Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015 tickets on sale now!

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by Joe Jeffrey

Tickets to the leisure vehicle show of the year are on sale now from as little as £7.50

Tickets to the UK’s only national leisure vehicle launch show at the NEC in Birmingham, the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015, are on sale now.

The show, taking place this year between 13 – 18 October, promises exactly what we’ve come to expect from organisers, NCC events, including a sneak peek at all of the new 2016 caravan and motorhome models from leading UK and European manufacturers – all under one roof.

If the above isn’t already enough to tempt you, visitors to the NEC can also enjoy exclusive show only deals, new product demonstrations, an Experts’ Theatre, free caravanning and motorhome manoeuvring lessons and loads more.

The show, supported by The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravan Club, will also feature every other type of leisure vehicle too, including campervans, trailer tents, innovative folding caravans, luxury lodges and holiday homes.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to the official Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015 website here or call 0844 338 7799 to purchase your tickets from as little as £7.50 now – oh, and remember, kids go free!

P&O Ferries cut costs to attract caravanners to set sail from Hull

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By Josh Budd

In an effort to turn Hull into a competitive tourist port, P&O ferries are dropping prices

P&O Ferries have announced that they will be dropping their prices, in order to encourage British caravanners to use Hull as their departure point for European Holidays.

The move by P&O is also hoping to attract more overseas holidayers, particularly from the Netherlands, whose shores sit a little over 200 miles away from the British port.

The Ferry company is looking to provide holidaymakers and caravanners with an alternate option from the more common method of travel to Europe via Dover.

The company is offering a £90 discount to caravan owners for choosing to take their caravan across the North Sea to Rotterdam.

This can only mean good things for the North Easterly port town, as they anticipate a surge of tourist activity from British caravanners flocking to Hull to travel abroad.

It is likely that P&O Ferries have chosen caravanners as their target audience due to the recent popular demand for caravans and caravan holidays across the UK.

High-profile celebrities such as Robbie Williams, Dame Kelly Holmes and Billie Piper have all professed their love for caravanning, and the recent surge of interest from young families has certainly had a significant impact on the industry.

Commercial director at P&O Ferries, Jannette Bell, discussed why Europe is considered a particularly appealing option for British holidaymakers:

“The combination of our £90 discount and the strength of the pound against the Euro mean this is the best opportunity in years for caravan owners to explore the continent.

“Hull is a particularly good setting off point for customers across the north of England and beyond,” Bell continued. “It’s a great alternative to travelling to the south coast.”

The ferry company’s latest offer will mean that a return journey from Hull to Rotterdam with a caravan will cost £283 each way per person on Saturdays and Sundays.

Hull-based manufacturer Coachman Caravans are delighted with the news that their city is set to become a holidaying hot-pot. Jim Hibbs of Coachman Caravans said: “Any reduction in the cost of caravan holidays has to be good.

“A lot of people already use Hull, particularly in Scotland, while plenty of Dutch caravanners also come here.

“But this latest move by P&O Ferries is very good news and very encouraging. Anything that encourages caravan holidays is something I am all for.”

By dropping their prices, P&O Ferries are estimated to pump £13 million into the city’s economy every year, with an increased number of British and continental holidayers passing through Hull on their summer vacations.

In order to cope with their voluminous predictions, P&O Ferries are currently planning on building a new cruise terminal. The large-scale project will cost £31 million, with the construction rumoured to take place at The Deep or at Riverside Quay, on Albert Dock.

Would you consider starting your trip to Europe from Hull instead of Dover? Let us know what you think!

Nigel Mansell officially opens £700,000 restaurant and bar at Islawrfford Caravan Park

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by Joe Jeffrey

Motor racing hero and local legend opens bar and restaurant at five-star resort

British motor racing legend Nigel Mansell made a pit stop on the Cambrian Coast on Monday to perform the opening ceremony at a family caravan park’s new £700,000 restaurant and bar.

Owner Gwynfor Evans and his family have worked over the winter to transform a former bar to a quality venue, renamed Nineteen57, in keeping with the other luxury five star facilities at Islawrffordd Caravan Park at Talybont, near Barmouth.

Mansell, who has holidayed at the park for 58 years, since he was four-years-old and still has a caravan holiday home there, is a close family friend of the Gwynfor and his sons, Dylan and Geraint. Gwynfor actually lays claim to setting Mansell on the road to motor racing stardom by starting him go-karting.

