Big Bang 2008

Got back yesterday at about 5pm from what was probably the best weekend we have spent at Santa Pod enjoying the "Big Bang 2008" (inc. Camper & Bus Show), if you haven't been before, it sort of feels like going to Bug Jam but minus the massive crowds (which is kind of a good thing as Bug Jam can be a bit intense at times, comparatively) and thankfully minus the mud this time...

Anyway, we set off quite late on Friday night (we both had to work, Flyingpops especially was a little later back than normal) so I busied myself packing the last few bits into Colin the Camper until she got back, got changed and then hopped into the driving seat...we pulled onto site and got all set up by about 11pm, went for a little walk around (only the significantly-smaller-than-Bug-Jam fun fare, dance tent, food stalls and bar were open), then came back and watched a movie on the Shinco, had a few drinks...woke up the next day (a little early as we hadn't put the window shields on quite correctly) to discover a glorious day -

- we made a spot of cooked breakfast (bacon and eggs for me scrambled eggs on toast for Flyingpops) -

- and then went for a little explore, noting that much of the camping was extremely spaced out (in stark contrast of Bug Jam also where every spare inch is crammed with campers/tents/sofas/rubbish/mud), had a poke around the autojumble -

- through the fun fair (which is on the camping side of the strip for this event) -

- and the catering area, now sporting a snazzy new gazebo style shelter attached to (and dwarfing) the bar -

- and then had a nice wander around the shops -










- checked out the lowering demonstration -


- and then noticed what looked like a couple of new attractions, the Racing Bug circuit (for the kids) -

- and the incredibly skilful (and scary) zero G bike team (who were bunny-hopping stupid distances and landing on broom-handle sized targets) -


- and then my knee started giving me some gyp, so we decided to rest it up by the strip for a while -




- for *once* a weekend of totally uninterrupted racing (cool), watched the Jet Beetle (that is now managing to run the strip without looking like it's going to either take-off or hit the wall) ;) -

- watched with building anticipation the new demo car -

- which unfortunately broke right before it's run, smiled at some (more) of the characters -


- and then we had an announcement that the governing body had issued a licence for the official qualifying to start that evening, so we watched more racing (teams gradually gaining in confidence and speed as they tried out their new tweaks and settings after the work over the winter months)-

- during this we popped down to the bar and had a beer and one of the excellent freshly made pizzas each and then that was pretty much the end of Saturday, back to Colin to curl up in the duvet and blankets snug as bugs in a rug (only stinging a little bit from sun burn)... ;)

More Later (still pics to go through), loads more are already on the Flickr Stream though (if you like this sort of thing)...

Update, pictures and write up of Sunday here...