Colleen the teapot caravan lifts community spirits in Adelaide’s suburbs

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by Norah Lindsay

Caravans aren’t only used for holiday homes on wheels for families or trendy, vintage business ventures; after some serious digging around, CaravanTimes has come across yet another unusual caravan named Colleen, which has been modified to look like a giant teapot.

Colleen was built in the suburbs of Adelaide in Australia and this ‘travelling teapot’ has helped bring communities closer together.

Uniting Communities and Campbelltown Council launched Colleen, a 1950s caravan converted to look like a teapot, as the focus for their ‘In Your Street Programme’.

The programme tells us that Colleen’s main purpose was to create a self-sustaining connection between the young and old in the society, creating opportunities for the residents to meet and engage and lift the community’s spirit.

Back to life

After being neglected for 35 years, Colleen the caravan was dug out from underneath an old tarpaulin and fell into the hands of Kevin Jacka and his teamt Morialta Community Shed, who set about bringing her back to life.

Kevin talks us through the extensive work required to restore Colleen in the video below:

The spout was said to be a main vocal point for conversation within the community, so extra tender loving care was applied in order to create this recognisable feature.

Australian artist Ky Alecto carved both the spout and handle to complete the teapot.

Magical makeover

Colleen’s refurbishment had come to an end by November last year and so her journey began to change the face of her local community by hosting a number of successful tea parties.

Take a look at the video below to see just how much fun the residents had while enjoying the company of the largest teapot on wheels:

Program co-ordinator Ali Ayliffe says holding neighbourhood tea parties is proving a valuable way to help people get to know their neighbours in a busy world.

Ali said the sense of community had vanished over recent years for many people and in order to effectively build community spirit, the street parties needed a focus.

“Things like [having] a corner store or… I mean how long is it since you borrowed half a cup of sugar over the back fence?” she said.

The iconic ‘travelling teapot’ has definitely met its number one aim by bringing the community together and lifting the spirits of all those within the community.

Colleen is on the road on Sunday (23 March) for yet another tea party and she’ll be receiving a giant tea cosy created by the residents of Campbelltown.

We at CaravanTimes think this is a great idea and with the Big Lunch 2014 coming up in June, we’d love to see someone make a British version of Colleen.


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Alpine Caravan Services explain the secrets of their renovation success

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by David Weston

Alpine Caravan Services has only been running for a couple of months but this family business is already turning heads.

It all started when the Powell family received an old, dilapidated caravan and then renovated it to their ‘shabby-chic’ tastes.

“We have always been keen on caravans. We took holidays in them, static and touring,” Claire Powell told CaravanTimes.

“We were given a caravan by a friend. It was looking a bit sorry for itself so we decided to do it up and update it for ourselves.

“Everyone we showed it to said: ‘Wow you should do that more.’ So, we found another caravan and did it up in a vintage, shabby-chic style.”

Alpine Caravans’ first commercial project (pictured) was an Abbey Piper, from the late 70s.

“It took us around four weeks to refurbish, which is really good considering it was our first project and we had a lot of teething problems.

“We learned a lot of lessons from it, like what paint we should use and how to do the flooring,” Claire added.

As you can see from the slideshow below, the results are impressive and Alpine managed to create a comfortable space, which was in popular demand.

Now the business is in full swing. The company, as well as renovating vintage caravans, can also provide servicing and repairs to almost any caravan or motorhome.

Claire explained: “We’ve now taken on a small unit where we’ve been for four weeks. My husband is in training to service caravans. He has taken the ACoPs course. He is also a fully qualified MCEA service engineer.

“We didn’t want to put all our eggs in one basket so we also offer servicing to caravans which aren’t vintage.

“There’s no limitation on servicing. We can service caravans and motorhomes and we’re happy to do horse boxes and trailers.”

“It’s a real family business. My 16-year-old daughter is our ‘Chief Upholsterer’. Sewing is her thing so she does all of the curtains and everything.”

“We’re enjoying every minute of it. We hope it’s not just a phase but everyone we’ve spoke to about it have been really supportive and there is a market for it with the current vintage revival that’s happening. It’s still early days but it’s very exciting and a bit nerve-wracking.”

