5 weeks since last blog entry????

God, how boring am I?  Not much to report really bus-wise unless you're interested in trips to Tesco and a drive round the block every couple of nights. I don't react well to this time of year and this year is worse than most. The long 6 weeks off seems to be centuries ago & the black dog has been humping my leg good style. Not been sleeping well & worrying about not sleeping, not enough money, feeling guilty about feeling down when I've so much to be grateful for and other things all resulted in a trip to the GP. A prescription for little blue pills (no, not those little blue pills, stop sniggering at the back) has resulted in better sleep but a weird numb mental state for the past week. Don't suppose that any of my perceived worries are any less but I can't even muster the angst to worry about them - pathetic really.

Yesterday was a glorious day. Tatton Park with Ann (my beautiful wife), 2 out of 3 sons and 2 out of 3 grandkids was enough to chase even the blackest dog away. Playarea & picnic by the lake was heaven on earth. The memory of it now makes my heart ache to do it again & again & again and I know that we will. I need it.

Today was a bbq in Crewe with friends and family. Andy, Gemma et al, the world is a better place for knowing you. I'm rich indeed in things that you cannot put a price on. Guilt come from knowing that sometimes I can confuse priceless with worthless - my problem, no-one elses

6 night tour - high wind stopped play

Ann (my lovely wife) conceded that she was willing to go away int' bus for a week. Wore her down again, didn't I?   Cornwall was favourite but once we realised that it would cost us an arm & a couple of legs in petrol alone, a closer alternative was needed. A little research later and the Llyn Peninsula in north Wales seemed to fit the bill. Cliffs, coves and decent waves for Ann, Stu and the bodyboards. 130 miles away instead of 330. All we had to do was to substitute laver bread eating Welshies for bearded pasty munchers (that sounds a bit rude) and all would be well. Ann also expressed a desire to see the wonders of Shell (suit) Island and while I just refuse to stay there overnight ever again, we decided to find somewhere nearby & visit the Island for the day. Maybe Saxo engines sound quieter during the day & Burberry stripes simply fade into the dunes.................

Two sites were found, Ty Newyyd near Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula and Parc Isef about 8 miles south of Harlech so handy for the Island. £14 and £16 a night respectively with electric hook-up, so cheap enough. Bus was packed & all ready to go so off we went.

Found the first place easily enough. Some of the roads/lanes/tracks were a little tight but plenty of passing places.  It was a little disconcerting to get a text from Tesco Mobile welcoming us to Ireland once we got past Caernarfon but the signal died entirely later so no danger of paying international roaming charges.

Set up easy enough - see above. Ann admitted to enjoying herself - see above. Stu had taken Scrat the Rat with him so was instantly the coolest kid on site and made friends easily. The woman in the café was less impressed & wouldn't let him in with rat in pocket.

Weather was brilliant, blue skies etc with sunsets worth climbing the headland to watch. Beaches were sandy & warm, kites were flown and food & drink was abundant. Stu was enjoying himself and as most of his mates were leaving on the Sat am, we arranged to stay an extra night. Tues, Wed, Thurs & Friday am passed happily enough.

The wind started to blow Friday afternoon. It got stronger as the afternoon went on. Re-checked all pegs and all were holding fine but the wind got stronger and louder. It soon became clear that Ann (my lovely wife) was no longer enjoying herself and that it was possibly my fault we were there..............Some "discussions" took place and it became clear that:

1 - ideally we leave now

2 - it's too late to leave now isn't it

3 - leave me alone

4 - no, I said just leave me alone while I sit on the floor crying.

I'll leave it to you to decide who said what..................In the end, I disconnected the awning and pulled the bus round in front to act as a windbreak. Me & Stu got to sleep ok but poor Ann (my lovely wife) found it very difficult & only managed a couple of hours.

I woke at 8am to find a sunny dry still morning & Ann sweeping out the awning with a handbrush having packed a lot of stuff. We were due to move on that morning anyway so no problems with that. The awning had survived the night, no damage, We packed up easily and went for breakfast in the site cafe. As we were moving on to Harlech, I checked the weather forecast  for later that day. It was showing heavy rain & high wind so no prizes for guessing what we did. Better to cut our losses & run for home than risk another night like the night before after setting up in the rain.

Stopped off in Conway on the way home. There was a river festival going on, lots of stalls & fundraising, including jetski rides for £3 - proceeds to RNLI. Stu went on twice while we watched. Glad to say that the only customer we saw fall in was the adult knobhead who declined to remove his glasses as recommended and turned out to have an iPhone in his pocket. Not me, before you all jump to a reasonable conclusion.

Me & Stu might have a night away next week to end our 6 weeks off - will keep you posted.

Tatton VWNW 2011

Great day at the Tatton show as always. Took 1 wife (the lovely Ann), 2 sons & 2 grandkids and met 1 son & 1 grandkid when there.  An ex-husband & new partner turned up too and Ann (my lovely wife) met an old friend who pulled up to park next to us. How diverse.................

Forgot the camera but too many buses & cars to choose from, so I couldn't have taken them all anyway. A good day was had by all. Heard some people complaining about high cost of getting in (£7.50 for adults, free for kids) but as most of these were wearing wanky designer gear & too much hair gel and the rest were grumpy old fcuks,  we can safely ignore them.

Edale & a faint red light

Strange how I seem to have had less time to do stuff this last week than when I'm at work. Good prep for being retired, I suppose. I've been pottering around the house, keeping busy, nipping to Tesco for a few bits, etc, etc. I've stopped short of wearing beige, distrusting foreigners and demanding the return of National Service/Capital Punishment but I suppose it's only a matter of time....................

