Caravan Show Guest Raise Money For Local Cancer Charity

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By William Coleman

Visitors to the UK’s largest free caravan and motorhome show in Shrewsbury have generously contributed £620.28 to a local cancer charity.

The money was collected by volunteers from the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund at the West Midlands Caravan & Motorhome New 2020 Model Show, hosted by Salop Leisure from September 28 to October 6.

The charity has launched a £105,000 appeal to fund two EBUS scopes that help with the diagnosis of lung cancer. The new machines will reduce the need for invasive surgery, meaning the process and outcome are quicker for the patient.

The two scopes will be used at the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

For the second year running, volunteers from the charity served tea and coffee to customers over both weekends of the show.

“We are really grateful to Salop Leisure for their continued support,” said Lizzy Coleman, Lingen Davies Cancer Fund’s events and fundraising officer. “The caravan event allows us to raise awareness of the charity and collect vital funds for local cancer services.

“Our charity covers Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Mid Wales and people came from these areas and much farther afield to attend the show.

We are striving to engage with local businesses, so it’s a really positive step for us to be working with Salop Leisure.”

Ed Glover, Salop Leisure’s marketing manager, said the company was delighted to raise money for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, which does so much good work supporting cancer patients across Shropshire and Mid Wales.

Proof The Young Are Flocking To Touring

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By William Coleman

There is no denying that we are seeing a huge rise in younger people entering the caravan holiday world but now it seems the young folk are actually choosing careers within the industry too. A Lakeland holiday park will be training its new staff in wildlife conservation during winter’s closed season.

Two keen walkers have taken a step forward in their tourism careers after joining the Lake District’s multi-award winning Skelwith Fold caravan park.

Sophy Nelson and Lauren Thompson are the latest recruits to the park’s customer service team which is being strengthened after one of its busiest summers to date.

Although the 450-pitch park will shut in late November for its three month winter closure, family business member Henry Wild says it’s an ideal time to take on new staff:

“Unlike some tourism businesses, parks have many different dimensions – and twelve weeks is an ideal period to provide new members with a thorough grounding,” he said.

“As well as conventional admin training, we like getting all staff involved in our conservation work at the park which we regard as an extremely important aspect of what we do.

“So I’m sure Sophy and Lauren will also be helping with our winter feeding programme for deer, monitoring our red squirrel population, and creating new wildlife habitats,” added Henry.

The park’s raft of environmental initiatives in its 130-acre grounds has once again won it this year the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

Both of Skelwith Fold’s new team members live in Cumbria and have gained hospitality experience at leading Lake District hotels after leaving local schools.

Henry Wild, whose family business has owned the park for over 20 years, said he expected more staff appointments to be made over the coming months.

All aspects of the park’s operations had fared extremely well this year, he said, including sales of holiday caravans, and glamping in safari tents and luxury woodland hideaways.

Demand for touring pitches was also high, he reported, with motorhomes overtaking in volume the number of touring caravans drawing into the park.

There is more information about Skelwith Fold Caravan Park at www.skelwith.com

Big Wins At The Mid Wales Tourism Awards

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By William Coleman

A family-run touring caravan and camping site based four miles from Builth Wells, which has seen a 20% increase in visitors in the past year, celebrated winning an award at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards.

Forest Fields at Hundred House won the Best Holiday Park, Camping or Touring Award, sponsored by Salop Leisure, at a glittering awards ceremony held at The Hafren, Newtown, which was attended by Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas. Compere was Welsh tourism personality Jonathan Jones, CBE.
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The business goes forward to represent Mid Wales at the National Tourism Awards for Wales In May, 2020.

Designed to celebrate and showcase the region’s exceptional tourism industry, the biennial awards were organised and managed by MWT Cymru on behalf of Mid Wales Tourism Forum and supported by Visit Wales, the Welsh Government’s tourism arm. A dedicated Tourism Awards Advisory Group was established specifically to assist with the awards.

Fforest Fields’ directors George and Katie Barstow said: “We are totally delighted to win this award against very stiff competition. It’s a huge accolade for the magnificent team we work with.

“We just love what we do, and it does give us delight to share Fforest Fields with our customers. People come and find peace and kids find confidence by roaming free.”

Fforest Fields is rated five pennants by the AA, which also awarded it Campsite of The Year for Wales in 2016-17, whilst Visit Wales has awarded the site a five-star grading this year.

