Campsite in Purbeck

Sheep on the Field

2009-01-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

This is a , not very good, short video clip of the sheep and their lambs that are at present grazing on Tom's Field. My first effort at doing this so perhaps it will be better soon. I do not know what the curious black spot is that suddenly appears.

Happy New Year

2009-01-07T12:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all, I have neglected this blog for a very long time, I don't know where the time has gone. Now it feels as though all is waking up as there have been lots of emails about the new season.
Work is underway on the site. We are re-vamping the 'laundry' room This is a room with a couple of sinks for clothes washing, it has the boiler in and sometimes people wash babies in here as it gets lovely and warm.
There is lots more painting and tiling going on and the winter sheep are on the fields munching the grass so it will be in good condition for the start of the season. Good for the sheep and good for us!
We plan to have some more workshops in the summer. These will include Feltmaking and RSPB [ The Royal Society for Protection of Birds]

2008-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

It is a long time since did an entry on this blog, events always seem to overtake in July and August. It has been a disappointing summer, lots of greyness and plenty of rain.
This month we had some creative workshops.
On a particularly wet day we had Butterfly and Moth Event, this was very popular and many children had an opportunity to make a butterfly and to see the contents of a moth trap. All moths were back in their own environment after the event! Then we had two art workshops one on Papier Mache and one about Creating with Driftwood where the children made some marvellous creatures from driftwood and paint.

Solar Water System

2008-06-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

June. At last the solar water heating system is finished and is working! Well there are some finishing touches but it is actually heating the water. This was John's great idea to use the old Nissen hut roof structure and many coils of hose piping, some old water tanks etc, etc. Will post the whole story soon.

May Again!

2008-05-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it is May already. It is such a long time since I put anything on the blog. This is because first I was ill for the first few months of the year and then when I was nicely recovered John had some health problems.
Jo is managing the site now and doing a great job.
In the winter months I have been putting together a small book about the origins of Tom's Field Campsite and a memory of Tom. This will be on sale soon from the shop soon.
Extract here

New Year

2008-01-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the end of January, it has been so wet! The sheep have arrived and will graze the site for a few weeks . They have a lot of work to do to get it all in trim before we open!

Memory of Half Term

2007-11-11T03:11:00.000-08:00

Well, what a beautiful week at Tom’s. The weather was glorious, hot enough for tee-shirts and shorts. Was this August? No, the October half-term. Every year we love our week in October, often we are some of the last campers (except for those hardy soles who use the walker’s barn) to leave. This year the weather was better than most of the 2 weeks we spent at Tom’s in August.

So what other memories do we have to tide us over the winter until we can camp at Tom’s next year? The badger finishing off the dog food and snuffling around noisily under our camper van, stealing our crockery if we don’t put bricks on the cover of the washing up bowl and taking out the kid’s balls from under the camper. Wonderful walks in the autumn sunshine with colours more spectacular than in the summer. Fishing on the pier, Pete being bitten by a ragworm and Nick beating Pete narrowly in the annual total catch of fish. The rabbits sitting just feet away from the camper watching Mollie the Collie through the window whilst Mollie sees the rabbits as her version of live TV! The kids snuggling in their sleeping bags to watch DVDs on the lap-top as the evenings become dark so much earlier. Cooking hearty meals that warm up the camper as well as it’s occupants. Mollie sleeping on the bed as a useful free source of heat. The blackbird sitting on the wing mirror of the camper and serenading us with it’s song. Sharing a packet of chips on Swanage sea-front and savouring every last one of the vinegary morsels. Nick and Becky attempting to finish off all of the ice-cream in the shop’s freezer. Sharing crumbs with chaffinches at the National Trust Cafe at Studland whilst Mollie has her last bath of the year in the sea. Lovely warm showers at the campsite. Wearing sandals all week (in October!).

So many lovely memories to keep us in touch with Tom’s until next year. Thank you all for another year of memories of Tom’s Field and Dorset. We will be back (not sure if that is a promise or a threat!!). Love to all, a Happy Christmas and New Year to you all and the wish for good weather next year.

From Sandie Belcher

The end of the season

2007-11-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Once again the season has come to an end. This week we closed the gates until mid March. At some point we will get some sheep in to graze the fields during the winter.
The winter works start again soon and the completion of the solar water system should happen soon!
Purbeck Film Festival was a great success, John and I went to see Scott of the Antarctic on a particularly cold evening and the heater had broken down. A brilliant film but unrelentingly grim.
Here is a picture taken on Swanage Beach last week in the evening.
On another note we took a granddaughter riding for a birthday present. We went to Studland Stables. Very friendly and helpful to complete novices

The end of summer?

