words by Williams

Pitch envy - who even knew that was a thing? We didn’t, until we got it.

We’re on a private touring park just outside Paignton in Devon, which we booked through the pitchup website.

The original pitch we were allocated was fine - ‘standard’ hardstanding - it had its own mains electricity supply and shared drinking water and grey (washing up, showers but definitely not loos) water. And it was flat.

Setting up was like moving into a cul-de-sac where the neighbours were welcoming but kept themselves to themselves unless specifically engaged.

We’d have been perfectly content, if it wasn’t for the fact that we went for a wander around the site, which has the dual carriageway Paignton ring road on one side, which you can’t really see, but can hear.

And on the other? The view you see in the picture. Across golden fields and green hedges to Dartmoor. Stunning, eh?

What’s more, the pitches on that side of the site not only had dedicated mains, but dedicated fresh water in and grey water out.

And one of them was empty.

“Do you think,” the tour manager said, “they’d allow us to swap pitches?” Obviously it was a rhetorical question because before you know it, she’s off to the site office.

Fifteen minutes later, Cal’s back, waving a new pitch sticker.“Apparently, those are ‘premium’ pitches and they don’t offer them on pitchup,” she explains.

We’re moving up in the world for a fairly reasonable upgrade supplement.

And here we are. This is the view as I’m typing this blog.

Unfortunately, Cal’s looking at it seated in the cab trying to find some relief from twanging her back over-reaching for something during the pronto pitch perambulation.
I have bought chocolate-dipped macaroons to try to calm the agony.

Looks like it’s a stop at home day.

But, hey. Look at the view…