van

ONE couple ditched pricey holidays to Thailand, Costa Rica and the Maldives for staycations – after renovating a carpenter’s van.

Andy and Claire Stocks, who hail from Barnsley, opted for UK road trips after deciding to buy a run-down van to convert.

The couple now go away every week and document their travels on their YouTube Channel – and they’ve just published a book It Started with a Van detailing all of their staycation adventures.

When the pair first ditched far-flung destinations for the UK, it’s safe to say their friends were dubious.

Andy explained: “People that knew us from before doing this would have never thought we’d be fans of motorhomes.

“We were always going to exotic places rather than staying at campsites.”

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But since owning a van, which has since been traded in for a newer motorhome model, the pair have ventured all over the UK.

Claire admitted: “I don’t think we ever appreciated how beautiful the UK is and we go everywhere – one of my favourite places is actually Hartlepool.”

“We went with no real expectations but we saw dolphins in the sea there – it blew our minds.”

Andy added: “We’ve found some great waterfalls in the UK too – which we actually went all the way to Costa Rica to see.

“But actually there are loads in North Yorkshire like Janet’s Foss and Malham Cove.”

Other places they’ve explored are Glastonbury which Andy described as an “amazing spiritual town”.

In the Yorkshire Dales, the couple stopped by The Strid which as Claire explained is one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world.

When it comes to campsites, Claire and Andy like to mix it up from five-star sites to cheaper options with beautiful sea views.

Talking about one of their most memorable stays, Andy said: “There’s a campsite on the Isle of Mull called Fidden Farm.

“You turn up and can park wherever you like, but as it’s coastal, you stay right on the white beach.

“It has the best sunsets that you could possibly wish for and so wild – you get every season within around 15-minutes.”

Pitches start from £14 per night per adult, and £7 per night for children.

When it came to five-star stays, the couple said the Concierge Camping in Chichester was one of their favourites.

Claire admitted it’s “one of the best campsites I’ve ever been to”,

The campsite even has ‘award-winning washrooms’ which is perfect for those who don’t enjoy the classic camping toilet situation.

It has granite-topped wash areas, complimentary toiletries and lots of the facilities have underfloor heating.

Sun Travel found pitches from £73 per night.

On occasion, Andy and Claire head over to Europe. At one point they explored seven countries including Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, France, Belgium and Italy in two weeks.

And for anyone driving across to France in a motorhome, they suggest you check into an Aire.

‘Aire’ is short for the French term ‘aire de service’ – which essentially is a free or cheap motorhome camping area.

Andy explained: “We used Aires on a trip to Normandy, they’re really basic campsites but they’re about €10 a night so it’s a really cheap way to get around.”

Claire added: “You don’t have to book either, and they’re spotlessly clean and lots of them have beautiful views as well.”

“There’s a lovely one outside of Honfleur,” said Andy. “And from there you can just walk into the town.”

Talking about whether it’s made travelling any cheaper, Andy confessed it hasn’t as he never saw any return on his original van.

But he added: “I don’t talk about money – but it’s all experience. That’s how the book ends, it’s not about money, it’s about your life.”

A federal prosecutor in Texas has shared new details about the moments before an immigration officer shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo that cast doubt about the government’s claim that the man struck an ICE vehicle before he was shot.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer killed Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national and longtime American resident, on July 7 as he was driving to a Houston construction job site with three co-workers, including his brother. ICE has acknowledged he was not the target of the operation.

The shooting sparked protests in the nation’s fourth-largest city, echoing Salgado Araujo’s family’s calls for transparency. The family describes him as a hardworking father who was close to obtaining legal status in the U.S. after living in the country for 35 years.

The shooting came just days before two other men were killed, in Florida and Maine, in confrontations in President Trump’s federal immigration crackdown, renewing scrutiny on the Department of Homeland Security’s law enforcement tactics.

