Amber Leisure branches into caravan parks

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by Chris Malone

Brits may recognise Amber Leisure as a leading supplier of new and used caravans in the UK, but the firm has also now branched off into the holiday park business.

It offers a total of five separate caravan sites throughout the east of England, each offering a unique attraction.

These include Suffolk’s Aldeburgh, Bedfordshire’s Pavenham and Heacham in Norfolk, with caravanners able to choose between countryside, coastal and city locations.

Each of the five parks offer access to a range of attractions, from quaint towns and villages to beaches and rural walks.

The firm underlined how committed it is to providing family-friendly holidays at its sites, with facilities in place for kids to enjoy themselves in safety.

“With many people looking for affordable holidays within the UK our Park holidays provide just that,” the firm said on its website.

“Park holidays are a great way to make new friends, both young and old, with many children meeting up and playing whilst the adults while away the hours chatting.”

Could Welsh caravan sites benefit from Ryder Cup?

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by Chris Malone

The Ryder Cup began in earnest today (October 1st) amid torrential rain at Celtic Manor in Wales.

Some of the top pros from Europe are taking on their counterparts from the US in one of golf’s most prestigious events.

Despite the inclement weather, the contest could elevate the status of golf in Wales and may see an influx of guests at the nation’s caravan sites.

A large proportion of the country’s holiday parks are located close to golf courses, while many even boast their own facilities.

Fans of the sport will be watching with interest today after world number three Lee Westwood and USPGA champion Martin Kaymer headed out first for Europe to take on the US pairing of Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

Another major draw will be the presence of Tiger Woods on the US team. The troubled star has been short of form this year, but paired off with Steve Stricker against Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.

Scottish caravan business sold for millions

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by Chris Malone

A Scottish caravan parks business has been sold to a consortium of industry veterans, it has been revealed.

Dunham Leisure was a family-owned business that managed to grow its pre-tax profits by 170 per cent in the year to February, according to the Herald.

The new owners may have been impressed with the £667,000 annual gain that took the firm’s total accumulated profits to £5.7 million.

While no official figure for the deal was announced, the newspaper reported that Yorkshire Bank did disclose that it had provided more than £8.5 million in funding to the buyers.

Among Dunham Leisure’s sites are the 600-pitch Lammermuir Hills-based Thurston Manor and Pease Bay Caravan Park on the Berwickshire coast.

Thurston Manor was purchased in 1993 by Dennis Dunham, who is now aged 73 and has experience in the caravan industry spanning four decades.

In other news, the Westmorland Gazette has revealed that world famous folk singer Katus Young is set to perform at events in Cumbria from the back of her traditional Gypsy caravan.

Folk singer to perform from caravan in Cumbria

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by Chris Malone

An entrepreneurial caravan maker and his famous folk singer partner are set to provide the people of Cumbria with a unique service.

According to the Westmorland Gazette, Barny Maurice and Katus Young hope to share their talents at weddings, markets and other local events.

Mr Maurice taught himself how to build traditional gypsy caravans and has started a business with his half-Czech girlfriend providing vehicles for weddings and other events.

Thirty five-year-old Ms Young has toured the world, performing folk songs in eight languages and will now use a gypsy bow top caravan as her stage to sing at special occasions in Cumbria.

She explained to the newspaper that she is looking forward to getting back to nature by performing in the countryside for a while.

“I have been living in cities for years so being here really brings me back to my country roots and it’s a much healthier lifestyle,” the singer said.

In other news, thisislondon.co.uk has revealed that two expert chefs are to tour the capital in a converted Airstream caravan selling gourmet food to locals.

Chefs commandeer Airstream caravan for food adventure

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by Chris Malone

Two renowned chefs are to take to the streets of London in a converted Airstream caravan as part of the London Restaurant Festival.

Jun Tanaka and Mark Jankel are to drive around the capital in their caravan kitchen cooking gourmet food for busy Londoners.