Alpine Caravan Services are online at alpinecaravanservices.co.uk or you can call them on 07790 807777 if you want to get your caravan serviced or treat it to a bit of a face-lift.


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Ladram Bay Holiday Park collects TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award

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by Tom Walsh

An East Devon caravan site has been named as one of the best family accommodation sites in the UK by TripAdvisor.

Ladram Bay Holiday Park near Budleigh Salterton claimed a spot in the Travellers’ Choice Awards 2014, run by the review website. It represents a major coup for the site in the build-up to the busy holiday season.

TripAdvisor placed Ladram Bay in the “family accommodation” category and was ranked 11th thanks to an abundance of positive feedback from past guests.

Claire Williams, general manager of the site, thanked the employees of Ladram Bay and told the Express & Echo: “A large share of the credit for this award must go to our staff who help ensure that the majority of our business each year comes from repeat bookings and recommendations.”

Ladram Bay is an excellent location for holidaymakers taking a trip to the West Country. It sits on the Devonshire coast and is also near to the seaside destinations of Sidmouth and Exmouth.

Torched Basildon caravans not a crime, say Essex police

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by Tom Walsh

Two “particularly dangerous” caravan fires near Basildon are not being investigated by Essex Police.

The mobile homes had been packed with rubbish and then went up in flames causing the closure of a nearby road, the Basildon Echo reports.

Fire crews were called out to tackle the blazes on 16 and 28 February, which they described as being dangerous and they have been treating as an arson attack.

But Essex Police do not share the same opinion. Officers stated that there are no grounds to investigate the fires and hence they will not open any lines of inquiries.

A police spokesman told the news provider: “There is no evidence to suggest the caravan fires were started criminally, as they could have been set alight by their owners.”

Due to the proximity of the incidents to a number of main roads, the fires were deemed to be dangerous but not enough for the police to consider them as criminal acts.

VIDEO: A whole new level of luxury in the Swift Elegance

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by Chris Jefferies
When Swift unveiled the Elegance last month it was hailed as the new flagship range for the company.
So it would be natural to assume that it would replace the Swift Conqueror range, but instead Swift has chosen to create a whole new level of luxury at the pinnacle of its touring caravan collection.
In this video, CaravanTimes talks to Swift’s Gary O’Brien about the new range and how it raises the bar even further for truly premium caravans.
He tells us about the unique features on board the Swift Elegance, such as the Scorpion design alloy wheels and the Duvalay memory foam mattress that can be found in all fixed bed layouts.
We also discuss the challenges of making a caravan feel cosy at night, which Swift has tackled with new dimmable LED spotlights and clever use of zonal lighting.
What’s more, we hear how the furniture has been redesigned with moulded vent boards to make the most out of the Alde central heating system.

Kimberley Caravans to host Compass launch weekend

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by Tom Walsh

‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="/compass/">Compass Caravans are coming to Kimberley Caravans and Motorhomes this weekend.

The company is holding a special launch event from 22-23 March at its Nottingham and County Durham sites to honour the return of the Compass range to the UK market.

Kimberley Caravans has been a major backer of Compass models and will have its Corona, Omega and Rallye ranges on display at both its dealerships.

Chris Lowe, director of Kimberley Caravans, said: “We are delighted that Compass caravans have been reintroduced for 2014 and that we have been selected as a retailer for this industry-leading brand.”

As an added incentive for people looking to purchase a Compass caravan, Kimberley Caravans will be offering a free Powrtouch Evolution manual motor mover worth up to £1,195 with every Corona, Omega or Rallye model.

Compass caravans are built with the Explorer Group’s Solid Construction and come backed with a free ten-year Water Ingress and Body Integrity Warranty putting the minds of owners at ease.

Wellhouse Leisure names February 2014 as best month ever for camper-van sales

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by Norah Lindsay

Wellhouse Leisure has named February 2014 as their best month ever due to record-breaking sales of 30 camper-vans and the company’s first £1 million monthly turnover.

The company’s record-breaking performance was a result of a buoyant market for camper-vans.

Other factors making a positive contribution to Wellhouse Leisure’s success included the launch of a new HomeView service, which offers personal demonstrations and test drives at people’s homes – there have already been 12 visits booked this month.

