Paul Merton and Suki Webster on why we should all try a motorhome staycation
Being cooped up in a campervan with your other half isn’t for everyone, but for comedian Paul Merton his wife, it’s pure bliss.
Paul Merton won’t be sharing his deadpan humour on Instagram any time soon. He doesn’t do social media, and hasn’t even got a mobile phone.
The acerbic comedian, a team captain on BBC’s Have I Got News For You, doesn’t see why he would need a mobile, when he’s got a perfectly good landline at home. Although, as he’s been touring the UK with his wife, fellow comedian Suki Webster, his landline won’t have been much use.
With their four-berth rented motorhome
“I did have a mobile phone in the early Nineties, when they were just phones, and all you could do was make a call on them. Then I lost it, and didn’t miss it,” recalls the 65-year-old.
“In the motorhome, I’ll use Suki’s phone if I need to, but I hardly ever do.”
“That’s why we have to be together 24/7,” chimes in his 57-year-old wife. “I’d never find him otherwise!”
Despite his lack of mobile phone, Merton signed up to Twitter in 2014, and his only post, after saying “Hello Twitter!”, characteristically laments: “God knows what I’m doing here, or perhaps I’m not really here at all. It’s all in my mind. Whatever the case I am here. Or am I?”
God knows what I’m doing here, Or perhaps I’m not really here at all. It’s all in my mind. Whatever the case I am here. Or am I?
— Paul Merton (@PaulMerton) June 2, 2014
Merton and Webster, his third wife, say another trapping of modern life they don’t miss, is jetting off abroad for holidays. The pair are having too much fun driving around the UK in a rented motorhome for their Channel 5 series, Motorhoming With Merton And Webster.
“In the motorhome, you’ve got the chance to look at the magnificent scenery,” observes Merton. “Unlike flying, you travel through the landscape and see things along the way.”
The show, which is now in its second series, is capitalising on the growth in popularity of touring holidays and motorhomes. With research for the Caravan and Motorhome Club (caravanclub.co.uk) revealing the number of Brits considering a touring holiday grew by 20% in the two years to April 2022, while the number of people owning a leisure vehicle, such as a motorhome or campervan, is predicted to grow by more than 40% by 2030.
Merton and Webster have travelled all over the UK in a 24ft four-berth rented motorhome, which Merton says would cost around £300 a day to rent.
They’ve visited Cornwall, Devon, Snowdonia, the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, among other places, and Merton says: “You’re essentially taking your home around with you, so you can go wherever you want.
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“It’s very enchanting to wake up to mountain views, or a field full of deer.”
But it’s not just exploring beautiful landscapes and having the freedom to travel wherever you want that makes motorhoming so appealing, says Webster.
“I think it forces you to slow down,” she explains. “You can’t move at the same speed when you’ve got to put up an awning and make up your bed.
“It forces people to switch off from the modern world, take in nature, and just take a breath.”
“I agree with that,” says Merton. “Preparing for a holiday abroad can be quite stressful. you’ve got to remember your passport, make sure your cases are the right weight and get to the airport on time. With a motorhome, you park outside, pack your case, put it in the vehicle and get in – and your holiday starts there.
“With a UK break, you don’t have to worry about exchanging currency or not speaking the language. And you’re doing the country a favour, too, because you’re spending money here.”
The pair have also relished being part of the motorhome community, and Webster explains: “It’s great fun, we genuinely have enjoyed it. I like the sense of community. Everyone talks to each other and has common ground. It’s lovely.”
The motorhoming community might get along just fine, but what about Merton and Webster? How did they cope with being cooped up in a 24ft van together for long periods?
The couple never tire of each other’s company
“We get asked this a lot, and I’m surprised by the question really,” admits Merton. “Because of the work we do, it’s not like one of us leaves the house from 9-5, we’re together all the time anyway. We get on really well.
“If we did get annoyed with each other, though, you’d see it on screen, as there are GoPro cameras pointed at the driver’s seat and the passenger seat.”
Fortunately, his wife agrees that motorhoming together isn’t difficult, and adds: “We’re busy all the time, so it’s nothing but a joy. It’s long days of hard work, but it’s great fun.”
Birthday celebrations on the road
Is there anything they miss about home life when they’re on the road?
“No, I don’t think so,” says Merton. “There’s no television on board, but I think it would be rather bizarre to sit in the middle of beautiful countryside watching Emmerdale. Instead, you could watch the sun disappear over mountains or sit and listen to the sound of a nearby stream.
“It’s made us realise how many beautiful places we have here, in the UK.”
So, do the now-experienced motorhomers have any tips for wannabe tourers?
“If you think you might enjoy a motorhome, rent one first,” advises Merton. “We haven’t met anyone yet who’s bought one and regretted it, though.
“And do research on your campsites,” he stresses. “Some we went to were very quiet. That would be my choice, rather than going somewhere where your next door neighbour is only 10ft away, which seems to defeat the object of the break.”
Paul Merton and Suki Webster will be speaking at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome show (ccmshow.co.uk) at NEC Birmingham on February 23. The show runs from February 21-26.
The Press Association
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