Knight Stainforth Here We Come

[PanBiker]

We have a fairly comprehensive medical kit as well Maz. Sally has one or two pills to pop each day and we have all the painkiller and other stuff but not the Imodium this time, although the kit does now, this new lot has two years on the use date. Not a common occurrence usually so they will also probably not see the light of day again. We also have a general First Aid kit in the car but that is more the bandage stuff but handy to have.

It was not the best weather but it was still nice to get away and the site came up to expectation. We always felt safe from a virus point of view by maintaining our own standards. Along with the measures mentioned above, probably the best that can be done on a shared camping site, all credit to the Maudsley's. I would have no problem in recommending the site for other campers. I will message Chris to thank him for the back door booking.

[Marilyn]

I check the medical kit before we go away, and check all “use by dates” because we are the same and don’t use anything much. Hubby needs the occasional Antacid and loads of bandaids, I need the occasional Paracetamol and Eye Drops. Regular medication needed every day is up to us to pack separately. Hubby is on a few heart meds, so he needs to count the days, pack accordingly and add a few for unexpected circumstances. Same with Diabetic meds. The “medical box” doesn’t cover such things...Aspirin, Paracetamol, Betadine, Bandaids, Gauze, Dressings , Ankle Strap,Immodium, etc ( general stuff that you hope will never be needed...think there is even an arm sling in there.) we have travelled in the Outback, so any comfort you can give to wounds etc are important. I also carry URAL, a urinary alkalinizer, ( who knows, you may need it and extremely relieving if you do!)Could be hundreds of miles until you find a doctor. I expect you lot can’t imagine going hundreds of kilometres to a doctor!

[plaques]

After an event like Ian's there is usually an inquest about the possible causes. Was it something I've just eaten, 4 to 6 hours is a common time lag, where have I been over the last three days. Only been to the supermarket is a common denominator and so on down the list of 'maybe's' and possibilities. The problem now it could have been much more serious and an event like this brings it into sharp focus.

[Marilyn]

I am very proud to say, that even with hydration salts included in my “kit”, it is still only the size of a generous lunch box. I’m very good at getting lots into spaces provided. Popped into the back of a cupboard, takes up no space at all, and we forget about it until we need it. Peace of mind. Can’t deal with real carnage, but does us well.
I also carry gloves in the front of the van, in case we come across a road accident, to protect ourselves if we need to give assistance. I recently popped some face masks in too, due to current conditions.

[Marilyn]

Yes Plaques, 6 hours for a gastro attack seems to be the magic number....so what did you eat for dinner, Panbiker?

[PanBiker]

Some rather nice chips from Hellifield chip shop which we noticed was open on our way up. Straight from the fryer, served by visored chip lady to only Sally in the shop. After that is was a small tin of beans on toast after we had pitched camp. Hands washed before preparation so should not have caused the Armageddon. Something obviously went wrong but it's now history, peace restored reasonably quickly but miserable at the time of course. Always look on the bright side. The evacuation and physical activity of setting up and taking down camp has shed 3lbs off my weight, winner.

On the issue of doctors and medics being hundreds of miles away. We also have the benefit of being able to summon a medical professional to come to us if push comes to shove.

[Marilyn]

Did you only drink water that you had taken from home, or were you on Caravan Park Water? ( I try to stick to water carried from home. Impossible on long trips, but I seek out the purest source I can for drinking water).

[PanBiker]

Park drinking water from the service pole next to the tent. A tap is available for each electrical hookup for Motorhomes etc. Only had it boiled in brews.

[Marilyn]

Possibly your source from lack of use...but more likely from something you touched and lack of hand washing. Easily done, my friend. Can’t be to careful these days....
My stepson had a dreadful result from a pie he bought from a petrol station.

[PanBiker]

I only buy pies from proper pie shops. Anyway it's history now, fortunately. At the time I wasn't concerned with analysing the output just controlling it on the way to the loo.

Not recommended as slimming aid but it does the job.

[chinatyke]

At the time I wasn't concerned with analysing the output just controlling it on the way to the loo.

Especially when you've got a cough.

Today's tip: Never take laxatives and sleeping tablets together!

