New ministerial team welcomed by National Caravan Council

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By Joe Jeffrey

New appointments all round following government reshuffle

The The National Caravan Council (NCC) has welcomed the appointment of the new ministerial teams at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; Business and Communities and Local Government.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that John Whittingdale is to serve as Secretary of State and Tracey Crouch as Minister for Tourism at the Department. Elsewhere, Sajid Javid is the new Business Secretary and Greg Clark the new Communities Secretary.

Alicia Dunne, Deputy Director General said: “I very much welcome Mr Whittingdale’s appointment as the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Ms Crouch’s promotion to Tourism Minister.

“The NCC is very encouraged by the fact that both Ministers have a strong understanding of the tourism industry having both served on the culture select committee during the last Parliament. Indeed, as Chair of the committee Mr Whittingdale called for more recognition of and a stronger voice for the tourism sector and I am sure both Ministers will work hard to promote and develop our sector.

“We will work alongside the Government and our industry partners to ensure the Conservative administration delivers on its manifesto commitment to support tourism across our country.”

Ms Dunne added: “The NCC also looks forward to working with the new Business and Communities Ministerial teams, giving our members a voice at the heart of Westminster.”

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Wayne Rooney buys a caravan in North Wales

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By Joe Jeffrey

Manchester United striker buys caravan on North Wales holiday park

Manchester United and England national team striker Wayne Rooney has purchased a caravan at a North Wales holiday park, it has emerged.

Rooney and wife Coleen, both 29, snapped up the £25,000 caravan last year, and Coleen, along with children Kai, five, and Klay, one, is said to have been a frequent visitor to Presthaven Beach Resort in North Wales since, according to the Daily Mirror.

Presthaven Beach Resort, idyllically located on the Irish Sea, near the coastal resort of Rhyl, provides various amenities including an outdoor lazy river and indoor pool, whilst being sandwiched in-between countryside with an abundance of nature and a sandy flat beach – ideal for the kids and Coleen to enjoy.

It is not the first time Rooney’s wife has been spotted at a UK holiday park, with photos taken of her and her children appearing on her Facebook page recently, whilst enjoying a holiday at Butlins in Skegness, where they watched former Britain’s Got Talent winners, Diversity, perform.

Coleen said afterwards: “I grew up going to holiday camps, so it was no change for me.”

Despite travelling abroad a whopping eight times in 2014, it makes a refreshing change to see the Rooney family making the most of what the UK and its great network of holiday parks has to offer.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Team Bailey Racing renew sponsorship deal

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By Claire Lawson

Bailey renew deal for 2015 motorsport season

The sponsorship deal for Team Bailey Racing has been renewed for the upcoming 2015 motorsport season with a brand new support vehicle.

The team, which competes in classic Minis in the Masters Historic Racing series and the Mighty Mini Championships, will this year be enjoying the comforts of the Bailey Unicorn Cordoba as their base and support vehicle for the racing events.

The new Bailey will travel with the team across the UK and into Europe where they will compete in Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. Towed by a Kia Sorrento in matching livery, the drivers will certainly be travelling everywhere in style.

The team’s manager, John Lewis, thanked Bailey for their on-going support, saying: “A caravan is a vital support vehicle for us as it means we have everything we need on hand while we’re based at a race venue, and our new Bailey Unicorn not only provides every comfort we could wish for, but also looks stunning and professional.”

“I’m really excited for the season ahead, and extremely grateful to Bailey and all our sponsors for their support,” he continued.

Nick Howard, Managing Director of Bailey of Bristol stated, “Leisure vehicles provide the freedom to go and enjoy life, so Bailey is always particularly keen to support active sports and hobbies, and really proud to be sponsoring the Team Bailey Racing motorsport team for 2015.”

Hopefully with a comfortable and relaxing place to stay, the drivers of Team Bailey Racing will do well in all their upcoming events.

Caravan Park receives prestigious award

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By Claire Lawson

Northumberland site is awarded tourism honour

Seafield Caravan Park has been given a bronze award for their efforts and help with raising tourism in the Northumberland area.

