Resurgent British summer sees spike in caravan popularity

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by David Bates

Caravan sales rise as traditional British summer returns

Britons keen to make the most of their summer are increasingly turning to camping and caravaning for weekend breaks, as well as longer holidays, whilst sales of traditional summer fare have increased markedly.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show, in some cases, a fourfold increase in the sale of caravan-related products; sleeping bags jumped from £1.3 million in 2008 to £4.9 million in 2014 and, across the same period, tent and caravan awning sales rose by 75 per cent to £18.4 million. Caravan sales have steadily risen by seven per cent from 2012, amounting to £341.4 million, £261.7 million of which was on small caravans – the equivalent to some 50,000 vehicles. This in turn increased travel demands, with luggage sales more than doubling from £13.2 million to £28.3 million.

Our reemerging affection for the great outdoors has also seen rises in sales of cider, beer and ice cream. In 2014, Britons spent £723 million on homemade ice cream and £911.2 million on cider, an increase of almost 50 per cent from 2008, thought to spring from increasingly popular, and especially summery, mixed-fruit ciders.

British consumption of beer and cider appears to reflect average annual temperatures. The colder summers of 2012 and 2013 saw a fall-off in sales compared to 2011 and 2014. Let’s hope the sun continues to shine in 2015.

Caravanners becoming increasingly acceptant of school term time holiday fines

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by Ellie Pritchard

With the increase in the price of holidays when school is out, parents are in defiance of being fined for taking their children away during term time

Parents looking to escape on their summer holiday early by taking their children out of school during term time in order to avoid a stark increase in prices are becoming more acceptant of fines implemented in order to prevent them from doing so, it has emerged.

With holiday prices rising rapidly during school holidays, many parents across the UK are willing to risk being fined £60, including over 1,000 parents in the county of Derbyshire alone.

Since 2012, Derby City Council has issued 3,075 fines to parents who have irresponsibly taken their children out of school.
During the 2012/13 academic year, 775 Derbyshire parents were fined, with the figure increasing to 1,196 during the 2013/14 academic year.

With one week still left to go for some schools, 1,104 parents have been fined this academic year, equating to a minimum of £184,000 in fines issues to parents who fail to abide by the rules.
Many Derby Telegraph readers said they would be happy to take the fine in comparison to forking out hundreds of pounds extra for a holiday out of term time.

One unhappy caravanner, Nikita Rusko, said: “Yes, I will continue to take my child out of school during term time as well, until the government start forcing holiday companies to lower their prices during the holidays. The difference is ridiculous!

“I’ve priced up a holiday for August at Haven. It would cost me nearly £1,000 for Monday to Friday in one of their basic caravans, yet if I were to book the same caravan on the same site but in June/July it would be about £200?”

Frustrated parent, Jimmy Watt agreed, saying: “The holiday companies take the Michael. There was £600 – £1,300 difference on some holidays we looked at.”
Jackie Wood was also left feeling outraged by the price of holidays during school holidays. She said: “We once booked a caravan at a Devon holiday park for a week during Easter and that cost us £580.
“If we had booked exactly the same caravan for a week during the six weeks summer holidays it would have cost us well over £1,000 and that’s in the UK!”
But there were other parents who didn’t agree with taking their children out of school to go on holiday was justified.

Annabelle Rowe said: “I personally don’t take my kids on holiday in term time, we go to the seaside at Easter when it’s a bit cheaper.

“I don’t think doing it as a one-off is a huge deal but I know of parents who do it three or four times a year, which is a lot of school to be missing really.”

The fine system was introduced by MP Michael Gove following abolishing the right for schools to give the okay for students to be awarded with up to ten days of holiday when he was education secretary.

This new rule ensured that parents were issued with a £60 fine if their child’s absence was not authorised by the school. Those who refuse the fine are subsequently faced with a further fine of £2,500 and could even face jail for a maximum of three months.

Of the increase in parents taking their children out of school during term time, Sir Michael explained to the Sunday Times: “I would like to see the fines raised. We have too many parents taking their children out in term time.”

The MP, better known for his Plebgate scandal than imposing fines on cash struck parents who struggle to meet exorbitant prices many holiday companies charge during school holidays, continued: “If parents are behaving irresponsibly then the state is right to say, ‘This is wrong and you are being a bad parent’.”