The Barstow family, who own the site, aims to work hard to set a new standard for five-star campsites, where the focus is on fantastic facilities alongside a genuine, caring and relaxed approach to site management.

The bee-friendly site has also held a David Bellamy Gold Award for more than 20-years and the Special Interest Award – the highest Bellamy accolade for special environmental concern – twice.

Regularly welcoming international visitors, the family focuses a portion of its marketing on the Dutch, German and Irish markets. Key targets markets have been identified for social media and advertising.

A member of MWT Cymru, Fforest Fields is deeply committed to partnerships with other local businesses. The 120-pitch campsite is set in the middle of a 500-acre farm with walks and adventures in every direction and two lakes – one for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding and the other for fishing.

“We want our visitors to lose themselves in the Fforest Fields experience, to step away from the problems and hassles of their everyday life and to remember to take pleasure in simple, basic things such as sleeping outdoors, sitting around a fire, spending time with family or swimming in open water with the sun or rain beating down on their backs,” said the Barstow family.

The family works with Anytime Booking to run its online booking system and the Barstows are focused on promoting the region to put Mid Wales on the map as a ‘go to’ destination.

Fforest Fields attracts up to 15,000 visitors to Mid Wales every year – visitors increased by more than 20% last year – with school holidays the peak periods and average stays increasing from two to three nights. There is now a focus to increase visitors in the shoulder and winter months.

Runners up for the award were Islawrffordd Caravan Park, Talybont, Barmouth and Maesmawr Farm Resort, Caersws.

Granted an Awards Trust Mark by the Independent Awards Standards Council, the awards were open to all businesses, organisations and individuals who contribute to tourism within Mid Wales.

MWT Cymru is the regional destination marketing and membership organisation for Powys, Ceredigion and Meirionnydd district of Southern Snowdonia. As a not-for-profit social enterprise company, MWT Cymru supports and represents more than 550 tourism businesses and organisations across the region.

The Club Call Centre Strikes Gold

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By William Coleman

The Caravan and Motorhome Club have taken home the gold award at the UKCCF National Awards. The Club’s contact centre won the ‘Medium Contact Centre of the Year’ category at the event held at the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in the Stadium MK, (home of the MK Dons) on Friday 25th October.

If you have ever had to call your broadband or mobile phone provider you know that it can sometimes be a little bit challenging. So knowing that your Club has an award winning contact centre just makes being a member even easier.

The Club won the strongly contested category for contact centres with 50-200 seats, beating competition from other finalists including Ikano Bank, Policy Expert and Yopa.

Peter Martin, head of operations, membership services at the Caravan and Motorhome Club was present to collect the award; he said: “We are delighted to receive this award, which is a wonderful recognition of the hard work of all those involved.

Not only from those answering the phones on a daily basis and providing the excellent customer service expected by our members and potential members, but also all of the back office support teams, our team leaders and centre managers. I would also like to thank the rest of the Club, as without their support this would not have been possible.”

Caravan and Motorhome Club call centre employees are required to promote and sell a range of the Club’s services and products, handle member and non-member enquiries and resolve any complaints to the required standards. All staff trained thoroughly to provide excellent customer service at all times.

The UKCCF Awards recognise individual, team and company best practice amongst the UK’s 6000+ contact centres – rewarding innovation, team-working, employee engagement, the delivery of superb Customer Experience and more.

Get Spooky With The Club This Halloween

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By William Coleman

The Camping and Caravanning Club will welcome campers through to the end of the year. Ten Club Sites in the UK will remain open until early January, while 16 more are open all year-round.

Many of these Club Sites are also holding special events to help campers make the most of the festive period.

Darren Whittington, Director of Operations, said: “More Club Members are choosing to camp later in the year and we are extending our site opening periods to accommodate this.
“The Club is committed to ensuring all our sites are well-equipped for winter touring so that they can continue to stay open throughout the entire year.”

What’s more, a number of Club Sites are also embracing the spirit of Christmas. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served at both Blackmore (Worcestershire) and Boroughbridge (North Yorkshire) on Christmas Eve.

Darren added: “Our Club Sites offer a warm, Friendly Club welcomes where campers will be able to really get into the Christmas spirit.”

The Club also has several sites close to Christmas markets that are perfect for a mid-winter break and shopping for gifts, such as Salisbury, Canterbury and Oxford.

Camping in the Forest also has four sites across the UK that are open year-round. These include Bracelands (Forest of Dean), Setthorns (New Forest), Glenmore (Cairngorms National Park) and Postern Hill (Savernake Forest).

