National Trust releases essential list for kids on caravan holidays

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by Maeve O’Donnell

The National Trust has recently launched a campaign to get children off the sofa and into the great outdoors.

The trust has compiled a list of 50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4, all of which are perfect for keeping children occupied on a caravan holiday.

Under 12s, or anyone who fancies a go, can start making the most of Britain’s countryside with activities ranging from abseiling to camping out in the wild.

The list comes after a National Trust commissioned report which revealed that a third of children have never climbed a tree and one in ten cannot ride a bike.

This weekend will see over 200 of the National Trust’s houses and gardens open their gates to all.

A group of ‘Elite Rangers’ has been formed by National Trust staff who will be on hand to offer children advice over the free weekend happening the 21st and 22nd April.

Children can also pick up a scrapbook to record their adventures and visit www.nationtrust.org/50things to check off items and earn their very own explorer badge.

Caravan parks battling for VisitEngland Awards

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by Tom Lowenstein

Three caravan parks in the north of England are all in the running for a prestigious tourism prize after being shortlisted in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2012.

Park Cliffe Caravan & Camping Estate in Cumbria and Seafield Caravan Park in Northumberland will both compete alongside three other holiday parks for the Caravan Holiday Park/Holliday Village of the Year award.

Meanwhile, the Robin Hood Camping & Caravan Park in Yorkshire is hoping to pick up an award after being named a finalist in the Outstanding Customer Service category.

A total of 62 entrants have been shortlisted from 392 nominations and the judging panel are now setting about the tough task of picking the ultimate winners.

Competition is tough and the English tourist board has praised the exceptionally high level of entries this year, but come May 22nd the caravan parks will learn if they have been crowned overall winner in their category at a glittering ceremony in Leicester’s Athena venue.

Commenting on the awards, judge and director of business development at VisitEngland, Jeremy Brinkworth, said that there have been more entrants than ever in 2012 and the quality and diversity is “truly inspiring”.

“All the finalists should be extremely proud of their contribution both to their local area and to the industry as a whole, and it is very satisfying to reward their hard work and dedication,” he added.

Lowdhams’ West Yorkshire show begins this weekend

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by Tom Lowenstein

The West Yorkshire Caravan and Motorhome Show gets underway this weekend when Lowdhams hosts its second in-house event of the year.

Following in the footsteps of its successful Nottingham show back in February, the dealership’s Huddersfield branch is putting on its own show that promises to be just as fun.

As well as the usual display of caravans and motorhomes from some of the industry’s biggest brands, the family-oriented event will be packed full of entertainment alongside the usual trade stands and refreshment stalls.

Throughout the weekend sessions kids can get their faces painted and enjoy the tomfoolery of juggling unicyclist extraordinaire Dangerous Derek, while adults are catered for with performances by the Twelve Bars from Mars Jazz Band.

Lowdhams is also putting on a free prize draw with some truly exceptional prizes up for grabs while members of the Caravan Club will have the opportunity to save thousands of pounds on a new Nissan X-Trail towcar.

The show runs from Friday 20th until Sunday 22nd April.

Former caravanner dreams up dog-gate solution for touring holidays

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by Maeve O’Donnell

The difficulty of containing a lively dog whilst on a caravan holiday is an issue felt by many, but now there is a solution.

Four years ago, whilst caravanning with his family and, of course, their dog, Paul McCarthy decided to solve this common problem with a gate.

When fellow caravanners asked where it was form he realised there was a gap in the market and set up K9gates.
Now, with the help of his family, Paul builds custom made gates for caravans, RVs, motorhomes and boats.

There is no need for any adjustments to be made to the caravan – the gates work on a pivot system with no need for screws or bolts, meaning there will be no damage to the ‘van at all.

As well as holding dogs these gates can be used as a child gate, ensuring small children are safe too.
The main strengths of this product are the way it is secured and its ease to both use and store, which makes it a real must have product for caravanning dog lovers.

New proposals to get tough on rogue traders and caravan cowboys

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by Tom Lowenstein

A new national board designed to act as consumer champion could help cut down on the number of rogue traders and cowboys operating in the caravan industry.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has announced that Citizens Advice will become a consumer information champion alongside a new National Trading Standards Board (NTSB).