The site, along with St Cuthbert’s B&B, Matfen Hall and Kielder Winter Wonderland, was given the ‘Visit England Award for Excellence’.

General manager, Jude Leitch, said “We are so proud to see these four businesses recognised on a national level for the fantastic work they do for tourism in Northumberland. They are a wonderful asset to our county and long may it continue.”

Chief executive of Visit England, James Berreford, stated “It is a tremendous achievement for Matfen Hall, Kielder Winter Wonderland, St Cuthbert’s House, and Seafield Caravan Park. They have raised the bar for excellence for others to aspire to and I warmly congratulate them on their exemplary contribution to tourism in this country.”

It is great to see caravan sites getting recognised for their contributions to their counties and the country.

Have you won tickets to The Big Outdoor Show 2015?

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by Joe Jeffrey

Read on to find out if you’ll be heading to The Big Outdoor Show 2015 courtesy of CaravanTimes

A few weeks ago, we ran a competition giving you the chance to win a family ticket to The Big Outdoor Show 2015, guaranteed to provide you and the family with oodles of entertainment and lead you down the right path as you plan setting off on your adventures with your leisure vehicle.

The prize, consisting of a family camping weekend pass (two adults & two children) to The Big Outdoor Show, worth £149.50, as well as tickets to see Sir Ranulph Fiennes speak on Monday 25 May worth a further £118, certainly proved popular amongst members to the site, but unfortunately there was only one winner. And we’re pleased to announce the winner is:

Jon Freeman

Congratulations, Jon. We’ll be in touch soon with more information.

Don’t despair if you didn’t win this time around. Tickets to the show, taking place between 23 to 25 May 2015 are available to purchase here now.

Coachman employees exchange caravans for cycles in charity challenge

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by Alice Scarsi

Mike and Shane will cycle from Liverpool to Hull for a good reason

Employees from Coachman Caravans will be downing tools and hitting the road later this month to take part in a 154-mile sponsored cycle to raise funds and awareness for a local charity.

Mike Smith and Shane Farrah, who work on the firm’s production line, will be cycling from Liverpool to Hull, where the leading caravan manufacturer is based, on 23-24 May in aid of Abbie’s Fund, a local aid organisation which provides moral support to parents who have lost their babies at the maternity unit at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, providing them with memory boxes.

The sponsored cycle for such a worthwhile cause touches directly with the Coachman team, with the challenge being organised by Mike’s nephew, Martin – someone who is well aware of the importance of the psychological support needed by parents at such a difficult time. Martin’s daughter, Darcie-Mae, was born sleeping on 7 November 2014.

The cycle will commence on Saturday 23 May at Anfield football stadium, home to Liverpool FC, and is planned to finish at the KC Stadium on Sunday 24, just before Hull City’s last match of the season kicks off.

The duo will be supported on the road by fellow employee Kev Smith, who will drive a van provided by Coachman.

Mike spoke of the charity cycle, saying: “In the UK, 17 babies are stillborn or die soon after birth every day and it’s a devastating and life-changing event for the families concerned.

“For Paul and Katy Cowell, who set up Abbie’s Fund in memory of their daughter, the terrible experience was made a little easier by the care and support from the midwifery staff at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital, which is why they wanted to give something back,” he continued.

So far, the team has raised around £1,500, but is looking to increase this amount, as Mike adds: “Supporting Martin with this event is a fantastic way to help make a difference to other families who tragically lose a baby to stillbirth or neonatal death. We are encouraging people to sponsor us and help out this incredibly worthy cause.”

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

To sponsor Mike and Shane, visit the Abbie’s Fund website here and click on the ‘Donate now’ link.

BBC to tour UK with Airstream-inspired Listening Project caravan

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by Joe Jeffrey

Listening booth will record conversations of UK public as it tours length and breadth of UK

The BBC has taken the wraps off a new mobile recording studio, inspired by the iconic Airstream caravan.

Designed by London-based JaK Studio, the portable booth was commissioned as part of BBC Radio 4‘s the Listening Project after a Royal Institute of British Architects-run international competition.

Styled in the shape of a speech bubble, the travelling studio will travel across the UK recording conversations with people across the country, which will then be broadcast on the BBC.

