“Its all gravy baby….!”

This phrase originated from an Old English saying. Life, it explained, is meat and potatoes, and the luxuries are gravy. So essentially when you say “it’s all gravy,” you’re saying all is awesome in the world!

As I reflect on my life to date, I cannot help but feel there is a lot of unfinished business. I am content, but rather feel that life’s journey should be more than what I have had the pleasure to experience thus far. I’ve had a good career and believe I was a good Doctor. But, having been there, seen it and done it against all odds, there was nothing left that excited me. I just couldn’t get away from the feeling. That is why I made the decision to retire. To begin another chapter rather than close the book. 

So, that’s it! Time to start the next chapter in this life. But wait, first things first, I’ve got to get the Van right and that’s where we’re at. When asked what will I do with all my free time, there’s an assumption, that everything that is planned is just gonna happen without any work on my part. Seriously I’ve never been so busy.

On reflection, I do recognise I have a lot of free time now, but at the same time, to do things properly requires meticulous planning. Having the freedom to plan a day with distinct goals is great. I’d go as far as to say, that a daily itinerary is a must. Not only does it ensure I am occupied, it means my time is utilised well with clear milestones. It’s a personal trait bordering on OCD, which for those who know me, know only too well. For the most part, people only see the external social persona, the “laughing Cavalier”.

Whilst the Van is being built, I do not and will not, turn into a “house husband”. However, I will be endeavouring to help out with the running of the household where I can. In particular, doing the shopping and cooking meals when I can. There is nothing like a good, properly cooked meal with the family. Round the table, enjoying good food together as a household, shouldn’t be just a Sunday ritual but a daily treat after a hard day’s work.

I will not clean, wash or iron clothes; it’s just not what I do! Dare I say that’s “women’s work”. No of course not, with 5 daughters my experience is quite the contrary! You just have to acknowledge, there are some things you’re good at and some you’re not and they’re the things best left for others.

As well as working on the Van over the next 2-3 months, I have also committed to working on several farms on the Llyn Peninsula this spring/summer before venturing off into Europe in late July/early August. An arrangement made the summer before last, when I was planning the retirement.

Basically my week consists of travelling across to Wales on Tuesdays through to Fridays, where in between helping out on the farms, for which I only need to be fed and “watered”, I’m on my bike, walking or hopefully when it warms up kayaking! Home at weekends to catch up with the family, until such time the van is ready to go, which is hopefully the end of June/early July!

As those who have been following previous blogs will know, I have a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone, which I am getting to grips with. See some footage below, taken earlier this year from the beach at Hirdre Fawr Beach. Learning to fly well and the cinematography that will be necessary, is important to get the great footage of all the places we visit, to put on the website. The images and video will also form the basis of bespoke travel guides that will be posted on the travel guides page of the site.

I am also going to be doing some consultancy “work” for a medical equipment manufacturer looking to develop a portfolio of business within “Office Gynaecology”, an area of expertise of mine. I have helped develop a mini morcellator to efficiently and effectively remove uterine polyps (little growths, usually benign in the womb). This device is currently in development but we are very close to having the finished product. Watch this space for more details.

The most enjoyable thing about retirement so far……..

SLEEP! Plain and simple. I’ve never slept as well for a long, long time. For so long now, I have slept badly without realising it. As a kid and young adult, you take a good nights sleep for granted. And that’s not a long episode or a lie in, but rather waking up feeling thoroughly refreshed, even after a few hours.

Anyway, I have never enjoyed a lie in, I’d sooner be up and about. Dawn is the best time of day for me. As a rule, I have always been up and about by 6 am and retirement will not change that. To be up to greet the rising sun over the eastern horizon across water, wherever we happen to be, is something I am so looking forward to! There can be no greater feeling of contentment, than feeling the warmth of the rising sun, as night turns to day with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in your hand. Particularly if you can do that from your bed (see the van build update below, to see the van’s new viewing hatch!)

Let’s go back……to where it all began!