Anyway, Edale, Edale, Edale, EDALE. What a place. Shameful to say that I'd forgotten how beautiful the Edale Valley was. The number of times we've driven to Keswick etc when Edale is 30 miles away....... Don't suppose I'm really comparing like with like but so be it. The constant sunshine was a major factor (isn't it always?) & we quickly got into "being away" mode, didn't we Stu?  Coopers Campsite was only £24 for 2 nights, 2 nice pubs within 400 yards, a cafe on-site, shower/toilet block a little primitive & unclean but we managed.

We ate & drank like kings, walked a fair bit (for us) and felt slightly guilty that Ann (my beautiful wife) wasn't with us. Assuaged that guilt by taking her there on the following Saturday for a day out/good pub lunch. She confirmed the bogs etc to be a little too primitive/unclean for her delicate constitution (Princess & the Pea springs to mind, should that be Princess & the Pee?) so we'll need to find another site if/when she comes with us.

We'd taken the laptop to use as a DVD player & had a couple of late nights watching League of Gentlemen - no slur intended on the good people of Edale - and by the end we'd have been happy to never leave even if we did start calling each other "Dave".

Arthur ran like a dream coping with the drive out over Mam Tor with ease. Minor panic yesterday though when the temperature light came on but only very faint. Hot air was still coming through heater so I carried on driving (engine didn't overheat or seize up in a cloud of steam so I made the right call!). Having consulted the Club 80-90 Wiki about this, it suggests that it's almost certainly an electrical short or mucky temp sender unit so will be sorting that this afternoon.

No days away this week due to funds/crap weather/jobs to do so will look for a 1 nighter next week. VWNW show at Tatton Park on Sunday so will toddle over there & camp for the day while wandering around looking at/lusting over all manner of things VW.

Wales on 16th for 6 nights anyway - I've decided that IT WILL BE DRY.

Start your engines................

So work is on hold for 6 weeks while I devote (?) myself to being the main carer to the Son & Heir. The fact that my unpaid leave started the day before the First Test against India is purely intentional. The vague petrol smell around Arthur has disappeared, and although the warmer weather insists on melting the glue holding the headlining up, all is ready for out first trip of the summer. He's running well & looking good.

Just me & Stu off to a place called Coopers Farm in Edale. Was recommended by Richie, a fellow T25er who blogs here under the name "Travellin'Van". Worth a read and some great photos. Apparently, it's very near a good real ale pub, a good cafe & it turns out that it's only 27 miles from my door. Was thinking of a trek to Shell (suit) Island near Harlech but that's a couple of hundred miles round trip & if I really wanted to watch/listen/despair of chavs revving up their Saxos and Corsas at night, there's plenty of that round Manchester. Probably being really unfair to Shell Island (it was fantastic during the day) but I've only been once & that was 100% my experience at night. Combine that with Liverpool being on the telly in the bar (Europa 5th place losers cup or something) and me being unable to refrain from making ill-judged comments within the earshot of dull-witted mickeys. They wouldn't even Calm Down, Calm Down when I suggested it to them. Peasants..................no hurry to go back.

Anyway, we're off first thing in the morning for a couple of nights - as much a recce for later visits with Ann (my beautiful wife) if I'm honest but I've got a stack of books, San Miguel & wine to get through so that's that. Will pack Arthur in the morning, call on my mum in Glossop on the way out & will report back later in the week.

Speaking of my mother, a question to my legions of non-existent readers. I seem to be starting lots of sentences recently with "Is it just me or....." so here we go:

Is it just me or do you have conversations with elderly relatives that go:

Relative: Do you remember so & so?

Me:  No

Relative:  Oh yes, you do. You were at primary school with them/their sister/brother, they lived 3 doors up the road, they worked with your dad on the cables...................(delete as applicable)

Me: That was over 35 years ago

Relative:  Anyway, they died, had a grandchild, got 12 years for kiddy fiddling.................(as above)

...............& then when I either express my total disinterest or do a pisspoor job of pretending to be interested, it's MY fault.

Answers on a postcard please

Cool Runnings

All been a bit quiet really. Powerflex bushes & new shocks fitted - cheers Paul - & while not silky smooth, the difference made by a functioning suspension is noticeable, if only for the lack of oohs, aahs & various other moans from the passenger seat. Can now drive over leaves & small twigs without triggering full Princess & the Pea mode.

Got our wristbands for Blackpool Breeze 16-18th September and looking forward to VWNW at Tatton Park on 7th August. Might even get on the South Manc VW Club stand so major clean needed. Oh, I am a lazy bastard.

Just remembered, the hot weather last weekend (remember that, summer, eh, what, garlic bread, can you remember, Peter Kay, oh never mind) - it melted the glue holding the lining carpet onto the roof panel so I had to re-stick/re-fit all that. Instructions say to use in a well ventilated area but wheres the fun in that?  Didn't need wine that night....................

Result............

I like to think that I try to live my life right. I recycle, I do my bit for the less fortunate in society by coming to work every (nearly every) day & no matter what, I never ever covet my neighbours oxen (& he's got a fcuking nice one too). As a believer in karma & fate, I was waiting for my turn.

So with the above in mind, I'm happy to announce, to my band of 3 subscribed followers and various curious Facebook "friends" who clearly have little else to occupy their time, that:

THE GEARCHANGE IS FIXED. I CAN GET 1ST GEAR. I DO NOT HAVE TO MENTALLY PLAN EVERY JOURNEY AVOIDING TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR JUNCTIONS ON UPHILL SLOPES.

Enough of the hysterical reportage - after all, this was done last Thursday & I've only just got round to typing it up. Hardly Hold The Front Page.

