Caravanning Lifestyle
The caravanning lifestyle can be summed up in one word, and that is “freedom”! Kay and I have been very fortunate over the years in that we have had lots of different types of holidays and whilst being pampered in a lovely hotel is nice from time to time, there’s nothing like having your own home from home with you.
You have the freedom of where you go, when you go, and what you do when you do go.
Freedom
That freedom extends further when you consider that you’re not restricted to restaurant times or dressing for dinner (unless you want to of course!), and you can please yourself what time you prize yourself out of bed in the morning without missing breakfast!
But what else does caravanning offer that other types of holidays don’t? For a start, you know exactly what your accommodation is going to be like, and it’s comforting to know that in the unlikely event that you arrive at a campsite, and you don’t like it, you can simply move on to another.
Endless possibilities
You may have guessed that Kay and I love caravanning. We have a luxury house on wheels that we take to so many varied places. That can be to the simplest campsite at a farm where only five caravans are allowed (and we must use our own facilities), or to a sophisticated, full-facilities site with all the bells and whistles. The choices are almost endless. And campsites are not always in the countryside (although we do prefer to get away from the hustle and bustle if we can).
For several years, we’ve been going to an inner-city campsite in York in December, where we can walk to the shops to do our Christmas shopping, and then return to the peace and tranquility of our caravan. Of course, in the cooler months having the caravan heated by the wonderful Alde system makes the experience even better.
From the Arctic Circle to Sahara
Where you take your caravan to depends upon your imagination (and being realistic, also your pockets). I have been fortunate enough to have been involved in some incredible trips testing standard production caravans, and those trips have seen us driving over the frozen sea on ice roads in northern Finland up in the Arctic Circle (and back through beautiful Sweden) and more recently into the Sahara Desert (which was a little warmer!).
All season camping
During the summer months, we tend to live more outdoors, especially if we cross onto the Continent and head south towards the Mediterranean Sea, so the caravan becomes little more than a bedroom. But we mostly enjoy our caravan breaks in the cooler months of the year. What’s better than using the Delayed Start function on the Alde heating and going off for a lovely walk or drive for the day, knowing that our caravan will give us a cosy welcome when we return?
Memories
Not only do our caravans give us complete freedom, but when I look back at photographs of our trips over the years, they’ve helped us to create special memories too, ones that only a caravan can do.
Happy caravanning everyone!
Nigel Hutson
Nigel Hutson, a lifelong caravanner from Chesterfield, Derbyshire in England. Purchased his first caravan in 1984 and has since then toured the UK and Continent on a regular basis, alongside his wife Kay. In addition to being a husband, he is also a father and grandfather.
Since retiring from the police in 2011 Nigel has become a regular contributor to various caravan and motorhome publications, as “someone who enthusiastically writes about their hobby rather than a journalist”. Nigel is also a keen musician, enjoys travelling and has a great interest in all forms of transport… and he is a Manchester City fan.
