Happy New Year To All Our Readers

Posted by

By William Coleman

2017 was an amazing year for myself, CaravanTimes, the industry and more importantly for our readers. So I just wanted to extend another thank you and show you some of our 2017 highlights.

I became the new editor for CaravanTimes back in September and I have fallen back in love with the industry all over again. Not that I had lost any passion but it certainly reignited the flame and certainly refreshed how I look at taking my holidays.

Since joining CaravanTimes I have had the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the industry and see what goes into providing the masses with such high quality touring homes, sites, parks and attraction across the UK.

I feel that, given the success of 2017, that 2018 is going to be a monumental year for all of us. I am personally looking forwards to the up and coming caravan and motorhome shows as well as what the industry has in store for us all.

So take a look at my 2017 highlights as we head into 2018 with a lot of momentum.

My First Article As Editor

My first day on the job and I was delighted that I had joined just ahead of the NEC Caravan & Motorhome show. So I had a look round and saw that the industry was booming so decided that that was the best way to start, NCC Figures Industry Boom Figures

Mercedes Marco Polo Review

If you are in the market for a brand new touring homes that will double up as your day to day vehicle then look no further than the Mercedes Marco Polo. I think they have done a great job with this convert, it does have some points that people may find a tad annoying and there is a lot of tech inside that may be a bit daunting. Mercedes Marco Polo Review

Meeting Camplify And Talking To Its Founder

This is going to be the next big thing when it comes to booking your holidays. Being dubbed as the “AirBnb” for touring holidays, Camplify are providing rental options to masses. If you want to go to Glastonbury in style then check these guys out and rent yourself a motorhome for the weekend. The highlight for me is their converted fire truck! Camplify Interview

So these are just a little sample of what made 2017 so great for me. I hope your 2017 was as good as mine and with you good health and all the best for 2018.

The Auto-Trail 635 V-Line Teaser

Posted by

By William Coleman

CaravanTimes presenter extraordinaire is back at it again. This time we send him out in the field with an AutoTrail V-Line Sport 635 with two extreme sporters Simon and Faye for a spot of wakesurfing at the New Forest Water Park.

Simon and Faye usually hitch up and tow a caravan when they go on their adventure. This time round they got a chance to use a motorhome. They were both very pleased and surprised with the ease of a motorhome. They were able to simply pull up to their destination, park their leisure vehicle and then get straight into their day’s activities.

The extreme sport duo show off their skill set on the water which leads to the brave Alessi taking up a board and diving in head first. By the end of it I think there was more water on our presenter than in the lake.

The Battle For A Very Squirrel Christmas

Posted by

By William Coleman

We have covered the ongoing war between the native Red Squirrel and the foreign Grey. As the coldest parts of winter are just a head of us, despite the recent frost, the humans are lending a helping hand to the Red to make sure they have a food filled winter.

Red squirrel feeding at an Ambleside holiday park has taken on a new urgency this winter as grey squirrels are finally being repelled from the 130-acre grounds.Skelwith Fold caravan park is now said to be the new frontline for pushing back an army of grey squirrels which has marched into many surrounding areas.

The family-owned park is working with the Westmorland Red Squirrels charity to help ensure that its colony of reds remains strong and able to resist the invaders.

The reds are being served up with special high-energy seed blend containing oil of anise which acts as a magnet for Britain’s much-loved native squirrels.

As well as its own feeding stations, Skelwith Fold staff are also replenishing the feeders which many holiday home owners have outside their holiday caravans.

According to business owner Henry Wild, the winter feeding programme has had to be stepped up this month following the early onset of freezing arctic conditions:

“When we first came to Skelwith Fold twenty years ago there was an abundance of red squirrels, but shortly afterwards the squirrel pox struck and wiped them out,” said Henry.

“About a decade later our efforts saw the return of a new colony, and every winter we try to ensure they have enough food to keep them strong until the following spring.

“We are helped by many of the holiday home owners who hang feeders out – but from November until March, the park is closed, so we ensure these are topped up.

“We also have regular visits from experts from Westmorland Red Squirrels who do a great job in helping us monitor how well the reds are surviving.

“The news so far is all positive, but we are conscious that grey squirrels carrying a virus which is deadly to reds are not far from our park gates. We’ve been told that our work to protect the red squirrels has helped to create a buffer zone, and we are all determined to ensure that this is the way it stays,” said Henry.

