The personal experiences of Llandysul writer Heather Summers have inspired a children’s travel book most adults will also love.

The Voyage of Van Rouge draws on Heather’s personal travel experiences.

“As a musician who has travelled to many countries to perform, I wanted my book to reflect my lifestyle,” she said.

“My vegetable characters, Sweet P and Pumpkin, go on an exciting, hilarious and often calamitous road trip from west Wales, through many countries, to Greece.

“The story is based on many road trips and true adventures; we really did buy a clapped-out old camper van and travel thousands of foreign miles across Europe.”

Sweet P and Pumpkin are based on Heather and her long-time clowning friend and former partner who gave the title to the book.

In 2013, they bought an old camper van and named it Van Rouge, and after many road trips, ended up on the Greek island of Lesvos where they performed.

They fell in love with the island and purchased a ‘ruin on a rock’, and with a lot of love, care and hard work they turned it into their simple dream house. Heather remembers the day they set off in Van Rouge having bought the place.

“We filled Van Rouge with awnings, chestnut poles, pallets, stove, washing machine, fridge and even a kitchen sink. There was very little room for us, but we squeezed in. Along the way we received several derisory comments.

“It’s true Van Rouge was old and was held together with gaffer tape, but we loved her.”

The Voyage of Van Rouge is a book for the Girl Power generation. The two main female characters are strong, and sometimes endearingly silly. Although the story is not overtly political, it is designed to appeal to a modern audience with attitudes to match.

Van Rouge’s final trip was in October 2019 when she had to be low loaded the last 35 miles home to Heather’s West Wales valley, having crossed the Albanian and Swiss mountains. She never recovered but her parts are now doing good work in Ghana.

It has become much more difficult for Heather to spend time in Greece - the pandemic and Brexit having made a big impact - but as ever, with the spirit of adventure in her heart, she pursues her dream to return.