Story is that Arthur went off for his MOT with some new little neoprene blocks that attach to the bottom of the gearlever. Some more research on Club 80-90 suggested this could be the thing to do so Paul at Minichanics (http://www.minichanics.co.uk/ for all your classic car repairs/maintainance) was tasked to fit them. MOT went well, probably better than expected, failing only on a non-working fog-light and a gay sounding horn that has been getting on my wick since I bought Arty last November. The old Arrugah sounding horn has been replaced by a straight-forward normal sounding horn that releases me into the world of road-rage once more. You can't really beep someone in traffic if you're embarrassed by the sound you make. Maybe that's the solution to road rage, camp sounding horns..........(mental note:  patent this along with replacing airbags with metal spikes to make people more careful drivers and foam rubber cars in dedicated lanes for drunk drivers only).

Anyway, Paul fitted the blocks but said they didn't make much difference. Whilst underneath, he noticed that part of the linkage at the back looked a little worn so stripped it & wrapped the shaft (oooh missus) with tape. The gearshift is now a thing of beauty, slipping like silk between gears (don't go overboard....). I can get 1st easily & everything else is better too. Paul said it might need re-taping every 6 months & to be honest I should probably get a replacement part but at the moment, I'm too giddy at NOT having to lash out £1k on having a gearbox fitted to do anything remotely practical. Besides, you can buy lots of gaffer tape for £1k.

What else?  I've been a little concerned with the harshness of the ride since lowering and the state of some of the bushes on the front suspension. They all passed the MOT but look tatty & near the end of their useful life so decided to invest in a set of Powerflex bushes. Will have the rollbar done first & stash the rest of another time. Will throw on a pair of uprated shocks too.

Have booked a North Wales break in August. 6 nights split between Aberdaron on the Llynn Peninsula and a place just north of Barmouth. £84 for 6 nights including hook-up can't be beaten if the sites are as good as the reviews. We'll see.........................

Not a lot to say really........

.........bus-wise. No trips other than an odd jaunt to Tesco just to stretch Arthurs legs. Looking forward to the MOT & summer hols. Trips to Grizedale, North Wales & the Dales in prospect but nothing is getting booked until I've got the new MOT in hand!

Might be some hope on the gearbox - a couple of other cheap things to try before the cheque book comes out big-stylee

See you soon

Dog Weekend without a dog

Where have the last 2 weeks gone?  The first week disappeared doing real-life stuff, broken washing machine & general domestic bullshité but last week was a build-up to our second family weekend away. Months ago, Cal (my VW Bay owning sister-in-law) invited us to a dog agility weekend in Bakewell - free camping in return for helping out with various jobs. We went last year for the day & enjoyed watching the well trained & not so well trained hounds jumping & weaving round various courses so it seemed like a good idea. We don't actually have a dog - I really want one, Stu really wants one, Ann my lovely wife doesn't want one - end of...............

Naturally, 3 or 4 weeks of good dry weather came to an end a few days before we were due to go & wet windy weather was on the forecast. Would we cry off with tales of bad knees or dodgy gearboxes? Absolutely not - we packed up (remembering everything this time), set off (avoiding the A6 during Friday night rush-hour) and rolled into Bakewell with no dramas whatsoever at 6.30pm. Found our pitch, parked up & then noticed the biggest blackest cloud bearing down on us. 30 minutes of mad panic getting the awning up ended with the cloud passing over us without a drop of rain. Ann (my lovely wife) had invested in a new sleeping bag & liner that hopefully would prevent a repeat of the tears of Hope Valley 4 weeks ago. I'd taken extra San Miguel, wine & chocolate.

All went well. Stu decided to sleep with us in the van but the full-width bed was plenty big enough for all of us. Ann was, & I quote "nice & toasty" & I chilled out with chilli, beer, wine & chocolate. Saturday dawned with an 8.30am start booking in competitors & the day followed with showers & bright sun. Stu got a go at running one of Cals Springer Spaniels over a course & Ann got to listen to citeh winning the FA Cup. We had been to a pub to watch it but walked out at half-time as the game was shité. I had San Miguel, wine, chocolate & Tramadol.

Sunday - more of the same minus FA Cup, San Miguel & wine & home again at about 4pm. Bus ran like a dream and Ann is talking about "next time" - can't be bad. Had talked about a week in Cornwall but at 23mpg, 330 miles each way gets a bit pricey so a tour of North Wales Llyn Peninsula looks favourite. We'll see......................

Lets do it again, and again, and again.............

So, after the first time away, what to do next? Go again of course. Ann was in work but I was off with Stu so we decided on a single night to check out a place we all liked the look of for later in the year. A Boys Own trip wouldn't hurt either - it's why we bought Arthur in the first place, Ann saying I was too old & knackered to sleep in a tent anymore.

Red Bank Farm is a working farm in Bolton le Sands right on the shore of Morecambe Bay (www.redbankfarm.co.uk). Licensed cafe, good reviews on UK Campsites, and would only cost us £9 for the night (£6 for adults, £3 for kids all year round).

Weather was brilliant all week so we packed light (no long trousers!), took plenty of "refreshment" (just for me although a glass of cider had been promised to the Boy), bbq coals & the laptop for a bus-based cinema night (So I Married an Axe Murderer - Channel 5s Royal Wedding night film apparently. Has Kate got a mad sister & did Wills last girlfriend smell like Beef Vegetable soup?).

Run to the coast went well. A few struggles with 1st gear during a brief encounter with Carnforth & we were there. No awning as just the two of us so setting up was simply leveling up on chocks & putting the handbrake on and then off for a wander. "Don't wear your flip-flops, Stu. We're walking a long way". "I'll be ok, Dad. Leave me alone, I'm not a baby........"

