sucram
Well-known member
My story is a long one; I am 45 years old and have seen many things during my life and have lived in two different continents and travelled hundreds of miles.
My name is Elsa; this isn’t my real name but one given to me by my current family, but my story starts a long time ago in a place called Pretoria in South Africa, where I was first created. I didn’t have a real name then, but a number – LCD. I was part of a family of worshipers and for 35 years I gave my service to helping others; by ferrying associates from the Church on their journeys. It was a tough life, as the roads were quite dusty – red-brown dust got into all my seats.
Even though it was a tough life, I don’t think I had much love back then – I didn’t know what this word meant until I was 35, but looking back I think during the time spent in Pretoria I was well cared for but not loved. This all changed at the start of 2004. My driver from the Church had a bit of a miss-hap and I scrapped a wall with my sliding door, and was parked up. I didn’t know what I had done wrong but I was left alone and they had got a new minibus and didn’t even come to see me. It wasn’t long after that I was befriended by a man called Monkey Man – I don’t know his real name. He promised me that I wouldn’t be left alone anymore and that he had a new family waiting for me in a place called England. I had heard of this place as some of the birds that came to Pretoria said they had come to spend the winter in South Africa as it was cold in England. They took weeks to fly to where I lived, so knew it was a long way. Monkey Man said that it was a bit colder in England, but I would be looked after and kept warm and dry. My owner gave Monkey Man some papers and my magic metal bit (key) that wakes me up. That is where my next journey begins.
Monkey Man took me to a special garage place; it was quite frightening as it had lots of official looking people. Some men (I now know were customs mechanics) looked at me and took me and drove me onto a big lorry that was floating on the water. I have found out since that this was a cargo ship and was sat on the ocean. I was very frightened, as I was positioned inside the ship with lots of other cars and vans and some men came with big heavy straps and tied me up – I hadn’t ever been tied up before and don’t know why they did this to me as without my magic metal bit I wouldn’t even make a noise. The car next to me told me that we had to have this to keep us safe as we may find it a bit like being on a roller-coaster.
I was on the ship for I think 4 weeks – although I don’t really know exactly how long. What I do know is that the sea made me feel sick and those men didn’t tie me up safe enough as I did slide and had a little graze on my rear quarter, but it didn’t hurt, and has left a little scar. I didn’t have any visitors during the journey and wasn’t woken up or started during that time, so when I arrived in England I was really relieved when I saw Monkey Man waiting for him – he kept his promise and said I would be there. We were in a place called Portsmouth. He took me and gave me some new seat belts and some garage men checked me over and gave Monkey Man some papers to say I could live in England. He took me to his house in Weymouth, and put me in a lovely garage at his home. I was really happy and felt I would like living in England.
What I didn’t know was that I wouldn’t be staying with Monkey Man for very long; within just a few weeks a nice couple called Marcus and Jayne came to see me and had a look at me and woke me up and took me for a little drive. We went back to my new home and had a rest before they gave Monkey Man a brown envelope and he gave them some papers. Jayne woke me up again and I and she set off for our new home in Yorkshire; Marcus followed behind in his motorcar. I really thought wouldn’t make the journey – I wasn’t used to such a long way to go and my engine was very tired. I tried my hardest to keep going, but they were understanding and kept stopping for me to rest. In total we took 11 hours to get to Yorkshire. Phew I was relieved when we stopped. I was put to sleep in a big wooded car port – the sides were blocked but there weren’t any doors to keep me out of the wind. This is when my next part of my life begins.
My new home in Yorkshire was a dream come true, for the last 35 years ago I had been used as a minibus to drive the clergy around. Now I was going to be a campervan. I got a new name – HUM was on my papers but Marcus and Jayne called me Elsa as I came out of Africa. Marcus and Jayne spent hours sitting in me and measuring me inside with a tape measure, then sucked out bags and bags of that red dust I’d got in all my crevices. After about a week Marcus and Jayne took out my passenger seats and put in a few camping things and then Marcus took me for a long trip to Cumbria, I really struggled to complete the journey, but his friend Ian looked at me and set working on me an gave me a better engine which meant I could manage the trips a bit better - I still struggle to keep up with some of the more modern vans but am happy to go at a steady pace. After an overnight stay in Cumbria I thought I was going to go home, but we didn’t and I was taken to my first VW show at Biggar in Scotland. It was like Heaven – all other vans just like me. Jayne arrived – I’m not sure how she got there, but they had a good look round and that night they slept in me. We were in the open and I wasn’t under cover, but I felt safe as we were all together.
