The Caravan People

For my final college project back in June I had already decided to resurrect The Caravan. In September last year, on a coffee-induced high, I was hit by a bolt of inspiration. I was thinking about The Caravan and I wondered could I one day resurrect it? The beer mats and countless focus points we collected. The planets picture that Gaz and I made. The hundreds of all night sessions, the music, the friends and friends of friends. The French. The Beatles, The Eagles and Bob Marley. The grown up parties, the pyjama parties. The Guest-Book. The secret stashing hole where the gas heater used to be that only I knew about, where I hid all my private letters. What happened to writing letters?



In the summer we’d put the speakers in the doorway and all the family, Ste and anyone else – friends and even passers by would gather in the garden round the BBQ and Suzie was so young then she would be sitting on my knee while we listened to Bob’s Legend Album and I would tell her about my travels and stuff. After we’d finished eating and it got dark, everyone would go out the back and find wood to continue the fire into the night…music, wine, inspect repellent candles, laughter and stories.


That was when I used to smoke and drink and everything was so different. But the best things that are still the same is how close we all are and how much we still laugh every single day. They certainly were some of the best days of my life. And they have inspired some of my new t-shirt designs which I’m working on right now.


So I made the Caravan model for the final show with headphones playing The Beatles’ Revolver Album on repeat. It went down well with the visitors and my family/friends. Strangely, I felt that the whole process had had an unexpected cathartic effect on me and I felt completely ready to create more stories and adventures…and they are the ones I’m creating now!