"Three men in a float" by Dan Kieran and Ian Vince

Two writers for The Idler magazine decide to pay tribute to former Idler writer Jerome K Jerome, best known as the author of Three men in a boat, by driving an electric milk float from furthest East (Lowestoft) to furthest West (Lands End). Clearly they can't do it by themselves so they recruit as third man Indian holy man and electrician Prasad.

Given their almost total lack of organisation (they forget to buy insurance until the day before the trip) it kis amazing they make it to the start. But that, tautologically, is only the beginning. Although they have some planned stops they are mostly reliant on strangers who will (a) give them a bed for the night and (b) provide the milk float with a free charge.

It was a mostly charming book extolling the delights of slow travel. In keeping with their muse, Kieran and Vince lengthily expound their views on the world. They hate supermarkets which is a little churlish given that their float is charged by both Morrison's and Tesco. They also hate Cornwall, monasteries (they get free bed and board in one) and regimented camp sites. They trumpet the green virtues of electric vehicles and deplore cars. They are opinionated but unlike Jerome, their views are rarely humorous.

Nevertheless this book keeps you going because of the eccentricities they meet along the way. 

January 2013; 276 pages

This review was written by the author of Motherdarling  and The Kids of God

Other books on travel, exploration and explorers, reviewed in this blog, may be found here.