Day 3
Charlton Village and Climping Beach
Traveling to Porthmadog Wales

Photos
Charlton, West Sussex (Terror of the Zygons location)
Climping Beach (Terror of the Zygons location)



Still a bit weary from the marathon of the previous day I rose from my comfy bed early, a bit sore, but excited by the scheduled events. With Carlton village, Climping Beach, Brighton Beach and the Drive to Porthmadog Wales all on the plate for today it is going to be a test of endurance. Unfortunately Matt had a previous commitment that could not be missed so was not going to be able to be with us for the morning's journeys. We would have to zip through Dorking that afternoon to pick him up on our way to Wales.

I hunched my back and cricked my neck and jumped in the shower. Not sure what time Matt had to leave for his appointment, and not wanting to be in the way when he did, I moved as fast as I could in the small rain locker. Matt was up, dressed and out of the house in a flash, zooming off on his motorcycle leaving Sarah and I to watch a bit of the Masque of Mandragora with our coffee and tea. Sarah made me some toast with "Marmite" on it. I've never had anything like it. Salty, Savory, Beefy, quite a different taste then the sweet jams and jellies I'm accustom to. Simon arrived in the Vectra to pick us up so we three adventures are off for another day of Doctor Who sights.

The traffic on the roads was a little heavier then the previous day so there was more time for me to take in the sights along the roadsides. The narrow winding roads made for some great viewing but I'm glad I didn't have to drive. Simon was the Pilot today and Sarah the Navigator with me continuing in my station as the tourist. Roads barely as wide as the car and traffic expected to go in both directions on it; I am amazed that people get anywhere. But get there we did.

Click for a larger viewWe arrived at the Village of Charlton in West Sussex, a shooting location for Terror of the Zygons that was used to impersonate a village on the Scottish coast. There were expensive cars all over the place, they were parked everywhere. Stretch Limos, Jaguars, Mercedes, you name it. "It must be a wedding party", Sarah speculated out loud. "Just my luck", I replied. Simon found a nice parking spot just across from the "The Fox Goes Free Pub" (Fox Inn) and we jumped out. There were two helicopters buzzing about in the air and cars parked everywhere. "Something must be going on!", proclaimed Simon, "There must be".

Click for a larger viewWe walked the familiar roads that we have seen many times before on the show, admiring the green country scenery. Pointing and shouting as we found the recognizable landmarks. The old bus wooden shelter was still there, though it appeared to not have been used in quite some time. Sarah and I braved the bugs and spider webs and went inside for a photo. Some of the cars were starting to leave and the pub looks a bit more accessible so we wander over and Sarah did her interpretation of Harry Sullivan coming out the pub door.

Click for a larger viewThe three of us went in the pub for a look around and to see if we could get a bite to eat. Simon asked around to see if he could find out what was going on to cause such a stir in the area. He returned and announced "Goodwood!" What is "Goodwood?", I responded with a puzzled look. "A Racecourse". The Goodwood Racecourse is apparently just a few miles away and we have arrived during a horseracing week. The lunch break for the pony set must have been over because the crowds vanished from the pub and we were left with a few locals hanging about the bar.

Click for a larger viewWe ordered our lunch and found a table next to the fireplace, among the low hanging beams, wing back leather chairs and five-foot high doorways. My lunch, Sausage Egg and Chips was great. The sausage was much tastier then the variety I got at Aldbourne, a more pronounced spicy flavor and a snap in the casing when you took a bite. It even came with a proper bottle of HP sauce. One of the best meals I had on the trip. (Sarah's home made chops were the only thing better) After the meal we head out side and take a few more photos now that many of the cars have gone that were obscuring our views before. Rounding out the location visit with a stroll down the lanes and a visit to the Red phone box. Satisfied we have done what we set out to do we pile into the Vectra and say goodbye to Charlton and head for the next location, Climping Beach.

Click for a larger viewClimping Beach is another location from Terror of the Zygons, where Harry finds the dead man. When we arrived it was a bit windy with few people about. There was a small trailer selling snacks and taking the parking fees. We scaled the 15-foot hill to the concrete wall that ran the length of the stone beach. Sarah felt obliged to go to the water and touch it for some reason. I just wandered about taking a few photos and Simon seemed to be everywhere. One second Simon was next to Sarah and I, the next second he was barely visible 150 yards down the shore. Climping is an easy location to visit but not much to see. If you are in the area it's definitely worth a stop.

It was already early afternoon and we haven't made it to Brighton Beach yet (one of my must see locations) and we still have to drive to Porthmadog tonight. We held an impromptu meeting and decided that we would have to forgo Brighton Beach if we were going to make our Bed and Breakfast reservations in Wales. We would have to see if we could fit it in a later day, after Wales and Longleat. We called Matt and he was home waiting on us so we pointed the Vectra toward Dorking and sped off to pick him up.

With our fourth adventurer back aboard, the car restocked with enough supplies and luggage to last the next two days, we set a course for the Coast of Snowdonia in Wales. Simon retained the Pilot station and Matt took over as Navigator. Sarah got the unenviable position as the road sign spotter trying to keep the navigator informed on where we were. I again was the lump in the back seat that asked all the stupid questions. I introduced everyone to the children's car game "Punch Buggy" as we entertained ourselves on the ride. Spot a VW Beatle car first and you get to punch someone in the arm. (It's fun if you're a kid).

After several hours of merriment on the road we were all feeling a bit ravenous and could use a food break. We spotted a Little Chef restaurant just as we crossed the boarder into Wales. For those that are not familiar with the Little Chef chain (I was not) it is much like an Ihop or Dennys. The place was empty except for a mother and two kids at a far table so we picked a place by the window so we could watch the sun go down. The menu had a moderate selection of standard roadside food. Lots of burgers and fries and egg and potato dishes. The waitress came over, gave us a big nervous smile and said, "We are out of a few things". We all look surprised and she went on "The Chips are off, there is no Pizza or BBQ Chicken Wings. If you want a big burger we are out of that but we can do it with two regular meat paddies instead. What would you like?". It was very difficult to not bust out laughing right in her face. We restrained ourselves long enough to make an order but the moment the poor girl was gone we just roared with laughter. All in all the meal was a nice break from the drive and I got a couple of bags of jelly babies on the way out for the ride to come.

Click for a larger viewThe weather changed completely while we were in the Little Chef, it is now dark cold and raining. The remainder of the drive to the B & B was a bit nerve racking and Simon had one heck of a driving challenge. But he did manage to get us there just at 11:00 pm, in time for the landlady to let us in and show us to our rooms. Dog tired and ready for bed we planned for an 8:00am gathering at the breakfast room the next day. I retired to my room and noshed on a few jelly babies and watched Red Dwarf on the TV before falling asleep.

|  Back to Day 2   |   On to Day 4  |

Photos from the days events
Charlton, West Sussex (Terror of the Zygons location)
Climping Beach (Terror of the Zygons location)

 


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