Another key factor was the announcement of new camper-van models such as the Ford Terrier L.David Elliott, managing director of Wellhouse Leisure commented on the company’s success:

“The demand for camper-vans seems stronger than ever in 2014, and the great value our award-winning Ford and Hyundai camper-vans offer is proving particularly popular.

“This is a great sign for the leisure industry and the UK economy, but best of all, it means our factory in Huddersfield will be keeping extra busy and we’ve had to recruit extra staff to meet the demand.”

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Exclusive: Introducing Martha – the vintage style caravan photo-booth

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by Norah Lindsay

Vintage caravans have been reborn in many different ways over the years and the latest example of this is truly inspiring for classic caravan lovers.

Vicki Owen, the owner of the shabby chic, vintage inspired boutique Love Your Home, has ‘up-cycled’ and transformed a broken down, neglected Abbey Piper caravan into a stylish, vibrant, vintage photo-booth.

A mother of two boys from Shropshire, Vicki visited her local caravan park and purchased an old caravan for just £250.

And she was inspired to try her hand at ‘up-cycling’ – a form of recycling where you find a new purpose for unwanted items, which is becoming increasingly popular in the UK.

The caravan was in such a bad state that the seller was surprised that she chose the battered vehicle, seeing as it was covered in Owl droppings at the time.

But little did they know, Vicki had a major transformation process in mind

Just 12 months later, the caravan had changed from a plain, boring shell into a trendy, vintage inspired photo-booth and set up her own business selling photos at weddings.

A complete transformation

We caught up with Vicki to talk about the exciting transformation process, and she explained that the pink polka-dot material for the curtains was also used as a casing for the beautiful cushions.

With heart motifs, signs displaying positive messages, and a pastel colour palette of blue, pink, green and yellow – the caravan really does feel welcoming.

After the renovation was finally complete, Vicki felt the name Martha would be the best fit for her new photo-booth caravan.

Apart from being a stylish photo-booth, Vicki counts Martha as her own private space.

She describes the retro caravan as a private hideaway, where she can disappear to and have a break from the kids, husband and routines of the daily life.

“I feel like moving in sometimes,” Vicki jokes.

Martha also has a hidden sentimental value. If you look closely at the front of the van, a sign offers home-made Cherry Pie.

Vicki tells us that her grandmother used to make the best home-made pies so hanging the sign is a sweet remembrance of her nan.

Affectionate approach

The caravan photo-booth business, Martha was launched on the 1 March in style with celebratory drinks and fun.

In only two weeks after the launch the business had started on a high with multiple bookings for weddings in the forth-coming weeks already arranged.

Vicki’s initial plan was to take Martha to wedding fairs across Shropshire and Mid Wales to give brides and grooms the chance to hire Martha for their big day and could even use Martha as a prop.

But with the business already having such a positive response, who’s to say we won’t be recognising that cute little caravan on the streets of London or even further afield?

Vicki’s attitude towards her business/hobby is thoroughly positive and she hopes her caravan can really take off.

As well as weddings, she is open to using Martha as a prop and for photo-shoots at birthdays, charity events and even school proms.

One of her recent bookings includes a friend’s daughter’s tenth birthday party.

With the theme being set as ‘Princess Afternoon Tea’ the party will include lots of pampering like painting nails and doing make-up and of course, pictures with the props and if her ideas are anything to go by (oversized glasses, feather scarves, blow-up guitars and coloured wigs) it’ll definitely be a lot of fun!

Popular photo-booth

Martha has already made appearances at Mellington Hall and Maesmawr Hall and Hotel.

The photo-shoot packages start from £150 to £430 with the most expensive package including a three hour professional photo-shoot with Martha and all of her quirky, vintage props.

Customers are given 50 instant pictures which can be used in a guest-book.

Also, an edited disk is provided with the pictures and all snaps are copyright protected.

The pictures can be presented in an online gallery so they can be shared through social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook.

But, what advice would Vicki give to other creative individuals looking to start their own caravan companies?

“Enjoy it!” Vicki exclaimed, “Make sure you enjoy it and be creative!”

“It’s amazing what a difference a bit of paint can make.”

The team at CaravanTimes wish Vicki well and hope Martha, the stylish, vintage photo-booth has a bright, prosperous future ahead.


