By Claire Lawson

Atlas Leisure Homes buys back caravan factory

The 2008 recession, it is safe to say, took no prisoners. A number of industries were affected by the knock-on effect the dip in the economy inevitably presented – and the leisure industry was certainly one of these.

Struck by the recession, Atlas Holiday Homes collapsed in December of 2008. 340 jobs were lost and unit sales dramatically plummeted from 32,000 to 20,000. Atlas Leisure Homes then started renting the factory that was passed onto administrator BDO.

Shortly afterwards, however, the company was revived as Atlas Leisure Homes with its sights set on ‘eventual recovery’. And the revival has finally come to fruition with the announcement that

Atlas Leisure Homes has now bought the premises back for an undisclosed six-figure sum and is investing £200,000 into new equipment and systems.

Commercial director, Andrew Innes, knows this is a huge step forward for everyone after difficult times. “It’s a significant milestone, but it’s also a great weight off our minds.

“From an employee’s point of view, it gives them confidence the business is moving forward.”

Buying out BDO means the site is no longer at risk of being sold to another occupier – an aim Atlas has worked to achieve since the revival of the company.

Further major investments are currently planned to match the output of increasing demands. Almost £200,000 is being used to improve machinery and factory efficiency. Atlas is now centring their efforts on sustaining the company with quality stock.

“What we’re focused on is providing good-quality products and service to ensure the customers come back year after year. It’s about sustainability rather than chasing growth” continued Innes.

Currently, 1,250 caravans are being produced which is more than double the number of caravan production in its first year after the recovery.

“We’ve grown every single year from the very first year. There will be growth this year, there’s no doubt.” says Innes.

With signs like this indicating that we are truly out of the doldrums, it seems pretty evident that the leisure industry remains vigilant in times of financial hardship and that the pastime of getting out and about in our beloved homes on wheels looks set to continue for a very long time to come.

by Justine Iorga
Scam artists take advantage of those seeking holiday getaway
Imagine going to book a holiday, getting the caravan loaded up, and setting out with the family to your destination only to find that it was all just one big scam. How livid would you be? We can take a guess and say very, and for thousands of devastated UK folks this very thing happened to them when they tried to book what they thought was a legit holiday, but turned out to be a cold-hearted scam.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has compiled a report and found that people looking for UK caravan stays have been targeted (among many other holidaymakers) with adverts for non-existent accommodation posted on websites such as Facebook, Gumtree and Craigslist – earning con-artists a payday to the tune of £2.2 million.
The report reveals that fraudsters hacked into the accounts of owners on well-known accommodation sites or spoofed holiday websites with cunning imitations, leaving victims with nothing but a worthless fake booking and out hundreds of pounds. It was estimated each person on average lost £889, of the reported 1,569 victims according to the NFIB.
Apart from caravanners, other unwilling victims were getting scammed on flight bookings, timeshares, hotel accommodation, sporting tickets and more. Unfortunately for the victims, only a small portion of those scammed paid by credit cards, providing them with ultimate protection, meaning a lot of those conned were unable to be compensated for money lost.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Clark, head of economic crime at the City of London Police, spoke of the scam stating: “The nature and scale of holiday fraud means police action alone can only be part of the solution to this problem.
“Online shoppers must be vigilant and conduct all the necessary checks before booking a break to ensure the conmen are kept at bay.

“I would also urge anyone who has fallen victim to a holiday fraud to contact Action Fraud. Doing this will help the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau to identify and target those most responsible for this harmful and upsetting crime.”
As sickening as it is that people can get away with crimes like this at the expense of others, it just goes to show that when booking your next holiday make sure you are extra vigilant – if it sounds too good to be true then it just might be!
Do you know anyone that was a victim to online scamming? Let us know in the comments below.

