The lockdown is almost three weeks old. We can’t go out unless absolutely necessary. As a family who loves the outdoors, we stand and stare out the windows, dreaming of potential adventures.
But it would be wrong to say that it’s the end of the world. We have stiffened our upper lips and embraced what we can do, rather than tearfully sob at what we can’t. And we’ve remembered that we have so many reasons to be happy, even if our freedom is restricted.
We have learnt new skills such as how to create a remote teaching and learning environment. We have dusted off some older skills such as baking (there’s been a lot of this…). We have spent time as a family, which has been amazing (and only occasionally fraught!). We have taken our daily exercise around the village which has allowed us to get to know our new home and what it has to offer. Young Johnston learnt how to ride his bike just today! And we have another child on the way, due for delivery in July. (Although hopefully not by Ralph the Hermes guy who has been at our door almost daily since lockdown life began.)
We’ve built Sam a rocket den in the garden, made fires, drawn on the street in chalk and made elephants out of old milk bottles. Our spare room is now ready for Ralph to deliver our next package (a baby chair, not a baby!) and the house is cleaner and tidier than it has been for weeks.
And I’ve moved on to my next van project, an awning. Before I even bought the van, I knew it needed somewhere to sit, cook or shelter in outside. So here’s what I did.
One length of pipe was needed, strong enough to take attachments and also live on the roof bars permanently. This was cut to size, about a Kev length. That’s about 1.9m. 
After a bit of measuring, I found where my hose clips would be needed to keep the whole pipe in place securely and I drilled the holes required. 
I cut bigger holes where the pipe would sit on the roof bars. 
Checking the fit. 
And with the hose clips in, special thanks to Ralph for this piece of equipment. 
Looking good. And there is room for the bike rack and also the box to fit on the bars when needed. 
Look carefully and you’ll see some bolts screwed into the pipe. These are what will keep the awning attached to the pipe.
This is how it looks attached. The loops on the tarp I already had hook over the bolts to create the awning. 
And this is how it looks all set up. The pipe is attached so any rainwater falling off the top off the pipe runs along drip wells on the roof. 
The awning is held up by walking poles, which I always have in the van anyway. I also have guy ropes and pegs. 
Lockdown has meant I haven’t been able to test the awning anywhere other than in front of the house. The pictures would look so much better on a beach or other remote green space.
But it’s just after 8pm, and the clapping in the street reminds me though that we are in strange times, a phrase I’ve heard so often lately. As soon as we can go further afield, we’ll be off on a Bernie adventure. But in the meantime, there’s plenty more adventures to be had close to home.
