Travelworld Open Day This Weekend

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By William Coleman

There is a lot more than just a heatwave coming this weekend. So instead of trying to find some shade to hide in why not head over to Travelworld for their open weekend preview. Over the weekend Travelworld will be offering visitors an exclusive preview of their new five-acre dealership at their Love Luxury event in Telford this weekend.

The weekend event will run from the 20th-22nd of July. On display will be never before seen drone images of Travelworld’s brand new five acre site which will be opening later on this year, which is just off of the M6 in Stafford. During the building process of the new site the Travelworld team has been documenting the progress with time lapse drone images.

Managing director of Travelworld, Ross Edwards, said: “The Love Luxury weekend is a perfect time to give visitors a sneak peek of what is to come. Since work began in January, progress has been steady and now we are starting to get a real idea of how things will look. For those who have been following us on social media, you will see a real difference!”

There will be a lot more than just motorhomes to look at over the weekend. The event features special guest and motorhome expert, Dave Hurrell, who is also a senior motorhome road tester. Dave will also be giving guests his own personal tops for practical advice when buying and using motorhomes.

As well as having all the luxury motorhome son display guests will be treated to gourmet BBQ food, live vehicle demonstrations, special event only deals on luxury motorhomes, bouncy castles for the kids and top notch expert advice from the Travelworld Team.

5 Star Resort Gets Grand Reception Opening

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By William Coleman

A warm reception upon arrival on site is always a great way to start your trip. This new award winning holiday park’s brand new £500,000 has recently been opened by a local minister.

Min-y-Don Holiday Park in Harlech had the grand opening of their newly restored reception which was opened by the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport Lord Elis-Thomas last Friday.

Lord Elis-Thomas is not only the Minister of Culture but is also the Assembly Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Following the opening he said he was delighted to open the splending new reception at the park. The site is located in the heart of the beautiful Harlech. As well enjoying the new reception the Minister also praised the site owners, Salop Caravans Sites, for all their good work.

“Harlech has so much to offer the visitor: the castle, a World Heritage Site and one of the Europe’s top golf courses sat next to outstanding beaches in an unbeatable landscape,” said Lord Elis-Thomas.

“Given the importance of the sector, I am pleased to say the tourism industry in Wales is in very good shape. I do not underestimate the extremely competitive market place we operate in, but tourism in Wales is in a strong position.

“Although we’re looking forward with confidence, it’s also important that we’re not complacent and that we always look to improve which is why I’m delighted to be here today. So, let us keep this momentum and confidence going as we move into to a busy summer season.”, continued Lord Elis-Thomas.

The 15-acre Min-y-Don Holiday Park, which has 112 caravan holiday homes and 100 fully serviced touring caravan and motorhome pitches, nestles below Harlech Castle, alongside the famous Royal St David’s Golf Club and just a short walk from one of the best beaches in Wales. Most of the pitches on the five-star park have views of either the castle or Mount Snowdon.

The new glazed and rendered reception facility at Min-y-don Holiday Park has a bright and welcoming, air conditioned visitors area with a hotel-style reception desk and comfortable seating, glazed office, boardroom, books, games and DVD library and toilets on the ground floor.

A spiral staircase rises to first floor customer service and sales office which enjoys fantastic panoramic views of the golf course, castle and surrounding hills.

Salop Caravans Sites also owns the adjoining Castle View Holiday Park, which has pitches for 59 caravan holiday homes. Both parks are popular with owners from Shropshire, the West Midlands and North West England.

In addition, the company is in the process of converting Hafod-y-Morfa house, situated adjacent to the park, into luxury holiday accommodation with three en suite bedrooms and a balcony hot tub which commands stunning views. Work is scheduled for completion later this summer.

Tony Bywater, chairman of park owners Salop Caravans Sites, said the continued investment in the parks showed the company’s belief that Harlech has a bright future as a tourist destination.

“The town has so much to offer visitors,” he added. “With more and more people now choosing to holiday in the UK rather than jetting overseas, it’s imperative that our holiday parks are of the highest quality to cater for their needs.

“We hope that our customers and staff enjoy the new, comfortable reception facility, which compliments the park’s five-star facilities.

