£1.2 billion sale rumoured to be close following merger of Parkdean and Park Resorts

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Talks for the sell-off are rumoured to take place as early as this summer

Parkdean, the largest caravan park company in the UK, is rumoured to be preparing itself for sale at a price that could be as high as £1.2 billion.

According to The Sunday Times, the company is set to consider either a trade sale or a float on the stock market in the last quarter of 2016, although a timescale for the sale is not yet thought to have been made.

Rumours of the sale come following the merger last year between Parkdean Holidays and Park Resorts, which saw the two companies team up to provide for a total of 72 holiday parks across the UK, attracting 1.8 million customers last year.

Now, private equity owners of the business, Alchemy Partners and Electra, are said to be entering into talks with investment banks regarding a sale of the business, something which could take place before this summer.

The market for caravanning and camping holidays has been steadily growing amongst those looking for to holiday on UK soil over the past few years, and this summer is expected to be a very good season for the business.

Caravan Club announces booking dates for winter holidays in the sun

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Club announces booking details for Spain and Portugal winter breaks

The Caravan Club has announced it is set to open for bookings for the Club’s 2016/17 Winter Escapes programme.

From 1 June, caravanners will be able to book from a number of handpicked campsites in Spain and Portugal offering year-round facilities – certain to enable you to enjoy autumn and winter breaks in the sun.

The Club has alos announced a number of en route stops to break up your journey, providing for a convenient overnight stopover should this be required. And, for 2016, the Club has added two French sites to the programme, Les Bois du Bardelet in Central France, and Camping Indigo Strasbourg in Alsace – an ideal location to explore the famous Strasbourg Christmas market.

A number of sites in The Caravan Club’s winter programme provide for special long-stay rates, allowing the cost of holidaying abroad to be cut. What’s more, when booking sites with a ferry crossing, low ferry fares are also available.

Prices for The Caravan Club’s Winter Escape programme start from as little as £9.14 per night. To find out more about how you can book yours and to order your brochure, click here now.

Motorists want ‘the right to drive’ despite future driverless car plans

Posted by

More than 65 per cent of people surveyed still want the right to be in control

More than 65 per cent of motorists want to retain the right to drive even though driverless cars are coming, research from road safety organsation IAM RoadSmart – formerly known as the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) – has found.

IAM RoadSmart conducted an independent survey of 1,000 British motorists and a separate poll among its 92,000 members and the results showed that 65 per cent of motorists
believe that a human being should always be in control of a vehicle, with 53 per cent saying that the focus should be on making drivers safer – not just cars.

Members of IAM RoadSmart have welcomed hi-tech advancements which are improving vehicle safety, but want to maintain their control of a car – even though autonomous technology will be able to do it for them.

Results of the survey also revealed that 20 per cent of drivers thought that driverless cars were a ‘good idea’ whilst 34 per cent disagreed citing them as a ‘bad idea.’

When told that 95 per cent of accidents were down to ‘human error’ and that there was ‘a strong case for taking driver control out of the equation’ 24 per cent of respondents agreed with the proposition, which 15 per cent disagreed and 60 per cent opted for a cautious ‘wait and see.’

Sarah Sillars OBE, chief executive of IAM RoadSmart said: “Technological advances that make driving and riding safer for all road users have to be embraced whole-heartedly – but British motorists and our members, do want the right to drive.

“Intelligent cars will deliver a step change in road safety by targeting the human errors we make from time-to-time. At IAM RoadSmart we believe a well-trained driver and an ever-vigilant car is a win-win scenario for the future.

“This technology will also prove to be a major boost for business and keep UK PLC at the very edge of technological advance.

“IAM RoadSmart is the leading specialist in the interaction between human and machine and will play a significant role in this fundamental shift – which will see UK roads the safest, most business friendly and connected in the world.

“The government is due to consult this summer on how the UK can lead the development of autonomous vehicles; we are ready, willing and able to participate fully in this discussion.
“One could see a time when motorists might be restricted to driving on designated roads – and possibly just for pleasure rather than for work or getting from A to B.”

No Comments

filed under: News

Man jailed for dangerous driving after stealing £14,000 caravan

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Thief who stole car and caravan sentenced to 15 months

A man who led police on a dangerous chase on the M6 motorway driving a stolen car with a stolen caravan in tow has been jailed for 15 months.

Andrew Cribbes, 41, from Oxford, pleaded guilty to stealing the caravan from storage premises at Old Arley, near Nuneaton, handling the Mitsubishi L200 he was using to tow it, and dangerous driving.

