t make it home. We’ve ‘collected’ quite
a few – in the UK and on the continent – with
some standing alone in the middle of nowhere,
ot h e r s i n b u s y c i t y c e nt re s.
It may sound a little grisly – but visiting a
monument to pay our respects and then
discussing the implications with our kids has1 New Forest – there is a striking
memorial (left) just a short walk
from the main gate.
2 Abbey Wood – public transport will
get you to The Cenotaph in an hour.
3 Grafham Water – this site is a
50-minute drive from NorthamptonFAMILIES TOURING TIPS