In addition to the Christmas camping opportunities, there are several Club Site events for Halloween. The Site Team at Winchcombe in Gloucestershire is hosting a number of Halloween-themed events throughout the October half-term. A spooky treasure hunt, a ‘pimp-your-pumpkin’ session, and a competition for the spookiest site pitch are just some of the activities to expect.

In Worcestershire, Blackmore Club Site is holding its annual Halloween party on 2nd November, which will include ghoulish games and a prize for the best fancy dress costume.

The following sites are open throughout the year:

  • Blackmore, Worcestershire
  • Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire
  • Canterbury, Kent
  • Chertsey, Surrey
  • Conkers, Derbyshire
  • Delamere Forest, Cheshire
  • Devizes, Wiltshire
  • Hertford, Hertfordshire
  • Keswick, Cumbria
  • Kingsbury Water Park, West Midlands
  • Loch Ness Shores, Scotland
  • Moffat, Scotland
  • Oxford, Oxfordshire
  • Tavistock, Devon
  • Teversal, Nottinghamshire
  • Theobalds Park, Hertfordshire

Club Sites with extended opening include:

  • Bellingham, Northumberland: Closes 5 January 2020
  • Braithwaite Fold, Lake District: Closes 2 January 2020
  • Cheddar, Somerset: Closes 5 January 2020
  • Derwentwater, Lake District: Closes 2 January 2020
  • Polstead, Suffolk: Closes 6 January 2020
  • Salisbury, Wiltshire: Closes 3 January 2020
  • Sandringham, Norfolk: Closes 6 January 2020
  • Scone, Perthshire: Closes 2 January 2020
  • Winchcombe, Gloucestershire: Closes 6 January 2020
  • Windermere, Lake District: Closes 14 January 2020

    • For more information on all of the winter camping on UK Club Sites visit Year Round Sites.

    Tyre Safety Month And How To Keep Safe And Sound

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    By William Coleman

    This month is Tyre Safety Month and as touring folk we are usually driving on 6-8 tyres at a time with another 2-3 stored on board in case of an emergency. So it is safe to say we are a large part of the tyre industry and we need to do all we can to not burn rubber at a fast rate.

    Having tyres in poor condition can cause massive issues with safety and the police, if stopped you are looking at a possible 3 points and a hefty fine. Now add to that how dangerous poor tyres can be and you have a possible disaster waiting to happen.

    The whole idea behind Tyre Safety Month is to raise awareness of just how important it is to stay on top of your tyre condition. TyreSafe want you to be vigilant and check your tyres at let once a month to ensure you stay safe.

    I know that in my much younger years I had no idea how often I should check or how quickly my driving style/habits would eat through the rubber. Once you start looking you then realise you need to check your tracking and alignment to ensure your car is not causing excessive wear. Something that can have a knock on effect on your caravan’s 2-4 tyres.

    It is advised that you check your tyres at least once a month, less on the caravan if you are not using it month in month out. I check them after every long distance drive to see if there is any non ware related damage such as nail, glass or anything else than can cause large amounts of damage.

    Having a good tow car usually means that you’re not able to get run of the mill rubber for your wheels. With pricey rubber comes reliability so you will more than likely go through a lot less than those who buy standard economy ones.

    For those who want to keep on top of tyre safety here are some recommended tips to keep things safe and ensure you do not get caught short on tour towing the caravan.

    Frequent Checks

    Depending on how much you use the tow car and caravan you should be checking at the very minimum of once a month, more so if you are adding heavy mileage every month.

    After each long trip spend 5 minutes going over all of your wheels ensuring there is no damage or baldness. A few minutes every other week will save you a lot of trouble down the road, pun very much untended.

    Have The Right Kit

    As a kid I would always have a few puncture repair kits knocking around for when I inevitably got a flat. Now as an adult I do the same but for my car, times do not change that much.

    You can get a very good puncture filling kit for around £15-25, depending on where you shop. These are more of a bandage that a cure but it will get you home or to a garage in safety without damaging the wheel and rims on your car.

    You may also want to keep a tyre depth gauge on hand to make sure you’re within the legal limits. The law requires your tyre tread to have a minimum depth of 1.6mm so get yourself one of these little gadgets and stay within the kaw.

    Spares

    I know some people who either have no spare of use their old replaced tyre as their spare. Not advisable. When it comes to keeping the spare you should always have one that is in brand new condition.