What do you think? Can taking children on holiday during school term time can be justified once in a while? Leave a comment below or voice your opinion in our CaravanTimes forum.

Caravanner struggles with tight squeeze in Cornwall

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by Megan Henderson

Caravan gets stuck in narrow lane, adding to locals’ woes

Caravanners beware, your caravan won’t fit on every lane.

A couple’s holiday hit a bit of a hitch before it had even begun yesterday, after becoming stuck in a narrow lane in southeast Cornwall. The holidaymakers were driving through the village of Polperro when their caravan got stuck, much to the embarrassment of those towing it.

The incident, which occurred around 9.30 am yesterday morning was Tweeted by a worker in nearby newsagents, Polperro News and has since been doing the rounds on social media.

Fortunately a local farmer helped the caravanners out of their bind and set them free to travel onwards to their final destination.

It has since emerged that Polperro locals are becoming more and more upset over incidents taking place similar to this, as, they claim, caravanners are bringing disruption and road blockages in the small fishing town.

We at CaravanTimes just want to remind all of our readers to remember the dimensions of your caravan, as some satnav systems do not account for them while you are travelling. We wouldn’t want anyone missing their holiday because they find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Car and Caravan burst into flames on A55

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by Jessica Almeida

Lucky caravanners avoid injury due to caravan and car fire

A car and a caravan burst into flames on Thursday whilst travelling on the A55 in Anglesey.

Fire services responded to calls made by people at the scene concerning the incident and attended the scene to disperse the flames. According to a fire services spokesperson, both the car towing the caravan and the caravan itself were still burning upon their arrival and was contained shortly afterwards.

The fire was eventually extinguished and drives were warned to expect delays.

Drivers were subsequently diverted at junction 5 and the slip road was closed.

Aaron Roberts, a Daily Post reader said: “Just passed Llangefni turn off on the A55 Anglesey and captured a picture of a caravan on fire. Large amount of emergency services passed us on the way there. The car was travelling westbound towards holyhead.”

We here at CaravanTimes are pleased no one was injured as a result of the fire.

Thrifty Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is living from his caravan

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by Megan Henderson

Hsieh could be living in an expansive home, but chooses to live in a small caravan park he owns in Las Vegas

If you were a CEO worth $820 million (£527 million) would you be living in your caravan? Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is living in a trailer park in Las Vegas, even though he could certainly be living in a mansion.

Hsieh, described as a “frugal millionaire” by those in the know, made the move from a luxury condo to his caravan last year. Hsieh even owns the caravan park he is living in.

Hsieh certainly is not living without a bit of luxury. He calls a 2013 Airstream caravan home, which usually retails at $48,000 (£31,000). The caravans in Hsieh’s park have two TVs, Bluetooth stereo systems, and wood paneling.

There are 30 Airstream caravans in the park, and many house computer programmers from Silicon Valley, usually staying in the caravan park temporarily. The park is also home to Tumbleweed Tiny Houses.

Hsieh snagged the caravan park when it was just an empty lot, then slowly transformed it into a small caravan park with a community campfire and movies projected onto a blow up screen. The caravan park has become a breeding ground for shared ideas with the communal living.

Hsieh feels the caravans act as bedrooms while the campfire acts as a living room for the community. It’s suggested the park’s design was inspired by Burning Man, a popular musical festival in Nevada, USA.

Hsieh hopes to attract more business-minded people to the Las Vegas area; he wants to change the way that people see the city, and prove it is not all about gambling. Hsieh is so dedicated he has invested $350 million (£225 million) into downtown Las Vegas to add appeal for investors.

Hsieh sold Zappos to Amazon for $1.2 billion (£770 million) in 2009, but the sale has allowed Hsieh to run the company how he wishes and, similar to his caravan communal living, Hsieh lets all of his employees have a voice when it comes to running the company.

Erik Moore, an early Zappos investor, told Business Insider: “Money just doesn’t matter to him. If he only had a million dollars left, he’d spend $999,999 to make Vegas work. He would be just as happy with a dollar in the bank and being around people he cares about and care about him.”

Hsieh is perfectly happy to live in a caravan community. We here at CaravanTimes think it would be impossible not to splurge a little bit with that kind of money.

