2004: When It All Began

Having spend the last 20 years camping, trailer tenting and caravanning in that order, 3 years ago we decided to venture over the channel to France. Since then we have kept saying to each other, that’s Lesley the wife and myself, “why did we not do this years ago”! Well several reasons but looking back, all very lame reasons really.

1. The car may let us down when we get to the other side of the pond, what! we had a 240 Volvo, quite old, but its still going so I am told, the thing was built like a tank.
2. In my youth and early 20’s I use to get terribly sea sick, I know this because having been to sea in a warship(HMS Scarborough) in the late 60’s, crossing the channel in a force 8-9 was no joke! I thought we, the crew and ship, would not survive the trip. Even the French pilot would not come out and take us into port (Dunkirk) So this and a few other bad experiences on ships put me off that cross channel crossing with the caravan.
3. Could not speak the language and thought the French didn’t like the English.

The wife constantly refers to me as “Pessimistic Pete “ well she’s wrong about that because my names Joe! Anyway, that aside, just under 4 years ago we decided to invest in a new car to tow the caravan, which from henceforth I will refer to as the “Shed” Plus even better, we bought a French car which can be repaired anywhere in Europe if we break down. So this set my mind at rest and null and voided point (1) above.

Next came our first ferry crossing back in July 2004 a day crossing from Portsmouth to Cherbourg, funnily enough, this was were I sailed from on my last trip to France and this was not a good memory as I have said earlier. Things are not looking good, but she who must be obeyed, had matters well in hand. “Open your mouth” I heard her say and in went 1 or 2 Kwells. “What do they do” I asked, “never you mind” I was told. Once on-board and sat down in the cafe I was given 2 bands with buttons on each one? “what are these” I asked, “put them on your wrists with the button pressed against the pulse area” it was at this point I thought to myself, she’s taking the P…..! Bare in mind I was wearing a short sleeved shirt so the bands stood out like something you would see Michael Jackson wearing!

After 30 minutes into the journey the Kwells kicked in, moved into zombie mode. May have looked like a tit and mumbled to people for about 6 hours but arrived on the other side of the pond and no sea sickness whatsoever. Null and void point (2) above.

Point (3), well did I say Lesley had CSE French from her school days in Watford, “no” well she has and armed with this we thought we could take on France and beyond. The French don’t like the English bit was just rumour and something we would have to find out for ourselves. France here we come.