COMPETITION: Fifteen winners chosen to go to Birmingham 2017

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by Tom Leaning

CaravanTimes recently held a competition for our readers to have the chance to win tickets to this month’s Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at Birmingham’s NEC. We have randomly chosen from the list of entrants and we can now reveal who the fifteen lucky winners are.

Adam Hill
Robert Capindale
Ray Rainford
Trevor Eady
Stephen Clark
Callum Hodgson
Theresa Clarke
Paul McVeigh
Christine Evans
Peter Tomlin
Linda Briggs
Terry Hunter
Colin Mitchell
James Rankin
Grahame Lees

CONGRATULATIONS to you all! You will now be able to pick up two tickets each from the ticket office at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham on a day of your choosing from 21 – 26 February 2017.

Organisers will be in contact with you shortly to provide you with more details. Well done!

For those of you that did not win this time, we will be announcing competitions to win more free tickets to upcoming shows later in the year, so please keep a look out for those.

Marquis make the Lifestyle 6TD a family affair

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by Tom Leaning

We take a look at Marquis’ latest Dealer Special caravan – but will it live up to its 6-berth label? Watch our video review and decide for yourself.

This Lifestyle 6TD is based on Swift’s Spite Freedom model, and impresses with its sleek exterior and comfy interior, which cleverly utilises the limited space to make for a genuinely comfortable 6-berth caravan, which all the family can enjoy.

Marquis Benimar UK partnership continues to flourish with new Tessoro range

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by Tom Leaning

In anticipation of our upcoming video feature on the Benimar Tessoro T494 motorhome from Marquis, we preview their new Benimar Tessoro range for the year ahead.

This set of Ford-based motorhomes purr with continental swagger and style, as does their powerful engines and spacious interiors. Take a look at our latest video and let us know what you think.

CampStead lets campers compare and contrast holidays with new online resource

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by Tom Leaning

CampStead is a new online resource and comparison website to help you find your perfect escape and has the potential to transform the holiday park industry.

Officially launched this week, www.campstead.com can help with anything from tents and caravans, to tipis and yurts – there is a camping experience suitable for everyone.

CampStead is an efficient comparison website, which will allow you to book your ideal getaway fast. You can compare locations, prices, facilities, and customer reviews, all with the click of a button.

For those who like their creature comforts, there is also a range of holiday caravans and luxury lodges with hot tubs.

Or, for those who like the traditional camping experience, you can even choose the location of your pitch – allowing you to tailor your experience to perfection.

CampStead.com was developed after the great success of CampManager – a Park Management System, used by hundreds of Holiday Parks throughout the UK and Ireland, and is highly regarded within the industry.

CampStead is unique from other comparison based websites as it provides a complete end-to- end booking process, not only for the holiday maker, but also more importantly for the holiday park, bypassing complicated and costly channel management systems, linking directly with the campsite owners’ reservation system.

Andrew Norris, Managing Director at CampStead states “We have high expectations for the success of CampStead.com, having worked for the industry for over 10 years specialising in online booking. We know how customers interact online, and what they want. With CampStead, customers will enjoy organising their next getaway, without fuss or frustration. Since customers can tailor their experience, CampStead truly has something for everyone. That’s what makes us unique”.

Visit www.CampStead.com for more details.

Countdown to Birmingham 2017: What to see and do

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by Tom Leaning

The Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show at Birmingham’s NEC (21 – 26 February) is almost upon us, and among the many launches and 2017 model line-ups from leading touring caravan and motorhome manufacturers, new caravan holiday homes and lodges will be unveiled.

Touring caravans revealed at the show include Lunar’s new four-berth Lexon 590 with mid washroom and end-island layout. Swift Caravans unveils its new six-berth, twin dinette, versatile and well-equipped Sprite Quattro DD, which includes contemporary interior and low-energy LED lighting. Bailey launches its all-new Pursuit range of caravans in 2017, available in six configurations on a four-model line-up and suitable for up to five people.

