Signage may put an end to Norfolk tourist beach disorder

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by Tom Walsh

Signage at a popular Norfolk tourist beach has become a heated topic for caravan and chalet owners in the area.

Snettisham beach has become a hotspot for people visiting the area but for the past four years they have been told by nearby residents that they face prosecution for trespassing if they do not leave, EDP24 reports.

Norfolk County Council (NCC) had erected signage warning people not to walk there but Snettisham Parish Council has insisted that it is common land. The pair will now come together to discuss a solution to the problem.

Eric Langford, parish council chairman, told the news provider: “Pressure will be applied on a NCC working group of members to resolve once and for all the access signage scandal and subsequent lawlessness that exists at Snettisham beach.

“This area is common land. There can be no private land on a common.”

Snettisham beach is a great spot for holidaymakers and lies just over 12 miles away from King’s Lynn.

Ambleside holiday park adopts new tactic to tackle ‘sudden oak death’

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by Tom Walsh

An Ambleside holiday park is adopting an innovative tactic to help protect its trees from a conditional known as sudden oak death.

Residents and guests at Skelwith Fold Caravan Park are being asked to take home acorns to prevent the healthy saplings avoid being contaminated with the virus.

Sudden oak death is caused by the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum and has the ability to kill oak and other species of tree.

It has previously had a devastating effect to forests in the US and staff are keen to prevent it happening in Cumbria.

The Westmorland Gazette reports that the holiday park is collecting acorns from the 130-acre wood to help prevent the spread of the disease which, despite its name, can strike during any season.

Owner Henry Wild recently collected the park’s latest David Bellamy Conservation Award and is committed to protecting the environment in which his park is situated and by doing this he believes it will prevent the death of many trees.

Iconic holiday company Eurocamp put up for sale by Cox & Kings

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by Jake Polden

In a move that has been dubbed as the “end of an era”, Eurocamp has been put up for sale by owner Cox & Kings, suggesting that this type of camping holiday is now a thing of the past.

Speaking for the Association of British Travel Agents, chairman Noel Josephides said: “There is now an enormous supply of accommodation in hotels across Europe, much of it is cheap.

“And campsites, like hotels, know they no longer need to work with operators like Eurocamp when they can get business direct from websites”.

While this is unfortunate industry news, Mark Hammerton, son of the original Eurocamp owner, believes that despite these changes, the world of camping and caravanning is very much “alive and kicking”.

He adds that the upsurge in festival popularity, coupled with national financial insecurity, has inadvertently put camping and caravanning holidays back on the agenda.

Whereas before foreign camp sites would be culturally isolating, they are now fully equipped with reps and activities for all age groups.

Caravans reduced to dust after fire at Lynemouth storage facility

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by Jake Polden

Firefighters were called to tackle a destructive blaze on Saturday (16 November), as Lynemouth storage facility in Northumberland was shrouded in flames and thick black smoke.

Arriving to the scene at around 2:30pm, the fire department proceeded to corner off the entire facility and adjoining road, before attempting to manage the blaze.

Taking firefighters two hours to control, ten caravans and two motorhomes are reported to have perished, while many others have experienced some level of cosmetic damage.

Speaking for the Northumberland fire and rescue service, a spokesperson said: “There were ten liquid petroleum gas cylinders in the vicinity of the fire and some exploded.

“Fire crews adopted the procedure for these cylinders – applying a water spray to cool them and then checking that they were safe.”

While the current belief is that the fire was caused by youths who gained entrance by climbing a fence, the destruction, exaggerated by the gas canisters on site, will inevitably call into question the level of security that surrounds caravan storage facilities up and down the country.

Bolton caravan park honoured at Lancashire Tourism Awards

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by Tom Walsh

A caravan park in Bolton-le-Sands has been honoured at the Lancashire Tourism Awards.

Holgates Bay View Caravan Park took home the 2013 Holiday Park Award after beating four other competitors to the sought-after accolade.

Staff from the site were in attendance at the glitzy event and were delighted that Holgates had been able to attain this award.

Michael Holgate, owner of the site, told the Westmorland Gazette: “It [the award] really is the icing on the cake for everyone involved with Bay View, especially those who have worked hard to bring the site up to the standard people expect of a Holgates Caravan Park.”

The Lancashire Tourism Awards celebrates everything companies have been doing to attract more visitors to the region.