When we got home from the trip Marcus set to work making me a whole new interior. I had a new rock’n’roll bed and some cupboards and a blue carpet. I looked really good. Jayne made some curtains for me – she did order some from a lady but sent them back as they weren’t up to scratch. They spent a long time making me look ***** and span. I even had a new stainless steel manifold and quiet pack silencer fitted. The only thing that let me down was my original seats which were falling apart and seemed to generate a bucket of red dust every time someone sat on them. So Marcus found some better ones (I think from a Rover) and fitted them.
We had many happy holiday trips – including the two dogs Kim and Polly and went to Vanfest in Malvern many times. We went to Cornwall on holiday a few times as well. Our journeys weren’t without some problems – after all I am quite old and some of my parts won’t last forever. One time we were on our way home from visiting Ian in Cumbria when my thrust bearing mounting clips came unfastened and we had to call a man in a yellow van. He couldn’t repair me and said they had to get someone to carry me home, but it was a long wait and we had to sleep in car park at the side of the A1, it was really scary. The same part broke again once when we were in Cornwall and again I had to be carried home. After that Marcus fitted a better designed part and so knew it wouldn’t happen again. The worst thing that happened whilst I have lived in Yorkshire was when we were on a weekend trip with lots of other cars. I had just got a new awning fitted – it was great. That night a really bad storm came and the wind uprooted a marquee which landed over me. I was really lucky as I could have been squashed, but managed to escape with just a dint on my head (roof) . Marcus took me to another Ian’s workplace and the fixed me up really good – in fact they treated me to a lick of paint all over my head and my front (that had got a scratch as well).
Later that year I was really worried when Marcus and Jayne started to take out all my interior- I thought I was going to be made back into a minibus and sent back to South Africa, but that wasn’t the case. They had been working every night and weekend to give me an original Devon interior that Marcus had lovingly restored. I got brand new cushions as well; they are in the same retro style and matched my colours. I even got a new radio and amp and speakers, so could make the noise like some of the other vans I had heard at Vanfest.
We only seemed to go on trips away a couple more times after I got all my new interior. I wasn’t sure why. In fact I seemed to spend weeks without them waking me up. Jayne told me that they couldn’t go out as she had to stay at home and look after her Mum, so I didn’t mind.
Then the following year (2010) it was a big change Marcus and Jayne put lots of things inside of me and set off to our new home. Oh what a terrible time I had that year. I had to sit outside for nearly 6 months – the garage was full of boxes. I know there is a Santa Claus as I wished he would let me live in the garage and just after Christmas Marcus cleared out everything and put me inside. My new garage home is warm and dry – there is even a boiler there so it keeps all the frost away. I thought we were going to have some great new adventures from our new home, but this hasn’t happened.
I have lived in my new home for four years but we haven’t been anywhere apart to the garage for my annual check-up and the odd trip around. They have a new dog now and she doesn’t like me and so I think they take her on holiday instead of me. Jayne has talked to me about it and has explained that they can’t really see that they will be able to take me away again anytime soon, and that they feel really guilty and said that it isn’t fair if I keep living with them as I deserve to live with a family who will be able to spend time taking me out for trips and holidays. This is why I am writing this story. I am looking for a new family. I want one that will take me on holiday and drive me lots of places and sleep in me and have fun with me. Ok I may be 45 but I am still young at heart and if given time to make the journeys I can still get there, no matter how far. I even have a cooker so you can have a warm drink or cook some food. I still have my awning and other camp stuff, so have plenty of space. Jayne has said she will send my story to some special places that can print my story so that families looking for vans may see it and get in touch. She does promise me though that she will not let me go to just any one – it has to be a loving home; so I may have to wait to find the right one.
If you do want to come and meet me then please call Jayne or Marcus on 07762650128 but please note they are only interested in genuine new families who are willing to give £11,500 for me and all my papers.
