Final Top Gear episode preview featuring destruction of caravans released by BBC

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By Joe Jeffrey

Final episode footage reveals Top Gear trio, Clarkson, Hammond and May, don tuxedos and wreck caravans

The BBC has released a preview of the final Top Gear footage to feature Jeremy Clarkson.

Unveiled on Twitter, the 30 second glimpse of the final episode to feature Clarkson and his goons, Richard Hammond and James May, shows the trio don dinner suits and assume their own take on a caravan derby, destroying at least one caravan during the process whilst driving 4X4s.

The footage was originally shelved after Clarkson hit the headlines earlier this year for assaulting a Top Gear producer before being unceremoniously dumped by the BBC. It is thought the show will air on BBC2 in the next few weeks.

The preview comes as speculation mounts over who will be replacing Clarkson, with Chris Evans fuelling rumours at the weekend that he could supersede the shamed television presenter after revealing he had been making a “secret Top Gear film”.

The future of Top Gear’s format for season 23 is still unclear after it was reported that Hammond and May have been offered deals in the region of £1m a year to stay with the BBC – a deal which would make the pair the corporation’s highest earners and said to be part of a plan to include a different host on each show rather than directly replacing Clarkson outright.

Check out the preview below and let us know your thoughts.

VARTA introduces indestructible gadgets to keep your adventures powered up all summer

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By Joe Jeffrey

For stress-free trips, VARTA has released a new line of impressive indestructible gadgets just in time for your summer holiday, ensuring you’re always fully-charged wherever you are

With summer on the horizon, it’s certainly time to start planning your annual getaway if you haven’t already done so. And it pretty much goes without saying that – when it comes to planning – deciding what to pack is pretty important too.

It’s not just appropriate clothing that’s a factor these days though, and with caravanning comes the ideal opportunity to live off grid for a while whilst still being surrounded by your home comforts. In 2015, with a plethora of gadgets at our disposal, it’s pretty much a given that caravans across the country will not only be full of couples and families making the most of what British Summer Time has to offer, but also the latest in technology.

From using our tablets in order to plan our stay and find local points of interest upon arrival, to finding our way back to our pitch after setting off to explore – many of us opt to bring our gadgets along with us in order to continue where we left off at home. And for good reason.

But, for those of us with more electronic devices than plug sockets, as well as those who,admittedly like us, won’t leave their leisure vehicle without gripping onto our prized smartphones or tablets when looking to search all the great outdoors has to offer, it’s pretty difficult to keep all of our items charged and accessible at the same time. Until now that is. Renowned German battery manufacturers,VARTA, might just be able to help with this conundrum and many more, thanks to the VARTA indestructible Powerpack – a compact charger which enables you to recharge your mobile phone, or any other device which can be powered up via a USB, on the move.

The award-winning 6000 mAh indestructible Powerpack has certainly been designed with the camper and caravanner in mind. Offering enough power to charge your smartphone three times over, the Powerpack has also been designed to survive the toughest conditions there are and comes fully dustproof, waterproof and drop tested.

Both compact and durable thanks to the highly durable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic and aluminium alloy, the Powerpack also comes with two USB ports for simultaneous multiple charging functionality, offering the perfect solution for when you need to charge two devices at once after a long day out with not a socket in sight.

Priced at £34.99, the VARTA Powerpack certainly packs a punch and is a must for those who like to remain fully-charged at all times – wherever you are.

it’s not just smart technology that those clever people over at VARTA have designed with the caravanner in mind though and additional accessories to help you along on your holiday this summer come by way of VARTA’s 5W LED Camping Lantern and VARTA High Optics 2AA torch – both ideal for when those light nights begin to draw to a close.

VARTA’s indestructible 5W LED Camping Lantern (priced £29.99) is an ideal addition to any caravan holiday. Extremely robust having undertaken a four metre drop test, as well being waterproof, the lantern, with rubberised head and base, features six high performance LEDs with special reflector technology. And with three light modes – from 280 lumens high to a more energy-efficient 32 lumens low, this is one lantern that’s ideal for whatever the occasion – as long as it’s dark we guess.

The VARTA Camping Lantern also features an extra strong and retractable handle, as well as an integrated hook which allows for easy hanging when required.

On the other hand, If it’s a torch you’re after, you’d be hard pressed to find one which can withstand as much wear and tear as the VARTA High Optics 2AA Torch. Both water resistant and scratch resistant and built with an aircraft grade anodized aluminium casing, the 3W LED offering provides an adjustable light beam range of up to 85 metres, with a slidable head control featuring a nifty precision focus system – ideal for when it comes to finding your way back to your pitch late at night. The VARTA High Optics 2AA Torch is priced at £28.99 and is certainly worth a look.

