La Strada Club meet, Fulbourn

Being completely new to motorhoming, I cast about for advice after I bought Larry, and very soon came across The La  Strada Club UK. This impressive organisation caters specifically for current (and former) La Strada owners, with a full calendar of meets and events, an extensive website, and ready advice via their facebook page. I decided that it would be a good idea to attend one of their meet-ups, to get some advice directly from the experts and see what other La Strada motorhomes are available. So I booked up for a four day event at Fulbourn, a pleasant village about five miles from Cambridge.

Coming up the M11. I saw a La Strada in front and guessed that it must be going to the same place. So it was, and thus made finding the site very easy! A good omen, though the sharp rain shower immediately on arrival was less promising. But in the event, that was the only rain we had for the whole week. 

A fine array of campervans..

Seventeen vans had arrived at the Bounds Campsite by late afternoon, and a little reception was held in a meeting room attached to the site and reserved for our use. We had an introductory speech from Peter, who with wife Leslie was organising this particular event, along with a thank you from the club president Henry, and some wine, beer and nibbles. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. I think La Strada owners are quite a relaxed, chilled crowd .. 

You can see from the photo that there was quite a range of vans attending, not all of them La Strada. But everyone had had one at some time or other, and more than one seemed to regret selling it! It was clear that La Strada owners are very loyal, and keep their vans for a long time - more than 20 years in some cases. 

 Peter is giving a welcoming speech ..

I was very surprised to discover that Peter & Leslie were prior owners of my own van, Larry. They were the second owners, having bought it from a dealer in Yarmouth in 2011 and kept it for six years or so. It was good to talk to them about its history and pick up a few tips.

I won't write in detail about all of the week's activities:

 - on the Tuesday I walked into and around Cambridge & back, including a visit to one of my favourite shops, Arjuna Wholefoods in Mill Road. They are a workers' co-operative that originally opened in 1970 and are still going strong; I attended their opening evening, and still remember it well..

- On Wednesday, Joanie organised a walk up to Wandlebury Ring Country Park and the Roman Road, which I joined. After a pleasant walk around the site the others decided to go to a farm shop on the Babraham Road, and (since it doesn't have a drinks licence :-) I had another wander around the country park and then back to the site.

- On Thursday, Peter organised a bike ride around - well, around much of Cambridgeshire, or so it seemed. Not having a bike, I did a walking tour of some of the local farms in the (vain) hope that someone might know something about my mother-in-law Joyce's family, the Moules. Joyce was born at Hill Farm, which is less than a mile from the campsite. But the site has no buildings now that are as old as Joyce is, she will be 103 in July.

On Thursday evening, a dinner at the White Hart in Fulbourn was enjoyed by all. Sufficient to say that I had a very, very pleasant week, learnt a great deal of useful information about my van, and made some fine new friends. I also realised for the first time how lucky I was to have acquired one of the best and most distinguished motorhomes there is!

I would also recommend the Bounds campsite, which was spacious and peaceful, and had impeccably clean facilities and very friendly owners. Shining lavatories are not the be-all-and-end-all of campsites, but they do make a very positive statement, don't you think?

I expect to attend a couple more La Strada meets this year, but the next trip is the big one, to Fuengirola and back .. and I will be trying to do a daily blog for that.

I returned home on the Friday via IKEA Lakeside, never a cheap day out... and certainly not this time. Larry did not put a foot wrong the whole week. I think he enjoyed meeting some of his cousins, and held up very well in such august company.

Jerry