All employees are members of Skelwith Fold’s conservation team which has helped the park gain a number of prestigious environmental accolades over the years.

These include the 2017 David Bellamy Conservation Award presented at its top gold level to the Wild family for their many green initiatives over the past 20 years.

Also this year, Skelwith Fold was crowned as Lakeland’s top holiday park in the Cumbria Tourism Awards for which more than 100 parks in the county were eligible.

We all must do our bit to protect the british nature and its inhabitants, especially the perfect little Red Squirrel

Devon Park Fundraising Success

Posted by

William Coleman

Paignton’s Beverley Holiday park are receiving high praise for their recent charity work which has seen them crowned as charity champions. The park have raised over £7,500 for good causes over 2017.

The company have used a wide range of fun activities to raise more than just money for all of those who took part in the fund raising. Both guests and staff as the park raised both cash and smiles o the journey to help charities.

The charity total will be split between the park’s chosen charities which include Macmillan Cancer Support, Cancer Research UK, the Marfan Trust, and Ovarian Cancer Action.

Receptionists, entertainers and other members of the holiday park’s award-winning team all took part in a series of imaginative money-raising initiatives. First up in February was a brain-teaser challenge in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support which saw contestants test their knowledge in the world’s largest simultaneous quiz.

In June, Beverley Holidays set tails wagging with its “Bring Your Dog To Work Day” when staff were joined by their canine companions to support two top animal welfare charities. This year also saw Beverley Holidays director Katy Lamsin limber up for the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon, raising £4,184 for Cancer Research UK in the gruelling long-distance run.

Beverley Holidays has also lent its support to Brixham’s Mike Gibbons by acting as his official accommodation provider as he trains for the 2018 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

But the icing on the holiday park’s charitable cake was its Big Beverley Cake-off in September which raised cash as part of the annual Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

Beverley Holidays director Claire Flower said: “We would like to say a huge thank-you to everyone who has dug deep in their pockets to help us support our chosen charities in 2017.

This brilliant charity total wouldn’t have been possible without the kind generosity of our staff team and guests alike,” she added.

Set in the heart of the English Riviera, Beverley Holidays is a family run group of holiday parks offering boutique holiday caravans, luxury lodges, and camping and touring, coupled with a wealth of facilities.

Exmoor Park Sees Out Year In Style

Posted by

William Coleman

A year of award celebrations at Exmoor’s Waterrow Touring Park has come to a golden conclusion for its family owners with the scooping of a major tourism honour.

The business, based in Wiveliscombe, has been named as the overall gold winner in the camping and caravanning category of the 2017 Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards. Judges announced their decision at a glittering awards ceremony in November at Somerset County Cricket Club, attended by senior tourism figures from throughout the region.

Waterrow will now be fast-tracked into the finals of the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in February – and could even compete in the national VisitEngland finals later next year. November’s accolade crowns a year of prestigious award successes for Lynette and Jamie Cook who, with Jamie’s parents, are Waterrow’s owners.

The husband-and-wife team quit their successful careers in IT and customer services five years ago to take on the tranquil picture-postcard park on the fringes of Exmoor.

As keen caravanners themselves, the couple saw Waterrow as a chance to create the type of ideal surroundings which they sought out for their own holiday breaks. They have put a special emphasis on caring for the park’s natural environment – and earlier this year were named as winners of the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

A raft of wildlife-friendly features at Waterrow help attract otters, deer, owls and many other bird species – plus butterflies and honey bees drawn to the pollen-rich wild flowers in the grounds.

The year continued to glisten for the family after they learned that the AA had awarded Waterrow its maximum gold five-pennant award for the quality of its facilities.

In addition, the park maintained its top five-star status with VisitEngland, and was presented with a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor for its consistently glowing reviews.

The abundance of awards, said Lynette, was very humbling for the family – but also a great spur to raising the bar even higher in the future:

“We are especially delighted that an important component of all these awards is how well customers are looked after, and the quality of hospitality and service that is provided,” she said.

“As caravanners ourselves, we know what a difference it can make when you stay on a park with an especially welcoming and friendly atmosphere.

“That’s what we’ve tried to maintain at Waterrow, as well as making the natural environment a perfect match to these beautiful surroundings,” added Lynette.

