Motorhomers set off on Face2Facebook journey across Europe
It would seem like the term ‘Facebook’ is taking on new meaning everyday. At first it was just a social network, then it was a noun, a verb and finally, it has become quite literal, all thanks to a motorhome; more specifically, a family of motorhomers.
Writer David Hurst and his family have set off on a motorhoming tour across Europe, visiting their family and friends in person rather than staring at them through a computer screen. After all, isn’t that what Facebook is supposed to be about anyway? Face to face communication?
That’s what the Hursts think anyway. Along with their sons Daniel and Darley and their Collie, Mr. Collin Dog, David and his wife Debs will be touring campsites in the UK before heading off to France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland and Spain.
With the support of The Caravanning and Camping Club, the family will stay at a fewCamping in the Forest sites and Caravanning and Camping Club sites in the UK in their newSwift Escape 696 motorhome. The Hursts have also downsized their home and deferred Daniel’s schooling for a while.
It all started with the Hursts’ trip to Spain with The Caravanning and Camping Club’s Travel Service, and realising the importance of interacting with family and friends directly. David toldthe Club: “The most important things in life are not things at all, but family and friends. Yet we were taken aback when we realised how many of our family and friends we hadn’t actually seen for years.”
“While Facebook is fantastic for staying in touch, it can veil how infrequently many of us truly see those we love,” David continued. “It was a difficult decision to postpone the date as to when our son started school, however we believe that travel is the best form of education.”
“Daniel and his three-year-old brother, Darley, will be learning the value of family and friendship; that the world is generally a wonderful place with decent people in it; and they’ll learn about kindness and thinking of others,” Daniel went on.
It is hoped that travelling will also develop the kids’ self-confidence, and teach them about a range of subjects, including the development of new languages, geography, history, culture and much more.
For those of you thinking the prospect of dropping everything and setting off on this adventure is a little bit strange, research shows that David and Debs might be on the right track after all. Research conducted by the Club and Liverpool John Moores University proves that being socially connected is one of the biggest advantages of camping. Almost 90 per cent of campers interviewed for the research project stated that camping is fun for all members of the family, and 73 per cent said that it was a good way to meet new people and make friends.
However, it’s not all fun and games for the Hursts. Their tour is set to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Robert Louden MBE, the Director General of the Club, stated that he is very enthusiastic about the trip and fully supports David and his family, commenting: “We’re delighted to support David and his family on what is sure to be an exciting adventure. Camping and caravanning is a fantastic way to connect with loved ones and we hope other families will be inspired by the Hurst’s journey and come and experience the Club’s family-friendly locations and services.”
You could meet the Hursts on their journey by following updates here. If not, there’s always their Facebook page or their Twitter.
