by Chris Jefferies
Better known for cracking jokes than cornering with a caravan, Paul Merton is one of the country’s best-loved comedians, so it comes as little surprise to find out that his first attempt at towing was suitably comic.
The 54-year-old funnyman has been travelling the globe as part of his latest TV series Paul Merton’s Adventures for Channel 5.
In the newest episode, which will be on TV tonight at 10pm, Paul tries a staycation, and chooses a new Swift Challenger Sport 524 to help him explore the best that England has to offer.
Before he can set off, he is given a crash course in towing and reversing at Swift Caravans HQ in Hull, which has predictably hilarious consequences.
At the outset, the Have I Got News For You star is cautiously optimistic: “The caravan will go where the car goes, I assume. You see people driving caravans all the time, so it can’t be that hard, I imagine.”
Learning the hard way
After a very frustrating reversing experience, Paul gives up and has a go at towing the world’s smallest caravan, the QTvan with a shopmobility scooter (pictured right).
Despite this being small enough to manoeuvre down the aisles of a local supermarket, it doesn’t stop Paul from crashing again, so he reluctantly takes to the road with a Land Rover Discovery towing his Swift.
On his travels, he meets a friendly pair of caravanners, Paul and Lester, who show him the ropes, from levelling to EHU (electric hook-up). They even try to teach him how to reverse properly, with mixed results.
The hour-long show includes a whistle-stop tour of the South of England, which takes in competitive egg-throwing in Lincolnshire, a music festival in the Malvern hills, a circus in the Cotswolds, and a Pagan ritual in Cornwall.
Seasoned caravanners will certainly find the first 15 minutes of inept fumbling hilarious, while the rest of the show will certainly help inspire next year’s holiday plans.
If you missed Paul Merton’s Adventures: in a Caravan you can watch the full episode online
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Paul Merton discovers the joys of caravanning in new Channel 5 show
