Dear Ben & Family

Just thought I'd drop you a line to say "Thank you" for allowing us to take
Bailey to Womad 2008 (Charlton Park), or perhaps that should be "Thank you"
for allowing Bailey to take us!  Thank you too for the legendary chocolate
cake (which I'll get to later on!).

It was the first time we'd done a 'proper' festival, and my initial concerns
on booking the festival tickets were "Heck, I don't want to sleep in a cold,
wet tent!"  I had visions of being swept down a muddy field in the middle of
the night, followed by my clothes and sleeping bag!  Fortunately my friend
pointed me in the direction of yourselves and the wide variety of vans you
had on offer.  How thankful I was that he did!

Bailey was an absolute beauty!  Warm, roomy, comfy, safe & secure.everything
a festival goer would need all under one roof!  We were also amazed by the
fridge brimmed full with food and drink!  Thank you so much for these extra
goodies!  J J J

It was nice to wake up to a full English breakfast, instead of joining the
queues for one!

Womad itself was brilliant.  A wide variety of music was available, along
with food from all corners of the globe, and shops, therapies,
dancing/cooking/drumming workshops.the list was endless!  Plenty to see and
listen to, probably too much in fact!  Still, all the more reason to go back
next year ;-)

The attention Bailey got was unbelievable!  We had plenty of people waving
and staring at us, even the occasional flash of the headlights from fellow
VW camper van drivers!  The security staff at the festival site, our
neighbouring campers, even my neighbours back at home; everyone wanted to
look around Bailey.  Plenty of cups of tea were provided to all visitors,
courtesy of the onboard gas hob and accompanying 'whistle' kettle (along
with a slice of the aforementioned cake!).  Everyone left with a chocolate
rimmed smile on their faces!

We would highly recommend you to anyone thinking of hiring a van, especially
for a festival!

Please feel free to place any of the accompanying pictures onto your
website.

Thanks again, and best wishes!

Chris and Sean

We welcome our newest recruit 'BEAUTIFUL BAILEY'. Bailey has come to us via Cheltenham and 'The Hague' Family.

As you can see Bailey is a Danbury Type II Diamond with all the best Features:

Bailey is a right hand Drive Brazilian Import. Special features include lowered suspension for improved handling and comfort. Alloy wheels, Chrome bumpers, Headlight rims, Wing mirrors and Spare wheel cover. Bailey has Tinted privacy windows to the rear. There is a Chrome and wood roof-rack mounted over the cab to carry those little extras. Thats just outside!!!

Inside you can seat two in the front with a convenient walk through to the van, so no getting wet if it’s raining. Bailey can also seat three in the back which allows you to travel five. The rear seat has three lap strap belts, and easily converts to a king-size double bed. There is also a double bed in the raising roof.

You have the option of a drive-away awning, so you can sleep four in the van, two in the awning and still have room to invite a few friends over to stay as well!

There is a stove and small fridge fitted as standard and a sink with electric pumped cold water. A buddy seat in the back allows dining for four. Each van comes with a cd/ipod dock stereo for those chill tunes.

Mains hook-up gives you plenty of power on the campsite and the independent blown air heating for those cold mornings just about rounds off the perfect camper van.

I think you'll all agree Bailey is a fine looking van and is ready and waiting to scoot off on a road trip. We have Availability for Bailey in May, June, July, August and onwards. So get in before the rush!!!

Ben and family,
 
I wish to thank you for the fantastic experience we had with Rockall on our journey down to Devon & Cornwall during Easter 2008. Inspite of our concerns regarding the weather we had plenty of fun in the sun! The journey down there was fab with many a horn toot and headlight flash from other road users enjoying the sight of Rockall. During our trip we visited Newquay, Padstow, Falmouth, St. Ives and Tintagel and enjoyed many cooked breakfasts utilising the cooker and breakfast delights that you stocked the fridge with. Not forgetting the delicious home made chocolate cake you baked! In fact everything you provided was top class especially the heated mattress cover!!
We had a great experience made unforgettable when Lisa agreed to be my wife whilst in picturesque St. Ives.
Please find attached some of our memories from our journey and do not hesitate to use them on your website.
 
