AMY GOODYEAR, NORFOLK
@AMYGOODYEAR
OCCUPATION: Events Manager MY DRIVE: Land Rover Defender 90, ‘Isla’ FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS:
Cornwall and Scotland DREAM LAND ROVER TRIP:
Norway, Switzerland, South of France
AMY AND ISLA: ‘‘I was saving for a house deposit,’’ says Amy, when we ask how she ended up with Isla, her Defender 90. ‘‘I’d always had a thing for Land Rovers and decided to buy her instead!’’ With two previous owners, the 90 had barely been driven. It’s been her daily for six years, but last year she started laning for the first time, and fitted a roof tent in the summer.
For Amy, Isla is her ticket to the outdoor lifestyle she loves, and the moniker comes from her family’s Scottish heritage. ‘‘I lived in Scotland for a short period of time, on the west coast which is the most stunning part in my eyes. The tiny village didn’t even have a pub – it was beautiful there but not very convenient!
Now Norfolk-based, and with lockdown preventing so much travel in the past year, having the Land Rover meant she
was still able to get out within the rules and enjoy outdoor spaces.
THE FREEDOM TO TRAVEL: ‘‘I went to both Cornwall and Scotland in Isla during 2020, between lockdowns, the former was with the All Terrain Collective group and included four other Land Rovers,’’ says Amy.
‘‘It’s not just a car. I could get in and go away for a week and be completely self-contained. Waking up in the morning when you’re camping in your Land Rover, being surrounded by nothing other than nature, is amazing. I also love being able to go on roads a normal car can’t. For me, having Isla is about the freedom to travel.’’
While the roof tent is great, Amy says it’s better in fair weather – if it’s windy, you need earplugs!
‘‘The 90 isn’t quite big enough to convert, you wouldn’t be able to fit a bed in it for instance, but
I’d never swap her for a
110, I love the look of a 90, and she feels more agile.’’
CURRENT WORK: At the moment Isla is undergoing minor work on the suspension.
‘‘I had a lift put on her, because of the weight of the roof tent and rig, which is about an extra 150 kg, but the front end was sitting too high, vibrating and rattling, so that’s now being looked at. Overall though I’ve had no real problems. She’s sturdy and reliable.” LANING AND THE LAND ROVER COMMUNITY: Amy started greenlaning for
the first time in 2020, and she particularly enjoys driving in nearby Thetford Forest. ‘‘Laning wasn’t something I’d done before as I didn’t want to go alone,’’ she explains. It was Instagram that connected her with other local Land Rover owners, one of whom invited her out on a laning day.
‘‘It was a great way to get into laning, and everyone was so friendly. I’ve found with Land Rover owners that they all want to help – they’ll give as much info as possible if you ask for advice. It’s a friendly and
down-to-earth community.’’ DREAM LAND ROVER
TRIP: ‘‘I’d love to drive to Norway, Switzerland and the South of France – not all in one go, mind! It won’t be this year because I’m getting my business up and running, but next year and the year after, I’d like to do at least two of these trips.’’ First, Amy plans to make some changes before travelling too far afield. ‘‘I’d need to put some heating in, for a start, finish kitting out the back with a drawer for all the cooking essentials, and fit a dual battery. I learned that lesson when I left the cool box plugged in with the keys in the ignition in Thetford forest!’’
OCCUPATION: Works for a land-based college; background in forestry and countryside management MY DRIVE: Discovery 3, ‘The Chief’ FAVOURITE DESTINATION:
The Lake District, his back yard DREAM LAND ROVER TRIP:
Pacific North West
LIFE IN THE LAKES: Tim spends most of his time outdoors exploring the Lake District. ‘‘I’ll try and find an opportunity every day to go out and do something, whether it’s on the bike for sunrise, canoeing on the lake, biking in the forest or just coffee on the tailgate.’’
Tim’s Land Rover Discovery, fondly named ‘The Chief’, is central to his family’s adventurous lifestyle of mountain biking and walking. “Often, I’ll drop my son off into the forest, my wife and daughter will go the opposite way on a walk, and I’ll be on a bike ride. The Land Rover provides that hub; it lets us all be outdoors but within reach of each other,’’ Tim explains.
His previous Land Rover Defender ‘Sarge’ was named after the retired marine sergeant
Tim bought it from, and played the same role as his current Discovery. ‘‘I referred to Sarge as our ‘mobile family adventure vehicle’, you’d drive somewhere, set everything up and then everybody’s gone!’
When it comes to mods for his Discovery, Tim prefers the subtle and functional look. ‘‘I’m cautious of pimping it up, but I still like my Land Rover to be non-standard and have its own personality,’’ Tim tells us. ‘‘It’s got a high-lift jack, spotlights, front runner roof rack, rock sliders and sump guard. When the air suspension failed I went to coil springs.’’
In the future, Tim plans to lift his Land Rover slightly to improve its functionality. ‘‘Its standard ride height is slightly impractical for me. Even doing roadside work, I’ve had the tow bar wedged in the ground and had to get towed off!’’
THE LAND ROVER COMMUNITY: For Tim, he is always thinking of the next opportunity to capture the Lakes and Landys life for his Instagram pictures and five thousand followers. His work for a land-based college is term-time only, and outside of this he works for the local council helping with roadside maintenance. ‘‘I’ll take a cup of coffee out and inevitably I’ll be parked up somewhere scenic,’’ Tim tells us, ‘‘but sometimes it is a case of Instagram versus reality, the picture is nice but I probably had my hand down a grid ten minutes earlier!’’
The sense of community in the Lakes is an important part of keeping the area protected, something Tim feels a great deal of responsibility for. ‘‘Nearly 30 years of my working life have been in this landscape – the trees I’ve planted, walls I’ve repaired and fences I’ve put up,’’ he explains. ‘‘When you’re so engaged in the management of an area, you’re duty-bound to take care of it. It’s important for people to respect that, and to take care of the area when they come to visit – even if it’s just for half a day.’’ Tim is careful with his Land Rover, too: ‘‘I’m cautious of being seen as damaging the land when driving, so I’ll always go out calmly and just enjoy what’s there.’’ There have been occasions when other people haven’t been so cautious though. ‘‘Once,’’ Tim recalls, ‘‘I had to reverse the entire length of a track to let 13 vehicles through. I told them they had to be careful. It’s a shame, because if people carry on like that, there will be nothing left for anybody.’’
FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS: When we ask Tim about his favourite trip, he’s torn between the Lake District and Scotland. ‘‘From a logistical point of view, I am guilty of sticking to my bubble,’’ he laughs. ‘‘I’ve got everything I want on my doorstep! Having said that, we have done family trips to Scotland with the four bikes on the back and family tent on the top. This summer, we’ll head to Scotland again, this time with our teardrop trailer. We’ve just rigged up solar panels to charge the battery, too, and there’s a gas cooker in the back so we’ll be set.’’
DREAM LAND ROVER TRIP: In terms of a dream destination, Tim and his adventurous family are thinking big, having already taken a road trip across the Pacific North West. ‘‘I’d love to get back out there,’’ Tim says, ‘‘to drive across Northern California, Oregon, Washington State and Vancouver Island. That would be my dream trip, to get out there in the big forests. I suppose one of the restrictive things in the Lakes is that every driving trip is relatively short-lived. But a road trip in Oregon, for example, you could go for days and not see anybody.’’
That being said, Tim will always love his home in the Lakes. ‘‘It’s a wonderful place to live, I appreciate the lifestyle and freedom it affords us, even in lockdown we can still go for a walk up the hill or take a bike around the forest. I will never take it for granted. It’s a phenomenal life to have.’’