Somerset caravan park raises money for rescue charity

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by Tom Lowenstein

A dedicated caravan park has presented a charity with a much-needed cheque after a string of successful fundraising events run by holidaymakers at the site.

Following a summer of charity events at Diamond Farm caravan and camp site in Brean, Somerset, the generous team of fundraisers donated a whopping £2,275 to the Burnham Area Rescue Boat (BARB) charity.

BARB runs Burnham-On-Sea’s rescue hovercraft and the donation will go towards helping them with their running costs after the cheque was handed to the charity’s crew at Diamond Farm on Saturday (October 22nd), Burnham-on-sea.com reported.

Jayne Collins from the Diamond Farm Fundraisers told the news provider: “We are delighted to have raised such a big sum for BARB, which does a fantastic job in Brean and Burnham in helping to keep our beaches safe.”

Mike Newman, cairman of BARB, thanked the caravan park for its generosity, saying his crew were hugely grateful to the “fantastic support” they had received over the years.

COMPETITION: Win a copy of new book the Story of Sprite Caravans

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by Chris Jefferies
Update: Thank you for your entries, this competition is now closed
For over 60 years, Sprite Caravans have been building some of the cutest and most fondly admired tourers in Britain and now the tale of this remarkable company has been told by the UK’s leading caravan historian.
The History of Sprite Caravans tells the story of Sam Alper OBE, who came up with the idea to produce a lightweight, practical and affordable caravan in the years immediately following World War Two.
Sam built the company up from scratch into a major international success, with the compact tourers selling all across Europe in the 1960s and 70s.
Whilst the history of Sprite is by no means over, following a modern revamp by Swift Group just last month, caravan expert Andrew Jenkinson has painstakingly retraced the history of this well-loved brand to tell the story so far.
This new book, due to be published in November, features over 200 classic caravan photos from Andrew’s personal archive and places the development of Sprite in its social and historical context.
The Story of Sprite Caravans will be priced at £15, while Amazon.co.uk is now taking pre-orders at the discounted price of £12.74, but the cheapest place to get a copy is right here at Caravan Times.
For our latest reader competition, we are giving away one copy of this new book for free – just think of it as an early Christmas present from us.
To be in with a chance of winning this prize, all you need to do is enter your full name and e-mail address and then answer one simple question.
The competition will close on October 31st and the lucky winner will be chosen at random and then notified by e-mail.
Update: Thanks for all your entries, this competition is now closed

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
1. To enter a Caravan Times competition you must be:
(a) UK resident; and
(b) 18 years old or over at the time of entry.
2. Competitions are not open to employees (or members of their immediate families) of Caravan Times, or any other subsidiary of Adfero.
3. No purchase necessary.
4. Only one entry per person.
5. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that are lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason.
6. The winner will be selected at random by the editor of Caravan Times, whose decision is final.
7. The closing date is as specified in each competition, and we reserve the right to amend the competition details at any time.
8. If you win a competition, we will notify you by e-mail. The organiser’s decision will be final, and no other correspondence will be entered into.
9. No part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize.

North Yorkshire caravan park gets extension go-ahead

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by Tom Lowenstein

Planning authorities have given a caravan park the green light to carry out an extension to its site, despite the local parish council’s objections.

The park at High Hawsker in Whitby, North Yorkshire, had made an application to use one of its fields for the extension.

The application has been approved by the planning committee at the North York Moors National Park, the Whitby Gazzette reported.

Now, the York House Caravan Park will be able to expand its four-acre site, adding to the 59 pitches and 41 static plots that it currently offers.

Objections were raised because the parish council at Hawsker-cum-Stainsacre was fearful that sewers would be overloaded if the site grew further.

However, a new treatment plant is proposed as part of the application so the park’s application was granted approval.

Planning Officers commented that the extension would be a sizeable distance away from existing residential properties and would not impose visually or have any detrimental impact on the area.

The York House Park holds a David Bellamy Conservation Award Silver Medal.

Caravanners fear new owners will force them out of beloved park

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by Tom Lowenstein

Residents at a Scottish caravan park have expressed concern that they could be forced off the site if its new owners hike up prices.

The Silver Sands park in Lossiemouth, Moray along with its sister site, Riverview in Forres have both been taken over by Lifestyle Living, STV has reported.

Living Lifestyle owner and chairman Tony Barney concluded the purchase this week and when discussing the deal said that the Moray park represented a “potential five-star development”.

Following a statement announcing the purchase on the Silver Sands website, some of the caravan owners on the site have expressed anxiety about the future, with fears that prices would rise beyond affordable levels.

Speaking to STV, one site regular said: “We can only wait and see what his proposals are for the site, but if he repeats what has happened here and at other sites in the past then we might be in deep trouble.”

Caravan park wins coveted award celebrating green credentials

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by Tom Lowenstein

An eco-conscious caravan site has found recognition for its environmental credentials with news that is to be awarded a prestigious conservation award.

Hackings Holiday Caravan Park in Billington, Lancashire, has been awarded a coveted David Bellamy Conservation Award in acknowledgment of the work it has done to protect and enhance its surrounding natural environment.