Meanwhile, the Consumer Direct advice line has already been replaced by a new service from Citizens Advice and the public body will now take over where the previous Consumer Focus organisation left off.

Trading Standards will still play a key role protecting consumers, but [the] new NTSB will bring together representatives from across the UK in a bid to fund and organise national cases against unscrupulous dealers.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said the move was “good news for consumers”.

“With consumer advice, advocacy and education all under one Citizens Advice service roof, consumers will get a service they know and trust,” she commented.

Wales Caravan and Motorhome Show returns to Chepstow

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by Tom Lowenstein

One of the highlights of the caravan show season kicks off at Chepstow Racecourse again this weekend when the Wales Caravan and Motorhome Show gets underway.

Following the excitement and heartbreak of the Grand National, the show offers the chance to enjoy an altogether less frantic time at the races where the gambling has instead been replaced with nothing but great deals.

Elddis will once again be represented at the show, this time by dealership Pearman Briggs, and a range of unbeatable offers on their caravans and motorhomes will be available.

Alongisde a range of Elddis and Buccaneer touring ‘vans, the exclusive Magnum caravans built specifically for the retailer by the Durham-based manufacturer will also be on show.

As usual, Elddis’s Autoquest motorhomes will be making the journey too, with West Country Motorhomes representing the brand in this department.

The show opens on Friday April 20th and runs until Sunday 22nd.

Caravan Club and MPs celebrate small sites at Westminster awards ceremony

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by Maeve O’Donnell

David Amess, MP, has hailed the Caravan Club as “the finest club in the world” as the House of Commons threw open its doors once again to host the Certified Location of the Year awards.

Introducing the Club’s annual awards ceremony at Westminster Palace, Amess added “it’s very cool to caravan now”.

Grenville Chamberlain, the Caravan Club’s Chairman, reiterated the need for celebration, announcing their plans to open an Olympic Park in Essex to serve as a temporary campsite in August, but also warned of the affects that higher petrol prices would have on the club.

Certified Locations are privately owned sites which hold no more than five caravans at a time. Often situated in remote locations, sometimes near farms or stately homes, they generate significant income for the surrounding area.

Also on hand to present the awards themselves, was Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, no stranger to caravanning himself he praised the British pastime; “Caravanning has been a way of life for generations of people and long may it continue.”

The winners this year were first time attendees to the annual ceremony, Tony and Maria Potts, from Walnut Lakes CL, in Algarkirk, Boston. Located within the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside their CL is often visited for fishing but the surrounding area has plenty to offer including an award winning village, Sutterton, and a bird watching hotspot.

The couple have been running their site for five years now and stunning views across the water have ensured visitors often stay in touch and revisit.

Runners up were Bruce and Ann Regimbal from Hillcroft CL, near Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire, returning for their third award. Third place went to Keal Lodge CL, also in Lincolnshire and run by Keith and Alison Rogers bringing the site’s total to eight awards in 15 years.

After presenting the awards, Jarvis also highlighted the Caravan Club’s economic value, emphasising the annual £400m local expenditure by Caravan Club members. The Caravan Club has more than 1million members and he quipped that is “the kind of membership that political parties can only dream of”.


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Boris Johnson admits to taking caravan holiday during London riots

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by Maeve O’Donnell and Chris Jefferies

Mayor of London Boris Johnson came under fire last summer when he failed to return from his holiday whilst the capital was in a state of upheaval, caused by three days of riots.

But now, it has emerged that Boris’ holiday was, in fact, spent in a caravan. As the London riots got underway the Mayor was caravanning in a remote area of Canada.
With the upcoming London Mayoral elections due to take place on May 4th, last summer’s mistake is back to haunt him – in a recent candidates’ debate Ken Livingstone was quick to mention Boris’ delayed return to the capital.

Johnson responded, “I was in a caravan stuck up a mountain with very poor mobile reception and I was a good 300 miles from the nearest airport. As soon as it was obvious what was going on, I got back as fast as I could.”

Boris has already revealed his love of the outdoors in his Daily Telegraph column, writing: “At the risk of sounding like a character from Enid Blyton, there is absolutely nothing to beat camping.”

