Stourport men accused of burgling Christmas presents from caravan

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by Tom Walsh

Two men from Stourport have been accused of stealing £600 of Christmas presents after breaking into a caravan.

Joe Glyptis and Ernie Taylor were in court charged with burgling the mobile home which was sat outside a property at The Birches in the early hours of 17 December, the Kidderminster Shuttle reports.

The 26-year-old and 27-year-old are accused of stealing wrapped Christmas presents containing clothes and toys. The items were subsequently retrieved by police officers.

Appearing before Worcester magistrates, both Mr Glyptis and Mr Taylor are also charged with stealing a wheelie bin from outside a property in Willowdene on the same night.

The pair were remanded in custody and were set to appear at Redditch Magistrates court on 24 December.

The crimes had the potential to significantly disrupt the victims’ Christmas plans with a whole host of presents being taken from just outside their home.

Tragedy strikes Yorkshire caravan site as barman is trapped underneath caravan

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by Ruchi Srivastava

Tributes have been steadily pouring in for a barman who was killed in an unfortunate caravan accident.

The incident occurred on Church Lane in Gomersal, at round 1.30am on 27 December.

Dominic Goddard, who was a former pupil at Whitcliffe Mount School and in his early 20s, is believed to have been walking along the street when he somehow ended up getting trapped under a caravan that was being towed at the time.

Although the road was sealed off by emergency services and the fire-fighters fought to help Dominic, but without success.

The news of Dominic’s death has resulted in a flood of messages and tributes on Facebook, especially from the pub that Dominic worked at in Cleckheaton.

Posting on their Facebook page, the pub said: “It is with deep regret that we need to announce that one of our longest serving members of staff, Dom Goddard, passed away this morning.

“Our thoughts are with his brother and his family at this time.”

Dominic’s family and loved ones have also expressed their sense of loss and pain over his untimely death.

Kirsty Eastwood, Dominic’s girlfriend, added: “Words can’t describe how much I miss my boy.

“I might have only known him six months, but we shared so much together and I know we’d have been together so much longer.”

Also expressing his grief, a friend, Scott McGhee exclaimed “Words can’t describe how we are all feeling, but there’s clearly a lot of broken hearts and teary eyes.

Meanwhile police have ruled out any suggestion of foul play and have said that it is not likely that anyone will be arrested over the accident.

Jubilee Park in Woodhall Spa set to be handed over

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by Tom Walsh

Jubilee Park in Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, is set to be handed over to a newly-formed, charitable company by 31 March.

Woodhall Spa Parish Council, which has owned the park for three years, has failed to meet deadlines for the handover in the past due to a series of problems, Horncastle News reported.

While awaiting a decision on the site, the Council’s Jubilee Park committee will be making preparations for the 2014 tourist season.

Their duties will include setting staffing levels and prices for the caravan site and the outdoor swimming pool.

The council is set to retain ownership when the park is handed over at the end of March while the company would take over management of it on a leasehold agreement.

One of the obstacles that still has yet to be dealt with before the park can be handed over includes repaying a loan that was taken out to refurbish an amenity block.

Gloucestershire caravan fire tackled by local fire services

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by Tom Walsh

A caravan in Tuffley, Gloucestershire, was severely damaged in a fire on 29 December.

Following reports that the mobile home on Arlingham Road had caught fire, a team from the Gloucester South Fire Station were the first to arrive on the scene, the Gloucester Citizen reported.

The five-man team stayed on the scene for 20 minutes as the fire was brought under control, using a hosereel and breathing apparatus to extinguish the flames. Following this, they stayed on the scene for another 20 minutes.

As the caravan was parked on open ground, it posed little risk to neighbouring properties and luckily no one was hurt in the blaze. Details of what caused the fire have not yet been released.

The story comes just a few weeks after Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service were called out during November to fight ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="http://www.caravantimes.co.uk/news/insurance/security/tewkesbury-storage-site-blaze-claims-50-caravans-$21383648.htm">a blaze in a storage centre in Worcestershire.

On that occasion 80 touring caravans and mobile homes in storage were destroyed, with Chinese lanterns highlighted as a possible cause.

Win an awning and one of 25 pairs of tickets to the Manchester caravan show

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by Chris Jefferies
2014 is only a few days old, but we’re already gearing up for this first huge caravan show of the year, which is due to kick off at Manchester’s Event City on Thursday 23 January.
This enormous event is packed with holiday ideas and brand new models to get you excited about touring the countryside this year.
Swift and Eterniti will be bringing all their new 2014 models, while Elddis, Bailey, Coachman and Lunar will be represented by their dealers.
This crowd-pleasing show always features a few celebrity appearances, so keep your eyes peeled for a few famous faces.
Tickets are on sale now for just £7.50 for adults, but 25 lucky CaravanTimes readers will be able to go along for free as part of our latest competition.
We’ve got 25 pairs of tickets to give away. What’s more, one winner will also get a brand new Khyam Motordome awning, worth more than £450.
To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, simply fill out the form below before the deadline of midday on Friday 17 January.
Don’t forget to include a valid e-mail address, so we can let you know if you’ve won. Best of luck to all those who enter and we hope to see plenty of you at the show.

