That went well!

The Gathering, that is, not the plan to blog about it every day. We were too busy having fun to summon up the energy to tell the blogosphere about it daily. Sorry if we disappointed you.

So, how did it go? Very well, I think! Wednesday and Thursday were filled with preparations and shopping during the day and drinks and laughs in the evenings. There were only a small handful of early-birds, but great company.



This is Eric and Bill arriving on Thursday, after pushing their 300 motorhome all the way with a bubble!


Friday was the big day, with almost everyone else arriving.


There were some really nice outfits...


including this one, which belonged to the site owners, Eddy & jackie.



We had some lovely trailers and 'vans, including this combo of a 1961 and a 2009 Bambi...


And FIVE Airstream motorhomes!




There were some smashing old British, European and American caravans too, thanks to some new friends from the My Cool Caravan Facebook page.












The weather was, shall we say, challenging at times. I managed to get a bit of a tan, but it could just be windburn. Strong gusts and the occasional horizontal rain made us run for the barn at times, but I think spirits were generally high, even for the poor souls under canvas!

This was our fifth Gathering and a bit of a departure for us. For the first time, we joined up with other caravanners and I think the result was spectacular. Everyone seemed particularly excited about the "open house" on the Saturday afternoon and the chance to have a nose around all these fantastic machines was taken up by almost everyone. Altogether we got 25 Airstreams and 11 cool caravans and motorhomes together, and they all looked amazing!

I don't know what it is that makes Airstreamers click, but they share a trait or two with vintage caravan owners. Everyone who came was a pleasure to meet, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them all for coming and sharing their pride and joys. And I'd especially like to thank Eddy & Jackie of Victoria Farm for being so helpful and accommodating.

I can't speak for everyone else, but we had a great time.

Countdowns and Launches

It's only one day until the Fifth UKAirstreamers Gathering!

The fifth! I can't believe it's only just over two years since we put the word out on this blog, calling up any Airstreamers who were watching and getting them to join us. We had nine Airstreams that weekend. This time we have twenty five coming from all over the country to join us in Leicestershire.

It was from that first get-together that UKAirstreamers was born. We needed a way for UK owners to keep in touch, so I made a website, added a forum and, in the process, learned more about web programming language than is healthy. The UKAirstreamers Forum now has nearly 200 members while the website gets around three thousand page-loads a month! I must admit, I'm quite chuffed.

Here's what we achieved last September (photo courtesy of Skylens Aerial Photography and Airstream Europe)


So, we arrived onsite a couple of days ago and we'll be spending today shopping, prepping and otherwise arranging things so that (we hope) everyone has a good time. People often ask me why we do it. To be honest, it isn't hugely different from my old job, and who doesn't like putting on a party?

We'll try to blog throughout this one, just to see if we can. One day to go. Stay tuned...


Meanwhile, last week we popped up to Tebay to see the launch of Airstream Europe's new Series 2 684. And very nice it was too!

Wally Byam, the founder of Airstream, once said "We don't make changes, we just make improvements." Or something like that. And I can see that philosophy in the new Series 2. The layout is more-or-less the same with some changes in the furniture to allow a larger bathroom, more space in the bedroom, bigger lounge and (I think most importantly), improved systems (water and electrics).

There is another launch event over the first weekend in June. This'll give you Southeners a chance to see the new Series 2 and have a shufty at Airstream Europe's new Southern Service and Repair centre near Cheltenham. Details, as they say, can be found on their website.

If you can't make it to that, here are some pics of the new Series 2.

Spoiler alert!

The First Barbecue Of the Year

A few weeks ago we received an invitation to a party.

Nothing too unusual you may think, and we do indeed regularly receive party invitations from friends. But the conversation usually goes something like this...

Friend - "We're having a party. Can you come?"
Us - "Love to. When is it?"
Friend - "Next Friday. Where will you be?"
Us - "On the Isle of Benbecula*."
Friend - "Wear the fox hat?"

(* Substitute any point in the British Isles that is as far from Civilisation as possible**. I often wonder if our friends are somehow tracking our movements and waiting until we can't possibly attend before actually inviting us to anything.)

(**Wherever it was, rest assured, a motorhome got there before us)

So, it was with no small delight that we received an invitation to a party that, rather than simply being on a local continent, was actually in the next county at a date and time we could actually achieve. Of greater note, however, was the purpose of the party. It was to the launch of Weber Barbecues Airstream Roadshow.

