# Thieving toerag at Le Crotoy



## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi,

Slowly making our way south and stopped at the Le Crotoy aire (by the dunes) last night.
This is a favourite aire of ours as the cockling here is superb. We spent a few hours cockling and got a god haul but it was getting on so left the bucket, cockle net and cockles under the van step ready to prepare them the next day.

Following morning went to get the bucket and yes, you guessed, bucket, net and cockles all gone.

There was a tramp sleeping rough up in the dunes, not a very bright voleur as there was our bright blue bucket in plain view, so I went over and challenged him in my best French and after a sort of discussion he gave me back the bucket and retrieved the cockle net from behind his tent, never did get the cockles though, he had obviously scoffed them!

So, if youre planning on staying here and he is still up in the dunes, keep everything nailed down.

Were now at Criel plage for a bit of winkling nd musseling, I think we'll put them in the garage tonight.

No 'you should always put stuff away' lectures please!

Pete


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

C'est la vie.

What are you using for t'internet, Pete?

Dave


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## lifestyle (Apr 27, 2008)

DABurleigh said:


> C'est la vie.
> 
> What are you using for t'internet, Pete?
> 
> Dave


The cockle net :roll: :roll: :roll:

Les


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Nails*

Happened to us on a Campsite Pete.

But we got it back.

TM


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

Well you miserable old bugger. I would have given him a bottle of wine to wash them down with. :lol:


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

On the Kindle Dave, is the spelling that bad?  

Very good Les,you should be on the stage. :lol:

Pete


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

motormouth said:


> Well you miserable old bugger. I would have given him a bottle of wine to wash them down with. :lol:


Werent bothered about the bucket and net but the cockles took several hours to pick.

If i'd had a bottle of wine with me, he would be wearing it, not drinking it. :lol:

Pete


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*thief*

Could have been a fellow motorhomer. Watched you do all the hard work and thought, A HA, I will have those.

TM


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## moblee (Dec 31, 2006)

Good job he didn't pull one of these on you, apparently it's a cockle knive.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Gosh Pete,
I seem to remember you saying only this week not to worry about crime while in your van... :roll:   

Sorry but it's not really a "I told you so".

But maybe this slight 'tickle' will keep the wits about you and save you from anything worse.

Safe travels.

Ray.


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## FoweyBoy (Dec 7, 2006)

Maybe the toe-rag will get food poisoning!

As a retired shellfish scientist I would never gather cockles in the wild unless I was absolutely sure the water quality met the highest level of purity. There are strict rules about areas where you are allowed to harvest cockles ( and other molluscs, e.g.mussels and oysters) to minimise food poisoning from faecal bacteria.

The French may stomach them okay, but as a French doctor said "You English have such a clean stomach"!


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Bon appetit, Pete! ;-)

Dave


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Oh my god, we're all doomed! 

We've just finished scoffing a ton of cockles, winkles and mussels.

If we don't wake up in the morning, farewell, it's been emo'shell'nel

Pete


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Lesson learned. Pack everything away.

DAve p


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## 100127 (Jul 20, 2006)

We are going to mushell our way to France on Thursday via the shuttle to le cockells. :lol: :lol:


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## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

I'm surprised that no-one has picked up on the most surprising thing here - what were you doing driving through France with NO BOTTLE OF WINE in the van? :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Alan


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## alhod (Nov 1, 2010)

FoweyBoy said:


> Maybe the toe-rag will get food poisoning!
> 
> The French may stomach them okay, but as a French doctor said "You English have such a clean stomach"!


That's a bit rich coming from a medic in the nation which boasts the greatest incidence of hypochondria in Europe. Did you know that annual per capita consumption of enemas in France is the highest in the world :lol: :lol:

Alan

On second thoughts, perhaps consumption is the wrong word - maybe "use" would be more accurate


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Blobsta said:


> We are going to mushell our way to France on Thursday via the shuttle to le cockells. :lol: :lol:


Really, I once caught a train from Kings Crustacean but thats another story.

Pete


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

Where exactly do you go "cockling" at Le Croytoy? When we've stayed there there doesn't seem to be anywhere easy to get to.

Joe


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

joedenise said:


> Where exactly do you go "cockling" at Le Croytoy? When we've stayed there there doesn't seem to be anywhere easy to get to.
> 
> Joe


There are 2 aires at Le Crotoy, the one on the outskirts by the dunes is best for cockling as it has direct access to the mudbanks, the one near the town has 'quicksand' warnings around the aire so probably wise not to go cockling there!.

Pete


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## andyandsue (Sep 7, 2008)

*GOD BLESS THE INTERNET THINGY*

God bless the internet. after reading the Daily Mail for years i assumed it was all porn and illegal downloadling of music but it seems it really has a use

TRAMPWATCH !!!! ( too late folks ive reg the name) a weekly program on tv highlighting the current position of tramps ( and hobby owners perhaps). we could have hidden cam footage of "down and outs" rummaging in your bins, perhaps pics of hobos sitting in your Lafuma chairs at night, shaky green night time image intensifier footage of vagrants sipping the dregs from your discarded Lidl beer cans.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

peejay said:


> Blobsta said:
> 
> 
> > We are going to mushell our way to France on Thursday via the shuttle to le cockells. :lol: :lol:
> ...


Eat too many dodgy cockles and you could have trouble in St Pancreas.


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

Thanks Peejay. We always stay at the one near the town. Looks like we'll have to try the other one next time we're in that area.

Joe


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Well, I woke up this morning, no mussel pains, so must still be OK. 

Pete


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## janet1 (Feb 10, 2012)

Sam and janet evening.....you may meet a stranger ....la ..la

Must skate along now, 

Janet


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

It's "Salmon chanted evening", Janet.
Goes with the Hymns, "Gladly, my cross eyed bear" and "lettuce with a glass of wine"


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

A little ditty to go with your Coco Pops -


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Sorry Keith, Kindle wont let me open links.  

Let me guess, its some horrible film about a painful death from cockle consumption :lol:

Pete


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

What a lurid imagination you have!

It's the song Molly Malone - Cockles and Mussels - sung very nicely.

:wav: :wav: :wav:


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## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

Sounds like a cockle and bull story to me.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

KeithChesterfield said:


> What a lurid imagination you have!
> 
> It's the song Molly Malone - Cockles and Mussels - sung very nicely.


I blame Foweyboy :lol:

We're now inland at Saint Cenerie Le Gerei, an idylic spot right by the river, so no killer cockles to pick. :roll:

Pete.


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

Saint Cenerie Le Gerei - pretty 'Hovis Advert' look about the village.

Not sure about the borne though!


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Thats the one, such a lovely spot, only five vans here, surprised there arent more.

Just cracked open some wine, it would be criminal not to. :wink: 

Pete


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