Best wishes,
Tim & Lisa

Dear Fiona, Andrew and Ben,

Hope all is well at 7 Degrees West. At last we send you the photos we took of Rockall In Ireland July '07'! We really did love our holiday and the boys often ask if we can hire one again so you never know, We may not drive it quite so far next time though.

Thank you and all the best from us all

Petronella, David, Nicholas and Patrick Berry-Green

So the Lloyds arrived at our yard to celebrate their son Owens 18^th Birthday with a ride in Malin Camper Van. I talked them through the van, told them the various ‘do’s and donts’ and left them to get their road trip under way. I turned back to make sure all was ok to see SCOOBY DOO standing in front of Malin. I was in stitches, especially as Scooby Doo, AKA Owen, exited our yard with head out of the window.

They had a Cracking time. What a brilliant family. Thanks for the snaps Laura; sorry to Owen, he’s now on the World Wide Webb

Dear All,

I woke up on the 23 November, my birthday, to the sun shining and not knowing what lay ahead of me as I had been asked to take the day off from work as we would be doing something that I wouldn't be expecting. When I was told that we would be hiring a camper van for the weekend and going to North Devon, I couldn't believe it. I have always been a big surfing fan, and alongside that, a big camper van fan, so this was like a dream come true. However, there was a degree of concern in that it was late November and and it was forecast to be a freezing cold night. 

I was not disappointed when I saw Cromarty, shinny blue and chrome, looking like a true retro van but with all the present day mod cons to ensure we were going to have trouble free trip. Leaving Bristol and heading down the M5 to the West Country, you notice straight away the looks you get from the cars and Lorries that pass you or that you manage to pass.

We arrived at the Hidden Valley campsite near Ilfracombe after dark and set up for our first night in a true camper and were helped very much by the delicious chocolate cake (doubling up as my birthday cake) and a bottle of nicely chilled white wine. We then managed to find a local pub where we doubled the numbers inside, but that did not stop me enjoying my birthday meal. Having returned to the site and with the heater blowing out hot air, the foil window covers in place and the electric blanket on, we settled in for the cold night inside our snug and cosy Cromarty.

Waking the next day we were greeted by light West Country rain rather than the anticipated frost, but that didn't matter. We decided to have breakfast in the campsite restaurant and then head off to explore in the rain. Having toured around we ended up in Woolacombe watching a mini surf competition in wild sea and weather conditions thinking they must be mad. We then managed to find a lively bar in town that served good food and beer and had a great evening.

Waking up on Sunday, our last day, after another good night's sleep, we were pleased to see the sun was shining again. Our decision to leave the provided ingredients for a most welcolme cooked breakfast until our last morning proved correct, in that we could leave the van door open and enjoy the birds singing and the smell of bacon wafting past. After leaving the campsite we went for a lovely bracing walk on Woolacombe beach, before heading back to Bristol to drop Cromarty off.

Thanks to my lovely wife Angela for arranging my surprise birthday trip and thanks again to Ben and his team for providing such a lovely van to experience it in. I am sure we will be doing it again and I would recommend an out of season break in a striking retro camper van to anyone.

Thanks and best wishes

Paul

These past few days have been spent with our very own superstar Cromarty on the BBC tv programme Casualty. Cromarty had some major make up work done as the Casualty Art department transformed him into a rusty old hippy camper van. Lots of Flowers and plenty of dirt. He had a staring role and can be seen at the end of the up coming series of Casualty. The question is will he ever return back to his original state??

Do you remember all the flooding last year, the one where Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire) was under water. Well we had a spare Camper Van free, so me and a couple of mates decided to use it to travel up to Centre Parks and camp out for a night. Well lucky these vans float because it was a little wet. We ended up having to stay in the Centre Parks car park so not to float away. I've uploaded some pics of our travels and one of the fancy dress night. Malin once again did us proud.

7DW are looking forward to more Blogs in 2008.

