The Caravan Club is a venerable institution and in early 1963, it was decided that it should have its own magazine for members – this is its first issue, released for January 1963.
Among various features on how to store your caravan over winter and the testing of assorted new models, came a double page welcoming En Route into existence from the great and the good of British society, starting with the good wishes of the Caravan Club’s patron, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Amongst other well wishers were the club’s president, the Earl of Derby, Keith Joseph, who was then Minister for Housing and Local Government, and Lady Brunner, Chair of the Keep Britain Tidy group.
One immediately useful feature was ‘Drawbar’ a page of handy hints and problem solving, based on queries submitted to the Caravan Club: “It is highly commendable that the hitherto ardent caravanning couple who were, we hasten toad, married, saw fit to pose us a problem concerning the unheralded arrival of junior. Their intention was to tour France for six weeks but they were dejected by the thought of having to transport 42 tins of junior foods and something like six dozen packets of paper nappies.
“They need be worried no more, for we are able to say that while neither of these products is widely exported from Britain to the continent, their French counterparts are on sale throughout France and are thought to be equally effective in stopping junior’s screams on both counts.”
The French have babies too. Who knew?
You can read more revelations here.