Alongside the traditional tourer manufacturers, Carapod (formerly Pod Caravans) launch their Nomad: a shiny, retro, chrome pod, weighing only 325 kg but including a double bed, dining area and galley kitchen. Barefoot Caravans will reveal its Naked Barefoot, giving clients the opportunity to design and furnish the interior of their Barefoot to their own specification and taste.

February’s show provides the first opportunity to see Auto-Trail’s new Frontier Scout motorhome in the UK. Made for long-distance adventuring, the new Scout includes a high standard specification plus new features such as roof-mounted awning, new GRP rear panel, new drawer fridge and DAB radio.

For those looking for caravan holiday homes and lodges, or even accommodation options for the back garden, Swift launches its S-Pod 4: a larger, four-berth version of its successful S-Pod 2. ABI promises two launches at the show, while Willerby announces a new luxury lodge and showcases a new glamping product. Wessex launches a new design of its acclaimed signature lodge, the Hideaway; whilst maintaining many of its original features the luxury lodge has clean lines, and contemporary design.

Show visitors can browse over 600 leisure vehicles and holiday homes, with many upgrades and additions to 2017 ranges. Lunar Caravans’ entry-level brand Venus includes new style and comfort features in its 2017 line-up and its premium Alaria collection displays three self-levelling, twin-axle models.

Swift Caravans has updated all its tourers to include full GRP bodyshells, Swift Command and Connect Direct. Elddis will show more than 40 tourers including complete new ranges built on in its SoLiD construction system, while Coachman presents 20 models from its 2017 collection. Adria’s new flagship Alpina range features extra-large multi-functional lounges and extensive storage.

For motorhome enthusiasts, Adria’s new A-class, Tag double-axle Sonic Supreme 810SC motorhome with full silver body shell is at the February show. Providing boutique-style open plan living in the extra vehicle length, with separate lounge, kitchen, and bathroom, it focuses on functionality and luxury including full digital control panel with a multi-media wall and tablet docking station.

Swift has transformed its four-model Autocruise van conversions and radically redesigned the entry level Escape range, with all eight models now under 3500 kg. The Swift Rio joins the Black Edition range comprising Kon-tiki and Bolero models.

Auto-Sleepers’ new coach-built Corinium RB completes the trio of dedicated bedroom models in the range, while Lunar Motorhomes showcases its new coach-built Roadstar and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Landstar.

Elddis lines up 14 motorhomes from the Autoquest, and Encore ranges with ‘the best ever array of layouts’. Rapido presents models, the 696 FF and the 8096 DF, and Tribute motorhomes an all-new 726: the second model in the range to offer six berths and traveling seats including an over-cab double bed and a pair of full-size bunks. Roller Team adds the value-for-money 685 to its Zefiro range for 2017 with five belts and for a flexible, spacious layout.

In the campervan area, exhibitors include Danbury Motorcaravans, Hillside Leisure, Motorcaravans, and Wildax. Rolling Homes offers its bespoke build service while Bilbo’s is showing the latest Volkswagen conversions with improved comfort and driving dynamics, including Euro 6 engines outputting from 85 HP to 205 HP.

Special edition tourers from the UK’s main dealers include the new Swift Kudos 630DD from Preston Caravans and Motorhomes: a six-berth, tourer with end bed and lounge area. Campbell’s Caravans shows the Cosmos, an eight-model range based on the Lunar Quasar with upgrades such as gas barbecue point, LED mood lighting, furnishing and USB points.

Ropers Caravan World’s stand showcases the Second Generation Jive by Bailey, featuring an external BBQ point and exclusive soft furnishings. Couplands Caravans shows its 2017 Bessacarr by Design models, including its all-new 650 model with rear island bed.

