The Brown Mouse
Early 1900's pleasure caravan.
We were given a rather delaperdated living wagon by a lady who had it in her possession for a number of years yet lacked the resorces to restore it.
When we recieved the caravan it was in pieces, having been already dismantled. We set about stripping the paint off the pieces we had whilst trying to work out how it would eventually go back together.
While we were stripping the paint off the wagon we found the original name above the door, it was this discovery that led us to understand her history. She was built as a pleasure caravan in the early 1900's. Caravans of this type were made for the upper classes to ejoy a simple holiday....this was the birth of caravanning as we now know it. When the First World War started, it was not done to be seen enjoying oneself and so the newly formed caravan club stopped having meet for the duration of the war. Then toward the end of the war, Field Marshall Haig requisitioned as many caravans as the club could muster. In all abround 80 went to the front to act as officers accomodation or ambulances. It is of no surprise than none returned. This fact makes wagons of this age very rare indeed.
Once the timber work was complete we started the long and arduous painting phase. It was important to get the paint right so we found a manufacturer of traditional paints who could match the colours.....
Finally the interior could be re fitted, luckily most of the original interior survived, including the range stove!
The wheels and chassis needed specialist help so we sent off the wheels to the wheelwright and all the metal work to a very talented engineer who restored the leaf springs back to their former glory.
Timber repairs started and soon we had the chassis in one piece. Then the jigsaw puzzle of the caravan really started....
We decided that the roof had to be done properly, so we opted for canvas adheared with copper nails and a linseed paste that can then be overpainted...
Now she is largely finished. We use her as a show piece for events or hire her out for special occasions.......