Aaron Reitz, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said for the first time Thursday that ICE officers were targeting two Guatemalan men who were potentially subject to deportation. He said they were driving a van similar to the one Salgado Araujo was driving when he was killed. In an earlier statement released the day Salgado Araujo was killed, Homeland Security said he was targeted in an immigration enforcement operation and he was living in the country without legal permission.

Reitz also said that the officers believed that Salgado Araujo and the passengers in his car fit the description of the Guatemalan men the agents were looking for.

Four officers driving two separate law enforcement vehicles attempted to pull over Salgado Araujo’s van using their police lights. Salgado Araujo then made a U-turn and drove over a median to evade getting pulled over, Reitz said.

Later that morning, the officers again encountered Salgado Araujo’s van and for the second time tried to pull him over, this time essentially surrounding the vehicle, Reitz said. Two of the four agents got out of their cars and told Salgado Araujo to put the vehicle in park. Just before he was shot, one of the agents was “partially inside the van or immediately next to it” when Salgado Araujo tried to reverse the van and then drive forward again, Reitz said.

An earlier Homeland Security statement accused Salgado Araujo of “weaponizing” his vehicle. The agency said he rammed his van into a law enforcement vehicle and said an officer opened fire in self-defense. The most recent statement from the U.S attorney’s office, however, didn’t mention any collision between Salgado Araujo’s van and a law enforcement vehicle. It also didn’t explicitly say that the officer feared for his life. There are no reported injuries among the officers involved.

The latest statement didn’t name the officer who killed Salgado Araujo, nor did it specify whether the officer who fired the shot was the same person who was next to, or partially inside, the van.

Reitz also said in the statement that officers “saw in plain view several small bags of a white, crystal-like substance inside the van” and that the FBI later executed a search warrant to investigate for possible illicit substances.

Salgado Araujo’s brother, who was in the van when the shooting happened, has been in ICE detention since the incident. His attorney said the white substance was a salt mixture that the men used as electrolytes to stay hydrated while doing manual labor in the grueling Texas heat.

Few photos or videos surrounding the shooting in Houston have emerged on social media, unlike other deaths involving federal immigration officers.

Riddle writes for the Associated Press.

A couple converted an £8k van during the pandemic, despite having no experience, and since then have swapped exotic trips abroad for staycations to some very unusual UK locations

A “battered” carpenter’s van that cost £8,000 changed the course of one couple’s lives after they turned it into a home on wheels.

Andy and Claire Stocks, also known as St Christopher of Atlantis to more than 45,000 followers on YouTube, have swapped foreign holidays for staycations in their van, sharing their adventures across the UK’s underrated spots with their fans.

The Barnsley couple fell into van life accidentally, taking on the task of turning a van into a motorhome after their Mercedes broke down during the pandemic and they were unable to get parts. “It started to get this intermittent fault on the dashboard and I didn’t really want to part with the car, but it got worse and worse, and it was coming up more and more,” Andy explained.

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“I was a little bit annoyed at it. So, I decided to buy a van instead. I just kind of threw the teddy out of the pram because the car that I liked, I couldn’t have.”

But that van ended up being life-changing for the couple. They swapped exotic jaunts to hotels and Airbnbs in the Far East and Central America for simpler staycations, and have now semi-retired to spend more time on the road and focus on their YouTube channel.

The couple has also turned their adventures into a book: It Started with a Van, due to be released in paperback on July 16. The story begins with them finding a van and deciding to give vanlife a go, with Andy noting he had no experience and “an unrealistic amount of confidence” when he took on the project.

Andy admitted that the start of the project had its hitches. “The first job that I had to do – there’s a bulkhead that separates the cab from the back to stop things flying into the cabin. So, I had to remove that. I thought that was going to be a really easy job. And I started taking the bolts out, and they were all good apart from one bolt, and that took me two weeks to actually get rid of. So it kind of set the tone for everything else that followed.”

While they learned some skills from YouTube and a book on conversions, the couple went into the project blind, doing jobs after work in the winter whenever they had enough light.