Design features incorporated include a polycarbonate skin with lights at the rear that will react in time to conversations happening within the booth.

RIBA president Stephen Hodder said: ”The Listening Project Booth is a brilliantly witty project and a great piece of product design. It was the unanimous choice of our competition judges and I’m sure will inspire those who see it on the road and share their stories within it.”

Jacob Low, partner at JaK Studio added: ”To be selected to design an environment for such a unique and special project has been a privilege and a pleasure. Beyond the practicalities, we wanted to create a booth that celebrated the power and intimacy of conversation. From the reactive light sculpture that visually captures the dynamics of speech to the home-from-home touches that make the interior space a cosy cabin in which to retreat.

”For the ensuing months that the speech bubble booth will be on the road, it will be the definitive place for people to share with us the story of their lives, and we’re thrilled that they will be doing so in an environment that represents so many heartfelt moments of our own.”

The BBC seem to have taken a liking to all things Airstream as late – let’s just hope that, when touring across the country, they don’t travel with passengers in the back.

To check out a video highlighting what to expect, see below.

VIDEO: Motorhome overturns due to tyre blow out

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by Justine Iorga
Motorhome in Louisiana overturns on a motorway and it’s all caught on a dash cam
Recent dash cam footage released has us cringing as a motorhome heading down a motorway overturns due to a tyre blowout in Ascension Parish, Louisiana.
Louisiana State Police troopers were called on Monday to the scene of the accident. Crash scene investigators said the motorhome was heading westbound on Interstate 10 in the left lane when one of the tyres blew out causing the motorhome to veer into the median, striking the cable barriers. The vehicle then proceeded to tip over and slide across both eastbound lanes.

The driver, 69-year-old Royce Denmon, of Kilgore, Texas, and his passenger sustained only minor injuries in the crash, but it definitely seems like it could have been a lot worse had there been more traffic or passengers in the motorhome.

The whole crash was caught on the dash cam of the witness, 30-year-old Jonathan Mendel of Metairie, who was driving a lorry headed in the same direction as Denmon. He was able to pull his rig vehicle onto the shoulder of the road and call 911.
While we’re glad to hear that the driver and passenger are doing fine after the crash, we can’t help but think that Denmon was driving a bit carelessly. By the looks of the video he seemed to be going pretty fast, a lot faster then he should have been going especially with the size of the motorhome.
Be sure to check out the video for yourself below.

Caravan and camping parks urged to provide shelter for homeless

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By Claire Lawson

Lincolnshire based organisation asks for caravan and camping parks to provide accommodation to the homeless

Following on from a cut in funding to help the homeless, and with many hostels across the country becoming full to capacity, homeless support group, East Coast Homeless Outreach UK (ECHO), has called for caravan and camping parks to provide accommodation for homeless people.

The idea to provide the homeless with somewhere to stay at caravan and camping parks comes from ECHO founder, Paul Jackson, following offering his spare tent to homeless people last year.

After placing an advert for a spare caravan and then being donated one by a Grimsby firm, the charity is now approaching various sites by telephone, asking if people can stay following a recent successful pilot at West End Farm in Weston-super-Mare.

Owner of West End Farm, Chris Clarges, who invited a homeless man to stay at his site, spoke of the benefits of inviting those with no fixed abode to stay, saying: “We had a young man with mild learning difficulties come and stay with us for two to three weeks. He gave me a hand with work shovelling gravel and so we reduced the cost of him being here, it was great all round. We didn’t mind him helping out,” he said.

“We are a family run site and it is something we would do out of season. We would also have to be selective of who we take on, we have to think of the people who are paying first,” Clarges went on.

With caravan season in full swing and an increase in bookings at many parks, it may become more and more difficult for ECHO to find accommodation as campsites enter into their busy seasons, but they are set to persevere.

Skin cancer specialists issue warning to public ahead of summer sun

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By Claire Lawson

Skin cancer experts hit the streets to urge the public to stay safe this summer

Skin cancer specialists have hit the road to speak upon the dangers of too much exposure to the sun without adequate protection.