During the police chase, which took place after the caravan owner was alerted to the fact that her caravan was on the move by the company responsible for the tracking device installed within it, officers laid down a stinger mat in a bid to halt Cribbes’ escape. Cribbes , however, drove over it deflating one tyre in the process, and continued his attempt to escape on the M6.

During the police chase, Cribbes travelled at speeds of up to 60mph, whilst swerving across all three lanes of the motorway before being boxed in by a number of police cars.

Matthew Brook, defending, told the judge: “Mr Cribbes is well aware you’re going to be imposing an immediate term of custody. The only question is the total length of that sentence.”

And he conceded: “Of course, there was some degree of planning in handling the car to steal the caravan.”

Mr Brook said that in 2012 Cribbes had been jailed for three years for wounding, and after his release he was living in a hostel, but working and looking forward to finding a flat.
“But the probation service in Oxford felt it appropriate, when he had just four weeks left on his licence, to have him recalled to prison for having an empty beer can.

“So when he came out four weeks later, he had no job and no accommodation, and at the time of this offence he was living in a tent in Oxford and using Class A drugs.”

Jailing Cribbes, Recorder Michael Burrows QC told him: “You were driving a car which had been stolen, and which you had dishonestly received, and you stole a caravan.

“You drove onto the M6 and you drove over a stinger and rammed several police cars to try to get away. You know there has to be a custodial sentence.”

What do you think of this sentencing? Let us know in the comments below.

Moment caravan is blown off mountain road and plummets down cliff caught on film

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Wind blows caravan off mountain road in heart-stopping video

Picture the scene. You’re going away for the weekend, soaking up the scenery as you climb a winding mountain road in your car with your trusty caravan following on behind. Then blam. A freak gust of wind decides to scupper your plans for your weekend getaway by indiscriminately ripping your caravan from its towbar to send it plummeting down a mountain range.

The above is exactly what happened to one family as they travelled along the southern slope of Mount Esja, near the Icelandic capital Reykjkavik. And the heart-stopping moment has been caught on film.

The footage, taken by another road user following on behind on the stretch of road shows how the caravan begins to rock back and forth as it is clearly caught by gusts of wind, before blowing over and tumbling off a cliff.

The road, however, situated within Iceland’s capital city, is well renowned for being hazardous for larger vehicles owing to being one of the windiest stretches of road in the world, which begs the question: should these caravanners have attempted to tackle it with their caravan in tow?

Check out the video below and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Top European tourism post for Dorset holiday parks director

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Dorset holiday park director assumes the position

Members of the international body which represents more than 20,000 holiday park businesses across Europe have elected Dorset parks owner Martin Cox as their new president.

Fellow members of the European Federation of Campingsite Organisations & Holiday Park Associations (EFCO&HPA) voted Martin into its most senior role in spring this year.

The election took place at EFCO&HPA’s general assembly in the central Portuguese city of Viseu, and Martin will serve as the federation’s president for two years.

Martin is a director of his family’s West Dorset Leisure Holidays which was established 45 years ago and now comprises five multi-award winning holiday parks in the county.

As president, Martin will play a key part in helping shape tourism and job creation policies affecting holiday parks in membership of national trade associations across 22 EU countries.

He will also help steer EFCO&HPA’s lobby work with the European Commission which aims to ensure the sector’s interests are taken into account during decision-making processes.

Martin will be supported in his role by the federation’s vice president, Linda Gedink of Luxembourg, and by the retiring president, Guylhem Féraud of France.

Kimberley Caravans listed in London Stock Exchange 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Caravans coming to the forefront as dealership placed on 100 companies to inspire Britain list

Nottingham based Kimberley Caravans & Motorhomes have been listed in the 2016 edition of the prestigious ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ compiled by the London Stock Exchange.

The report is an annual celebration of some of the fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

The inclusion of Kimberley Caravans and Motorhomes in the list was welcomed by the Minister for Small Business Anna Soubrey who recently visited the company’s Kimberley site.

Soubry said: “I am delighted to see Kimberley Caravans within this report as it recognises those businesses which are doing so much to keep Britain thriving as the economy continues to strengthen.”

The report from the London Stock Exchange also examines in detail the opportunities and challenges facing SMEs and looks at the sectors and trends that will shape the future of the UK economy.

Kimberley Caravans is a family-run business, which currently has a turnover of over £10m. It was established in Nottingham in 1984 and employs 33 staff at its 2-acre Kimberley branch, just off Junction 26 of the M1.

