Well as you can see I’ve not been updating much. I seem to have got stuck on the site by the Cuckoo Pub for a little while. Had the fixed gas tanks added to the van and have a 1st service booked for the 19th of August. After that I’m free to go. In other news I have completely borked the gallery so dont expect any new photos for a while

All I have seen so far of Swindon is the inside of Maplins (they didn’t have what I wanted in stock) and the inside of the PC World (where I’m writing this). Off to a certified location on the outskirts of town as soon as my laptop battery runs out….

Spent last weekend on the Caravan Club site in Hemel Hempstead, didn’t do much except play freecell, work on my book and read a book by Alexi Sayle. I cannot stop saying ‘the pies, the pies’ at every oppertunity (you have to read Alexi’s book to understand it). Beginning to ‘find my voice’ as such with the writing so will have to go backwards and edit it, but I had expected to do that anyway.

Walked 2 miles or so to Jarmin Park in Hemel on Sunday to go to the cinema. Through some good timing I got into see War Of The Worlds, then 5 mins after that finished, Star Wars Episode 3. But the end of it my arse was dead, those seats aint comfortable for long periods. Both were ok, SW3 though so much better than the first 2.

Well, actually from a Starbucks in Chelmsford, but I am staying in Chipping Ongar on a CL site by a pub called “The Cuckoo”. Spent a good couple of evenings talking to the owner Russ and some locals, Brian and Tracey. It has tipped down with rain the last few days though.

I’m down here having a mega alarm system fitted, solar panel and reversing camera. There is a nice little site next to the workshop that I am staying on, it has a great shower block.
Spent the weekend on a CL at St Albans which was a field on top of a hill, very quiet. It also had a load of bats!

I got a phone call from the DVLA on Monday - my registration number had come through. So now I have a set of plates on the front of the van it’s all legal. I can drive wherever I want to now, though it is going to take a few weeks for the log book to come though, so I’m not off abroad yet. Sometime in the next few days I’m going to have to go to a weighbridge to see how much junk I have loaded into the van

Ok last Friday I had the VOSA inspection for the van, as my van was imported from the continent. It was all a bit confusing really, I thought they were going to be looking for a full UK spec (which involves changing the lights, putting a fog lamp on the right hand side and converting the speedo to MPH) so i bought the replacement headlamps and prepared for the PITA that changing the speedo is going to be, only to find that the inspection was only a identity check and to make sure the thing is actually a motorhome. So I’m ok now until an MOT is required. Which is good as the idea is to go abroad, so i would have just put the left hand headlamps straight back in. The journey was a bit scarey to start with, it had been almost 2 weeks since I last drove it, but I got used to it. Not used to slowing down up hills though….

That’s right, i’ve sold my house! I am completely knackered and can hardly move, walk up stairs, get up or down from chairs, stand for more than 10 mins… Yes It was mainly me, with some help from friends. I’m staying a friend’s house right know who is earning a million karma points by putting up with me and my stuff for a few days. Hopefully I’ll be into my motorhome sometime early next week.

Spurred into action by reading an article in The Register about somebody searching for their local brothel and turning up the police station, I have found that entering inappropriate words into Google Local and Google Maps is the most fun thing since looking up rude words in the dictionary as a kid. On the left is my favorite, a search for “shithole” in “Dartford” brings up a number of places you should avoid including some pubs, a Conservative Association and a financial regulator.

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