by Myron Jobson
It’s not your typical British’s summer’s day- there isn’t a single drop of rain in sight. A perfect day then to visit the first ever pop-up caravan site in Central London, situated right next to City Hall.
The micro-festival, hosted by the Caravan Club, featured vintage style caterers and picnic areas located right by City Hall at Potters Fields Park, and offered city workers and visitors a holiday in a lunchtime.
But, why host the event in London? Maxine Duguid, PR and events manger at the Caravan Club spoke of the need to challenge the stereotypes associated with caravanning.
She said: “It [caravanning] is thought of as an activity undertaken by slightly older people so we brought the event to London where we know there are a lot of city workers, a lot of visitors, a lot of families and kids on their school holidays to show them how caravanning can be.
“Bringing the Airstream along highlights the different side of caravanning.”
But what did the guests make of the event? City workers Katie Petherick and Katie Pattison who work as research analysts in a nearby office said: “It’s really good, we were going to stay here for the rest of the day and not go back to work.
“They have definitely broken the [caravanning] stereotype,” they added.
Pernille Andersen and Laura Thomsen who are on holiday from Denmark were drawn by the music and feel the event makes caravanning more accessible for the younger generation.
Family of three, Jane, Simon and young Leon Harris, from Waterloo, saw the event advertised in a local paper called it a “nice idea” but believes a greater presence of caravans would have been ideal.
At the heart of the caravan site was the state-of-the-art, stunning silver chrome 1950s style Airstream 684, which blossomed as the sun’s rays reflected off its glossy body.
As I entered, the inevitable Tardis quip came to mind: “It’s bigger on the inside”.
What was most surprising was how the caravan easily accommodated my 6’4″ frame.
There was also a competition for attendees to win a week’s stay in the Airstream in any Caravan Club site in England or Wales.
Towing in London
You may be thinking it must have been near impossible to navigate the sizeable unit through the concrete jungle of London, home to twisty narrow streets and its world famous choc-a-block traffic-congested roads.
Indeed, the man who towed the retro styled caravan, known in the industry as Bernie the tower by his own admission, spoke of his battle with other motorists.
He said: “Because you are running a heavy vehicle you leave room from braking and a lot of people use that gap.
“It can be a pain because you want that room to slow down to brake safety rather than just slamming on the brakes.”
Nevertheless, the silver beauty made it to Potters Fields Park in one piece and became a mini tourist attraction as people marvelled at its splendour.
The caravan was one of three present onsite, which included the British 1964 Carlight Casetta owned by catering company The Flying Ducks. The miniature caravan was used as a beverage stand serving hot and cold refreshments.
Speaking of food, the most appropriate term to describe the chicken and bacon Mexican wrap I scoffed down is exquisite.
There was a healthy range of food and the rugs and benches – all provided by the friendly Caravan Club staff – encouraged visitors to sit back, soak up some rays and enjoy the live music.
Speaking of which…
The free music was provided by the brilliantly bubbly sister group called Daughters of Davis.
Adrienne and Fern Davis admitted they sold all of their worldly possessions and quit their jobs to pursue their dream of performing and touring.
“The first night we stayed in [the caravan], we thought ‘what are we doing? We’ve committed ourselves to it now, we’ve put ourselves in a corner by selling everything we owned.
Numerous shows all over the country, most notably performing at the Royal Albert Hall, and touring internationally including France, Belgium and Holland has left them with no regrets.
“It’s been mental. We love what we do and we are happy to be here today. The caravan has been our little shell of love,” they added.
The Caravan Club plans to host similar events in other cities around the UK and hopes to come back to London in the near future.
So keep your eyes peeled for the next chance to sack off work and enjoy a holiday in a lunchtime.