“Here in Wales we have just enjoyed a fantastic, prolonged spell of hot weather which will hopefully encourage even more people to holiday here this summer and in the future.”

Manager Carl Millar revealed that Min-y-Don Holiday Park had enjoyed a record June and said bookings for the rest of the summer were excellent. Spaces during August were limited and he advised touring caravan and motorhome owners to book soon to avoid disappointment.

Councillor Judith Strevens, Harlech Community Council chairman, said: “The new reception facility gives visitors the right impression and is very welcoming when they drive onto the park.”

County Cllr Freya Bentham said: “We are really grateful that Salop Caravans Sites has chosen to invest in the park and in Harlech. This investment will have a huge knock on effect to the economy of Harlech and surrounding area.”

Richard Thomas, Snowdonia National Park Authority’s principal planning officer for development management, said: “It has been a pleasure working with Salop Caravans Sites for the past 10 years to develop sites which enhance both the visitor experience and the local economy.”

Val Hawkins, MWT Cymru chief executive, said: “It’s great to see Salop Caravans Sites continuing to invest in five-star holiday parks which are of huge benefit to the visitor economy of Mid Wales. The company is very professional and shows great attention to detail with its developments.”

Solving The Tyre Puncture Nightmare

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By William Coleman

There really is nothing worse than preparing everything you need for you holiday to then find out that one or more of your tires is flat. More often than not the flat is due to rouge screws and nails that seem to litter streets all across the UK. When you’re home you are safe and at a place where it is relatively easy to get the problem sorted. But what do you do when you’re on site?

Recent figures have shown that there has been an increase in onsite punctures and repairs for caravans and motorhomes. Data from TyresOnTheDrive shows that in the past 3 years the number of call outs by motorhome and caravan owners has rocketed up by more than 80%.

As the puntures become more frequent the demand grows for on site problem solving. So to keep holidays relaxing, and more convenient when things go wrong, the ‘we come to you’ tyre repairing service rolls in to save the day.

So if you find yourself on site with a flat you can get wheels up and rolling away in no time at all. TyresOnTheDrive will give you a 2 hour slot of their choosing and then repair your tyre so you can carry on with your trip or get home on time for tea.

Mobile tyre fitting is the fastest growing sector in the tyre replacement industry as a lot more drivers are choosing repair over replacing. Once you’ve managed to get the car to a garage and then paid through the nose for the tyre and services charges you are totally out of pocket.

The UK has over half a million tourers and around 225,000 motorhomes owners and Ray Fernandez, CEO of TyresOnTheDrive, has said they have seen a huge growth in call outs from these owners.

He said: “We have seen enormous growth over the past few years among caravan and motorhome owners discovering a puncture either at home before they set off or when they want to hitch up and head back. No one wants to be delayed on their holiday journeys and we offer the peace of mind and convenience of coming to you.

“In just the past three years alone we have seen a rise of 81 per cent in caravan and motorhome call-outs and with the summer school holidays fast approaching I am sure we will see even more this year. We come to where the customer is and when the customer wants and as that message gets around, more people are turning to us for help.”

Over the past fews years the demand for home-fit tyres has more than doubled over the past few years and Google data has shown that online searches have rocketed from around 25,000 in February 2015 to 60,000 in the same month last year.

Touring And Wine Tasting With The Caravan And Motorhome Club

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By William Coleman

Food and drink is one of the things I look forward to the most when I am planning my trips away. Some would say I go away just to find new things to eat and drink. So if you’re like me then this article should get your taste buds tingling.

At first you may not think of the UK as a wine producer. Italy, Spain or France may spring to mind. The UK actually have some fantastic wine producing vineyards not too far from where you live.

From the depths of East Anglia to heart of the Midlands, the Caravan and Motorhome Club has sites located near vineyards to suit every type of wine lover. From dedicated oenophiles to those who just enjoy a tipple or two, these sites are the perfect spot to “wine” down and enjoy the fruits of the winegrower’s labours.

With membership starting from just £51 per year for two people, why not take advantage of the year round benefits and set off on a vino adventure?