I've been to many launch parties in my time, but since I used to work as a theatre lighting and sound technician, this was the first one I didn't actually have to do any work at. Even more gratifying was that we were invited simply as representatives of the Airstream community in the UK. Well chuffed!

So, one Tuesday morning in March, we made our way to the Weber Grill Academy in Oxfordshire. And what a brilliant day we had. As the only vegetarians in the village, I expected to be treated to nothing more than the smells of barbecuing meat, but we were made to feel very welcome and offered some very delicious veggie food.

The main purpose of the day was to show off the newly refurbished Airstream that will be travelling around the country promoting Weber's range of BBQ equipment while also teaching the world some great barbecuing tips and recipes. We were treated to a couple of hours of hands-on training in the arts of smoking, baking, roasting and grilling - all on a barbecue. Never again will our veggie barbie be limited to blackened burgers and rubbery sausages! In fact, we made a pizza (on a barbecue) that was so good it went straight into my All-Time-Top-Ten-Pizzas-Of-The-World list!

As for the Airstream itself - it was a beaut. A 1975 International Sovereign, painstakingly restored and converted. The work was done by American Retro Caravans in Somerset, and a very fine job they did too! The outfit will be a one-man operation - the set-up and break-down taking about an hour each. Dan, the man from Weber, will be appearing at a place near you soon...

There are more details about the restoration/conversion here.

If you get a chance, check the Weber Experience website and go and have a look at the roadshow. Not only will you see a very nicely finished Airstream, but you might even learn something new about barbecuing. We did.

Say "Hello" to Dan from us!

P

Airstreaming Plans for 2011

UK Airstreamers are gearing up for an eventful and adventurous summer. Having spent the winter months in one spot, by the time May comes around Pete and I will be ready to hit the road again and get a fresh outlook. We are looking forward to the fifth and sixth UKAirstreamers Gatherings, in May and September respectively, meeting some new Airstreaming friends and catching up with our old ones. It's hard to believe that it is only two years since Pete first put the word out on this blog that we would be heading to a campsite in Wiltshire and would love other Airstreamers to join us.

The UKAirstreamers community is talking and meeting and sharing experiences, and it is still growing. At our Spring Gathering this year we are also looking forward to meeting some cool and retro non-Airstreams since we are joining forces with the team at My Cool Caravan. Just three weeks later we are taking part in a convoy of ten to twelve Airstreams, boarding a ferry together (just imagine that) and chugging along, hopefully still in convoy, to meet up with a fleet of European Airstreamers in Holland. Organised from this end by fellow Airstreamer Andrew, and from the European end by Dutch Streamers Kai and Pieter, we will apparently be part of a 40-strong throng. What a great chance to connect with and become part of the extended Airstream community.

And from there a couple of us are planning to stay in Europe for the remaining summer months and explore the North. It's going to be an inspiring summer. I think it is timely for us too, since last year our movements were largely dictated and guided by visiting friends and family and didn't necessarily take us to new places. This year there should be plenty of new experiences to keep us on our toes. It feels good to have an adventure to plan and look forward to.
T

Winter's Here

We are now in winter mode. As soon as it gets dark our homemade window insulation panels go up. They don't stop the condensation but it is reduced and we think that the temperature inside the Airstream is improved by a degree or two. Every little helps when we are experiencing the earliest widespread freeze for seventeen years. We also make sure that the internal water tank is full before we settle in for the evening. The external one often freezes overnight and you could end up witthout any water for your morning cup of tea. A bad start by anyone's standards.

Yesterday evening we braved the zero temperature and some mist and made the mile-long walk in the pitch dark to our very pleasant local pub where we enjoyed a few pints of Piddle In The Glass. I'm not trying to insult the brewer, or the pub, it's the name of one of the ales from the local brewery in the village of Wyre Piddle. Naturally, each of their brews is named with a pun on the word 'piddle'. Well you would wouldn't you? And, because when you stand at the bar ordering a drink whose name is almost a complete sentence you tend to abbreviate it to one word, Pete found himself ordering "A pint and a half of Piddle please." Nobody batted an eyelid, except for us two gigglers. The beer itself was lovely, quite fruity and golden, well balanced and entirely quaffable.

Today we awoke to a light dusting of the white stuff so perhaps another of their ales would be appropriate, Piddle In The Snow.

T