In 2012 the company expanded into the North East, opening a seven-acre Darlington branch just off junction 58 of the A1. The Darlington branch currently employs 37 staff.

According to Chris Lowe, the managing director of Kimberley Caravans, the business attributes its success to developing lifetime relationships with his customers.

Lowe, said: “I am very proud for all our team here that the business has been included in this report.

“We’ve continued to grow steadily, putting quality customer service at the forefront of our development. The team are aware of the fact that customers are becoming much more discerning and will look for the best service and price.”

“The economy has been challenging but we have seen more people wanting to invest money in caravans to holiday in this country, many of our customers are new to caravanning and have decided it’s much more fun to take your holiday where you want to take it, “he continued.

Emmerdale star opens Cumbria caravan park’s new pub

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Emmerdale’s Charity Dingle opens up new pub affiliated with Cumbrian caravan park

Television star Emma Atkins, perhaps better known as Charity Dingle in popular soap, Emmerdale, has officially opened a caravan park’s new public house by pulling the first pint of many set to be served up in Cumbria in the Lake District.

Silverdale Holiday Park‘s owner, Michael Holgate, decided to rescue local pub, The Royal, situated in nearby Silverdale, after it had remained empty for six years in a bid to encourage caravanners to utilize nearby facilities within the park’s local area and for those who fancy a change of scenery.

Until recently, local options for visitors to the park were rather limited – but now, following on from giving The Royal a makeover estimated to be worth over £300,000, The Royal has been redesigned to create a warm, welcoming and stylish ambiance.

The Royal’s re-fitted kitchens also now boast state-of-the-art catering technology, and will provide meals both in the bar and the pub’s second-floor dining room.

There will, says Michael, be a strong emphasis on Cumbrian sourced ingredients, complementing the regularly changing selection of different craft ales brewed in Lakeland.

Silverdale Holiday Park has been owned by the Holgate family for 60 years, and provides
over 500 caravan holiday homes, plus touring pitches, and luxury timber-built camping pods.

As well as Silverdale – which won Cumbria Tourism‘s overall holiday park of the year award two years ago – the group also owns five other parks in the region.

“Although we bought The Royal with our own customers in mind, we’re delighted that it will also provide something of a social hub for the local community,” said Michael.

“We are well aware, of course, that in recent years many local pubs have been calling time and closing down – so in some ways we are bucking a national trend.

“However, all the evidence shows that pubs which offer a distinct identity and first-class hospitality, as well as high quality food and drink, will survive and prosper,” he added.

Emma Atkins, whose parents still live in Silverdale, said she was delighted to see The Royal re-open in the village where she grew up, and which holds many happy childhood memories.

Caravan park ravaged by Storm Frank set to reopen

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Ballater Caravan Park set to reopen to tourers this week

A Scottish caravan park destroyed during this year’s flooding caused by Storm Frank is set to reopen, with bookings in excess of £70,000 having already been made.

Ballater Caravan park, in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, was forced to close in January after an estimated £1 million worth of damage was caused to the park, resulting in 60 caravans being wrecked and 40 more being swept away in the floods which ravaged the local area. An estimated £20,000 in booking fees was also lost.

Toilet and shower facilities were also destroyed, leaving a reparation bill estimated to be in the region of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Although most of the caravans destroyed were static, the touring section of the park, which is made up of 72 hard-standing and grass pitches was also hit hard, and the aftermath of the storm left the park looking like a warzone as can be seen in the footage below.

But now, following extensive repair works carried out, Ballater will reopen its doors and open up part of the park to touring caravans this Friday.

Have you won one of five CoPilot Caravan sat nav apps?

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Read on below to find out if you’re a winner in our latest CaravanTimes giveaway

A few weeks ago, we ran a competition giving five lucky CaravanTimes members the chance to win a CoPilot Caravan sat nav app worth £119.99 each – the ideal solution when it comes to hitting the road in your caravan or motorhome.

The CoPilot Caravan app for smartphones and tablets enables users to take the strain out of being in control of a caravan or motorhome by automatically generating customised routes based on vehicle size and class, taking into account each vehicle’s height, weight and length, so as to avoid narrow local roads and while preventing dangerous or costly run-ins with low bridges and other restricted roads. What’s more, clear, easy-to-follow directions, on-screen alerts for potential hazards, voice-guided turn instructions, automatic route recalculation, advanced lane guidance at motorway exits and junctions, plus speed limit warnings are just some of the additional extras which come as standard.