Here are five of the Club’s idyllic sites to stay at located close to some of the UK’s finest vineyards:

Camel Valley Vineyard, Cornwall– Camelford Club Site

Set across 82 acres of land, Camel Valley Vineyard is one of the UK’s most celebrated vineyards and is the largest Vineyard in Cornwall. In 2008 and 2015 Camels Valleys Pinot Noir Rose Brut won gold at the International Wine Challenge, making it a very well-known supplier in the vino world. The Camelford Club Site is 11 miles away from the Camel Valley Vineyard and is an ideal location for families, beach lovers and walkers alike. The site is also close to coastal villages like Port Isaac, famous for being the backdrop to Doc Martin, and Port Gaverne. Why not enjoy a glass of Camel Valleys wine with Cornish delicacies whilst watching the sunset in one of these picturesque areas.

From £16.30 per standard pitch per night based on two adults sharing

Halfpenny Green Wine Estate, Staffordshire– Stanmore Hall Touring Park

The wine loft at Halfpenny Green offer wines from sourced directly from their vineyard. Accompanied by cheese and crackers from their on-site deli, as soon as visitors step foot on the estate there is a real sense of home. Stanmore Hall offers a great hotspot to pitch up and stumble home after a few glasses. The site is set on beautiful grounds approximately 6 miles from Halfpenny Green Wine Estate and within the peaceful grounds there is a 2 acre lake and resident peacocks. The site is a popular on the network with those seeking rest and relaxation with its secluded vibe. Nearby towns which are filled with characteristic architecture are a short drive away.

From £31.90 per standard pitch per night based on two adults sharing

Harrow and Hope, Buckinghamshire– Henley Four Oaks Club Site

Situated in the heart of the home county of Buckinghamshire, the Harrow and Hope vineyard offers tours of its winery, vineyard and wine tasting sessions. Known for its Brut Cava, the vineyard is relatively young in comparison having been running for only eight years. For the ultimate break, stay at the Henley Four Oaks Club Site which is around 9 miles from the vineyard. Set in pleasant green surroundings, the site is filled with mature trees that enhance the areas natural beauty. The quaint town of Henley is also very beautiful and wine lovers can pick up a bottle of Harrow and Hope wines at the traditional English country pubs around there.

From £18 per standard pitch per night based on two adults sharing

Sharpham Wine and Cheese, Devon– Steamer Quay Club Site

Located on the English Riviera in Devon, Sharpham Wine and Cheese is a serious producer of over a dozen wines as well as unpasteurised cheeses. Lying on an estate that was created by famous 18th century landscape architect, Capability Brown, visitors can wander on a self-directed trek and taste across the vineyard. There is also the option of a guided tour too. The Steamer Quay Club Site is situated 4 miles away from Sharpham and comes complete with stunning views. The site is only a short walk from the bustling town of Totnes, where there is a vast choice of pubs and restaurants. The stunning village of Dartington is nearby too and houses an outdoor theatre and cinema. There are also boats trips to the pretty harbour town of Dartmouth.

From £16.30 per standard pitch per night based on two adults sharing

Winbirri Vineyard, Norfolk– Great Yarmouth Racecourse Club Site

East Anglian based vineyard Winbirri, operates throughout the year offering vineyard tours and tasting experience days. Visitors are guided by head winemaker Leer Dyer around the vineyards to make the experience that little bit more personal and offering the chance to learn about the award-winning Winbirri wines from grape to bottle. For the ultimate combo, stay at Great Yarmouth Racecourse Club Site which is located 24 miles from Winbirri. The site is only a short distance from the sea making it ideal for sunbathers and beach goers. There is also a bus stop just outside the site which makes many attractions within easy reach, including the sea life centre and Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens.

The 3 Peaks Challenge With The Marquis Randger Part 2

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By William Coleman

In our previous 3 Peaks installment we saw Dan and Tom, of CaravanTimes, tackle Ben Nevis while a certain Martin Dorey ferried them from country to country and kept them fed and watered. In part 2 we will see different opinions from behind the wheel giving thoughts on the Randger and then ticking another 2 more countries off of the list.

During the challenge the overall opinion of the Randger is that it handles more like a car than a campervan. Quick, durable, comfortable and very easy to travel to 3 different countries in less than 24 hours, oh and climb 3 mountains. This camper really has been designed for driving.

