A dad who lives in his motorhome after having a "midlife crisis" said it's the best thing that's ever happened to him.
Ian Reeves moved out of his house in West Derby and into his motorhome five months ago and hasn't looked back. The 57-year-old was attracted to the freedom of a nomadic lifestyle travelling up and down the country, and also enjoys visiting areas across the region like New Brighton and Otterspool Promenade.
Ian told the ECHO: "When I turned 50 I bought my motorhome, I went through a midlife crisis. At 51 I did my motorbike test, at 52 I went paragliding, but it's the best thing that's ever happened to me.
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"I just loved the lifestyle. I loved travelling around. I went around Anglesey, Scotland, I've done a bit of Northern Ireland and I loved it. I loved the freedom to get up in the morning and cook breakfast in the open air when it's not raining, go for a nice long walk and do whatever I want to do."
Ian made the decision to move into his motorhome full-time after getting a divorce from his wife. The impact the coronavirus pandemic had on his business selling hair loss products also impacted his decision to switch to van life.
Ian said: "During covid my income went down 80 per cent so I found it a lot cheaper to live in my motorhome. It's the best thing I've ever done. I still do a bit of work on my laptop in my motorhome because I've still got to work to earn a bit of money."
Ian said the motorhome community is made up of people of all ages, including those who have converted their vans on a budget and others who have bought a modern motorhome kitted out with all the amenities. He said: "I dreamt of getting a motorhome, it's such a nice way of life.
"Don't get me wrong, I've still got worries because living in a motorhome everything you own is in a motorhome. If it gets broken into everything you own is in the same space so you have to be careful where you park.
"There's never any trouble, there's always good comradery. We have a good laugh and a joke, everyone is always there to help everyone out. If I've ever got a flat tyre or flat battery there's always a motorhome owner around to help you out."
Motorhome owners like Ian are taking a stand against the recent £20 overnight parking charges that have been introduced in the area around New Brighton's Coastal Drive, which is adjacent to the Dips. Wirral Council said the experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO), which is in place for a period of 18 months, will be kept under regular review and can be amended if necessary.
But many motorhome owners have argued that the parking charges are too high and have put them off visiting the beauty spot all together. Ian said: "A £20 charge is just ridiculous. They've made it so expensive that you won't stay there. I don't mind paying a fee, if it was £5 I've happily pay £5 a night.
"The money 'motorhomers' are bringing to the economy is quite a lot of money. When I go down there, I on average spend £100 for a weekend. I go for a drink, buy food in Morrisons and have food in the local pub.
"When I park up of a night time I try to park up somewhere and never stay there more than a day or two and try my best not to park in front of people's houses."
Lee Mathie, 48, from Moreton, is also a regular visitor to New Brighton, where he travels at least once a fortnight in his motorhome. Lee said he could see himself living in his motorhome in the future but said the new parking charges by the Dips have put him off parking overnight.
Lee said: "I could see myself travelling, living in the motorhome by all means as a home from home. The community is always there to help you and we all look out for each other as well.
"I stay overnight at the Dips but not for £20, it's absolutely ridiculous. I stayed in Haven about two months ago and it was £9 a night, I got my electricity, shower and waste drop, I got passes for swimming and passes for entertainment.
"The motorhome community as a whole in the country, there's about 200,000 vans in the country, but down New Brighton I've seen between 30-40 vans. I've seen probably two or three vans that have stayed down here for more than two weeks on the trot but the majority of them, they're here for two nights and they're gone."
The ECHO understands that the intention of the new charges is to better control where larger vehicles and motorhomes can park in order to remove obstruction on the public road, which is a statutory duty for local authorities. It is also understood that the new ETRO is expected to improve waste management in the area and help the authorities enforce the public space protection order in place at the New Brighton Dips.
Back in October 2020, the ECHO reported councillors had agreed a suitable site for campervans in Wirral was needed following reports of “foul smells” and "unsavoury businesses” causing health and environmental issues for locals in New Brighton. The council said they are continuing to "investigate the viability of providing a dedicated, serviced site in the area for touring vehicles" as a longer-term solution to the issues.
When it comes to waste disposal, Lee said people in campervans and motorhomes often make use of waste drop facilities at service stations, public toilets, farms, local pubs and campsites, or take it home with them.
Lee said: "I can live in this for two weeks, I have a 150 litre tank onboard. Most motorhomes will carry waste for two weeks and fresh water for two weeks."
Lee and Ian are among the motorhome owners and local residents who are calling on the council to reduce the price of the parking charges on Coastal Drive. The amount of road signs that have been put up in the area informing people about the new charges have also been described as an "eyesore" by locals.
A spokesperson for Wirral Council said: “This is an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), in place for a period of 18 months.
"As such it will be kept under regular review and can be amended if necessary. As with any new ETRO, people can express their views about it to the council within the first six months of its implementation.
“They can do this online at www.wirral.gov.uk/highways, or in writing to Simon Fox, Interim Director Highways & Streetscene, PO Box 290, Brighton Street, Wallasey, Wirral CH27 9FQ. Quote the scheme reference number TO/22/07."
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