We will post more pictures soon but can email them if your interested.
My name is Elsa; this isn’t my real name but one given to me by my current family, but my story starts a long time ago in a place called Pretoria in South Africa, where I was first created. I didn’t have a real name then, but a number – LCD. I was part of a family of worshipers and for 35 years I gave my service to helping others; by ferrying associates from the Church on their journeys. It was a tough life, as the roads were quite dusty – red-brown dust got into all my seats.
Even though it was a tough life, I don’t think I had much love back then – I didn’t know what this word meant until I was 35, but looking back I think during the time spent in Pretoria I was well cared for but not loved. This all changed at the start of 2004. My driver from the Church had a bit of a miss-hap and I scrapped a wall with my sliding door, and was parked up. I didn’t know what I had done wrong but I was left alone and they had got a new minibus and didn’t even come to see me. It wasn’t long after that I was befriended by a man called Monkey Man – I don’t know his real name. He promised me that I wouldn’t be left alone anymore and that he had a new family waiting for me in a place called England. I had heard of this place as some of the birds that came to Pretoria said they had come to spend the winter in South Africa as it was cold in England. They took weeks to fly to where I lived, so knew it was a long way. Monkey Man said that it was a bit colder in England, but I would be looked after and kept warm and dry. My owner gave Monkey Man some papers and my magic metal bit (key) that wakes me up. That is where my next journey begins.
Monkey Man took me to a special garage place; it was quite frightening as it had lots of official looking people. Some men (I now know were customs mechanics) looked at me and took me and drove me onto a big lorry that was floating on the water. I have found out since that this was a cargo ship and was sat on the ocean. I was very frightened, as I was positioned inside the ship with lots of other cars and vans and some men came with big heavy straps and tied me up – I hadn’t ever been tied up before and don’t know why they did this to me as without my magic metal bit I wouldn’t even make a noise. The car next to me told me that we had to have this to keep us safe as we may find it a bit like being on a roller-coaster.
I was on the ship for I think 4 weeks – although I don’t really know exactly how long. What I do know is that the sea made me feel sick and those men didn’t tie me up safe enough as I did slide and had a little graze on my rear quarter, but it didn’t hurt, and has left a little scar. I didn’t have any visitors during the journey and wasn’t woken up or started during that time, so when I arrived in England I was really relieved when I saw Monkey Man waiting for him – he kept his promise and said I would be there. We were in a place called Portsmouth. He took me and gave me some new seat belts and some garage men checked me over and gave Monkey Man some papers to say I could live in England. He took me to his house in Weymouth, and put me in a lovely garage at his home. I was really happy and felt I would like living in England.
What I didn’t know was that I wouldn’t be staying with Monkey Man for very long; within just a few weeks a nice couple called Marcus and Jayne came to see me and had a look at me and woke me up and took me for a little drive. We went back to my new home and had a rest before they gave Monkey Man a brown envelope and he gave them some papers. Jayne woke me up again and I and she set off for our new home in Yorkshire; Marcus followed behind in his motorcar. I really thought wouldn’t make the journey – I wasn’t used to such a long way to go and my engine was very tired. I tried my hardest to keep going, but they were understanding and kept stopping for me to rest. In total we took 11 hours to get to Yorkshire. Phew I was relieved when we stopped. I was put to sleep in a big wooded car port – the sides were blocked but there weren’t any doors to keep me out of the wind. This is when my next part of my life begins.
My new home in Yorkshire was a dream come true, for the last 35 years ago I had been used as a minibus to drive the clergy around. Now I was going to be a campervan. I got a new name – HUM was on my papers but Marcus and Jayne called me Elsa as I came out of Africa. Marcus and Jayne spent hours sitting in me and measuring me inside with a tape measure, then sucked out bags and bags of that red dust I’d got in all my crevices. After about a week Marcus and Jayne took out my passenger seats and put in a few camping things and then Marcus took me for a long trip to Cumbria, I really struggled to complete the journey, but his friend Ian looked at me and set working on me an gave me a better engine which meant I could manage the trips a bit better - I still struggle to keep up with some of the more modern vans but am happy to go at a steady pace. After an overnight stay in Cumbria I thought I was going to go home, but we didn’t and I was taken to my first VW show at Biggar in Scotland. It was like Heaven – all other vans just like me. Jayne arrived – I’m not sure how she got there, but they had a good look round and that night they slept in me. We were in the open and I wasn’t under cover, but I felt safe as we were all together.