Half an hour later, Stu's feet were on fire as I walked him all the way to the village to find a nice pub for an afternoon drinkie - he'll learn. Feeling a little guilty, I suggested he sat with his feet in the canal for a while to cool off. Not for too long though - the pub was just over the bridge.

We should have stayed at the canal - I've never been in a pub before that didn't have any bottled drinks or crisps because "we're still waiting for a delivery". Deliverance would be nearer the mark in there and would be viewed by the regulars as a documentary, not fiction. A collection of creatures lurked near the pool table, possibly because they worshiped it as some kind of God, possibly because they were waiting for a non-local to bend over it. As I didn't want to find out exactly what they did with the chalk, 2 quick beers & 2 quick Cokes later we were out of there "before our IQs dropped too far" to quote the increasingly cynical son of mine. Note that it was 2 beers, I wasn't going to let the fear of bum-rape stop me having a second pint.

Walk back to the site was good for a laugh too. We got stopped at a level-crossing for about 30 minutes while various trains went past. Realising that Stu had never been up close to a train track before, I suggested that he stood close to the barrier looking straight ahead while I watched the Virgin Express approach at high-speed. Ah, bless, he fell for it and the sheer terror on his face after the train thundered past 6 feet away seemed to have made him forget all about his aching feet. All this fun & child benefit too......................BBQ followed by campfire with toasted marshmallows on sticks ended a wonderful day so we climbed into the bus & watched the DVD. Great nights sleep too.

Up early next day & another wander before breakfast in the cafe, pack up & home. Massive queue heading north into Blackpool as we pottered down the M6 towards home - who are these people?

Rest of the week? Not much really, gave Arthur a wash on Sunday morning & went to a VW meet at a pub in Didsbury with Cal in the afternoon. Steve, Ann, Stu & Albert all came along but we mostly ignored them & chatted to other owners like the nerds that we are. Not many others there to be honest but it was Easter Sunday so maybe other families aren't as accommodating.

Have re-fitted the cupboard in the back & sorted out the hook-up. Amazing how well electricity works if you actually connect it all up right - it could have been worse, we could have been electrocuted..............

2 weeks til Ann (my lovely wife) tries again, free camping weekend in return for helping Cal's dog training club at an event in Bakewell. New sleeping bags have been bought for Ann & Stu after Ann tried one out on the floor of Millets in Altrincham - so wish I'd been there but the mental image will keep me warm for a while yet. Hope the sleeping bag does the same for Ann.

Long long week & even longer weekend nights

Where to start? Last Monday is as good a place as any. Paul texted to say he'd sorted the wheelbearing for £60 & that I could pick up that night. He also mentioned that "the whining noise had gone". To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what he meant because if there was any noise as Arthur goes along, it's more of a roar that I always felt was coming from the dodgy gearbox. Anyway, got up there to pick up, pushed cash under door, found keys on top of sun visor (nice Hollywood touch there I thought) & off we go......

A 1984 Transporter with god knows how many miles on the clock is never going to be silent running but we are certainly now in the quiet category - good result for £60 & a little grief last Saturday. Actually, the result is that I can hear a few other squeaks & rattles that the old roar had been blotting out but nothing to compare to before. The radio can now be used for the spoken word & music other than the mad bad loud stuff that I had to (had to?) listen to before.

Tuesday - long night working on Arthur after work. Got the 240v hook-up finished (so I thought, see later), cupboard mountings fitted, curtains fitted with wires to tuck the bottom of them behind when in use, tiebacks fitted. Came in feeling like a bit of an Alpha Male (after fitting curtains? yes I know, it's all relative) & slept the sleep of the righteous.

Wednesday - went round to the eldests to meet his girlfriends mum but ended up dragging all out of the house to show off my handywork. Bore? Me? Never.................

Thursday - did a preliminary pack-up of all the bits n bobs. We had been thinking that space would be tight but in the end it turned out that there's more room than we thought. Didn't sleep well, really worried that Ann wouldn't like it & that things would go wrong.

Friday, before work - packed a few more bits & went off to the Workhouse with a head full of campsites, sunshine & promise of real ale. Can't remember much about the day but suppose it was a day like any other full of appreciative articulate customers.

Friday , after work - the descent into Hell began. For some reason, we'd agreed to food-shop for the weekend after work on Friday - YES I KNOW, WHAT WERE WE THINKING?

Dropped Ann at Tesco, took the middle one home & came back to Tesco. Met the youngest there & in we go to find Ann. Methodical sweeps of the aisles found nothing, I'd left my mobile in the car so I sent the boy in to look while I continued to prowl up & down looking along aisles. Lost 15 minutes I didn't want to lose doing this before finding them both. Got home, finished packing, gathered us all together in a kind of pre-match huddle & gave the pep talk, "Lets all try to be calm, we've waited a long time for this, things will go wrong & we will have forgotten things but lets not stress each other out"

Off we go.

1 mile down the road, I realise I've forgotten my wallet. Ah, the joys of telephone banking, I can call First Direct & get them to transfer cash to Ann & we'll find a cash-point somewhere.

2 miles down the road, I realise I've forgotten my painkillers. Bigger problem here, I can cease to function as a polite human being without Tramadol if I take too much exercise & the intention is to drive, pitch camp, sleep out, walk all day Sat & then break camp again Sunday. Traffic back to home is horrendous due to roadworks so I decide to say nothing for a bit so I don't get pressurised into turning back. Can't spare the time, putting up a new awning for the first time with the light fading is no basis for a stress-free weekend, so decide to go up the A6 to get cash and armfuls of Paracetamol/Ibuprofen at the Sainsburys in Hazel Grove.