Robinson’s exclusive Ultima tourer range based on the Lunar Lexon comes with 12 different layout options, with the new Ultima 590 joining the line-up for 2017. Broad Lane Leisure launches four special edition tourers while Glossop Caravans’ special editions, developed in partnership with leading caravan manufacturers, include high-specification Coachman Festival, Elddis and Swift models. Grantham Caravans’ displays Swift Sienna and Lunar Solaris models with extensive specifications for 2017.

While at the show ask experts from The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club for advice on the best campsites and adventure holiday locations. New to Caravanning? Join us in the Freedom to Go Experience, where you can try out some of the core skills involved in owning a leisure vehicle. Caravan and motorhome owners are also invited to book a pitch and stay overnight at The NEC: visit www.ccmshow.co.uk/on-site-campsite for details.

Advance ticket prices start from £7.00 per person and children 15 and under for free*. Tickets are on sale now and can be ordered through the website: www.ccmshow.co.uk

New luxury glamping resort to showcase latest in natural swimming pool design

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by Tom Leaning

A new luxury £4 million touring and glamping resort near Shrewsbury, with a state-of-the-art natural swimming pool at the heart of the development.

The Love2Stay resort is being developed by Salop Leisure, one of the UK’s top caravan and leisure companies. Love2Stay, which is scheduled to open at Easter 2017, is situated on the edge of the market town of Shrewsbury in 22 acres of landscaped grounds. It will offer visitors a luxurious natural retreat, with accommodation in either 20 glamping Safari style lodges or 120 touring caravan pitches, with panoramic views across to Wales from on one side and over to the Shropshire Hills from the other.

The 432 metre natural swimming pool at the centre of the resort is being designed and built by Poolscape Ltd in collaboration with multiple RHS Gold Medal winning landscape design practice, MOSAIC. The team are using the latest technology from Austrian natural pool specialists BIOTOP. The bespoke pool design will offer swimmers crystal clear, chemical free water, which is naturally filtered by BIOTOP’s market leading pumps and filtration technology.

Mark Bebb, Salop Leisure’s managing director said: “With Love2Stay we are keen to develop a resort that is at one with nature and will instill a feeling of well-being and tranquility in our visitors. Our lives have become dominated by technology, with our children glued to i-pads and the Internet. We want them to get back to nature and experience the grass between their toes. With our stunning centrepiece pool, they will be able to swim safely in pure, chemical free natural water and feel like they are wild swimming in a mountain lake.”

BIOTOP’s managing director Peter Petrich said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Salop on this exciting and innovative glamping concept which has the environment and nature at its core. Our partner Poolscape is creating a stunning natural pool design. The pool technology is tailor-made for the water volume and the number of swimmers. They will be able to enjoy all the benefits of natural outdoor swimming.”

For further information about Love2Stay visit www.love2stay.co.uk or for BIOTOP Natural Pools visit www.bio.top

The Caravan Club celebrate the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology in Scotland

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by Tom Leaning

2017 is the year to celebrate everything Scottish and The Caravan Club are leading the way.

2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the Edinburgh International Festival; the 30th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the release of the new Guy Ritchie film – King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – with filming locations on the Isle of Skye, and the Women’s British Open Golf Championship just to name a few.

2017 is also officially designated as Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology. The Caravan Club has a variety of Scottish sites, from remote wild and beach settings to bustling city locations help you to make the most of this incredible year of celebrations and Events.

Nick Lomas, Director General at The Caravan Club commented: “Exploring the best of the outdoors is what members of The Caravan Club love the most, and Scotland delivers the most incredible experiences. Our Scottish site locations range from lochside to city; beach view to castle estate and links golf courses to Northern Lights hot spots. With 29 locations to choose from, holidaymakers heading to the region won’t be far from the action.

Scotland is a diverse country offering fabulous walking opportunities, as well as a wealth of art and history. The 70 th anniversary of the Edinburgh International Festival is a momentous event for the arts and the 30 th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site ensures there is plenty to keep you occupied whether you are looking for culture, history, wildlife or adventure.”

