Caravan Magazine Living the Dream! | Summer 2019 | Caravan Magazine Vorige editie

Well, that’s it. After eight years, this is my last edition of Caravan mag, as a staff editor. Having reached 100 issues it’s time for a change.

I joined in May 2011 as a caravanning novice, and it’s been a steep but pleasant learning curve.

I can admit now, that I was something of a ‘caravanning antichrist’ in my previous life, editing a lads’ car magazine called Max Power. Being young (and stupid) we took every opportunity to ridicule caravans… we made Jeremy Clarkson look like Gandhi.

But, with young kids (9 and 4), my conversion to caravanning was swift: they adored it, and I fell in love with that sense of being ‘self-contained’ and free to go wherever you want. Even Mrs S, who is definitely more Hotel du Vin than caravan, has embraced this wonderful hobby.

My ‘road to Damascus’ was actually the A59 east of Skipton, as I towed for the first time, past Bolton Abbey. I suddenly realised that towing a caravan was not something to fear. Our pitch, overlooking the beautiful Wharfe Valley, was sensational, too, still one of the best we’ve had.

While our camping friends got a tad moist in a severe downpour, we marvelled at the mesmerising and tympanic thrumming of rain on the 'van roof.

So, my conversion was soon complete, and since then, I’ve towed with over 200 outfits all over the UK and France. Many of my kids’ best childhood memories will be caravan related, thanks largely to the freedom they have on a campsite, which they don’t get in our city-centre home.

So, thanks for buying the magazine, I hope we’ve inspired some memorable caravanning breaks, helped ease any touring tensions with our technical info, and furnished some of you with valuable prizes.

I'm off for a pint. See you around. - John Sootheran