Dartmoor Park United

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By William Coleman

Devon is a location where I would spend most of my holiday time as a youngster. Dartmoor was an area in particular I was very fond of due to the “beast” that roamed the Moors in search of its dinner. Now the area has done its part in bringing together a family reunion after 40 years of holiday memories.

Peter and Margaret Richards have been holidaying in Dartmoor for over 40 years! Their very first destination of choice all those years ago was Dartmoor’s Langstone Manor Holiday Park. They have recently gone back, but this time they were not alone.

The couple, who are located in East Sussex, decided to celebrate 4 decades of happy holiday memories by arranging a trip to the park with their entire family. The large family consists of a whopping 18 children and grandchildren.

The multi-award winning park, located near Tavistock, welcomed the the family as they prepared for a fortnight of festivities as the extended family enjoyed a get together of a lifetime.

The owners of Langstone Manor, Jane and David Kellett, were more than happy to have the family reunion at their site. The booking was the largest single booking they had ever received from one single family since they acquired the park 20 years ago.

So where does one fit so many people on a site when not everyone has their own leisure vehicle? The mums, dads and grandchildren took over the apartment in the 150 year old manor house, two luxury cottages and a caravan for their 2 week stay. A nice varied mix of accommodation that perfectly demonstrates the freedom and flexibility of staying at a site such as Langstone Manor.

Now that both Peter and Margaret are both retired they are making the most of their leisure time. The couple used a tent as their accomodation during their very first visit at Langstone Manor. As the years went on the couple spent the first wedding anniversary on site in a two-berth caravan.

Time went by and their careers blossomed and they became parents, Peter and Margaret continued their visits to Langstone.

Unchanged from then to the present day, though, is their love of the Devon countryside – and especially Dartmoor – which has been passed down to their three children.

John, Zoe and George now live in different parts of the country, but were delighted to be reunited at the park, and to show their offspring where they had enjoyed their summers as youngsters.

But although the standpipes, small shop selling eggs and milk, and the trek to the toilet blocks have long disappeared, Peter and Margaret say the park’s most important qualities remain the same.

It is still, they assert, the peaceful, welcoming, well-run and friendly park it always was – and that Langstone Manor will forever hold a very affectionate place in their hearts.

Among the park’s many accolades is the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level, and the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for its consistently glowing reviews.

Today the park still provides camping and touring facilities along with a wide range of holiday homes and luxury glamping pods, plus facilities including a popular bar and restaurant.

There is more information about the park at www.LangstoneManor.co.uk

The 2018 Caravan Salon In Dusseldorf- Our Take

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This year was my first time at the Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf and I wanted to share my thoughts with you guys. Should anyone be thinking of taking the trip should have a read of this article as it may just be the influence you need to head to Germany for Europe’s largest caravan and motorhome event.

I cannot start this article without mentioning the sheer size of the Caravan Salon! It is one of the largest trade shows I have ever visited. So if you do visit I would suggest staying in the onsite camping site or very close by. You are going to need a good couple of days to get round it and make the most of everything that is on offer.

Another thing that that is well worth the trip is seeing all the new vehicles, tech and gadgets before the UK see it. Many manufacturers use the Dusseldorf show to launch products as the show gets visitors all over the globe to see what goods they can add to their next year’s product range. So you can get a head start on your friends of what to expect from next year.

Spread across 18 halls as well as around 60-70 different exhibitors outside the show will have something for everyone. If you are at the show then you will find everything you want from new models or leisure vehicle down to the newest tech in disposing your waste, an onboard furnis that incinerates your waste instead of filling up your cassette? I quite like the idea and to be honest the crowd certainly seemed to enjoy the idea.

There were a lot of new concept designs on offer, a stand out being the Burstner Harmony. Imagine a very modern and posh/expensive hotel that you’d find in London or Tokyo then put it into a 8ft wide caravan. From top to bottom the Harmony has state of the art technology; removable lights that double up at a torch and mini lamp that can go anywhere, see pictures below, also an iPad in the wall that control all the interior and exterior lights. Amazing from start to finish.


Once you manage to get round the halls you should make your way to the outside to try the amazing food on offer. There was an 18 wheeler that had a smoker/BBQ grill mounted on the back. The food this grill produced would rival any burger restaurant I have ever visited.

