SKIPPY GETS CELEBRITY STATUS

Skippy, the iconic VW camper van featuring graphics of the town’s most famous landmarks, has achieved ‘celebrity status’, starring on a range of merchandise being sold in aid of charity.

 Owner Andrew Mear, who restored the abandoned 1978 camper van and transformed it into a ‘moving monument’ to the town, first started selling T-shirts featuring Skippy, in aid of Parkinson’s UK, during the pandemic.

They proved so popular that he has now launched a whole range of merchandise featuring the camper van on his High Corn Mill website, www.highcornmill.co.uk  It includes T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, sports bottles and phone cases.

Said Andrew, a property entrepreneur whose portfolio covers several of the town’s historic buildings, including High Corn Mill and High Street House: “Skipton people have really taken the camper van to their hearts – and Parkinson’s UK is very close to mine as it is something that has affected my own family, so all profits from the sale of the merchandise will go to the charity. It gives people the chance to show their support for the town and also raise vital money for a good cause, dedicated to improving life for everyone affected by the condition.”

When not out and about promoting the town, Skippy is kept under cover in the courtyard at High Corn Mill where it has become a popular tourist attraction at the medieval mill.