New luxury glamping resort to showcase latest in natural swimming pool design

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by Tom Leaning

A new luxury £4 million touring and glamping resort near Shrewsbury, with a state-of-the-art natural swimming pool at the heart of the development.

The Love2Stay resort is being developed by Salop Leisure, one of the UK’s top caravan and leisure companies. Love2Stay, which is scheduled to open at Easter 2017, is situated on the edge of the market town of Shrewsbury in 22 acres of landscaped grounds. It will offer visitors a luxurious natural retreat, with accommodation in either 20 glamping Safari style lodges or 120 touring caravan pitches, with panoramic views across to Wales from on one side and over to the Shropshire Hills from the other.

The 432 metre natural swimming pool at the centre of the resort is being designed and built by Poolscape Ltd in collaboration with multiple RHS Gold Medal winning landscape design practice, MOSAIC. The team are using the latest technology from Austrian natural pool specialists BIOTOP. The bespoke pool design will offer swimmers crystal clear, chemical free water, which is naturally filtered by BIOTOP’s market leading pumps and filtration technology.

Mark Bebb, Salop Leisure’s managing director said: “With Love2Stay we are keen to develop a resort that is at one with nature and will instill a feeling of well-being and tranquility in our visitors. Our lives have become dominated by technology, with our children glued to i-pads and the Internet. We want them to get back to nature and experience the grass between their toes. With our stunning centrepiece pool, they will be able to swim safely in pure, chemical free natural water and feel like they are wild swimming in a mountain lake.”

BIOTOP’s managing director Peter Petrich said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Salop on this exciting and innovative glamping concept which has the environment and nature at its core. Our partner Poolscape is creating a stunning natural pool design. The pool technology is tailor-made for the water volume and the number of swimmers. They will be able to enjoy all the benefits of natural outdoor swimming.”

For further information about Love2Stay visit www.love2stay.co.uk or for BIOTOP Natural Pools visit www.bio.top

The Caravan Club celebrate the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology in Scotland

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by Tom Leaning

2017 is the year to celebrate everything Scottish and The Caravan Club are leading the way.

2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the Edinburgh International Festival; the 30th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the release of the new Guy Ritchie film – King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – with filming locations on the Isle of Skye, and the Women’s British Open Golf Championship just to name a few.

2017 is also officially designated as Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology. The Caravan Club has a variety of Scottish sites, from remote wild and beach settings to bustling city locations help you to make the most of this incredible year of celebrations and Events.

Nick Lomas, Director General at The Caravan Club commented: “Exploring the best of the outdoors is what members of The Caravan Club love the most, and Scotland delivers the most incredible experiences. Our Scottish site locations range from lochside to city; beach view to castle estate and links golf courses to Northern Lights hot spots. With 29 locations to choose from, holidaymakers heading to the region won’t be far from the action.

Scotland is a diverse country offering fabulous walking opportunities, as well as a wealth of art and history. The 70 th anniversary of the Edinburgh International Festival is a momentous event for the arts and the 30 th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site ensures there is plenty to keep you occupied whether you are looking for culture, history, wildlife or adventure.”

The Edinburgh International Festival: The 70th anniversary of the largest arts festival in the world, takes place from 4 to 28 August 2017. Visitors flock to the city to see comedies, plays and performances from a variety of genres across the arts. Edinburgh Caravan Club Site is in easy reach of the centre of Edinburgh where there is plenty to do including visiting Holyrood House or Edinburgh Zoo. The site also has a golf and play area.
A stay at Edinburgh Caravan Club Site based on two adults on a standard pitch, costs from £28.60 per night. Camping is also available.

