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| Toasting Marshmallows on an open fire |
There is something revoltingly glorious about camping in the
UK. You’ll either be living like a drowned rat or else quietly baking under
canvas. It is something you just have to take on the chin with bulldog spirit
and all that clap trap.
But oh how virtuous you feel after the ordeal is over – not that
you’d ever admit that you had fun.
I certainly didn’t want to admit it after I was dragged into
it last weekend. I had the offer of a girly night all laid on, champagne,
lasagna, Pavlova and a whole lot of gossip. BUT my Darling husband decided to
invite all and sundry and typically there was one Mum who thought it would be a
right laugh.
I had no choice I couldn’t possibly let her camp alone with
a bunch of blokes (the other halves of those who had organised the girly night)
so I forced a smile and say yes it would be a right laugh and gave up my girly
night.
And it was brilliant.
It was a right laugh, really it was, even though I hardly
got any sleep at all what with wild ponies snorting and snuffling through the camp
stealing bananas and apple juice, fidgety children, snoring for Britain husbands
and deflating mattresses.
We taught the boys how to make a proper camp fire, how to
track deer and ponies, how to cook sweet corn properly and make popcorn too.
They learnt how to go to the loo in the woods and not wet
your trousers. How to survive for more than four hours without a single electronic
gadget
And to finish it all off marshmallows stuck on the end of
proper sticks that you just find lying around.
It was magic and guess what?
I’m signed up for the next big camping adventure!
*To cook sweetcorn properly on an open fire first leave it
standing in clean water for 30 minutes with the husk still on. Then place the
corn, husks and all, on the fire they will poach beautifully in their skins so
to speak and not dry out so you get perfect corn on the cob after only 10
minutes!