You can take the Man out of Reddish………but you cannot take the Reddish out of the man! That was always the mantra from my late Father in Law and many ways it is true. What is it that defines us? Certainly, our upbringing but there is much more to it than that, I am sure. 

So, why do I have this deep desire to chronicle my experiences to the present day? In part, it is because I believe I have had a unique journey thus far and a good story to tell. From my humble beginnings in Reddish, to where I am now, with a great family, living in a happy home, with a successful career as an NHS consultant behind me. I have met many exceptional people along the way (as well as some arseholes). Enjoying life and overcoming adversity, to be the man I am today. A husband to a patient selfless wife, father to six normal kids (and that is not easy for many to say) and friend to some lucky people! 

So where do you begin? At the beginning I suppose. I will not start with my earliest childhood memories but rather set the scene for my arrival into the world on the 29th April 1966. My mother must have met my father in the early 60’s when he was stationed as a soldier in Gibraltar. I arrived not much longer after nine months of marriage, although not seen by my father until three months old, as he was on tour. By all accounts, my mother had named me “Marcus” in my father’s absence much to his annoyance. On his return, he quickly made it clear that no son of his was going to have a ‘foreign’ name (not PC I know and it’s not quite what he did say exactly!). As a proud Irishman, I was to be called Sean. And so it came to pass. 

Future posts will continue to record the build as it happens and include further anecdotes from my life through to deciding to retire where this blog begins. Check out the latest build developments below!

Goodbye for now…….

The Van

So the Van has arrived and it is a beast. Mclaren have already started working on it when it arrived at their workshop on the 14th April.

So the first modification is the application of RAPTOR^TM to the lower sill beneath the plastic fascia that runs in continuity with the bumpers. RAPTOR is a highly durable protective coating that ensures protection against mechanical damage, fuels, hydraulic oils, rust, corrosion, salt water, damp, extreme temperatures and off-road muddy good fun. I first saw it used by many of the farmers I know in North Wales where it is used to line the inside of their pickup trucks as it is very durable.

The next modification is the fitting of the EU complaint Nudge Bars from Misutonida based in Italy, which I imported through Toys4vans. It is a solid piece of kit, 63mm diameter powder coated steel onto which the Terralume ICON spotlights will be fitted.

I do plan to go off road, to find those places few will have seen, but do not want the van to be an “overlander” with recovery winch etc. However some form of recovery system is needed in the event of getting stuck, in sand particularly. Recovery boards are an essential bit of kit if venturing off road. MaxTrax recovery boards which were procured from Devon4x4 will be carried on the driver side rear side panel next to the roof rack side ladder on mountings I found from Australia by offroadanimal.

A rear bunk window on the other driver side have now been fitted in the same position to give some symmetry to the rear of the van. This window will allow observation and ventilation to the rear elevated bed, in addition to the rear roof vent.

Work has also began on the inside. The first image is from the rear into the garage space below the fixed elevated bed. This will be lined with aluminium checker plate for a clean solid robust look, which will be very functional as it will take some punishment, with equipment being hauled in and out frequently. The two other images are from within the cabin from the passenger side door. The flooring, ceiling liner, ceiling lights and roof vents, all fitted and looking very smart.

Decisions, decisions! There is always a compromise when deciding the design, for example to have fixed bed or have a seating area converting into a bed or even elevating beds that are fixed but move up and down on hydraulics to store the bed away if need be. One recent decision was to have a fixed rear bulkhead, rather than it be open. There are many advantages I see with a fixed bulkhead but I won’t bore you with them now. The only advantage to no bulkhead I could see was being able to view the world, be it a sunset or sunrise for example from your bed, through the open rear doors! So we came up with an innovative solution, just like the serving hatch I remember from the kitchen to the dining room in some house many years ago – a viewing “hatch”. Great work by the guys at Mclaren sports homes.

The exterior has some major modifications as shown. But there are two other major additions yet to be done. The first is to include a snorkel and the other is the roof rack. The roof rack needs to be a bespoke design in order to carry our two fishing kayaks. So watch this space for the updates on this build which should include them and the rest of the internal build as it evolves!