A continental holiday

This shot is of my father, back in '76 when we holidayed on 'The Continent'. We had two big holidays when I was growing up - the first was in 1972 and I was a bit too young to remember much about that one.  That was when we had the Zodiac.  By the time of the second big excursion, in 1976, we had acquired a VW Caravette.  There was just about room for the 4 of us to sleep in it, but the bunk beds in the push-up roof weren't great for two strapping teenager boys, so my dad - who was good with his hands - made an extra bed for us out of plywood and steel.  The VW took us from the North of Ireland to the South of France, Switzerland and Germany before home again.  Both the outward and return trips were made with the help of the ferry to/from Scotland and then a long drive to/from Dover in the south of England.  Yes, you'd be correct in thinking my father liked to drive - a lot.

My father and the VW Caravette, somewhere in Switzerland, 1976.  Printed 2018, Adox MCC fibre paper, 12"x9.5"

I doubt either of these treks were much of a holiday for my mother, who of course had all the cooking to do.  And washing I guess. How she managed I know not - I guess she must have been super organised.  The amazing thing is I never remember any arguments - she just got on with it.  Well, once, somewhere in Germany I do remember a bit of a raised voice as dinner was being prepared, but it was over in a flash and then us males went for a walk and gave her some space.

I can't help smiling when I look at my father here.  His trousers look so short, pulled up as they are to get the air around his legs.  He was quite old when he married - in his late forties.  He would have been about 62 when this was taken and he's just staring into space, enjoying the hot sun.  I'd love to know what he was thinking about.  If I had to guess, I'd say he was thinking about the times when he used to ride his Triumph motorcycle down through France with his mates on his long summer holidays from teaching.  Long, long before marriage and parenthood came along to cramp his style...