Holidays General Chat

Umm - mine was a small-ish square tent. The BIG one was a ridge tent and with the whatever it was called extention, was about 18 foot long.so when I say it was big believe me it was big. BIG. Do not ask. And I had a small Fiat 850T high top van.

But, with planks cut to fit across the top... and things in cartons fitted in before the planks were slotted across... and the back of the front seats cut off... you would be surprised what I got in that small van.

So, we would turn up 300 miles or so to where we were going, I would ask someone where the wind came from, and start unloading. And people came looking and saying how are you going get that lot up?

Watch me.

Oh, and I still had time to cook a meal for the horrid kids, on a two-burner calor gas stove.

The reason we moved into the Stoke area was that we downsized to a garden apartment which had a 50 foot mooring for our narrowboat. We had spent weekends and holidays on our boats for over 20 years, but when it was moored outside the front door, we hardly used it.
Eventually we moved the boat to the Llangollen canal. By this time we had two geriatric dogs, and when we got an offer for it, we let it go. There was then no reason to keep the apartment, so we sold that too, and upsized again.

Just packing up the van as we are off tomorrow morning, am sure that Heiko has more stuff than we have.

Just hope the Cornish weather doesn’t follow us.

Make sure you have your waterproof boots and jackets packed! Hope you have a great time Vee, Heiko, and your OH.

Have a great time and hope the weather is kind to you all.

Whereabouts in Cornwall are you going? My son and family live in Penryn and my sister in law lives in Delabole on the north coast.

I hope you enjoy your holiday Vee, and that you have good weather.

I'm wondering if Vee had a hotline to the Met. Office? It seems strange that we have a ten day stint of hot weather forecast, starting just as she's on holiday in Wales!

Had a lovely holiday, though wasn’t keen on that area of Wales, so left couple of days early and found lovely spots in Devon.

Got lots of scenery pics but here’s a couple of Heiko
.

Heiko is looking really good and I am sure enjoyed the holiday. It is a shame that you were not too keen on the first place but good that you found some nice places in Devon. I had that a couple of times over the years but it is always easy to pack up and find a better place - although I envy you with your lovely van [or should I call it a motor home] as it is no doubt easier to pack up and move on than loads of kids and tents!

It would be nice to see some pictures of the scenery where you went.

Tootsy and her Dachshund cross boyfriend......They call and play with each other every day....It must be love...lol..

Thanks, can't believe he is 10 this year my how time flies. The van is a VW Transporter converted to a camper its compact but suits us fine.
Couple of scenery pics.

Lovely pictures Vee - that scenery is what I miss about England. I remember going somewhere to a camp site - no idea where - driving along the top of a valley and my small son saying "look Mummy, you can see half the world down there".

Your Transporter looks very large and comfortable compared to my ancient little Fiat 850T high-top van, but finances being as they were I had to make do with what I could afford. And I actually enjoyed camping in tents [masochist].

Have you ever gone abroad with your lovely Transporter? I took my two to France for four weeks, crossing the channel on a Hovercraft. Four weeks travelling round the top left-hand quarter of France with just an RAC map and knowing where our first overnight stop would be on the way to Paris.

And the head gasket blew about 50km into France, which meant driving with the heater on full and all the windows open, stopping to re-fill the water wotsit at regular intervals. And it was a very hot four weeks!

Only did get lost once...

Great photos, and I love your van. Do you use it weekly, or save it for holidays and days out?
Heiko is looking really well, bless him!

Not in this one but years ago when we had the old type camper we went to France in it, with Kyra and ferrets, were the first in UK to get ferret passports, the French couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

When we sold our house we lived in it for 6 months before we got another place it was during the winter but I loved it.

@Carole yes it’s our only vehicle.

Vee - you are bringing back so memories for me - thank you.

There is a case on top of one of my bedroom cupboards which has all the photographs I took in France and one of these days I will ask someone to get them down for me. No digital cameras in those days so I had to take x number of rolls of film with me, and then get them whatever and printed when I came home.

Had a couple of very minor disasters - my son was bitten in the face by a dog and the owner said it had not had a rabies shot. Could not find the way to the nearest hospital so stopped and asked a guy who got into the van and directed us, and I am saying "my son has been eaten by a dog" because even though I spoke fluent French I forgot the word for bitten. Took my spectacles off on the way back to the camp and they fell off my lap when we got there and I trod on them...

I think we were somewhere near Tours [???]. Got lost on the way to Fougères as the signposts wherever we were did not say. Had to report to the Police in Fougères or wherever but could not find the cop shop so parked the van, with the children in it, and found someone to take me there. Reported what I had to report and then asked an absolutely dishy detective to please take me back to find my children in the van. Son in the front seat [children under 10, I think, not allowed in front seats] saying to this dishy guy "please do not tell him I am only eight] and the dishy guy saying to me, in French, "please do not tell him I understand English."

Well we're off tomorrow, meeting up with friends who have a static near port Port Isaac where the film the Doc Martin series, Hope i don't need him as he can't stand the sight of blood will stay there a couple of days then gradually work our way back.

Weather doesn’t look to good so wellies and mac packed.

Have a great holiday.

I hope you have a lovely time and that the weather does not do a nasty. At least with your fabulous van you will not be sleeping on the ground in a tent if the weather is not good!

How was your holiday Vee? I hope the weather stayed OK for you.

May we have some pictures please?

Had a lovely time weather wasn’t to bad managed to get out and about most days, though Monday night was a bit scary, as the wind was horrific and van was really rocking, a few lost their windbreakers .

Waiting on OH putting pics on computer.