For more information on these and other great accessories by VARTA, visit their website here to take a look.

Ever dreamed of owning your own beach? Well now you can!

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By JoshBudd

Idyllic cornish beach goes up for sale for £250,000, complete with watercentre, cafe and beach shop

How many times have you embarked on a caravanning holiday to the seaside, with your deck-chair and windbreaker in hand, donning your new swimming costume in hope of a relaxing and refreshing day in the sun, only to find it jam-packed with people who had the same idea, with not a single square-centimetre of sand for you to lay your towel?

Well, if you have £250,000 lying around, you can now enjoy a beautiful, empty beach all to yourself, as Polkerris beach in southern Cornwall has gone up for sale.

Previous owner of Polkerris beach, Bob Shillito, is generously including a watersports centre, cafe and beach shop into the bundle, along with an eight-year lease on the property.

Of the work involved in owning a beach, Bob revealed to the Cornish Guardian that prospective owners shouldn’t expect an easy ride of sun, sea and sangrias – especially during high-season. He said: “On any given day I could be acting as harbourmaster for a visiting yacht, scooping ice creams, hiring out paddle boards, negotiating with equipment suppliers, and awarding sailing certificates all in the same afternoon. You never know what will come up next.”

Polkerris beach is just two miles west of Fowey, set against the quiet yet enchanting Polkerris village.

Imagine, stepping from your caravan and smelling the fresh sea-air whilst you cook your family breakfast. Surrounded by nothing but sun, sea and sand, having endless locations to place your towel. Imagine the peace and quiet!

What would you do with your own beach? Transform it into a thriving business or keep it all to yourself?

Northumberland National Park launches safeguarding foundation

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By Emily Boneham

Foundation aims to protect park and widen participation for all ages

With some of Britain’s finest landscapes and awe-inspiring geological features, Northumberland’s National Park is known worldwide for the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hadrian’s Wall.

Now passionate conservationists and philanthropic partners have come together to create the Foundation, led by a number of local trustees.

As an independent charity, the Foundation will explore opportunities for a range of initiatives within the National Park, including vocational training courses, research, and activities that open up the park for people of all ages to enjoy.

Geologist Ian Jackson, who also sits on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and lives in the park, said: “The landscape of the National Park has been inspiring people for generations and the creation of the Northumberland National Park Foundation will help that continue long into the future.”

Initially, the Foundation will help raise the £2.2million that is needed to ensure The Sill – the National Landscape Discovery Centre at Once Brewed, Hadrian’s Wall – reaches its full potential.

Chair of the Foundation, Antony Braithwaite, said: “We now have an opportunity through the Foundation to protect these ancient landscapes, their culture and heritage and enable others to enjoy, learn about and care for them.”

Northumberland National Park features in the Caravan Times’ top places to stargaze, alongside Dalby Forest, Yorkshire and Exmoor National Park, Somerset.

Bookings now open: Webbs Big Weekend promises to be the biggest yet

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By Emily Boneham

You’ll be seeing double at this year’s motorhome show

Webbs Big Weekend is back and, this year looks set to double the fun, with double the number of motorhomes on show plus loads more thrown in for good measure.

Unlike previous years when the show has been held in Reading, this year the show will come together in one huge weekend from Friday 17 July to Sunday 19 July in Warminster.

Online bookings are now open for those wishing to pitch up for the weekend’s festivities and, for those who do, a Big Weekend pass will be provided in order to allow access to all areas so you don’t miss out on a thing.

Highlights include a Friday night quiz, ultimate party band, the Funtime Frankies for that Saturday night boogie, as well as discounts galore throughout the fun-packed weekend.

The Webbs team will also obviously be on hand to answer all of your questions and offer you those pro tips to making your trip away a breeze.

For details and to book, head over to the Webbs-site.

Demand for pitches leads to half a million pound expansion for Welsh caravan park

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By Claire Lawson

Rising popularity at caravan site creates demand for more pitches

Increase in the popularity of a caravan park on the Welsh border between Shrewsbury and Welshpool has seen a cash injection of £500,000 ahead of exciting expansion plans due to be implemented.

Plans for expansion at Seven Oaks Holiday Park include adding a further 20 pitches to the site, bringing the total number of pitches up to 130 by the end of June. The new additions are to be placed on an elevated terrace, overlooking one of the coarse fishing pools situated within the picturesque park.

Owners Ron and Margaret Brace are excited with the plans, as Ron explained: “Buying a caravan does change your life for the better and we know how important it is for people to find the right park.”

“Midlanders love this area because it’s an escape from the rat race, traffic jams and built up areas to the peace and quiet of the beautiful countryside. Light pollution in the Midlands means that you don’t really see the stars at night, but the sky always seems much bigger here,” finished Ron.

