The Open Road

I saved some pics from Skelton show as they deserve a blog post of their own .

My all time favourite book is The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham . I have several copies, one of which was published in 1926. They all have one thing in common and that is they are illustrated by E. H . Shepard the original illustrator for the book and to me the best . My favourite chapter is the Open Road where Mr Toad decides to take to the road in a gypsy caravan with Ratty and Mole .To quote from the book "It was shining with newness , painted canary yellow picked out with green and red wheels " This is the original E.H. Shephard illustration .

When we bought our little caravan four years ago I fell in love with it straight away . It wasn't shining with newness but it was pale yellow and picked out with green . From then on we've been out on the open road jut like Ratty , Mole and Mr Toad .

What I really would have liked though was ......

One of these beauties . This is a real genuine gypsy caravan built by a real gypsy .
His name is Barney Maurice and he builds these beautiful caravans by hand . When I asked could I take some pics he said it was alright.I told him I was going to put the pics on my Blog and that he would be seen all over the world . He hadn't a clue what I was talking about and knew very little about the Internet.
What a life .
This is his beautiful lurcher dog sleeping in the van

Little cupboards all hand painted .

I fancy roaming the country in this . It would be great moving from place to place selling my crafts along the way .

To quote Mr Toad " The open road , the dusty highway ,the heath , the common , the hedgerows ,the rolling downs ! Here today , up and off somewhere else tomorrow ! "

Yes please .