Tuesday, 28 May 2013

Mrs Beeton

Regular followers of our facebook page will already know about our newest camper but I felt it was time to introduce her formally here....

Hello Mrs Beeton


She was bought on a complete whim....Dan was busy looking for a crew cab or ratty panel van when he stumbled on an advert for this lovely lady.  I didn't need asking twice, he was duly packed off with money in his pocket to secure the deal.   



I had to wait a little while before I could see her when we went to collect her but she was definitely worth the wait....I absolutely LOVE her.   She is very pretty and so lovely to drive.  Like our Nigella she is another Californian import born in 1967, obviously a good year for these campers ;)

She was almost ready to go but did just need her upholstery in the rear and some other bits and pieces, so she was booked into the fantastic Kustom Interiors at Rawreth for her trimming.




We have put new seals on her cab doors and cargo doors but that's really not very exciting to see so I won't bore you with pictures of them.   We do like to give all our campers our 'custard' touch so I went shopping for some cookery books....


and after some cutting and sticking, turned them into recipe door cards....


At some point she will need her headlining replacing but for now I have added some roses to tidy it up, plus they look very pretty.


We've had a Fireboy system fitted in her engine bay as the thought of an engine fire is something that makes me shudder!  She is off to Precious Metal tomorrow to get a few more bits sorted and then she should be ready to go out on her first hire this weekend.

I know she's going to put a smile on people's faces as she is just so much fun to drive....and to travel in.


If you fancy a spin in Mrs Beeton just give Custard Campers a shout, self drive hire in Essex and London.

Kerry x







Sunday, 19 May 2013

The Secluded Blog Fest 2013


So last Saturday found me attending the Secluded Blogfest, run by the very lovely Miss Sue Flay of The Secluded Tea Party.

Photo courtesy of Liquid Photo 

I honestly believe writing a blog is not rocket science but I am a strong believer in the power of being inspired by surrounding yourself by new ideas, people and places.  So with this in mind I headed off to the Cambridge countryside in search of bloggers, cake and more cake!


The first speaker of the day was ReeRee Rockette of 'Rockalily Cuts'  self styled blogger and entrepreneur.

ReeRee Rockette


ReeRee shared her story and although I have met her before I still enjoyed her talk and found her an engaging speaker.  Among many other things ReeRee felt you should only ever put things on your social media that fits with the image of how you want people to see your brand.
·          
While I don’t necessary agree with everything ReeRee suggested it did make me think about the ways I use social media and whether I need to change…..on reflection I felt I do give out the image I want to on facebook.  Twitter I’m careful not to put moans or negative things but I think it’s fine to use for more general chit chat and as for my blog?  Well maybe it’s no bad thing to have an outlet where you can be more honest about your life and the realities of running a business and trying to balance that with the rest of family life.



First guest speaker done it was time for a tea break and cake…lots of cake supplied by Mr Cake

Lazy Giraffe Blog
The second guest speaker was Deepa Mistry from Lazy Giraffe Jewellery   Her talk centered on finding your blogging voice.  Originally Deepa started her blog about her jewellery but has now find her blogging niche sharing her love of Indian Cooking and reviewing local eateries.  Her advice;
  • ·         Be original
  • ·         Never Copy
  • ·         Give credit where its due
  • ·         Check your spelling

Time for lunch provided by The Clandestine Gourmet Team, it was delicious but sorry I was too busy eating to take any pictures...sometimes you've just got to live rather than photograph everything!




After lunch we moved on to our next guest speaker Lina of Liquid Photo.  Tom (the other half of Liquid Photo) was also present but preferred to let Lina do the talking (although he did man the slide show)
Image courtesy of Liquid Photo

I really enjoyed this part of the day and took quite extensive notes so I think I’ll keep that for another blog post, looking at photography and how important it can be.