“How many people can say they have been coming on holiday to the same place for 58 years?” he asked. “I hope that I can keep coming here for many more years.

“To have the friendship and support of the Evans family is something that I have treasured all my life. Loyalty is something that a lot of people don’t understand these days.

“I feel like part of the Evans family and I’m incredibly proud of the evolution of the park and what has been achieved here over many years.”

Mansell, who is launching new book, Staying on Track, in September, described the Cambrian Coast in his top ten favourite places in the world. “It’s the best kept secret,” he said. “This beautiful part of the coastline from Aberdyfi through to Porthmadog has changed very little in 58 years.”

Nineteen57 has a 40-cover fine dining restaurant and a bar area that will comfortably seat 90 people. New chef manager is Sion Wellings, who has worked at Portmeirion Hotel and he is assisted by his parents, Paul and Iola Wellings.

The bar and restaurant, which will be open all year round, has created 20 full and part-time jobs and provided work over the winter for local tradesmen.

Mayor of Barmouth Councillor Matthew Harris welcomed the opening of Nineteen57 as a “special” place for local people and visitors to dine out, socialise and hold events. “The attention to detail that the Evans family has for the whole park is fantastic,” he said.

The 25-acre park, which has recently received a Gold 5 Pennant award from the AA, has 200 caravan holiday homes, 75 fully serviced, hard standing pitches for touring caravans and motorhomes and 30 tent pitches.

The park’s facilities include a swimming pool complex with a Jacuzzi, sauna and luxury toilet block and an entertainment complex. The Evans family has invested more than £3 million in the park over the past 11 years, including around £100,000 in repairing sea defences after last winter’s storms.

The Caravan Club provides top tips for travelling abroad this summer

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by Joe Jeffrey

Thinking of going abroad in your leisure vehicle this summer? Well, The Caravan Club may just be able to help

When looking to escape overseas in your leisure vehicle it could be assumed that driving on the correct side of the road is the only thing to worry about, but with different driving regulations across the world, there is much more to prepare for. And now, as the summer rapidly approaches and holiday planning begins, The Caravan Club has put together a list of top tips and advice for those driving abroad this summer.

Read on to find out what The Caravan Club recommends if you’re thinking of heading a little further afield this summer.

Planning

  • Prepare the car or motorhome by making sure it is serviced and check the tyre pressure and oil levels before setting off on the road.
  • Many vehicles have a ‘GB’ identifier on their registration plate. If not, make sure that the vehicle is labelled with GB stickers. This will allow authorities and other drivers to recognise visitors from abroad.
  • Plan the journey in advance. Before setting off on the road ensure that maps, directions to campsites or a Sat Nav with European mapping are to hand. A phrase book or dictionary is also useful.

    • Legal Requirements

  • Be sure to have all of the required documents: passport, driving licence, insurance certificate, MOT certificate or vehicle on hire certificate. If stopped by the police in any country, caravaners and motorhomers will need to prove that they have permission to use the vehicle and that they are insured.
  • Adhere to the speed limits of the country. In some European countries, the speed limit may not be sign posted if driving through a town or village, it is required that motorists drive at 30mph, unless a lower limit is signed.
  • Check what compulsory in-car equipment is required in the country being visited. For example, in France drivers are obliged to carry a warning triangle and fluorescent vest(s). In a number of European countries, it is compulsory to carry a first aid kit and The Caravan Club always recommends that its members have one in the car.

For more tips and advice on travelling overseas take a look at The Caravan Club’s advice and information page here now .

Team Sky hits back at International Cycling Union motorhome ban during Tour de France

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by Joe Jeffrey

Team Sky’s manager hits back at decision made by ICU, branding hotel choice “not good”

Team Sky have hit back at the recent decision made by the International Cycling Union (ICU) to ban riders from using motorhome facilities whilst competing in the Tour de France, by refusing to stop bringing them along for use by staff during the race.

The decision made by the ICU’s management committee last week to ban racers using motorhome facilities and, instead, requiring riders to stay in hotels provided by race organisers has been brought about to reaffirm ‘absolute fairness’ between all riders competing in the annual Tour de France race, according to a statement released.

