OOh I been so lazy! I've also been busy, but that's no excuse for not posting on Nan The Van for so long.  Nan's been spoiled a bit recently, a new spare wheel cover and best of all a set of Hubcaps.  I've had the hub caps since I bought her, but I've never been able to get them to fit the wheels, so I eventually got round to tracking down a set of second hand rims, having them resprayed and finally fitting them.  I can't believe it took me this long.

                   

The sands at the end of time

A busy shift at the fish fryer on Good Friday and we were packed and away by 5:00. Headed north to meet up with our pals who'd also just had their Van resprayed. A rendezvous at Sandsend beach on Saturday morning saw a brace of Vikings turning heads and prompting smiles. 

A full 10 hours on the beach with all the usual shenanigans and no sunburn! We moved south at six just as a spectacular electric storm broke and camped near Robin Hood's Bay.

A top weekend all in all and a fun run down Sutton Bank on the way home. 

All done and dusty!

Happy boy, happy van. Picked Nan up from the spray shop on Thursday. All the ugly rust has been banished.

Went out for a spin today, ended up at Yockenthwaite at the top of Wharfedale for a spot of lunch. In his infinate wisdome, Nick the Spray changed the awful bright white for the original Volkswagon  creamy white (got the serial number somewhere, must make a note). Looks splendid, just the old wheels letting her down badly, but I'm on the case.

A great afternoon, hooping, scoffing, throwing stones into the river and playing Mouse Trap in the van. A cracking Sunday all in all, and getting us somewhat excited about our up-comming trip to Scotland to mark our tenth wedding anniversary. 

Nearly there!

Word on the paint tin says it'll be dry by Friday! Couldn't resist popping by to snap a couple of shots before the green goes on. Looking good this far, top job on the filler & rub-down.

A couple of ugly spots uncovered, stripped back and new metal placed in. I know that these aren't the world's most exciting shots, but it's all part of the show.

Roll on Friday is about all I can say. Hope the weather stays fine for the weekend.

How many Vikings make a horde?

In my quest to account for the original horde of Vikings, I've so far clocked up 20 number plates (including my own). It's unconfirmed, but apparently there were 200 Vikings made, so as you can see I have a long way to go. Word of my quest appears to be spreading slowly and I had a great email from a fellah named Dan who's searching for a van. Apparently, his parents bought a Viking in Norfolk back in 1984.

Sadly Dan's parents divorced in 1988 and Dad took the van with him. The chap managed to keep hold of it until one fateful day in 1989 when he somehow beached the van on a two foot high wall while 'under the influence'. This is the bit that tickled me ... Legend has it that a rather opportunistic officer of the law cut a deal with Dad, letting him walk free while taking legal possession of the Viking. All in a days work I suppose!

Anyway, Dan is now trying to locate the said Viking, though he only knows the last part of the registration 205K. He contacted me through this blog, but it's not one that I've come across yet. It's fairly distinct in that it's a 'crossover' bay with an early front panel and later rear lights.

These pics were taken on a site in Greatstone in Kent. Is that a Raleigh Grifter Dan's riding? He's set up a thread on the Volkszone forum, so If you come across this lost treasure please be sure to get in touch: Dan's lost van

I've only got half a rego, but I've added it to the horde and shall keep my eyes peeled. I'm rather glad I started this Viking hunt now. Any more great stories out there?

A week and counting ...

I'm like an excited kid in the run up to a birthday. Nan is booked in for a respray in a weeks time. With any joy I'll have her back in time for a run out to Gordale Scar at the end of the month.

Then a whole series of trips coming up in the Spring/Summer, Scotland, Norfolk, Willowman festival (oh the joys of a festival only an hour away from home!). 

Guess I'll have to wait a while

So the welding was all done in December. I took Nan round to see a bloke about a re-spray.  Looks good he said, they've done a good job with the welder! Anxious to get back on the road I asked him how soon he could crack on with it.  Unfortunately It turns out I'll have to wait 'till the weather warms up a bit as Nick doesn't have heating in his workshop!

  

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed, but patience is a virtue as they say and the trip to Nick's workshop wasn't altogether wasted as I spotted a couple of parafin heaters standing outside in his yard. "You can have the pair for a tenner", best bargain snapped up. It might be a tad chilly in Nicks workshop, but it's nice and toasty in my shed on the allotment! Roll on Spring.

Nan gets a make over

Nan the Van is in for a Christmas treat. In a bid to beat the VAT rise in January, I plucked up the courage to run Nan down to my trusty garage in town and get the bloke to have a good look around. I'd spotted a bit of rot on the off side sill and, knowing that to be an MOT failure, thought I might as well have the whole jolly lot sorted at the same time (besides, our pals 'The Middletons' are having their van done up this winter and We wouldn't want to let the side down come our annual Easter run out!).