Dear All,

As promised a while ago. Had a few problems with our internet. Any way thank you once again for the huge effort you made to make our big day perfect for my husband and I. I've attached a pic of the best man (Iain Robinson) and my husband(Mark Wardle) with your camper. This is in our wedding album. Since the big day we decided a campervan was the way forward for us. We bought our very own 72 bay (Clive). Attached is a pic of him in Swanage this summer as part of our tour along the south coast. We plan to do France/Spain summer 08. You inspired us.
Happy Christmas to you all.
Regards
Sarah
x

Hi 7DW
 
We had a really great weekend with Malin down in Devon last weekend! Thanks to whoever made the most fantastic chocolate cake ever (eaten with friends on Blackpool Sands, with a glass of the kindly supplied prosecco).
 
I'm attaching a couple of close up shots of Malin - we liked the chrome!
 
I'm sure we'll be renting a van again - it was our first campervan experience, and it most definitely won't be our last!
 
kind regards
Dawn and Phill Rushen

Day one: After a fantastic weekend in Bristol we headed over to meet Ben and pick up our van for the week - Rockall. He was a beauty, red and shiny with a big friendly face. That's Rockall, not Ben! We had the grand tour of all his features and Ben waved us off on the start of our trip. We headed to Wales, the Gower peninsula, and arrived at Three Cliffs Bay in time for lunch. Afterwards we meandered down to the huge beautiful beach, taking a couple of kites with us. Neil told me he had a surprise for me so I turned round and closed my eyes (I was convinced he'd bought us a new stunt kite) but when I turned back he was down on one knee with a ring in his hand!! After a lot of laughing I realised that I was actually supposed to answer him, so blurted out a vary happy "yes!". He then pulled a bottle of champagne from his bag and we sat on the sand dunes sipping our bubbly and watching the surfers. Bliss! What a start to the holiday!

Day two: woke up still feeling quite giddy from the proposal. Turned the van around to take some pics and then managed to flood the engine! Ben knew exactly what was wrong as soon as we rang and told us what to do. Soon we were on our way, heading through the Brecon Beacons towards Herefordshire. Being used to a very fuel efficient modern car we were unprepared for Rockall's thirst for petrol, and soon found ourselves in desperate need of a petrol station. No problem, we'll just get the sat nav to take us to the nearest garage - however the sat nav was unaware of the type of vehicle we were in and we soon found ourselves in a spot of bother on a very steep hairpin bend! Poor Rockall just couldn't make it round and we ended up about an inch from the crash barrier with a 30ft drop on the other side. Oh, and the hand brake broke too! A very lovely local man named Haydn and a strapping park ranger called Ben came to our rescue and after a couple of hours we were out on the open road again - and vowing not to trust the sat nav again! A very large slice of the delicious Seven Degrees West homemade chocolate cake in the fridge made us feel a lot better. We were very relieved when we finally arrived at the pub we were staying at, and a large glass of something very strong soon helped us to relax!

Day three: we had a few brightly coloured peacock visitors having a nose about in the morning, and then headed into Hay on Wye. Lovely town, loads of bookshops. Then on to THE best owl sanctuary I've ever seen (and I've seen a few). More owls than you could shake a stick at (though I wouldn't recommend that) and some friendly alpacas to boot. By this point Neil was really getting into the driving and we were loving every minute. Had a bit of a pootle round some of Herefordshire's famous black & white villages, all very picturesque. Parked Rockall in an absolutely beautiful park by a lake and headed to a great restaurant in Kington to celebrate our newly engaged status! Got home to Rockall (and he really did feel like home), put the heater on and curled up with some hot chocolate and more of that delicious cake.

Day four: Awoke to a bunch of hungry ducks and one unruly goose attempting to chew through our electric hookup. Managed to make our getaway - picking up a couple of huge pork chops from the farm shop on the way - and headed to Ludlow. Wow, so much nice food in one place! Filled up the fridge to bursting point and then trundled down to the Westons Cider Centre, where we oh so hilariously posed for a photo pretending to pull a full container full of Old Rosie Cider. What comedians. Got the cider bug, so went to another cider museum in Hereford and furnished ourselves with a bundle of cider based souvenirs. Another pub next to another campsite provided our evening entertainment. And some more cake.