Team Sky’s manager, Sir Dave Brailsford, has since responded to the decision made, explaining his decision is based purely on the race organisers’ choice of some hotels en route, describing them as “not great”, whilst highlighting that familiar surroundings such as a motorhome would help aid the daily recovery process of his team’s riders.

Team Sky previously tried out the motorhome setup with Richie Port in last month’s Giro d’Italia, enabling Port to remain comfortable in the teams very own Fleetwood Excursion, which seems to have proven successful. Only time will tell if the team will be shacking up in a hotel with its competition going forward and what action will be taken if not.

Caravan thief jailed for over three years after crashing into a house

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by Joe Jeffrey

Drug-addict thief from Leicestershire ends dangerous joyride and lands in jail

A thief who stole a caravan has been jailed for over three years for dangerous driving after being caught when he crashed into a house.

The caravan, which belonged to an elderly couple from Humberstone in Leicestershire, was stolen by drug-addict, James McGuire, 30, prior to leading police on a dangerous chase which saw McGuire cause the caravan to snake in the road and fail to show regard for other road users.

The police chase continued until McGuire exited the van he was driving whilst it was still moving. It was at this point that the vehicle towing the caravan, which was also stolen, collided into a parked car before careering into the front of a terraced house, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Kate Plummer, prosecuting, said of McGuire’s dangerous exploit: “”He showed complete disregard for other road users who had to take action to avoid him.

“He failed to give way on roundabouts, ignored at least one red light, and at one stage positioned himself in such a way no other road users could overtake him.”

McGuire subsequently pleaded guilty to stealing the caravan, taking the vehicle without consent, driving whilst disqualified and having no insurance.

The callous thief also admitted to stealing £160 in cash, most of which was earmarked for a dog rescue charity.

Prior to his conviction, in 2013, McGuire was jailed for similar offences pertaining to stealing a van and colliding with a cyclist, causing serious injury.

Sentencing at Leicester Crown Court, Recorder Steven Evans said McGuire had failed to learn his lesson following his previous conviction.

Evans said: “Someone could have been seriously injured on this occasion.
“If you keep driving like this, one day you will end up killing someone.”

The question remains, however, when will people like McGuire learn? Do you think this was a fair sentence? Let us know in the comments below.

Falkirk campsite launches luxury Safari tents in time for summer

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By Joe Jeffrey
Scotland’s Carr’s Hill looks to attract more clientele with glamping quarters

An award-winning Scots caravan park is expanding into the luxury holiday market on the back of the growth in ‘glamping’.
Carr’s Hill, near Falkirk in Scotland, has boosted its accommodation in time for the summer holiday season with the introduction of luxury safari tents.

Carr’s Hill owners and husband and wife team, Grant and Gillian Turnbull, invested in the move into the high-end camping market, developing its 12 acre rural estate and existing five pitch site. The couple have been receiving free advisory support from Business Gateway Falkirk to help develop their expansion strategy and marketing plan.

Since launching five years ago, the site has already earned prestigious Caravan Club Certificated Location (CL) status. Last year, Carr’s Hill also gained a UK-wide accolade at the Caravan Club CL awards held at Westminster. The award recognises small, privately-owned sites found across the UK, many in idyllic and remote locations, which can provide a valuable, additional income stream for local communities.

Two new, two-bedroom safari tents will be available at Carr’s Hill from next month (June) and are fitted out to the highest specification to offer all the comforts of home but with the excitement of the great outdoors. Aimed at attracting families with young children, they each feature a king-size bedroom, triple bunk bedroom, kitchen, dining area, private shower room and large outdoor space with BBQ area. Carr’s Hill is keen to encourage families to leave the technology at home whilst on holiday, to enjoy being a family and interact with each other. With these principles in mind, the wifi availability is kept outwith the tents and they will be kitted out with board games, magazines and outdoor play activities to encourage family time whilst on holiday.

Owner Grant Turnbull said: “Carr’s Hill has been attracting tourists from throughout the UK and Europe and even as far afield as Australia and New Zealand. In recent years we have seen more people using our pitches for longer breaks, so we wanted to expand our accommodation to provide something completely unique and something that would really attract people to Falkirk as a holiday destination.
“The support we have received through Business Gateway Falkirk has been instrumental in helping us develop our strategy for the site to bring even more international visitors to the area.”

