I Don't Understand
They’re everywhere, once you start looking; In fields, farms, urban front gardens, alongside railway embankments, and there always seem to be one somewhere in an equestrian setting.
Mostly they were once cream, easy to spot on a walk or a cycle, which is how I first became appreciative of this incongruity in the otherwise natural landscape, like a spoon in a garden or a chav in a library.... It shouldn't be there. Drawn to this delapidation I took a photo, and subsequently spotted more on my travels. Some self-imposed rules seem to naturally evolve:
1. The caravan must not appear to be lived in 2. It cannot be a "static" caravan 3. It has to be a genuine caravan, not an artificially intelligent one 4. No converted vans/buses, mobile homes, motor homes etc. 5. The more mould, decay, disintegration etc. the more likely it will end up in a calendar or on a postcard
I think it was whimsy that led me to producing a calendar for friends and family who appeared to show some delight in the images, and later my nephew suggested postcards that may fill a gap in a market that probably doesn't exist. Some friends later sent their own photos of decomposing caravans spotted at inappropriate locations. Some of these have found their way into the 2027 calendar reasonably priced at £15 each (including post and packing) by the way. It’s a nichè market I grant you, but strangely compelling.
Should you, in your wanderings, happen upon a desolate, unloved crumbling caravan and feel inclined to contribute a photo to this burgeoning genre, I would be happy to see it, especially if you follow the rules above and include your name and caravan location. You never know but those considered to be in a suitably ruinous state may well end up in next year’s calendar, obviously credited to you!