Day five: Very sad to be finishing our fantabulous adventure, we slowly headed back towards Bristol. Broke up our journey with a trip to a castle (we bought a blanket from the gift shop because we're so rock n roll) and a giant hedge maze at Symond's Yat. As we entered Bristol we spotted another VW camper in the car park at Tesco, immediately turned off the motorway and parked right next to it. Very chuffed with ourselves. Ben was there to provide a warm welcome back to the yard. We were both very sad to say goodbye to Rockall, he'd done us proud and was a proper superstar. We're planning an April wedding next year and I can't think of a better way to arrive at the ceremony than in Rockall, so hopefully we'll be seeing him again soon. Thanks to everyone at Seven Degrees West for a truly wonderful week and for making everything so easy and enjoyable.

El & Neil
Rockall Sep 2007

Dear All,

This is a rather belated thank you for the fantastic weekend that we had in Cromarty and Malin from 15th to 17th June 2007.  Rain aside, Rhossili was absolutely beautiful and we had a ball camping in the  vans.

The children are now dedicated camper van spotters and wave madly when we see them.  They are invariably gutted that our Ford Focus doesn't elicit any reciprocal response.

I am sure that you have lots of photos like the attached but thought I'd send them to show the happy campers.

We hope to see you again sometime.

Regards.

Rosie Parratt

PS - I know that it is a closely guarded secret, but any chance of the delicious chocolate cake recipe?  Birthday approaching and I know it would go down a treat.                                          

Well this is the definition of ROAD TRIP. Aidan took Rockall out for nearly 3 weeks. They travelled all over- Devon, Wales, Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Kinsale, The Beara, Killarney, Dingle, Rosslare! Look out for Tilly driving the Devon to Wales leg!!!!

So we had two Camper Vans travel to Glastonbury. As they left the heavens seemed to smile, open and erupt a waterfall for 5 days. You can imagine our fears as the return of the vans neared. To our absolute amazement they both came back spotless. This is purely down to the respect of their inhabitants and for that we can't thank you enough. Come rain, mud, sleet, or snow people just seem to find a way to have fun in our Vans. Keep up the good work!!! 

Dear Andrew, Fi and Ben Sorry it's taken so long to send this. Just to say again what a fabulous weekend we had in Malin. Three Cliffs was an amazing spot and we were so lucky with the weather. Olly and Elliott adored it, as did we when we arrived late into the evening and smugly watched everyone else putting up their tents in the dark as we popped the roof and had the dinner on in less than ten minutes! Olly is still playing 'party pigs' and it will be taking up new residence in our camper van come the spring. Yes, it was chaos, but being in a camper van with a 4 year old and a ten week old didn't put us off, in fact it has pushed us forward to buy our own!! We're going to be the proud owners of a 1971 Aussie import, which is currently undergoing some TLC in Cornwall and then back to Oxford for the mechanics. Billy at G'day Kombi's has been fantastic with sourcing the van - we'd thoroughly recommend him and then the insides are being made at the Camper Shak near Leyland. The whole thing should hopefully come in at half the price of a Danbury - let us know if you want any of their contact details. Finally, thank you, thank you, thank you for not thinking we were mad to be going away with such small children, your enthusiasm and positivity that it can be done will change the way we will holiday forever. And Ben, keep cooking, the chocolate cake was spot on - I hope Gordon enjoyed it as much as we did! Jen, Mat, Olly & Elliott xx

Back in August we had 5 gorgeous days in Devon. The sun shone and the camper van was everything we hoped it would be. We were so excited when Ben was showing us how everything worked and our daughter was particularly impressed with the sweets that had been hidden in the glove compartment!! The food provided was all gorgeous and the chocolate cake was the best we've ever had. How we wished we knew the recipe. After a few nervous minutes having to do a hill start in the van we were on our way. Things got a bit hairy on the motorway in the wind but it was all part of the fun.

When we arrived at our campsite near Dartmouth it was so good to just park up and chill out. See the pic of me with beer in hand!!! We made full use of the electric hook up (such luxury) using the electic blanket and my hair straighteners!! Our daughter enjoyed sleeping in the roof although she couldn't grasp not sitting up so banged her head a lot. We all had a great time and were sad to say goodbye to Rockall. We'll definitely do it again and would recommend hiring a camper van to anyone. Lou, Jase and Holly Edgar