Special dishes include braised beef with roast carrots and celeriac mash and smoked salmon with beetroot, crushed potato and horseradish, thisislondon.co.uk reported.

“We thought it would be great to do something more accessible for the Restaurant Festival – fundamentally, it should be for all Londoners,” said Mr Jankel, who is chef and founder of The Food Initiative.

He explained that the concept is based on the trucks in Los Angeles and New York that serve street food.

“We wanted to push the boundaries of what you can achieve in terms of quality out of a dish served in a box,” the expert added.

In other news, the Herald has revealed that Scottish caravan business Dunhams Leisure has been sold to a consortium of industry veterans.

Caravanners follow their dreams to success

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by Chris Malone

A couple whose goal it was to own their own caravan park have followed their dream to fruition and enjoyed their first successful season.

According to the North Devon Gazette, Ray and Carol Legg opened Hidden Valley in West Down with their son Andy after Mr Legg was forced to retire from the automotive electrical business due to health reasons.

He explained to the newspaper that it was always their dream to run a five-star site such as Hidden Valley.

“When we decided upon a change of direction, it was no surprise that we began to look at holiday parks, especially as we could include other members of the family and plan some kind of succession,” Mr Legg said.

He added that the couple did their research to ensure they were successful, taking more than three years to do so.

Clydesdale Bank partner Steve Tyers explained that the family have “already developed a very personal touch” at the site and that the park has a lot of potential.

In other news, the Crewe Chronicle recently revealed how travellers pitched up their caravans in a council car park in a protest over the lack of facilities in the area.

Caravan fan Julia Bradbury named Travel Personality of the Year

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by Chris Malone

Camping and caravanning advocate Julia Bradbury has been named Travel Personality of the Year for 2010.

The TV presenter was recognised in the recent HolidayExtras.com Customers’ Awards, which saw 24,000 votes cast as travel enthusiasts looked to reward their favourites.

Ms Bradbury is a fan of caravanning and recently appeared at the Camping and Caravanning Club’s New to Camping event at Warwick Castle.

She beat Monty Python star and general travel expert Michael Palin to the title, with Stephen Fry coming in third.

“I am really touched that HolidayExtras.com customers have voted for me as Travel Personality of the Year,” she said.

“And, it’s wonderful that people are enjoying my travel programmes, and that they inspire people to explore new places.”

The New to Camping event was held in June and also had the backing of Camping and Caravan Club president David Bellamy.

It was designed to raise the profile of caravanning by getting people to stay in the grounds of one of the UK’s most popular landmarks.

PREVIEW: International Caravan and Motorhome Show

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by Holly Tribe

See the largest selection of touring caravans and motorhomes at the International Caravan and Motorhome Show which will run from October the 12th to the 17th at the NEC in Birmingham.

Visitors to the show will get a first chance to have a look around many of the new products from leading caravan and motorhome manufacturers. And this year, the show will welcome even more new models for the 2011 season from the likes of Lunar, Coachman, Elddis, and for the first time Auto Sleeper will bring a range of caravans to the market.

Last year Caravan Times spoke to industry leaders Bailey as they unveiled their impressive new Alu Tech constructed Pegasus models. Bailey will be at the show again this year to showcase their brand new luxury range of Unicorn caravans.

There’s a whole host of events throughout the week, including a cookery theatre where renowned celebrity chef and a regular on BBC’s Ready Steady Cook, Lesley Waters, be preparing some delicious ‘Recipes for the Road’.

Experts from the Camping and Caravanning club will once again be offering fifteen minute sessions on how to tow a touring caravan safely and economically offering valuable advise to both newcomers and seasoned professionals.

We’ll be there throughout the week, so why not come and say hi. You can find us in Hall 19 – stand 36 near the Coachman and Marquis Caravan stands.

Buy your tickets now from www.caravanshows.com or call the ticket hotline on 0844 4124639. Don’t forget to enter our promotional code CART01 to receive a £5 advance booking discount.

