I’m struggling to come to terms with it still, but I will actually admit that I went trainspotting the other day. Andy sold the event to me as a “not to be missed” event and we didn’t miss it, especially as the train was late. “Tornado” is apparently the newest modern A1 class steam engine in existence built in 2008 from very old plans. It was travelling from Peterborough to Salisbury via Hertford, so we went down to Hertford Soccer Club to watch it go over a viaduct. I didn’t write down the number, so I don’t think I’m officially a trainspotter, but we did get a couple of nice photos that might interest all you real train fans.
More in line with my personal interests was a visit the next day to a local chocolate factory, Lessiters. We purchased a selection of delights, including a chocolate train for Andy, apparently modelled more along the lines of Thomas the Tank Engine than “Tornado”.
Finally on Thursday, Andy and Carole drove us up to Ramsay Forty Foot to collect our new home. After the money exchanged hands, we were given an interesting rundown on how to operate everything by Col. He dazzled us with endless buttons and levers and knobs and switches and dials, all done with a very funny dry sense of humour. He suggested that the diesel gas should be put in the diesel tank and not in the water tank, apparently it has been done the other way around! He informed us that he likes to sleep in a real bed with a proper roof over him at night…..he thinks we’re totally mad to want to live in a campervan. He also told us he had one customer who returned his campervan after just two weeks unable to find any enjoyment in the experience, hopefully we won’t be doing that!!!! We celebrated the purchase with a lovely lunch with Andy and Carole at the appropriately named, “The Jolly Sailor” pub in Ramsay before driving our new home down to Hertford.
So Eileen is now parked up at our friend, Chris’ warehouse waiting patiently to be kitted out with all the necessities. We have no water, gas or electricity, we’re hoping to sort these out tomorrow, or Tuesday. We’ve had a mega spend at Tesco’s, so we’re now nearly fully equipped in the kitchen and bedroom; can opener, chopping boards, wine glasses, pillows, etc. We still can’t go overseas until the registration papers arrive, which could be another two or three weeks, so we’ll probably have a practise run somewhere in England before we hop on a ferry to France.
So we’re still waiting, waiting, waiting to be international grey nomads……..