BOB Hounslow’s first camping holiday didn’t start too promisingly – he nearly set the field alight!

Camping became popular in the 1960s, particularly among families with young children, who realised there was an inexpensive alternative to the boarding house.

Many were prompted by a company called Headquarters and General Supplies, which advertised a range of reasonably priced, continental-style frame tents and equipment.

Mr Hounslow, of Squires Close, Brize Norton, writes: “Our first experience of camping came about when, for £35, I bought an old Morris 8, ex GPO van.

“We had only our small son David in those days and when my wife Daphne saw the big open space in the back of the van, she thought exactly as I did: ‘We could go camping in this!’ “So we borrowed some camping equipment and set off for Burton Bradstock on the Dorset coast. “It had been a hot summer that year and the grass had been bleached white by the sun. After setting up camp, I got out our Primus stove. “To light one of these requires setting alight methylated spirits, poured into a small bowl underneath the burner tubes, so when they become hot enough and the paraffin is gently pumped up, the oil turns to a gas, which then burns as a ring of pretty blue flames round the burner ring. I made the mistake of taking our stove out of its three-sided metal box and setting it out on open ground.

“Consequently, my burner tubes didn’t get hot enough and when I vigorously pumped the paraffin, up in the air shot this 2ft high flaming geyser of pure burning paraffin.

“Thirty seconds later, I had half the camp site round me, worried to death I was going to set the dry grass alight and burn the place down!

“After an ‘old hand’ initiated me into the art of lighting our stove safely, I never had any trouble again and we enjoyed our few days’ holiday at the seaside.

“Two years after our daughter Sue was born, we went camping again, at Durdle Door on the Dorset coast.

“Sitting in our camping chairs one afternoon, I could see a young couple down the hill setting out a Primus stove. I thought: ‘Now we’re going to see some fun.’ A few minutes later, up shot a flaming geyser of paraffin.

“Someone came over and explained how to light it. They then drove off and came back with a windshield. I thought to myself: ‘They’ll be all right now, but hang on, they’ve set it up with the wind blowing into it” – then watched in disbelief as their windshield went up in flames!

“We saw many incidents like this when we went camping, as I expect your readers did too, and it would be interesting to read their memories.

“That old van came in handy when my father went to slaughter a pig for a farmer. The pig kicked him and broke his knee and he ended up with his right leg in plaster.

“We’d take dad for a ride in our van sitting on the steel floor in the back and as the vibrations through the plaster eased his itching leg, he’d sit there saying: ‘Ooh, that’s lovely – please let’s go a bit farther!’