In addition to the initial cost of £8,000 for the van, the couple spent a “few thousand” on the renovations, although they haven’t worked out the true amount. Andy joked: “I might be in trouble with her if I did.”

Their first trip in the van was to Conwy in Wales, and it took place with the build half-done. The couple admitted it was less glamorous than many vanlife influencers would have you believe.

“I was trying to sell the lifestyle to Claire. What actually happened was we sat in a car park with a sandwich. On the bare floor,” laughed Andy.

As they worked on the van the couple had the idea to put updates on their progress on YouTube. They have since built a base of thousands of subscribers. But at first, the reception wasn’t quite what they expected.

Andy said: “When we put it out on YouTube, I think people thought it was a bit of a joke. Some of the initial comments were, ‘Oh, that was really funny. That was, you know, you made me laugh.’ And actually, that wasn’t your intention at all.

“No, I put my best foot forward thinking this would show people how to build a van, but they thought it was more of a funny sort of parody type thing really.”

However, they persevered and have now cut their work days to three a week to allow them to spend more time in the van and creating YouTube content.

In a typical day, the couple travel to a campsite and create a video tour of the facilities. “A lot of people book campsites off the back of us. We turn up, we set the pitch up, then we grab the cameras, and then we will go and tour the campsite and the surrounding area. And then when we’ve done that, we come back to the motor home and we’re working basically,” Andy said.

“The illusion is that we are out and just on campsites and enjoying ourselves., But we’re editing, we’re dealing with the social media side, the comments. And so it’s like our motor home now, it’s a bit like an office on wheels.”

Despite the success of their build, Andy conceded that if they had to do it all again, he’d “probably get somebody else to build it because I really found out what my limits were.”

After enjoying adventures that took them all the way to Italy through Switzerland, Germany, and Belgium, plus lots of staycations, the couple eventually traded in their carpenter’s van, opting to buy a motorhome instead.

As a couple on the road all the time, Andy and Claire noted that living in tight quarters can lead to annoyances. Their original van had no separate seating area, just a bed, and no built-in toilet, so they had to rely on campsite facilities and stay “mega organised” to cope.

The couple also dealt with breakdowns and an incident where they ended up trapped in a full-blown blizzard. Perhaps most memorable was when they ended up in completely the wrong place.

Andy said: “We did have an occasion where we put in the wrong location into the satnav. I went to the completely incorrect country. It said we should have been somewhere in France. We ended up in Belgium.”

Debunking a common myth, Andy and Claire say they like to support the local economies in places they visit, often highlighting local cafes, bars, and shops on their channel.

And their trip highlights? The Isle of Mull was a favourite of Claire’s as it has “the most wonderful sunset we’ve ever seen”. She recommended a campsite called Fidden Farm and said: “And the beaches truly are white beaches up there”, comparing it to the Maldives.

Andy’s favourite was a little more unusual: “This is a really random place that we would never expect it. We went to Hartlepool Marina and we saw dolphins. It was so beautiful, kind of an industrial location actually, but then you look up and you’re watching the dolphins.Goodness!

“The Northeast is a bit like that. You know, you can be on a beach and you look one way and there’s industry, but then you look the other way and you’ve got wildlife. Everywhere has got something going for it.”

So, will Andy and Claire ever hang up their motorhome keys? The couple said that they’d like to stay on the road for as long as possible. “We are quite young to be motorhomers. The demographic of our channel is a lot of people that are older than us. So, we’ve got all that to go and we’ll do it as long as we enjoy it,” Andy added.

And his advice to anyone thinking of taking on this kind of life? “Just do it now while you can. Just do whatever you want to do. Get out and do it. That’s my advice.”

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Former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has apologised after saying that Japan players “all look alike” during their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands.

Van der Vaart, 43, was working as a pundit for Dutch broadcaster NOS TV when he made the remark after Micky van de Ven lost Koki Ogawa’s run for Japan’s late equaliser.

“They all look alike, of course, maybe he thought that,” the former Netherlands international said when analysing Van de Ven’s defending.

