"She’s coming home, she’s coming home, Maisie’s coming home"

The deed is done, the MOT has been taken and…….she failed as expected, but only on near and offside sill, nearside headlamp off kilter and....... that’s it! I AM ECSTATIC, and I’m so excited ‘cos now I can make plans.

A big thank you to Malc at Bug Shack for his honest opinion and reassurance that I hadn’t bought a white elephant! He reckons I have a nice van and that she runs well. Of course, she’s 20 years old so there’s obviously a bit of work still to be done and we’re planning that now.

The first of my plans was to whisk her away for a weekend to get acquainted. That’s where I’m writing from as we speak…Chapel Lane CC. Far enough for a first proper outing and close enough to Becketts Farm Shop for a Saturday afternoon mooch and one of their famous breakfasts tomorrow. Yummy!

I had big plans for her but, well, I think I’ll wait. I’ve already taken up the patchwork quilt I was making when I was 10, and my winter evenings will be whiled away by knitting a cosy throw.

Immediate plan is to get the windscreen looked at and a service within the next couple of weeks.

This will be followed by hubby mastering the metal polisher to get rid of the rust, maybe filler and then a cover of Hammerite as Malc suggested.

I’ve just ordered from J.K.Towers the DVD version of the manual and I’d really like to get some mechanical knowledge under my belt so I can:

a) do the basics (add oil, do tyre pressures, top up wash bottle etc.) and

b) recognise the different parts of the engine!

First night in van was fun! Although I have spent a couple of nights in her previously, I didn't really feel at home, what with the possibility that I’d bought a nail. It took me ages to work out that the 2 small table tops were used as the filler, but I have no idea what the strange wood contraption with collapsible legs is! One for the talbotoc. Also on the backs of the settee, there’s a shaped wooden attachment…and that is? (another one for the forum)

Talking of forums, can I put a plug in for the Talbot Owners Club. They have been very helpful and supportive in my journey. They even answer stupid questions like what’s the best way of cleaning the fresh water tank of a 20 year old van and where’s the emptying cap for the fresh water tank. I’ve still got to grovel under the van to find that one, but now I know where to look

and we wait....and wait.....

The suspense is killing me!!!!

It's only an MOT for goodness sake, but a lot is riding on this MOT.
Wednesday is MOT day and I  can't wait...or can I.

I've already started writing a list of things I want for van and work to do on her.

I've taken up the patchwork quilt I started when I was ...um...well younger than I am now shall we say.
I'm contemplating KNITTING a throw for her. I've lined up me man to give her upholstery and linings a real good clean. I've spotted the curtains to put in her. I've even contemplated what colour to get her re-sprayed!

But I can't do anything 'til she's been MOT'd. Well I did buy a sleeping bag, you know one of those big things that allows you to move around and stretch out. What do they call them...pods.

Watch out for Wednesday's post

Maisie and Archaeology

As I said, I wanted the van to be more comfortable when pursuing my love of archaeology. Having stayed at the Blue Lias on 3 occasions, I knew that no matter what, I'd made the right choice of buying a van. Whether I'd stay with Maisie was another matter.

At the beginning of 2014, myself and one of my committee, went field walking on the site we had been working on the previous year. We went in Maisie, and a good job we did as after 3 hours of walking the field, we were absolutely frozen and up to our knees in sticky mud.

Back at the van, it was boots off, kettle on and, oh yes the propex heater got a work out. What an absolute godsend that was! Within 5 minutes (I kid you not) the van was toasty and we sat back to enjoy out hot drinks and our lunch in comfort. It took a lot of soul searching to get them boots back on and fo another 2 hours in the field I can tell you.

And I admit, that was the last time I went out in her. It was my husband, Bob, who got more use out of her when his van went in for repairs. On that occasion he cam back full of praise for my Maisie, saying that she'd started first time, and driven like a dream.

I taxed her for 6 months and then Bob said that the MOT had run out.

You'll see a pattern to all of this, the proverbial ostrich head in sand, to be precise, and it was only last week I plucked up the courage to call Malc.

Malc was recommended to me by one of the guys at work who owns a VW Gypsy. A lovely thing she is as well. Dave said that Malc would be fair in his appraisal and wasn't a cowboy. 

