Since the sixties they have represented escape for all kinds of people - festival goers; couples out for a romantic weekend; parents getting away with the children (or from the children); and those just wanting to wake up to a different piece of countryside each morning.

But now one woman's passion for VW campers has combined with a love of the Sussex countryside and inspired a popular business venture.

Nancy Towers started her 'VWeekender' company at her home in Balcombe last year, when she and partner Kevin Bottomley bought a new Brazilian-imported bright yellow camper on Ebay. They christened it 'Sunny'.

"We're both a bit passionate about camper vanning and it's nice to share that with other people who like the same thing," Nancy said.
"We've been camper vanning together for about three years, and we both love Sussex and we love taking the van up the South Downs Way."

Since November Nancy has been enticing holiday goers to rent Sunny and hit the road to see for themselves what the Sussex countryside has to offer, and they've needed little prompting.

"It's just become really really big. For some reason everyone wanted a camper this summer. A lot of people did the camper van thing when they were kids and then it went out of fashion. But it's back now."

The couple hit on the venture when Nancy decided she wanted to give up her career in London to be with their children.

"I had a career as a project manager for a conference company and when I had children I didn't want to carry on with that life. I wanted to be there for the children but still have something to do and to make a living.

"We've got our own VW that we really love travelling round Sussex in, so we thought, 'why not buy a camper van and rent it out?'"

Nancy offers Sunny's services for long weekends throughout the year, at £450 in the summer months and £350 off peak, including comprehensive insurance and breakdown cover.

They encourage people to tour the Sussex area, and are happy to recommend a few of their own favourite spots. However people are free to roam as far as they wish, and weekend trips to France are also encouraged.

"A lot of our customers are what they call 'double income no kids'. They live up in London and want to play at being hippies for the weekend."

"But there are all different types too. Couples in their twenties and thirties, and couples in their forties who want to get away from their kids.

"The UK's got over 400 festivals and so a lot of our customers are taking the camper out to festivals."

Like Nancy's partner Kevin, a quantity surveyor working in London, many of these people regard seeing the road with Sunny as the best way to escape from an increasingly hectic pace of life.

"He has got a big career up in London," she says. "He loves to get away from the phones and the computers and just going off and waking somewhere different."

To book 'Sunny' or find out more go to
www.vweekender.co.uk or call Nancy Towers on 01444 811755.