When we met in 1991, our holiday experiences were very different. I enjoyed camping and sailing while Paul vacationed in hotels and cruise ships. However, by chance, we discovered we’d spent the same week in April 1982 on a boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads.

Together, we holidayed in hotels and on a few cruises. We had some fantastic times and knew we wanted to continue travelling. However, I missed being part of the great outdoors.

We tried camping once. That was enough for Paul. He hated it. He disliked not being able to stand up and get dressed. We forgot the corkscrew to open the wine bottle, so we asked a friendly camping neighbour to borrow one. To add insult to injury, we had a plastic picnic set, and unbeknown to us, one of the beakers had a crack in the bottom. Red wine cascaded out of the beaker base as quickly as it was poured, and yes, it flowed all over Paul. Worse still, the torch was dim, making it difficult to see the extent of red wine staining.

Over the years, we tried caravans, Bongos and VW T5s with some success. Even a stand-up tent, only this time we had to take everything, including the kitchen sink!

Eventually, we triumphed with motorhomes. They were a hit for both of us, especially on trips to Europe. They also got big paws up from the dogs.