"First week of July and family Upson set off on their much awaited trip in Cromarty to the Gower for an adventure!! Of course being Britain and in fact Wales it was bound to rain and rain it did, one of the wettest weeks in July ever, ever, ever so we detoured to Brecon to see some mountains before heading for the coast (in the vain hope that the rain would stop). Two nights in Brecon and we end up in a mud bog but surprisingly it all just adds to the fun, driving through the rain and everyone smiles and waves at you and there is nothing better than snuggling in bed the cosy bed listening to the wind and rain outside - apart from deciding you would then like a cup of tea and chocolate biscuit. Day three and we decamped to the Gower, first site Llangennith. A

beautiful little farm with sea views and spectacular sunsets. And guess what? A day of sun and a BBQ on the beach - wonderful. Finally we made it to Three Cliffs Bay, a site right on the cliffs edge a fifteen minute walk down the path and over the sandunes and you're in another world - something out of the Famous Five (caves, rockpools, stepping stones, a ruined castle - everything) and not a tea shop or toilet in sight. All in - a wet and wonderful week made perfect by our little blue friend..."

DOGGER It was love at first sight when we first met Dogger that Friday afternoon, all full of excited anticipation of our long-awaited bank holiday adventure in Pembrokeshire South Wales. Bags packed with Summer clothing, car seat fitted, a well stocked fridge and the Beach Boys cd playing loud – Maia’s bursting excitement measured far greater than her pocket-sized 16mth body could possibly contain.

But was our Guardian inspired dream about to come to an abrupt and swift awakening as the reality of motorway driving with bumper-to-bumper of endless M4 queues melted our quest for adventure in The West. Luckily a remedy was to hand as our nerves were settled by an honest chunk of Andrew’s mum’s secret recipe chocolate cake. The beauty of our destination soon melted the memories of motorway misery. A breakthrough in the hills, the sudden exposure to the sea and the first campsite springing upon us to the right, reignited our child-like adventurous spirit – WE HAD ARRIVED. It was late, we were tired and it felt like Dogger needed a rest too. “No hook-up”, the dear old campsite lady informed us, was not the most welcome news at this late stage but it couldn’t dampen the adrenalin-filled feeling of the expectation of our first night under the stars with Dogger providing our secure night-time dwelling. We can honestly say that our first night in Dogger provided our daughter Maia with the deepest most nourishing sleep of her young life. Perhaps the excitement and exhaustion of the day played its part for Maia but for us adults the fantasy of a warm nights sleep tucked up in Dogger was short-lived as the lack of a hook-up deprived us of our much desired electric under-blanket dreamland. The provisions within Dogger know no measure as his owners have simply thought of everything – from food provision to electric under-blanket we were to experience Dogger at its most glorious, warm and inviting homestead at our next pit-stop on Penarth Campsite just two miles outside of St. David’s.

This site is well worth marking on your card as its closeness to the sea and coastline walking paths are matched by excellent facilities and welcoming staff. It made up for our disappointment of missing out on a place at the much vaunted Ceri-Bay campsite which looked spectacular and it contrasted greatly with the awful Ceri-farm campsite where pressure to “pay-up” seemed to be the greatest priority – one to be avoided. On Sunday morning we cooked a full English breakfast "en plein air", while Maia was running wild in the grass (much different from her usual morning ritual of "sorting out" the kitchen cupboard's). It was simply beautiful to relax and eat well in such a fantastic location. Our return journey on a rain-filled darkened Sunday night brought home the reality of Dogger’s romantic retro-70’s appeal. The lack of lights on the dash-board, the confusing kilometre gauge which actually states m.p.h., complete with the heavy steering and gear changes make night-time driving a scary experience and made us realise just how accustomed and dependent we have all become on the ease of modern-day technological driving. Returning Dogger to its waiting masters the following day was a relieving but sad moment as our retro-dream came to a speedy end. Please treat Dogger well, he wont disappoint. 

Saturday As soon as we saw the goodies stashed in the fridge we knew it was going to be a great weekend! Delicious treats of a vegetarian nature, beer, eggs, milk, soda bread and Andrew’s quite exceptional chocolate cake (reason to hire the van alone!) to name but a few, plus a little bag of doggie delights for Herbert, all hinted at the love, thought and care with which sevendegreeswest run their business. Rockall herself is an absolute peach – although it has to be said that her pristine condition did engender a slight sense of anxiety to start with, as every fingerprint or shed hair seemed almost a wound to her perfection – but we soon got over that as we stuffed our gear aboard and opened her up on the M5! Having realised that we should, in fact, have been on the M4, we retraced our steps and were soon heading across the Severn Crossing towards the Gower Peninsular, the sunshine glinting off burnished chrome and the VW engine purring away like a dream.

