Vintage caravan restoration leads to business boost

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by Tom Walsh

Many people laughed when Nikki Cuddy picked up a 50-year-old caravan with the intention of turning it into a money-making scheme.

But not many are scoffing now as the Ribble Valley native has converted the rundown tourer into Polly the Vintage Caravan which can be used for everything from girly glamping to hen dos and secret tea parties.

The Lancashire Telegraph reports that Nikki has been inundated with requests from people looking to use Polly for a number of occasions.

She told the news provider: “Young couples have booked her for their weddings – as a focal point; she has also been hired out for tea parties with a group of girls.”

Once a dilapidated camper destined for the tip, Polly has been restored with an interior decor reminiscent of the 1960s shabby-chic period combined with an essence of French style, and has been the talk of the town since its creation.

Polly is certainly on a par with the popular glamping models that have recently been making great strides in the Belgian capital of Brussels.

Have a look at the slideshow below to see inside this glamorous vintage camper:


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No jail sentence after cannabis plants found in Alvingham caravan

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by Tom Walsh

A man from Louth has been handed a conditional discharge 18 months after police found 15 cannabis plants growing in a caravan in Alvingham.

Michael Caine, of St Michaels Road, was the controller of the compound where the drugs were found, but prosecutor Nick Todd stated that Mr Caine did not own the facility which was searched by officers, Louth Leader reports.

He told Skegness Magistrates Court that he had informed police that two men from Sheffield had stayed in the caravan and had asked if they could grow cannabis for their own personal use two to three weeks prior to the find.

Defending, Sarah Waxman said Mr Caine had no involvement in the production of the drug, and police only knew because he told them.

Growing cannabis can carry a custodial sentence of up to six years in prison but on this occasion the defendant was given an £80 fine on top of the conditional discharge.

Coronation Street star to appear at Shropshire Summer Show

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by Tom Walsh

The Shropshire Summer Show is set to be one for all the family to enjoy with the bash to be host to numerous fun events and a special appearance from a star of the small screen.

Coronation Street’s ‘Jason Grimshaw’ (actor Ryan Thomas) will be in attendance but it is just the tip of the iceberg for visitors who will be treated to a range of activities at Shrewsbury Showground on the weekend of 6 to 7 July.

Saturday kicks off with aerobatic displays from the impressive Zero Gravity freestyle trials bike team, including world champion Chris Doney. There will also be the UK’s first Owl Agility Display from the Berkley Owls.

Three-time World Strongest Man winner Adrian Smith will be hosting a fun family show which will see him bend six-inch nails with his teeth, while and Ryan Thomas will be appearing on Sunday to meet Coronation Street fans and sign autographs.

Tickets for the show are priced at £5 in advance or £6 on the gate, while kids under 14 who are accompanied by an adult can come free of charge.

C&CC urges caravanners to eat local when on holiday

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by Tom Walsh

Local food produce is being championed by The Camping and Caravanning Club with the busy holiday season fast-approaching.

The group is urging people coming to its sites during the summer months to pick up their food from local businesses, as this helps boost the economy around the rural areas which can sometimes be dominated by large chain stores.

Officials at the club are fully behind the Eat Local campaign and results of a survey have shown that the general public is echoing these sentiments.

Research by Onepoll found that 31 per cent of people regarded discovering a farmers market as seriously enhancing the camping experience, while a local pub was a key factor for 30 per cent of the respondents.

Ali Ray, food and camping expert, who has already given her backing, added: “Many of the club’s campsites are located in areas which have highly regarded local delicacies and I would urge campers to try them for themselves.”

Swift Group undergoes senior management buyout

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by Tom Walsh

Swift Group has revealed details about its senior management buyout (MBO) which has seen a major restructuring of its operations.

The deal actually took place in July 2012 but officials stated that it was being kept under wraps until it was ready to announce the plans.

The Hull Daily Mail reports that this move has seen “significant investment” being brought into the company.