If you want to take the family with you, you will not be disappointed by the amount of entertainment that the Salon has aimed towards children and families. Interactive games, rides and creches for the smaller children. So take the children because they will have a great time on your adventure to Germany.

The fact that the Salon takes place during the last week or so of the school holidays means you can make a trip to the Salon a real holiday. Without too many stops you can get to Germany in or day or. But why rush when you can stop at a few locations along the way and make the trip to Germany a continental touring holiday.

Caravan Salon- Oyster On The Salon And Continental TV Touring

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By William Coleman

CaravanTimes are a big advocate or continental touring, so much so that we’ve travelled to the Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf to speak with Julian Preston, from Oyster Sat Tech, about how easy taking your TV abroad is and why people from the UK should travel to the Salon as part of their travels.

TV inside your motorhome or caravan used to be a bit of a nightmare, so much so that a lot of people used to do away with the whole idea. With Oyster’s sat systems it is as easy as pressing one button. After simply pressing one button on the remote you can be watching Eastenders or catching up with current affairs .

Oyster is actually a German company and Julian runs things in the UK. Having spent many years in Germany actually speaks fluent German and have been to the Salon many, many times. So while we were there we wanted to take the opportunity to get his opinion in the show, the tech on display and why more and more people are visiting from the UK.

Caravan Salon 2018- Meeting Truma

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By William Coleman

We’ve all used onboard heating and air-con, especially over the past few months during the UK’s summer heatwave. As time rolls on it seems that our spring and summer months will be getting hotter and hotter, hence the need for more innovative cutting edge air conditioning technology. So we have a good look at the Truma, a product you either own or have never been more than 20 feet away on site, at the Dusseldorf Caravan Salon.

Having spent a fair amount of time with Truma’s UK Managing Director on the Bristanbul tour I got to find out that onboard heating systems are a lot more intricate than I first thought. It is true that every day is a school day.

At this year’s Salon Truma had one of the more impressive stands on display. Not only were Truma displaying brand new tech but the whole stand was completely interactive. Everything TV monitor was actually giant touch screen, imagine a 55″ iPad, an interactive spin the wheel game where a prize is won on every spin.

The stand out product on the Truma stand is the Aventa comfort. Truma Aventa comfort cools your vehicle to a pleasant temperature within a very short time. The air is also cleaned and dehumidified to ensure a pleasant indoor climate even with minor differences between the inside and outside temperature. But the powerful roof-mounted air conditioning system can do even more: it can also be used as a heater. Thanks to the integrated heat pump, you can heat your motorhome or caravan especially on cooler days in spring and autumn. And it’s extremely energy-saving.

So for some expert advice on your onboard heating products be sure to visit C31 in Hall 13. And as always you can visit them directly on their website, Truma.com.

Caravan Salon- Travelworld What’s New For 2019

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By William Coleman

A lot of the companies that display at the show off some innovative tech as well as some exclusive brand new leisure vehicles. While we were at the Salon we spoke with Jake, from Travelworld, about what they are exhibiting at the show, how people from the UK can enjoy the Salon and what is new for their UK audience come 2019.

Over the past few years Travelworld have gone from strength to strength and are now a major dealer in the UK having been recently awarded with the Erwin Hymer status and opening a state of the art flagship dealership.

Travelworld are in Hall 5 at the Salon and that is where you will find the high end luxury touring homes. Imagine a hotel on wheels where you can even bring your car with you. Travelworld were displaying some amazing motorhomes from their major ranges such as; Neismann+Bischoff, Hymer and Carado.

Once we spoke with Jake about the brand new showroom that Travelworld have almost completed and the amazing new models for the 2019 season he gave me a guided tour around the motorhomes and campervans he was they were displaying.

From start to finish my jaw was practically on the floor. Each vehicle is so much different from the next. You can see that Travelworld’s manufacturers have such an eye for details even down to the minutest of design details. These vehicles really do demonstrate the true meaning of luxury.

But I do not want to give too much away. Have a watch of our exclusive interview from the show and see what’s new for the 2019. Also if you do not get a chance to see the team at Travelworld they will also be showing some new and exclusive models at this year’s October NEC show in Birmingham.

To find out more about the company and their leisure vehicles you can visit their website here, https://www.motorhomes.co.uk/

CaravanTimes Introduce The 2018 Caravan Salon In Dusseldorf

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William Coleman

Ok, so let me start by saying that I was totally unprepared for just how large the Salon is. CaravanTimes have visited the Dusseldorf show before but this was my first time and I was blown away by just how much there is to see and do. So we decided to give anyone visiting, or thinking of visiting, a little look into what is on offer.

