Van Life - Week 1 - 15/04/2026

Delphi says, “Hi from Dover.”

After we spent an hour unloading our suitcases, double-checking how things work and generally being excited, we took our maiden voyage in Delphi - 2.8 miles to the shopping centre!

This was more of a giant car park with about 4 businesses: Halfords - our new best friend, as it is a car/motorhome store, Aldi - yeah baby, M&S Food - great food, very expensive, and Home Bargains - like The Reject Shop. We were legally allowed to park here for three hours for free, and we spent that time filling the van with kettles, food, bedding, cutlery, etc., as we had to buy EVERYTHING for Delphi from scratch

Three hours later, we drove through the cute coastal main street of Whitstable and camped in the beach carpark - 9 quid - until 7.30 am the next morning. Not bad. It was freezing, and we realised that our doona was a single, so off we popped back to our three-hour carpark and bought all of the stuff that we’d forgotten about. After Starbucks coffee and an almond croissant, we were on the road. 

We had joined a group called Britstops, where you get a list of British pubs that let you stay in your motorhome overnight if you have a dinner or drink inside. We really think that this is a great concept and one in which we are willing to partake. 

We travelled 10 miles through country roads before arriving at the Golden Lion in Broad Oaks. We met the owner, Gary?? And for 10 Quid, we had parking and an electric hookup. We went to the tiny pub for one drink and a yarn before retiring to Delphi. 

Good times!

The next morning, we went for a stroll through the blooming springtime countryside of County Kent. It was a bit chilly, but we had a ball tramping through beautiful paddocks, meeting a young couple and their dogs and enjoying the nourishing, mild, English sunshine!!

The rest of the week saw us stay back in Whitstable as we had to go back and see Gavelar and Smitthy twice to get some things fixed with Delphi, - the hot water boiler is cactus. We stayed at The Golden Lion again, a Tesco car park, went charity shop hunting for remaining van supplies and finally stayed at the Dover Park and Ride in Canterbury.

Jen-Jen really wanted to see inside Canterbury Cathedral, but we had spent so much poundage this pay that we were too povo to go in. So, the brilliant Riggsy - my new name for her, as she has so many rigs happening at one time - worked out that if we go to Mass on Sunday morning, it’s free! So, that’s what we did. We had a very quiet Saturday night and woke up at 7 am to go to Mass.

We parked at the Sainsbury’s and walked to church.

Wow, we’ve now been inside the head of the Catholic Church in Rome (St. Peter’s), the biggest Catholic Church in the UK (St. Paul’s), and now the head of the Anglican Church.

It was beautiful, the choir and the organ were mesmerising, but it felt a bit preachy?? ;)

We bailed halfway through and walked around the cold grounds and took some brilliant snapshots, as seen below.

The last two things on our list to get before heading over the channel to the continent were e-bikes and a guitar. We walked into a music shop in Canterbury called “Hobgoblin Music” - which Riggsy has researched -, and I asked about second-hand guitars. He had a few, and there was a semi-acoustic that was missing the battery holder, so it was highly reduced. It was a dark-brown Valencia, and it sounded beautiful. Yes please, sir, here is your 80 squid. Thanks for the free capo! Rock on!!

We also went to Halfords, but this time to the Canterbury branch to pick up our brand new bikes!!

Jen got a great deal on two brand spanking new green beasts that sound like a posh lord. They are called: wait for it… Pendleton Somerbury - so very, posh! 

Anyway, old mate showed us how they worked, and we went for a fang along the streets.

Riggsy had wanted these bikes for so long, and I was standoffish, but as soon as I felt the motor kick in and realised how much I was flying, I was hooked.

We decided that we needed a cover for the bikes, so we parked in another supermarket car park and as I was fitting the bikes and covers to the rack in the pissing rain, a little man, also known as a carpark inspector, asked me if I’d been to Halfords today.

I replied that I had, and he claimed that my receipt had blown away and therefore I owed the shire 200 quid for littering. After Riggsy went into battle and we FOUND our receipt in the van, he conceded that our fine was no longer due and then fucked off in his little red shitbox Mazda! 

We have video proof if need be!!

That night, we again stayed at the Dover P n R, as we had an 11 am booking on the Dover to Dunkirk ferry.

Thank you, England, you’ve been great!!

Laters, Limeys, and Bonjour Froggies!!