Swift employs around 850 people with over 800 being based at its sites in Hull and East Yorkshire, and the MBO will allow the company to continue its development and move forward in the future.

James Turner, managing director, told the news provider: “These are incredibly tough trading conditions for the whole caravan industry. Swift’s strong product development programme and our emphasis on new cost-effective products across all three areas is helping us combat these conditions effectively.”

Swift Group is one of Britain’s biggest caravan and motorhome manufacturers and owns historic brands such as Sprite, Sterling and Bessacarr.

Wandahome South Cave drags Swift caravan three miles for charity

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by Tom Walsh

Wandahome has been doing its part for charity by holding a caravan pull, with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support.

The event took place in South Cave on Sunday 14 April with Wandahome employees Barry Hagues and Darren Brown (pictured) pulling a Swift Ambassador three miles from Brough Police Station to the company’s premises in the East Riding of Yorkshire village.

It was a record-breaking day for everyone concerned with the volunteers getting the caravan over the distance in just one hour.

They were greeted by a hearty crowd and enjoyed cupcakes as a well-earned reward for their charitable efforts.

Charis Hawkins, marketing coordinator Wandahome (South Cave) Ltd, said: “We want to encourage the public to help us raise money for cancer sufferers in East Yorkshire, [local radio station] KCFM’s three month challenge is to raise as much awareness in the area as possible.

“And we hope we can contribute to that and hopefully reach our target of £500.”

At the time of writing, Wandahome South Cave’s charity caravan pull had raised in excess of £1,000. If you want to add to the total, head over to their JustGiving page.

We at CaravanTimes salute Barry and Darren’s Herculean efforts. To see pictures from the day, click on the slideshow below:


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Overturned Swift caravan causes travel chaos in Devon

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by Tom Walsh

Motorists travelling on the M5 in Devon were stuck in traffic jams for hours earlier this week after an overturned caravan brought the highway to a standstill.

Breakdown crews were called out on Monday morning (15 April), after the caravan tipped over on the northbound carriageway near Exeter.

The single-axle Swift was being towed by a Land Rover Discovery, which remained upright despite the accident.

This Is North Devon reported that the crash had occurred before junction 30 of the M5 and meant that traffic was backed up for miles as motorists slowed down to allow crews to rectify the situation.

The news provider stated that queues went as far as Kennford on the A380, and it was confirmed that no-one was injured in the accident.

Police and highway crews were able to move the caravan to the hard shoulder and the lanes were reopened by 2pm.

The M5 is one of the busiest motorways in the West Country connecting Birmingham with Exeter.

Lake District caravan park to raise funds for terminally-ill children

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by Tom Walsh

A caravan park in South Lakeland is helping to raise money for terminally-ill children through a unique charity drive.

Staff at Skelwith Fold, Ambleside, have been asking visitors to the site to donate unwanted gas cylinders in exchange for a donation to the Make-A-Wish children’s initiative which will help create happy memories for ill youngsters.

The Westmorland Gazette reported that the park is aiming to smash through the previous total of £5,000 that was raised last year and the gas is just one way in which the site is aiming to generate money.

Walking guides will also be on offer with proceeds going to the Great North Air Ambulance.

Henry Wild, Skelwith director, told the news provider: “Organising the various fundraising activities often involves a lot of preparation and planning, but staff always throw themselves into the different projects with gusto.”

The Make-A-Wish foundation has granted the wishes of over 8,500 children fighting terminal or life-threatening illnesses since its inception in 1986

Brussels Vintage Hotel adds Airstream suite for glamping experience

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by Tom Walsh

Glamping is becoming an increasingly popular type of holiday for many and a hotel in Brussels has one of the most unique experiences for visitors.

The Vintage Hotel in the Belgian capital has added the Airstream Room, which gives people the opportunity to sleep in a famous caravan designed by pioneering Wally Byam.

It combines old and modern with a variety of high-quality materials, including a large bed and comfortable shower while Wi-Fi, plasma screens and hot and cold air conditioning are all featured within the caravan.