One thing the guys needed for this trip was comfort. After climbing up a mountain and back down you’re not gonna want uncomfortable seat to sit on while you drive to the next mountain. My legs hurt just writing this. In both the front and back of the Randger are seat that are luxurious and comfortable enough to sleep in. Come to think of it this camper have a luxurious feel throughout.

The Randger offers a long list of benefits, the main one being its versatility. While Tom and Dan stormed up a mountain Martin, along with the CaravanTimes camera operator, were able to have a night out. Mr. Dorey found a place to stop, a quick costume change and then out to dinner. So when touring you can make the most of the country by parking up and letting someone else cook for you. While half of your team climb a mountain without a home cooked meal.

How does CaravanTimes makes the most out of the Randger? We use it to transport the team and all of out kit around the UK. There was so much storage on board it was almost hard to fill up. 4 adults with luggage and a production kit. All of this on board and it still drives and handles perfectly.

If you are planning on taking any kind of challenge the Randger is ideal. Climb mountains, use the Randger, a quick weekend in the Lake District, use the Randger, pop to Tesco you can use the Randger.

Stay tuned for part 3 which is coming very soon.

The OPUS Owners Weekend 2018

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By William Coleman

The trend-setting OPUS® Camper has opened an entirely new market since launching the multi-award winning AIR OPUS® in early 2017. Plenty of excited customers had pre-ordered and were awaiting delivery of their campers; one of the first to collect were Steve & Judy Lumb in June 2017. The Lumb’s had already planned many exciting adventures and saw the opportunity to share tips, campsite recommendations, offer advice and share memories with fellow owners.

The OPUS® community were extremely perceptive to the idea and the Facebook ‘OPUS® UK Owners Group’ was born! Since July 2017 the closed group has grown to over 200 members – the majority are existing owners but also prospective customers wanting a sneak peek at the OPUS® lifestyle on offer.

The page hosts around 30 member posts per week sharing experiences, ideas, tricks, photographs and site recommendations. Founder Steve Lumb mentions “the group is adept at troubleshooting problems or difficulties and most questions are quickly answered and discussed.”

The success of the Facebook group provided the suggestion of an annual OPUS® Owners Rally Weekend. An event to bring OPUS® owners and families together in real time – sharing their passion and experience for the product. OPUS® HQ welcomed the opportunity of involvement and the event organised by Steve Lumb and Lilly Roads was full steam ahead.

The 1st OPUS® Owners Rally Weekend was held at Tattershall Lakes in Lincolnshire from 18th-20th May, the event saw over 70 OPUS® owners and families pitch up in 25 OPUS®! The attendance was outstanding and the weekend was immediately set for success.

The Friday evening began with introductions and a cookout for all owners wanting to socialise and eat together. Saturday allowed for owners to explore the local area or relax in the glorious sunshine, OPUS® HQ hosted the afternoon and evening which included an informal Q&A’s session, a fun quiz and hog roast.

The atmosphere was brilliant and all attendees had a fantastic time. Sunday morning provided one to one customer support before the event came to a close for 2018.

Owners voted on the name for a group of OPUS® seen together and the winner was ‘A Pride of OPUS®’ – OPUS® HQ certainly felt proud to see so many OPUS® advocates at the 2018 rally and look forward to being involved in plans for 2019. Check out the video captured by Clive Roads here: https://youtu.be/sB7N2iJsaew

“It’s been a fabulous weekend and we have met so many lovely people. It’s been great to be part of the ‘Pride’ and look forward to doing it again. Thank you to the OPUS® HQ team for their support this weekend”

Terry Seymour: “What a great weekend with a lovely bunch of people. Thank you to the organisers, and OPUS® HQ too. This was our first OPUS® adventure and certainly a memorable one.”

Rebecca Marsden: “That was a fun weekend. We made it home safely and have all had a great dose of OPUS® fuelled relaxation, fun and socialising. Nice to meet you all!”

Try Out The Luxury Life Before You Buy It

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By William Coleman

Adventures can now be done in style with a luxurious touch as a brand new motorhome hiring service has been launched. So take to the road and indulge yourself in with a top notch touring home from Go Luxury.