CaravanTimes can only speculate on Boris’ choice of caravan, but given his political experience, a Bailey Senator would certainly be a fitting option.

Stray cat finds new home in mini Bailey Orion caravan

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by Tom Lowenstein

A stray cat that took to loitering around a caravan dealership was taken in by the firm’s big-hearted owners and now has its very own luxury tourer to live in.

Unlike most Bailey Orion 430-4s, however, the feline’s new home measures just three foot long and boasts a single fleece-lined bed.

Staff at Cosford Caravans in Albrighton, Shropshire began feeding the cat – which they rather unimaginatively named Cat – when it first turned up and it very quickly became a regular at the dealership.

Cosford owner Mervyn Hughes then mentioned Cat to Bailey director Nick Howard during a meeting and didn’t think anything more of it, but days later a cat-sized Orion 430-4 arrived on the doorstep.

“It turned up with a message saying ‘something for the cat to sleep in at night in comfort’,” he told the newspaper.

“I must admit I was a bit amazed. In my 28 years here, I have never seen anything quite like it. I was amazed it was made from scratch so quickly.”

Last year, a cat called Banjo from Sussex spent months living 250 miles away in Wales before being reunited with her owner after stowing away in a neighbour’s touring caravan.

Mystery fire destroys two caravans in Essex

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by Tom Lowenstein

A fire in a residential carpark in Vange, Essex destroyed two caravans and a car at the weekend.

Firefighters don’t know what sparked the inferno, which quickly spread between the two vehicles and a Ford Fiesta parked in between, wrecking all three.

Two fire engines and eight firemen spent a quarter of an hour tackling the blaze on Saturday night (April 14th), but luckily managed to prevent one of the tourer’s gas canisters from exploding.

An investigation is now underway to establish the cause of the fire, the Southend Standard reported.

Warren Breeze, leading firefighter, told the newspaper: “It’s strange how it started in a residential car park.

“We had to use breathing equipment while we put out the flames. Luckily we managed to get the canister out before it became too hot.”

A recent study by Club Care Insurance revealed that 99 per cent of claims relating to caravans would not be covered by an owner’s standard car insurance.

Car insurance doesn’t cover 99% of caravan insurance claims

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by Tom Lowenstein

While it may be tempting to dispense with caravan insurance and just let your car insurance cover it, a new study has revealed just how bad an idea this could be.

In the UK caravan insurance is not required by law, so some people decide against the extra expense.

However, according to Club Care Insurance, just one per cent of all caravan claims it receives would be covered by standard car insurance policies.

A caravan itself is not insured under standard car policies, meaning the only cover they provide are for damage to third parties.

The Camping and Caravanning Club’s insurance provider revealed that just one per cent of all claims fall into this category, meaning the other 99 per cent of claims would fall on deaf ears unless a proper caravan insurance policy was taken out.

“If you were involved in a road accident while towing your caravan that was your fault then you would be covered for any damage that you did to a third party, not to your own caravan,” Club Care said in a statement.

This means that any thefts or damage to your caravan are only covered under specific insurance policies, so relying on your existing car cover is a dangerous game and one that is probably not worth playing.

Tourism minister praises £3m Morris Leisure caravan park

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by Tom Lowenstein

Tourism and heritage minister John Penrose has offered his congratulations to the Morris Leisure caravan park company following the completion of their new five star site in Shropshire.

The 135-pitch Ludlow Touring Park cost Morris Leisure £3 million and sits on the banks of the River Teme in a stunning 20-acre site.

Ahead of its official opening on May 9th, the Conservative politician visited the site alongside local MP Philip Dunne, unveiling a plaque to mark the completion of the new caravan park, Shropshire Live reported.

Mr Penrose said he was “delighted” to see such a significant level of investment going into the local tourism industry.

“It is a wonderful destination for caravanners to come to and it looks like a very professional park, which I am sure is going to be full,” he said.

Mr Dunne echoed the minister’s sentiments and commented that the site would bring a big boost to local businesses.

Last month, Morris Leisure revealed that it was planting 750 new trees at this site as part of its Diamond Jubilee celebrations.