{"id":122,"date":"2025-10-22T15:07:46","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T15:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ridesstridesandvibes.co.uk\/?page_id=122"},"modified":"2025-11-09T15:22:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T15:22:11","slug":"%f0%9f%a6%96-jurassic-jabs-and-fossil-fails-wilko-hits-charmouth","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ridesstridesandvibes.co.uk\/?page_id=122","title":{"rendered":"\ud83e\udd96 Jurassic Jabs and Fossil Fails: Wilko Hits Charmouth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\ud83d\udebf Exeter Services: Spa Day for the Budget Adventurer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First stop after Totnes: Exeter services. Time for a shower and a cuppa. First time using the facilities and\u2014shock horror\u2014they were great<\/em>. Free, clean, and three showers in the men\u2019s toilets. I emerged feeling like I\u2019d been to a spa, minus the cucumber slices and whale music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca7 Water Wars: The 150-Litre Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Next up: fresh water. Found a tank in Exeter with a nozzle like a petrol pump and a card reader that looked suspiciously judgmental. Swipe, squirt, and \u00a315 later, Wilko was topped up and ready to hydrate a small village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udded Destination: Charmouth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Paula directed us to Charmouth, where we found a lovely off-road spot within walking distance of the beach and shops. Wilko was set up for a few days of fossil hunting, beach lounging, and competitive nonsense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83e\udea8 Fossil Hunter Extreme: The Rules<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the walk to the beach, a competition was born:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Each player must collect 3 rocks that might<\/em> contain fossils.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • No Googling mid-hunt.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Winner gets bragging rights and dinner made for them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Loser gets mocked until bedtime.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Paula, armed with sheer determination and zero tools, scoured the beach like a geologist with a vendetta. I, equally clueless but suspiciously competitive, searched the shingle like a penguin on roller skates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    Paula braving the waters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    \ud83d\udd28 Tools of the Trade: None<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    We had no hammer. No chisel. Just vibes. We carried our \u201cfinds\u201d back to Wilko, convinced we\u2019d unearthed ancient treasures. Google later confirmed we\u2019d collected \u201crocks.\u201d Dinner and TV seemed a better use of the evening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    \ud83e\uddb4 Day Two: Fossil Fever and Hammer Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Morning arrived. Fossil fever still raging. We visited the local fossil shop for guidance\u2014and a rock hammer. Armed with new knowledge and a shiny weapon, we returned to the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    New rule: first to find a proper fossil gets dinner made for them. Motivation? Sky high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paula crushed me instantly. Her first find was a whole, perfect fossil\u2014the kind you\u2019d expect to see behind glass in a museum with a plaque reading: Found by Paula, Queen of Fossils<\/em>. I swear I heard angels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I, meanwhile, uncovered a few \u201cfossilettes\u201d\u2014the kind of thing that makes you say \u201cOh\u2026 nice,\u201d in the tone reserved for mildly interesting pebbles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    \ud83c\udfca\u200d\u2640\ufe0f The Swim That Wasn\u2019t<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    We brought beach towels, chairs, and swimming gear. Paula swam. I didn\u2019t. I chickened out at 10 a.m. when I saw the jagged shoreline rocks. My trainers stayed on. My courage stayed in my pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paula braved the stones and freezing water like an aquatic warrior. I sulked, \u201clooking for fossils\u201d (translation: licking my wounds).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83e\ude91 Beach Chair Ballet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    I tried to relax in my foldable beach chair\u2014the kind that slowly slides you out like melting ice cream. The wind whipped up, sandblasting me into oblivion. By the end of the afternoon, I felt like I\u2019d run another half marathon. My watch smugly informed me it was just 10,000 steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83c\udf7d\ufe0f Pub Redemption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Cooking in Wilko\u2019s elbow-bumping kitchen didn\u2019t appeal. The pub did. That plan had legs. We dressed up, headed out, and enjoyed a few pints and a cracking meal. We reminisced about the day\u2019s chaos and walked home for a bedtime drink and a bit of telly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83e\udded Van Life Vibes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s only Tuesday\u2014Tuesday!<\/em>\u2014and somehow the Totnes race already feels like a distant memory. Back then, I was a finely tuned athlete (sort of). Now, I\u2019m a sandblasted fossil hunter running on tea, pub dinners, and misplaced optimism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Waking up in Wilko and pointing him somewhere new? That\u2019s the magic. No plan. No agenda. Just drive, park, and see what happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83c\udfc6 Jurassic Coast Scoreboard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    • Paula<\/strong>: 1 perfect fossil, 1 victorious swim, 1 smug nap<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Me<\/strong>: 0 fossils, 0 swims, 1 pub dinner plan, 1 sandblasted face<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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