2007-08-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Bank Holiday was wonderful in Swanage. The weather was glorious and everyone seemed to be having a great time on packed beaches.

On Monday John and I went on a Butterfly and Moth walk at Durlston Country Park.
Very interesting, we learned a lot. Durlston is a lovely place to visit with a great deal going on

Bank Holiday weekend

2007-08-24T14:12:00.001-07:00

Bank Holiday weekend and lovely weather, there is an air of celebration on the site exemplified by this lovely decorated tent, it is actually the baby's birthday and it looked wonderful in the sunlight.
It will be sad to say goodbye to all the people who have been here through the school holidays, only one week before most return to school.
Meanwhile it is busy and bright and seems a long way from the muddied days a few weeks ago

Leo's Sponsored Walk

2007-08-16T02:18:00.000-07:00

The other day Leo, who has been staying with his family at Tom's Field through August, had the idea to do a sponsored walk. Leo is only 7 years old but he drew a poster and collected a lot of sponsors from the campsite. He did the walk on Sunday with his mum walking from Durlston via Dancing Ledge, Winspit to Worth Matravers. He raised over £130.00 for the Life Boats in Swanage.

Solar Water System

2007-08-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

At last, John has started the long held plan of making a solar powered water system using the large area of the Nissen Hut. Here seen with Greg making a start. Will it work? We'll see!!
The weather is lovely at present the soggy field seems a long way off.

Campsite crossstitch

2007-08-05T04:18:00.001-07:00

One of our customers brought in this cross stitch picture. She had been inspired by the whole stitch process that we had talked about and incorporated various aspects of Purbeck and camping into this original piece of work.

August

2007-08-05T04:07:00.000-07:00

What a difference a week makes. The fields are dry, the sun is shining it has been a lovely end to the carnival week. The fireworks were spectacular last evening.

I have kept meaning to say thank you to the people who brought a Rosemary plant for the 'growing' herb garden. It is a lovely contribution so thanks.

John and I walked up to the obelisk at Ulwell this morning, the fields were alive with butterflies and glowing with so many wild flowers

Sunshine again!

2007-07-31T05:02:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 31st July
What a difference, it is glorious once more at Tom's and busy as it is Carnival Week in Swanage.
Blue, blue skies such a difference to last week

More Rain

2007-07-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today is very strange as we are not able to take any more campers today due to the WEATHER. The fields are claggy, spongy from the rain. However John has bought some special fabric after consulting the highways authority and had about 20 ton of crushed stone delivered from the quarry. Jerry, the builder, and his teamhave been working most of the day spreading this over the entrance to the Family Field and the top track.
Tom always said 'you wait 'til you get a wet August' fingers crossed!!
Tomorrow is the start of Carnival Week in Swanage.

Still wet on the fields

2007-07-27T03:18:00.001-07:00

Friday July 27th 2007
It is still very soggy and we are limiting admissions at present.

Surving the Deluge

2007-07-26T05:04:00.000-07:00

We have some very wet weather , like so many places, and send our best wishes to those in the flooded areas that are having to put uo with so much discomfort.
Here, at Tom's Field, we still have many stalwart campers who are making the most of this dismal weather. We are lucky being high and draining off quite quickly but we still have had to monitor movements of vehicles and have seen a colourful display of wellingtons. We have reccommended some very local attractions to fill in a wet hour or so including the lvely little museum in Langton Matravers and the Putlake Adventure Farm both very close by.

A Wet August?

2007-07-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

We hope it isn't going to be a wet August! Tom always said ' you waqit until you have a wet August'
However even though the weather has been awful through out the country and here in Dorset, there have still been lots of hardy campers. Today was a lovely day, sometimes Purbeck has a little micro climate so let us keep ouf fingers crossed.

The Sheep Sculpture Arrived

2007-06-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

The sheep sculpture arrive last week on mid summers day and was received with due ceremony.
It was carved by Val Quinn, who lives in Langton Matravers, is made from Portland Stone.
It sits very comfortably on a stone slab looking out across the field near the entrance to the campsite.