Having been to the NEC shows as well as other expos around the UK I can safely say that the Salon might just be the most impressive. There really is something for everyone no matter what your interests are. If you are into the touring holiday lifestyle there is nothing here that will not be of interest.

While I was there I noticed just how many things there were for children to do. Due to the sheer size of the show it would be quite easy for the little ones to get fatigued by the walking around. There are soft play areas, entertainment and even a creche. So take the kids as I am sure they will have as much, if not more, fun than you do.

So if you have never been to the show have a read of our articles and watch the videos we made while we were there and get a feel of just how easy getting to and staying at the Salon actually is. On top of that we want to highlight just how great touring is on the continent.

Bank Holiday Fun With The Caravan And Motorhome Club

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By William Coleman

How are we already almost in September? It seems like only yesterday I was taking the tree down and preparing for New Year’s Eve. Now before you know it we are almost at the end of the summer and the 2018 touring season. So why not make the most of this year’s last warm Bank Holiday Monday by staying with The Club.

With the weather set to be in the early to mid 20s you really can have a last minute adventure from the Cornish coast to the Gloucestershire countryside. Pack up the van and family and head on a weekend to remember as Autumn closes in.

What’s more with National Dog Day taking place on 26 August, the Club has put together a selection of its top three dog-friendly sites with good availability suitable for our furry friends this weekend.

Where to enjoy this bank holiday weekend

St Agnes Club site the ultimate retreat for the long weekend. Head to the Cornish coast for some down time and enjoy fresh seafood or local famous delicacies of Cornish Pasties. St Agnes Club site offers panoramic views of the coastline of England’s most south-westerly county in a peaceful setting. The coastal footpath that runs alongside the site is a haven for walkers and the site is also within easy reach of great surfing spots, like Chapel Porth which is only five minutes away. Prices start from £20.70 per night based on two adults sharing a standard pitch.

Rowan Park Club site in West Sussex is a great pitstop for southern explorers this bank holiday. The site is only two miles from the traditional British seaside resort of Bognor Regis and is close to Goodwood Racecourse, which is hosting a bank holiday extravaganza this year. The picturesque village of Bosham is also nearby with its harbour and country pubs. Prices start from £25.40 per night based on two adults sharing a standard pitch.

Bourton-on-the-Water Club site in the Gloucestershire countryside is a magical setting for a bank holiday break. Situated high up in the Cotswolds and graded as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the site is a picturesque getaway. Nearby must-visits include Chedworth Roman Villa, a local perfumery, famous miniature village and the motor museum based in a nostalgic 18 Century water mill. Prices start from £17.10 per night based on two adults sharing a standard pitch.

Alderstead Heath Club site is a great pitstop for exploring the capital this bank holiday. Located just 20 miles from central London, this Surrey site offers a good base for exploring Notting Hill Carnival. As the largest street festival in Europe, this free Caribbean Carnival comes to West London for one weekend with its traditional West Indies food, live music, dancing and a street party. Prices start from £25.70 per night based on two adults sharing a standard pitch.

Balbirnie Park Club site is an ideal stay for those heading to the idyllic Scottish capital this summer for the Edinburgh Fringe. Escape the madness of the city and stay at the site which is just 34 miles outside of the centre. It makes a great overnight spot after a day exploring the surroundings of Fife or watching a show at the Fringe. Prices start from £18.20 per night based on two adults sharing a standard pitch.

Celebrate National Dog Day on 26 August at these dog-friendly sites

High Onn Club site in Staffordshire is set in such a peaceful spot that it will be hard to believe that you are less than 11 miles away from the motorway network. Views from this location are typical, traditional English farmland, with some fantastic scenery to be seen towards the Wrekin and the Shropshire hills. Dog walks are available on site and prices start from just £14 – a great value all-inclusive fee for a standard pitch, 2 adults and a dog!

Exebridge Lakeside Club site in Somerset has many excellent facilities and all pitches are level, boasting superb views of the surrounding hills and the Exe Valley. There is a convenient path leading from the caravan site around the fishing lake; walk up a thirst with dog walks from the site and The Anchor pub, a traditional local landmark just 400 yards away. Prices start from £26.70 based on two adults and a dog sharing one pitch.

