Postcard from the Road
Hello Coddiwomplers*,
February wasn’t big skies and sweeping drone shots.
It was flat batteries.
Fibro flares.
And rain.
It’s only rained twice this year.
Once from January to mid-February…
and then again from mid-February onwards.
Somewhere in between all that, something quietly important happened.
After two months of tweaking behind the scenes, Angela has declared the website “done.” (There will be edits. There are always edits. But it finally feels like us.)
And we’ve started mapping out our 2026 Great British Escape — beginning on the south coast and winding clockwise around Britain in search of little beaches, woodlands and big-sky viewpoints that don’t require heroic hikes.
The week we properly began planning?
Giovanni wouldn’t start.
Flat battery.
A kind friend rescued us with jump leads and we headed to Frinton-on-Sea — a place threaded through our history of tennis tournaments and easy day trips. (Did Alan ever win there? We’re redefining “win.”)
The following week? Same problem.
This time, though, we were ready.
We’d bought a jump starter in between incidents. When the battery died again, it worked instantly. No waiting. No awkward reversing towards someone else’s bonnet. Just… go.
So we drove.
Back to Shingle Street — windswept and scattered with cuttlefish bones and mermaid’s purses (why did we not take photos?). Then on to Rendlesham Forest for shelter from the wind and photos of Giovanni tucked between the trees.
Nothing epic.
But we were out.
And that felt like a win.
From The Van Window
Wind in the trees at Rendlesham.
Giovanni parked between tall trunks.
Rain tapping gently on the roof.
Not glamorous.
But deeply ours.
Sometimes the most important journeys are the ones you almost didn’t take.
Behind the Scenes
Cold, damp weather + short winter runs + sitting still too long = sulking van batteries.
We bought this jump starter after the first breakdown:
View the Jump Starter
First proper use? Instant start.
One of those unglamorous purchases that quietly changes everything.
We’ll share a short video of it soon — but if your vehicle sits for stretches, this is worth considering.
Small fix. Big relief.
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The Bits we don’t film (much)
Angela’s fibro triggers are cold, damp conditions and sudden temperature changes.
We’ve had both. Constantly.
A flare landed first. Then a cough/cold. When your immune system is already juggling chronic illness, “just a cold” isn’t small. It meant four days in bed — and another week (and counting) easing back to normal.
Slow travel isn’t just scenic routes.
Sometimes it’s adjusting expectations without cancelling the dream.
Mini Routes We’re Mapping
We’ve started building short, realistic UK loops — the kind you can actually do over 3–4 days without eight-hour drives.
If you had four days, with 3–4 hour hops between stops… which would you choose?
🌿 Country Loop
New Forest → Avebury → Exmoor → Dartmoor
Ancient woodland. Open moorland. Quiet skies.
🌊 Coast Loop
Suffolk → Norfolk → Exmoor Coast → Somerset Levels
Wide beaches. Salt air. Marshland sunsets.
Big skies. Quiet places. No epic hikes required.
We’ll start sharing more of these — practical escapes for real life.
Your Turn
When life shifts your plans, do you:
A) Power through and keep the original plan
B) Adjust gently and change the route
C) Cancel and reset entirely
Just hit reply and tell us.
We read every message — and your replies shape what we share next.
Signing Off
We haven’t let go of our weekend trips. Or the bigger British Escape.
We’re just making them fit around reality instead of pretending reality doesn’t exist.
Next up (fingers crossed):
• An Essex island country park revisit
• A nearby historic site we’ve recently discovered
• An unusual overnight park-up so you don’t have to risk it first
Small wins still move you forward.
Angela & Alan
(and Giovanni, now fully charged 🔋)
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*Coddiwomple: To travel purposefully towards an unknown destination possibly meandering.