Leisure World Group are introducing a brand new luxury motorhome hire service which has been launched to cater to the ever growing popularity of the touring holiday. As more people enter the industry following an outstanding 2017 season the demand for high quality accommodation and adventures is larger than ever.

When you are experiencing the freedom that comes with a staycation or touring holiday you can still have 5 star luxury accommodation, which you can then unhook and take with you.

What makes Go Luxury different from other rental services is that they specialise is high end motorhomes which offer contemporary, stylish outdoor living with all the mod cons of a hotel. So if you want deluxe bedding, sumptuous bathrobes as well as HD TV with WiFi then this may be the service for you.

“You wouldn’t have to take your own towels or put sheets on the bed if you were visiting a five-star hotel, so why should your experience in a luxury motorhome be any different?” asks Chris Kinsell, director of Go Luxury. “Your holiday should begin the moment you step in the motorhome and that’s why we’ve made sure that we’ve taken care of all those details.”

The company has a fleet of vehicles which are all brand spanking and ready to go. The top of the range Burstner motorhomes, who we actually went and visited in Germany last week, comes with a great welcome pack which includes tea, tasty snacks, toiletries as well as kitchen utensils and accessories. So you can pick a vehicles and turn up relativity unprepared.

To make sure you do not have to spend extra cash after setting off the motorhome will come with a full tank of diesel. A full tank, depending on your driving habits, should last a good few days before needing a re fuel.

“From years of experience we know that what people want is to get outdoors and enjoy themselves, carefree and without the responsibility and maintenance that comes with owning their own motorhome,” says Chris.

“What we’ve done is to take care of everything so that guests can simply enjoy the convenience and comfort of holidaying wherever the journey takes them.”

If you are considering investing in a motorhome then this is a great way to try your hand at touring. Despite how popular the touring holiday it’s not for everyone so giving it a go before spending thousands really is the smart option.

“You can do as much research into layouts and features as you like but the only way to really understand the right motorhome for your lifestyle is to spend time in one,” says Chris. “It’s common for people to buy their first motorhome only to change it when they realise that the motorhome doesn’t quite suit their needs.”

Customers who hire a Go Luxury motorhome for a week and then go on to buy a motorhome from Leisure World Group within six months of hiring can get up to half of their hire costs back. For more information please visit www.go-luxury.co.uk

Welsh Park Group Makes New Acquisition

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By William Coleman

North Wales based holiday parks group Thornley Leisure Parks has announced its acquisition of Brightwater Lakes in Mid Wales, one of the region’s most highly regarded holiday retreats.

The deal was signed in late June this year, and brings to nine the number of parks now in the group.

Situated on the picturesque Powys-Shropshire border and set over 30-acres of grounds, Brightwater Lakes boasts magnificent valley and country views.

The park facilities include two fully stocked fishing lakes, and an indoor swimming pool.

Brightwater Lakes provides over 150 plots on the park, including around 50 holiday chalets and 100 privately-owned caravan holiday homes.

Now the park is set to benefit from even further investment in its facilities from Thornley Leisure which owns eight other holiday parks in North Wales, Cheshire and North Yorkshire.

The Thornley family’s business, established over 55 years ago, has achieved a raft of honours for the quality of its parks and the many initiatives taken to protect the natural environment.

For this reason, says managing director David Thornley, Brightwater Lakes represents a perfect fit for the company’s existing parks portfolio:

“One of Brightwater Lakes’ greatest strengths is its appeal to people who want a holiday home location where the main attractions are the tranquillity and beautiful surroundings,” he said.

“We are now keen to continue moving the park forward, and to raise the quality bar even higher for the benefit of the holiday home owners,” said David.

Open for 11 months of the year, Brightwater Lakes is likely to see the siting of additional luxury holiday homes in 2018, and further upgrades to guest facilities.

There is more information about the park at www.brightwaterlakes.co.uk – and the other parks within the Thornley Leisure group are detailed at www.thornleyleisure.co.uk

Travelworld Aid Ultra Marathon Success

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By William Coleman

Keeping fit is so important, especially as we are all getting a little bit older each year. For beginners, start with a walk or a jog. For the more experienced among us why not get a motorhome from Travelworld and go on an ultra marathon like 62 year old runner Keith Robinson.