Richmond Hargill House Club site in North Yorkshire offers magnificent views southwards over the Yorkshire Dales National Park and has a wealth of fun activities to make your family holiday memorable. Set in the famous area of James Herriot’s novels, the site offers the opportunity to see many of the locations used within the famous series as well as dog walks from the site. Prices start from £24.70 based on two adults and a dog sharing on one pitch.

The Caravan and Motorhome Club offers a great break for our four-legged friends, as well as humans. Many of the Club’s sites have a dog walk on-site or very nearby. Fans of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, Aurelie and her adorable dog Marcel of the popular Le Corgi blog says:

“We love how the Caravan and Motorhome Club treats dogs as family members. When we have visited their sites and events, dogs were not just allowed, they were made to feel welcome – with facilities including dog-friendly activities and exercising areas. Having a clear policy and encouraging owners to take their dogs with them on breaks not only decreases stress (for both dogs and owners), it also reduces the risk of them being abandoned comes holiday time”

Kids Wildlife Discovery Day At Lanc Park

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By William Coleman

Children went wild at a Lancaster holiday park this August when they tackled a series of challenges to help heighten their awareness of the natural world. It all took place during a wildlife discovery day at Moss Wood in Cockerham which was attended by a line-up of Lancashire-based charities and organisations.

Aimed at both youngsters and grown-ups, activities included supervised pond dipping sessions, and the chance for children to built their own bee and bug hotels.

Bodies such as the RSPB and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust explained to guests how they can identify and help protect the county’s native animals, birds and plant-life.

Hungry visitors also enjoyed tasting locally-produced foods from exhibitors, including goats-meat burgers from Cockerham Boers, and honey from hives tended by Lancaster Beekeepers.

The beekeeping organisation also helps maintain three traditional timber hives on the park which, in the summer months, are home to more than 100,000 honey bees.

Family-owned Moss Wood caravan park held the wildlife discovery day to help local people and holiday guests learn more about rural Lancashire’s abundant flora and fauna.

The park’s Henry Wild said the business also wanted to demonstrate the wealth of food, drink and other products which could be sourced from within the county.

For over 20 years, the Moss Wood has been an annual winner of the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

Last year, the award also came with a rare Special Distinction to celebrate the success of the first wildlife discovery day and the number of young people it drew in.

Many of the park’s environment-friendly initiatives were on view to guests at this year’s event..

They included a 1.5km nature discovery trail, and a 3000 square-foot wildflower wilderness which attracts many honey bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

There is also a spring-fed lake at Moss Wood which acts as a magnet for birdlife, dragonflies, waterfowl and a host of other different aquatic species.

“This was our second wildlife day to be held on the park, and it proved even more popular than last year’s inaugural event,” said Henry.

“Activities such as pond dipping and bug-hunts are a fantastic way for youngsters to become inspired by nature and to learn more about its wonderful secrets.

“Many visitors also went away with ideas on how to copy our conservation work at home, such as planting high-nectar blooms and using red squirrel friendly feeders,” said Henry.

Moss Wood provides holiday homes to buy as well as pitches for touring caravans and motorhomes. There is more information about the park at www.mosswood.co.uk

Parks Wildlife Hedge Fund Success

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By William Coleman

More than 300 holiday parks which took part in an ambitious hedgerow conservation project have been praised for creating and managing a wealth of new wildlife habitats.

The scheme was launched in 2017 by botanist David Bellamy and his son Rufus, and involved parks of all sizes belonging to the British Holiday and Home Parks Association.

With the year-long project now complete, an audit has revealed that just over 360 miles of hedges are now flourishing on parks taking part in the David Bellamy Conservation Award Scheme.

The figure is based on feedback provided from parks by the scheme’s wildlife assessors, and represents a length of greenery stretching from London to Edinburgh.

Professor Bellamy’s green awards are given annually to parks making exceptional efforts to protect the natural world – and each year, an extra challenge is thrown down.

Honey bee conservation has already featured, and was followed in 2017 by the call for parks to plant new hedging and ensure that existing hedges are wildlife friendly.

Rufus Bellamy said he was “genuinely taken by surprise” at the scale of what the assessors found on the 300-plus parks which pledged to take part in the project.

Examples included Silverdale Holiday Park in south Cumbria which planted eight miles of new hedgerows to benefit dormice, hedgehogs, red squirrels, butterflies and birds.

