Interesting people you have met motorhoming. (1 Viewer)

Snowbird

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Apr 24, 2009
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During the last 20 years I have met some very interesting people from all walks of life on my travels. From a couple in there late 80s in Morocco who were still driving out from the UK to Morocco every winter and had just returned from a 12 week tour of China on a package tour, to my next door neighbour in Reil for the last two summers. This couple in there late 70s are one of the most interesting people you could ever meet. She drives there large N & B motorhome exclusively and he follows on behind in there ancient Mercedes car. They arrive at the beginning of April and sit it out till end of September. She is a retired racing driver and has raced all over the world in formula 2 and 3 along with the touring class. Her late husband was the president of Eifelland caravans as well as the owner of his own racing team. She is now married to a lovely old gent called Stephan who also travelled the world with his civil engineering company on many worldwide projects. They are a lovely couple and I could not wish for better neighbours.
A little information on Hannelore Werner, famous lady German racing driver.

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Am sure other funsters meet some very interesting people on there travels, so lets hear about them.
 

movan

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Dec 2, 2009
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The latest one I met was a Shamanic healer and psychic. . She sought me out on the camp site to give me a message. It left me in a state of awe the messages given to me .. no money involved. .

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Oct 5, 2012
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5 years, feel free to ask me about the Carado!!
Met loads of interesting people in our travels, I like to chat to everybody, so get lots of info about people and places and life, even wined and dined sometimes :cheers:
Some of the small CL site owners are also interesting characters, that I have met recently !
 

ambulancekidd

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Sep 23, 2014
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Since 1964 Gosh that makes me feel old.
Michelle Collins whom I met in Port Logan in 2002, she was a passionate motorhome enthusiast & we sat on the grass having a very long conversation about the pro's & cons of motorhomes or caravans!
They were in the middle of filming "Two thousand Acres if Sky" at the time & she kept going over, doing the required scene & coming straight back to discuss things further.

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Snowbird

Snowbird

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One guy I met about 18 years ago in Spain and travelled with for several years had been in the Dutch military all his life from leaving school until his retirement. He was the oldest serving soldier in Bosnia during the troubles. On his return from Bosnia, he worked in security at Schiphol airport until his retirement. We travelled together for several years as we were both passionate about fishing at the time and spent whole summers up above the Arctic circle in Norway fishing. That man knew more wild camping spots than anyone I have ever known, and was a mine of information, on where to get water and dump facilities. Unfortunately he passed away about 8 years ago, but thankfully I wrote down many wilding spots before I forgot.
RIP Theodorus, my old pal.
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May 8, 2011
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Stayed on the campsite at Castle Howard a couple of weekends ago. Wife had brought her car to take us to the event as we live all of 3 miles away! Young couple park up next to us and we offer them a ride to the gig and back turns out he was an England cricketer and Yorkshire player, taking over 1000 test wickets. The next morning they gave us VIP tickets to Country File Live to say thank you. Very nice

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Jan 17, 2014
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We met a fellow at Folkestone Channel Tunnel terminal, he was travelling alone on a motorbike and kitted out for a trip. When I asked his destination the reply was 'Mongolia' - that was on the 19th of June - he crossed the border from Russia into Mongolia this weekend (18th August)!

If you are interested his trip is on Facebook search for John Brinkers, he's from Wrecclesham . You may have to 'befriend' him to view all of his pages.

His adventure makes what most of us do pale into insignificance.

Rod
 
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Snowbird

Snowbird

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Another interesting couple I met during my early days of travel were Leslie and Carmen Dykes. As a young couple they were living in London with 2 small children during the cold war years and were afraid of what could happen if we were attacked by Russia. They were earning a meagre living as artists and sign writers and decided to load up 2 bikes with there children and a few belongings and cycle to the south of France. Imagine that in those days, it would not be easy now. They made the journey and stayed, Carmen paining for tourists and Leslie painting wall murals and businesses signs. Leslie got his name in the Guinness book of records for painting the longest mural in the world depicting world rugby players. A short video of Leslie painting a mural in Laroque.
 
Mar 3, 2013
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At Cite Europe a couple of weeks ago we met a retired couple from New Zealand who are touring England and Europe. They bought a brand new Hymer here in England and they are eventually taking it back to New Zealand where they will get 20% of its cost back because of some tax relief scheme and because they have been out of the country in it for over 3 months they will get another 20% back because of some other agreement......bargain. :)

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Aug 12, 2011
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Met a very interesting German who lived in Switzerland, he said as they have the Swiss franc he waited till the Euro was very low against the franc and bought his Motorhome over the border - he said then due to Swiss tax rebates and the euro rate he said about he saved over 40% of the original cost. He said Germans have no sense of humour and they look upon us Irish with pity as we are so crap at sports and celebrate even though we lose.

