Welcome to Camp España…where life is all about campervans, Spanish adventures and the occasional trip back to good old Blighty!
We’re Kevin and Mary, two retired post office owners from Hull who traded the hustle and bustle of parcels and postage for a rolling home on four wheels. When it’s sunny anyway!
We’re here to share our journey as we navigate life on the road in Spain—and let’s face it, the occasional cockup that’s bound to happen along the way.
After decades of running our local post office on Beverley Road in Hull, retirement felt like stepping off a moving treadmill. We loved our job (most days), but as the years ticked by, we started dreaming of something a bit more adventurous. Don’t get us wrong—Hull will always be home. It’s not the most glamorous of cities but it’s where we grew up, met, and raised our family. It’s where the sea air and the sound of seagulls are as familiar as the back of our hands.
But once the ink dried on our retirement plans, the idea of staying in one place for the rest of our lives felt a little… limiting. Our lives have been tied to our business for as long as we can remember. That’s when we started imagining what it would be like to pack up our lives and hit the road. Enter: our campervan dream.
We’ve always loved exploring, but we’re not exactly the backpacking type. Nor can we afford lavish holidays with endless hotel bills. My knees and Mary’s back vetoed that idea early on. As did our modest bank account. A campervan, however, offered the perfect mix of adventure and comfort. We could wake up to a different view every day, cook our meals, and still sleep in a proper bed. Plus, it’s a lot harder to get homesick when home is always with you.
Spain was an easy choice for us. The weather alone was enough to seal the deal—after decades of enduring Hull’s unpredictable rain, the promise of year-round sunshine was irresistible. But it wasn’t just about escaping the drizzle and the churning brown North Sea.
Spain has an incredible campervan culture, with routes that stretch from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean coast and all the way up to the Galician regions in the north. With its food, the history, the people…it all felt like an open invitation to come and explore.
And yes, Kevin was particularly intrigued by the prospect of endless tapas, while Mary couldn’t wait to try her hand at flamenco (watch this space).
Hull isn’t just a place, a drab old forgotten city on the east coast of Yorkshire. It’s where we’ve lived our entire lives, and our ancestors before us. It’s somewhere people laugh about, even our close neighbours in Grimsby (yes, Grimsby) or even York. But there’s something about our home city that’s just different. The people are so friendly, there’s so much nearby to do and it has a bit of an old-fashioned air to it.
Hull is where we’d pop down to the marina for a stroll, enjoy a proper fish and chips at Bob Carver’s, cheer for the Tigers at the KCOM Stadium and then have a few pints of local ale in the Land of Green Ginger…
It’s where our memories are rooted, and it’s where our family still calls home.
Leaving each trip meant saying goodbye to our children, Emma and James, and our four grandkids: Sophie, Max, Lily, and Ben. That was the hardest part. We’re lucky, though—they’re incredibly supportive and maybe even a little envious of our plans. We’ve promised to FaceTime regularly (though Kevin still struggles with the “mute” button) and come back to visit as often as we can. After all, there’s nothing like a hug from your grandkids to recharge the soul.
Before we hit the road, our lives revolved around the local post office. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was ours. We knew every regular by name, and they knew us. We’ve laughed with customers, cried with them, and shared countless cups of tea during quiet afternoons. It’s a chapter of our lives we’ll always treasure, but it was time to turn the page.
After weeks of research (and a few heated debates), we found our dream campervan. Compact enough to navigate narrow Spanish streets, but spacious enough for Mary’s “just-in-case” wardrobe. It’s kitted out with all the essentials—a tiny kitchen, a cosy sleeping area, and even a solar panel for off-grid adventures. Kevin insists it’s the gadgets that sold him, but Mary knows it was the swivelling captain’s chairs.
We’ve affectionately named it “La Viajera” (The Traveler), and it’s already become a part of the family. It’s our home, our transport, and sometimes, our source of marital disputes over who left the water tank empty.
Campespana.com is our way of documenting this new chapter of our lives and to be honest, keep busy. Being postmasters is a really hands on job and the sudden retirement left our brains a bit inactive. We’ve got Wordle of course but we still nee some mental stimulation so here it is!
We also want to inspire others to step out of their comfort zones and show that retirement isn’t the end—it can be a whole new beginning. Whether you’re dreaming of campervan life or just looking for a bit of armchair travel, we hope our stories make you laugh, think, and maybe even plan your own adventure.
We’ll be sharing:
Though we’re miles away, Hull and our family are always close to our hearts. We’ve made it a point to schedule regular visits back to the UK. There’s nothing like catching up with old friends at the local pub or spending a weekend playing board games with the grandkids. It’s the perfect way to balance our love for exploration with staying grounded in the life we built back home.
So here we are, two Hull-born adventurers on a mission to see the world one kilometre at a time.
Join us on this journey—whether you’re a seasoned traveller, a dreamer, or just someone who loves a good story. Let’s explore, laugh, and maybe even learn something new together.
Welcome to Camp España!