The work took nine months to complete, and brought in a raft of species including hawthorn, hazel, ash and oak, interwoven with climbers such as traveller’s-joy and honeysuckle.

Meanwhile at Tyddyn Isaf Camping and Caravan Park on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, more than 40,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted in the picturesque grounds.

Through this work, it has created an important wildlife corridor on the park which has won the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level since the scheme’s inception in 1997.

Many other parks also emerged as hedgerow heroes during the project, said Rufus:

“Hedgerows are vitally important as they provide food and shelter to many species, including those that need particular help such as dormice and bank voles which use hedges to move around.

“Our assessors also found that the hedges managed by many parks are largely made up of a rich mixture of native plants which, crucially, are left to grow bushy and cut only at the right time..

“This means that wildlife has the chance to enjoy the berries which the hedges produce, and nesting birds are not disturbed – a bonus both for holiday guests and the environment,” added Rufus.

This year’s challenge for parks is to increase even more the volume of pollen-rich wild flowers in their grounds, so providing extra foraging for honey bees and other pollinators.

Touring Hotspots Unhappy With Tourism?

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By William Coleman

Over the past few weeks I have been seeing a large amount of negativity toward the touring community, the holiday making kind that is. Some of it is warranted whereas other reports baffle me and it outright nonsensical. Some places around the UK, especially the South West, are extremely unhappy with the touring tourism the area brings and are taking steps to prevent touring holiday makers visiting certain areas.

One of the more interest reports I have read was the amount of “congestion” touring homes cause on motorways. I can safely say that out of all the traffic jams, road traffic or any other type of motorway obstruction has never been caused by a motorhome or caravan. It’s usually a lorry or a hatchback style vehicle.

So, it towing a caravan on the motorway an issue? My answer would be categorically no. Not only are there speed limits in place when towing there are also a whole wave of driving safety requirements we all follow when on a motorway. Yes, not every person who has ever towed a caravan is 100% safe and follows the rules but on a whole I’d say the majority of towing drivers are very safe.

In certain areas in the South West there are parking rules and regulations to stop leisure vehicles from stopping or parking up. I do understand that there are a certain amount of touring folk who are known for not following the rules, illegally pitching, leaving mess and driving crime levels up. I agree that there should be rules to stop this kind of behaviour but it seems these new laws are actually aimed at honest and decent holiday makers, which baffles me.

Yes, it is not on if you are using seafront parking as your pitch and staying overnight. But if you are simply visiting and using your motorhome as your mode of transport then that is totally fine in my book. Maybe time frame rules for certain hot spots may be more reasonable than just simply banning motorhomes and caravans from parking?

Having a scan around some online regional news sites it would appear that quite a few people actually want to stop certain types of tourist visiting areas by imposing these restrictions. As a child I spent a majority of my holidays in the South West, Exeter especially. The attractions the area has range from zoos to waterfall parks and everything in between, all of which need tourism to survive.

To stop caravan and motorhome holiday makers would cut out a huge amount of income for a lot of businesses which would have a devastating effect on the overall economy. There are only so many stick of rock and candy floss that the locals will buy before getting sick of it.

For a lot of coastal destinations their main, if not sole, income is the flow of tourists that flock to the seaside for a week or even just a day over a weekend. If you take that away from them for the sake of a little bit of congestion then we’d better prepare for our summer holidays to look a lot different and expensive.

Why would they become more expensive you ask? If private or family run companies cannot afford to operate who will come in next? Starbucks, McDonalds and other high street juggernauts that will strip an area of it’s identity and make things uniform and mass produced.

I want to circle background to this congestion issue that seems to be turning thousands of people on the touring community. I have driven thousands of miles all across the Planet towing caravans and driving motorhomes. During these trips I have never seen any major issue caused by a leisure vehicle and can safely say that the increase in slow moving traffic has absolutely nothing to do with touring vehicles. That is just nonsense.

Then there is the simple matter of that thing called Brexit. As soon as it was announced the GPB dropped and ever since the country has been on a bit of a knife edge of uncertainty as a hard Brexit could make European travel somewhat tricky and therefore off putting.

A much weaker pound combined with a harder border crossing could see a lot more people staying home for their holidays. This would mean more and more people traveling to Devon, Wales, The Lake District etc etc. Then what? Everyone just refuses to accept the business and we then turn into a hapless holiday spot? Or we accept whatever happens and use that outcome to make this country a must visit location for people both foreign and domestic.

