Memory lane?

[Jabberwocky]

Hi to All, this is only my second post to your many forums. Good to meet you all. I hope many more posts will follow! Many years ago I had my first experience of travelling to France. It was in a Bedford Dormobile. Yep, you guessed, it it was my dad's (Bless him he's passed away now). I am in the process of ordering a new Cali Ocean having just spent a vary enjoyable long weekend in the Llyen Peninsular. Any shouts about options - must have or don't do it!! I post here a photo of when I was ten years old with my Mum, twin brother and two sisters. !!

 

[GillianC]

Welcome!
Wonderful photos
You are going to have so much fun in your new camper!

 

[Hotel California]

Welcome , did you all six sleep in thatone?

When you look at pictures from 60-70s , people always had more fun in thiere expressions and face....
See that even on my own (child)pictures.

Now a days pictures have to be more about showing off....

This totally off-topic ....

 

[Jabberwocky]

Welcome , did you all six sleep in thatone?

When you look at pictures from 60-70s , people always had more fun in thiere expressions and face....
See that even on my own (child)pictures.

Now a days pictures have to be more about showing off....

This totally off-topic ....

No, no....Mum and Dad and two youngest in van and the other two in a tent. No awnings then! We always had smiles on our faces. Talking of awnings, which is best? I have in mind Vango Kela. Most of the time there will only be me and my lady and this one seems to give best value.

 

[Alan]

I do love a trip down memory lane
Those were the days when we kept stopping to check our route on the road atlas before sat navs were invented!

Welcome to the form

Alan

 

[Meoncoast]

Here is our family van Mum & Dad took us down to the South of France. Fond memories

 

[WelshGas]

No, no....Mum and Dad and two youngest in van and the other two in a tent. No awnings then! We always had smiles on our faces. Talking of awnings, which is best? I have in mind Vango Kela. Most of the time there will only be me and my lady and this one seems to give best value.

Welcome. Lovely pictures.
Just one thing. If there are just the 2 of you, why do you need a standalone awning?

 

[motacyclist]

Welcome Jabbrwocky

Great to see those photos from you and Andy! Wish my parents had invested in a camera when I was young, I remember going camping in a motorbike & sidecar but no photos exist

 

[Jabberwocky]

I do love a trip down memory lane
Those were the days when we kept stopping to check our route on the road atlas before sat navs were invented!

Welcome to the form

Alan

Thanks Alan, and those Plane tree shadowed roads..............

 

[Velma's Dad]

Fantastic pictures chaps.

I would have absolutely loved it if my folks had had a Dormobile - so cool. Mind you I did enjoy our caravan, a Sprite Musketeer that my Dad towed behind his Zephyr 6 (battleship grey with maroon leather bench seats).

 

[Jabberwocky]

Welcome Jabbrwocky

Great to see those photos from you and Andy! Wish my parents had invested in a camera when I was young, I remember going camping in a motorbike & sidecar but no photos exist

Wow! You must have some insight!! Hear is a pic of my granddad setting off with all our camping gear before the rest of us follow by train!!

 

[Jabberwocky]

Here is our family van Mum & Dad took us down to the South of France. Fond memories




View attachment 15924

Great pics. Wonderfull!

 

[motacyclist]

My dad did have a Bedford CA van which I borrowed once to go camping with a load of mates. It was great being able to drive it with the sliding doors open. And that 3 speed column change!

 

[Jabberwocky]

Welcome. Lovely pictures.
Just one thing. If there are just the 2 of you, why do you need a standalone awning?

Oh, only because we will have a stream of visitors, to experience a gone by age, from our UK family dropping by for one/two nights during their own European holidays. I might add I will encourage this too!! Can't wait!!

 

[Jabberwocky]

My dad did have a Bedford CA van which I borrowed once to go camping with a load of mates. It was great being able to drive it with the sliding doors open. And that 3 speed column change!

Oh yes! When petrol engines had great torque curves!!

 

[sidepod]

Ditto my first camper van experience.
Bedford Dormo. Scotland. Midgies.
My mother still wakes up screaming!

 

[Jabberwocky]

sidepod, You just reminded me!! Midgies. What do you do against them? The Cali mesh will still let them through!

 

[sidepod]

sidepod, You just reminded me!! Midgies. What do you do against them? The Cali mesh will still let them through!

Don't go to Scotland. !

 

[snowy55]

Don't go to Scotland. !

Don't go to Scotland during June, July and August if you don't get on with midges. The rest of the year they don't come out due to the rain and strong winds.

 

[MattBW]

Just shows about precious photographs are... wonderful memories and thanks for sharing.

My first camping experience was in a T25 camper in the 80s, probably why I ended up buying one as an adult. It seemed much bigger when I was a kid though.

 

[SimonB]

I found a picture of my father's from 1961, I think, of our first experience of a camper van. Hired from a Butchers Shop in Bedminster in Bristol who were trying to start another business as well. It eventually became Gullivers Truck Hire. I think we hired a bay window VW from them to go to Scotland a few years later.

It never seemed to rain during summer in my memories of our family holidays.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Don't go to Scotland during June, July and August if you don't get on with midges. The rest of the year they don't come out due to the rain and strong winds.

October next year is the plan (Cali delivered March, we hope!)

 

[Jabberwocky]

October next year is the plan (Cali delivered March, we hope!)

This forecast map will help I am sure.........https://www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/

 

[Meoncoast]

This is a great thread -- dig out those old camping pictures

 

[Zebedee]

We used to have a racing green Humber Sceptre (which had overdrive) and a Bailey Caravan. I can remember going down the coast of France all the way to San Sebastián. My mother insisted on taking enough water to last the whole three weeks so we wouldn't drink any French muck! This was the sixties so quite adventurous. It is a trip I have replicated with the Cali last year. Although I did draw the line at my Dad's trick lining the floor of the caravan with the very first wine boxes (customs only had a category for bottles) so he got them through free!

We also did 3 weeks of golf courses round Scotland where we had to lash down the caravan to stop it being swept over a cliff and couldn't see more than a foot in front of your face at St Andrews!