Day 1 - Scholar Green to Dent, Sedbergh

The motorhome was fully packed, fully fuelled — at a painful £1.89 a litre, Christ — and ready for its maiden voyage. Our first stop was High Laning Camping and Caravan Site in Dent, Sedbergh, a modest two‑hour, 110‑mile run designed to break the back of the long journey north. After the usual pre‑departure faffing, we finally rolled out around 4:30pm and arrived just after 7pm. Being a bank holiday weekend, the site was heaving, and we ended up in the overflow parking area, which suited us just fine. The only hiccup was discovering our hook‑up lead wasn’t long enough — a mental note for future trips — but the owner kindly lent us one for the night. A quick freshen‑up later, we wandered into the village for a well‑earned drink. First stop: The George and Dragon, a proper old‑school pub serving real ale. Then a swift one at The Sun Inn down the road, equally traditional and full of character. Exactly the kind of pubs you hope to find on a first night away. Back at the van, Mel rustled up a classic cheese and ham baguette with broccoli and cheese Pasta ’n’ Sauce — Lidl’s finest. She headed to the shower block while I stayed behind… and immediately found myself under attack. A creature from hell — part moth, part bat, part nightmare — launched itself around the van. I screamed like a little girl and bolted outside. I swear I saw fangs. Mel returned, calmly removed the beast, and restored order. With the crisis averted, we settled in for the night, the first chapter of our adventure officially underway.