The Explorers

Afternoon on the last Tuesday of March 2024 – Two intrepid brothers set off in a campervan into the unknown. Forecasts of cold temperatures and unforgiving precipitation not deterring the latter-day Scott and Shackleton from embarking on their voyage north.  And why would upcoming intemperate weather dent their fortitude; after all, they had a furry…

Hibernation

Apart from the odd journey to keep the engine ticking over and stopping the battery going flat, Victor (my VW campervan) has been placed into hibernation for the winter.  When I say hibernation I, of course, do not mean I’ve driven him into a huge box containing water, lettuce and shredded newspaper like Blue Peter…

Recharging by the Nidd

I am back in Wakefield after a two-night sabbatical aboard Victor the Volkswagen campervan. Despite their best efforts to sully our odyssey, the weather gods were unable to break our spirit. It takes more than sporadic rainstorms and diminishing temperatures to crush the verve of my partner Sarah and me. While Knaresborough campsite in situ,…

When Zella Met Tommy

As I sit journaling insights into last weekend’s campervan adventure, a constant pinging emanates from the kitchen area. The distracting sound venturing through the office door ‘ole, joining Barnsley Road traffic noise as an accompanying audioscape to my penmanship. I have narrowed down the source of this audible alert to receipt of a stream of…

Campsite Capers

It’s been around twelve months now since I commence partaking in the campervan life. Since popping my camping cherry, witnessing the equipment and accessories available to us individuals embracing life in the great outdoors has truly amazed me. Saying that, though, I am yet to find a photocopying machine or paper shredder specifically designed for…

Rain Didn’t Stop Play

As dusk fell, with heavy precipitation turning my slim fit jeans into a second skin, I entered the camper van to jokingly asking Sarah if she had an industrial size shoe horn. A utensil I’d identified as a useful accessory to ease me outta my sodden denims. My partner and I had just spent an…

To The Victor Go The Spoils

This effort littéraire is my first creative offering since the 12th September. A prose paucity consequential of several life episodes, rendering free time at my laptop of a premium. Amongst the culprits causing this dearth of written dialect were a couple of short breaks, along with a multitude of tasks borne from moving home a…