In a special guest post, Mr Tin Box reviews this week’s BBC Top Gear feature on tow cars and provides his own tips for successful caravanning/life. Some of you may have watched Sunday’s episode of Top Gear featuring an informative piece on purchasing a suitable small car for the purposes of towing a caravan. As a…
Comedy: Goronwy Thom & Richard Garaghty We’ve just returned from a fabulous weekend rallying on the outskirts of Winchester, the ancient capital of England. Each July the city hosts its street theatre festival, the Hat Fair. This lively three-day event attracts more than 50,000 visitors to see acts ranging from one man bands to madcap…
Enjoying a bit of freedom It seems like there’s a new survey out daily telling us what we all think about the government, supermarket shopping or celebrity pet names. It’s up to you how seriously you take them as there’s likely to be another study saying the opposite the next day. However, this one caught…
I’ve always been a fan of variety and that’s certainly what we got in our first month of caravanning this year. Undeterred by sub-zero temperatures and snowy showers, we spent Easter rallying with our Caravan Club centre at Mary Hare School near Newbury. The Rally Officers worked non-stop throughout the long weekend to keep us…
After a short break from blogging, we’re back and getting ready to hit the road for Tin Box’s first outing in 2013. This is going to be an extra exciting trip as it’s also our first time away with baby Tin Box, who arrived safe and well last month. She’s already making her mark on…
It might be the freezing weather or the knowledge that life is soon going to be turned on its head by the arrival of Baby Tin box, but I’m really enjoying planning our 2013 caravanning holidays. So far, we’ve booked about 15 trips, ranging from weekend rallies with our Caravan Club Centre, to longer breaks…
So far, January has been less about caravanning and more about preparing our home without wheels for the arrival of baby Tin Box. What used to be adult space has undergone a radical transformation. Stair gates have been fitted, rooms have been rearranged, and a multitude of new gadgets and baby essentials have moved in….
A friend asked me last week: “Did you enjoy your cold weekend away in the caravan?” Before responding with an affirmative, I had to smile. They were referring to our last outing in December, when Mr Tin Box and I visited Bashley Park near New Milton with our Caravan Club centre. And thanks to the…
Our first weekend away in the tin box involved lots of familiarisation time. Working out which way to turn the valves to fill the on-board water tank; trying to get the heating running, then realising the thermostat switch was broken; and, erecting our bargain second-hand awning without instructions or a picture of the intended end…
Ever seen a caravan with L plates? Neither had I until recently. Our first month of caravan ownership brought a few surprises and some valuable lessons. Not least that there’s an important difference between ‘Maximum Authorised Mass’ and ‘Kerb Weight’. When we put down a deposit on our wonderful new weekend retreat, we were confident…