[Stanley]

That doesn't bear thinking about China! Thankfully I need neither!
Mention of this subject brings two instances to mind, First customer in a London Train buffet on Monday morning for a bacon butty and the one I got tasted a bit funny. It must have been left over and I paid later. Second is of course the NAFFI meat pie at Wavell Barracks in 1955. Again, early customer and it tasted peculiar. That was the one that nearly killed me and the doctors said it had the lot in it the most serious being Botulism. By rights they said I should have died.
Point is that with hindsight you may be able to guess, in my case we were fairly sure, but often it's just one of those million to one chances. We are under attack all the time and in my experience in the domestic situation it is always due to something from outside. You get immunised to your own biosphere even if there are nasties in there.
Apart from the botulism, my next worst was water from a fresh water tank in Oz that had a dead mouse in it. That one I carried across to the US and it was a zinger!
Glad you are recovering Ian, now wash your hands.

[chinatyke]

Years ago, I had a neighbour who was an analyst in a laboratory at Yorkshire Water in Bradford. He used to go on home visits to collect samples when people complained of poor quality or contaminated water. The first thing he did was to sterilise the tap before taking samples. He said the usual cause of infections was from the faucets especially on farms. One of his comments was how do you sterilise a plastic tap without contaminating the sample?
He said animals (rodents, cattle, cats, pigeons, etc) falling into water tanks were a common source of contamination as the first thing they do is defecate in the water.
I'd be very suspicious of the tap on a camping site, especially if it hadn't been used for a while.

[Stanley]

That's why every morning the first stage of my Sink Fairy routine is to immerse the exit from the mixer tap in boiling water and bleach solution China. People don't realise they get contaminated by splash back.

[Wendyf]

Our spring water had to be tested every 3 years by the council because more than one household shared the spring. It was badly contaminated and we quickly put in a filter and UV light, but people had been happily drinking it for years! The underground storage tanks had rotting wood covers which the sheep liked to sit on. Col cleaned them out, put concrete slabs on to replace the old timber and fenced them off but it didn't make a huge difference!

[Stanley]

Wendy, when I was on Harrods Farm we were on well water and it was only 5 yards from an open midden into which our faeces dropped each day. Looking back I have the same thoughts about you and the spring. All I can surmise is that we became tuned in to whatever microbes were in the water. I don't remember any of us having any trouble. Mind you, I can't remember ever drinking water straight from the well, it was always boiled for hot drinks. But that still leaves things like washing your hands in the cold water straight from the tank I pumped full every morning.

[Wendyf]

I think that as both Ian and Sally came down with coughs and sore throats it's likely that Ian's diarrhoea was his body's reaction to the virus/bacteria that caused the cough rather than a stomach bug.

[Stanley]

I can believe that, when I had botulism the doctors told me that it wasn't the actual botulism that killed you but the compounds your body produced as part of the immune response and unfortunately some of them can be poisons.

[PanBiker]

Well his has provided a rich seam of information in a camping thread. Now't wrong with that of course, my cough is continuing to improve and even the steam in my hot shower didn't trigger any great coughing fits so I am on the mend.

On the camping front I took the opportunity of a bit of a breezy but dry afternoon to clean the tent footprint. Taken up when it was wet it was proper clouted up with muck on the bottom. No cars on the back street so I spread it out 4.5 x 2.5m and anchored it at one end with one of Sally's plant pots. Got the hose and brush out and gave it a swill. Flipped it over and did the other side as well. Fun bit was getting it over our two washing lines in the back yard to let it blow for a while, got a bit damp doing that.

I gave it bash to shake off as much water as I could then left it for an hour while I had a brew. Took it back off the line and out into the street to fold it up. It was a bit breezy and the size of it was bit much for one to manage. Its normally folded from flat on the ground and while its still pegged in places. Luckily a couple came along the back street and the gent helped me fold it back to a manageable size. It's back in it's bag now but not properly folded to fit, no worries it has to be deployed again when we dry the tent, hopefully later today. I'll fold it properly to fit the bag then.

[Tripps]

Each to his own I suppose, but I can't help thinking of the old joke-

First prize a week's camping at Knight Stainforth, second prize - two weeks.

Not for me I'm afraid.

[PanBiker]

That's quite cruel to Chris and the rest of the Maudsley family who run the site who have put a lot of effort into reopening their award winning campsite to visitors under very challenging circumstances. I would take second prize any day, as you say each to their own.

Knights Stainforth

KS - Facebook

[Tripps]

That's quite cruel to Chris

Not intended to be - just cruel to camping.

[Stanley]

We once went there for a day and paid for parking and access to the river. Could have been the same farm. I went for a swim in the river and had a sore throat after.
Glad your cough is getting better. I'm with David on camping in general, I like my home comforts to much!

[PanBiker]

The river bank does not belong to the farm it is a separate private property but with common right of access. I first camped there over 50 years ago when Chris and Paul's parents ran it. It was one big field then but still with gated access to the Ribble and river bank.

[Stanley]

Perhaps we just paid for parking.