    When I got my new car it came with one of those space saver tyres which I immediately replaced with a real one. The space savers are good for emergencies but personally I would rather trust swap it for the real thing.

    Pressure and Alignment

    Having low air pressure puts a lot of extra stress on the tyres and can lead to your tracking being knocked out of alignment which just leads to a costly trip to the garage.

    Checking your tyre pressure is very easy to do with a generic tyre pub or a trip to your local petrol station that has an air pump.

    All of these are things I imagine you already know but it is always good to have a refresh. These tips will work for both the tow car and your caravan or motorhome.

    Driving habits will ultimately be the deciding factor in how long your tyre will last. Bad habits like overloading the van or not staying on top of the condition of what you are driving on will see you changing things up more often.

    Shrewsbury Resort Team Up To Provide Luxury Stay For Wildlife

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    By Willam Coleman

    Two top award winning companies in Shropshire are forming an alliance to create dual wildlife areas for animals to live in safety where guests can relax and bird watch.

    Love2Stay caravanning and luxury glamping resort in Shrewsbury has partnered with CJ Wildlife at nearby Upton Magna to introduce two bird feeding stations and a new insect habitat for a butterfly and bee garden.

    Keen to incorporate wildlife into the resort to provide nature and wildlife experiences and information for customers, Love2Stay will also be introducing bird and insect identification charts to help people of all ages to observe, learn and engage with nature.

    A children’s activity pack will also include information about birds, mammals, butterflies, bees, bugs and pond life.

    The new partnership is tied in with the ethos of Love2Stay, which is to provide families with an escape where they have a digital detox, engage with nature and get children playing outside in the fresh air.

    Chris Skitt, Love2Stay’s joint general manager, said: “We are pleased to be teaming up with CJ Wildlife to introduce two bird feeding stations and a new insect habitat to promote wildlife in communal areas at the resort.

    “This will raise children’s awareness of what to look out for not only during their stay but when they are back home. The resort’s ethos is to get children and adults outdoors and engaging with nature.

    “It’s really important to get children off their i-pads and computer games to embrace the beautiful countryside surrounding them here in Shropshire.”

    CJ Wildlife, one of the UK’s leading specialist suppliers of garden bird and wildlife products with a range of food, habitats and care products, is keen to support and work with local businesses and those who share an ethos for conservation and nature.

    The company has more than 30 years’ experience working alongside ornithologists and wildlife experts researching and developing a range of wildlife products to help people attract and care for more wildlife in their gardens and outside spaces.

    Collaborations with partners aims to educate the public and raise awareness of wildlife care and how everyone can make and feel a positive difference by giving back to nature. Particular focus is on reaching younger audiences and inspiring wildlife champions of the future.

    “With such extensive grounds promoting the outdoors, family time and well being, Love2Stay is a perfect match to promote a connection with nature and CJ Wildlife is very pleased to be working with the resort’s team,” said Rachel Schofield, CJ Wildlife’s sales and marketing coordinator.

    “Simply engaging with wildlife through observing their day to day routine has many health benefits and learning how to interact and care for wildlife makes a noticeable contribution to conservation.

    “Through our partnership we can attract more wildlife to the resort and share information with customers on how to enjoy wildlife whilst at home or away.”

    Travelwolrd 2020 Preview

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    By William Coleman

    It has been less than a week since the end of the Motorhome and Caravan Show at the NEC in Birmingham and it seems Travelworld are not stopping when it comes to displaying their luxury motorhome to the masses.

    Early next month at the Erwin Hymer Centre Travelworld will be hosting an exclusive event for customers. From Friday 8th November – Sunday 10th November customers are invited to pop open the fizz and celebrate Travelworld’s preview of the new Hymer, Dethleffs, Carado and Niesmann+Bischoff 2020 models.

    The Stafford based dealer will be revealing a number never before seen models from the Hymer Group. On top of that they will also be giving away 15 Dometic Mobicool boxes to the first 15 motorhome purchasers over the weekend.

    The 2020 Hymer models include the new front wheel drive Tramp S and the new BML model, built on top of the fantastic new Mercedes-Benz chassis. The Tramp models feature new layouts with face-to-face lounge area, the new Hymer Exsis 580 with a complete new interior design will also be on display.

    Niesmann+Bischoff’s new Arto 82E is featuring at the show, along with the new Dethleffs Globline 2020 model and the new Carado Van range.

    Sales manager Nick Barker said: “We’re really excited to exhibit all the new 2020 models. With each brand diversifying, and really paying attention to what customers want, it’s difficult not to find a motorhome for everyone.

