Out & About July 2017

23 / 68

There were a sprinkling of headstones
surrounding the church, but no large graveyard,
which did take the edge off the spookiness of
the adventure.
In all of the promotional literature, the
champing team boasts how the sun shone
every day that someone champed last year
and the trend continued for us.
It was around 6pm on a glorious spring day by
now and we needed to collect the key from The
Coach and Horses, a 16th-century pub just a
few hundred metres along the country lane.
We headed down there and sat in the garden
to eat a delicious dinner, while the sun
shone and our daughters zig-zagged their
cartwheeling selves around the grass.
With the huge and heavy key now acquired,
it was time to head back to the church and
although it was getting late, being May it was
still light, which made things a little easier once
we were inside the ancient building.
Adding to the novelty value of our night away,
you had to put the key into the large wooden
door upside down to get in. That bit was
comparatively easy – trying to work out which
way to put the key in and turn it to lock the door
from inside, however, took slightly longer.
After a good explore, which included taking
it in turns to have our say from the pulpit and
discovering a stash of additional pillows, loo
rolls and hot chocolate, we made up our beds
for the night.
It was unearthing the hot chocolate that
relaxed daughter two, as she proudly produced
it and told me: “I was a bit nervous at first
mummy, but now I feel very welcome here.”
Every champer is provided with a camp bed
thankfully, as the solid stone floors didn’t look
the most comfortable place to lay your head for
the night.
New this year, the local ChampBot as they are
called (a friendly local helper to me and you)
can provide a freshly-laundered pillow and
incredibly warm sleeping bag for an additional
£25 per person. Or you can just bring your own
bedding, which is exactly what we did.
Beds made up in a row down the aisle we
donned our pyjamas, cracked open the wine
for the adults, and sat playing Silly Sausage in
the camping chairs that were set up around a
small table on a wooden balcony looking down
on to the pews.
The CCT is vocal in its encouragement of wine
consumption during your champ – you can
even pre-order a bottle or two t– so who were
we to disappoint?
There was no running water in the church,
but there was a large water cooler, which
daughters one and two sipped out of their
plastic wine glasses.
On the balcony, we discovered the church’s
only light and a ladder into the clock tower.
We also found out that the clock still worked,
chiming every hour; albeit 10 minutes early.
There were a number of battery-operated
candles and wind up camping lamps too and
these provided ambient light for family games.
They also lit the way down to the vestry and
its ChampLav. This is an eco-loo that requires
no plumbing, water or sewage outlet, which
is pretty perfect for a very old church in the
middle of the countryside. Top tip – everyone
has to sit down to spend a penny, even the
men, otherwise things can get messy.
Cooking is not allowed in the churches,
although they are looking at the possibility
of barbecues at some of the larger sites in
the future, but snacks are permitted and we
munched on cupcakes and crisps, trying not to
leave too many crumbs for the church mice.
As the sun slowly set behind the high stained
glass windows and the girls started yawning,
we headed back down the small, rickety
wooden staircase, discussing who would 
23
we can create your perfect bathroom
C O N T E M P O R A R Y I C L A S S I C
I N D U L G E N T I I N V I G O R A T I N G
01635 37810
28a Pound Street Newbury RG14 6AA
V G Furnishings
The Curtain Specialists
We specialise in the complete home advisory service
Beautiful Curtains at Reasonable Prices
All of our curtains are individually hand made to the heading of your choice.
Pelmets,Valances, Swags &Tails are designed to your specification.
• Free Measuring Service
• Free Estimates
• Free Expert Advice
• Full Professional Fitting Service
• Blinds – Roller,Venetian,Vertical &Wood
• Velux Blinds Supplier
• Re-upholstery Service
• Contract Fire Retardant Curtains
OFFERING AN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF FABRICS, INCLUDING:
• Colefax & Fowler • Osborne & Little
• Sanderson • Romo • Jane Churchill • Zoffany
• Designers Guild • Blendworth • GP J Baker
• Malabar • Prestigious •Wemyss • Abraham Moon
• Vanessa Arbuthnott • The Isle Mill
email:
24 Church Gate,Thatcham, Berkshire RG19 3PN
01635 867804