The last guest speaker of the day was Lynn Hill founder of the Clandestine Cake Club.  Lynn talked us through how she took early retirement and planned to spend more time on her gardening and baking but how life took a different path when she started up the Clandestine Cake Club.  Lynn has now appeared on TV several times, travels up and down the country to speak at events and has even had a book published. 

Clandestine Cake Club Book

The thing that struck me most after meeting Lynn was the thought that no matter what your age or point in your life it’s never too late to take a new direction or to find your niche.  Having recently turned 40 I strongly feel it is only in the last year or two that I have finally found a job that I enjoy and that I’m pretty good at.

The day was finished off with our own mini ‘Clandestine Cake Meeting’ and there was an overwhelming choice but I was starting to feel sugar overload, this is unheard of for me as I love cake but I soldiered bravely on and ate yet more!

If you'd like to read more on The Secluded Blogfest 2013 check out Miss Sue Flay's blog post.

Kerry x

Friday, 10 May 2013

SSVC Campout At Vicky Farm 2013

So we deceided Spring is in the air, time to go camping and what better place to start the Split Screen Van Club's annual campout at Vicky Farm.  It looked like a nice laid back affair with plenty for the kids to do, then the following morning they form a convoy and head off to the Stanford Hall show.

Nigella was packed up, food sorted, kids swimming lesson done, we were good to go just as the rain started.  Still nothing could dampen our spirits despite the kids trying their best to annoy us with their moaning.  The journey was a mix of sunshine and showers but it was so nice to be out in Nigella enjoying her rather than working in her.




We arrived on site around 3pm and where told to just find a spot we liked and park up.  There were two fields to choose from but we opted for the far end of the first.  We were set up in no time so went for a mooch around the fields and to have a closer look at all the lovely splits and quite a few beetles as well.  We spotted the Jurgen we nearly bought earlier in the year....I still REALLY love this bus!!!


By the time the kids were feeling brave enough to go and join in the kids activities they'd missed most of them which is a shame as it looked like they had some good stuff.  They could make their own splitscreen camper which you could then race around a Scalextric track.  Still next year we'll know to get there earlier.  I also wanted to go to the AGM but again managed to miss that too, but apparently I didn't miss much...fair enough.

Free burgers and cake where given out early evening which was very nice, they even had veggie options which I was very grateful for.   We opted to let the kids sleep in Nigella and we'd go in the tent with Perry the dog, it was freezing...but got worse still when my son had a meltdown which I'm sure everyone on the campsite heard (sorry!) and we had to take our daughter in the tent with us.  Such fun being squashed and freezing (I had to give our extra blanket to the dog as she was shivering!)  I sometimes wonder if we're the only parents who's kids are always playing up?  Such a shame as we try to take them places they'll enjoy but it always seems to end in stress.

I chuckled when early Sunday morning we heard someone going round the campsite with a loud hailer waking everyone up.  Bit keen we thought as there was still awhile to the convoy was set to leave, but in the end it was all a big rush as the buses started lining up from first thing.  We thought we'd get in the queue, then go grab breakfast but it ended up with us running back to Nigella so we didn't get left behind.



The convoy was great fun and unlike the Brighton Breeze one we did last year, everyone seemed to stay in line and grouped together.  The convoy went straight into Stanford Hall and all the splits were lined up for display in a lovey area by the river.  By lunchtime the sun was out and it was a fantastic day.



We did our usual check of the For Sale area, I liked a bay I saw that had been an ice cream van, but Dan didn't share my vision.   He was busy looking at the beetles...




As always we had a list of bits we needed and I was very happy to find a table for Floyd which was the main thing I needed.  We didn't buy too much else but did get a BMX for our son.....well allegedly for our son although we insisted on trying it out.  It was a bit of a squeeze to get it home in Nigella but where theres a will there's a way.



If you'd like to see more pictures their all on our facebook page, Vicky Farm and Stanford Hall.

Right this has turned into a long winded post so I'll stop there but I will be updating the blog with more information on our newest camper Mrs Beeton in the next week....she is so pretty!



