I had originally arranged a big surprise for my girlfriend Laura’s 18th birthday.. I would hire a classic VW camper from a company in Carlisle (The only company I could find that would hire out to a 21yr old), and pick her up one saturday morning to take her on a tour of Cornwall. All the organising went well and on the friday night I picked up a beautiful ’71 Dormobile from Carlisle, but on the way home things went awry and her engine seized. After phoning home (at gone 9pm) to explain the situation, my dad got on the blower to see who could help salvage this dream holiday. He was quickly referred to O’Connors Campers and Pete, who seemed happy to help, despite my age and the time of night that my dad rang! He had one spare camper, a bright yellow ’72 Westy called Uma. Even better, she was equipped with gas fired heating – a massive plus given the February temperatures. I picked Laura up on the Saturday morning as planned, but in my car, and we headed off for Okehampton. For the following week we enjoyed sights, surfing, food and shopping, all thanks to Pete, his wife Sam, and Uma, who was a dream to drive and so much fun. We had a fantastic, romantic week, including Valentine’s dinner and a night in Elements hotel in Widemouth Bay. We collected plenty of souvenirs on our travels, although I’m sure we’ll never forget this holiday anyway. We visited many places, including Porthcurno, Sennen Cove, St Ives, Perranporth, Newquay, Watergate Bay, Padstow, Tintagel, Bude, Widemouth bay, Truro and Looe. All had their own appeals and beauty. We can recommend Padstow for Cornish pasties and Tintagel for the legendary “Granny Wobbly’s” fudge. There was also a fantastic campsite at Carnon Downs, just outside Truro. The photo is from the beach car park at Widemouth Bay near Bude, this is one of our favourite Cornish retreats, and we had to take the opportunity for a photo of Uma. Laura tells me this has been the best birthday present she’s ever had. It’s definately got us hooked on the VW camper experience and we aim to buy one in the future. Thanks again to O’Connors Campers for an unforgettable holiday. James & Laura x
