More Manchester than Mongolia by Jacqueline Lambert

Dear friends. Today we're exploring the UK in a head turning vehicle known as The Beast. At the wheel is either Jacqueline Lambert or her husband Mark. 

It wasn't quite what they had in mind, a road trip to Mongolia, but their original plans were derailed by Covid 19.  

As this charming and entertaining book recalls, they had plenty of adventures closer to home.

The Beast, a 1990 Volvo N10 expedition truck was bought from the Belgian army, needed a lot of work done, and deadlines were aspirational to the person doing the work. Eventually they had to hire their own flat back from the new owners. And later, had to move into the Beast before it was finished because the flat now had a new tenant.

Finally everything was in place and they set off for Scotland via Wantage with four excitable puppies on board.

I would loved to have seen pictures of The Beast, described as huge - 12' 6 ft or 3.85 m high.

Refinements included a Perspex wet room in shades of orange, a sofa upholstered in a  camouflage pattern of indigo, tangerine and turquoise, and a surfing themed bedroom.

Electricity was a breeze, with huge solar panels and two refillable 20-litre (5 gallon) LPG gas cylinders for cooking, heating, and hot water. 

The size of The Beast made satnav interesting because it couldn't be driven along narrow country lanes prohibited to HGVs.

The Journey

Lambert has an infectious enthusiasm for local history and brings the various locations to life as she describes landmarks, significant former residents, regional dialects and culinary highlights. 

The Beast occasionally had mechanical issues and the kindness of strangers often helped resolve them. Jacqueline recalled a comment on a social media post saying "I used to hate changing those tyres" and when disaster struck she contacted the person who then called the tyre shop to explain the process of dismantling the wheel. 

I won't recount all the adventures because they're in the book for you to discover. 

If you're looking for a warm hearted and amusing read which will tell you more about the quirks of the UK than you ever knew,  this is the book for you. 

About the Author 

Jackie Lambert is an award-winning travel writer. A dedicated adventurer, she rafted, rock- climbed and backpacked around six of the seven continents. 

A  passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been bitten by a lion, and appeared as a fire-eater on Japanese TV. 

She quit work in 2016 to hit the road permanently with her husband and four pooches. 

Thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours and the author for a digital advance copy in return for a blog tour post.

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