Keri and Ricky Bailey, from Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, dreamt of touring the Continent for years before finally deciding to make it a reality by buying a campervan to live and work remotely in.
A pole-obsessed woman splashed out £40,000 on a luxury campervan complete with a portable stripper pole so she can spin her way around Europe.
Keri and Ricky Bailey dreamt of touring the Continent for years before finally deciding to make it a reality by buying a campervan to live and work remotely in. Their wanderlust dream soon hit a hurdle for the 31-year-old, who admits she ‘lives and breathes’ pole.
Keri realised she could not cope without pole dancing for such long periods of time. So she hatched a plan to convert their Citroen Relay L3H2 into a portable studio by having a 8ft pole attached to the back of it, that she can easily fold away as they move.
The pole instructor can now spin to her heart’s content while on the road with 33-year-old business executive Ricky – and their two dogs Tilly and Rupert. Stunning footage and snaps show super-strong Keri throwing some shapes on the pole with spectacular sun-drenched backdrops – including along the magnificent French Riviera.
Other images show her wearing bobble hat and woolly socks while pole-dancing in the Yorkshire Dales with the temperature a freezing minus one. They have already toured France, visiting the likes of Saint Tropez, Nice, and champagne-lovers’ favourite Reims, as well as northern Italy – while planning to venture further afield in Italy this spring.
She now plans to offer classes on the road, meaning she can pursue her passion and make a living even when travelling. Keri, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, said: “I live and breathe pole dancing, it’s a way of life.
“I only really take a day off to rest my body so whenever we talk about going travelling I dread not being able to do it for weeks at a time. I love the pole so much and doing it against breath-taking scenery in the Alps was amazing.
“Doing it in the open air feels really liberating too, it did attract a few funny looks though. Travelling in the van doesn’t feel like a holiday, it feels like we’re living abroad. And now I can combine my two passions, travelling and pole.”
The couple have talked about quitting the UK for sunny France ‘for years’ and took the plunge, hitting the roads of mainland Europe after Covid inspired them to adopt a ‘live now’ mindset. Keri said: “We talked on and off for years about having a property in France – a van would give us an opportunity to see things in a local way.
“The van gave us the sense of freedom and when we talked about what we would want to do when we retire it was always travel. This made that ‘retirement’ dream a possibility now. So we can work and take the dogs with us. It was definitely a ‘let’s live now’ mindset.
“We only got the van at the end of last year and couldn’t wait to go on our first trip. We want to go around Italy, Norway, Denmark, we’d love to go to more remote parts of Scotland and even Cornwall. Ricky’s really keen on a big trip, he wants us to make our way over to Greece.”
The portable pole, fixed by Vanlife Conversion UK, means she can teach wherever she is – either one-to-one or online. Keri said: “Anyone can become strong, anyone can become flexible, if they have the right support around them.
“I will always stand up for our community. Pole comes from strippers and that is a huge part of what we celebrate. Without celebrating them, you’re hiding away a huge part of what pole is about.”
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