Van der Vaart, who was capped 109 times and was part of the Dutch team that lost in the 2010 World Cup final, has apologised for causing any offence.

He said: “It was never my intention to offend, hurt, or discriminate against anyone. I oppose racism in all its forms and have respect for people of every background, ethnicity, and culture.

“I understand that some people may have found my words offensive or hurtful. I sincerely regret that.

“If my comment has caused pain or upset, I would like to offer my heartfelt apologies. That was never my intention.”

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out criticised Van der Vaart and called for broadcasters to be more careful.

A joint statement from Kick It Out and the Frank Soo Foundation, external, a charity that supports East and South East Asian communities, said: “It’s hugely disappointing to hear former players peddling racist slurs about Japan’s team and then double down by trying to defend the comments as a joke.

“Even if he claims there was no racist intent in what he said, the comments can still have an impact on those involved, and the wider East and South East Asian community, as we have seen with previous examples directed towards players.

“The World Cup attracts massive global TV audiences, so it’s always important that guests are careful with their language and that broadcasters take responsibility for those appearing on their shows, whether that is through additional education or training.”

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a £52m deal with Brighton for Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

The 26-year-old started in his country’s 2-2 draw with Japan on Sunday at the World Cup.

Van Hecke has a year left on his current Brighton contract and showed no inclination to extend the deal.

Brighton had already turned down one offer for a player who joined them from NAC Breda in 2020.

However, they have now accepted Tottenham’s offer, which should clear the way to Van Hecke rejoining former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi in north London.

The deal also includes a significant sell-on clause with Brighton profiting further should Spurs sell the player.

Van Hecke made 131 appearances for the Seagulls and started 36 out of 38 Premier League games for Fabian Hurzeler’s side last season as they secured an eighth-place finish. That secured European qualification for only the second time in the club’s history.

Tottenham have already strengthened De Zerbi’s squad in an effort to improve markedly on successive 17th-placed finishes.

Scotland defender Andy Robertson has already signed from Liverpool, with Argentinian centre-half Marcos Senesi agreeing a move from Bournemouth.

Real Madrid to join Mateus Fernandes race, Brighton reject Spurs’ second Jan Paul van Hecke bid and Harry Maguire could leave Manchester United.

Real Madrid are set to join the race to sign Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes, 21, following West Ham‘s relegation from the Premier League. (Sun), external

Brighton have rejected a second bid from Tottenham Hotspur for Netherlands centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke, 25. (Talksport), external

Harry Maguire could be allowed to leave Manchester United this summer, just months after the England defender, 33, signed a new contract. (Football Insider), external

Inter Milan have made an offer for England midfielder Curtis Jones, 25, but are currently some way short of Liverpool‘s valuation. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Liverpool could use Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo, 27, as leverage in their bid to sign Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, 19, from RB Leipzig. (Teamtalk), external

Bayern Munich have said they have no intention of selling Michael Olise after Real Madrid said they would offer £130m for the France winger, 24. (Bild – in German), external

Bernardo Silva says that joining Barcelona is “an option” after leaving Manchester City but the Portugal midfielder, 31, is yet to make a decision on his future. (Marca – in Spanish), external

Tottenham‘s Italy international Guglielmo Vicario, 29, has emerged as the frontrunner as Juventus look to sign a new goalkeeper. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Coventry City have submitted a club-record £20m bid for Carl Rushworth, the 24-year-old English goalkeeper who helped the Sky Blues win the Championship while on loan from Brighton last season. (Talksport), external

Kath Cross and Stuart Hall have been living full-time in their campervan and have travelled over 25,000 miles on their epic adventures

A couple sold all their possessions to buy a campervan and travel the world – for just £30 a day. Kath Cross, 49, and Stuart Hall, 48, have travelled over 25,000 miles on epic adventures through the Sahara desert, Europe and Scotland in their make-shift home.

The pair have been living in their 7.5m Mercedes Sprinter ever since Kath sold all her possessions and stopped paying rent four years ago. To date they have toured over 15 countries – and will have exceeded 20 by the time they get back from their current trip to Montenegro.

