I came back to UK under false pretenses, a banking problem required a physical appearence to confirm identity. It turned out that this wasn't the case and the logistical problems of a solo full time traveller started to unfurl. It wasn't all negative as I think that I could have stayed longer in UK in the summer, but the desire to get to Col du Tourmalet for La Vuelta was too great. I did, however, need to be in UK to sell more of my stuff and rid myself of the high cost of storage, still an ongoing process.

The selling of my belongings has highlighted the amount of crap accumulated while living a normal, consummerist lifestyle. If it ain't selling, it's crap. And not from a quality point of view, just not needed (by anyone).

Winter in UK it is then.

During the summer I thought that moving from place to place was the best strategy in order to not draw attention to Gloria and offer the opportunity of hassle or theft. This time around, I stayed at a regular spot and shared the space with another van, they showed no signs of being short term sleeper, so I went along with the new strategy of using one spot as a long term base. This would also challenge my rule of never cooking and sleeping in the same spot.

Mid October was the arrival date and the dreaded clock change was afoot. Lack of daylight and lack of sunlight were two of my concerns. Firstly, it is much lighter, much later into the day than in France, lighter mornings were quite nice.

The end of British Summer Time (BST), it is quite amusing that when people want to remove daylight saving, it's the removal of BST that they're requesting and winter time gives us Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and I'm not 100% sure they'd accept the darker morning proffered by 12 month BST. A different argument for a different day.

Time to prepare my timetable and plans for a cold, wet and dark winter. Gloria is designed for sleeping in, not living in.

I knew that wet days would see me searching for underpasses for either cooking or sleeping and two were known about, Garden Lane Car Park and Shotton Paper Mill. These would play a major role in the coming months.

On a different line, I felt mentally strong enough to work. I had taken a personal beating where over the last few years I had been rejected and subjected to some vile treatment by my family and, more recently, had my mental attitude towards the corporate environment challenged by my latest company. Imagine working for a company where your boss lies and your MD openly abuses staff. I began looking for work in the world of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), this time as an online teacher to help fund travel and allow me to work from wherever and whenever.

Classes started in November and student numbers are slowly increasing, the hourly pay rate is appalling though and student expectations, for the pay rate, are way off. But we're moving forward.

After a few weeks of visiting the bank the account was finally closed and all my banking moved to an online bank, something I could have done from Tarifa had the bank been upfront in the first place. Across the counter I had asked twice whether the account was closed, both times the reply was affirmative. Five months later the account is still not closed. Oh well...

I am writing this in March, so there will be a little time travel as I look back, then start moving forward from that point.

As winter began in earnest I seemed to have been lucky with the weather, time was spent either in Gloria, at the gym I had signed up to, under a flyover or in The Storyhouse (the new library centre in Chester).

Battery life was going to be a challenge as little daylight would mean restricted opportunity for solar charging and minimal driving would not charge through the altenator. Charging devices would have to be done at the Storyhouse, it was also a relatively comfortable place to give classes, not perfect though.

Day to day living wasn't too much of a problem and a routine developed, changes were made inside Gloria and a new stove was bought to allow coffee making and simple cooking to happen inside. Coffee and breakfast could happen internally, pack up, visit the gym for a couple of hours on the static bike, shower, change, lunch then on to the Storyhouse and class. I seemed to be avoiding most of the rain.

This would be how life would become over the next few months with added fun.

Living through a UK winter wasn't as bad as anticipated, even through the coldest periods, it was warming to see the positives in people. The location that I have stayed has a house very close by. The lady of the house has offered a cup of tea on more than one occasion, we've even discussed the liberties taken by some of the other motorhome dwellers that take up camp here. I think they accept me.

Punctures have been a theme, waking up on two separate occasions to flat tyres and an opportunity to get in contact with an old customer of mine from 30 years ago in the form of Geoff Ryder of Upton Heath... Check him out.

Winter slowly turned into spring and spring made the occasional foray into summer, not forgetting that UK doesn't really do summer.

I seem to have become a fixture, work on Gloria has taken a eternity as decent weather is required so that scrabbling around on the floor underneath her isn't too disgusting a job. So far the list of jobs are for a new drop link, both would be better, replace the inner CV boot, bump stops a new flexi on the exhaust and possibly other bushes and links. All dependent on how wet the ground is.

So far we have managed to complete all jobs except for the exhaust where it appears that the studs might put up too much of a fight for this ham fisted mechanic to attempt on his own.

Gym work has continued and weight is stable around the 80kg mark which is nice.