Did I mention that it was Friday rush-hour? The A6 in Friday rush-hour? A fully laden bus with a decidedly iffy 1st gear on the A6 in Friday rush-hour........great. A nose to tail 45 minutes later, we broke free & raced off through Disley, Chapel & over the top down towards Castleton. Winnets Pass is a 1 in 5 descent but nothing was stopping us now as we charged downhill. The brakes worked as intended & we proceeded calmly through Castleton, into Hope, out the other side & arrived at Laneside Caravan Park (www.lanesidecaravanpark.co.uk).

Friendly owners showed us to our pitch & left us to it. My biggest worry was that we would provide some kind of floorshow for others as we demonstrated our brand-new status by cocking everything up, by me using my very best polite sarcasm "Actually, you'll find if you do it this way, it is perfectly simple" etc, etc.......Didn't turn out like that. Awning went up easy enough though pegging out was a struggle. I'd booked a hard-standing pitch thinking this meant a strip of concrete for the bus to sit on while the awning was on grass. It didn't, it meant hard-packed limestone all over that you have to pound pegs into with the back of an axe because you've lost your mallet. Never mind, live & learn.

Sent Ann & Stu off to the village to find the Chinese take-away while I finished off setting up. It was at this point that I discovered that the hook-up didn't work so mobiles would be flat & coolbox would be battery only. No matter, you live & learn. They came back with a great big box, we ate like kings (should be Emperors I suppose) & we settled down for the night. No toothpaste, ah well, you live & learn.

Off to bed, Stu in the awning, me & Ann in the bus. Ann couldn't sleep, draughty, cold & what I thought was the best sleeping bag & had given to my lovely wife clearly was not up to the job of keeping her warm. Tears followed, not mine, but felt dreadful. Ann was only doing all this to humour me & to not feel excluded when me & Stu nip off camping somewhere. It was a long, long, night...........Still, a nice bacon & sausage barm in the morning will help to, ah, no, wait, forgot the fry pan. You live & learn...................

Saturday dawned bright & noisy. So many birds tweeting, sheep bleating, etc. Sounds I love but not after probably 4 hours sleep between us. Stu, of course, slept like the dead & awoke bright and so happy we could have strangled him. Previous nights Chinese made the missing fry pan a moot point as the thought of food was far from our minds. Bought toothpaste on site, got clean & we wandered off. Site has a river running past with stepping stones so a morning went just passed by wandering about & watching Stu getting his feet wet. Into Hope, found a cafe & had breakfast for lunch then wandered off to Castleton - 2 miles across fields full of lambs. Possibly the best walk ever.

Back to Hope by bus & into a pub for the FA Semi - least said about that the better. My one comment would be that if you truly wish to appreciate "citeh" & their 6 woolly-toed following, do it in a small Derbyshire village pub.

Return to site & Ann decided to sleep in the awning rather than the van, swapping places with Stu. The price you pay for a crystal clear April day is a bitterly cold April night so she was back in the van in the small hours - good job it's a full width bed.

Morning came & armed with a fry pan bought in the site shop, bacon & sausage barms were made & tasted as good as anything I've ever had on a campsite. Packing up after this was a breeze & back home via the Snake Pass - Arthur performed brilliantly & although the road was clear ahead, I was only holding up 5 cars at the most.

Today was spent washing & putting stuff away and thinking of next time & what can be done better. Whether Ann will be with us is up for debate - will depend on whether the brilliant days can offset the horrible nights - will get a 3-season sleeping bag if nothing else & I suppose better planning/execution on my part will help. Lets see - days are long enough when Ann isn't by my side & nights are even longer x

So I lost my virginity at last.........

.....bet that got your attention but it's sadly true.

Got Arthur back from Pauls early yesterday am. Leisure battery fitted & various other bits done including gearbox oil change - more of that later. Set off home, all good. As we got close, we noticed a squeaking from the front nearside. Thought nothing of it - he's an old boy & if I've learned nothing else, it's that when one job is done, you notice something else that needs doing.

So finally after 5 months of tootling around, first time starting & a general smug-ness about my perfectly functioning T25, I have a breakdown to report. A wheel bearing gave up when taking Ann (my lovely wife) and Stu to Lyme Park to meet grandkids for A Big Day Out. Ann wasn't happy, I thought it was funny, Ann really didn't think it was funny, I thought this was even funnier. I sat in the back, Ann sat in the front, arms so tightly crossed that it made me feel breathless. Luckily, the eldest was available to pick her & Stu up & deliver them to Lyme Park for a beautiful day in the sun rolling down hills & eating picnic. I got a trip to the garage on the back of a breakdown truck driven by that bloke who knows exactly how to sort this country out. You know him, he's the salt of the earth, that uncomplicated bloke who is fashioned from the common clay, the bedrock on which this fine land of ours solidly stands, or to put it more simply, a moron......................

It's a tick off the list though, been meaning to call Britannia Rescue just to check if campers are covered. Thankfully, they are and we're now proper camper owners. Should be back on the road Wed pm once Paul weaves his magic.

Gearbox? Gearbox, gearbox, gearbox................ It appears that a rebuild/replace will be necessary unless it was part of Mr VWs design for little bits of metal & ball-bearings to come out when you change the oil. Getting into 1st gear has always been a bit of an issue but other than that, it's fine. No crunching/grinding at all but definitely noisier than it should be. Perfectly drivable at the moment but will be sorted as soon as we're back from Hope Valley on Sunday.

I hereby appeal now to all Gods of Motoring, past & present, to grant us an uneventful drive there & back. Oh, & if you could throw in some nice weather & the thick end of £1k for a gearbox, that would be nice

Quiet week really - fitted the 240v hook-up socket to the back of the rear numberplate flap, widened the bit on the rear platform where the bed frame rests (don't really want the bed to collapse every time one of us rolls over in the night) and covered the kickboard in lining carpet to match the bus walls.