The couple work on the road full-time under the name Vanavigation – where they create, write and share travel content. Though their spending plan varies slightly depending on which country they are residing in, the pair say on average they spend around £900 to £1,200 a month – cheaper than Kath’s old house rental in Cardiff.

This means they budget around £30 to £40 a day for their lifestyle – with half spent on fuel. Kath, from Cardiff, said: “It was a choice we made between one life and another – and we don’t regret a second of it.

“When I sold my possessions, it made me realise that you are supposed to own things – not them own you. When you have a mortgage, a car payment, you are owned by society, fixed because you have to stay where you are and pay your bills.

“The more of my stuff I sold the more free I felt – the more I am realising those possessions owned me and pinned me in one place. Life owns you and you are supposed to own it.”

Kath and Stuart bonded over their shared love of nature and the outdoors after meeting in a South Wales walking group back in 2021. They hiked over 105 peaks in the UK during their first year of dating and Kath decided that Stuart was the person she wanted to travel the world with.

She soon after decided to pack up her four-bed rental house and sell all of her possessions back in 2022 when her daughters left home. Stuart and Kath have since travelled over 25,000 miles – including their first trip all the way to the Sahara desert, which Kath described as her “lifelong dream”.

Kath said: “I had an idea that when my kids left home I wanted to drive to the Sahara – it was a dream I’d had for years. Stu already owned the van, and we had been together a few months when we visited Scotland for a month in the campervan. We didn’t kill each other and got on very well.

“So that winter I decided that I was going to downsize my life, my kids had left home, the four-bed rental was too much for me and I just didn’t want it anymore. It was taking every penny that I earned just to keep the rental going – but we knew we could live cheaper on the road.

“A lot of people are scared of the big adventure, but Stu was up for the idea and so we drove to the edge of the Sahara desert and haven’t looked back.”

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The mother-of-two is able to ensure a steady monthly income for the pair after she set up her own business online back in 2012. As a single parent, Kath wanted to ensure she could earn a living while being at home with her children – and her copywriting and freelance work saw her amass 1.6million followers on Facebook in 2014.

Stuart, who works for an agency as a truck driver, works when they visit the UK after trips to help top up their money before their next adventure. Her and Stuart are both work together to produce content for Vanavigation – releasing weekly Youtube episodes, travel guides and insightful blogs across social media on how to travel the world.

Kath said: “Life really is a lot cheaper in the van – you don’t need two wages. We were away for 101 days and our average spend was £1000 a month – this is less than my rent used to be in Cardiff and we lived like kings and queens.”

Despite more than half their budget being on fuel, the pair say they don’t live like they are on holiday – and mostly cook in the van and only pay for a few activities a month. Kath said: “As fuel prices have gone up we have just slowed down!

“We just drive a bit slower and make a few less stops – which means we extend the trip really. When you’re in North Macedonia and paying 130 a litre for diesel, there is no point rushing back to pay whatever horrifying price it is in the UK at the moment.”

The pair are able to live in their fully-equipped campervan which boasts a full working set up including: a shower, toilet, king-size bed, sink, and a fully working kitchen with an oven, gas burner. Stuart, who converted the inside of the van shortly after purchasing it, said: “We can even do a roast dinner.”

So far, the pair have driven 3,000 miles to Denmark and back, 7,000 miles around Spain and Portugal, 2,000 miles to Scotland and 8,000 miles to the Sahara. They are currently in Montenegro, and are just shy of 5,000 miles on their trip which has seen them drive through France, Italy, Albania, Greece, North Macedonia and Kosovo.

Their next stops are Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia and France. Kath and Stu said their Sahara trip has been one of their many highlights – which also include their visit to the Atlas mountains, Kosovo and Denmark.

Stuart, from Southampton, said: “We drove to the edge of the sand dunes and were drinking coffee out of own mugs from home. Then we opened up the curtains and there were 40 camels outside – it was totally surreal. I had only ever been on package holidays before.”