    This year, we’re seeing a lot of new vehicles on the latest Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Chassis, but Fiat has also launched new updates on its chassis with a brand new 9 speed automatic transmission, which has already proved popular at this year’s NEC show.”

    The three-day preview event offers exceptional ‘open event deals’ on all models, complimentary refreshments and motorhome test drives. The Hymer Group specialists also welcome any part-exchange vehicles.

    Free Club Membership With New Adria Vans

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    By William Coleman

    Recently two major companies within the caravan and motorhome have come together to help boost sales and memberships respectively. Last week, just before the NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show, it was announced that the UK caravan, campervan and motorhome manufacturer Adria is now offering a year’s free membership to the Caravan and Motorhome Club to all customers who purchase a new vehicle.

    There are a lot of new people joining the world of caravan and motorhome holidays and having a Club membership can make navigating through holiday destinations a heck of a lot easier. Now you get an automatic membership with a new Adria which is just another reason to get into the life.

    Being a member of the Club only costs £52 a year, £1 a week, and provides members access to 2700 sites across the UK and many countries around the globe. I have stayed at lots of sites both here in the UK and affiliated sites in Europe and you can always depend on them to provide clean sites close to lots of sites, landmarks and fun days out.

    On top of the obvious perks of site access and holiday ideas you can benefit from tons of member discounts, expert and industry advice as well as overseas travel services and insurances.

    Brian Morgan, Head of Communications & Events for the Caravan and Motorhome Club, said: “We are so pleased to be partnering with Adria. They make high-quality vehicles for getting out on the open road and exploring the great outdoors, and it’s great to be able to enable their customers to access our network of sites and benefit from the added value that Club membership provides.”

    Slavica Sterk, Managing Director from Adria said: “We know how excited our customers are to get out and start making the most of their new vehicle and so being able to offer them free Caravan and Motorhome Club membership is a brilliant added extra. The Club offers so many sites and benefits that there is something to please all interests and budgets.”

    More and more often now you are seeing companies team up to help push things forward and get more people into vans and on site. It is interesting to see so many companies align themselves with the Caravan and Motorhome Club and I am looking forward to seeing what the next team up will look like.

    Broad Lane Leisure At The NEC

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    By William Coleman

    This week I got the chance to catch up with the Broad Lane Leisure team to find out a bit more about the company and what they are displaying at the show. I actually found out a couple of things that I had no idea about, which is what makes meeting dealers at the NEC so great.

    The NEC brings together every dealer, manufacturer and supplier of the caravan and motorhome all under one roof, which can be quite daunting for visitors. One dealer I would suggest visiting is Broad Lane Leisure .

    This midlands based leisure vehicle company is a family run business that has been providing their customers with both caravans and motorhomes for 50 years! Over that time they have become no stranger to award wins for their special editions models and actually created the first ever dealer special.

    Over the past 5 decades this family business has been supplying a loyal customer base, some of which have been buying from them for over 40 years, with all of the touring needs. From awnings and accessories to award winning vehicles that can only been found at Broad Lane’s two sites, they really are a one stop shop for your “staycation”.

    Broad Lane also want to share some vital tips and advice for anyone buying, or thinking of buying at the show. And I must say the advice really is worth its weight in gold and may just end up saving you a few bob and a rather long headache.

    Broad Lane’s Managing Director, Darren Brown, is enthusiastic about the touring world, which is something he attributes to the success of the company. They genuinely do love and care about the caravan holiday and everything that goes with it, which I am sure you will see in the interview we did with them this week at the Motorhome and Caravan show.

    Customise Your Way With Autohaus At The NEC

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    By William Coleman

    The October Motorhome and Caravan Show at the NEC is a one stop shop for all things touring and has everything from pop up ice buckets to bus sized motorhomes. One section that gets larger each year is the camper vans so we catch up with one company who can customise a camper from the ground up.

    The campervan market is at an all time high and the NEC show is one of the best places to see them. During my first October show in 2017 I interviewed one of the team at Autohaus Campers who are experts at fully customising their vehicles. After two years I decided to have a follow up interview so see what is new in the world of camper conversion.

    The best thing about their service is the attention to detail they pay on every van they build. There is not one part of the build you cannot have input on. Each part of every camper is fully customisable and the team will be with you every step of the way so your final product is the one you dreamed about.

    Make sure to visit their stand and at the NEC to see the very impressive lineup they have brought with them.