Team Sky’s motorhomes cause a stir due to lack of `basic etiquette`

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by Ellie Pritchard

Team Sky have been criticised by colleagues for their lack of etiquette when using motorhomes

Fellow bicycle racers have criticised Team Sky for their car park etiquette, as it has emerged their the team’s collection of motorhomes are taking up too much space in hotel car parks.

The accusations, made by rival Tour de France teams, follow news last month of Team Sky hitting out at sanctions banning racers bedding down for the night in motorhomes, instead insisting that all team members stay in allocated hotels.

The team originally wanted to use motorhomes to accommodate Richie Porte and Chris Froome during this year’s Tour. Sky’s reason for its mass of motors is said to be in able to reduce the stress and hassle, along with potential hygiene problems, that come with changing hotel rooms every night of the Tour de France.

Porte is said to be “perplexed” by this new enforcement.

La Francaise des Jeux (FDJ)’s manager Marc Madiot has said that Chris Froome’s team “lacks basic etiquette”. Team Sky not only has a kitchen truck, which was debuted at the Giro d’Italia but it also has a fleet of motorhomes for members of staff.

The kitchen truck still stands tall and three motorhomes house Sky’s staff. The team’s nine cyclists are able to have their own hotel room, despite other teams sharing two per room.
But it seems that Team Sky are cramping peoples’ style, as in the past few days both Europcar and LottoNL-Jumbo have have complained of not having enough space to park their vehicles when they were sharing hotels with Sky.

“It’s really not easy with all the additional vehicles from team Sky,” Frans Maassen, LottoNL’s sports director, told Het Nieuwsblad newspaper.

“We slept the previous night together in the same Mercure in Lisieux. Sky had three mega-campers. They had them parked long before even one car or truck of ours had arrived. It does not work, of course.”

In fact, Sky have caused such a stir that French paper L’Equipe ran a spread in last Monday’s issue.
Madiot told L’Equipe that Sky needs to have “some basic etiquette” when considering motorhomes and trucks.

Stabbed in the back, British cycling coach, Dave Brailsford expressed his surprise when that the issue had arisen in the press before other general managers had even mentioned it to him.
“Lotto arrived at the same time as our guys in the hotel and they had the choice of where to park and everyone agreed that they have that area and we had an area over there. Everyone was happy, ‘Yes, how are you doing, Dave? Everything’s all right?’

“And then you read in the newspaper that they are having a moan,” Brailsford said after a press conference with Froome.

“It makes it difficult to work with people like that. I don’t have respect for that, my philosophy is to take the problem to the person, I wouldn’t smile in your face and then talk about it in the press. I don’t have much respect for that really.”

Although the Tour de France is drawing to a close, the UCI might have to enforce a new rule regarding car parking space before the next major event, the VueIta España.

New luxury caravan park may be making its way to York

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by Megan Henderson

New caravan park plans proposed to provide for high end camping

York could see a £3.7 million economic boost after a generous landowner has submitted plans for a 117-pitch caravan park, provide 68 new jobs in the process.

Stephen Otley submitted an outline of planning application to the City of York Council that could turn ten acres of land near a Park & Ride site at Poppleton into a caravan park. The site even has a name already – Wheatlands Wood Touring Park.

In the plans proposed, landowner Otley has split the park into 95 caravan pitches, 10 luxury camping pods for glampers, and 12 tent pitches. Otley wanted to craft the park because he feels there is a demand for “high end” caravanning in York.

He said: “In recent years I have been pleased to notice the growth of touring. The quality of sites has also been rising and a new breed of high super-site has been emerging on the continent.

“Such sites have yet to appear in the UK however, and my plan is bring the first of these super-sites to the UK, here in York,” he went on.

Otley, an avid caravanner himself, hopes to make York flourish as a base destination for caravanners so they can utilise travel through the Park & Ride, Poppleton train station, and cycle routes.

Otley continued: “York’s caravan sites are among the most popular in the UK, according to the Caravan Club of GB, and are often fully booked resulting in people having to go elsewhere.

“At the moment the city is losing tourist business for lack of site capacity.”

