Caravanner Of The Year Competition 2015

Just to let you all know that the 2015 Caravanner Of The Year Competition is now open.

Any one with a caravan or motor-home is able to enter!

Also BBC 2 are making a programme about the event, so if you fancy being a star click on the link below and enter. It will take you directly to the Caravan Club Web Site.

2015 Caravanner Of The Year Competition!

Living In A Motorhome / Campervan In London?

I have been contacted by a nice fellow asking me for help. Unfortunately I was not in a position to help him directly but thought if I asked you guys for help we may be able to point him in the right direction.

Shane is a journalist for a leading on line news publication called International Business News. 

Shane is looking to interview someone who is currently beating the housing crisis by living in a motor-home in and around the London area, (but I guess will settle for further a field).

You can email Shane at s.croucher@ibtimes.co.uk 

If your wanting to let the world know how you decided that living in a campervan was your best course of action then please get in touch with him.

Till later............

Carbon Monoxide - A Silent Killer!

I think we all need a reminder about the effects of Carbon Monoxide.

It is a silent killer, here in the UK it is reported that nearly half of us have a Carbon Monoxide Alarm fitted in our house. Yet, we do not apply this to our tents, caravans or campervans with as little as just 13% of us choosing to fit one!

We bought one over a year ago now, and also have fire extinguishers, fire blankets and smoke detectors.

If you think about it logically, carbon monoxide poisoning is more likely to take place whilst away in your tent/campervan/caravan.

Less ventilation, cooking in an enclosed environment! We are asking for trouble, so please, take a look at this link -  Carbon Monoxide - A Silent Killer - then buy one!

Less than £15.00 gives you peace of mind and possibly could save yours or your loved ones lives!

We hear every year of tragic events, and what makes it worse is that they are totally avoidable. So please take a look at the link, and if you see anyone out there doing something daft, step in and say something. Even if you do get a mouthful!

Till later..........

Life Goes On!

As usual it's been a while since I last blogged, enjoying life too much at the moment, there is always something to do other than sit down with a laptop for an hour or so!

So today I find myself sat in our conservatory, yes it's finished, (apart from painting the skirting boards)! waiting for 2 tonnes of shingle to arrive to finish off the patio area we are having built at the moment.

The house is nearly done, we have done quite a bit in the year that we have been here. We have kept costs to the minimum as this is not our "forever" house. But, it's all looking good.

Wedding plans are gathering speed, March 2016 will soon be here and once more we are keeping costs to a minimum.

I'm still on the buses, but for how much longer is anyone's guess. 

I've managed a trip away on "Lucille" my trusty Honda C90 - I went to North Wales for a few days camping on my own. I stayed at a camp site called Riverside Camping which is just a mile from Caernarfon heading towards the Llanberis Pass. I was last here with my parents when just a young lad!

I got back late Thursday night, riding 312 miles in 13 hrs and it poured with rain all day! I spent the day Friday drying and sorting things out then on Saturday we headed to my old Army mate's Mark's house for his daughters 18th birthday that evening up in the Wirral (Liverpool)

It was great to catch up!

We took the VW T25 Camper Van with us as we needed somewhere to sleep on the Saturday night and then we headed to the Lake District and camped on Coniston Lake. Six steps front the door of the camper and my feet would of been wet.

The name of the site was Pier Cottage - highly recommended, a little pricey but worth the money for the location.

Coniston is a just a little village but it does have a few pubs with some great food on offer and all within a 10 minute walk of the camp site.

The Lake district is one of those places which I have often travelled through but never actually spent much time in. This will now change as we found the area enchanting.

I've missed loads out of all our going's on, I would still be writing in a weeks time if I included everything.

It's still great to read through some of the comments, to see that there are folk out there living their lives the way they want to and not how society believe we should do. Keep it up folks.

Of and don't forget if you want to see what we are up to on a more regular basis you can get me on Facebook, the link to my page is to the right of this! But please send me a message telling me something about yourself. I get the odd friend request and I have no idea if you are friend or spam. So if I have not replied I've got you down as spam. So say hello so I know your real.

Well, for the regulars out there, I hope all is well in your worlds, and so my journey continues as I hope does yours.

Till later..........

Caravan Bargain Search - How Much Does A 2 Berth Caravan Really Cost?

I often hear from people that if they had enough money and they could afford to they would live full time in a caravan.

To be honest I really do not understand that statement. Do you need to spend thousands on a caravan?

Of course you need to be comfortable and dry, but I guess it is all down to what you are prepared to put up with.

Can you cope with dodgy curtains and out of date/style cushions?

The alternative? Rent a room or if your feeling flush a small flat/house which drains all your hard earned cash so you cannot afford to live the life you want.

I do know that there is no way I would pay a minimum of £70pw to rent a room and share a kitchen, bathroom and living room.

So with this in mind, what can you actually buy for your money? As a challenge I set myself a budget of £1000 to buy a caravan.