Lunar supports young local sporting talent

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By Claire Lawson

Lunar Caravans gives support to young football stars of the future

Lunar Caravans has pledged its support to young sports stars of the future in a deal which will see the manufacturer sponsor two local football teams.

The two teams – the Under 7 ‘Reds’ and Under 7 ‘Yellows’ – at Brinscall Village Junior Football Club have been selected to be sponsored by Lunar, and will each have the Lunar logo adorned on their kits to help take them into their second competitive season.

Brinscall Village Junior Football Club has offered young people aged between six and fifteen the opportunity to play football since 1997, and both the Reds and Yellows proved successful enough to reach the finals each of their respective competitions in their first competitive season – a major first for the club.

Lunar Chairman and CEO Brian Mellor said of the company’s newly formed relationship: “Lunar is proud to be supporting young local talent. Not only does the Club build up youngsters’ football skills, it also provides a place for them to socialise and forge solid friendships that will grow as they do.

“The Club does an excellent job and we wish them all every success for the new season and the future.”

Hopefully Lunar’s magic will help the teams to further success in future seasons.

Marking 80 years of the UK driving test

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By Joe Jeffrey

Join us in raising a glass to toast the UK driving test (but not whilst behind the wheel), now in its 80th year

Driving licences – you’ve gotta love ’em. After all, where would we be without that trusty bit of green paper or photo ID? For many of us, the answer would certainly not be putting our feet up in our home from home on wheels and exploring the wonderfully illustrious landscape the good old United Kingdom duly provides.

It’s true to say you have to work to get your driving licence though – and that comes by way of the driving test, which this week celebrates its 80th anniversary. In order to mark this milestone, CaravanTimes has pieced together some interesting facts for you to enjoy.

The beginning

Despite the first driving licences being introduced in the UK in 1903, it took a further 32 years for the UK driving test to become compulsory. 246,000 candidates applied for a driving licence during the first year of compulsory testing, with a pass rate of 63 per cent. Fast-forward to present day and almost 1.5 million people took their test for the 2103/2014 period, with a 47.1 per cent pass rate – that’s a whopping 695,580 new road users in the UK which adds to a grand total of 27 million vehicles on the road today.

Bestseller

As bland as it may be to read, The Highway Code – which sells thousands upon thousands of copies each year – has yet to have left the UK Bestsellers list. Introduced in 1931, The Highway Code has served as a driver’s bible of dos and don’ts, aiding over a million prospective drivers each year and helping them to pass the rather-more less practical theory element of the driving test. The impact following the introduction of The Highway Code was rather palpable though; before it was introduced there were over 7,000 fatalities on the UK’s roads, despite there being just two million road users. Today, owing in part to the Code, that figure has been slashed to half, despite a stark increase in vehicles registered.

Driving School

Sick to your eyeteeth of reality show after reality show? Want to ban Big Brother and shove those celebs back into the jungle? Well, you’ve only got the driving test to blame. 1997’s Driving School was one of the first ‘fly-on-the-wall’ documentaries of its kind, opening the door to many more reality shows which followed. Concentrating on following learner drivers around the road networks of Bristol and Wales, the docusoap was broadcast on BBC1 for the first time in 1997 and proved to be a primetime hit, following learner drivers like the unforgettable Mauren Rees around, who is more known for running over her husband Dave’s foot than passing her test.

Increase in prices

The first driving test cost a measly 7/6d – in today’s money that’s 37.5p. Compared to today’s fee of £62 for the pleasure of sitting the driving test alone, as well as the £25 cost for sitting your theory test, we could be forgiven for thinking something doesn’t quite add up. However, it’s true to say that the theory test has been a welcome addition to many, with the hazard perception test proving beneficial in alerting less experienced drivers to dangers and distractions faced before they sit behind the wheel of a vehicle independently.

“Shaaaaaaaaronnn”

It may have taken just one single attempt to bite the head off of a bat during his infamous concert performance in 1982, but the Prince of Darkness was certainly no match for the driving test examiners that managed to fail him a grand total of 18 times – sometimes even before stepping foot inside the test car. The legendary Black Sabbath hellraiser certainly went to hell and back in his bid to secure a full driving licence, but finally managed to secure his licence to drive at the ripe age of 60.

Scottish Caravan Club plans celebration rally for 70th anniversary

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By Claire Lawson

Scottish Caravan Club celebrates 70 years with five day event later this month

The Scottish Caravan Club has arranged for a five day rally to celebrate it’s 70th anniversary.

Set to take place in Perthshire between 18 to 23 June, the Club will host a series of exciting events, as well as featuring an abundance of caravans and motorhomes on display.