I am also off to The Secluded Blogfest tomorrow.  I'm hoping this is going to inspire me to get more on top of the blog and make a bigger deal of it...so if you haven't already hit the Follow button and keep up to date with my ramblings on Custard Campers.

Kerry x
Custard Campers - VW Campervan Hire In Essex

Saturday, 6 April 2013

Elemental 2013

So the sun is shining but it's still chilly, we took a trip along to Elemental Show earlier today.  We decided not to take a camper in the end and I'm really glad we didn't.  We arrived at about 11.30am to find the show ground closed to any more vehicles including all parking areas....not good as access is off a dual carriageway.  We had to park down an access road and walk down the side of a busy dual carriageway with two kids and a dog, both the dog & my daughter got upset at this.  Not the safest or the best start.

 


Despite the sun making brief appearances it was very chilly, so we had a quick mooch about, looked at some nice buses & beetles, bought a basket for our 'Celebration Hamper in a Camper' and then opted to head home.



After a very long overdue food shop we are now sat at home, chilling happy in the knowledge for once my new kitchen cupboards are full.

We are still in the process of getting our house sorted not helped by a leak from our bathroom which sprung yesterday ruining my new kitchen ceiling....not great but onward and upward.  It won't be long till our house is beautiful once more and I concentrate on building my empire.

Floyd has been having some last minute tweaks and I have just adapted the curtains I bought from Burt's Bus Emporium as at last minute I switched from having silent gliss rail all round, to having the traditional westy poppers & tape set up round the cab.  I am a bit sick of looking at his curtains now but they are still very nice....


He is now the proud owner of a new gas safety certificate and his electric hook up has also been checked by a qualified electrician and duly certificated.  I just need to hang his curtains up in him and work out how his cool box works and then he is off on his first hire on Monday.  He is a lovely bus and I'm sure his hirer's will have great fun in him.

Poor old Delia is still not ready to go out to play.  She has had alot of work done on her including have all her gas & electric checks, a brand new MOT, and her engine rebuilt.  I need to put a couple of new tyres on her and get her tracking sorted out, and an oil leak and fingers crossed she'll be good to go.  She is my priority next week as she has hires booked later in the month.  It feels like forever since I've driven her and even my youngest has been asking when we can use her.



Between trying to sort our campers we did manage to shoot down to Volksworld Show on Sunday 24th March again not in a camper!  Dan had spent the day before driving in Floyd up and down the M25 in the snow, the though of another freezing trip did not appeal.  Some souls were obviously far more hardy than us....


camping in a tent in the snow...respect!  We shook our heads at the crazy folk and made a quick dash to the entrance and the inside displays.  Lots of shiny things to admire..



 
a favourite of mine was this lovely Karmann Ghia convertiable..


We managed to do a bit of shopping for the campers, nothing too wildly exciting but all needed to keep them sweet.



We made quick dashes outside, checked out the buses for sale area but nothing very exciting there except this lovely beetle caught my eye, I think it's Beryl Green in colour the same as our Nigella, the photo really doesn't do it justice it was very shiny.  To be honest the For Sale area always looks a bit unloved and the mud didn't help this year, I'm sure if you put the same vehicles on clean tarmac with the sun shining on them they would look a lot more appealing.


Back inside for a warm up then another walk round the paddock at the SSVC display, got to love a high top, one day I will own one.



I've put a load more photos on our facebook page under Volksworld 2013 if you fancy a look and while your there you'll be able to see what else the Custard's have just bought!

In the meantime I'm sure spring is just round the corner, so for campervan hire in Essex or campervan hire London, come see Custard Campers.

Kerry x








Sunday, 17 March 2013

Floyd on Campers

We've got a name and we've got a winner....

well done to Heather Bellis who was lucky number 13 picked by the lovely folk over at Inspired Camping.  Although Heather didn't suggest the name we decided on, she did put forward the name of Mary Berry, which was enough to get her entered into our draw...