Having made camp at Pitton Cross campsite near Rhossili, we enjoyed our first picnic of the year and then followed the footpath down to the sea. Herbert took great delight in barking at the sheep and being extremely stupid about stiles and gates, and within about twenty minutes we were alone in a craggy little bay full of rock pools and driftwood, the sun beginning to dip over the horizon, birds everywhere – idyllic really.

After such exertions it was time to crack open a bottle and get supper on the go. All culinary ambitions were catered for by Rockall’s comprehensive utensil and pan collection – even French dressing had been provided! – and we dined almost al fresco with Classic fm to aid digestion, a sight which may well have caused a bilious response in our slightly less poncy neighbours, who were trying to watch the telly and shout at their dogs...

After a demon game of Scrabble it was time to turn in. The night was chilly but we were so cosy we didn’t have to use the luxurious all-night electric under- blanket that Fi and Andrew had kindly supplied. It’s amazing how much warmth a medium sized dog and half a bottle of Scotch can provide!

Sunday The forecast had threatened rain, but it held off with several extended glimpses of sunshine, so we motored down to Rhossili and set off for a long walk across the golden sands. Despite the chill, the surfers were out en masse, bobbing amongst the waves like seals, waiting for the big one or whatever it’s called. Herbert found a football amongst the jetsam (or was it flotsam?)so was happy as a sand boy, and even deigned to have a bit of a paddle in the surf, which is quite a feat for a dog who doesn’t like to get out of his depth! We walked back to Rockall over Rhossili Downs which gave us spectacular views across the sands, the bay and out to Worm’s Head in the distance. In search of a decent pub, we drove to Port Einon, which was a bit grotty and out-of-seasonish but we managed a quick shandy in a rather indecent pub before returning to the site for a well-deserved siesta.

Hello Fiona, Andrew, Ben and the extended SevenDegreesWest family,

Well, we got back to Brighton just after 10 last night, tired but happy - our cheeks are still aching after spending all of last week 

grinning . . . .

We hope that Cromarty is okay and happily pootled off this morning with new residents on board. We are a little envious of his new adventurers . . . .

Anyway, we have *fantastic* news - the SD card was **not** affected (hurrah!) by the dunk in the rockpool and so we have photos to send over to you to prove to you that Cromarty did, indeed, enjoy his time in the Cornwall sunshine. (the camera, alas, is not so healthy and I am pursuing a claim with our insurers . . .) I am planning to sort through the images (nearly 600 of them!) and hope to send you something very soon - Caitlin is still fully intending to write a blog; she's really fired up about it. Give us a couple of days or so and we will also send over a list of fun places to take a campervan and a five year old.

Thanks again - we had an amazing holiday and can't thank you enough 

for being **thoroughly lovely people** - we hope to have the pleasure of meeting  you all in the yard again in the not-too-distant future when we take Cromarty out on another aunt. . . . :-)

Very very best wishes for a lovely Easter,

Jo, Guy and Caitlin

Message in a bottle from Rich, Mich, and Liz. This lucky family are happily sunning themselves in Malin. Oh how we wish we were there!!!!!

Thank you chaps. Keep living the dream!!!

This is Lucy and Ed giving a picture by picture account of Malin’s first outing (Isle of Wight). See if you can guess which picture goes with which part of the story.

Malin outside 100 Weston Road, waiting for the off

Malin waiting patiently for ferry in Southampton

All aboard! On route to Cowes aboard ferry

We’re settling into camp in The Orchard camp site in Newbridge, IOW

Phew, more breathing space inside with roof up

Morning! Letting a bit of morning air in, after a wet night

Feeling very comfy hooked up with power and drainage

We’ve come to visit The Needles!

Malin looking out from a viewpoint on the military road on the south coast of IOW (even got the logo in some of them!)

Malin parked in Shanklin Old Town, with a pretty thatched cottage, two great sights

Watching the sun set on the end of Ryde Pier

He’s behind you!

