A Halloween lover has created the ultimate spooky camper van – by converting an old hearse.
Adventurous Maggie Martin, 54, loves the autumnal festival so much she thought the disused funeral car would make the ideal transport for her road trips.
And after buying the Vauxhall Carlton Eagle for £1,000 on Friday the 13th last September, the haunted hearse – called Hetty – failed its Ministry of Transport test last Halloween.
Mum-of-three Maggie then spent hundreds to get the motor back on the road and while its had its setbacks, she has visited coastal spots and castles in Hetty.
She said: “I do wild camping, I will pull up somewhere and pack everything up.
“I used to have a camper van for my weekend road trips and I loved it, so I just thought a hearse would be the ideal camper van for one.
“The reason behind having a hearse is that they’re well looked after and they’ll only have been driven at low speeds.
“And I tried to go in my car but sometimes you park up somewhere and somebody will come and knock on to see what you’re up to.
“There’s not many people going to bother you if you’re in a hearse.
“We haven’t been to Whitby yet as it’s never been roadworthy enough to make the trip, but that’s the plan.”
When she’s not on her adventures, Maggie parks Hetty outside her three-bed semi in Cramlington, Northumberland, where it has attracted attention from passersby.
She added: “I love Halloween, I decorate all the house. I’m quite Gothy in nature and I go all out on it and the hearse adds to that.
“People stop to take pictures and smile and laugh. I live in a housing estate and the neighbors love it.
“They find us quirky, we’re like the Addams family on the corner.
“People will stop their cars and pull over for a picture. I’m not sure if they’re passing through or if they’ve come for a look, but It’s all good fun, nobody has complained.”
Maggie bought the hearse last year and converted the back of it – which once transported corpses on their last ride – into a camper van.
It houses a bed, a sofa and curtains as well as spooky decorations and dolls while her son Mark, 23, a talented illustrator, was roped into decorate the body work.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for Maggie, however, as the hearse has racked up hundreds of pounds worth repairs since she bought it.
And some road trips have ended in disaster when it’s broke down, forcing her to be rescued by the AA.
Maggie, a deputy town clerk, added: “That’s all part of the fun. If you just go somewhere in a car, it’s just boring.
“Some people have asked if it bothers me there’s been dead bodies in there, but it really doesn’t enter my mind until somebody points it out to me.
“I just think it’s fun and it’s quirky.”
Hetty has also hosted Halloween parties and used by local special educational needs groups as a visual learning tool.
Maggie added: “She’s been more than just a camper van.”