We considered all the names, I personally liked Mrs Beeton alot but Dan suggested that would be better suited to an older camper maybe a splittie.  The one that made us chuckle was 'Swedish' after the swedish chef in the muppets, very clever.



After some debate we opted for Floyd, which seems perfect for our camper.  Keith Floyd was regarded as a pioneer in taking cookery out of the studio & he travelled far and wide for his shows.  We are thinking wine coloured upholstery and some quirky curtains.  He will be the perfect camper to park up on a beautiful campsite and sit back and enjoy a cheeky bottle of vino.


Cheers
Kerry x




If Your Name's Not Down....

We will be announcing the winning name for our new camper tonight at 8pm and one lucky person will win a free weekend hire.


I have been keeping a list of all entries but with so many of you joining in it is possible I may of missed someone so  please please check your on the list & if I have missed you, shout NOW.

  1. Mel Jackson            via Facebook
  2. Erin Lysandrou        via Facebook
  3. Becci Higgs             via Facebook
  4. Paul Sterry               via Facebook
  5. Scavenger Annie      via Blog
  6. Rachel Phillips         via Facebook
  7. Jenni Manley            via Facebook
  8. Becki Tatum            via Facebook
  9. Louise Gevaux         via Facebook
  10. Darren Gevaux         via Facebook
  11. Marie Stansfield       via Facebbok
  12. Michelle Cohan        via Facebook
  13. Heather Bellis           via Facebook
  14. Tom Walker             via Facebook
  15. Linda Bekir              via Facebook
  16. Merlot The Camper  via Facebook
  17. Maxine Hall              via Facebook
  18. Lorraine Lottie Mustard via Facebook
  19. Gemma Pickles         via Facebook
  20. Dianne Winch           via Facebook
  21. Beatrice-BelleUK      via Twitter
  22. Stacey Fribbins        via Facebook
  23. Lee Crouch              via Facebook
  24. Thomas Koreman     via Facebook
  25. Sam Bradfield           via Facebook
  26. Charlotte Edwards    via Facebook
  27. Michelle Heron Bray  via Facebook
  28. Lulu Hobson             via Facebook
  29. Debs Ivelja                via Facebook
  30. Karl Mardell              via Facebook
  31. Fiona Reed               via Facebook
  32. Jo Barber                  via Facebook
  33. Tracy Tant Black      via Facebook
  34. Gemma Lawrence     via Facebook
  35. Sara Shipley             via Facebook
  36. Natalie Neylon          via Facebook
  37. OneSugarPlease       via Twitter
  38. OutcastVW              via Blog
  39. Jody Gonzalez          via Facebook
  40. Sarah Clark               via Facebook
  41. PetalsandLace           via Facebook
  42. Bellabbeagle              via Twitter
  43. Yvonne at Whitegold Images via Facebook
  44. Tracey Mcqueen        via Facebook
  45. Melanie Nicholson      via Facebook
  46. Gilly Sanders              via Email
  47. Anni Howard              via Email
  48. Trifle Rabbit               via Email
  49. Afieldsomewhere        via Twitter
  50. Irene Noon                 via Facebook
  51. Jan Cannon                via Facebook
  52. Rob Piper                  via Facebook
  53. Willow Piper              via Facebook
  54. Marie Stansfield          via Facebook
  55. Charlotte Drummond  via Blog
  56. Katy May Read          via Facebook
  57. Adam Boswell            via Twitter
  58. Dave Allen                  via Twitter
  59. Nichola Cain               via Email
  60. Ben@Voice                 via Email
  61. Daxa-PJA                   via Twitter
  62. Tracy Wilson              via Facebook
  63. Linda Bennet               via Twitter
  64. UKCamper                  via Twitter
  65. Graham Kerr                via Facebook
  66. Sorrel Church              via Facebook
  67. Follies                         via Facebook
  68. Vicki Andreetti             via Facebook
  69. Wendy Daugherty Ledbetter  via Facebook
  70. Lee Crouch                  via Facebook
  71. Karen Pettitt                 via Facebook
  72. GirlOnFilm                   via Twitter
  73. Kath Webber                via Facebook
  74. Stephanie Williams        via Facebook
  75. Sarah Goodwin             via Facebook
  76. Spiller Ruth                   via Twitter
  77. Simon Spencer              via Facebook
  78. Christine Moss              via Facebook
  79. Kellie Amanda Jones      via Facebook
  80. Jo Vallance                    via Facebook
  81. TheHaywoodSisters       via Twitter
  82. Tanya Marie Shaw          via Facebook
  83. Charles Dytham              via Blog
  84. Hannah Maslin                via Facebook
  85. Yvonne Mackenzie          via Facebook
  86. Aitchy Wright                 via Facebook
  87. Rob Law                        via Facebook
  88. Steve Batt                       via Facebook
  89. Paul Curran                     via Facebook
  90. Simon Blundie-Weitz       via Facebook
  91. Duggie Walker                 via Facebook
  92. Helen Jones                     via Twitter
  93. Becci Higgs                     via Facebook
  94. Linda Bekir                      via Facebook
  95. Kerry Lou                        via Blog
  96. Tracie Shamby                 via Blog
  97. Katie Boulter                    via Facebook
Good Luck