Booked into Pauls for next week for leisure battery fitting & for another look at the gears. Having problems getting 1st gear again once we've been running for a while - 80-

90 forum suggests bleeding the clutch slave cylinder - hopefully that'll sort it out..

After grandkids day out last week, took Ann, Stu & Ann's dad Albert round to Jays new place in Chorlton - pic below. Ran sweet enough but as above, 1st gear a little problematical. Still arrived with a silly grin on my face though.

Two weeks until 1st camp-out in Hope Valley - I've got a snaglist a mile long & running out of days to do them in. Will all be worth it though if all goes as well as hoped.........

Didn't keep my promise to myself to put an hour in each night this week but decided not to make myself pay a forfeit as I would only be robbing Peter which would then make me unable to pay Paul (Paul being my tame brilliant mechanic, do keep up at the back)

Lots of planning done though which came to the fore today. Back to yesterday first - having promised the Grandkids that we'd have a picnic day out in the bus, we finally did it. This pic sums it up. All the dreaming, all the planning, all the looking at the magazines, all worth it. Grandkids are on the outside - the big daft one in the middle is my fault...............

Today then. Up bright & early despite the clocks changing. Insulation then new laminate then kickboard & speakers. Stu was a great help fetching, carrying, brewing up and sitting on wood to stop it moving when being sawed. Finally found a use for his butt (that sounds creepy but it's staying in). A good days work even if the back/knees/hands are now muttering their disapproval. Ann (my lovely wife) came back from shopping with her Dad with new scatter cushions that I suppose will double-up as pillows - present from Albert to Arthur, thanks Albert.

He came round later to drop off this book - do you think he's trying to tell us something? The anatomically correct graphically illustrated section on emergency childbirth is especially informative if a little shocking to the boy - he'll learn....................

Revelation.............Solution................Intention

Back to last week & the revelation that the storage unit won't fit when the bed is down.

Easy solution: unit will be fitted with clips that hold it in place when driving & allow it to be lifted out into the awning when all 3 of us are away or turned sideways behind the seats when it's just me & the boy. The things you think of at work when only 5% of brain is needed to deal with the Great Unwashed.

Not much else to report really - knees haven't been great so not been able to do as much as liked. I bought the stuff for the 240v hook-up & I stripped the storage unit down today to give it a proper sanding & a coat of varnish. Found a sheet of plywood in the garage that I can use for the kickboard and measured up for that & for the new flooring.

Intention: 1 hour each night this week on bus related matters. If I fail to reach this target, I will have to pay a forfeit to myself. Not sure what this will entail yet - open to suggestions

Highs & Lows, High & Lows

As it says in the title really if slightly over-dramatic........

Highs: took Arthur to Pauls to get the bed fitted and the socket cut for the table leg & he got it sorted for very little cash. Found a gem there (www.minichanics.co.uk) - mind you, this is the bloke who finished work in Stockport on Friday night & then drove to Perranporth in Cornwall because a mate was having trouble with her Mini. After arriving there at 12:30am, he slept until 9am ish & then stripped the top of the engine down & re-built it fortified with bacon butties & pasties (him, not the engine). He then drove home covering 300+ miles in 4 & a half hours. Impressive bladder control on the M5/M6 if nothing else.

Now the proper back seat is in & the seatbelts are in play, I could take the grandkids for a drive. All those months of just reading Camper & Bus fell away as they climbed in, we buckled up & away we went. Who smiled widest? The 2 year old, the 4 year old or the 46 year old? Can't say & don't care - the bus is OURS now, not just mine & I don't have the words to describe how that makes me feel.

Lows: well, low (singular), my nice new storage unit doesn't fit. £160 & 150 miles at 23 miles a gallon counts for nothing if you've mis-measured how far your rock n roll bed swings out when flat. So back to eBay you go, Mr Storage Unit, & we'll think again about what fits there. IKEA might have to be visited this week & not just for the Daim cake & meatballs....................

Minor low (& only because she's just mentioned it), Ann - my lovely wife - insists on making Clampett references whenever she's out in the bus. "Should we put a rocking chair on the roof?" & "It'll be ok if we're on proper holiday" - whatever that means. I'm thinking of getting a CD of Deliverance style banjo music to play whenever she is parked in the passenger seat. Mind you, it wasn't me who banged my head on the sliding door when closing the sliding door, was it, My Sweet? Love and decorum prevents me from pointing out who Ma Clampett really is in this scenario so long as I'm the young one holding the steering wheel

Run out today- over to Doncaster to pick up a cupboard unit. Saw it on eBay. Dead simple, 1 big cupboard on the left for water carrier (or whatever), 2 smaller cupboards on the right for whatever & a lift up top that a stove could sit on or under which a flat-screen could hide (practical v bling - we all know which will win - I'm a boring old fart). Hinges are a little flamboyant & might yet get replaced but basically it will do. Bloke who made it had an old yellow Bay parked on the drive that might just have had 50% of the worlds supply of filler in its wheel-arches but enough of that........

Drive over was great - Arthur coped well with the Woodhead Pass & there was no queue of frustrated car drivers behind us. Ate my first McDonalds in about 6 years on way over - called in for a McPiss & felt obliged to have a coffee to avoid making it a McPiss with lies. Paid with a £20 & the minimum wager serving gave me a tenner, a fiver & about £3 in 10p pieces so bought Sausage & Egg McMuffin with all the change. Counter-Boy then tried to give me £7 in change from the £3 I'd handed over for the £2ish grease-fest. My protestations met with "but the till says we owe you £7 change". Bless him. Told him to put it all in the charity box - cost me less than a quid to do this but he looked at me like I was a major high-roller. McShité tasted great but the immediate feeling of shame & the later feeling of greasy crap in the gut doesn't change.

