Van woman

Have been on a mission today. The Guild of Motoring Writers will have a stand at this year's Beaulieu Autojumble in September, selling old car brochures, handbooks, press kits and other sundry car related material, in aid of the Benevolent Fund. To kick off the collection, I drove to Somerset where a journo chum who's moving house was emptying his office.

Ford loaned us this great little Transit Connect van for the trip, so I become van woman for the day. It was a revealing experience. Vans are so civilised these days, with huggily supportive seats, a car-like dash and lots of mod cons, including a rear view camera view that appears in the mirror when you reverse.

Pick-up in Somerset, load deposited at a storage facility in Surrey, then home, where the dog was intrigued by this chunky little van with a sliding side door and a big yawning space in the back. Job done.