More often than not it seems my birthday falls on the bank holiday weekend (I’m sure that’s not technically correct but don’t work it out for me!). So you’d think that I’d be prepared for one thing and that thing is rain, I’ve had more wet birthdays than I can remember.

Omens were not good as our wheels hit the drive at Sandringham Camping and Caravan club to an accompanying rumble of thunder. Our camping neighbours confidently claimed it would “blow over” just before it went dark as night and this:

Despite many happy years of tent camping I offered a silent prayer of thanks for the wonder of having Bernice as we shut the door on it and put the kettle on.

Weather aside the campsite is a lovely spot in the grounds of Sandringham Country Park. It’s busy, pricier and manicured in the typical “Camping and Caravan Club” way but hey, I like a clean, heated shower block as much as the next person. It’s attractive and wooded with some nice little quirks like occasional wood sculptures and a pretty garden with an insect hotel. There’s a shop for the essentials and the staff are friendly and helpful.

For short campers there’s two playgrounds and a natty noughts and crosses set with stones painted as ladybirds and bumblebees. We requested to be near the playground and virtually had our front wheels touching it which made for a noisy but effectively child-free two days.

Don’t worry, the site is big enough to also be far away from the playground if that is your wish…

The only disappointment on the site is the lack of commitment to recycling. All rubbish gets put in together, the staff at reception said it gets sorted at the plant “allegedly”.

When the storm abated we navigated the lake which had formed outside Bernice and opted for the fish and chip supper option, a local van visits the site regularly. Although the chips are excellent, this is not an option for the hungry. We ordered our chips at 6.10pm and finally picked them up at 7.45pm.

The long wait did mean there was plenty of time for queue chat, how others’ tents had fared in the rain,  are caravans better than camper vans (obviously not…) and what IS a trailer tent?? We also picked up some great tips for activities for the following day.