Wasn't able to fit the bed myself. The 2 bolts through the floor would have been easy enough to do but the other 4 need to go through the bulkhead quite close to the mountings for the rear suspension arms & I'm not keen to drill those out so we're back to Paul for him to get his welding kit out. He can fit the table socket in the back too as this needs a hole cutting in the floor & I'm just not equipped or inclined to do this. Looking forward to meeting fellow T25 drivers so I can pretend I did all the work myself.................

Got back to find out that we'd lost to the Bin-Dippers 3-1. Who gives a fcuk? Tragedy? Put some flowers on it

Progress, sweet progress.

Seatbelts are all in & working. Panels re-fitted, lining carpet re-fitted & trimmed. New bed built. Old bed sold (cheers Rob, good to meet you). Bus washed (cheers Stu but you missed a bit). Cupboard unit bought, just need to collect from Doncaster on Sat - nice little run out to look forward to.

Will fit the bed frame tomorrow & sort the cushions out. If I can fit the new cupboard at weekend then I can go back to Paul for the leisure battery set up. Kickboard for the bed, speakers in that & the front doors, a bloody good clean, carpets in cab with some soundproofing underneath then we're done.......................................for the meantime :-)

First overnight is pencilled in for 15th/16th April - Hope Valley hopefully. Far enough away to feel like we're away, close enough to home to be back within an hour.

This is my story - tell me yours

Day late again but yesterday was a very long one. Went to DubFreeze near Stafford for our first "event" as owners. Didn't camp out Sat night as new bed only arrived on Thursday and just didn't get chance to put it in. More of that later.......

Good drive down the M6 yesterday even if we were the slowest thing on the road - overtook 1 Pets at Home lorry & nothing else - but got to Stafford in good time. Parked up in a field full of other interesting buses & then (with hindsight) paid £10 to walk round an overcrowded market of various VW stuff. Stu enjoyed it & we did pick up a few useful bits, cab mats, pole/clamp kit for the awning, an assortment of cars for Stu. Got the hubcaps for Cal's Bay as well - only £3 each too.

Show & Shine was underwhelming but we spent as much time in there as anywhere else if only because it was the least crowded! Best thing was wandering around the carpark & For Sale area outside - spent thousands mentally & caught myself saying "oh, I'll get one of those next time" on numerous occasions.

As I said earlier, bed arrived Thursday. Seems straightforward enough to put together & that is the plan for tomorrow. I've got 2 full days before we go to Wales on Thursday so hopefully (he said crossing fingers & touching wood) all will be done by then. Might even go in the bus & leave the quiet smooth warm car at home :-)

Er, so what happened this week bus-wise? Not an awful lot to be honest as bus was away at Pauls garage . Chased up delivery of the bed, should be Wed/Thurs this week so probably going to be too late to stop over at DubFreeze. Rob is intending to call on Saturday en-route from Newcastle to pick up the old bed & possibly buy the seats too so will arrange a meet somewhere convenient. Knutsford Services on the M6 are probably favourite.

Got Arthur back from Pauls on Sat am - welding done for seatbelt mounts, new top ball-joints on front suspension, new thermostat, new cooling fan switch & lowered 50mm. A little higher in back as no weight in there at the moment so a nosedown stance until bed/enginebay unit/coolbox full of Miller get loaded up. Not the best pic in the world but gives you an idea of whats what. Next trip back to Pauls should be for leisure battery, split charge etc but I've got a lot to do before then. Fit the bed & belts, re-fit the lining, door speakers, bed kickboard with speakers/sockets, table as bought last week & finally some kind of storage/kitchen type unit. Have seen one on eBay for £160 that looks ideal so will get in touch to see if it can be held until weekend after next

Monthly meeting of family VW Camper Club convened this afternoon at Ann's Dads house. Cal was round so we bored on for a bit about stuff. She's got a LHD Bay but I'm not prejudiced against air-cooled oldies. Found myself agreeing to check out the AutoJumble at DubFreeze to look for 2 x VW Chrome hubcaps & "some flappy airvent thingies" for the dashboard. Sure I'll find something that fits the bill.

That's it for now - countdown on for warmer/dryer weather but even if it's pissing down & cold, me & Stu will be out overnight as soon as possible at Shell (suit) Island

Couple of days late with the weekly update - apologies to my many non-existent followers.

Nipped up to Bury last Wed night to pick up the table - very nice. Added it to the pile of bits in Stus room. Took the other interior panel out & marked up all the belt mounting points. Dropped off at Pauls on Sat am for the lowering/welding and for him to check that the cooling fan is working - anticipating long queues on our various summer jaunts in very hot weather. Yeah right............

Advertised the oven/hob & seats for sale on Club 80-90 & offered the fridge as a giveaway. Don't think it works but if someone wants it, at least it saves me a trip to the tip. Got an offer of £40 for the seats if I take them to DubFreeze which seems fair enough to me. This + £100 for the old bed certainly helps.

That's it for now - will have to chase up the new bed as I want to fit it this weekend & get my first overnight sorted for DubFreeze.

Weekly update - looks like its weekly updates while we still have the dark nights & I can't do anything during the week.

Took the other back panel out to find the nearside seatbelt mounts and pulled the carpet up so that I could see where best to have the strengthening plates welded on the floor. All seems clear enough. After some advice from Club 80-90 members again (cheers Ben, MetalMickey & anyone else I've forgotten), I took the rear pillar vents off on the outside & found the dimples for the shoulder loop mountings. Drilled a pilot hole through these and will cut the hole needed for the mounting plate nut to poke through. Will sort this once a Q Max hole cutter has been acquired - £12 on eBay - & then I can get up to Pauls to have the necessary welding done and the lowering done.