Kath said they also loved their visit to the Atlas mountains because of the scenery and people they met during their trip and volunteering. She said: “There are communities there that have nothing, and they just want to help you.

“We helped a guy stuck in the snow and he wanted to take us to his village, which had 66 houses and a mosque. His family made us food and drinks and the kids in the village came to meet us and it was only a few months after the earthquake. It was so special connecting with the local communities.”

The pair are strong advocates for following your dreams and travelling the world in a mindful and sustainable way. Stuart said: “We choose to step lighter on this earth.

“My big diesel van has much less of a carbon footprint than a three-bed house where people leave the lights on. We don’t buy new stuff, we wear clothes until we can’t wear them anymore and we live light on plastics. We love this life and we learn so much about people.”

Kath said: “You can’t dream yourself into this life, you have to make intentional decisions to get here. You have to let go of other things to get here. We left the rat race – and we’re really glad about it.”

You can follow their adventures here: “https://www.facebook.com/vanavigationuk/

DENISE van Outen has opened up about her heartbreak over losing a Towie “family member” as she revealed plans to pay tribute to Jake Hall.

The TV star shared an emotional message, reflecting on the devastating loss.

The Only Way is Essex star Jake Hall was found dead at a Spanish holiday villa with head injuries after a night out partying on Thursday.

He was a regular on the reality TV series from series 14 to series 17. 

Denise has been voicing the show since it started in 2010 and has opened up about his tragic death.

She told the Daily Mail: “I’ve worked on the show since it started and with any loss within our TOWIE family it is heartbreaking.

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Inside £200-a-night Majorca villa where tragic Towie star Jake Hall died

“But he was so lovely whenever I saw him out and he was so friendly and so talented.

“I really feel for his family, my thoughts go out to them, and it is just really sad and he was way too young to go.

“I do wonder what TOWIE will do, I think they’ll do a tribute as they’ve lost a few people recently. I was just really really shocked when I saw it.”

Cops found the 35-year-old former reality show hunk in a pool of blood with fatal head wounds apparently caused by shards of glass.

Officers say inquiries focused on the theory of a tragic accident in which the 6ft 4ins star smashed his head through a glass door.

A source said: “Witnesses told investigators he had been out partying all night and decided to carry on the party back at the place he was renting.

“It appears from what police have been told that he became agitated, possibly from alcohol and other substances he may have consumed.”

The source also said at one point things “turned aggressive” and he may have “tried to harm himself by banging his head against things.”

Officers were called to the rented house in Santa Margalida in the north of the holiday island at around 7.30am on Wednesday morning.

A police source said: “We are focusing on the theory the victim died in a tragic accident after hitting his head against the glass door but it is still too early to say definitely what happened.”

No arrests were believed to have been made as inquiries continued and an autopsy is due to take place in the Majorcan capital, Palma.

An ongoing investigation is being led by the Spanish Civil Guard.

He often spent time in Majorca where he had a second home used as a base for work and leisure.

Jake had a daughter, River, with model and Real Housewives of Cheshire star Misse Beqiri.

A statement shared by her talent agent said: “At this time, Misse’s focus is on supporting and protecting their child as they come to terms with this devastating loss.

“The family are asking for privacy, compassion and respect while they grieve privately.”

Jake joined TOWIE in 2015, and dated co-star Chloe Lewis before leaving the programme in 2024.

He also ran a menswear brand called By Jake Hall.

Kath Cross, 49, and her partner Stu Hall, 47, sold most of their possessions and set off on a van life adventure across Europe and beyond after Kath’s daughters moved out of the family home

A couple who flogged all their belongings to explore the globe in a van have disclosed their top destination from their remarkable journey.

Kath Cross, 49, and her partner Stu Hall, 47, chose to embark on worldwide travels after Kath’s daughters from an earlier relationship, Stephanie, 30, and Jessica, 22, had flown the nest. Following their departure, Kath came to the realisation that she could work from wherever she fancied and opted to sell much of what she owned.

