Another day in our bay (part 1)

The introduction, please to meet you Maisy!

Here she comes!

She lets out a deep, gravelly roar. Phew she started first time - no need to hit her with a hammer on this occasion. I hold my breath as she slowly, gingerly makes her way out of the garage.

Her rear bumper

Her back side windows

Her side door

Her front door

Her tiny chrome mirror - gently does it, there are only millimeters to spare

Finally her nose and eyelashes (yes she has these)……

And she’s out!

All sixteen foot of her. Another sigh of relief, a few moments of pure anxiety, will she start? Will she come out safely? Is it worth this EVERY time we need her to make an appearance?

But oh, she is beautiful - an old lady who keeps on going and going despite her fifty-four years. She has that vintage smell - petrol, oil, Bakelite. Her eyelashes sparkle in the sunlight. Her chrome handles, mirror and motif gleam from the recent polish. Her paintwork, nearly perfect, displays the love and attention she has received from us over the past eleven years. Vibrant primrose yellow and white exterior, the badges on her radiator grill indicating connections with years gone by, a footrail to help climb aboard, a steering wheel to rival any in situ on a double decker bus. She has curtains tied back with sunflower yellow ribbons, cushions of daisy yellow, grass green and vintage white for comfort as well as matching aesthetics. Finally to top the look off, a “grass” carpet with daisies embedded to keep the outside adventures… in.

Meet Maisy, my beloved VW campervan.

She is a fair weather campervan. Most of the year she sits in the garage, her wheels protected by carpet. She easily rusts so exposure to rain is kept to a minimum. But that is not always possible, the British weather isn’t usually that accommodating. Sometimes we just have to go for it and hope that she doesn’t get too wet. We dry her off as soon as the rains have passed over.

It is time to get on the road

The first outing of the year usually takes place at the end of May. This year that didn’t happen, for lots of reasons. Now I’m itching to get out in her. A trip away can’t come soon enough. The collection of bedding, the washing of crockery that have been waiting in her for months, the checking of her electronics, the annual service are underway.

When checks are completed and the fridge has been stocked, we will be off. I think of her as my mobile writing study. Her settee and table the perfect height for journal writing, Substack creations or working on my books. If the weather is favourable I write next to her in the fresh air, sheltered from the wind by her body. Her 70’s smell evokes nostalgia, happiness and a sense of freedom I only get when I am with her.

So come with me this summer on my adventures in Maisy, let us ride together in this old lady and see what magic she brings. I will show you around on the next post, it won’t take long. She isn’t very big but oh my, she definitely is perfectly formed and just the ticket for a mobile writer.

I am curious:

If you could take yourself off somewhere to write, where would that be?

What camping experiences have you had that made you glad you made the effort to go?

What camping experiences have you had that made you wish you had stayed at home?