Commercial property agency GVA has given figures to Otley claiming the park could create 64,058 ‘staying visitor nights’, which could directly boost York’s economy with visitor spending. The visitors could supply £3.26 million to York’s economy. The figures released by GVA propose 68 jobs could be formed through the park, local transport, retail, and tourism and leisure.

“Furthermore, having invested £60,000 in a new caravan or motorhome, people are now looking for sites on which they can stay which match in terms of quality and facilities.

“Sadly, sites in the UK have not generally kept pace with this and the kind of high-end site that people are looking for can only be widely found on the continent,” Otley said.

“My proposal is to bring one of these European 5-star sites to York, so that the city no longer misses out on this potentially lucrative trade.”

EXCLUSIVE: First look at the new Bailey Pegasus 4 for 2016

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by Joe Jeffrey

CaravanTimes takes a look at the all-new Bailey Pegasus 4 for 2016 in our exclusive video right here

Bailey of Bristol has unveiled its all new Pegasus 4 range for 2016.

An impressive seven models will feature across the fourth generation Pegasus range, including exciting updates for Bailey’s best selling Verona, Rimini and Genoa models, whilst four brand new layouts are set to arrive for the new season.

Firstly, with Bailey concentrating on a family-oriented theme, a revamped single-axle Ancona and a twin-axle Palermo will feature as part of the new Pegasus 4 range.

Meanwhile, the more compact Modena – similar to a smaller version of the Verona – is set to feature a comfortable fixed double bed and a transverse washroom oozing in style.

Touching upon the successful Unicorn range, the all-new Pegasus will come complete with a polar white bodyshell and family-style graphics scheme, which is sure to appeal to all.

Protection from the elements comes by way of Bailey of Bristol’s standard GRP on the outer shell, whilst a signature front picture window should allow for an abundance of light throughout.

Moving inside, Bailey has painstakingly strived to impress with a quality feel, moving the fourth generation Pegasus towards the higher end of the mid-market, providing for a high-class feel owing to features including top-quality woodwork in a ‘Mendip Ash’ finish, dual finish lockers with gloss polished clips and much more.

Inside the living area, a dream-sleep domestic style seating arrangement means that comfort is assured, whilst remaining easy to adapt into a front bedroom.

Thanks to Bailey’s Alu-Tech construction system doubled with a fully specified Truma system with digital control, the Pegasus is certainly a caravan for all seasons, providing year round comfort and enjoyment for whoever or wherever you are.

To find out more about the Bailey Pegasus 4, including how it’s managed to provide for better storage, more worktop space and much more, check out our video above and let us know what you think.

Stolen caravan places family holiday on hold

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by Jessica Almeida

Family believes they were targeted as thieves strike

A family from Peterborough have been forced to put their summer holiday plans on hold after their caravan was stolen.

The Ryder family were devastated when their caravan unexpectedly went missing.

The caravan, which was kept in on a farm, owned by David Ryder’s mother Sylvia, was stolen on 8 July.

“This is definitely going to affect us over the summer as we go away in the van as often as we can,” David, 46, of Werrington, said.

David went on to explain how the caravan in question was usually kept with three or four additional caravans, so he feels like it was a targeted event.

According to reports, the caravan was last seen at around 11.30am on 8 July, but when David’s wife returned from picking up their children from school at 3.30pm it was gone.

In order to steal the six-berth van, thieves cut through two locks and two wheel clamps.

The caravan is a 2005 26ft Lunar Lexon, which David normally uses to head to beauty spots across the UK with his wife, Gayle and their three children, Courtney, Matthew and Jamie.

David continued: “Because of the shifts I do I often get a number of days off together, which means we can jump in the van with the kids on a regular basis. But obviously we can’t do this until we have the van back. It’s comes at a bad time with the school summer holidays.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Staffordshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Black Friday warning issued by the RAC for those hitting the road this weekend

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by Megan Henderson

RAC reports that drivers should expect severe delays as holiday motorists join the usual commuters on the roads

Holidaymakers are finally out to play, and this evening is going to be a chaotic mess as the RAC predicts 2.6 million summer break holidayers will be battling it out with commuters making their way home.