Finally took the old bed brackets out - another set of not very tight nuts/bolts. Have got a buyer for the old bed too. A bloke called Rob from Club 80-90 (hi, Rob - I know you read this!) wants a metal frame to replace the wooden set up he has at the moment and will be picking up at the end of Feb. Will have to get pics of the hob/oven and bucket seats sorted soon. Might be able to sell these on via Club 80-90 too - all funds gratefully received..........

eBay has seen some activity - bought a 3-way 12v socket & USB charger that will fit into the kickboard on the drivers side. Handy for coolbox, chargers, etc. Also watching a storage unit that seems ideal to site behind the drivers seat and bidding on a surfboard style table. 2mins 28 secs left - hang on.........................won it for £34. Need to pick up from Bury so will have a drive up there one night this week.

Will post some pic of the progress inside once belt mounts are done.

Finally got busy yesterday. Took the old bed out - rather worrying just how loose the old bolts were (mental note: use some kind of locknut when fitting new one) but at least it came out easily. Pulled the carpet lining off the back panel on the driver side & removed the panel to look for the seatbelt mounts. The bottom set of 3 holes are there for the bracket that holds the reel but no captive nut at the top for the shoulder loop. Ordered some plates from Brickwerks to be welded in. Best advice from Club 80-90 forum is to mount these behind the panel with a hole for the nut & puddle-weld them in for a neater finish. Will get Paul to do this when doing the lowering. Should be easy enough to thread the belt either over the top of the panel or cut a slot & fit some little plastic trims that I ordered when I got the belts so some progress there.

Measured up for the new back cushion from VolksWares & posted the template off. Delivery probably in about 3 weeks so want belts ready by then. Should be done nicely for half-term so I can start working through the list of Stuarts mates who want a drive round. Seem to me that a bus is the modern take on sweets & puppy dogs for luring young boys..............

Bought an awning - Khyam Driveaway XC. Pretty much the same design as the Navigator Kombi I've been looking at for months but £60ish cheaper. Khyam come well recommended on the Club 80-90 forums so happy enough to jump in.

Speaking of Club 80-90, it's a great website. Loads of advice, a sprinkling of characters and fellow obsessives. Look forward to meeting up at various shows - wonder if my usual social autism will get in the way. Coolbox or fridge definitely needed to keep my "social skills" cold.................

Mum on standby to make curtains - going up t'hills tomorrow night to see her for a measure up. Ann (my lovely wife) is still insisting on styling the interior so will be on the hunt for material soon.

Budget is stretching a bit but should be ok. Might not have the exhaust gold-plated now

Have finally ordered the bed & cushions - another £575 - got £40 off though as willing to wait until early Feb for delivery. This gives me time to sort the belts out.

Did an MPG test too - brimmed up, drove 100 miles over a few days (mix of town/motorway), brimmed up again & did the maths. 23mpg - not as bad as I'd feared for an old 1900cc and I suppose long steady motorway runs will improve upon this.

Been having trouble getting a spare ignition key cut. Have had to leave the key with a Local Shop (for Local People & that comparison isn't too far removed from the truth) and he/she/it is going to see a guy tomorrow who supplies blanks to see if they can find one. Suppose most shows will have specialist key cutters there so will have to try not to lose keys before DubFreeze on 20th Feb if no luck at The Local Shop.

That's that for now - will be taking out the old bed over the weekend & looking for the seatbelt mounts, weather, family & knees permitting................

All the ordered bits have arrived - Stus bedroom looks like a car parts shop as the boxes pile up in the corner. Will be ordering bed today & booking into Pauls garage for next week to get the lowering done.

Have had a look behind a couple of the trim panels in the back - no insulation - so will be doing that myself before fitting bed & belts. This should keep us all toasty when camping & further reduce noise when driving. Job list gets longer & longer though - as does the one inside the house - so will need a new full days to attack them both. Half Term hols in Feb look favourite.

Nothing since 12th Dec? What a lazy boy I've been................

What to report? Received the engine bay unit that fitted straight in & has deadened a lot of the engine noise. We can talk to each other on the move now as opposed to shouting. Overhead unit does not fit a T25 so I'm chasing the eBay seller for a refund. Not too bothered if he won't though as I'm pretty sure I got a bargain & could re-sell at a profit once I can stir myself to start listing things.

Have bought 50mm lowering kit & will get this fitted asap. Fitted new door mirror & light guards myself (can do anything that just involves a Phillips screwdriver). Thermal blinds & leisure battery kit has arrived, rear seatbelts are on their way, and have chosen upholstery for rear seat/bed. Will get this ordered early next week along with bed frame and foam. Going to strip out old bed asap & have a crack at fitting the new one myself along with the belts - money saved now will be a bonus in coming months.

Looking to make first show DubFreeze at the end of Feb - stay over if all done, day trip if not.

That's all for now - belated Merry Christmas to anyone who reads this (does anyone?) & a Happy 2011 to all..............except the coffin-dodger in her Peugeot 206 who pulled out in front of us on Chester Road yesterday. At least she proved that the brakes really do work although we got so close that I couldn't see the back of her car under the nose. The lights work too as I proved by chasing her for 400 yards on full beam. She didn't register that either - probably just saw Jesus beckoning her home. Elderly independence is one thing but I'd bet any amount that her reflexes & road awareness on her best day is worse than any of ours with an illegal amount of ale inside us. Doug Stanhope did a bit where he said that you should be allowed to take a drunk-drive test where if you can pass the test at a certain level, you get a license that allows you to drive up to that level. A little fatuous I know but hopefully you get the point....................

PS: snowy Bus pic included. Didn't really expect to pull off a handbrake turn but managed it - Stu turned a little green but he'll learn