KEITH/STEVE-in- LEO and PERMENANT CARAVANNING

[thursdays child]

Hello Keith/Steve I have just read your post and wanted to say how much I admire you and yours. I love to hear about people who stand up and say this "far and no further".They take control of their lives and face all adversity with stoicism.This is what makes for strong spirit and determination.You treat every day as an adventure in life.I wish I had your strength of character when younger.It was particularly nice to hear that you have made some good friends and help each other.This is sadly lacking today.

Please keep us to date with your goings on,good and not so good.

I wish you all the best and hope all goes well for you.

Thursdays Child

 

[Steve L]

Hi Thursday's

Thanks for your kind words of support.

It does take courage and determination to keep going in the face of adversity.

Like Keith, we have had our fair share of knocks, but have won through. We had to move our van with 7" of snow on the ground in January. Got towed off our old pitch by the site tractor and a very brave Dennis who had to drive it in snow without a cab to shelter in. Then we drove 20 miles to our new site and promptly got the van stuck on that site. Even hand winching coudn't shift it. So we had to kip where we were until I could get my son's Freelander to tow us out which it only just managed to do as the conditiond were so bad.

Mean while, I had shovelled the snow off our correct pitch and exposed the 40ft concrete hardstanding we'd missed the day before.

But that's the fun of caravanning, you never know what is going to happen next.

We've been fulltiming for 2 years now and still enjoy it. We move to our seasonal pitch 1st March and this site is beautifull. Realy quiet, often we are the only ones on site except in july & august. You wake to wood peckers and birds tweeting, never hear a lorry just the odd car.

Unfortunately due to arthritis and adult sleep apnea I would take a council bungalow when offered, as we do have to be realistic about my future as I doubt I will be that active in retirement. But sell the caravan NEVER.

I've lived on estates with nosy interfearing neighbours from the day we got married 28 years ago and it was a nightmare. In the caravan, if you do find a pest, you can hook up and buzz off. But the odds of that must be a million to one.

I had an operation last year for arthritis and recouperated in the caravan. This year I have got two operations in april to correc mistakes from last year and will again recouperate in the van. It was much easier than being in a house. Plus if I needed any help there was a raft of people who would help for nothing more than a wee dram or a cuppa. That's true friendship for you.

Being un conventional doesn't bother us at all, as Keith has said , we own our home outright and have no credit cards to worry over, no extortionate utility bills to pay off, no companies ripping us off by drawing far more on the DD than they need. Cash is king and if we can't afford it we just save for it. My stiggy bank gets regular top ups to pay the electric and you'd be suprised that just

 

[Andy_374548263]

Hi

My parents have been permanant caravaners for 12 yrs now, 13 this May i think.

They spend the summer months in Cornwall, then at the end of September they get on the Santander ferry & spend the next 6 months in Benidorm.

They both say it's the best thing they have ever done, dad is 78 this year & still plans on carrying on till he's 80 as long as he's able to erect the awning, it takes them both around 5 days to set up now, if i can i try to get over for a week to give them a hand setting up if work allows.

The last couple of years even we have had 3 months in Spain with the van to see if it's something the wife & i would do full time in a few years time, not sure as yet but it's a possibility, for the winter months.

All the best in your endevours Steve...

Andy (Yorks)

 

[Steve L]

Hi

My parents have been permanant caravaners for 12 yrs now, 13 this May i think.

They spend the summer months in Cornwall, then at the end of September they get on the Santander ferry & spend the next 6 months in Benidorm.

They both say it's the best thing they have ever done, dad is 78 this year & still plans on carrying on till he's 80 as long as he's able to erect the awning, it takes them both around 5 days to set up now, if i can i try to get over for a week to give them a hand setting up if work allows.

The last couple of years even we have had 3 months in Spain with the van to see if it's something the wife & i would do full time in a few years time, not sure as yet but it's a possibility, for the winter months.

All the best in your endevours Steve...

Andy (Yorks)

Hi Andy.

Pass on a big well done to your folks from me and the wife. I hope I can still be caravanning at 78.

To be honest this life style is very relaxing and a great stress reliever. When I'm working I normally drive upto 1 1/2 hrs each way and spend 10 hours on site, so by the time I got in I was knackered and then just sitting out in the evening with a drink and watching the world go by soon unwind's the stress of the day.

When we had a house all we did in the evenings was DIT, DIY and more DIY to try to get the value up faster than the mortgage rate and what for?

Cos the tax man takes your profit's back anyway.

All the best.

Steve L.

 

[keith5]

Thanks Thursday's child. I am keith (OGRE) same guy different log in names, but we'd never divulge our real identity or where we stay for personal reasons.

You have hit the nail right on the head. basically WE (and not the government) have taken control of OUR lives, to live them the way we choose.

That, as far as I am concerned, is the most basic of rights. Like Steve, we've found that the friendships we have made, based on each others willingness and ability to help each other, is what makes life tick. Every day IS an adventure. Every day is different. Goods and bads, we take it all in our stride, but there are rarely any bads!!

Life is what you make it, and we decided in 2007, that we had totally had enough of the rat race in rip-off UK. It was that simple, we did it... and we've never looked back.

Bless you Thursdays Child for your lovely, non-judgemental post.