All in all it's not in bad nick for a 31 year old machine. The panel over the near side front wheel is about the biggest chunk of metal that Fraser (in the picture) is welding on. Apparently the bloke who had it before was pretty handy with the filler!

Most pleased with the progress so far, another week and the welding should be complete, then it's raid the piggybank time for a respray! More pics to follow!

Stay-at-home Vikings

A friend of mine, Nick Harper, played a gig in Norway not all that long ago. He berated the audience in Hamar for being 'stay at home Vikings'. His point being, that Vikings are still around in Britain, and indeed as descendants of those marauding hordes, he could lay claim to his heritage and proclaim that whilst he was a true and 'tough' Viking, his audience was far less vicious as they were descendants of less tough 'stay at home Vikings' whose ancestors were not brave enough to cross the North Sea in an open boat! It went down well and the gig was a tremendous success.  Then I got to thinking ... how many Vikings are there left in the UK?


I'm much more interested in the pop top, sleep six, Super Viking conversion that graced the late (never seen one pre 1979, and they're fairly common on the Type 25s) Type II Bays. I'm not entirely sure why, and to what end, I haven't a clue, but I've started collecting registration plates of Super Vikings I come across. I bagged a few at Camp Bestival earlier this year, and now have a grand total of 5, including my own. Yeh I know, it's pathetic, but maybe, just maybe if the list grows, I could end up being the Super Viking sage of Britain. So if you own a Super Viking conversion, let me know. Send me the registration number and I'll add it to the 'database'. Who knows, maybe one day we could all end up on 'Late night nerds' on Nerd TV! Go on, we could all be a part of history.

Four go mad in Dorset!

Wow, what happened to the Summer?  Day one of the Summer holidays and Circus Sutton went south.  A splendid weekend at 'Dovefest', a field in Dove Dale in the Peak District http://www.weddingwood.blogspot.com/, with lashings of ginger beer and a jolly good hoot!  Music, revelry, and a lot of showing off in our friends' field made for a top start to the hols.

Nan the Van was out on her first full length road trip.  206 miles to Durdle Door, £52.27 of unleaded fuel got us to Dorset with a stop over in Leamington Spar and Savernake Forrest on the way.  That's 21.6 miles per gallon, not bad for a 31 year old 2 litre engine!  The plan was to meet up with pals from Dovefest at Camp Bestival in the grounds of Lulworth Castle.  We camped at Durdle Door campsite, an old favourite from years ago.  

  

Thing is, places change, and boy had this place and sadly not for the better.  Too many statics and not enough level ground for a campervan.  We were booked on for two nights but high tailed it to the sanctuary that is Tom's Field a few miles down the road.  A different kettle of fish altogether, laid back, friendly and flat.

 

A great few days and our first visit to Dancing Ledge, a 'swimming pool' blasted out of the Purbeck Rocks some time in the early 1900s, presumably by a bloke with a whole lot of time on his hands and an ample supply of TNT.  The water was bracing to say the least, but I did manage to venture in albeit only for a brief moment or two.

  

Then on to Camp Bestival, quickly re-named Camp Jesterville owing to the extortionate prices for rides and entertainment in the children's field.  At two fifty a go for a single ride down a helter skelter we thought it a bit rich.  Won't moan about it here, suffice to say we shan't be returning.  Madness were good and George Clinton was out of this world, so not a total loss!

7 hours, £58.70, and a half pint of engine oil saw us safely back in Otley.  After ten day in the van, even I was glad of the cosy duvet and a proper bed!

Nan's last ride

Back in the Spring, my brother and I took Nan for a ride in Nan the Van.  Given that Nan was born in North Wales, it seemed appropriate that we head for the hills to find a final resting place.  With my erstwhile badminton partner and general good mate Glyn reading the map and taking the pictures, we headed west on the M62.

There's Nan on the dashboard, centre stage below the rear view mirror.  We'd decided to scatter Nan's ashes on the top of mount Tryfan.  Mountains are good, way above the tree line you see, and for some strange reason Nan was never fond of trees.  I remember years ago driving down Ebw Vale on a day out with Nan, remarking on how beautiful the scenery was.  "Yes Joshua", she said, "but there's too many bloody trees!". That's cool Nan, we can do no trees!

A splendid climb through knee deep snow, a struggle to the top of 'Eve' (don't look down) and a sudden change in wind direction!

  

Thanks Nan!

Bittersweet beginnings

Nan was born in 1909, she lived for a hundred years.  Nan died last year, with the money she left me, I bought a Type Two VW.  Nan The Van rolled off the production line in 1979, some seventy years after her namesake.  I miss my Nan, but think of her and smile every time I sit behind the wheel.