Tuesday, June 06, 2006
There's no substitute for quality
Recently, when I thought the bodywork & mechanical issues with the bus might be terminal, a friend suggested we look at a different van, "the Transit's a good vehicle, you could do a lot worse than one of those as a camper conversion." I won't say you could have knocked me down with a feather because plainly that would be silly but I was certainly shocked. This to me was a heresy! Campervanning in a - whisper it - non Volkswagen? The thought had never occurred to me. When we initially bought the bus we knew right from the off we wanted a VW, the only issue then was to Bay or not to Bay(window).
It got me thinking though...
I'd never countenance a non-VW for campervanning, it just doesn't seem right somehow. The original and best, as BARR'S IRN BRU used to say. My thinking started stretching to other things on which one just shouldn't compromise: tea for one, being something of a serious tea drinker, for me there's none better than BARRY's which thankfully we can get in Glasgow at Mellis' - must be leaf tea mind! - and when we run out there's the almost equally excellent Twining's Everyday, as championed by Stephen Fry. On the coffee front, I'm afraid instant will simply never do. Thanks to our good friends Sue & Davy we have a lovely GAGGIA Espresso machine for which any of the excellent LAVAZZA roasts seem to do the job (especially the "Crema e Gusto" blend my wee sister brought back from Torino a few months back).
I thought that was all on the "accept no substitutes" front until I had the misfortune over the weekend to run our of Gillette Sensor Excel blades and I had to resort to using the emergency Tesco razor (bought when staying over in Glasgow one night recently having forgotten the Gillette I've had for about 13 years now). Well. It was a painful experience to say the least. I put a brand new blade on and was still almost shredded. In the end I went back to the knackered Gillette blade and still ended up with a better shave. This is all a very trivial and by the by way of saying I've learned another valuable lesson - if you can afford it, don't compromise.
Transit vans indeed...
Recently, when I thought the bodywork & mechanical issues with the bus might be terminal, a friend suggested we look at a different van, "the Transit's a good vehicle, you could do a lot worse than one of those as a camper conversion." I won't say you could have knocked me down with a feather because plainly that would be silly but I was certainly shocked. This to me was a heresy! Campervanning in a - whisper it - non Volkswagen? The thought had never occurred to me. When we initially bought the bus we knew right from the off we wanted a VW, the only issue then was to Bay or not to Bay(window).
It got me thinking though...
I'd never countenance a non-VW for campervanning, it just doesn't seem right somehow. The original and best, as BARR'S IRN BRU used to say. My thinking started stretching to other things on which one just shouldn't compromise: tea for one, being something of a serious tea drinker, for me there's none better than BARRY's which thankfully we can get in Glasgow at Mellis' - must be leaf tea mind! - and when we run out there's the almost equally excellent Twining's Everyday, as championed by Stephen Fry. On the coffee front, I'm afraid instant will simply never do. Thanks to our good friends Sue & Davy we have a lovely GAGGIA Espresso machine for which any of the excellent LAVAZZA roasts seem to do the job (especially the "Crema e Gusto" blend my wee sister brought back from Torino a few months back).
I thought that was all on the "accept no substitutes" front until I had the misfortune over the weekend to run our of Gillette Sensor Excel blades and I had to resort to using the emergency Tesco razor (bought when staying over in Glasgow one night recently having forgotten the Gillette I've had for about 13 years now). Well. It was a painful experience to say the least. I put a brand new blade on and was still almost shredded. In the end I went back to the knackered Gillette blade and still ended up with a better shave. This is all a very trivial and by the by way of saying I've learned another valuable lesson - if you can afford it, don't compromise.
Transit vans indeed...