2007-06-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Summer is with us again, the fields are once flowering with tents. We have had a few changes, the new Ladies showers and the development of the Stone Room. These were the main activities in the winter. Now the Stone Room is being well used already. I am in the midst of writing a history of the site and camping in general. This is proving to be very interesting.
Can't believe it is only 6 weeks until the school holidays!

Our Camping Trip

2006-09-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well, John and I have just returned from our own camping trip in Devon, just a couple of nights at Kingsbridge where the site we found coincidentally was also sporting the Green Tourism Silver Plaque. we had a great time as the site was simple and rural like Tom's field. we were in fact the only people there so had the toilet block to ourselves!The weather was wonderful and the treat was being able to go to the house for breakfast.
We were in our little 2 person tent that has been around the world and withstood beautifully a torrential downpour on Sat. night . The trouble is that notwithstanding all the great developments in camping gear no-one has invented something to help oldies get out quickly from the tent at 3.00 am to answer the call of nature.
It reminds us, though, of the doubtful delights of waking to dew soaked shoes , lost tea bags and sodden matches and that is why we have a camp site!

September Mists

2006-09-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, saturday, was amazingly wet. The first truly wet day for weeks if not months. Not only was it wet but extremely windy. We were still busy but there was the mass exodus today. This is only to be expected as we are now in September and all the big tents are gone taking the children back to school.
We wander about looking, quite sadly, at the yellowy patches where people have stayed - sometimes for many weeks. It is sad to say goodbye to old friends and new.

Today, before the sun came out, there was a mist from the sea.
Still we are open for another 8 weeks and then the GREAT WINTER WORKS begins

Art in the Field

2006-08-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here a family spend time with the children printing with leaves found on the site. This is in the corner of the Family Field. There is no formal play area on the site but the children all seem to have a good time. A favourite is the 20p balsa wood aeroplane that has been price held for 14 years! I think it may have to be 25p next year!!

Summer Time

2006-08-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Now it is in the depth of the school holidays, it has been busy and hot for many weeks It is great to see the familiar faces of the many, many people who have visited Tom's Field over all the years we have had the campsite and many new people to welcome too. The managers this year,Jean and Colin 'have coped wonderfully with the many and varied events and incidents that always occur including our continued 'greening'
We have stopped buying plastic bags for the shopping and have purchased quantities of plain cotton carriers. I have been printing some of these with a hand made block in an interesting green. The picture was taken the other day when wandering around the site but sums up the lovely casual feel of the summer time

2006-07-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

It is now nearly August. The fields are crowded with the great summer tents like crinoline clad ladies. The sounds of children echo around the site. The weather has been scorching hot. For the past few weeks. The land around is a delicate straw colour.

Sad news is that the ginger cat that has been around the site for many years, but we do not know the owner or where it went in the winter, has now died .

Good news , we have been awarded a SILVER AWARD in the Green Tourism Business Scheme.
Wew are delighted about this as it relates to the huge efforts we are making about re-cycling.

July

2006-07-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to relise that it is nearly the school summer holidays. The weather has been wonderful for the last few weeks, today it has been rainy and with such a thick mist that it was hard to see from one end of the site to the other !
Work on the re-construction of 'The Pigsty' has progressed. This will make overnight accomodation for 2 people. Originally this was a stone quarrying banker and then really was a pigsty. Soon it will be a styish stone tent!

Blackbirds Nesting

2006-05-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

A blackbird has made it's nest in a very unusual place, in the gas cage on top of a Calor Gas Bottle
It seems perfectly happy there .
The weather has been dreary and windy but the site is looking good and the May tree outside the shop is about to burst into bloom

May

2006-05-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

May is so beautiful at Tom's Field. The blackthorn is in bloom, there are buttercups and daisies on the fields and although it gets busier at the weekends the weekdays are quiet with a sprinkling of contented campers exploring the Purbecks.
The latest additions include a new cool cabinet, this is a great event for us in the shop as since the old one finally died last October the managers Jean and Colin have had to supply the campers from a specially designed ecofridge.
The Dry Garden has been planted. We already had a selection of thymes but with a view to preserving water we are planting a whole selection of herbs and other drought tolerant plants including lavenders, rosemary, basil etc and the idea is that when the plants have properly established people may be able to have a small cutting to add to meals.