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Apr 11, 2015
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A timely thread, today we have come back from meeting up with a couple we met in Granada, their motorhome had been badly damaged by a biker. we offered sympathy and wine and have been meeting up when we can.
another couple of good friends we met in France through their broken mobile phone, offered our spare and 9 years later meet up whenever we can, they have a CL and live about an hour and a half from us.
Met so may lovely people on the dark side, many who are now on fun. No one mega famous, but lovely genuine friendly folk.
not forgetting all those solos.
 

DuxDeluxe

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I met some old bloke at Malvern a couple of years ago. Can’t remember his name but he had a beautiful RMB with matching trailer which looked fabulous and was beautifully built. I heard later that he sold it and got a fifth wheel :crying:

Dave, I think his name was...... :whistle2:

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Dec 4, 2014
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Been around the block a few times😉
We've met some really unusual and interesting people in the trips we have been lucky enough to do.
Troels with his electric bike and trailer from Denmark springs to mind but the old Dutch chap who struggled across the road to shake our hands as our ancestors had saved his life will never be forgotten.
He had survived Auschwitz.
 
Oct 24, 2007
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Stayed on the campsite at Castle Howard a couple of weekends ago. Wife had brought her car to take us to the event as we live all of 3 miles away! Young couple park up next to us and we offer them a ride to the gig and back turns out he was an England cricketer and Yorkshire player, taking over 1000 test wickets. The next morning they gave us VIP tickets to Country File Live to say thank you. Very nice

Over 1000 test wickets?

It sounds like he spun you a huge length of Yorkshire yarn!
 
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Snowbird

Snowbird

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Anyone that has stayed overwinter on La Toretta in Benidorm must have met Odd the Norwegian. He is a little shaven headed guy who plays petanque every afternoon. There used to be several of us bachelor and divorced men who met up in Spain every winter and just had a great time together. When Odd first arrived from Norway in his RV he was very shy, so we took it upon ourselves to take him under our wing. We used to play petanque during the afternoon and Odd would just stand and watch until I gave him a set of bules and invited him to play. It turns out that he was the fire officer on a Norwegian cruise liner sailing out of Miami until his retirement and part of his duties were to attend the evening dances and generally keep the elderly ladies amused. Several nights each week we would go to one of the hotel gala nights in Benidorm and have a meal and a few dances, so invited Odd along one night. Am sure that man was trained to dance by Fred Astaire, he was very good and put the rest of us to shame. He took up playing petanque seriously and now plays for the national team. He overcame his shyness and turned out to be a very funny and interesting guy and we have remained friends for many years.

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Aug 27, 2009
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I once stayed a month on the beach with a Hippy and a Millionaire. Never had such a good time. The Millionaire was from Liverpool strangely enough, the hippy was with his wife and young family. What a star, they home schooled the kids, he could turn his hand to anything from musician to welder, they stopped off on route to earn enough to get them to their next stop etc. They had an old transit which they were finding too restrictive as they normally traveled without worrying about any belongings.
The Millionaire was an alcoholic who had been upsetting too many influential dignitaries at home, they got hold of a coach sized motorhome and set off. After a couple of weeks in Spain his wife had enough and decided to return but he was having such a good time he decided to stay on in the coach to see if he could sort himself out before returning home. The stay would have made a great movie.:giggle:(y)

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Oct 2, 2008
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In 1962 was traveling thru to Greece when I met a group of young people traveling in an old converted double decker bus , one guy was quite a good singer , cant remember his name they were going to Athens as well :)
 
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Snowbird

Snowbird

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In 1962 was traveling thru to Greece when I met a group of young people traveling in an old converted double decker bus , one guy was quite a good singer , cant remember his name they were going to Athens as well :)

Ah, Summer holiday. The film was actually based on fact. Back in the 60s and 70s there used to be a company called "Magic bus" that took young people to several far off destinations from London. They were all old London double deckers and one of the destinations was Athens. I used to see them regularly chugging along or changing a wheel at the side of the road. Those drivers certainly earned there crust driving those things where they did.
 
Oct 2, 2008
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I have met lots of interesting people when traveling , and thru my employment at various times quite a few famous ones. The most unusual tho , was when visiting a german family who I had first gone to on "studentenaustauch" . She was a family friend thru my friends uncle her name was Traudl Junge !
 
Aug 27, 2009
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Just remembered an elderly couple who we used to bump into every year, they had a very old VW camper. He was a retired accountant, he used to spend his days parked somewhere nice doing his accountancy work while his wife did wifey things. This paid for their travels and gave him the means to live his life to the full.
Now the memorable part, they wild camped all over Spain, their van was fitted out like a police riot wagon. It had a metal grid that used to hinged down and lock over the windshield, the windows had reinforced mesh. He had fitted thick chains between the doors so they felt safe wherever they decided to stay. Nice old couple who didn't let the advance years stop them from traveling as they liked..... (y)

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