The Edinburgh International Festival: The 70th anniversary of the largest arts festival in the world, takes place from 4 to 28 August 2017. Visitors flock to the city to see comedies, plays and performances from a variety of genres across the arts. Edinburgh Caravan Club Site is in easy reach of the centre of Edinburgh where there is plenty to do including visiting Holyrood House or Edinburgh Zoo. The site also has a golf and play area.
A stay at Edinburgh Caravan Club Site based on two adults on a standard pitch, costs from £28.60 per night. Camping is also available.

30th Anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Once a vibrant frontier spanning 80 miles coast-to- coast dividing Scotland and England, Hadrian’s Wall is now a must-visit historical attraction which celebrates 30 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. There will be a six month exhibition from Saturday 8 April to Sunday 10 September across 10 locations along the wall to celebrate the anniversary. Take a day trip to Hadrian’s Wall by staying at Melrose Gibson Park Caravan Club Site on the Scottish borders. The site is perfect for walkers, cyclers and fishing in the River Tweed. There is also a new railway line which links the Scottish Borders to Edinburgh and the site is a 30-minute walk from Tweedbank station.
A stay at Melrose Gibson Park Caravan Club Site on the Scottish Borders based on two adults on a standard pitch, costs from £20.30 per night.

Explore Glamis Castle: Netflix’s The Crown dominated our TV screens this winter and for anyone wanting to see what it is like to live like royalty, Glamis Castle – the childhood home of the Queen Mother and birthplace of Princess Margaret – is the place to go. The castle is a great day out for all the family to admire the architecture, learn about the history or explore the legends and myths that surround the castle. Nearby Forfar Lochside Caravan Club Site is a picturesque parkland location on the shores of the loch. The country park is ideal for dog walking and cycling.
A stay at Forfar Lochside Caravan Club Site in Forfar based on two adults on a standard pitch costs from £17.80 per night. Camping is also available,

Surfing and wildlife in Dunnet: With a two- mile sheltered bay, Dunnet is a great place to sunbathe, paddle and swim. It’s perfect for watersport enthusiasts too with some dramatic surf when the winds are high. It’s also a top spot to see wildlife and a dedicated visitor centre brings to life the animals and birds that are native to the area. Dunnet Bay Caravan Club Site is a great base for exploring and for walkers to climb to Dunnet Head to gain splendid views over to the Pentland Firth to Orkney and parts of the north coast to Ben Loyal and Ben Hope.
A stay at Dunnet Bay Caravan Club Site in Thurso based on two adults on a standard pitch, costs from £19.60 per night. Camping is also available.

For more information please contact The Caravan Club on 01342 326 944 or visit www.caravanclub.co.uk/scotland

Marquis commits to educational investment in their staff

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by Tom Leaning

The British-based caravan and motorhome dealer, Marquis, have continued developing their ambitions for the future by enrolling their Branch Managers and Sales Managers onto a Management Development Course to further improve their industry skills.

As an NCC Dealer Marquis are required to conform to codes of best practice and minimum standards when selling new and used motorhomes and caravans and associated services. Their branches are monitored by a central source and strive to continually improve and invest in staff, premises and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Modules such as Self Management, Leading Effective Teams, Effective Communications, Managing Change and Staff Motivation were all covered as part of the training, with the team of 20 Branch Managers and Sales Managers taking part. The course ran over three days and all of the candidates passed suitably with flying colours and achieved a certification from the Central College Nottingham.

Commenting on the Management training, Graham Davidson-Bowman, Commercial Director said: “As part of our commitment to the staff and our customers, ongoing training is vital in a large organisation like ours. We seek to enhance the already high standards we set our Managers and by completing this course, we have given them the tools to improve not only their own skills but the staff that work for them.”

The Service Management Team for the Marquis network are also completing this course in the first quarter of 2017, which again confirms Marquis’s investment in their staff.