Writing for the Guardian, John Brunton described the glamping experience as sumptuous and likened getting into the Airstream as opening the hatch of an Apollo spacecraft.

Isabelle Henrion, owner of the Vintage Hotel, told the newspaper: “Belgians tend to book for a romantic weekend, often driving up on a classic Vespa, and now we’re even getting businessmen during the week – although I still can’t get used to a pinstripe-suited Eurocrat stepping out of the caravan in the morning to go off to the Council of Europe.”

There is certainly much to commend the Brussels hotel as a caravanning experience with a trendy twist, as it boasts a boutique wine bar on site to satisfy all your Bacchanalian needs.

But the Vintage isn’t the first European hotel to realise the broad appeal of caravanning, as the Huttenpalast indoor caravan park opened in Berlin back in 2011.

VIDEO: Team Bailey hoping for more Mini racing success in 2013

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by Suzette Rabout

There are other ways to enjoy a caravan aside from simply taking weekend trips to the countryside, and in this video we catch up with Team Bailey’s Jonathan Lewis who takes his to the Mighty Mini and Super Mighty Mini races.

We take a look at how Jonathan uses his Bailey Unicorn and what he thinks of the perks of staying in a caravan on race day are.

Jonathan discusses his new team mate Chris Slade and what kind of competition he is facing from this much younger rival.

We also hear about his love for caravanning, and how he has already planned a few caravan holidays for later this year when he’s not racing.

If you’d like free tickets to any of the Mighty Minis racing events, including Brands Hatch and Silverstone, click here to send Jonathan a private message (members only).

VIDEO: A closer look at the solar panels on the new Swift Challenger SE

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by Suzette Rabout

The recent addition of solar panels on the Swift Challenger SE and Sterling Eccles SE models is a key part of the Swift Group’s steps towards more energy-efficient caravanning.

The 20-watt glass panels work in various weather conditions, which is ideal for the unpredictable UK weather.

As long as the panel can see the sky and is fully functioning, it can produce six amps of charge into the battery, rising to eight amps on a sunny day.

Interested in a closer look? Have a look at the 360degree tours of the new Challenger SE layouts here.

Another key advantage is that the panels provide enough power to run the Tracker stolen vehicle recovery system, which remains active even when the caravan is in storage.

In this video we catch up with Mick France from Swift Group, who discusses the decision to fit LED lights to the Challenger SE, and what caravanners can do to make their leisure battery last longer.

Mick points out that the changing from halogen to LED lighting, can help save up to 80% on energy consumption.

Jilted lover gets six years in jail for flipping Elddis caravan with a tractor

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Suzette Rabout

A woman from Cornwall has told a court of relief at surviving an extraordinary ordeal, when her jilted lover went to extreme lengths to get his revenge.

Carolyn Picton was asleep in her Elddis caravan with her dog, when it was overturned by her ex-lover Alexander Brown, who drove a tractor into the side of it at 1.30am causing such bad damage it has been written off.

The pair started a casual relationship after meeting at work at the Beacon Cottage Farm Touring Park in Cornwall, but Brown began to harass Picton after she ended the six-month link, Truro Crown Court heard .

Carolyn had called the police about her ex, claiming that he had been pestering her with continuous text messages.

The following night as she lay sleeping in her caravan, Brown drove the large tractor into her caravan; luckily she escaped unharmed after managing to scramble out of a window.

Mr Brown has admitted to damaging the property and starts a six-year jail sentence today after endangering his ex’s life in his fit of rage.

He has previously been convicted for domestic violence – he also admitted scratching her Citreon car and slashing all its tyres last October.

His attack on the caravan was swiftly punished, when he was arrested 12 hours later after police found him hiding in a field.

Carolyn told the West Briton: “It was terrifying, confusing, incomprehensible – just awful. It was a miracle I had no physical injuries. I could have been killed.”