Falkirk Council’s spokesperson for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, Cllr Adrian Mahoney added: “Falkirk continues to thrive as a destination and the popularity of iconic attractions such as The Kelpies and The Falkirk Wheel continues to rise, bringing visitors to the area and boosting the local economy.

“Carr’s Hill has been a valuable accommodation provider in the area for several years now, and the introduction of the safari tents supports the launch of our five-year tourism strategy, providing an exciting asset for future tourism development in the local area.”

New Top Gear: Caravan Crush game signals the return of caravan destruction

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By Joe Jeffrey

New mobile phone game shows Top Gear hasn’t lost caravan obsession following departure of Clarkson, Hammond and May

BBC’s Top Gear may have lost its three longstanding presenters recently, but it certainly hasn’t lost its penchant for destroying caravans, with a new game released on Friday (26 June) picking up where Clarkson et al left off.

The game, entitled Top Gear: Caravan Crush and available now on all Android and iOS devices, does exactly what it says in the (unoriginal) title with one main purpose: launch a car across the Top Gear airstrip and bounce it into as many caravans as possible.

Upon making contact with each caravan, a player’s car will be launched further along the airstrip with the emphasis being on destroying as many caravans as possible whilst achieving the furthest distance travelled in your vehicle.

Oddly enough, there does seem to be some skill attached to the game; when readying your vehicle for launch by dragging it back using your finger, timing is essential in order to launch it onto an oscillating ramp which moves up and down, providing you with more travel distance the higher the ramp is positioned.

When your vehicle is sailing through the air, you are given the option to deploy various attached devices, including jet engines, to improve upon travel distance with the additional benefit of gaining more distance.

There are also numerous side challenges to complete, which provide you with more coins on top of those earned, dependent on the distance reached, with which you can buy ‘Topgrades’ to upgrade your vehicle and tweak the spec in order to travel further or simply add to the destruction en route.

We here at CaravanTimes are partial to playing the odd game on our mobile phone devices to whittle away the time, but having checked out Top Gear: Caravan Crush, we’re not convinced many of Top Gear’s fan base will have the ability to adopt both hand and eye coordination simultaneously in order to get to grips with this basic Angry Birds rip-off.

Will you download this game? Let us know in the comments below.

Normanby Hall Caravan Park in Lincolnshire gets £100,000 caravan park cash injection

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By Joe Jeffrey

Lincolnshire caravan park to improve upon facilities with help of local council

Normanby Hall Country Park is set to receive £100,000 in a bid to encourage people to carry on caravanning.

The news of the cash injection comes following an on-site review from North Lincolnshire Council and will see money spent on renovating the existing caravan site, including the introduction of electrical hook-up points.

The existing caravan site at Normanby Hall dates back to 2001 and currently has only five pitches.

Refurbishment will include the introduction of five new pitches, as well as installation of new shower and toilet facilities and general renovations made to the campsite itself.

In recent years, the council has taken to improving facilities across other areas of the park, including a new land train, woodland paths and improvements to the play area.

Councillor John Briggs said: “We have made a range of improvements to Normanby Hall Country Park over recent years to ensure it meets the needs of our customers.

“It is great to see visitors enjoying all of the new facilities. Now we are looking at what further improvements can be made.

“We have listened to what our customers want, which is why we are renovating the caravan site.

“The £100,000 investment is going to make a huge difference to the site.

“It will be a fantastic place for people to have weekend breaks and holidays as there is a lot to do at Normanby Hall.”

Have you won a HandiMoova?

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By Joe Jeffrey

Keep reading to find out if you’re a lucky winner in our competition to win an innovative Handimover

A few weeks ago, CaravanTimes launched a competition for one of our lucky readers to win a HandiMoova. And the result is in.

This innovative handcart is guaranteed to make any holiday less stressful and more enjoyable, owing to its innovative Camba technology, which utilises a unique patented Active Variable Footprint and Floating Axle Suspension.

Another brilliant thing about the HandiMoova is that it’s equipped with hemispherical-shaped wheels that are mounted on separate, inclined floating axles, optimising the rolling performance and footprint of each wheel and enabling the HandiMoova to traverse easily and effortlessly across otherwise non traversable surfaces including sand, gravel, and even stairs.