I was really nervous when I met up with him at his workshop, but he's a  lovey guy and we got on with him immediately. His speciality is VWs and he's got a yard full of them in all kinds of conditions.He had a quick look round, identified some areas that required attention and we hatched a plan, which was to get her MOT'd and see what that brought up. I also asked him to give her service, take a look at the rear passenger door hinge which was broke, and would it be possible for him to look at the windscreen which was leaking. He pointed out all the things that I could do my self, including applying white oxide to the rust under the bonnet and sourcing different parts and I went away slightly more hopeful than when I arrived. A phone call later in the week, made my spirits rise when he said that she drove really well and he couldn't hear anything out-of-the ordinary when he drove her.

Maisie is going for her MOT tomorrow and I shall be on tenterhooks until Malc rings to say how she fared.

Speak to you all tomorrow.

The Settling In

Despite the bad news, once home, she had a full wash and brush-up. I stripped her of her curtains and washed them. Some had bad rust spots around the press-studs, but hey, she is 20 years old.

I polished and brushed and hoovered all day, with Bob washing and polishing the outside.
Inside she's immaculate. The cushions are still firm, the loo doesn't smell, in fact there is no smell in the van at all. I got to know her little nooks and crannies and each one was spotlessly clean by the end of the day.

Our first trip was on a Sunday to Asda for a bit of shopping before heading off to Coombe Abbey. We parked up and went for a lovely walk. It was a superb sunny, but cold Sunday afternoon and when we got back to the van, I put kettle on and we had coffee and scones in the comfort of the van with the doors wide open making the most of the fabulous weather.

A couple of weeks later, I stayed at the Blue Lias in her on my own for the first time. This was one of 3 visits I made as a result of our archaeological project taking place in Broadwell.

See my blog: http://broadwell-investigation.blogspot.co.uk/

It was great. However I was so excited and unused to the van and layout, that I managed to knock the table with my supper and a glass of wine out of the van by turning round too quickly! Giggling to myself, I retrieved the table and my decimated meal off the grass and contented myself with peanut butter on toast and another glass of wine.

No telly (no aerial....yet), meant an idyllic evening of watching the sun go down,  followed by a DVD on the portable DVD player (Gladiator no less), followed by an hour of trying to figure out how to make the bed up!!

Happy Days.

The Trip

So, Sunday in September, me and Bob drove down to somewhere south of London within the M25.
I'd printed of the handy checklist I'd found on talbotoc and on the way down we discussed all the things to look out for. However, saw "the van" and fell in love on the spot! I took it for a test drive and although I've driven other vehicles with the long gear stick, I admit I drove like an absolute muppet. The owner must have wondered what kind of idiot was buying his van. A completely green one I have to admit!! All the good advice given to me by talbotoc went out the window, things like check underneath, look for rust and dents, listen for engine noises etc, and the deposit was handed over with a date made for the following Sunday to pick it up.

On the way back up the M40, the name "Maisie" popped in my head and I knew that no matter what, there was no turning back.

Once home it was a question of getting the tape measure out to see if she'd go on the drive, which fortunately she would.

A week of questions went by, with the doubts and questions like "what have I done?", "we've already got a caravan", "think of the expense" etc, filling my every waking (and sleeping) moment!

Sunday came and another long trip to pick Maisie up. The trip back up the motorway was calm and pleasant. I was so high on excitement that I completely forgot the way home and ended up going round the M25 the wrong way, thereby going over the Dartford Bridge. She drove like a dream except for the times that the muppet behind the wheel couldn't change her gears!

We drove straightaway to a friend's garage (MOT authorised) for him to give the once over and a service.
I was shocked when I picked her up the following day, to hear the words "I wouldn't drive any futher that you have to. She's not safe". To stunned to say anything, I took the report he'd written, and left. I was gutted. It appeared that I'd bought a box on a chassis full of holes and rust.

Undaunted, I took her for a second opinion to a recommended garage and the verdict there was "she's an old girl, and a Talbot (known for their rusting chassis) but she's not bad. Go and enjoy her".
Unfortunately the seed had been sown by the first verdict and I spent the following 9 months, driving her very gingerly.