Willow

Am very excited and all fidgety on my sofa about bringing the campervan home tomorrow. I will have plenty more pictures to share once she is safely on our driveway but I do have a sneak peek of her for you.

This is actually a picture of a picture. The van has something of a back story, which is charming, I love the fact it isn't just some random old van. She will be 30 next year, I think taking her round the UK will be a fabulous way of celebrating that milestone birthday with her :).
The people we are buying her from have had her for a year and I *think* (will find out when I see the log book) that there have not been many more owners previously but this picture is taken on the driveway of the owners before them who christened her Willow. Because in order to have her and keep her on their driveway they had to have a willow tree cut down so she would fit.
This comes only a week after we went on holiday to our favourite campsite and due to them having staff there called 'Hazel' and 'Ash' we'd had a converation about trees that could be names. I've never actually named a vehicle before (if you don't count my current people carrier being known by D&S as 'The Nicmobile') but this feels quite fitting. Willow also comes with a very cool registration number which a friend very quickly decided stands for 'Our Camper Home 2 Wander' which I love.

So tomorrow after work I'll be bringing her home. I have to confess to being quite daunted at the prospect of driving such a big, heavy vehicle. The van is automatic and with the exception of a couple of hire cars over the years I have only really drive manual and it is wider and longer than anything I have ever driven before. However I learnt to drive in a tiny Peugeot 305 and my first car was a mini, I now drive a seven seater VW Sharan so I'm guessing it won't be too much of a scale upwards. I have driven more than my share of bangers over the years including cars older than me so I am confident I can 'be the adult' in our relationship ;). Plus I always did hanker after being like Long Distance Clara of Pigeon Street and I reckon this is about the closest I'll ever get. Wind me down that window, stick my elbow out and get me a cap to wear, lock up those Yorkie bars, I'm about to get truckin'.