Caravan Club to hold National Rally 2014 at Arley Hall

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by Ruchi Srivastava

So the Christmas frenzy is finally over but that doesn’t mean that you no longer have any reason to party because caravan lovers everywhere now have another reason to celebrate.

The Caravan Club’s annual members rally event, The National will be held at Arley Hall at Cheshire this year during the May Bank Holiday weekend of 23-27 May.

One of the largest caravan gatherings in the UK, this event is also open to non-members of the Caravan Club and brings together various products and facilities that would appeal to all caravanners and motor-homers.

With over 2,000 outfits expected to arrive for the National, this is the main social occasion in the Caravan Club calender and certainly one to mark in your calendar for an enjoyable and memorable experience.

All this takes place at Arley Hall and Gardens, in Cheshire amidst an atmosphere of fun and frolics which includes a busy exhibition centre as well as a food court.

Guaranteed to feature something for the whole family, the Caravan Club National Rally promises a relaxing summer break with “outstanding evening entertainment, infectious fun and exciting activities during the day.”

The packed line-up of the club’s entertainment, includes a Friday night treat of Abba Arrival- a tribute act to the unforgettable seventies musical sensation.

Other acts that might catch your ear include the traditional Proms Night Special, which features Caravan Club Concert Band and Singers. 

However, we warn you that audience participation is considered to be a necessary part of this musical feat, so you better be prepared to sing along!

Tickets for the various evening entertainment programmes are available from the box office in the Internet Café, box office and are available at affordable prices, ranging from £17 (adults), £12 (5-17years) and children up to 4 years can go for free.

However, music is not the only thing that this event offers. The whole family can enjoy some quality time together in ‘The Village’- the main central area, whilst also being amused by various walkabout entertainers, including the mischievous antics of Sheridan.

For the children and all animal lovers, there’s also the Jive Pony with their musical equestrian routines, the loveable ‘Superdogs’ in the form of the Cheshire Dog Display Team and the interesting Birds of Prey display by Gauntlet Birds.

So visitors can be sure of a fun-filled, caravanning trip for all the family.

With families of four getting to stay for the whole four days for less than £100 for a non-electric pitch, this seems like the perfect way to discover rallying.

Other good visitor offers include two for one entry to Arley Hall and Gardens.

For further details, check online or call The National Rally booking line on 01342 336666.

Croft Farm Leisure Park fire demands Chinese sky lantern review

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by Ruchi Srivastava

Here at CaravanTimes we are all too aware of the potentially deadly nature of caravan fires.

Just last month, the widespread and destructive fire at Croft Farm Leisure Park, in Worcestershire blazed through more than 80 touring caravans and mobile homes at the storage centre.

Fortunately, fire-fighters were successful in managing to control the intense fire that was making its way towards a 2,000-litre fuel storage tank.

Following this dangerous incident, Worcestershire Chief Fire Officer, Mark Yates has called for an urgent review of sky lanterns to be conducted as it was deemed that the Chinese-style paper lanterns were singled out as the most likely cause for the rapidly growing fire.

The review was a thorough investigation that utilised eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage which eventually revealed that it was indeed a sky lantern that was responsible for the fire at Croft Farm Leisure Park.

Speaking about the impact and danger of sky lanterns, Mark believes that although the fire services were able to use a significant number of fire engines to stop the fire, he still feels that the potential damage that lanterns can cause is extremely significant.

Mark emphasised that even though sky lanterns are extremely popular and are often used at events, he commented that: “Not only do they pose a risk to livestock and agriculture but also to property, as was the case in this incident.

“As a Chief Fire Officer I do not consider it is acceptable to allow burning objects to be set free across our counties without any consideration of the damage they may do to property or livestock and I would ask event organisers not to use sky lanterns for any purpose.”

Burning issues
Sky lanterns have previously also been a matter of contention for caravan parks.

In fact, last year in July, the councillors of Bromsgrove voted on banning their use on district council-owned land and sending a letter to the Government, which called for the sale of sky lanterns to be banned throughout the UK.

Now, Mark has once again raised the issue of sky lanterns and feels that a review of the uses of sky lanterns is a definite must.

He raised the point that apart from this incredibly damaging fire in Worcestershire, there was also a major fire in a plastic recycling site in Smethwick that was also started by a sky lantern.

It certainly seems as though the pretty sight of sky lanterns floating off into the night sky does hide the severe consequences of their ability to also cause destruction, so we at CaravanTimes urge people to think twice before buying one.

