Home is where I park it

In May we bought a 2002 Mercedes Sprinter 311cdi. It was an empty van and we have spent the last few months converting into a live-in vehicle while actually living in it! It was defiantly harder than our last van conversion as we had a house to live in then and a warehouse and yard to spread out in. But we got through it and by August all the hard work was done. We still have some little bits to do as we go but nothing to major. Freecycle has been a handy way to source some items for the build and in all we have spent just under £400 on the build itself. The van cost £3500 which is quite a lot but Sprinters seem to hold their value and we saw a good number of terrible rust buckets with doors hanging off or that wouldn't open for the same sort of price as the one we ended up buying. It is fairly tidy although has a little rust that needs attention before it gets too bad. We also spent a further £300 over two visits to the garage for a full service and new brakes as well as some odd

Since we have been away on our travels an amazing little festival has popped up very close to our base in Gloucester. The Forest of Dean is only a 20 minute drive away and many a day have we spent dog walking, picnicking and camping there over the years. Now though it holds an even better attraction, 'Something Else in the Dean' put on by a very talented singer songwriter Gail Something Else. Her festival has been so successful that she now puts on two more, 'Something Else up North' and 'Something Else somewhere else'. A great idea to put on more small festivals rather than let her original one grow like so many do. Set in the lovely surroundings of the Forest of Dean at Elton Mazes it is a great family friendly, dog friendly cheap non commercial weekend. No security prowling around although a few stewards in high viz jackets :( (Iwas one of them!). Although small it does boast three stages, a bar, tea tent, food and craft stalls, kids activities and workshops.