The park claimed a Gold Award in view of its newly-installed solar energy system, innovative signage, woodland trail, butterfly garden and its recycling scheme, the Lancashire Telegraph reported.

Linden Hacking, proud owner of the caravan park, told the newspaper: “We are delighted our contribution to the local environment has been recognized.”

This year some 620 holiday parks have been acknowledged by the Awards, which Professor Bellamy set up in conjunction with the British Holiday and Home Parks Association in 1996.

The Hackings Holiday Caravan Park is to be presented with its award by Professor Bellamy next year.

The Camping and Caravanning Club joins forces with the Woodland Trust

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by Tom Lowenstein

The Camping and Caravanning Club along with Forest Holidays have announced a new partnership with the Woodland Trust which aims to inspire caravanners to tour around some fantastic sites in the UK’s woods and forests.

Showing their commitment to the leading woodland conservation charity in the UK, the Club is hoping the partnership will nurture interest in the country’s natural beauty-spots across both organisations.

Robert Louden, The Club’s Director General, said: “We are always striving to create an environment which enables tourism to blossom.

“We look forward to working with the Woodland Trust team to encourage more people to visit the country’s beautiful wooded areas.”

Members of The Club will now be able to take advantage of an offer to get 20 per cent off the price of adult Woodland Trust membership and 25 per cent off the Nature Detectives Club for children.

There are currently five UK sites run by The Club in woodland areas. Cannock Chase, Delamere Forest, Thetford Forest, Veryan and Culzean Castle, along with 20 Forest Holidays caravan and camping sites, all allow caravanners to enjoy a holiday under the trees.

READER REVIEW: Bailey Pegasus Series II Ancona

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by Caravan Times member Martin MacDonald

New and used caravan reviews can often be misleading if the writer hasn’t spent more than a few days inside the tourer. But here at Caravan Times we regularly receive live-in reviews from owners who have spent months with their second home and have truly spotted all their foibles.

Coming from a long line of caravan enthusiasts, Martin MacDonald knows what to look for in a quality tourer, and has spent months using his new Bailey caravan with his wife and young son.

My wife and I decided to upgrade from a trailer tent to a caravan earlier this year, after having our first son two years ago, and based on the amount of equipment we might “need”.

After a few visits to dealerships we kept returning to the Bailey Pegasus Ancona, the new single axle six-berth layout. We had three stipulations with a new van; a fixed bed for our son, an end bathroom, and it had to last the test of time.

The Ancona boasts three fixed bunks and a good size end bathroom. At 1,499kg max load, it is a little daunting to some and does require a mid-range 4×4 or a big estate to pull.

Exterior

The front of the van consists of the belly locker and two side lockers. The front locker is smaller than other ‘vans and houses two gas bottles, a few smaller items but not much else. The two side lockers are wet lockers with a drain, and are deceptively big.

The front legs are easily accessed; however the back legs are a little tricky to do. The nut is set quite a bit back from the edge of the van, so you have to get on your knees and poke around under the van to seat the winder.

The rear lights on the van are built into a unit that is attached to the corner of the van. This makes it simple to replace if anything goes wrong with the unit and doesn’t compromise the shell, reducing the chances of water ingress around the lights.

You can tell that sacrifices have been made though. For example, all the lights are bulb lights and I was expecting on a new van that they would be LED lights. But I guess they have to keep the cost down, and save something for the Unicorn models.

Interior

Moving inside, as a parent I look at things by means of child friendliness – and as this van is aimed at the family market, hopefully it helps.

Click here to continue reading

Bailey Caravans heads Down Under with Orion, Pegasus and Unicorn

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by Chris Jefferies

Over the years, Australia has given us Kylie Minogue, Rolf Harris and Peter Andre and what have we given them in return? Bailey Caravans.

The makers of Alu-Tech tourers have recently made their debut Down Under and it seems that the Aussies are rather fond of the Orion, Pegasus and Unicorn.

Adrian Van Geelen from Bailey Australia, the company’s official antipodean distributor, has said that sales have been encouraging since the range launched at last week’s Melbourne Leisurefest show.

Six models went on display, starting at around $42,000 in Australian money (which equates to more than £27,000), and the Bailey offering has been particularly popular among smaller towcar drivers looking for something lightweight.

“There’s been multiple orders; not in double digit figures, but not far away,” Mr Van Geelen estimated.

What’s more, Bailey’s Australian adventure has only just got started, with the range due to go on display at the Bendigo Leisurefest in Victoria next month.

Coachman Caravans reports strong sales from record crowds at NEC Show

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by Chris Jefferies

It seems caravan buyers have reacted well to the radical redesign of the Coachman range, as the Cottingham-based manufacturer has reported a 30 per cent year-on-year increase in sales for last week’s NCC Motorhome & Caravan Show (October 12th-17th).

The company took the bold move of completely redesigning its flagship Pastiche, VIP and Laser ranges this summer, introducing a swooping front end and a panoramic sunroof, and this appears to have paid off.