In an effort to raise awareness about the effects of the sun on the skin, skin cancer nurse specialist at Poole Hospital, in Dorset, Juliet Hatley, was among a number of experts hitting the street last week to enlighten the general public as part of a national awareness campaign.

The advice given highlighted the astonishing fact that, sadly, 12,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma each year, with the best forms of protection being wearing sunglasses, brimmed hats, keeping your clothes on and using sun cream with a factor no less that 30 which should be reapplied every two hours.

On protecting oneself from harmful sunrays, nurse, Hatley, said: “The two most important messages for sun protection are don’t get burnt and don’t get a tan.

“People should pay particular attention to moles on their skin and check regularly for any changes in size, colour and shape as well as symptoms such as itching or bleeding, or patches of skin that feel scaly, bleed or develop a crust and which do not heal. Prompt assessment by the GP is crucial for detecting and treating skin cancer,” the expert continued.

With regards to checking your skin for any signs of irregularities, Hatley went on to say that
for those with sensitive skin, including babies and toddlers, the best protection is to stay covered and keep out of direct sunlight.

So before you head out in your caravan this summer, make sure you take everything you need with you to protect you and your loved ones against the dangers of the sun, wherever your caravan takes you.

Study reveals road rage is on the increase

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by Justine Iorga
Research conducted by carwow reveals motorists in the UK seem to let their anger get the best of them on the roads
Most, if not all, motorists know road rage is something that is just inevitable – especially when you’re on the receiving end of it for simply towing your caravan.
And now, research undertaken by the UK’s largest new-car buying platform, CarWow, has revealed that 81 per cent of British drivers have been a victim of road rage and one in five British drivers have actually got out of their car to confront another driver. If that wasn’t bad enough, five per cent of victims reported they had been physically attacked and four per cent claimed their car had been damaged as a result of road rage.
The figures gathered to make us all feel like crazies were taken from a survey of 1,000 UK drivers, and reveal a worrying trend for the increase of frustration on Britain’s increasingly crowded roads. Almost half of motorists found city driving to be the most frustrating, whilst one in four said that motorway journeys were sure to get them riled up.
The reason behind the rage was broken into rankings, with 74 per cent claiming it was because of bad driving, 30 per cent saying other drivers are too slow and six per cent getting road rage because another driver got angry at them.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Head of Driving Standards, Pete Rodger, spoke on the recent study, saying: “This research highlights a common problem on UK roads, and no matter how you look at it, driving dangerously to try and teach someone a lesson is never the solution. We’d recommend plenty of forward planning, give other drivers room, stay in control and try to stay calm – everybody makes mistakes.”
So – although it’s not even a possibility, we’re sure – let’s make a mental note not to let our anger get the best of us when heading out with the caravan this summer. And make sure you watch out for those crazies!

Park Holidays UK pleas for a tourism minister

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by Justine Iorga
Park Holidays believes that Britain’s tourism deserves a full time tourism minister following Conservative general election victory
Park Holidays UK is insisting that David Cameron creates a new full-time post of tourism minister in his coming cabinet reshuffle.
With Britain’s tourism industry contributing over £127 billion to the economy annually, whilst providing jobs for over three million people, according to Park Holiday’s company director, Tony Clish, it seems only fair that the industry should have a champion in government.
“For the past few years, the role of tourism minister has been a part-time post in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and was a role which included other duties. I believe the time has now come for change, and that a ministerial post should be created in government for someone whose portfolio is focussed exclusively on tourism,” Clish said.
He continued: “Such a move would demonstrate the government’s wholehearted support of this industry’s successful efforts to help revitalise Britain’s rural economies. A tourism minister could help ensure that Britain is properly publicised overseas as a holiday destination with a view to increasing our volume of foreign visitors.
“There are also a host of other issues which the minister could address, including the state of our road infrastructure upon which many people rely when they go on holiday.
“A minister might also wish to examine whether Britain’s tourism industry is competing on a level playing field with other countries in mainland Europe.”
The role suggested would be to ensure that UK tourism is properly promoted overseas, and to create the conditions in Britain which would ensure the sector continues to grow.
What do you think? Will this plea actually be heard? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.