I decided in my quest that I would not go for a big twin axle rig, but a 2 berth caravan, which could be towed by the average family saloon.

This is what I found:-

ELDDIS HURRICANE 2 BERTH TOURING CARAVAN WITH AWNING

Large Seating area turns into double bed. Kitchen area with sink, fridge,  grill, hob, gas heater, dressing room, cassette toilet, shower and wash hand basin.

At £695 looks good for it's age. Click on the link above to see the full details.

2 BERTH CARAVAN. SWIFT 'CORNICHE'. Ready to tow away and use.

Fresh Water Carrier and Waste Water Container. Gas Cooker & Hob. Electrolux fridge. Cascade Water Heater. Carver Gas Heating. Thetford Porta-Potti. Mains Hookup. New Battery

Comes with all Manuals for Appliances. Some age-related bits and pieces, repairs/a bit of TLC inside, but ready to tow away and use with everything you need.

All in at £995 or best offer.

I could keep going with other examples but I hope you are getting my drift by now. They may not be the latest style or model, but they are functional and will keep you warm and dry and out of trouble if you need to put a roof over your head.

Till later.................

History Of The Caravan

I was kindly sent the following link, which I found interesting.

It shows a rather shortened and potted history of the humble caravan here in the UK.

So many thanks to Andrew Jenkins (The UK's leading caravan historian) and Salop Leisure for putting this all together and to Luke who sent it over to me!

View the full interactive History of the Caravan

8 Places You Can Live In That Are Cheaper Than A House

Recently the "Mirror" ran an article on their website called "8 Places you can live in that are way, way cheaper than a house".

If you click on the link above and read through, we are at No. 6 with a link direct to my blog!

Cool stuff, but I guess they did not read my blog from start to finish to see that my views are not necessarily politically correct!

I'm just grateful for the publicity, especially as I am slack to say the least in writing on here any more.

It is only because I am laid up with a sore back that I am managing to find the time to do all this today.

I'm sure there has been a shortening of time, and hour is 60 mins, but somehow, it is now only 40 mins long!! Does any one else have this problem?

I used to think that I had all the time in the world, but now, I feel that time is a premium, and I only want to be doing the things that bring me joy and happiness.

With so many things that I want to do, I just hope that I find the strength and cram it all in!

Till later.......

Catching Up With Life!

Well, it sure has been a while since I wrote anything on here, time just seems to pass by so quickly these days that before you know it, another month has gone by!

Christmas came and went, with all the trimmings and we saw the old year out and the new year in!

So many things have changed for me these last 12 months that it is impossible to keep up on a day to day basis, let alone write about it all.

Life is good, new challenges are faced and met and hopefully dealt with correctly.

On the house front, the conservatory is now fully done, floor laid throughout the down stairs. The kitchen has seen a makeover with a new solid oak top and ceramic sink, which makes it look rather posh!

Upstairs the kids rooms are done, and in a couple of weeks our fitted wardrobes will arrive and be fitted.

Several radiators have been replaced with new thermostatic valves fitted to all, which is making the heat of the house easier to regulate.

Just the garden to do, and that will be it. We have decided to wait to do the bathroom till after the wedding.

This is our next big challenge - The Wedding! We are trying to keep it as simple as possible, but this is easier said then done. But, we are working on it, so fingers crossed it will all turn out ok.

On the job front, I'm still driving buses, but to be honest, it is not a pleasant job to do. An easy job yes, but having to put up with people moaning all day and complaining over nothing is a real de-motivator.

Kiera is working as hard as ever and her company is expanding and moving ahead fast. She dearly wants to go full time, so I may yet go part time, as this allows her the flexibility to do her job properly. A job she thoroughly enjoys, which is important. It also pays better than mine so from a financial point of view it all makes sense.

We have spent time away in the camper, the odd night here and there, which has been good fun. We managed to get away for a few nights over the Christmas period, just the two of us. We headed for Wales and spent a night camped up on a cliff top wild camping then a couple of nights in a rather splendid pub.

Currently I'm off work as I've managed to damage my back a couple of days ago. There would of been a time when I would of just carried on, but now, as they think no more of you for working through it I'm taking the time off to recover properly.

My parents who are in their late 60's and mid 70's have bought a caravan and are thinking of upgrading to a newer one soon. It's good to see them getting out and about and making the most of things.

I here that my old caravan has now been sold, so there is closure on that part of my life once and for all.

I was asked recently do I miss the lifestyle. To answer honestly there is parts that I miss and parts that I do not.

I miss the feeling of being so close to nature, watching sunsets, listening to owls, the wind and the rain.

I don't miss running out of water half way through a shower or emptying the loo in freezing conditions in the dark. Or being up worrying that the awning is about to blow away!

So there are trade off's, on the whole it was an enjoyable experience.

Our plan roughly is to see the kids through school and off to university, then we hope to make our escape!

Plenty of exciting times ahead, we just have to get there and make it happen!

So thanks for sticking with me, I will try to write more often!

Till later.................