Caravan of love
Jeremy Clarkson may hate them, but with more people holidaying at home this year caravans are back in vogue.
It seems that the sale of caravans is demonstrating a positive upswing. They are changing hands more excitedly than a Beano in the playground, or a Peoples' Friend in a nursing home.
In this era of counting-one's pennies, it is quite easy to work out why this should be. The age of holidaying in marble-floored villa and balconied rooms overlooking the pool is being put into storage until everything improves. Maybe that age will never return.
Our island race has perhaps had its day of flying half across the world to spend two weeks in Lycra swimwear and linen shorts. We have to learn how to stay at home and still have a good time. On a bed that converts to a table under a roof that makes rainfall sound like machine-gunfire!
I always imagined Bob Dylan must have slept in a caravan when I heard his lyric to a Farewell Angelina. "King Kong little elves on the rooftop, they dance Valentino-type Tangos" etc etc.
You need to take a very loud book to read on a caravan holiday, to drown the noise of the rain on the roof. Rain is, of course, all part of the fun.
For absolute full benefit you must take a dog with you. Ours, when I was a young member of our private family caravan club, was a very hairy mongrel. He had a leaning towards the bearded collie as a breed, but his behaviour was akin to untrainable mutt.
When he was wet, my brother and I would beg for him to be, please, left in the car 'til he dried off. 'Wet dog in caravan' is not a perfume likely to outsell Chanel No 5.
When we stayed near Weston Super Mare he would swim in the sea. We used to say he smelled of 'English Channel No 5'. Ho ho, how we laughed. I suppose you had to be there.
In these technological times the caravan family will take all kinds of diversions on holiday with them. Wii and why and wherefore. There can be music of any any kind on tiny tap to each member of the family.
My brother, my parents, the dog and I all had to listen to my temperamental transistor radio. In a Cornwall caravan, I recall with sadness, you could hardly get any reception at all. Remembering, of course, that there would only be the two stations - the home and the light programmes.
This all changed in 1967 when Radio One was launched - but the Cornish reception thereof was no better.
We would often give up altogether and have some kind of an argument instead.
My mother was no semblance of a cook, nor did she want to be. The meals we had at home with a proper cooker and a cupboard full of half-used ingredients were bad enough. But caravan food left a lot to be desired (things like flavour, hotness and recognise-ability). Beans and chargrilled fish fingers being a speciality of the mobile house.
I don't expect many people will have to rough it in their caravan now like we did - I hope they don't. But I have to say, after all the years have passed into the rear view towing mirror, I can't remeber feeling all that hard done by.
I remember much laughter, four tired happy heads sleeping on four non-matching pillow cases dreaming of what we might do tomorrow. If it stopped raining. Which, sometimes, it did.
Holiday on wheels
Loved and loathed in equal measure, the caravan has, nonetheless, captured the hearts of British holidaymakers for more than 50 years.
Once the playthings of a privileged minority, they went on to present a fun, affordable breakaway for the masses.
These homes on wheels have had a boost in recent years with cash-strapped or eco-conscious Brits staying home, and bookings for campsites are up by a huge 27 per cent on last year.
Once associated with formica tables, thermos flasks and austerity, they are now kitted out with all the home comforts. Where once there were crab paste sandwiches, weak squash and lumpy beds, there are now DVD players, TVs and wine coolers.
And there have been some classic designs down the years for the humble caravan - which provided the freedom of the open road and a dose of adventure for their owners, away from the humdrum of domestic life.
It has been a remarkable love affair, one that endures, and one that generates a 16 billion a year industry in this country.
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Weather for Chichester
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South west