Two new models added to Bailey Unicorn range

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by Holly Tribe

Leading caravan manufacturer Bailey Caravans have announced the addition of two new models to their luxury Unicorn range.

Bailey-of-Bristol have been very busy over the last couple of years, bringing a new method of caravan construction to the market. First came the Bailey Pegasus launched at the 2009 International Caravan and Motorhome Show, followed but the entry level Bailey Olympus the following year.

And last month, the firm established a hat-trick of Alu Tech ranges with the introduction of the top end Unicorn series which has been met with widespread critical acclaim.

Click here for more on the Bailey Unicorn series.

Reacting to encouraging customer feedback, Bailey has announced it will be adding two new layouts to the range. Named as the Madrid and Almeria, the additions will bring the choice of Unicorn models now available to five.

Like the Pegasus and Olympus, the Unicorn series is constructed using Bailey’s pioneering Alu Tech technology, which incorporates an interlocking…

Surf’s up for caravanners

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by Chris Malone

A great number of the UK’s coastal caravan sites are located just a short distance from some of the country’s best surfing spots.

According to the Daily Mail, Britain has some fantastic surf of its own and there is no need to “fly all the way to California to make like the Beach Boys”.

Travel journalist Jenny Coad wrote in the newspaper that the UK offers some “powerful waves” that are just waiting to be ridden and pointed to beaches in Cornwall, Devon, Northumberland and the north of Scotland as being excellent surf locations.

Having a touring caravan could be the perfect idea for surfers, who often travel for miles in search of the perfect swell or beach break.

Ms Coad tipped Cornwall’s Sennen Cover, Devon’s Croyde, Caithness’ Thurso East, Wales’ Hell’s Mouth, West Sussex’s the Witherings and Northumberland’s Alnmouth Beach as great spots to enjoy the surf.

Check out the top five caravan sites in Cornwall, from our roving Cornish reporter, Adam Shaw.

In other news, ABTA – The Travel Association has urged Brits driving abroad to make themselves aware of any differing regulations.

Caravanners could avoid costs by paying in cash

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by Chris Malone

Savvy caravanners already know that their way of holidaying is often more cost effective than travelling abroad.

However, they could save even more cash by being careful about using plastic to pay for goods and services.

Research from Which? Money found that using a debit or credit card can add as much as 200 per cent to the cost of a transaction.

It gave the example of buying a £1.70 ticket on thetrainline.com, which would see the purchaser pay an extra £3.50 in charges if paying by card.

Most retailers cite their own costs for adding surcharges, but the study found that the typical charges for credit and debit cards – five per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively – are much higher than the merchant service fees charged by banks, which are usually 0.8 per cent and 0.1p respectively.

Brits hate paying these extra costs, especially when they know that the retailer is actually profiting, explained Which? chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith.

“There can be no justification for high card surcharges as all too often they just seem to be an excuse for ramping up costs,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Sun has revealed that EastEnders character Kat Moon is to get a fright this week when her caravan is lifted into the sky by a crane with her still in it.

Caravan drama in EastEnders

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EastEnders fans will soon see some high drama on the street involving a caravan, it has been revealed.

Loud-mouthed Kat Moon is back on Albert Square and living in a mobile home with husband Alfie.

However, viewers watching a week from today (September 28th) will see local nosey parker Zainab Masood take exception to Kat’s return, the Sun has revealed.

According to the newspaper, she arranges for the caravan to be taken away. However, she does not realize that pregnant Kat is still inside.

The mother-to-be is then hoisted into the air inside the caravan and looks terrified as she opens the door in her underwear, only to realise she is stranded in mid air.

Meanwhile, EastEnders has enjoyed a successful week after picking up six trophies at the Inside Soap awards.

Lacey Turner, who plays Stacey Slater, picked up the best actress gong, making it five in a row for the show.