Keith Robins, who is a seasoned ultra distance runner at the age of 62, recently took to the road in Travelworld’s Carado T447 to try his hand, or feet, at the formidable 95 mile West Highland Way Race.

After hitting the 20 mile mark, something I could never do, Keith unfortunately took a tumble and hurt his leg. That did not stop Keith from jumping up and carrying on but he was unable to complete the race and the injury was a bit to server to carry up.

Keith astonishingly solidered further 51 miles while being hurt, such an amazing effort. Once the race was all said and done Keith raised £1000 for Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Blood Bikes and has not ruled out taking part in the race again next year.

This gruelling challenge starts at Milngavie, near Glasgow and through six checkpoints leading all the way to Fort William in the Scottish Highlands. This was not Keith’s first experience with this marathon as he toppled the challenge twice before. No stranger to extreme challenges Keith also took part in, and finished, the 250km Marathon des Sables, (a seven-day race across the Moroccan Sahara) where he raised £19,500 for charity.

Keith said: “Not finishing this time does not diminish my overall enjoyment and love of the event and I think you need to experience both finishing and not finishing to fully appreciate the spirit of the WHW Race.

“Having the motorhome on the trip was a big advantage, entirely suited to the wide-open spaces of the Scottish Highlands which the Race route passes through. The finishes in the Carado were first class and the garage storage at the rear, we found a particularly positive feature.

We stowed a bike (the Carado comes with a 2-bike rack) but there were masses of room for the kit bags and boxes too and inside the Carado is like a tardis for storage with plenty under the fixed beds and in the various wall cupboards.

“The fridge was plenty big enough for our weekend supplies. Very simple to use – once you remember what you were told at handover, i.e. 240v only works on hook-up! We were all very impressed with the pull-down bed which drops down with the click of a button but wasn’t needed on this trip.”

Ross Edwards, managing director of Travelworld said: “It was a pleasure to help Keith and his crew, and we’re glad the Carado did such a sterling job in helping him raise money for Blood Bikes.”

This is another fantastic example of the touring industry making charity fundraising easier with the use of a touring home. Motorhomes are such a fantastic tool for any hobbyist or action tourer.

Mini Beasts Arrive Across Cumbrian Parks

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By William Coleman

When you think of guests being eaten your mind may shift to something like Jurassic Park. The guests being eaten this time round are not humans but 6+ legged creatures who have been given free accomodation, much to the delight of the local birds, at a cumbrian holiday park.

The Holgates group have recently opened a brand new state of the art holiday accommodation network across 6 of their top rated parks for bugs and other small creatures. The structures have been designed to ensure the mini beast have has much comfort has the sites human guests, and something else a little more environmentally conscious.

The guests who are expected to stay are moths, beetles, spiders and centipedes to name a few, all of which will not be charged for their time on site. Although there is no cost to the creepy crawlies the risk their stay brings is high.

Although the bugs are welcome to stay it seems that the real reason for the free holiday is to ensure that the local bird population have a fully stocked bug buffet.

The insect hideaways have been installed at the group’s flagship Silverdale Holiday Park and its 5 other nearby parks. The 6 locations attract thousands of the more traditional 2-legged visitors year in year out.

Many of the two legged visitors are families with children, and Director Michael Holgate has said that the companies latest wildlife initiative have provided both entertainment and educations for guests: “The habitats are open-plan and filled with roosting material such as leaves, hollow stems and moss, and reveal the awe-inspiring activity of the insect world,” said Michael.

“Being close to the sea, we have an amazing variety of resident and visiting birds, many of which get their protein from bugs – and our aim is to ensure they don’t go hungry.

“This is especially important in winter when the mini-mansions also act as an over-wintering space for some species such as butterflies and solitary bees.

“We knew we had a hit on our hands when both youngsters and grown-ups started posting pictures of the insects on social media along with more traditional holiday snaps!” he added.

In 2017 Silverdale was one of the very few holiday parks to gain the special honour from botanist Professor Bellamy in his annual conservation awards. Out of the 3,000 sites across Britain only 15 were given this mark of greatness.