With a RRP of £99.99, and able to lift a load of up to 60kg, the HandiMoover is ideal for indoors and the great outdoors alike, and we offered you the opportunity to get your hands on one by simply liking our Facebook page.

Well folks, the winner has been randomly selected and we’re pleased to announce it is:

Peter Haigh

Congratulations, Peter. We’ll be contacting you shortly to arrange delivery of your HandiMoova.

For more great competitions coming soon, keep checking back on CaravanTimes. And seeing as you’re here, why not have a go at entering some other great competitions that are currently running, including a chance to win one of five VARTA 6000 Indestructible Powerpacks
or the opportunity of getting your hands on one of five CoPilot Truck sat nav apps worth a whopping £119.99.

Ford Mondeo scoops best petrol tow car in Tow Car Awards 2015

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2015 annual Tow Car Award winners announced including Ford Mondeo, Skoda Octavia and, surpsingly, the Citroën C4 Cactus

The Ford Mondeo 1.5T EcoBoost has been awarded with the Best Petrol Tow Car title for 2015, it has been announced.

In a battle which saw the Mondeo out-tow its competitors in Practical Caravan Magazine’s annual awards, judges, including What Car Magazine and The Camping and Caravanning Club described the engine as “a star”, despite lacking pulling power compared to its diesel equivalent.

Of Ford’s winning entry, judges also commented that the Mondeo was also “noticeably stronger in the middle of the rev range than most petrols” whilst “showing no fear” in a lane-change test.

Other notable winners in the awards included the Skoda Octavia Hatchback, which claimed the Up to 1400kg title and winning praise for its engine which was described as performing at a “decent pace”, as well as the Volkswagen Passat Estate pipping its contenders to the post in the 1700 to 1899kg category, perhaps due to its 4-wheel drive system and electronic handbrake providing for “effortless hillstarts”.

Meanwhile, in the Green category, the Volvo V40 Cross Country scooped first place, being heralded as “very impressive” and “quick and decisive”.

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Citroën C4 Cactus claimed the 2015 Best Ultralight Tow Car title, with judges explaining the rather novel vehicle was particularly suitable for towing a trailer tent, managing to press home its advantage over its competitors.

With caravans becoming much lighter and a number of car manufacturers realising the pastime is certainly here to stay whilst growing more popular by the year, there is so much more choice available these days when it comes to towing than ever before. Let us know what you tow with and whether you’d be willing to trade it in for one of these winners if you had the opportunity to in the comments below.

Jeremy Clarkson reveals bullying led to suicidal tendencies

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By Joe Jeffrey

In a classic case of the bullied becoming the bully, does Clarkson’s revelation explain why he hates caravanners so much?

Jeremy Clarkson has spoken out on being subjected to bullying whilst at boarding school and the detrimental effect it had on his own wellbeing.

The former Top Gear presenter, known for his very own bullying behaviour towards caravanners and those who refuse to provide him with a hot meal, revealed all in his weekly column in the Sunday Times this past weekend, describing how he ‘suffered many terrible things’ including being subjected to being thrown into ice-cold pools, receiving severe beatings and having his property destroyed during his time studying at the prestigious Repton School in Derbyshire.

Clarkson wrote: “I was thrown on an hourly basis into the icy plunge pool, dragged from my bed in the middle of the night and beaten, made to lick the lavatories clean and all the usual humiliations that public school used back then to turn a small boy into a gibbering, sobbing, suicidal wreck.

“In the first two years the older boys broke pretty much everything I owned,” he continued.

“They glued my records together, snapped my compass, ate my biscuits, defecated in my tuck box and they cut my trousers in half with a pair of garden shears.”

Clarkson, who attended Repton during the 1970s, was expelled shortly after completing his O-levels upon being caught smoking and drinking in local pubs. His friend and Top Gear producer, Andy Wilman, also attended the school.

Clarkson’s admission follows recent claims made by him that a BBC executive had recently offered him his old job back as Top Gear presenter following being suspended indefinitely for assaulting a production team member after filming his last episode of Top Gear – a claim which has since been denied by BBC director general, Lord Hall.

The revelation comes as quite a shock to us here at CaravanTimes, despite studies often revealing that the bullied usually become the bully, but perhaps this would explain Clarkson’s incessant, unruly behaviour and unhealthy obsession concentrating on the destruction of caravans.

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts below.