Using the proceeds from flogging items on Facebook Marketplace, she and Stu purchased a van, a 7.5m Mercedes Sprinter, and set off to see the world after vacating their rented property in Cardiff, Wales.

Since departing, they’ve weathered the highs and lows of perpetual life on the move, while also lending a hand to others during their travels.

Chatting to WalesOnline, Kath and Stu, who crossed paths through a walking club, revealed which country had impressed them most during their adventure, reports the Express.

The duo have journeyed through destinations including Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro, amongst other European nations.

They selected Morocco as their standout location, saying: “In Morocco we went to the edge of the Sahara. We were sitting looking over the edge on the sand dunes drinking coffee from a mug from home – it was huge.

“Then we had snow in the Atlas mountains in January 2024 when we rescued Mohammed, ‘MouMou’, who was stuck 3,000m up in the snow in his car. We took him out with our snow chains and lent our snow chains to him. MouMou is in his late 20s and a really nice guy.

“We were just heading over the Atlas mountains when we saw him. People were just driving past him worrying he was a bandit when he just couldn’t drive on.”

However, Kath and Stu aren’t the only ones to have embraced van life, with the likes of Suzy Greenwood ditching her London job to live on the road after falling head over heels for the lifestyle.

Suzy, 39, had spent 15 years forging a career in PR before deciding to make the leap once the Covid-19 lockdowns had lifted. Confronted with her flat in Shepherd’s Bush, London, she told the Independent she realised she was “no longer doing the things I loved” in London.

After offloading her two-bedroom flat, she purchased a converted Volkswagen Caddy van and embarked on a fresh chapter. She revealed that despite the van’s compact size, it carries several distinct advantages, not least the financial savings.

She explained: “The van itself is tiny, which is great because I can park up anywhere. It looks like a workman’s van, so I can sleep in a lay-by, or at beautiful spots overlooking the sea.

“Where I once spent maybe £200 on a fancy dinner, I can now spend £10 on a whole weekend and be having the time of my life. The life I live now really doesn’t cost very much at all.”

Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United): When you look at the back end of the season compared to the start of the season it has been night and day. It just shows what a bit of love and care can do to somebody. I’m not willing to say Mainoo is the man yet – I think we have to see more of a body of work – but I would say the win against Liverpool was the best performance I’ve seen him have in a United shirt. Dominated the game, made some big tackles, passing forward, breaking up the play but also coming with the goal. The most complete performance from him, I thought he was excellent.

Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool): Goal and assist for him at Old Trafford. Liverpool have been terrible all season but he comes out with his head high as one of the best around. His stock has grown in a poor season for them. He keeps coming up with big performances.

Conor Gallagher (Tottenham): I was going to put James Garner in there, but Gallagher gets it for me because the game was even more important for Spurs. Big goal. He has had a tough time there but with Roberto de Zerbi and the philosophy of pressing and running hard, I think that makes Gallagher an unbelievable buy for Spurs. He will not only be good this year but for the coming years.

Mathys Tel (Tottenham): I thought Tel was arguably the most overrated player that Spurs bought, but since the turn of the year he has had a light switch in head that says ‘hold on, I was at Bayern Munich and now I could be playing in the Championship’. He stepped up. He has played big minutes in terms of carrying the ball forward, being an outlet and now is adding assists to it. That cross for Richarlison was a striker’s dream.

Jeremy Doku (Manchester City): He wasn’t going to be in it until the last kick of the game. Two unbelievable strikes in the same match and one with either foot. He’s the most frustrating player to watch because you think ‘you are faster than everyone else – kick and run’, but he likes his tricks. When he puts his two goals in the corner, he has kept Manchester City’s season alive because it was dead. I still think Arsenal will win it, but he has made it interesting.

Captain Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool‘s season has been “unacceptable” after Arne Slot’s side fell to an 18th defeat in all competitions when they were beaten by Manchester United.

The Dutch defender has also stressed the need for “a lot of work to be done behind the scenes” to avoid a repeat of their disappointing Premier League title defence.

