As a consolation prize for my lost trip to Spain (it would be two years to Spain in a row), I have booked two campsites in England. The first is near Rutland Water and the second in the Derbyshire Peak district. Both seem nice quiet places and in one – if not both I can’t seem to remember (anything) – I have some adults only space.

I leave tomorrow lunchtime and first stop will be Waitrose in Stamford where I will stock up on dinner, and hopefully cold wine which will stay cold, and breakfast – ground coffee for my expresso machine and something very sweet to go with it. The weather over the weekend is set to be cool and showery.

For this trip I have really cut back and replaced stuff to travel lighter and I have packed for two panniers and no top box. The whole kit including camping weighs 11.5 kgs. Because the trip is short I’m not taking a laptop and charger. Big weight and space savers have been a much smaller pack tent, smaller waterproof gear (nice Klim stuff now not used since I bought it) a very small Protools set of tools instead of an over specified load of spanners in a nice but bulky Kreiga tool roll, far lighter clothes and shoes, Kindle instead of a pile of paperbacks (shame). Tankbag does carry some extra stuff.

Here is the stuff on my bedroom floor.