The start our 2010 diary. Our gap year

Well it was only supposed to be a year out we were taking but I kept a diary of how it all started so I thought that I would share it, 1st Aug 2010 "Well our beloved Pennine camper has finally left this morning making its way with its new owners to Wales. I feel empty. My driveway is bare. My sensible head tells me "hang on until the end of the season and get a real bargain" but this is proving really difficult. Its psychological. I don't really want to go anywhere right now but its the point that I really can't as I only have an old tent.I feel naked. I have lost my right arm and my handbag that was on it! I think Dave feels the same as me so off we went to two dealers simply to LOOK!Fatal.Wandahome had a lovely Avondale Passione but I couldn't get the deal that I wanted on it as I was a cash buyer with no part exchange. It was Sunday and they were anxious to close so I left to continue my search on the internet as the Avondale Passions was the caravan for us.Maybe I had just cut my nose off to spite my face? Maybe I was being too "tight" as usual. The internet..what?....Just listed on Caravanfinder was an Avondale Passions about 10 miles from where we lived but they wanted more money than the dealer! I had been a fool! We had to check it out there and then. 8pm the light was fading but it was a very distinctive moment in our lives-we fell in love ! This was meant to be ours. I offered the seller £250 less than the asking price for cash there and then and reluctantly he accepted. I left a cash deposit and promised to return after 7pm the following day. 2nd Aug 2010 Today seemed such a long day.I'm so excited.. Whilst trying to sort insurance out I cane up with our caravans name. I kept repeating "Its a 525/4" hmmm how could I remember that? What happened on a Friday night at 5 to 5? Crackerjack! No. That name is too long and I sound very immature admitting that it was one of my favourite TV programmes "Friday" as in Robinson Cruisoe . Friday it is. We arrived shortly after 7pm (well maybe a minute past.) and competed all the paperwork etc and we drove slowly home with Friday following behind us. We pulled up outside our house. Hmmmm now we have to use the motor mover. I had always thought that they were an unnecessary luxury that we certainly didn't need. Dave instantly took charge of the 'macho' job engaging whatever it is to the wheels which made an almighty thudding noise and did whatever you do in the battery box. He then promptly handed me the remote controls.( I only wished that the same applied to the TV remotes!) Instantly the caravan responded to the instructions that I had given it and within minutes Friday was happily parked on the driveway of her new home. We hadn't had to lift a finger! No puffing and panting. No cross words with hubby, Job done. I couldn't help but admire her. Roll on tomorrow when I can play properly! Tues 3rd Aug 2010 Clean and play with Friday. Our new granddaughter doesn't seem to understand that Granny and Grandad have another new toy to play with besides her! Slowly things that have been salvaged from other units are being put in Friday. Now she really feels like ours. Wed 4th Aug 2010 We can't stand it any longer! We are giving in. We put the awning that came with it up in the back garden. We had no idea what it was going to be like. What a lovely surprise. She was virtually brand new like the caravan. It was a lightweight Kampa brand. I really do feel that we got a bargain. That was it... I had to do it... It maybe high season but we have to go away in her. I won't pay £20+ per night but everywhere is full! I quickly became fed up of being told " You have to book at least a year ahead for this campsite!" I became exasperated with them. "I'm local. I'm not a holidaymaker. I didn't know a year ago that I was going to be fed up and want to escape home!" Stupid stupid people being so blooming organised and really boring. At least with Friday we could now put some excitement back in our lives. Telephone call after telephone call I got the same response. Eventually I called a C.L (/certified location) near Bridlington. Yes it was full but her daughter owned a field next to it with electrics and we could park Friday there. If we wanted to use the showers etc we could use the CLs. Yes! We are going caravanning! Thurs 5th August 2010 About midday we finally hooked Friday up to the car having safely taken her off the driveway with that godsend of a gadget-the motor mover. Dave drove. He pulled her like a dream quickly and without any effort reaching 60 mph before we even realised it. T raffic was heavy but we certainly werent holding it up! We arrived at East Let's Farm,Grindale near Bridlington at around 1.15 pm. Dave had decided not to follow the directions given on the internet as being make he knew the way better than any given directions! I DAT quietly. In fact if the truth be known I was actually praying under my breath! His humour had not been good and here we were driving down a single track road in the middle of Yorkshire with our precious caravan on the back. If anything had come in the opposite direction I dread to think what would have happened ( probably unhitched and used that wonderful gadget-the motor mover! to help us into any random field! Eventually we did arrive at a large traditional farmhouse. We knocked on doors. No one around. It was like the Marie Celeste. Valuable items left on display but not a soul to be found.Dave found a blackboard leaning against a gate with my name on it. Under it was a lovely handwritten note directing me into a nearby field. The field was a paddock actually with two horses and four sheep in it. It had an area cordoned off to allow parking for three caravans. We parked up and were the only caravan there. With a slight strain of the eyes from the front of the caravan we can see the beautiful rolling Yorkshire Wolds. Dave plugged the caravan electrics into the campsites (which was clearly a temporary affair) but nothing happened. Nothing at all. I was loathe to take the caravans electrics apart or play with it as everything had worked perfectly at home. There was no one around to ask so there was only one thing to do...shop!We abandoned Friday and went into Bridlington. We finished up in Tescos having decided to buy a Chinese ready meal. We got back to the campsite at 5.15 pm and guess what? No change whatsoever and still no electricity! I was frightened of using the water pump or any battery power as we may need it for lighting later. What a problem.Let's hope its not a fault with the caravan.Dave has an idea to get me to check the electrics a second pair of eyes and all that...desperate or what?! What do I know about electrics?! Nothing. Fortunately although I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer I do have a very practical and logical mind. I followed the blue cable that was attached to our caravan across the road and inside a nearby barn to an electrical socket and would you believe it...it wasn't plugged in! The electrics in the caravan worked perfectly.