Camping Reset...

Last Bank Holiday weekend I went on a camping trip with my girlfriend and group of friends. It was a much needed trip – work and life was very busy at the time, so I needed the opportunity to reset and unwind. We only went from Saturday to the Monday – this was still just enough time to enjoy the outdoors and to reset the body clock!

We stayed on a camp site close to Swanage which is only an hour or so away from where I live in Bournemouth, Southern England. The camp site we stayed on was called Woody Hyde – it was basic but in all the right ways – no Wi-Fi – no portable homes – two shower blocks and a very small convenient store. And that’s all it really needed! There is so much to do and see in the surrounding area – why waste it by staying on a campsite.

We trekked to a few local pubs near the campsite (when I say trekked I mean trekked – there were some very steep hills!!). The best one being The Scotts Arms http://www.thescottarms.com/ which boasts stunning views of Corfe Castle and the Purbeck Hills.

On one of the days we walked to Winspit which is an old abandoned quarry on the Ilse of Purbeck. As you can see from the pictures – it was amazing! Almost like something out of a film! Which in fact it is – Winspit was used as a location for Disney’s ‘John Carter’ in 2012 and numerous other television series such as ‘Doctor Who’. Before all this, however the quarry was used to provide building stone to some of the major buildings in London during the 1940s. Then during World War II, Winspit was used as a base for the British Naval and Air Defences. Now only parts of the caves are open to public due to safety issues and Bat conservation. 

The weather held out for us during the weekend and only really rained at night – however it wouldn’t have mattered if it had rained in the day – the scenery is absolutely stunning come rain or shine! This is truly becoming another one of my favourite places in the United Kingdom.

Following on from my other Blog ‘Love Where You Live’

http://manstyled.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/love-where-you-live.html – I have really started to appreciate my own country. The landscape is just beautiful, especially during the spring and summer months. The air is so fresh and the scenery is so peaceful – you can’t help but feel relaxed and calm. I am pretty much reliant on my iPhone – like most of us – however as the signal wasn’t great, I never needed to or was drawn to look at my phone. Instead I was able to focus on the moment – to live in the moment and enjoy meaningful ‘live’ conversations with my friends – I was able to capture images not only with my camera but with my own eyes and these are pictures that will stay with me forever – rather than stored on a phone. Don’t get me wrong, I love my phone and I believe technology and social media to be such a brilliant creative output for people to express themselves, make friends and just enjoy connecting with people around the world – however sometimes it is nice just to leave all the technology behind. To just be present in the moment and in life. It’s refreshing. It's rejuvenating. I have come away from our trip feeling ‘new’ again – ready for the challenges of work – ready to get back on track with my fitness goals and ready to start winning at life!

Camping may not be your thing – but try to find something you enjoy where you can ignore your phone for a couple of days. For some that may be a Spa break – a city break or maybe even a 2 week holiday. Surround yourself with your favourite family and friends and just enjoy the present moment. Capture images and memories with your actual eyes and store them forever – value every waking second with the people you love, the places you love to be in, the smells, the sounds, the colours. Cherish this time as for some of us, time can be cut too short.

Wow – well that went off topic quick! I didn’t expect to get so spiritual this early on into my Blog posts! To sum up – I had a brilliant time in the Purbecks with my great friends and gorgeous girlfriend – I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Try and find something that helps you reset your body clock and remember to cherish life’s smallest things.

Thanks for reading!

Luke - MANSTYLED

"Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be."

Sonia Ricotti

For more info about the Purbecks visit: https://www.thepurbecks.co.uk/purbeck/

Woody Hyde campsite link: https://www.woodyhyde.co.uk/