Post Easter

2006-04-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

A very busy weekend. Mainly fine though with some rain at times. All visitors seemed to enjoy themselves and no disasters.
We have started to stock the shop up more and have papers at the weekends. There is no point in having them during the week yet as there are still few people about .
We are entering into the most magical time at Tom's Field. The time when every thing looks so lovely. The blossom will be out in a couple of weeks on the May trees outside the shop and the managers caravan. Colin did the first grass cut of the season. the Lazaron battery man is very happy as he retires at the end of the season. We bought lots of sun cream today. we had one of the new Cath Kidson flowered tents on site at the weekend. I don't know what Tom would have thought. By the way his house is up for sale for £5oo.000!

Nearly Easter

2006-04-04T14:26:00.000-07:00

Every thing is changing. Spring is at last on the way. There are tents on the fields and the daffodils are out all along the entrance way. However after some dramatically wet weekends the fields are still claggy although not too bad, we are very lucky in having fields that drain quickly.
Preparations are under way for the Easter holidays. We are ordering supplies, cleaning, painting repairing.
The terrace outside the shop is about to be planted with thymes,rosemary,various herbs and lavenders. We are developing a dry garden and abandoning the hanging basket that we have had each year since 1994. This is in recognition of the need to preserve water but also we hope our visitors will be able to have some fresh grown herbs with their suppers in the summer!

Easterly Winds

2006-03-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

Easterlies have prevailed since we opened, it has been bitterly cold but there have been a few stalwart campers all the while.
Preparations continue on the site with the hope that Spring will arrive. The daffodils have remained tightly closed, still they shouild be wonderful by Easter.

2006-03-12T23:27:00.000-08:00

We are now open. it has been a very cold start. Much of the country has experienced heavy snow falls. There were less people than usual at the weekend, not surprisingly!, 2 motorvans and 2 small tents. The Walkers Barn was full with some scuba divers one of whom had forgotten her wet suit. by the end of Sunday no one was left on site. The new gents showers are finished and shiny bright. What a difference to Tom's day and that first season we opened in 1993 when we were battling against piles of rubbish in every part of the site.

Two weeks until we open!

2006-02-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe how the winter is nearly over and we will be opening on Friday March 10th.
There are still piles of rubble around from the alterations to the gents showera. These are looking good although there is a good deal of painting left to do. It always looks chaotic in the winter.
We found one of the sheep upside down in a ditch the other day, literally with it's legs sticking up into the air! We had to heave the poor ,surprised thing over onto it's side and then it struggled upright, cast us a baleful look and carried on munching.
The sheep will leave us soon and the fields are returned, freshly chewed, to our expectant campers.

Winter days

2006-01-23T01:59:00.000-08:00

January 23rd 2006
The Walkers Barn remains well used through the winter particularly at weekends. This facility has 3 individual, small bunk rooms. There is a single top bunk and a double one below. There are 2 toilet cubicles, 2 hand basin and 2 shower cubicles and a small cooking and eating area. There is some background heating but not a lot so people bring plenty to keep themselves very warm at this time of the year.
The Walkers Barn was developed from an old Nissen Hut that had been on the site since the war.
It is insulated and provides ideal shelter for walkers doing the South West Coast Path and for climbers and for the odd night for visitors to the locality.

January 2006

2006-01-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year
It is pretty chaotic at Tom's Field at present.
We are in the midst of the winter works. This year we are completely refurbishing the Gents shower room. This will look very smart when we have finished. The builders are hard at this work and the completion of the new ceilings throughout the toilet block.
There are huge piles of rubble around but it will all be clear for mid March when we open for business
There are 5 sheep on the fields through the winter and their job is to munch through the grass and provide our spring campers with neatly 'mown' site. Sometimes they do not work hard at all and can be found sitting around in the weak January sunshine.

Wednesday. 22 December 2005

2005-12-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

Today I walked around the empty site on a warm winter afternoon as the dusk was settling in about 4.00pm. The sheep were munching happily on the longish grass. They have a lot to get through before March! They act as ecological mowers through the winter.
All was peaceful and beautiful as the sun sank behind the Purbeck Hills.

Memories

2005-12-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

While thinking of the death of Tom I am thinking there may be people who read this who have their own recollections of Tom. Please send them in.

2005-12-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

Enjoying the delights of fishing in Swanage Bay on a beautiful summer day

Out of Season

2005-12-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

This is mostly going to be all about the amazing place called Toms Field Campsite in the beautiful Isle of Purbeck.
There will news and developments and some history.
We were sad this year when Tom Bower died. It was he who had ,with his father and mother, made Toms Field what it is today. We came along 12 years ago and tried to keep the spirit of the place but also needing to update for todays campers.