The accolade celebrated a raft of initiatives which the 60-year-old family business regularly takes to protect its native animal, plant and bird life.

Last year the group created over eight miles of new hedgerows as a “wildlife corridor” to help sustain wildlife species from dormice and hedgehogs to butterflies and bees.

And earlier this year, the park completed a massive planting project of native species such as oak and yew which saw around half-a-million years of tree life take root.

There is more information about the group’s parks at www.holgates.co.uk

Burstner 2019 launch – More Than Just Fair Weather Friends.

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Daniel Cartwright

The attractive, luxury, well built German motorhomes from the Erwin Hymer group have always been popular in the UK. Burstner outsell any other German Hymer group motorhomes or intact any other German motorhome in the UK. Fans of Burstner and Burstner owners seem to shout from the rafters about how much they love them but that German engineering means they last well and are incredibly well built.

A friend and Burstner own said “You buy your first Burstner because of the wow factor and you buy your second because of the reliability”. But what is changing next year?

Well Burstner is embracing the UK market and has brought out a number of layouts in both coach built and A-class specifically for the UK.

Burstners appeal and quality is obvious but some layouts are tailored for the tropical south Europe outside living and cooking.

The 2019 ranges have layouts specifically tailored to colder climates and inside living. We have listed these layouts below and they are well worth a look. All the layouts utilise drop down beds at the rear over huge lounge areas. Due to the flat double floors mean they still have good headroom in the living spaces and these rear lounges really make excellent places to spend a rainy afternoon.

Lyseo TD744 (below)

Ixeo I 744 (below)

It’s not the layout that makes these models weather appropriate, they have double floor insulation with the water tank between the floors keeping the water tanks insulated. They are fully thermally insulated to grade 3 specification and the are built using a totally wood free construction.

Also big news for the 2019 range – all uk specification motorhomes from Burstner have more standard specification than Germany specification. That’s because all UK specification Burstners for 2019 are part of the elegance line. That said, I did get confirmation that all models will be available in the UK by order if you want something not brought over.

Other innovations for 2019 included integrated champaign cupboard or coffee machine in the Ixeo ranges, optional sliding sunroofs or cab drop down beds and a range of interior colour schemes.

Judges Declare Family Park A Beacon In The Beacons

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By William Coleman

There were congratulations all round this summer for the family owners of a SW Wales holiday park when it was named as the outright winner of a top tourism prize.

Erwlon Caravan and Camping Park in Llandovery scooped the gold accolade for caravan, camping and glamping parks in the Carmarthenshire Tourism Awards.

Based in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons, the five-star park was one of hundreds of businesses competing in the prestigious awards, held every two years.

Stepping up to receive their honour at the finalists’ ceremony were members of the Rees family whose farm-based park has been welcoming holiday guests for over 50 years.

Its tranquil location with far-reaching views over the surrounding countryside has long been a favourite of caravan and motorhome owners as well as campers.

But according to the award judges, visitors to Erwlon praise not just its setting but also the friendly and welcoming atmosphere created by the family on the park.

Excellent reviews from guests are received too for the park’s luxury glamping pods which were introduced last year in a picturesque riverside location.

Sleeping up to four people, the pods provide all home-from-home comforts including full-size beds made up with top quality linen, kitchen and shower areas, and television.

Guests can also be assured of remaining snug throughout the four seasons, thanks to underfloor heating, double glazed windows and high levels of insulation.

Peter Rees, a member of the park-owning family, said that everyone was delighted that Erwlon had achieved the top gold accolade in the Carmarthenshire Tourism Awards:

“Hospitality and quality of service are two important criteria in these awards, so naturally we are extremely pleased that the judges were impressed with what they found here,” said Peter.

“Our aim is to create happy holiday memories in lovely surroundings, and we always try and exceed expectations in terms of helping guests get the most out of their stays.

“I hope our award will also benefit other tourism businesses in the Brecon Beacons area by putting the spotlight on what a wonderful part of the world this is to enjoy a holiday,” he added.

There is more information about Erwlon Caravan and Camping Park, which is a member of the Best of British consortium of top family-owned holiday parks, at www.erwlon.co.uk