Sunday, December 17, 2006

And so to bed

[Pippa chides me for not having any updates. However, I am a fair weather camper fan; unable to be torn away from my regular transport's heated seats and, well, heating during the winter months, and my van is lurking under its cover in the garden devising new ways of turning to rust. She has, in the community spirit, taken the chance to write something herself, for which she has my great thanks. Season's Greetings ]

It was a sad day today; Claude eventually had to leave pride of place on our drive to go into winter storage. It's a day I've been putting off for the past month or two, using excuses such as the unseasonably mild weather; the need to finish off the restoration work; the fact that moving him will reveal the steadily-growing oil-patch on the driveway....

In reality, it's just because I'll actually miss my van! He's been great fun for little trips throughout the year, and he's also been a really enjoyable hobby, taking up much of my time and energy (not to mention the bank balance!) since the day we bought him. And now that I've just got the van how I want him, it's time to mothball him until spring - so unfair!

So, I spent most of today emptying all of the cupboards, removing the curtains and cushions, washing, T-cutting, rust-removing and waxing to try to ensure Claude emerges in April reasonably close to the same condition as he is now. Then it was a quick trip down to a local farmer's barn in the next village, where he'll hopefully be safe and dry for the next 3 or 4 months, at a cost of £10 per week. (I hope I'm not being ripped off!) Obviously, I'll pop down every week or two and start him up, or preferably give him a run to keep his brakes and tyres in order, but in the meantime, I'll just have to find myself an alternative hobby... any ideas?

Pippa

[Hobbies? Well, there's always blogging, I suppose]