The RAC is predicting this weekend to be the ‘Black Friday’ of the roads – a term typically used to describe the day when French autoroutes descend into gridlock with summer holiday traffic. Families will be jetting off on holiday when the school bell rings today; add commuter traffic, and the expected heat wave coing the UK’s way next week, and you are looking at a nightmare for motorists to contend with.

RAC data shows that Saturday will see even more UK residents on the road, with about 2.9 million hopping behind the wheel ready to drive and go. Fortunately drivers are expected to stagger their travels throughout the day on Saturday with a hope that many motorists will escape endless queues.

In total, the RAC estimates some 7.5 million motorists will be packing their cases and setting off to enjoy a break between Friday 17 and Sunday 19 July.

Only 44 per cent of car owners are not planning a UK summer break by car, with means that the higher 66 per cent are ready to hit the road and find that summer sun.

The RAC’s head of external affairs, Pete Williams, said: “Our data shows that summer holiday traffic is going to be concentrated on our roads this coming weekend, causing gridlock and delays for many on the busiest ‘getaway’ routes. We’re expecting ‘Black Friday’ to be particularly hectic, as the majority of families will be squeezing their journeys into the end of the day.”

The RAC is strongly advising those looking to travel over the weekend to set their alarms very early on Saturday and Sunday morning in order to try to avoid the hustle and bustle of on the tarmac and is also warning that the usual coast-bound routes including the M5, A30, and A303 south and west into Devon, the M6 (both southbound, and northbound towards the Lake District), and the M1 are predicted to see delays and lots of traffic jams.

Britain’s seaport routes are not looking too favourable either, as they will be subject to delays as French port workers look set to continue to strike.

Of the imminent heatwave predicted for next week, Williams continued: “The latest weather forecasts suggest a pretty changeable start to the school holidays. So while overheating engines and air conditioning might be less of a problem than in previous years, it still pays for motorists to do a quick check of their car before setting out. It takes minutes, but could save hours of stress at the side of the road.

“Check coolant, oil and washer fluid levels are properly topped up, and tyres are at the correct pressure with plenty of tread. If you are hooking up your caravan for the first time in a while then pay special attention to the condition of the tyres, as they can deteriorate if they haven’t been used for a while.

“Make sure you don’t overload your vehicle, and give a passenger a spare set of keys: there’s no quicker way to spoil the start of a family holiday than having them locked in the boot.” Williams continued.

The worst travel times RAC is anticipating are Friday 17 July between 4 pm and 9 pm, and Saturday 18 July between 9 am and 4 pm.

Motorists may want to have a second route in mind, so don’t forget to check for the latest roadworks via Traffic England, Traffic Scotland, and Traffic Wales.

Stay safe out there, and of course everyone at CaravanTimes wishes you a happy holiday!

Top five glamping sites for all ages

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by Megan Henderson

Glamping has become pretty popular in the UK, and CaravanTimes has compiled a list of some glamping sites for you to try out as an alternative to caravanning

Although we here at CaravanTimes love nothing better than to escape in our caravans and motorhomes, it has become rather apparent that – over the past couple of years – glamping is becoming more and more popular throughout the UK. And, while nothing beats getting behind the wheel and exploring what the great outdoors has to offer, we’ve resigned ourselves to the fact that caravanning and glamping can co-exist quite happily together. So join us as we take a look at some of the best glamping and caravan parks across the UK.

1. The Quiet Site

The Quiet Site is, perhaps unsurprisingly given its name, incredibly quiet and exactly the type of place which enables you to escape into your very own glamping haven. Located in Cumbria, it provides visitors a plethora of lush green scenery to enjoy. The Quiet Site is both caravan and glamper friendly and offers quite a few activities. The Quiet Site’s website advertises local walks and hikes, and provides a lengthy list of activities within 25 minutes of the site including sailing, pony trekking and Rheged a family activities centre. For glampers there are special ‘camping pods’ which are insulated and provide much more safety and security than a standard canvas test. You’re also guaranteed to stay dry! The Quiet Site was also voted a Top 100 Park UK in 2014.

