Family, friends, festive fun… what more could you ask for? John Sootheran has tips for the perfect Christmas in your van
THE VERY BEST recipe for a fun and unforgettable Christmas Day is simple – get started early on Christmas Eve!
Simply take a large portion of family and friends, and marinade them liberally in sherry or port. The following day, stuff them with chocolate, walnuts and Prosecco, then stir vigorously with pre-gift-opening excitement and some festive music… all the time carefully adding more sherry to keep them pleasingly lubricated.
Let them rest for 40 minutes, before finally warming them through in a cosy caravan. Garnish with paper hats.
Yes, Christmas in a caravan is not only possible, it’s downright brilliant… so long as you plan carefully in advance.
My gran used to say: “Anticipation is half the pleasure,” and she was right, especially when it comes to Christmas. The key to any successful Yuletide is all in the prep. Here are our favourite tips!
1 THE CAMPSITE
You don’t have to travel miles to find a great all-seasons site – check out our Top 100 Sites Guide to find one near your chosen festive hotspot (www.practical caravan.com/top100-archive).
Aim to arrive on 23 December at the very latest, to get everything set up and checked. Consider splashing out on a full-service pitch, so you are not continually filling the Aquaroll; an extended grey-waste pipe direct to a drain is a labour-saver, too.
You could go off-grid without hook-up, but as you’ll have the heating turned up high, it may well be more cost-effective to plug in over the festive period.
Go for a hardstanding pitch, in case wet weather makes the campsite boggy. It also means your van stays cleaner.
2 THE LIGHTS
Fairy lights can be bought cheaply these days, and nothing says Christmas like a delicately illuminated tourer!
Keep your eyes peeled for fairy lights at your local supermarket or garden centre, or take a look at lights4fun.co.uk.
Multicoloured is most fun, while picking one colour is more stylish. Do remember, if you mix old tungsten bulbs and modern LEDs, the colour of the ‘white’ light will be different; tungsten tends to be warmer, while LED is much whiter.
Bearing in mind that you might have limited mains plug points in the caravan, you can buy LEDs powered by AA batteries to decorate the interior. For outs
