Former Spalding Voice journalists head off for adult ‘gap year’

Former Voice news editor Nigel Chapman and his family are jetting off tomorrow as their ‘gap year’ starts its international leg.

Traditionally the preserve of teenagers and students, the gap year adventure involves Nigel, his wife Louise, who also wrote for the Voice, and their son Kian (7).

They have mapped out a route to parts of America, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

The Spalding family have enjoyed the summer in England and Wales, with Nigel and Louise doing voluntary work at six different field studies centres.

The overseas part of their plan gets under way tomorrow, with the first leg being a flight to San Francisco.
Nigel (46) said: “The plan is to travel until at least February, providing we manage to keep to our budget.

“It’s taken a lot of saving and a lot of planning but we’re thrilled to actually be on it now and seeing new places and enjoying fresh experiences every day makes the months of preparation worth every bit.”

Kian has been deregistered from his primary school and is being educated by his parents on the road.

Louise said: “A round the world trip is something we’d always hoped we’d be able to do. We hadn’t thought it would be in our mid-life but decided now was an opportune time for all of us and have gone for it.

“We could have waited until Nigel and I were retired but no one can foresee how their health or finances will be then.”

The couple have rented out their home to provide income and their voluntary marketing work with Real Family

Holidays has enabled them to enjoy parts of the UK they had not previously seen.

The company offers budget breaks run by the charity Field Studies Council, which aims to get families outside learning about the environment.

Kian is thrilled by the prospect of seeing life in Japan and will be in Tokyo for his eighth birthday, said Nigel.

The Chapmans are hoping to spend Christmas Day on a beach in Australia and to be joined by Nigel’s daughter Tia who is flying out for a holiday during a break in university studies.

Nigel said: “We want this trip to provide us with memories to last a lifetime. And then when we get back, we’ll be straight into finding a school place for Kian and employment for us. That may not prove easy.”

To follow the Chapmans’ blog see www.familygapyear.co.uk and like their Facebook page Our Family Gap Year.