Gas Lights and Rain

I remember my father with a caravan bought in about 1960.  Dad was not a good driver at the best of times.  Not so much a lack of skill but poor concentration.  Backing the caravan in had to be abandoned after about half an hour of severe clutch burning. We then discovered it was easier to disconnect and push.  I have no idea what model it was but it wasprobably very old.  Internal lighting was by 2 gas mantles.  No electric fitted.  No heating.  No insulation.  Single glazed windows.  No washroom or toilet.  A step above camping but certainly not luxury.

Dad had a tow bar fitted to our Austin van.  This had seats added in the back but no extra side windows.  

I remember mam yelling slow down approaching a bend into a hump back bridge in Wiltshire.  I know what I am doing yelled dad before the caravan hit the parapet.  He wouldn't be told.

Eventually the van wasa booked for few years into a site in Cumbria rather than let dad tow it.

Amazing really that I ever came back to caravanning.  I still keep the costs down with a surprisingly well equipped 20 year old Pioneer and a Zafira.