Living in a Van in Brighton

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Well, it's obviously going well for you. If you're going to live like this, you're going to have to deal with more judging than what it going on here. Has someone tried to stick a petrol soaked rag in the window or tip a pound of sugar in your tank yet? Or have they not yet noticed that you both leave the van at certain times and in certain clothes that tell them you are off to work, thus enabling them to break in and take your laptop and anything else that could be sold for a couple of pounds? You've only been out a few weeks, it will quite possibly happen soon.

Unfortunately, your writing gives the impression that you are a pair of middle class individuals who look down on the people who have less than you, claim to eschew material possessions but are quite happy to buy overpriced delicatessen food (and tell the reader all about it), pay for gym memberships, go off to India for the entire winter and within days of going out on the road (well, off Madeira Drive) are considering buying a different van, whilst still feeling envious of those wealthier than you.

In particular, you do seem to be very keen to impress upon us that you are both middle class and 'not like the others'.

It's not a particularly sympathetic persona to create. Sadly, I suspect that you may well be creating a similar impression with the other people who live in vehicles - complaining about their drinking, personal hygiene and attitude may, in your opinion, be private, but not only could they quite easily be reading your post on a computer in the library, you are likely to be conveying this attitude in your body language and conversation. This might answer why you haven't experienced a huge sense of camaraderie thus far.

To put it bluntly, you sound like you are a couple playing at being homeless and wanting lots of attention and approval for doing so, with the most likely outcome being one of those 'how I managed a life of abject poverty (but bent the rules so it was actually rather a jolly jape)' books serialised in the Guardian.

I've spent time living in a van. Certainly not some insanely priced behemoth, a birds eye pea green 1975 Commer camper van, to be precise. It led to some positively idyllic moments usually involving big surf and open fires (and quite a lot of old music brings it all back ). But it was only ever an extended, cheap, holiday. To pretend it was a socio-political statement and not a lifestyle choice, when I headed back to the great indoors within a fortnight of the first frosts (never mind India), would have been hypocritical.

Post of the day.

Well - I will be interested to read the blog.

I understand the mixed reactions to this - obviously we've all read the stuff in the newspapers about groups of "travellers" buying up some farmers field/building proper homes without planning permission and doing all sorts of antisocial things that upset the neighbours (and is one of the reasons I would be scared to move to the countryside - just in case that happened to a field near me). Those groups of "travellers" are one thing - and gawd help any poor person who lives anywhere near those ********

But - on the other hand - there are other people out there who just want a bit of freedom and don't intend to be the proverbial pain in the *ss to others in the way the aforementioned group are. That's a totally different kettle of fish.

I think a lot of the reactions to the thread are down to a combination of people wondering whether you are in the "antisocial buying up a field with a group of others and creating hell for the rest of us" group. My judgement is that you aren't amongst that lot - and that you are doing this for freedom-seeking reasons (with no intention of doing anything that would upset others). Some of the other reasons for the "upset" and nasty posts on here is jealousy - pure and simple.

I think many people have a bit of a hankering of a freer lifestyle - I know I do certainly. I've often wondered if there is some way I could live a freer lifestyle - but haven't actually done so and suspect the only way I would have done so is if I hadn't managed to afford a house. I have been able to buy a house - hence I live a "fixed" lifestyle. My attitude though has always been that if Society simply wouldnt provide the financial wherewithal to buy a house for myself then I would have had two options as to how to deal with my housing needs:
- accept living in a rented bedsit:eek::(:(:eek: for the rest of my life

OR

- provide for my housing needs in a more "unconventional" way of some description (eg living in a van)

As I wouldnt even have considered a rented bedsit as a lifetime option - then it would have had to be the more "unconventional" route.

The jealousy is down to the fact that housing is SO SO outrageously expensive in much of Britain. This is a vastly overcrowded country - hence we have to pay through the nose for a tiny little bit of land. If this country had the right level of population - then there would be a lot less "competition" for space and housing would cost a lot more reasonable price than it does and there wouldnt be a lot of "pent-up fury" at having had to hand over such a LOT of money for a very modest bit of housing. I feel the "pent up fury" myself and have often wondered how much less my housing would have cost if the population of the country was at this correct level (ie not more than a third of what it actually is now...) - so I certainly understand the jealousy - it's just down to people being upset at the thought of someone else trying to get off the treadmill of having to earn so DARN MUCH money in order to be able to pay those huge housing prices we have here in Britain. I'm upset and angry at having had to pay so much for my housing - but I'm not about to be jealous of someone trying to avoid being "stung" for those high prices as well (a touch of envy yep....but not jealousy).

So - I will follow this with interest.