Kerry x





Friday, 8 March 2013

Entries So Far...


I'm delighted to say we've had 93 entries so far, obviously there has been several duplications but there is 86 different names at this stage.  Just to clarify where people have suggested more than one name (very naughty!) we have added them all to the list but the person will only be put into the draw once.

I've listed them in the order they have been suggested.  Some have made us chuckle, some we love, some we're not so keen on but have a look and see what you think....


  • Ainsley
  • Harriet
  • Heston
  • Aldo
  • Cookie
  • Heinz Winkler
  • Fearnley
  • Marco
  • Frank
  • Floyd
  • Contessa
  • Rosemary Shreggar
  • Gino
  • Valentine
  • Mary Berry
  • Charlie
  • Fanny
  • Oliver
  • Khoo
  • Caramel
  • Biscuit
  • Olive
  • Anthony
  • Keith 
  • Michel Jr Roux
  • Hugh
  • Carluccio
  • Pierre
  • Chalky
  • Swedish (Swedish Chef from the Muppets)
  • Claude
  • Brulee
  • Dodger
  • Kenneth
  • Nancy
  • Biscuit
  • Toffee
  • Puddin
  • Angus
  • Roux
  • Clarrissa
  • Margo
  • Betty
  • Roobarb
  • Basil
  • Crumble
  • Bisto
  • Elizabeth
  • Hazel
  • Mrs Beeton
  • Fudge
  • Brian
  • Turner
  • Novelli
  • Wallace
  • Colonel Mustard
  • Otto
  • Stein
  • Bailey
  • Wareing
  • Graham
  • John-Christophe
  • Rhubarb
  • Custard Cream
  • Banana Split
  • Banoffe
  • Florence
  • Hubert
  • Pascale
  • Mr Kipling
  • Roobarb
  • Mushroom
  • Gandolph
  • Charlotte
  • Bertie
  • Skippy
  • The Hoff
  • Mutley
  • Cash
  • Rock The Cash Bus
  • Wagon Wheel
  • Humphrey
  • Burt The Bus
  • Flanby
  • Eton
On the facebook page, people have often said why they've chosen that one, so may be worth having a look.

Quite a list much for us to consider....I'm thinking I should of done this when naming each of our kids as it would of definitely helped!

There is still time to add some more names to the list so if you haven't entered, what you waiting for? and if you can keep telling your friends, family, the lady at the bus stop...we'd really appreciate.

I have been using our new camper as my daily run around, as I don't have my own car to use, and it's always good to get to know your camper before it starts its working life out on hire.  I'm happy to report all good, it drives really well.  Dan's going to give it a bit of a tune up this weekend, and we can then decide what to add to the inside to make it into a Custard Camper.



Kerry x