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I'm trying to find somewhere for us to park for the night that's safe and safe for my little cat as well. So, I've gone on to Google Maps. The first option was a lay-by just up here. We have officially arrived to Cornwall and it is sunny and it is glorious. I do think online sometimes it can look very dreamy. And yes, I know I'm a massive contributor to that kind of content. just so excited for this new chapter and to be sharing it all with you guys, making the most of this Cornish sunshine. So, that was the lay-by we were going to use. So, luckily we've chosen somewhere else cuz it's completely full.
I'm in a new place every day, which means I've got to find somewhere every single day. Let's go on Zoopla. And so, it's just one bedroom and you're sharing with other people. So, this is £850 per month. Just for the house. I've actually seen it on quite a lot of sites that talk of second homes and they all say that we used to have such a big community feel and there's now there's no one here anymore. It's all second homes and they only come down in one season. You know, for some people it's be homeless or live in a van. No, excuse me. I'm going to put his little sleeping bag on.
People are being pushed into vans because there's not enough houses and they're too expensive. He's called Kev. Kev the cat. Sometimes I've I've accidentally left Kev there and driven and Kev flies off. So, if you look at the side of Kev, that was when he got dented and I had to put had to poke him back out. There's people of all walks of life and all ages. I've got a friends that are, you know, like in their 60s and 70s that live in their vans. I think people get into it for a need and then end up quite enjoying it. I'm not going to say that I
enjoy it 100% of the time, like that's not realistic. It can get cold and it can get wet and it can get a bit lonely. I work as a SEN special needs teaching assistant at the moment. In SEN you get paid less, which I don't know how, but um yeah, you get paid less than mainstream, so it's really difficult. You even looked at a house, didn't you, with another couple? I looked at a house two teachers, a mechanic and someone in the military. And we still apparently weren't on enough money to be able to afford it, so I wouldn't want to be young again now. Renting when I was younger did not take my entire wages, so I still had a life and that I think is really important thing to remember for people that have got a house that the younger people just
haven't got those opportunities now. There's someone in one of my local spots that is living in a car um and that's all that he can afford. This is my toilet and shower area. There's no real public taps. I know you can drive to campsites sometimes and they'll let you fill up. It depends how busy they are. So, I basically can't use my shower unless I'm next to a tap. People that I've met in the van life community are working and are happy to pay for services that are provided for. We are. Wherever we go, we want to fill up water, we're happy to pay for it. So, we've got a communal kitchen people
can use, hot food available, got washing machine and two tumble dryers, which are generally pretty backed up. We had a shower put in, which is obviously very popular, too. Most people come have shower. We're a charity that works with gypsies and travelers and we have done for the last nearly 25 years. And then the last couple of years we've seen increasing numbers of people living by the side of the road who are phoning us up, who need help. So local people, they move out of their parents homes and they don't actually have anywhere to go.
Even if you could um there are no properties available to rent. My youngest daughter, she's only 23, no landlords would rent to her. So rather than seeing homeless, I bought her a van. I think it's dire. It's really concerning. There's no indication that it's going to improve, you know, increasing the housing stock or putting limitations on Airbnb's like they are in some countries. How difficult is it for young people in Cornwall? I think it's extremely difficult. Our daughter lived with us for a number of years longer than she wanted to because she couldn't afford anywhere to stay, you know, any anywhere to live.
And she's now got her own business, would you believe it, cleaning holiday lets cuz that's what everybody does. It's where the money is, really. It's cleaning holiday lets while you live in a van. Yeah. How long have you been living in your van? Six or seven years now, on and off. Been in and out of places but mostly in the van. Oh, the hours it does take. Oh, the hours that I waste. I needed somewhere to live. I couldn't afford to pay rent. I was panicking about what to do. And I thought being a musician, it only makes sense to get a van and then be mobile.
I have to be careful about what I say, about where I am, what sort of vehicle I'm in. People sometimes ask me, I'll say, "Where are you staying tonight?" And I go, "Up the road, you know." And that's like, "I'm not telling you that." Got to watch your back a bit and be careful. Let's have a look. Right move. It's £750 a month for a single bed. I used to actually live in this apartment block. Deposit £865, unfurnished. So, then you got to furnish it. Could you afford that? No. No way. I've definitely had times where I've been really lonely and kind of got stuck in the van when it's been really wet and I've I've not had any work for a bit.
Maybe I've been feeling really down. So, this place you used to be able to park here overnight, but now there's a sign that says, "No motorhomes or camper vans overnight." Yeah, they're cracking down. It's getting harder to find places to be. It's a struggle for people. If they do push the rule that vans aren't allowed near coastal towns and stuff, I think everyone will just try and get abroad. It'll make it unlivable. We parked here and we didn't have no idea that the view you've got through this campsite. As a parent, I really wanted Sky to, you know, buy her own house and I wasn't happy about her going in the van. It was a worry at first, but I mean, she's been
doing it for 5 years now. It's taught us so much about life. Right. It's a bit overgrown there. I'm walking the whole Southwest Coast Path, which is apparently 630 miles. I had sepsis in September 2024, so pretty recent still. And I had to relearn how to walk. This is my way of trying to raise some money for the UK Sepsis Trust and prove to myself that I can still do really hard things. I think living in van life has helped my general character for everything that I've faced. I might have to put some more of these on now.
I found such comfort in my van. Like I've sort of found my own way around it. Ah. It feels brighter. That's a good shot down there, Chris. Look at that. I love Cornwall and my friends love Cornwall, but it's so hard to live and I think for me I don't Yeah, I don't ever think I probably will be able to own a house and I've kind of started coming to just accept that. At the moment I'm happy just living and feeling free, so yeah.