For further information about Marquis visit the website www.marquisleisure.co.uk

Scottish economy reaps benefits from Caravan Club members

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by Tom Leaning

The Scottish economy saw a significant increase in growth thanks to the off-site spending of members of The Caravan Club during 2016, according to recent report.

According to The Caravan Club’s Nick Lomas, who was speaking at this year’s Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show (see our latest video attached), members spent £37 million off-site when in the Scottish region in 2016 – an increase of £2 million compared to £35 million in 2015.

Around 70 per cent of tourists staying on The Caravan Club’s sites in Scotland are from outwith the country, demonstrating the extensive inbound tourism contribution that caravanning, motorhoming and camping makes to the Scottish economy. Overall, the sector is worth an estimated £700 million annually to the area, according to a report by The Scottish Caravan and Camping Forum.

High-profile films such as “The BFG” featuring the Isle of Skye, Netflix’s blockbuster series “The Crown” being filmed in locations across Aberdeenshire, including Dundarg Castle, Fraserburgh and Slain’s Castle, and the increasing appeal of the Edinburgh International Festival have all contributed to the consistent increase in spending and visits to the area by members of The Caravan Club.

To continue to support the booming outdoor leisure business in Scotland, The Caravan Club has opened two new multi-million pound site developments; at Strathclyde Country Park near Glasgow and Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park in Aberdeenshire. These investments are in addition to the £1 million spend across its network on site refurbishments and improvements throughout the UK every year.

Nick Lomas, Director General at The Caravan Club commented: “The Caravan Club has long been recognised as an important contributor to Scottish tourism, and we are pleased to see that our members continue to both visit and spend more in the region. From the breathtaking scenery of the Highlands down to a wide range of coastal walks, Scotland is a fantastic holiday location for anyone who wants to get closer to nature or experience some of the best culture in the world. By investing in our sites and continuing to enhance the experiences on offer to those travelling with The Caravan Club to Scotland, we’re excited to see our investments aiding further tourism growth and support for the local economy.”

Family win “life changing” prizes in Camping and Caravanning Club competition

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by Tom Leaning

A family from Hertfordshire have been announced as the lucky winners of a Hyundai Tucson 1.7CRDi tow car and Sprite Freedom 6 caravan worth more than £35,000 in a Camping and Caravanning Club competition.

Laurence Lomasney, 46, and Suzanne Smith, 28, who’ll enjoy their prize with children Emma, 6, and Tom, 7, are from Hitchin in Hertfordshire, and collected their brand new car and caravan outfit from the Club’s headquarters in Coventry. Their prize also includes a year’s free membership to The Camping and Caravanning Club, and a Club Caravan Manoeuvring course for beginners.

A delighted Laurence said: “We were talking about all the things that the prize is going to give us and the more we talk about it the more and more we realise the horizons are opening up for us.”

“It’s going to be an incredible life changer, not just for us, not just for the family but for the kids and the future. The kids are both outdoor children and it’s going to give us the ability to almost up sticks and go where we want and have that quality of time with them – we have the opportunity now to make memories of a lifetime for them.”

The Club partnered with Hyundai and the Swift Group to offer the huge prize as part of its ‘No B+E Licence? No Problem!’ campaign, which ran throughout the 2016 camping season to reassure drivers who passed their test after 1 January 1997 that they can comfortably tow plenty of modern car and caravan combinations.

Those drivers who passed their test after this date automatically hold a category B car licence, which enables them to tow car and caravan outfits with a combined maximum authorised mass of no more than 3500kg. But there are plenty of family car and caravan combinations that fall within this limit, and they can be legally and safely matched and towed in comfort.

To raise awareness around the subject, the Club and its partners joined forces to offer a chance to win a stunning B licence-friendly car and caravan.

