Coronavirus or Covid-19 by another more "technical" name has hit the world as a Pandemic! It has altered and sadly, cost, many lives all around the world. Rumoured to be caused by a Chinese penchant for eaten a deep fried "battered bat" or, some other, god awful sounding delicacy, to being an experiment in "some country" that may have gone "a little wrong!??!"
A little wrong - they ain't kidding!!
At this point I would like to offer our praises to the many front line staff in all areas of society who are going above and beyond and in many cases are putting their own lives on the line!
I'm talking not just the NHS staff, Police, Fire and Ambulance services who are all excellent, but the people at the lower end of the list that seldom get any credit for what they do. People like the bin man, the post lady, the care assistants, the shop assistants and the neighbour who rings there old neighbours to see if they need help, even the little school kids that draw those nice rainbows to brighten up windows, walls and pavements. Don't forget the Engineers who, as we speak this includes one of my own sons, are making temporary hospitals and emergency ventilators!! The list is endless!
People, I thank you from the bottom of my still beating heart!
Therefore, being a website about saving our hard earned cash and taking holidays as cheap, er, as economically, as we can, how has it affected you and I as Campers/Caravanners and Motor-homers? Lets see what we can deduce?
1. Campsites in the UK and across the world, no doubt, are closed or closing.
2. We are not allowed to travel without good reason - we are in "Lock-down!"
3. Locals, in the places we want to visit, are all but rioting about the extra burden we, as campers, are placing on the local areas we visit. I can see that, but we are easing the burden where we move from and bringing wages to the campsites we visit, what a double edged sword it is?
But even I admit, its probably for the best that we do not visit until we are told we can!
4. We would, in some cases, be spreading or catching the virus and not helping to contain it.
This is an important bit for me and it should be for you too!
5. All the venues that we like to visit have had to close for eg. live music, films, libraries etc. for the foreseeable future. Think of all the villages that will probably not manage a fair or Fete this year? The loss of revenue for these places can make or break them, especially, if it brings in lots of tourists!
6. Now the bad bits... Working from home when your job is not designed to be done that way! Incessant BBC coverage (other TV channels are available) regurgitating everything ad-nauseum we have just seen Boris, or one of his aids, tells us. TV showing nothing really of interest, mainly old programs from the 60's through to the naughties, and the worst thing of all Panic Buying!! Don't get me started!!
I could go on but we all know the issues only too well!
Government Advice - Please read
This can be found I am sure you all know now, from the government website, www.gov.uk or more specifically,
I suggest you check it daily for updates as it will be changing day by day and it may just affect you!
So what have I/we been doing?
Well, we have been ill with what turned out to be a really bad cold, thankfully and once we got over that, we started the tidying up jobs that you never get around to, like:
Clearing out our loft, destroying old paperwork no longer needed, tidying up my garage, mowing the lawn and setting seedlings up for summer planting. We washed the caravan and when I say washed, I mean we used water as the starting point but, it involved tooth brushes, scouring pads and a cleaner/polish I have used for years now, that is truly amazing, called Revive Power Paste!
I must state I have nothing to do with this supplier/company other than I have purchased this product online and originally, from a caravan show at the NEC years ago!
This product is advertised first and foremost as an oven cleaner. I have used it as an oven cleaner, of which the
only parts I have had to clean in our self cleaning oven is the few bits around the burners and the bottom. It worked very well. However, its the list of other things that interests us DIY campers!! Just click the picture (left) of the list of things they recommend. I am getting through the list now and it is an amazing product!
Currently, they offer a pack of four for £10.00 plus p and p which, as it lasts ages, that to me is a cracking bargain!
Another thing I have done to save a bit of cash, is, after probably 20 years since I gave up, I have returned to making home brew!!
Now, I did this for years as we had a mortgage, I was made redundant a few times and we had young kids but I quickly learned a few things, namely:
1. Kits are the way to go if you are in a hurry and want a good end product.
2. They work out far cheaper than paid for products from supermarkets etc
3. They are an acquired taste but the more modern kits than I used to use are a lot better and quicker nowadays apparently? We shall see next week!!
4. I don't like beer or Irish stouts, but, I do like lager and red/white wines. Rosé is not to my taste at all as its neither one or the other!
5. Therefore, I tend to make 5 gallons of white or red at a time and store in demijohns as it tends to keep better in bulk. It also lasts longer... allegedly!
6. Transfer all wine from a demijohn in one go to bottles when you need it. No part empty demijohns as the wine will go off quite quickly once there is air in the vessel.
7. All pots, pans, cooking and brewing utensils etc need to be cleaned with a proprietary sterilising solution just before you start. (Read instructions and follow to the letter!)
8. My first brew in ages took me about thirty five minutes to setup!!
There are numerous places to get your kits from but as we have a local large home brew shop near us I always use them and the kits are reasonably priced. I bought this kit off their website as, I believe, they currently cannot trade from the shop as they are under lock down now. I may be wrong but check the website first!
I will be making a short video on making the the kit up, for guidance in the next day or so, please keep an eye out for it on this website and of course social media! (Facebook and Twitter)
Stay safe and healthy guys and keep dreaming of that campsite in the sun you will soon be going too!
Sunset over a Touring Caravan Park
Moriarty...