2. Greenway Touring and Glamping Park

The Greenway Touring and Glamping Park is located in Shropshire and describes itself a ‘scenic retreat for adults’. The park allows caravans, motorhomes, tents, campervans and of course glampers. There are nine historic market towns close by to explore including Craven Arms, Ludlow and Shrewsbury. Visitors are close to various UK attractions like Ludlow and Stokesay Castles and Land of Lost Content – the National Museum of Popular Culture. The Park boasts affordable prices, and beautiful, quiet scenery to get all their visitors attached to the relaxing outdoors. Pets are even allowed in the glamping pods, so there’s no need to leave the furry family members behind.

3. Wight Bells

Wight Bells is a sweet little glamping spot on the Isle of Wight. Each bell tent features electricity, but also offers a very vintage look and feel. Wight Bells is placed right beside The Old Barn Touring Park with a duckpond, TV room, and plenty of games for the kids for all you caravanners. The Isle has plenty for families to explore, and Wight Bells is just outside the town of Shanklin. There is countryside to explore, and cycling opportunities. Opposite the campsite is a little café perfect for afternoon tea, and there are sandy beaches to explore should you wish to make the most of what the surroundings have to offer.

4. North Hill Farm Camping

North Hill Farm Camping is perfect for both caravanners and glampers who don’t want to be too far from the luxury of the city. North Hill is just 20 miles from London, making it the perfect weekend getaway for anyone in the city looking to glamp. Alternatively, it is just close enough to the city for those wishing for the best of both worlds, providing guests with a tranquil place to spend their nights. North Hill has an abundance of woodland to stroll through, and self-guided walks are a must. Plus, for anyone looking for an escape to somewhere magical for a bit, North Hill is only four miles from the Harry Potter Studio Tour.

5. Tehidy Holiday Park

If you want a quaint park by the seaside you can always try Tehidy Holiday Park in Cornwall. Tehidy has games, a play area with a trampoline and swings, plenty of hiking and cycling routes and even WiFi. There are all kinds of things to do in Cornwall including fishing, surfing, or just lazing around by the beach, which is just six minutes away from Tehidy. Tehidy has several different glamping options to accommodate visitors’ needs, and of course there is space for your caravan and motorhome too.

Controversial caravan site plans for West Stow Country Park cancelled

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by Ellie Pritchard

More than 70 objections lead to cancellation of expansion at West Stow caravan site

Plans for a controversial 180-pitch caravan and camping site at West Stow Country Park, home of a popular Anglo Saxon village, have been cancelled due to outrage at its inevitable environmental impact.

The original plans for the caravan site were well received by St. Edmundsbury Borough Council as the expansion of West Stow Country Park would drastically increase the income and popularity of the area. However, with its subsequent effects on wildlife and foliage, more than 70 objections have been issued.

The plans may still go ahead eventually though, following a spokesperson for St Edmundsbury Borough Council stating that the application has only been temporarily withdrawn due to some extra work being needed to fully understand the environmental impact of the expansion.

Bounded on three sides by Breckland’s Special Protection Area (SPA) and Breckland Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the are offers oustanding beauty, which many locals feel would be spoiled by the expansion.

Amongst those who raised concern, Natural England have hit back, suggesting further evaluation of how the council intend to protect the park’s rare plants, such as blue fescue ‘Festuca longifolia’ and the Dittander ‘Lepidium latifolium’, is needed.

Of the decision to delay expansion, the council’s commercial manager, Richard Hartley, explained: “In view of Natural England’s comments, the application is withdrawn with a view to resubmitting when we have a scheme that resolves all the issues.”

The creator of Fullers Mill Garden at West Stow, Bernard Tickner, expressed his worry for the “unusual collection of wildlife” at the park, as he feels as though the potential noise caused by the construction and existence of the caravan site could scare animals away. In fact, he wants the council to completely abandon the plans.

“I think it’s absurd for the council to apply in the first place. It’s in a special protection area of the Brecks,” Tickner said, after the withdrawal of the application.
Conservation planner at the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, James Meyer, agreed with Tickner, saying: “We maintain our opinion that the application fails to demonstrate that the proposed development would not result in an adverse impact on designated sites and protected species.”

Meyer went on to explain that the land intended to become the new caravan site is semi-natural grassland within a rural landscape of forest and agricultural land, as well as wetland grounds, so the expansion of the park would have serious repercussions on the semi-natural habit of many of the local species.

Do you think the plans should go ahead? You are welcome to share your thoughts below, or in our CaravanTimes forum here.