Waterrow Touring Park is a member of the Best of British group of high quality independently-owned parks, and there is more information on its website at www.waterrowpark.co.uk

Caravan Guard Christmas Cancer Charity Win

Posted by

By Willliam Coleman

There are a lot of amazing charities out there but I feel that a cancer charity is something that a large portion in the UK can relate to. They say 1 in 3 people are some point will be affected by this terrible disease. So to hear that Caravan Guard have delivered an outstanding result in their latest charity effort really does bring a smile to my face.

The leisure insurance specialist have donated a whopping £58,000 to the Yorkshire Cancer Centre to help them reach their year’s target of £1,000,000. Now that this target has been reached the Yorkshire Cancer Centre can buy a new state of the art MRI Simulator. That to me is the definition of ‘the season of giving’.

The MRI Sim is not a cheap piece of kit at a tremendous £2.4 million. The machine will transform radiotherapy services for around 7,000 patients who undergo treatment each year at the Leeds Cancer Centre, where the machine is located.

It will allow doctors to help identify and define the areas of the body that need treatment, as well as areas that need to be avoided, in a much great visual quality. This makes the treatment and the saving of lives and lot easier. Last year Caravan Guard also gave £68,000 to the centre to help fund their pioneering NanoKnife treatment. Caravan Guard are clearly as interested people as they are your leisure vehicles.

Peter Wilby, Chairman of Caravan Guard and its sister company Wilby Ltd, was approached by the centre’s fundraisers and said the family were more than happy to offer financial support to the centre. Peter’s son and Managing Director of Caravan Guard, Ryan, said they were very proud to support such a worthy and life-saving cause. “Having met both patients and clinicians at the centre last year, we know how important appeals like this are to continue to provide life-saving treatment for cancer patients,” said Ryan.

“Care completely is one of our company values and this extends beyond our colleagues, customers and partners to very deserving charitable causes like this one.”

David Welch, Chief Executive of the Leeds Hospital Charitable Foundation, was delighted once again to receive the extremely generous donation from Caravan Guard, which meant they had reached their £1million fundraising target before Christmas 2017.

“The MRi Simulator is an immensely important piece of equipment for the Leeds Cancer Centre and reaching this milestone means we’re one huge step closer to reaching our total,” he added.

If you are in a position to give something back then it is always good to do so. Caravan Guard are really showing what companies can do to give back. Well done guys, an amazing effort for an extremely worthwhile cause.

No Comments

filed under: News

Merry Christmas To All Of Our Great Readers

Posted by

By William Coleman

So it’s Boxing Day am I am about as full as a human can possibly be. Despite my current swollenness I wanted to to let everyone know that CaravanTimes has not forgotten about any of you.

We have had an amazing 2017, as has the whole UK leisure and touring industry. So I hope you have enjoyed all the content we have brought to you this year. We have enjoyed creating it and bringing it to you.

The highlights of the year has been the extensive coverage of some of the industry greats like Swift, Elddis and The Caravan and Motorhome Club, to name just a few (I do not want to take up too much of your Boxing Day).

I hope everybody got what they asked Santa for, ate lots of food, drank lots of wines and beers but above all else I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and is ready for what is shaping up to be an amazing 2018.

So guys, thanks for all of your support and time this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Oyster Sat Tech Ltd Facebook Give Away

Posted by

By William Coleman

Right guys, the day is upon us. It’s almost time for the Oyster Sat Tech Ltd Facebook Give Away.

This evening at 7pm I will be joined by the Managing Director of Oyster Sat Tech Ltd, Julian Preston for a Facebook Live Giveaway.

Julian and I have put our heads together to come up some tricky festive questions based on Icon British Christmas TV. So if you fancy yourself as Christmas TV trivia aficionado come and join at 7pm.

We will be asking 5 questions, each with multiple choice. There will be an emoji option next to each answer. If you get all the questions correct then the Christmas hamper could be all yours.

Once we have worked out who has answered the questions correctly we will announce a winner on Friday afternoon. If we have multiple people who have all answered correctly we will draw a name as random and then contact you directly to arrange delivery of the hamper.

Due to the Christmas period we cannot 100% guarantee delivery before Christmas day, but it will be posted as soon as we make contact with the winner and receive their postage details.

How About Glamping In A WW2 Bunker

Posted by

By William Coleman

When it comes to getting a bit creative with holidays nobody does it better than the tourer. We have converted all manor of vehicles into travelling accommodation. Now with glamping sweeping the nation it seems as though no structure is unsuitable for accommodation conversion.