It does’t stop there though, and the CoPilot Caravan app also provides access to millions of useful pre-installed locations including camping sites, motorway services and petrol stations, and, if you’re thinking of heading further afield, the app also enables the use of its built-in multi-stop itinerary builder with the ability to add up to 50 stops across the continent, saving save time and fuel costs. It also comes with 12 months of real-time traffic in order to help you avoid build ups en route, as well as free map updates of the whole of Europe should you wish to travel further afield.

All you needed to do to be in with a chance of winning was to like our Facebook page and provide us with your details and the results are in. The five lucky winners are:

Anne O’Brien
Jason Gallagher
Earle O’Neill
Susan Smith
Terry Hawkins

Congratulations winners! We’ll be in touch soon.

Don’t despair if you didn’t win this time round – keep checking back for more great competitions coming soon!

Travelworld talks refurbishment of showroom and service centre and new streamline system

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Check out our latest video to find out what’s new at Travelworld in Shropshire

When it comes to looking for a high-end motorhome, Travelworld is definitely worth a look. And now, the large Shropshire-based dealership, known across the UK for their exclusive portfolio of Hymer motorhomes, has unveiled its new, refurbished show room and motorhome service centre.

Travelworld decided to renovate their facilities after focussing predominantly on its service centre, including the replacement of centre’s ramps with three larger hydraulic ones, ideal for supporting larger, heavier European motorhomes. Each ramp serves its own purpose too, with one used for habitation work, one for servicing chassis’, and the other for the fitting Goldscmitt equipment.

The showroom, meanwhile, has also been refurbished to provide for a lifestyle showroom effect, in essence enabling each visitor to see each of Travelworld’s motorhomes to be shown in all their glory and in natural light.

That’s not all though, and Travelworld has also implemented its own bespoke, streamlined computerised system, allowing for a total peerless environment whilst giving Travelworld staff instant access to customer and vehicle records, improving customer service and focussing on even better speed and delivery.

CaravanTimes went along to Travelworld to take around the new service centre and showroom, as well as to find out what else is new, so make sure you check out the video above and see for yourselves.

No Comments

filed under: Video

Ludlow caravan park reports huge increase in bookings for first quarter of 2016

Posted by

by Joe Jeffrey

Plenty of activities in and around Ludlow announced as park sees record number son visitors

Popular five star Ludlow Touring Park has reported a 15 per cent increase in business in the first quarter of 2016.

The park, which is located just outside the historic market town and generates around £2 million a year for the local economy, is gearing up for a very busy year and has only limited availability for Ludlow Spring Festival on 14 and 15 May.

Other major events in the town during the year include Ludlow Fringe Arts and Community Festival from 11 June to 3 July, which will feature hundreds of music, street theatre, dance, comedy, performing and visual arts events around the town.

On 3 July, the 13th annual Richards Castle Soap Box Derby will take place at Hanway Common. Since the first home-made cart rolled down the hill in 2004 a staggering £80,000 has been raised for local charities.

Furthermore, in what looks set to be a fantastic fun day out, Ludlow Dog Day is set to be held in the impressive grounds and gardens of Stokesay Court on Sunday, 24 July and a Small Gardens Festival is being held on Sunday, 7 August when 12 gardens will open for the afternoon in and around Sandpits.

Magnalonga on Sunday, 14 August comprises of a leisurely countryside walk with local food and drink stops accompanied by live music, while the famous Ludlow Food and Drink Festival will be held between 9 and 11 September inside Ludlow Castle and around town.

The next major event in the town is Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre on November 26 and 27, which celebrates the start of the festive season in medieval style.

Due to the popularity of all the major events in the town, Ludlow Touring Park managers David and Karen Price are encouraging caravan and motorhome owners to book early to avoid disappointment. Some customers book their space up to a year ahead, such is the demand.

“Our bookings are increasing every year, mostly through personal recommendations and repeat business,” said Karen. “A lot of regular customer are coming back and bringing friends with them.

“Ludlow is such a fantastic town to visit with its castle, top restaurants and food shops. The major events attract thousands of visitors to the town, which is also an ideal base from which to explore the Welsh Marches.”

The 135-pitch Ludlow Touring Park, an affiliated site of The Caravan Club, is located on a 20-acre site alongside the River Teme and A49 near Richards Castle within walking distance of Ludlow, dubbed the food capital of England. The park is one of six owned by Morris Leisure based in Shrewsbury.