“I’m not here to make excuses,” Van Dijk said.

“It’s been a very disappointing season, an unacceptable season, and it’s tough. We shouldn’t feel sorry for ourselves whatsoever.

“We have to work and turn this around and make sure that next season these things don’t happen. It’s not Liverpool.”

Liverpool may still require four points from their remaining three games to confirm Champions League qualification.

The 3-2 defeat against Michael Carrick’s side at Old Trafford came after a three-game winning run in the Premier League, but it was the 11th loss of Liverpool‘s title defence.

The last reigning champions to lose more league games were Leicester (18) in 2016-17.

“I think it’s unacceptable that we have lost too many times as defending champions of the Premier League and we shouldn’t accept it,” said Van Dijk.

“There will be a lot of work that has to be done going into next season. When I am back from the World Cup I will go into it, but there is a lot of work to be done behind the scenes.”

The 34-year-old added: “I care so much about this club. I know that it has been a tough season, but I will always be there in good and lesser good days.

“But we have three games left and the realisation has to come from ourselves, as a group and as players, to make sure that we are in the Champions League because of the impact of it for the financial side for the club. But also because we want to be playing against the best teams in Europe.

“It’s not easy. But we keep going.”

DENISE Van Outen has celebrated rarely-seen daughter Betsy’s 16th birthday and fans can’t believe how grown up she is.

Denise, 51, took to Instagram on Friday to share snaps of her daughter, who she shares with her ex-husband Lee Mead.

In the first picture, Betsy looked as stylish as her famous mum in a white summery top, with her long, dark hair draped over her shoulder and sunglasses covering her eyes.

Other pictures saw Denise and Betsy enjoying a game of mini golf, spending time on the beach and walking their dog.

Denise also shared throwback snaps of Betsy when she was a little girl at various ages.

She captioned the pictures: “16 TODAY [star and love heart emojis] Happy birthday to our beautiful Betsy.

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“So proud of our young lady. Weekend celebrations incoming! Love you Betsy Boo.”

Fans were quick to comment on how grown up she is, with one writing: “Beautiful Betsy! Gosh – So like her Daddy! Grown up so quickly. Have a fantastic day celebrating!”

Another added: “Beautiful Betsy … so grown up … time flies.”

Musical theatre star Lee, 44, also shared snaps of Betsy to mark her milestone birthday.

Father and daughter shared a sweet hug in one snap, while Betsy beamed at a fairground in another.

Lee wrote in the caption: “Happy 16th birthday to our beautiful Betsy. We all love you so much. I still can’t believe how fast the years have gone.

“No words could ever fully say how proud I am of you and how much I love you. You are the best daughter a Daddy could ever wish for. So kind, funny and always putting others before yourself.

“It’s a privilege seeing you grown into the beautiful young lady you are becoming with so many amazing experiences ahead of you. Happy 16th my beautiful girl.”

Denise and Lee got together in 2007 and married in 2009 before welcoming Betsy a year later.

They separated in 2013 and finalised their divorce in 2015.

“That man had clearly had too much to drink and it felt to me like his anger came out of nowhere,” Van Gerwen, 37, told Dutch sport news website Sportnieuws.nl, external.

“Just as he seemed to be heading for the exit, he suddenly lashed out.

“That man clearly knows he was in the wrong because he apologised via Instagram.”

Van Gerwen, who has decided not to press charges against the person responsible, said of his reaction to the incident: “Of course, it’s not right for me to go after him but that was an automatic reaction of shock.”

The incident occurred before Van Gerwen was back in Premier League action in Aberdeen on Thursday.

Luke Humphries beat the Dutchman 6-3 in the pair’s quarter-final clash in Scotland.

One of the greatest players in darts history, Van Gerwen was ranked world number one between 2014 and 2021, during which period he won the Masters five times in a row.

With 48 majors singles to his name, Van Gerwen is ranked second in the PDC’s all-time list behind England’s Phil Taylor.