During World War II decoy bunkers were scattered around to UK to draw the attention of bombers away from towns and cities. This particular decoy which is located near Harwich is set to be transformed into a one of a king glamping home.

The bunker is currently a ruin which is in need of some serious care and attention. The structure is a Scheduled Ancient Monument on the side of the B1352 just east of Bradfield and south east of Wrabness.

The building has found itself two new guardians who have come up with a unique plan to transform the bunker from a World War II ruin to a self contained glamping unit. The two in question ae Alan Fairs and his business Partner Robert Blyth. The duo plan to have a double bed, en suite bathroom with a shower, a kitchenette and seating area. On top of that they will be resurfacing the outside to provide a parking area for visitors.

The idea has seen backing from Historic England who feel that the development is a beneficial use of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. They think that his restoration will sustain the building and not cause any material harm.

To make the bunker inhabitable it will undergo a series of improvements including insulation, a waterproof membrane and to secure the structure there will be an earth embankment around the building. Which will also help to make look how it originally did back when it was in operation.

A spokesman added: “It will make the site habitable and secure for holiday lets and will improve the visitor offer in this area.”

The project has been met with thumbs up all round and there has been no objection from the local council or any other governing bodies.

Aria Resorts Isle Of Wight Investment

Posted by

By William Coleman

There has been some fantastic news for over the past fews news for the leisure and tourism industry. We have seen record breaking sales figures for motorhomes and caravans and massive numbers of Brits staying home for their holidays as well on a large influx of visitors from abroad. So following what has been an amazing 2017 for tourers we get the news of a £30 million investment in the Isle of Wight, which will create up to 150 new jobs.

Aria Resorts, who are a leading developer in the hospitality industry, are going to be putting up £30m over the next for years for developments in the Isle of Wight. This large figures will go towards existing holiday parks so they can be sustainably upgraded. With such a large development taking place and new jobs being created the local economy will see a real boost.

Rookley Country Park, St Helens Holiday and Colwell bay have been purchased by Aria Resorts who will be investing heavily in these sites. These investments will go toward the rejuvenation of these sites as well as brand new facilities being developed. There will also be the addition of new lodges and places to wine and dine yourself when you’re visiting the area.

On top of purchasing the above mentioned three hotels, Aria has also purchased the iconic Priory Bay Hotel. This iconic hotel, which sites on a 60-acres site, will be getting a development with a brand new spa and restaurant be added with eyes on 2019 for the re-opening.

Aria Resorts have already bought sites around the UK and developed them to higher standard. They already own The Bay Filey in Yorkshire which saw a high end development of cottages and apartments as well as New England style beach houses.

The main aim of the Rookley Country Park redevelopment is to bring more families to the Isle of Wight. There will be 20 new Lakehouse premium lodges; 46 new caravans including high end models, some with hot tubs; 30 newly refurbished premium cottages, some of which comes with hot tubs too. To aim more at families the development will also include a swimming pool and new children’s play area.

Edward Andrews, a Director of Aria Resorts, commented: “Our aim is to build one of the UK’s leading, responsible holiday operators by investing millions of pounds into upgrading facilities on the Isle of Wight. The island is one of the finest places in Britain to take a holiday, with its stunning coastlines, wide range of festivals and a growing food scene. With this expansion, we will be creating many permanent jobs and contributing to the growth of the local economy.”

The new developments are well under way and have started at the Rookley Country Park. With such a massive investment you can be sure that Aria Resorts will be building a very high standard of holiday experience. Jobs to be created include managerial and sales positions, roles in food and beverage, housekeeping and administrative functions, as well as in entertainment and activities.

Cumbrian Toilet Aid

Posted by

By William Coleman

Across the world there are a massive amount of mens, women and children who are living in poverty and do not have access to what we consider basic things; like clean water and sanitation. This Cumbrian park is providing charity to support communities facing dyer conditions and ill health.

Holgate parks, in south Cumbria, are providing toilets to to villages in Africa to ensure the villagers have clean latries to use. Holgate are providing sponsorship via its business to fund the building of these new toilets. The toilets will help improve the hygiene and safety who previously had no access to clean water or sanitary facilities.