One reporter from Devonlive.com has even said: “The one thing some tourists bring which I don’t understand are caravans. Why on earth would you want to own one of these things, let alone spend your hard-earned weeks off dragging it down to Devon or Cornwall?”. He clearly has no idea of the importance these holidaymakers are the area. A very narrow minded view indeed. I urge him to go on a touring holiday and get a first hand look at how un-interfering these holidays are to an area.

If people listened to what he has to say then the South West coastline could fall into a state of ruin like places such as Margate,I recently went to Margate and it is not what I remember as a teen, and more recently Blackpool which was once one of the UK’s most beloved seasides. A lot of our dead coastline towns are in such a state of ruin that we can ill afford for one of out best to turn that way. It would taint so many childhood memories.

Roller Team Keeps On Rolling.

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By Nick Harding

Italian motorhome brand Roller Team looks all set for further conquests in the UK, thanks to an extended portfolio of products for the 2019 season, Caravan Times can reveal exclusively.

Already one of the leading imported marques, it’s set to unveil two high-top van conversions – two-berth Taleno L and four-berth Taleno R – with a sub- £40,000 starting price for the former. Both are based on Fiat’s ever-popular Ducato, using the 5.99m-long model, with the two-liter, 115bhp engine as standard but also with upgrades to any version of the 2.3-liter unit, plus
Comfort-matic transmission for those who prefer auto’.

Taleno L comes with a twin rear settee floorplan, while the R features two double beds at the back.

The Talenos will actually be built in the UK, at the Auto-Trail factory. Auto-Trail is a sister brand to Roller Team in the Trigano Group. Indeed, we can reveal the UK plant will also be making new UK-specification van conversion models for distant Trigano cousins Benimar and Chausson, again for the season ahead.

Roller Team’s coachbuilt ranges – T-Line, Auto-Roller, Zefiro and A-class Pegaso – continue to be made in Italy. All Zefiro models will be available on Fiat Ducato bass as well as their original Ford Transits.

There’s an exciting new addition to the Pegaso line-up, too. The 6m-long Pegaso 590 might just be the most competitively priced A-class in the UK. As we write, Roller Team is looking to offer it on-the-road from £59,900, including a comprehensive standard specification.

Lakeland Park Squirrel Charity Cheers

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By William Coleman

Wildlife-friendly Silverdale Holiday Park in Cumbria has provided a local hospice with a £2,250 windfall – by offering a new home to a giant red squirrel.

Named Mawson, the ten-foot tall timber-carved squirrel was for many years a familiar feature at the entrance to a plush Windermere hotel, the Langdale Chase.

In spring 2017, however, the hotel’s owner Thomas Noblett sold the business – and its new owners served Mawson with his marching orders.

Thomas offered to take custody of the landmark sculpture, and had the idea of using Mawson to help raise much-needed funds for St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston.

So he entered Mawson into an online auction which sparked fierce bidding from across the UK.

But when the online hammer finally fell in mid-August, there were celebrations when the winner was revealed as local parks group chief Michael Holgate.

And thanks to Michael, Mawson will now remain in his native Cumbria and enjoy a sea view from the entrance to Silverdale Holiday Park near Arnside.

“It’s a great result because our park has long had a red squirrel as its logo, and works closely with local nature groups to protect the colonies which thrive here,” said Michael.

“Many people expressed their dismay when Mawson disappeared from the hotel entrance as he had become something of a Lake District landmark.

“But now his future in Cumbria is assured, and he will still be on view to the public from the road.

“Best of all, Mawson has allowed us to donate a substantial sum to a very worthwhile cause as he takes up his new role as Silverdale Holiday Park’s mascot,” added Michael.

Michael’s family has owned 100-acre Silverdale Holiday Park for over 60 years, and it’s the flagship park of the six-strong group he has helped to develop.

He said that Mawson will have a dual role in welcoming guests to the park, and in helping to raise awareness of how people can help Cumbria’s native red squirrels to thrive.

Michael presented his cheque to St Mary’s Hospice area fundraiser Charlotte Windle when he arrived to collect Mawson from Low Wood Marina in Windermere, his temporary home.

Also present were Thomas Noblett and Kendal-based wood sculptor Andrew Levy who created Mawson from a storm-felled larch tree in the hotel’s grounds.