When we got home from the trip Marcus set to work making me a whole new interior. I had a new rock’n’roll bed and some cupboards and a blue carpet. I looked really good. Jayne made some curtains for me – she did order some from a lady but sent them back as they weren’t up to scratch. They spent a long time making me look ***** and span. I even had a new stainless steel manifold and quiet pack silencer fitted. The only thing that let me down was my original seats which were falling apart and seemed to generate a bucket of red dust every time someone sat on them. So Marcus found some better ones (I think from a Rover) and fitted them.
We had many happy holiday trips – including the two dogs Kim and Polly and went to Vanfest in Malvern many times. We went to Cornwall on holiday a few times as well. Our journeys weren’t without some problems – after all I am quite old and some of my parts won’t last forever. One time we were on our way home from visiting Ian in Cumbria when my thrust bearing mounting clips came unfastened and we had to call a man in a yellow van. He couldn’t repair me and said they had to get someone to carry me home, but it was a long wait and we had to sleep in car park at the side of the A1, it was really scary. The same part broke again once when we were in Cornwall and again I had to be carried home. After that Marcus fitted a better designed part and so knew it wouldn’t happen again. The worst thing that happened whilst I have lived in Yorkshire was when we were on a weekend trip with lots of other cars. I had just got a new awning fitted – it was great. That night a really bad storm came and the wind uprooted a marquee which landed over me. I was really lucky as I could have been squashed, but managed to escape with just a dint on my head (roof) . Marcus took me to another Ian’s workplace and the fixed me up really good – in fact they treated me to a lick of paint all over my head and my front (that had got a scratch as well).
Later that year I was really worried when Marcus and Jayne started to take out all my interior- I thought I was going to be made back into a minibus and sent back to South Africa, but that wasn’t the case. They had been working every night and weekend to give me an original Devon interior that Marcus had lovingly restored. I got brand new cushions as well; they are in the same retro style and matched my colours. I even got a new radio and amp and speakers, so could make the noise like some of the other vans I had heard at Vanfest.
We only seemed to go on trips away a couple more times after I got all my new interior. I wasn’t sure why. In fact I seemed to spend weeks without them waking me up. Jayne told me that they couldn’t go out as she had to stay at home and look after her Mum, so I didn’t mind.
Then the following year (2010) it was a big change Marcus and Jayne put lots of things inside of me and set off to our new home. Oh what a terrible time I had that year. I had to sit outside for nearly 6 months – the garage was full of boxes. I know there is a Santa Claus as I wished he would let me live in the garage and just after Christmas Marcus cleared out everything and put me inside. My new garage home is warm and dry – there is even a boiler there so it keeps all the frost away. I thought we were going to have some great new adventures from our new home, but this hasn’t happened.
I have lived in my new home for four years but we haven’t been anywhere apart to the garage for my annual check-up and the odd trip around. They have a new dog now and she doesn’t like me and so I think they take her on holiday instead of me. Jayne has talked to me about it and has explained that they can’t really see that they will be able to take me away again anytime soon, and that they feel really guilty and said that it isn’t fair if I keep living with them as I deserve to live with a family who will be able to spend time taking me out for trips and holidays. This is why I am writing this story. I am looking for a new family. I want one that will take me on holiday and drive me lots of places and sleep in me and have fun with me. Ok I may be 45 but I am still young at heart and if given time to make the journeys I can still get there, no matter how far. I even have a cooker so you can have a warm drink or cook some food. I still have my awning and other camp stuff, so have plenty of space. Jayne has said she will send my story to some special places that can print my story so that families looking for vans may see it and get in touch. She does promise me though that she will not let me go to just any one – it has to be a loving home; so I may have to wait to find the right one.
If you do want to come and meet me then please call Jayne or Marcus on 07762650128 but please note they are only interested in genuine new families who are willing to give £11,500 for me and all my papers.
We will post more pictures soon but can email them if your interested.
