What got us started

[time2travel]

I got to wondering how the camping bug got started - this is my story
As kids we used to camp out in tents in the summer where we kept our horses and were regularly trampled on by horses,cows and dogs as we used to leave the flap open at night so we could see out (no windows then!!)
Back in the 70's I went with a friend to Great Yarmouth tent in boot - not pre booked -found only site in Norfolk not packed on a bank holiday weekend woke in morning to unusual smell - it was next to Norwich sewerage works - goes down a treat with eggs and bacon - met a couple he was ex merchant navy as weather was poor he introduced us to rum for breakfast,dinner, tea and any other time with anything I returned home vowing never to camp again or join the Navy
Had one more go at tenting it with Berny a few years ago - ground was hard, site was noisy couldn't get to sleep before 3am - decided to abandon tents and get comfort/peace
Moved on to campers about 6 years ago had 1 Romahome Daihatsu Hi jet(not roomy enough for our needs at the time), 1 VW camper (drank petrol), 1 Auto trail(hung over drive so parking became problem when gates at side installed), 1 coachbuilt (when kids no longer wanted to holiday it was too big and we needed a vehicle to use everyday)
So we got Ruby - love her to bits !!!
Barbara

[Graham]

I went camping on school trips but never went with my family, so really I caught the bug after I had met Pauline. Her Dad had a variety of camper vans and they used to go as a family all over Europe to see the cycle racing which her brother was really interested in.

When I met Pauline I was invited to join the whole family in a trip up to Scotland in their Bedford camper van. There were EIGHT of us crammed in the van, 6 of Pauline's family plus me and Pauline's brother's girlfriend.

We took a large tent and the men slept in the tent while the females slept in the van, I had a whale of a time and was completely hooked on camping.

When we got married all we could afford was an old second hand tent but the first holiday we had we went to Scotland again in our battered old Cortina and loved it. Since then we have gone through practically every means of camping as our circumstances changed due to having children etc.

We love our Dimension (haven't got a name for her/him) and can't wait for retirement so we can really test it out.

Graham

[viv]

As children, my Mum and Aunt always used to take us on caravan holidays with my two cousins. We used to have wonderful simple holidays with lots of walking and swimming. The sun always shone, it never rained and the sea was always blue, calm and warm. Us children played well together and never argued or anything! The food always tasted good and we never got sunburn. Well that is how I remember it. The only bad thing I do remember though were the daddylonglegs in the loos!

Anyway years of foreign travel later, I thought it would be nice to buy a canal boat and go sailing off on the canals into the sunset around the great British Isles. BUT Terry drew the line at that with a big NO and started talking about locks, damp and hard work!

Then one night I saw martin Clunes on a chat show and he was extolling the virtues of his campervan. That was me sold. Within a few months and after a few camping shows we bought our first campervan, an Autosleepers Duetto.

Now we have the little Romahome Outlook and we have never looked back - well except to park.

[barry5933]

As a wee lad in the Boys' Brigade, we always went to summer camp (bell tents, early morning kit parades, cookhouse chores - we loved it) then when a little older Whisun hike/lightweight (?) camping. Canoe touring followed (and I still can't swim!) then camping with the Church youth club.

After we were married and the kids arrived, camping faded into the background. We did try a caravan tour once, we hired a caravan for a fortnight and towed it around South Wales in an overloaded 1300 cc Astra estate. I vowed after that NEVER to go near a caravan again.

Many years later, after the kids had been evicted, we started touring the country using Youth Hostels, I also did some cycle touring via the Hostels. At one of our weekends away, the Warden (who we knew from previous visits) said to us, come outside and see what I have just bought. I was busy doing something, but SWMBO went out and came back shortly afterwards saying "We need one of those". I went outside, saw the offending vehicle, a C15 Hytop, and said "NO NO NO, IT'S A CARAVAN!".

We bought a Berlingo HyLo shortly afterwards.

Over the last two years, we have used it quite a lot, helped by my semi-retirement. During 2008, we did 71 nights away between March and December.

Trouble is fitting in the sailing, cycle touring, house maintenance, Church and community activities etc., between the wife's nagging to "go away again in the van".

Good thing I am not trying to fit work in as well!

[robin]

I started caravanning as a baby with my parents in the 1950's.

[greynomad]

We had a 2 man tent years ago, and later we used to utilise the 'set up' sites in France when the children were young! Then in 2002 we hired a camper van when we were 'Down Under' and we were hooked!(Grey Nomad the name given to the 'ageing retired' population who travel around Oz!Hence my name!) On our return we bought an ageing Hylo which we had for a couple of years before treating ourselves to a new one!

Grey Nomad

PS Thanks for Birthday greetings Pauline and Graham!

[Graham]

Apr 7, 2009 8:24:10 GMT greynomad said:

PS Thanks for Birthday greetings Pauline and Graham!

No problem, hope you had a good day.