The Sprite Freedom 6 is a superb single-axle six-berth tourer, with large front lounge, central kitchen, side dinette that converts to bunk beds, and fixed lengthways bunks at the rear. With a spacious corner washroom, it’s a hit layout for families and with a maximum weight of 1355kg, makes for an 85% weight match with the Tucson.

Andy Newhall, Head of Marketing at Swift Group, said: “We were delighted to offer the Sprite Freedom 6 as the perfect, lightweight family tourer for this competition, and to support the very important message that plenty of young families can get into caravanning without having to pay to pass further driving tests.”

The Club will announce a new competition to win a car and caravan beginning at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show, at Birmingham’s NEC from 21-26 February 2017, which will also run until the end of the Motorhome and Caravan Show, 17-22 October 2017.

Has Tribeca reinvented the caravan?

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by Tom Leaning

British holiday park company Away Resorts claims to have reinvented the humble caravan with the introduction of a new concept in affordable UK family accommodation.

Away Resorts have spent the past two years developing the Tribeca for the modern family: a ’boutique-style caravan’, using opinion polls, focus groups and a wide range of research.

The Tribeca – which they hope will do for caravanning what glamping has done for camping – certainly does not resemble a traditional caravan, inside or out, but is being marketed as a caravan reinvented. They collaborated with leading caravan manufacturer ABI to complete the project.

The Tribeca’s main features include:

A boutique hotel feel

A central living space

An adults’ bedroom that is like a boutique hotel

The Tribeca is the long-term project of Away Resorts CEO Carl Castledine, and is inspired by the loft-style apartments of the trendy Tribeca district in New York City. According Away Resorts, Mr Castledine personally visited every caravan manufacturer and walked through every model ever produced in the last 15 years to create the new caravan.

Mr Castledine says: “More than 51 million nights are spent in the UK in caravans each year, a figure I suspect will rise as the impact of Brexit kicks in over the coming years. The caravan industry contributes more than £6billion a year to the UK economy, so it’s got no shortage of fans. But, it’s never really been cool, until now.

“First of all, we know that the lifestyle and leisure needs of the modern family have changed drastically – especially in the past decade. Twelve years ago Facebook didn’t exist, let alone Instagram and Snapchat, and just five years ago primary school aged children didn’t carry their own tech around with them. Add to this the massive rise in the popularity of boutique hotels and glamping – both of which have raised the expectations of families in terms of the comfort and aesthetics of their surroundings when on holiday.

“And we know from research that women are often the main decision makers when it comes to family holidays, and they know what the family needs. So we used valuable feedback and opinions from hundreds of mums as well as dads, and then teamed up with a woman designer to create the Tribeca. We are really proud of this new concept in family accommodation, which puts the modern family at the heart of its design.”

The first guests will stay in the Tribeca caravans (which can be booked online from now) at Easter in ‘Tribeca Villages’ at Away Resorts’ Tattershall Lakes park in Lincolnshire and Whitecliff Bay park in the Isle of Wight.

The grand unveiling of the first Tribeca will take place at the Caravan and Camping Show at Birmingham NEC from 21 February.

To find out more about Tribeca caravans visit awayresorts.co.uk

Has Tribeca really re-invented the caravan with this new concept? Tell us what you think below…

COMPETITION: Five winners chosen to go to Scotland

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by Tom Leaning

CaravanTimes recently held a competition for our readers to have the chance to win tickets to next month’s Scottish Caravan Motorhome & Holiday Home Show. We have randomly chosen from the list of entrants and we can now reveal who the five lucky winners are.

Christine Mcintyre
Michelle Rae
Richard Tyler
Ian Brooks
Lisa Chappell

CONGRATULATIONS to you all! You will now be able to pick up two tickets each from the ticket office at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow on a day of your choosing from 2 – 5 February 2017.

Organisers will be in contact with you shortly to provide you with more details. Well done!

For those of you that did not win this time, you can still enter our competition for the chance to win one of 15 pairs of tickets to the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2017 in Birmingham from the 21-26 February.

Please click here to enter