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Salop Leisure wins National Campaign for Courtesy award

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by Tom Walsh

A leading caravan dealership has been awarded for its courtesy and customer service.

Salop Leisure, which has sites in Shropshire, Mid Wales and Worcestershire, has been recognised by the National Campaign for Courtesy and received a special visit from two of the organisation’s officials.

The campaign’s chairman Peter Foot and regional executive Elizabeth Hall took a trip to Salop Leisure’s headquarters at Emstery, Shrewsbury, where they handed over certificates to signify the company’s exceptional courtesy.

Salop Leisure has been a long-time supporter of the courtesy initiative championed by the campaign and chairman Tony Bywater spoke of his delight at being able to receive an accolade of this ilk.

He said: “We were delighted to receive recognition from the National Campaign for Courtesy because we have built the company over nearly 50 years on being polite, courteous and caring towards each other and to our customers.”

The National Campaign for Courtesy was first launched in 1986 and encourages good manners in the business world.

Skelwith Fold caravan site makes donation to local emergency services

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by David Weston

A caravan and motorhome site in the Lake District has raised around £1,300 for two local emergency services after a 12-month fundraising drive.

Skelwith Fold caravan site in Ambleside, Cumbria, has donated just over £700 for the Great North Air Ambulance service and almost £600 to the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue team.

The two causes have helped save the lives of many holidaymakers over the years, many of whom stayed at Skelwith Fold.

The money was raised over the last year by a series of fundraising events for charities, including the sale of walking guides for the local area, and contributions by guests to display artwork, photographs and poetry in the park’s annual arts exhibition.

Henry Wild, director at Skelwith Fold, said the charities’ work was close to the heart of the campsite due to its remote location in the Lake District.

“Many of our visitors enjoy fell-walking, and we are always conscious of that fact that if any got into difficulties, volunteers from these organisations would quickly be on the scene,” Mr Wild said.

“Our guests also appreciate the life-saving difference that their work can make, and have generously supported our fundraising with both time and money,” he added.

Vango unveils AirBeam technology awnings for motorhomes

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by David Weston

One of the UK’s leading outdoors and camping brands, Vango, has expanded its innovative AirBeam range with drive-away awnings for campervans and motohomes.

The AirAway range of awnings uses Vango’s AirBeam technology, which replaces the traditional pole construction with a clever, inflatable structure.

The two AirAway models, the Kela and the Sapera, come in two sizes: first, Standard which fits vehicles up to 2.4m in height, and secondly Tall for vehicles that are between 2.4m and 2.9m. All four models are constructed using Protex fabric, which is waterproof, durable and breathable.

Vango’s AirBeam technology uses pre-attached beams encased in a highly robust, double-skinned sleeve system that create a stable structure when inflated to provide a stable structure and effective weather resistance.

The awnings can be attached to a motorhome or campervan using four different methods: wWebbing straps, Velcro tabs, pole and clamp, or pre-attached Kador.

All of the methods will allow owners to simply detach the awning from their vehicle and drive away when required, leaving the awning standing on its own.

AirAway awnings also use Vango’s patented TBS II Tension Band System to provide greater strength in adverse weather conditions.

Caravan owners can also get in on the AirBeam action, as Vango has introduced the AirAwning collection of caravan awnings for 2014.

The Sanna and Varkala models offer inflatable caravan awnings that save time and take all the stress out of set up when you arrive on site.

Powys council urged not to sell off caravan park

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by Tom Walsh

A Rhayader county councillor has opposed plans to sell a caravan park in the Mid Wales town.

Kelvyn Curry believes that Wyeside Caravan Park has much to offer the area and that the council should be maximising its potential rather than “selling off the family silver”, News North Wales reports.

Powys County Council stated that it would be looking into the potential sale of the site but Mr Curry has urged members to look at ways that the site can help to bring in more tourists and therefore more revenue to the town.

He told the news provider: “If you have assets that have potential to bring in more money you should keep hold of those and look to get more out of them and get a consistent revenue stream from them.”

Wyeside Caravan Park provides the perfect location for people wanting to visit the North Wales countryside and is also within drivable distance of Aberystwyth and the coast.