Millions of Brits opt for Christmas staycation getaway

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by Tom Walsh

Christmas is traditionally seen as a time to be spent at home surrounded by family as they welcome in the holiday season.

However, while many people will be sitting down and opening presents when the big day arrives, a large number of Brits spend the festive period on holiday.

Figures from VisitEngland’s latest Trip Tracker survey has revealed that 10.1 million Brits are planning by taking at least one overnight trip in the UK over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. A further 8.6 million people said that the holiday would be in England.

While it seems like a break from tradition, many regard Christmas as a great opportunity to see how another part of the country celebrates this time of year.

Nearly all major cities across the British Isles will be embracing the festive period with a Christmas market.

The likes of Manchester and Birmingham have stalls sprawling across the city centre where people can enjoy a mulled wine and German bratwurst while they peruse the shops.

One of the main reasons for people taking breaks over Christmas is to go and visit family that live quite far away – VisitEngland found that 33.7 million Brits said that they would be travelling the country to see relatives of friends for the holidays.

Others plumped for the lure of shopping with many people wanting to get that last minute gift for their loved one and other cities may be able to provide better ideas.

James Berresford, VisitEngland chief executive, said: “There is so much on offer in England, especially at this festive time of year so it is wonderful to see that so many people will be enjoying the season by taking a trip and exploring our fantastic destinations. The options are endless.”

Silverdale holiday park to host Airstream & Co spring gathering

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by Tom Walsh

Get your 2014 diaries open as ‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="/Airstream/">Airstream & Co has announced details of its spring gathering and next year’s event will take place in the stunning Lancashire countryside.

The company stated that Holgates Holiday Park in Silverdale will be the venue for the special event which has been earmarked for the weekend of 21-23 March.

Officials explained that choosing the Silverdale holiday park was a no-brainer as it sits perfectly on the Lancashire and Cumbria border providing stunning views over both Morecambe Bay and the Lake District.

The weekend is free to attend for owners of Airstream & Co’s European range and will be hosted by company owner Michael Hold and the team from Holgates.

People coming to the event can benefit from a hardstanding pitch for two nights with hook-ups for 230v, water and TV. There will also be entertainment from the Friday evening onwards.

The Caravan Club plans to roll out better value Wi-Fi in 2014

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by Tom Walsh

In this day in age, many people want to stay connected to the world as much as possible and this is no different when it comes to caravan holidays.

With 2014 fast-approaching, The Caravan Club has announced that it will be providing a better value for money Wi-Fi service in the new year.

It comes after the Club has been inundated with grievances from holidaymakers who were having trouble using Wi-Fi on the many sites across the UK.

The Club has been investing in upgrading services in a selected number of parks and aims to have this rolled out fully during 2014 and 2015.

Officials unveiled a new range of packages that people can choose from visiting a Club site.

It starts from £2.50 for a 24 hour deal right up to a 12-month package that costs £25 and allows for unlimited access in sites right across the full year.

Norfolk teenager tells of battle against caravan fire

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by Tom Walsh

A caravan fire in Sprowston managed to smash the back windows of a family home, despite the best efforts of a brave teenager.

Speaking to EDP24, 16-year-old Forrest Brown explained that the tourer caught fire from a nearby conifer which had also gone up in smoke.

The teenager attempted to douse the flames with a bucket of water but failed to do so as the fire spread on to the caravan. The blaze was so fierce that it even managed to smash the windows of the family home.

Mr Brown told the news provider: “As soon as mum saw the fire she took the children to dad’s house nearby. We were worried it was going to spread to the main part of the house.”

Fire crews from both Carrow and Wroxham attended the incident at around 9pm on Monday 16 December in Varvel Avenue, off Falcon Road West.

The result saw the family’s £500 caravan, complete with £2,000 worth of belongings, completely ruined while there was also considerable damage to the back of the home.

VIDEO: Caravan of the Year 2013 and Kindle competition winners revealed

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by Chris Jefferies
2013 has been a huge year, both for CaravanTimes and the wider industry, with a number of high-profile launches and record attendance at the UK’s biggest caravan show.
So to celebrate, we’ve been running our largest ever caravan awards, with ten categories all voted for by you, the caravanning public.
We asked you to name your favourite motorhome, towcar, park, dealer, accessory and innovation, as well as picking the top caravan in four different areas.
As a little added incentive, three lucky winners will be getting a special prize from our festive hamper. We’ve got two classic caravan calendars and an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite to give away.
The votes have now been counted and it’s time to reveal the lucky winners. Make sure to watch right to the end to find out if you’ve won an early Christmas present. To read a full breakdown of the voting in each category, click here.
All that remains is to wish all our readers a very merry Christmas and another year of caravanning fun in 2014!