The main event will take on the Saturday night (20 June) with a two course meal and live music, as well as the Club’s Family Social Disco which will take place in the field.

A Tea Dance has also been planned, with a 1940s theme in line with the establishment of the Club in 1945, so be sure to dress to impress.

If dancing isn’t really your thing however, the event will also include a bus and boat trip tour of Loch Lammond National Park, Trossachs, starting at Trossachs Pier on board the steam ship Sir Walter Scott. For the hour you will be taken down the Loch Katarine where you can fall in love with the beautiful surrounding landscapes.

Click here for more information on how you can be a part of the celebration.

COMPETITION: Win a HandiMoova foldable hand cart

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By Josh Budd

Relinquish the chores and tribulations of holidaying with the HandiMoova in our latest giveaway

As every caravanner would know, the routine of making your caravan feel homely and comfortable can be an arduous and time-consuming task. The effort and repetition involved in transporting your valuables from home, to car boot, to caravan and back again is considered a necessary chore that is part of an otherwise peaceful and relaxing holidaying experience.

Enter the HandiMoova. This innovative handcart will make any holiday less stressful and more enjoyable. Say goodbye to the days of having to lug that heavy cooler from car to beach, filled with lunchtime treats for you and your entire extended family, across long distances in the sweltering heat, and back again. The HandiMoova will save your back as well as your peace of mind.

Powered using innovative Camba technology, which utilises their unique Active Variable Footprint and Floating Axle Suspension, the HandiMoova is 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, and able to lift a load of up to 60kg, the HandiMoover is ideal for indoors and the great outdoors alike. Its simple and compact design makes it easy to pack away and store in your home, the boot of your car, or in your caravan, making it a welcome companion on any excursion or holiday.

And now, CaravanTimes is offering one lucky reader the opportunity to win their very own HandiMoova. To be in for a chance of winning this incredible new development from HandiWorld, simply like our Facebook page by clicking here and enter your details in the form below before 26 June.

If that is not enough, HandiWorld are generously offering an exclusive 20 per cent discount to CaravanTimes readers, valid until 30th June, simply by using the promotion code: HWCT.

Last of all, CaravanTimes would like to wish all participants the best of luck. Check out the video of the HandiMoova in action below and make sure you enter to win!

How the HandiMoova Mooves from HandiWorld on Vimeo.

Competition rules:
The lucky winner will be picked at random at midday on 26 June 2015 and will be notified via the email address supplied in the entry form
Only one entry per person
No purchase necessary
No cash or alternative will be offered
This competition is open to new or existing CaravanTimes members and Facebook fans only
No employees of CaravanTimes or StantonPace Ltd may enter
The competition is open to UK residents aged 18 and over

DVLA introduces new licensing rules

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By Emily Boneham

Leisure vehicle users warned of new licensing restrictions

Make sure you’re up to date on the driving licence changes that come into force on 8 June. That’s the advice given by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to those wishing to rent a leisure vehicle this summer.

Plans to scrap the paper driving licence counterpart following a six month delay in proposals made means driving licence details will now be stored electronically and, from 8 June, if you are planning to hire a leisure vehicle or car you will need to choose one of two options.

In accordance to the new rules set to be implemented from next week onwards, those wishing to hire a vehicle can either visit the DVLA’s Shared Driving Licence service, which went live on 19 May, to access and print details to provide to vehicle hire companies, or alternatively contact the DVLA for a code to be provided to the hire company giving permission for them to access your driving record verbally.

It is always important to read ahead and check what information a hire company might need from you before you arrive in their office.

Sarah Sillars, chief executive officer of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: “We very much hope people will not be caught unawares, especially if they don’t want a nasty surprise when arriving to collect their car at the start of their holiday.”

Change to consumer rights gives caravanners new powers

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By Emily Boneham

Consumers to be given clearer guidelines for complaints from October

Caravan buyers are to be given new powers to query faulty product sales thanks to a change in the Consumer Rights Act.

Amongst the changes are a 30-day rejection period in which buyers can claim a full refund for faulty goods. The law changes also include clearer guidelines on making complaints about unacceptable service.

The changes, which were given Royal Assent in Parliament this week, will come into full effect from October.

With four months to go, now is the ideal time to make sure you are fully prepared for the changes which aim to make the law clearer for both the consumer and the salesman.

Back in 2010, CaravanTimes‘ forum began a discussion with its members about faults they had found with their caravans and, rather surprisingly, members reported countless problems with brand new caravans that should be free of the wear and tear compared to what you might expect of a used caravan.

In the meantime, if you’re having caravan problems of your own right now, hop over to the Government’s current advice on consumer rights.