Among the other winners at the Blackburn Cathedral event was The Dukes Theatre and Lancaster Canal Boats which claimed the Cultural Venue/Organisation Award and the Small Visitor Attraction Award respectively.

Team Rickshaw & Bailey of Bristol raise over £1m for BBC Children in Need

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by Ruchi Srivastava

This year, the Rickshaw Challenge for the BBC Children in Need was even more phenomenal than ever before, with riders travelling 700 miles all across the four UK nations.

And backing them up at every step of the way was their trusty Bailey of Bristol motorhome support vehicle.

The challenge was undertaken to raise money for disadvantaged children and young people across the UK and this year the team was made up of five young people who had each been supported by BBC Children in Need projects.

The BBC Children in Need team also partnered with Alex Jones of The One Show who was more than happy to participate in such a great cause. The riders were also supported by TV presenter and Team Rickshaw veteran, Matt Baker.

He was a wonderful source of inspiration for the young people as he cycled alongside with them during their eight-day relay journey. In addition to this, four of the riders were also accompanied by their parents.

As people who have had the wonderful chance to have directly benefited from the charity’s work, the five riders were determined to raise as much money as possible in order to help other youngsters like themselves.

Well they have succeeded beautifully, having raised an incredible amount of £1,354,459. Riding around the clock, this year’s team has certainly outdone themselves.

To help with the cause, Bailey of Bristol lent the team a luxurious Bailey Approach Autograph 765 to help them rest during their brief down-time.

We, at CaravanTimes offer everyone involved our heartiest congratulations!

Caravan site manager threatened with beheading by irate visitor

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by Ruchi Srivastava

In an alarming incident that occurred at the Merseyside caravan site, Riverside Caravan Park, a man named Stephen Perry was arrested after threatening the caravan site manager with bodily harm.

Perry had threatened two women who were staying at the caravan park on 25 August and had later proceeded to hack down a tree with a two-foot machete, a local court heard.

The two women then notified the park manager, who confronted Perry and asked him to hand over the machete.

It is at this point that Perry threatened to chop the manager’s head off.

Furthermore, when the police arrived after the altercation, a disturbing number of weapons were yielded, following a search of Perry’s caravan.

These included a loaded sawn-off shotgun, a crossbow, some shotgun cartridges, three .38 revolver bullets and three 9mm blanks converted to fire a “metal missile”.

Although Perry initially told the police that he had bought the shotgun, he later claimed that it was not his possession.

Eventually, he pleaded guilty to affray, possession of an illegal firearm along with a bladed weapon as well as possession of illegal ammunition.

Judge Goldstone questioned Perry’s actions and said: “Why a man of your age should have such weapons is quite beyond me”. He decreed that Perry was to be jailed for six years.

Sheffield farm owner plans £1m Tour de Yorkshire caravan site

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by Jake Polden

Mark Bouldy, the landowner of Grenocide Farm, has proposed the ambitious plan to turn his redundant land into a camping and caravanning complex, in time for next year’s Tour de France.

With room for 30 touring caravan pitches, as well as camping space for 50 tents, Mark hopes his project will be viable and produce not only a great caravanning destination, but increased tourism and job opportunities to those in the area.

Working with the structures already in place, Mark intends to convert the barn into an office and reception, the shed into a children’s play area and an on site derelict building into a shower and toilet block.

Despite permission not yet being granted, Mark remains confident that his investment will indeed be worthwhile. Speaking to the Sheffield Telegraph he said: “I could fill it straight away.

“Sheffield is supposed to be trying to attract people to see what a good place it is. This is for people who want to enjoy the environment”.

Suffolk caravan park to become holiday village

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by Tom Walsh

A Suffolk caravan park is set to be transformed into a holiday village after plans were approved by the district council.

Whitearch Touring Caravan Park in Benhall has traditionally just been a spot for people to either camp or pitch up their mobile homes but it will see soon the introduction of cabins and lodges.

EADT24 reports that 18 mini properties will be built to go alongside the 12 that had already been approved by Suffolk Coastal District Council.

The authority’s economic development team believes that the transformation project will help to bring in £8.9 million a year and provide a significant boost to the rest of the region.

However, Patsy Dobson, planning case officer, conceded that it would mean an end to the caravan stays.

