When it came to setting up camp we had a team routine with a very traditional
division of labour. I went outside to connect the van to the water and electricity
supplies, Emma stayed inside to close the curtains, set the microwave clock
(which sadly had no memory), and turn the fridge from gas to electricity. The
curtains were badly fitted, leaving gaps down the middle and therefore calling
for a modification worthy of MacGyver. Hand towels were pinned in place with
'chip clips' (pegs for keeping giant bags of crisps closed). The curtain covering
the windscreen was at least large enough for this task - but a real hassle to
put up (it had temperamental press studs) leading to us leaving it up while
driving on one occasion - not far, and at night.... so that's ok isn’t it?
The routine continued once I came inside, as I tended to prepare the
bathroom, me being the boy and it being a little ‘icky’. All it actually involved
was moving a mop and bucket out and putting the toilet central in the
cupboard, but even so... In the morning we simply reversed these tasks.
The most eccentric things in our ‘tin can’ were the most seemingly mundane
items. The fridge was: not made of metal (a material generally lacking in the
van, not identified until we started a magnet collection); too small to fit most
bottles upright in the door; not cold enough to keep things frozen - at least not
when running on gas (which was the case when we were driving or on sites
with no hookups). The microwave was another eccentricity, having variable
brightness of display and of cooking power - depending on the voltage we
hooked up to. This marvel of the 20th century was the most useful item in the
van however - we always heated our coffee in it, having been supplied with a