by Justine Iorga
Horizon Multi-Concept Vehicles offering BGT viewers the chance to win
If you tuned into Britain’s Got Talent this past Saturday (11 April) then you saw a show packed with loads of quirky and interesting acts including Marc Métral and his ‘talking’ dog Wendy, golden boy Calum Scott, roller skating duo Billy and Emily, the Ruby Reds, the ever so flexible Magdalena, and heaps more, but it wasn’t just the acts that grabbed our attention.
British luxury automotive company Horizon Multi-Concept Vehicles (MCV) Limited has teamed up with ITV for a competition that will be featured throughout the hit ITV show this season. The competition debuted this past weekend offering viewers across the country the chance to win an all-new, luxury Mercedes-Benz Vito model with a starting price of £49,995.
For those of you that aren’t familiar with Horizon MCV they design campervans that essentially act both as a stylish solution for day-to-day transportation, such as taking children to school, visiting the supermarket or commuting to work, whilst also providing the high-end, comprehensive living area needed to complement weekends away and long-distance tours, and, according to Horizon MCV, the new Vito reflects just the level of popularity for luxury, flexible-living solutions.
The vehicle, with slick, streamlined exterior design, including a more pronounced grill and greater dimensions, features an electronically controlled bench-to-bed facility and elevating roof and provides accommodation for up to four adults and one child.
Horizon MCV’s Sales Director James Burt said: “We are thrilled that our New Vito model will be featuring on Britain’s favourite Saturday night show. The launch of our New Vito model, the second multi-concept vehicle launched since our start up last year, has been a very exciting period for us.
Being the first company to have converted this particular luxury vehicle, we have experienced a vast amount of interest from customer’s right across the UK and it shows that, when it comes to our manufacturing industry, Britain certainly does have talent.”
Be sure to tune into BGT this Saturday night to check out the Vito featuring in the competition element of the show just before the break.
What are your thoughts on this high end campervan? Let us know in the comments below.

by Justine Iorga
Faulty TPMS is resulting in motorists failing their MOT
If you have a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) then you might want to check it’s in full working order – otherwise you could be subject to failing your MOT.
With built-in pressure monitoring technology providing extra peace of mind for millions of UK motorists across the UK with TPMS now built into their wheels, it’s certainly an added advantage. But, as of 1 January this year, if your car has a fault with its TPMS when going in for an MOT then your test will result in a fail.
To ensure your TPMS system continues to operate properly and reduce the likelihood of an MOT failure, it may be necessary to have the system serviced occasionally. TPMS sensors are designed to last for many years and miles, however, after a certain period, the sensor’s internal battery will run out meaning a replacement is needed. Furthermore, your sensors can become faulty for any number of reasons including weather damage or being involved in a car accident, which is one of the reasons why manufacturers recommend that you replace the valve cap and core components every time a tyre is changed.
It’s also important to remember that just like with any technology it’s key to never rely too heavily on it. You should still regularly check your tyres manually to avoid any problems that your TPMS might not be alerting you of. The last thing you want is to have tyre issues with a caravan in tow causing a delay to your whole trip, as well as the possibility of a blow out, when it could have been easily avoided by checking the tyres beforehand.
To save you from a future MOT fail, check out the video below from UK tyre safety association, TyreSafe. They’ve produced a simple video to help you understand the safety features of TPMS allowing you to avoid any problems and ensure that the next time you take your car in for an MOT it will pass with flying colours.

by Joe Jeffrey

Bookies slash odds on 2015 being hottest year on record as three-month heatwave predicted

Get your sunscreen at the ready caravanners, as Britain is on course for a three-month heatwave.

A five-day sizzler this week will see temperatures reach 23C according to Met Office experts – that’s hotter than Bondi Beach – with further good weather predicted for most parts of the country, ensuring perfect conditions for getting out and about and making the most of those cloudless skies in the comfort of your leisure vehicle.

The warm weather is expected to rebuff chillier air generated by cool ocean temperatures off the coast of the USA, whilst providing a boost to the usual rained-off UK bank holidays in May, as well as pending spring music festivals and sporting events such as Wimbledon from 29 June to 12 July.

William Hill has slashed weather record odds of 2015 seeing record temperatures to just 2/1, with odds on temperatures topping 100F currently at 8/1, perhaps giving bookmakers across the country good reason to sweat.

Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said: “The hottest days of the year look very possible in the first days of the week ahead. It will become rather warm for many and perhaps very warm in places.

“Temperatures will climb in a southerly feed of air, with the South-East hottest and Tuesday at 22C and up to 23C, followed by Wednesday at up to 24C, dependent on cloud as a front moves south.

“The best of the sunshine will be in the south – although Tuesday will see quite widespread sunshine across England and Wales.

So what do you reckon? Are we in for record temperatures this year, or is this just a load of hot air over nothing?