A Tale of 8 Caravans - Part 1 - the Trophy

Our caravan story started in January 1978, when we bought a 1973 Trophy, jointly with some friends who were also near neighbours.  We had a new baby, so did they, and it looked like a cheap way to holiday without the disadvantages (cold and draughty, damp bums etc) of camping.

The Trophy was an 11’ 3” 5 berth (double bed in the front dinette, bunks and a hammock over the double).  It had a basic hob, a toilet compartment that sort of folded out in the space behind the entrance door, gas bottles mounted on the A-frame and a pedal operated water pump.  Lighting was by gas mantles, which somehow never seemed to survive the journey.

We towed with a Mark I Cavalier.  Our first trip was to Lower Wensleydale (May 1978); it rained all weekend and it is a wonder Mrs Sid ever went again.  However, later trips to Old Station Notgrove in September ’78 (now Broadway), St Davids (July ’79) and Coniston (Sep ’79) were more successful. A second baby in 1980 ruled that year out, and we only managed Festiniog in June ’81, where new baby managed to yank a plastic ventilator grille off the caravan door while having his nappy changed.  In 1982 we went to Low Manesty for the first of many visits, and we have a photo of our 4 year old daughter hand feeding a red squirrel.  We also went to Allerston near Pickering for the first time, staying on a CL that later became a commercial site.

The caravan share worked for a few years, until we both moved away from our original homes, and swapping at the junction at the top of the M62 became a chore.  We therefore each bought our own caravan – see Part 2!