As the first October frosts (and three weeks’ near-solid rain) attest: winter is upon us. And with it, to my immense surprise, a raft of bookings for both our pods and tents.
Which is great. And not so great.
Great – to see so many folk, and younger folk especially, willing to brave the elements; to claw themselves away from their multi-screen lifestyles, and embrace nature ‘in the raw’.
Not so great – when they arrive, bright-eyed, brimming with enthusiasm – and demanding the WiFi password, an electric heater, and an extension for their hair straighteners.
To these would-be Bear Grylls, I issue fair warning: Rum Bridge is an offgrid site.
Which means it has no mains electricity: no TV, no central heating; no floodlit pathways to the toilets and showers; and no router chugging away in the background, refreshing Facebook feeds, uploading email, and delivering high-def video intravenously to tablets and smartphones.
For the avoidance of doubt, then: ‘offgrid’ is not a synonym for ‘chilled out’ (in the metaphorical sense at least); rather, it means: zero power.
When the sun shines, if only for a short while, the pods’ (and tents’) solar power packs charge sufficiently to provide a little mood lighting, and device charging.
When it doesn’t, they don’t.
Consequently, during the colder months, the accommodation may be dark – save for candles and portable LED lights.
It may also be a tad chilly – unless you choose to hire a catalytic heater (and these too have their limitations).
The time may also come when the water pipes will freeze – meaning the flush toilets and showers may be out of commission for a short while. And the compostable eco loos will be the only game in town.
Oh, and it may be wet too; even a little muddy – problems which will continue to dog us until such time as we figure out how to put a lid on the site.
Nonetheless, for those that truly ‘get it’, there is an upside: peace, tranquility, call it what you will.
An opportunity to recharge the batteries; to shrug-off, if only briefly, the stresses and strains of ‘real-life’; to, God forbid, actually talk to one another. (I know, right?)
And of course there’s a whole bunch of stuff to do, in and around Clare – from bistros to bars, restaurants to retail parks, walks, cinemas, live music and more history and culture than you can shake a selfie-stick at.
All of which are yours to enjoy by day – secure in the knowledge that your secluded holiday-home-from-home is waiting for your return, just a short hop from the car park.
It gets better.
The bell tents (currently there’s just one, but another two dog-friendly tipis are in the works) are already equipped with woodburning stoves.
And we plan to add these same stoves to our new pods, over the next few months.
Meaning there’ll be no need for that extra cardie after all (or at least: not to sleep in it).
Oh, and of course, for those poor benighted souls who’re truly incapable of detaching the digital umbilicus: there’s good 4g coverage.
To each their own.To my mind, however, there’s a reason that Rum Bridge is such a revivifying place to be. And it owes nothing to Benjamin Franklin.
So if your idea of ‘glamping’ is a fully serviced en suite double with fitted kitchen, WiFi and flat-screen, it may not be the right choice for you.
Despite the equally offgrid price tag.