She told the news provider: “Although the loss of the site for camping and touring caravans is unfortunate in that actually this type of accommodation results in a larger visitor spend, this in itself is not a reason to refuse the development.”

Whitearch Touring Caravan Park is a great site for tourists and is only a 15-minute drive from the coast, so enjoy it while you can.

Top five caravan Christmas gift ideas for the holiday season

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by Ruchi Srivastava

Has the holiday season shopping madness caught up with you yet? For your Christmas list this season, why not treat your the caravan in your life to a well-deserved winter spruce-up?

We at CaravanTimes have discovered the must-haves for the caravanner in your life this festive season.

Ceramic caravan teapot
If you fancy yourself a good cuppa tea, and let’s face it we all love our tea, why not splash out on a caravan teapot?
Priced at only £12.99 on eBay, one of these would make a fantastic and unusual Christmas gift.

Gesture sensitive LED headtorch
The best way to light up the winter darkness, this handy gift allows you to switch the headtorch on or off with a simple wave of the hand – ideal for when you need to switch over gas bottles at night. Grab one from Waterproofbox.co.uk.

Stained glass motorhome suncatcher
A truly beautiful and classic gift that can be displayed from the window of your caravan, this trinket catches the light of the sun and can make your motorhome glow with precious winter sunshine. Priced at a mere £3, it can be found on folksy.com.

Family day out at Go Ape
While you’re off caravanning, why not get adventurous and nurture the explorer within you? An established adventure company, Go Ape offers you the chance to explore the forest from its floor to its tree tops via zip-wires, cargo nets and even Tarzan swings. Gift vouchers are available from £5 to £60.

Classic caravanning calendar
Get a head start on the coming year by purchasing a colourful, caravanning calendar. It may even inspire you to plan a few more trips. Andy Jenkinson’s inimitable collection of classic tourers is our favourite, and costs a mere £6.99 from J Salmon publishers.

With a bulging stocking, you are now well and truly ready for the festive season ahead and so is your caravan.

Caravan Club to open 2014 bookings on 4 December

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by Jake Polden

For all those planning to book Caravan Club sites for the forthcoming season, take note and remember the 4th of December, as this is when 2014 pitches will go on sale.

Navigating the Club’s website has been made easier due to various improvements and there is also the option for customers to book both online or via the Advanced Booking Service.

Prices will also be clearly visible throughout the booking process, with the Caravan Club insisting that they will be fixed for the duration of the season.

This contrasts with the Camping and Caravanning Club’s recently introduced flexible pricing scheme, which will see quieter sites costing less and busier sites costing more.

More places to visit

New for 2014, the Club has also introduced more sites. The recently added Wooda Farm Holiday Park and Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park Caravan Club Site in Cornwall and Stonehaven respectively, provide a platform for fresh exploration.

While both resorts are family friendly, Wooda Farm Holiday Park offers picturesque views and acres of green land, while Stonehaven in Queen Elizabeth Park features everything from a quaint local area with plenty of restaurants and shops, to an Olympic-size swimming pool and a golf course.

Similarly to previous years, The Caravan Club has a series of offers, which they hope will whet the appetites of potential customers.

With the ‘Midweek discount’ offer standing alongside the popular ‘Kids for a penny’ offer – available at selected sites during school holidays – the Caravan Club, who promise to offer more discounts in the next few weeks, are striving to make their holidays more affordable than ever before.

While bookings can be made beyond December 4, it is highly recommended to make them as close to this as physically possible to make sure you get your favourite pitch in high season.

VIDEO: Introducing the new 2014 Sprite Caravans range

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by Chris Jefferies
‘<' . strtolower('Array') href="/sprite/">Sprite Caravans is a brand that needs no introduction, with more than 60 years of lightweight leisure helping to build a great reputation.
These days, Swift Group is tasked with building the latest generation of these historic tourers, and the company has updated the range for the 2014 season.
In this video, we catch up with Gary O’Brien from Swift Group to find out what has been improved in this latest collection.

For full details of the new Sprite Caravans range click here.


We hear about the new Quattro EW layout, which sees an L-shaped lounge area return to the range.
Gary explains the thinking behind the new interior and exterior design schemes and why the company has chosen to upgrade the Truma heating system.
We also find out about the new Eco Camel shower head, which can deliver more powerful showers and make your water tank last longer between trips to the filling point.