I remember when...

This time ten years ago I was lucky enough to be in the middle of a back packing trip around various countries.  The tour covered South East Asia where I was in awe of the beautiful paddyfields in Vietnam and gasped at the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia before making it over to Anerica, Canada, Mexico, The Cook Islands and finally Australia.  And this is where the link to this blog becomes clear...
Having landed in Cairns I spent the next 6 months driving around Australia. And when I say driving I don't just mean up and down the usual back packer East Coast trail.  I mean literally all the way around it, taking in Cape Tribulation, Darwin, Broome, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. This was a truly wonderful experience that I wouldn't have missed for the world.  The trusty vehicle that took me on this magical adventure was a 1974 VW camper van (Kombi, surfbus, camper, Vdub, insert your own name as you wish) called Poppy.  Admittedly, taking on the fierce and unrelenting heat and red dust of the outback in a vintage van with air cooled engine and no air con probably sounds insane.  I can't lie, some days were tough.  Hours and hours of unending dust, termite mounds and dead kangaroos can get a bit much.  On the other hand, pulling over to the side of the road, making a camp fire and sitting out under the most beautiful clear star lit nights made up for it.
Like all adventures, that had to end and I returned to England and got on with life.  But ever since then, I have longed for the chance to own another VW camper.  I can't lie, I'm no stranger to vintage vehicles having owned a Karmann Ghia and driven a beautiful Mercedes 280sl for many months.  There is something special about vintage cars.  It feels like real driving.  You have to anticipate any sharp bends or turns.  You have to ready to brake at all times.  You have to cross your fingers every time you start the ignition. And yet...and yet...there is something nostalgic and beautiful and most of all FUN about driving an old car.  My modern Polo with all mod cons is the epitome of German efficiency but I never get out of it thinking wow that was exciting!
So where is all this blathering taking us?
Well this year I finally sold my flat in London.  The sensible thing to do would be to re-invest in property in Liverpool or use it to fund my new business venture. But no, I followed my hippy heart and started the hunt for another VW camper. My partner was very keen to have a camper as we both love getting away at the weekends but didn't understand my, ok I'm just going to say it, obsession with the vintage van.  "Why don't you get a VW van from the 80's?  It will be so much more reliable and cheaper".  But as anyone who has ever owned a camper will tell you the 80's may have had shoulder pads, Prince and Duran Duran but the 70's had the T2 late bay van, T-Rex and Led Zeppelin.  Enough said!
Hours of trawling the net looking for the right van began.  Now let me tell you that the North West of England is not a hot spot of camper van sales. Most of them are in Devon, Cornwall and Norfolk.  Hardly convenient when it is essential that you test the van before you buy.  Having travelled to Nottinghamshire and Shropshire to view vans that were pretty good both mechanically and cosmetically but would still need some customising, we decided to change tactic.  Instead we would look for a van that was mechanically sound but in need of some work on the interior.
Trawling the net once more, I happened upon a lovely yellow van in Sheffield.  Mechanically sound with a new engine but in need of refurbishment inside.  This van had our name all over it.
And so we drove over there one miserable, grey and depressing wet evening.  There we met Sunny a boy camper van.  Now I don't know why but in my opinion boats and vehicles are always girls NOT boys but that could be easily resolved.  Test drive complete with the best gear box I have ever experienced on a VW camper of this age and the deal was done.
The following week I got the train over to pick up my new van.  And here she is!

Since then four things have happened

• My partner has become as enthusiastic as me about the romance, nostalgia and fun that a 40 year old van can provide.
• The van has now become a girl called Buttercup
• She's going in to have work started on her interior at thecampershak.co.uk next week.
• I've started this blog to document the Buttercup's refurbishment but also the fun we will have in her.

Buttercup turned 40 on July 1st and I turn 40 next month.  She will have had her facelift by August 21st which is ten days before I reach the big 4 0 and will no doubt be looking fabulous and glamorous.  If I'm not careful she'll be booking me in for a refurb next...