Pateley Bridge 2018
When I set off for Pateley Bridge the weather was hot and sticky. I made the 30-mile drive in good time but the sky was looking increasingly dark and heavy.
Dave and Christine had arrived earlier and got the dinning shelter up. We quickly unloaded the jeep and started getting the big tent up. I was still dry but it was threatening rain. We then set about getting the Radio tent up. This was to be used for accommodation for Anna and the girls. Just as we put the last few pegs in the first drops of rain fell. This quickly turned into a deluge. It was at this point that I realised I had made a bad choice of clothing. I was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sandals. I had my uniform with me but nothing else. Adam and Dale arrived and got their kit stored in the big tent. Bill also arrived and set up his radio display shelter ready for the morning
The rain persisted for the rest of the evening. Anna the girls and I stayed at the camp while the rest ventured into Pateley to sample the local beer and food.
It was beginning to get chilly sitting under the dining shelter so an early bed, but not to sleep. I was woken at regular intervals by the torrential rain battering the tent. It was so loud that I couldn’t hear Christine trying to speak. I have spent many rainy nights under canvas over the years but I have never heard anything like this. You couldn’t even hear the Sarge snoring.
It was still raining at daybreak so Anna and the girls decided to break camp and go home. While they were getting organised I breakfasted and got into kit. Slowly the clouds began to clear and eventually the sun showed its face. We got the display sorted out and we were joined by Tim Shellcock and Chris Dennington. The public soon started to arrive and we had a busy day chatting and explaining the various bits of kit. The organisers provided meal tokens and a detail was sent off to gather the supplies. It was just a sandwich and a bag of crisps but more than most organises bother to provide. About 3.30 p.m. it began to cloud over and soon it was raining heavily. This stopped the flow of public and soon we were just standing in the rain chatting to each other. We got the display undercover and Chris and Tim set off for their respective homes. Once again a small party headed out for the highlights of a wet evening in Pateley Bridge.
It quickly got cold and I made an early retreat to the warmth of the relatively dry tent. Saturday night was much the same a Friday and again it was still raining at daybreak. Adam and Dale made an early departure. We breakfasted and waited for the weather to lift. After a while it became clear that the weather was set in for the day and there were no public about, so we reluctantly decided to call it a day. We then set about dismantling the camp but still leaving something to shelter under. We got the big tent down and I had to put the jeep under the dining shelter to load it and then get the canvas upon the jeep. All my kit was put in the radio tent and then the dining shelter was taken down. I had earlier let Anna know we were calling it a day and we only had a short wait in the rain before she turned up. We soon had the car loaded and then got the radio tent down and thrown on top of the big tent in the back of the jeep. I bet we look a right sorry sight. Goodbyes were quickly said and we were soon heading for home.
A good little show spoilt by the sudden return of the British weather.