Objects in this mirror may be larger than they appear”…it’s a castle!

Waiting to get back on the ferry to head home

The end of my trip waiting to be taken home, pictures by street light

A huge thank you to Lucy and Eric for taking the time to inscribe such a wonderful tale. 

May we see you both again soon!!

Cycle down the river Exeter Estuary. Length 11 miles return journey. Start at Exeter Quay! 3 hours long (with a good stop off at Double locks, a great pub). This relaxing and beautiful route has the added bonus of two top notch pubs along the way. From Exeter quay, south of the city centre and cathedral, you follow the Exe cycle route along the river (and very close to the canal, which runs almost parallel) until you pass the excellent double locks pub.

I can personally recommend this pub. I spent four years in exeter as a student and many many days outside double locks, supping splendid beer and consuming homemade pub food. Not to mention the occasional swim in the canal. After a pit stop Carry on along the canal until a fork at bridge road, take the right fork accross the swing bridge and continue with the canal on your left all the way down to the Turf Lock and pub. A crackin ride. I used to run it as training for rugby, it's a good quality flat trail, almost all of it off road and traffic free. Enjoy!!!!

You may have seen recently that SevenDegreesWest, namely Andrew Purcell co-director, featured in The Guardian Newspaper. This has created some major interest in our lovely vans. Having read the paper I happened upon the Guardian guide to cycling a brilliant booklet on cycle routes around the uk. Here are some of my faves!!! Bodmin to Padstow (along the camel trail). 17 miles (one way). Duration 2-3 hours. A wonder trip along the north cornwall estuary. Cycling under a canopy of trees, you follow the course of an old railway line through the tranquil, wooded valley of the river Camel to the busy market town of wadebridge. From here, the trail follows the sandy shores of the camel estuary with views of creeks, sandbanks and rocky shores. Your destination is the bustling Rick Stein-themed harbour town of padstow. We as a family have cycled this trip, with dog in tow. See if you can spot the photo. I can highly recommend the route.

I have stumbled upon an article that I was saving for sed blog, but had totally forgotten about. It's Called 'Surfs Up' and describes the shift in Britons attitudes towards surfing and its culture. Charles Starmer-Smith writes "For 30 years Britons adopted the music, clothing and language of surfers, but not the sport. This year one million will take to the waves". He decribes the feeling of catching his first wave: "whether it happens at bondi or bornemouth, no one forgets their first time. From the moment the tip of your board plunges down the wall of water and then lifts and carries you along the surf, adrenaline courses through your veins and, for as long as your balance allows, an inane grin fixes accross your face. You become that bronzed demi god of surfing you've seen on countless ads and you are addicted." What a great quote Amen to that. The ocean is literally waiting for you. VW vans the surf, beaches being outdoors, bring on the easter holidays!!!

Thank you to all involved in todays launch. Jesse, David, Russell, Andy, Mike and Chris. Couldn't have done it without you. But mostly thank you to everyone who stopped by. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Even the police stopped by for a brew. We had a great response and took great delight in listening to the stories of vw adventures people have had. Remember Cromarty, Dogger, Malin and Rockall are ready and waiting for their own adventures. Happy Days Ben!!!

Dear Sevendegreeswest,

Hope you are well and happy, a few nice places to go in the south-west: Pubs/Restaurants The Pig's Nose, East Prawle, Nr. Kingsbridge, Devon TQ7 2BY - really cosy pub, great atmosphere, great live music as owner used to work in music biz. He's also a brilliant, eccentric character. The Atlantic House Hotel, New Polzeath, Nr Wadebridge, Cornwall - although trying to be a bit of a winebar, the views from the terrace can't be beaten. Nothing better than a surf, then a pint & cheesy chips watching the sunset.

The Roseland Inn, Philleigh, St Mawes, Roseland, Nr Truro, Cornwall-great food, lovely cosy pub, and a fab location right on the Roseland Peninsula. It's right near to the famous King Harry Ferry. The Wookey Hole Inn, Wookey Hole, Nr. Wells, Somerset, BA5 1BP - fantastic food, very funky, eclectic decor, and super friendly staff. Very close to the Wookey Hole caves (fun, but very commercialised).