There have already been three loos built via an international aid body, with a lot more on the horizon. For each new loo built at one of the companies sites they will match that with a new toilet for the villagers in africa. This winter will we see for toilets being built at the group’s flagship Silverdale Holiday Park.

The hope is that the new wash block will trump the building it is replacing, which won the top platinum award at the Loo of the Year awards just a month or so ago. Always good to have that in the award cabinet.

When the new block is finished in spring on 2018 it will be joined by other companies who are also providing new toilets for poverty stricken villages around the globe.

The relief programme that Holgates are partnered with cover more than just villages in Africa. They also provide support to countries such as Afghanistan, Congo, Honduras, Cambodia, Malawi and Liberia.

To show the good this scheme is doing the parks are framing photos of the toilets that have been built in the villages. Business owner Michael Holgate has high hopes that their initiative will inspire other companies to jump on board to provide this much needed support: “Some customers have already asked if it’s possible to twin their smallest room at home with a loo overseas, and we’re delighted to tell them how it’s possible,” said Michael.

“The idea of helping to bring proper toilet facilities and fresh water to extremely poor people in this way has captured many people’s imaginations.

“Bad sanitation is one of the world’s biggest killers, and more than three billion people across the globe don’t have a safe place to go to the toilet.

“It hits children, the elderly, and sick people the hardest – and there are special risks for women in Africa who are at risk of assault or being bitten by snakes in the open.

“We’re very proud to be able to add this cause to the various charities we support,” added Michael.

Family-owned Holgates last year marked its sixtieth anniversary, and comprises six top-rated parks providing holiday home sales and rentals, glamping, and touring facilities.

I find it astonishing, without getting too political, that we have so many people around the world living in total poverty with no access to food and water that may cause them ill health and quite possibly death. So to see companies in this great industry helping families around the world puts a smile on my face.

My Tip Tops Touring On Christmas Day

Posted by

By William Coleman

With just 7 days until Christmas the rush is on. The shops are totally crammed with Christmas shoppers and supermarkets are the busiest they have been all year. All this rushing around and stress for 1 single day, and the shops are open the very next day. We all put so much pressure on ourselves at Christmas, but there is another option for those who do not want all that stress.

Touring brings freedom to have any type of holiday that you want. So when it comes to a Christmas getaway I have made a list of, given the choice of total freedom, where I would go and what I would do on Christmas Day.

My Winter Location

For a great Christmas setting that looks picturesque in the winter I would have to choose the Castleton Club Club site. The back drop and surroundings to this site are worth the travel to the Peak District. Like all Club sites the pitches are spacious with lots of room while still feeling involved in the site community. This place really does look amazing during the winter.

Big Christmas Breakfast & Dinner

The first thing I think of when I wake up on Christmas morning is how much food I am going to consume that day, and it starts with breakfast! I am a 7 item breakfast person. Eggs, bacon, beans, sausage, hash brown, chips and black pudding, with toast on the side. All of which is very easily done with any good size hob with an oven and grill. I recently reviewed a number of motorhomes by Swift their new kitchens are very spacious and have so much cold and ambient storage. So making breakfast, lunch and then a good size Christmas dinner for 2-6 people will be no issue what so ever.

So when it comes to the Christmas dinner I have been given a thousand different combinations over the years. Growing up we always had turkey with your standard Sunday roast sides. The older I got the more experimental the Christmas dinners got.

Now as an adult I have tailor made my own modern, yet traditional, Christmas dinner. It starts with the 3 meats. Lamp, beef and cooked ham joint. With the The vegetables is where it gets interesting. Sprouts cooked with bacon bits and maple syrup, potatoes roasted in duck and sprinkled with everyday seasoning (this is a taste sensation which should be tried by the masses. Once the meat and potatoes are done all you need to do is steam the carrots along with the parsnips and fry them off in honey. That is the dinner fully cooked with all the amenities that any good caravan or motorhome provides.

Pudding and other Christmas afters

When it comes to pudding I have always tried to steer away from the traditional Christmas pudding. I feel it is all about choice and eating whatever you want and not what tradition dictate, to an extent. For the traditional option I always ops for a good Christmas pudding with cream or a luxury vanilla pod custard. For the not so traditional option I choose an apple pie with lots of cinnamon.

Once the sweets are done it’s time for a cheese board and some italian red and white win with a big box of Quality Street.

Once you are festively full put on the original Star Wars trilogy and await the Boxing Day feast and start all over again.