Knitted Chips

We went to Hay on Wye in the motorhome again last Friday, simply to stay one night and visit a very good tapas restaurant we ate at a few weeks ago. Long wat to go for a meal, but we thought it worthwhile. It's an old pub which has discovered it can make more money from serving reasonably priced tapas than beer. A meal for two, including drinks, came to no more than £70. Tapas are hideously expensive anywhere else.

We took advantage of the fact motorhomes and campers can stay for free overnight (6pm to 8am - one night in seven) in Powys council car parks. It was quite busy in the car park when we arrived, but by 6pm it was quiet as a grave and we had a good sleep. This is something we're going to take more advantage of in future. Quite enterprising of the council, as it brings tourist money to the town from infrastructure which is not used at night.

Near the car park is a post box with one of those knitted covers that have become popular.

It's a seagull and, if you look closely, the chips are knitted too. Neat!

Parked next to us in the was a camper, owned by a Dutch couple, that really intrigued me. It's based on a Land Rover Defender, but is kitted out for safaris and the like. The living accommodation is a self-contained pod with no access to the cab.

There's a garden in a housing estate that we walk past on the way to a favourite swimming spot that Hay enjoys. 

Totally out of place with its surroundings, but a joy to behold.

Going back to the free, motorhome car parking, there's a trial of a similar scheme going on in Pembrokeshire called Pemb Stops, but it's facing opposition from local traders. One of the objections is that motorhome users will empty their toilet cassettes into the local sewerage system. I can't really see the logic of this objection, as if the tourists stayed in an AirBnB or caravan park, where would they go to the toilet? Would they not have a pee or a poo while they're staying there?

Another argument is that it takes business from local hotels and caravan parks, but it could just as easily encourage more money to be spent locally by people who would not normally go there.

Rather than object on the basis of what could happen, surely they'd be better off making evidence-based objections on the basis of what's happening in Powys and at the end of the 18 month Pembrokeshire trial. The objectors are sounding like the Tory press when they comment on Labour's new policies - this could happen and that could happen, no matter the probability being next to zero. The whole purpose of a trial is to monitor results and see what DOES happen.