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My first was in my Fathers Palladin caravan. It was semi-circular from the side view; made of hardboard; and I think it had leaded windows but may be wrong on that. It had gas lights with shades with tassles on. Had two singles at each end.

When he bought it, unseen, he asked the seller how well it towed. Like a dream was the answer. When he towed it home for us he used a 6 litre daimler. It did tow well.

On the back of Dad's Hillman Minx it was hopeless, front wheels off the ground and snaking all over the place.

Would have been a static at sandy bay nr Exmouth devon with parents about 1960. We went a number of times. We played in the river which was a bit smelly, on the beach which always had a lot of seaweed and on the rocks. We would sometimes walk the rocks round the headland - a dangerous thing to do - to see the remains of a shipwreck.

The majority of our family holidays were in static caravans.  In the end my father bought a static caravan in the 70's and we had it on the New Minnerton Caravan Park, in Devonshire Drive, between Saundersfoot and St Florence.  New Minnerton is now just 'log cabins' etc - after my father sold the van, the owners of New Minnerton sold up and brought the site next door - now known as Trefalun Park.  It is still owned by the same family but the daughter and son-in-law now run the site.

When I got married we bought a tent, then a bigger one, then a bigger one still, then a Conway trailer tent, then our first caravan - an ABI Marauder 450.  After about 6 years we swapped it for an Abbey Cachet (a special edition of the old Abbey Oxford), which we had for about 12 years.  When I retired, (about 2 years 9 months ago) we bought a Bailey Pageant 6 Vendee, which was stolen from storeage last May.  Caravan Club insurance did us proud and as we were covered New for Old, supplied us, at our request, with a Bailey Pageant 7 Sancerre, which we have had almost 12 months.  That just about sums it up really.

"On the back of Dad's Hillman Minx it was hopeless, front wheels off the ground and snaking all over the place."

made me laugh that did

It reminded me that my Dad (ever the skinflint) worked for a heavy engineering firm in the midlands and he got "the lads" in the workshop to knock up a tow bar for the Morris Oford. Although undoubtedly a masterpiece in engineering it was made using bits of what looked like girders that were lying around. It took 3 men to carry it and when fitted protruded 3 " beyond the rear bumper. Even without the caravan hitched up the car was well down on it's haunches. That tow bar then went on to the Austin Cambridge and then the Wolsley 16/60, cars he bought because the towbar would fit them without modification.

Hi,

My first camping holiday I can remember, was in a tent at Warren Mill, in Northumberland, we thought we were going miles away and got really excited, infact it is only about an hour and a half away, but in those days who cared, we filled my uncles Bedford Dorma van with our tent and all the equipment 5 people and off we went, My mum and Dad hated every minute of our holiday, it rained none stop and we got flooded out and had to come home after 5 days, us kid just thought it was a great adventure.  It has never put me off as we have tented, caravanned and now motorhomed over the last 25 years.  The same cannot be said for my parents they have never forgot there experience and to the point where they have never even came away with us,  when we bought our motorhome last year and we took to show my mother, (sadly my dad passed away 4 years ago) she could not believe that it has had a bathroom and a cooker, but we have still not persuaded her  to come away with us, no matter how many times we tell her what a great holiday we have had.

Sandra.

Mum and dad bought their first caravan just before I was born  so they bought a Monza and they used to tow it with a little triumph acclaim,

I remember the dodgy hammock bunk my briother used to sleep in and the brown and orange curtains, and the little pedal in the floor that used to pop up to get water through that always used to stick.

Happy days, I remember waking up one morning at a caravan club site in wales and the sheep in the next field had all wandered in as someone had left the gate open

The first trip I remember was in a static called "Treetops" in Weymouth in June 1951 - it was my second birthday and we had a little party in the caravan.  We started camping about 3 years later on Portland Bill and took our first trip abroad in 1958 - five of us in a Standard 8 with a bell end tent went to Frejus in Southern France.

Happy days!

Last September, one night at a campsite in Horsham, Surrey (closest to me)...not very memorable, I know, but you've got to start somewhere...

In 1973 living in Cyprus we spent a few days camping on a deserted Nissi Beach  - which is now Ayai Nappa - no hotel or chav in sight!!  We had a tiny 2 berth tent which my sister and I slept in, the other sister slept in the back of the car with the seats down and my parents slept in the canvas day/beach tent which were very popular at the time.

Took the bbq, cool box and not a lot else.  No need for sleeping bags as it was so hot!