Coachman Caravans reports that it sold nearly 350 of its tourers last week, with the record attendance at the Birmingham NEC no doubt helping to boost this figure.

The National Caravan Council, which took over the show for the first time this year, has reported that attendance totalled 93,323, up 50 per cent compared with last year’s show.

Lowered ticket prices and free parking will have surely played a part in this, but nonetheless many will argue that this indicates that the caravan and motorhome industry is continuing to cope well with the current economic downturn.

Jim Hibbs, Managing Director at Coachman, said: “We knew this season was going to be tough, and that we needed to produce something really special for 2012 to stand out from the competition. So far, it looks like we have been successful.”

Public appeal from police in hunt for Bailey Ranger caravan stolen from farm

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by Tom Lowenstein

The public have been asked to keep their eye out for an unusual caravan after it was stolen from a farm in Halesowen, the West Midlands.

Police made the appeal for the distinctive Bailey Ranger 620/6, which was taken on the night of September 20th/21st, after thieves forced their way through a gate that was bolted shut at the farm in Lapal, Halesowen News reported.

The prized caravan is decorated on one side with pictures of an American Indian and a dog and on the other with a picture of a horse.

Thieves cut three padlocks from the caravan before making off with it but police say they do not what was used to remove it.

Halesowen Neighbourhood Team’s sergeant Wendy Tyler, told the local newspaper: “This is a very distinctive caravan and I am sure that someone would remember seeing it.”

Anyone who has any information relating to the caravan should call 0345 113 5000.

Bailey Caravans offer warranty arrangements for Discover Leisure customers

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by Marcus Dubois

Following the announcement that dealership Discover Leisure has been placed in administration, Bailey Caravans has confirmed the options available to existing Discover customers.

All customers with future sales and after sales arrangements can benefit from the firm’s Transient Warranty Scheme, where warranty and servicing work on new and existing Bailey caravans can be fulfilled.

Click here to see a list of Bailey dealers authorised to carry out warranty and servicing work

Bailey advises that any ongoing sales or after sales issues should be addressed to the official administrator KPMG, who can be contacted on the following hotline number: 0845 617 1490

The Bristol firm expressed sadness upon hearing of the development, and wishes “the former Discover Leisure staff the best of luck in finding alternative employment”.

Bailey also revealed it “would also like to point out that it does see this development as an isolated incident, particularly in light of the results of the recent Motorhome & Caravan Show which was very successful for Bailey in particular and the industry in general”

As for the future of the caravan industry in 2012, the firm is “optimistic regarding the market prospects looking forward.”

Discover Leisure Depot

Nearest Alternative Outlet
Discover Leisure, Birtley: Tel – 01912 363156 United British Caravans, Newcastle on Tyne: Tel – 0191 236 3156
Ropers Leisure, Catterick: Tel: 01748-818666
Teeside Caravans, Stockton-on-Tees – Tel: 01642-764455
North East Caravans, Ashington – Tel: 01670-764455 (Service Centre Only)
Discover Leisure, Chorley Stewart Longton Motorhomes, Chorley – Tel: 01257-220222
Campbells Caravans, Lostock Hall, Preston – Tel: 01772-627627
JR Leisure – Radcliffe, Manchester
Crossley Coachcraft, Leyland: Tel: 01772-623423 (Service Centre Only)
Read Caravans, Blackburn – Tel: 01254-694313
C&S Caravans, Accrington – Tel: 01254-386284
Discover Leisure, Darlington United British Caravans, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Tel: 01912-363156
Ropers Leisure, Catterick – Tel: 01748-818666
Teeside Caravans, Stockton-on-Tees – Tel: 01642-764455
North East Caravans, Ashington – Tel: 01670-764455 (Service Centre Only)
Discover Leisure, Delemere Flintshire Caravans, Queensferry: Tel: 01244-830438
Leisure Sales, Sandbach – Tel: 01477-535264
Discover Leisure, York Yorkshire Coast Caravans, Driffield – Tel: 01262-488366
Wandahome – South Cave, Hull – Tel: 01430-424342

More hardship for British drivers as number of petrol forecourts halves

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by Tom Lowenstein

As if the price of fuel wasn’t bad enough, British caravanners have been given more bad news with the announcement that there are fewer than 9,000 petrol forecourts in the UK, less than half the 21,000 that were in operation twenty years ago.

What’s more, this fall has happened at the same time as the number of cars on the roads has doubled to 31 million, research by retail experts Palmer & Harvey has revealed.

The south of England has been hit the worst, with eight of the country’s ten ‘fuel deserts’ lying in the region’s countryside.

Torridge in Devon has the lowest ratio of cars to forecourts, with Palmer and Harvey reporting there were some 11,300 cars per forecourt in the 380 sq mile rural region.

Chris Etherington, Palmer and Harvey chief executive, told the Daily Telegraph: “These fuel deserts lead to massive inconvenience for the already hard-pressed motorist, and also to the loss of a focal point in communities.”

During the summer, the RMI Independent Petrol Retailers Association said that time was running out for many petrol stations, with supermarkets dropping petrol prices as a ‘loss leader’ effectively forcing them out of business, the newspaper reported.