30th Anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Once a vibrant frontier spanning 80 miles coast-to- coast dividing Scotland and England, Hadrian’s Wall is now a must-visit historical attraction which celebrates 30 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. There will be a six month exhibition from Saturday 8 April to Sunday 10 September across 10 locations along the wall to celebrate the anniversary. Take a day trip to Hadrian’s Wall by staying at Melrose Gibson Park Caravan Club Site on the Scottish borders. The site is perfect for walkers, cyclers and fishing in the River Tweed. There is also a new railway line which links the Scottish Borders to Edinburgh and the site is a 30-minute walk from Tweedbank station.
A stay at Melrose Gibson Park Caravan Club Site on the Scottish Borders based on two adults on a standard pitch, costs from £20.30 per night.

Explore Glamis Castle: Netflix’s The Crown dominated our TV screens this winter and for anyone wanting to see what it is like to live like royalty, Glamis Castle – the childhood home of the Queen Mother and birthplace of Princess Margaret – is the place to go. The castle is a great day out for all the family to admire the architecture, learn about the history or explore the legends and myths that surround the castle. Nearby Forfar Lochside Caravan Club Site is a picturesque parkland location on the shores of the loch. The country park is ideal for dog walking and cycling.
A stay at Forfar Lochside Caravan Club Site in Forfar based on two adults on a standard pitch costs from £17.80 per night. Camping is also available,

Surfing and wildlife in Dunnet: With a two- mile sheltered bay, Dunnet is a great place to sunbathe, paddle and swim. It’s perfect for watersport enthusiasts too with some dramatic surf when the winds are high. It’s also a top spot to see wildlife and a dedicated visitor centre brings to life the animals and birds that are native to the area. Dunnet Bay Caravan Club Site is a great base for exploring and for walkers to climb to Dunnet Head to gain splendid views over to the Pentland Firth to Orkney and parts of the north coast to Ben Loyal and Ben Hope.
A stay at Dunnet Bay Caravan Club Site in Thurso based on two adults on a standard pitch, costs from £19.60 per night. Camping is also available.

For more information please contact The Caravan Club on 01342 326 944 or visit www.caravanclub.co.uk/scotland

Marquis commits to educational investment in their staff

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by Tom Leaning

The British-based caravan and motorhome dealer, Marquis, have continued developing their ambitions for the future by enrolling their Branch Managers and Sales Managers onto a Management Development Course to further improve their industry skills.

As an NCC Dealer Marquis are required to conform to codes of best practice and minimum standards when selling new and used motorhomes and caravans and associated services. Their branches are monitored by a central source and strive to continually improve and invest in staff, premises and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Modules such as Self Management, Leading Effective Teams, Effective Communications, Managing Change and Staff Motivation were all covered as part of the training, with the team of 20 Branch Managers and Sales Managers taking part. The course ran over three days and all of the candidates passed suitably with flying colours and achieved a certification from the Central College Nottingham.

Commenting on the Management training, Graham Davidson-Bowman, Commercial Director said: “As part of our commitment to the staff and our customers, ongoing training is vital in a large organisation like ours. We seek to enhance the already high standards we set our Managers and by completing this course, we have given them the tools to improve not only their own skills but the staff that work for them.”

The Service Management Team for the Marquis network are also completing this course in the first quarter of 2017, which again confirms Marquis’s investment in their staff.

For further information about Marquis visit the website www.marquisleisure.co.uk

Scottish economy reaps benefits from Caravan Club members

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by Tom Leaning

The Scottish economy saw a significant increase in growth thanks to the off-site spending of members of The Caravan Club during 2016, according to recent report.

According to The Caravan Club’s Nick Lomas, who was speaking at this year’s Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show (see our latest video attached), members spent £37 million off-site when in the Scottish region in 2016 – an increase of £2 million compared to £35 million in 2015.

Around 70 per cent of tourists staying on The Caravan Club’s sites in Scotland are from outwith the country, demonstrating the extensive inbound tourism contribution that caravanning, motorhoming and camping makes to the Scottish economy. Overall, the sector is worth an estimated £700 million annually to the area, according to a report by The Scottish Caravan and Camping Forum.

High-profile films such as “The BFG” featuring the Isle of Skye, Netflix’s blockbuster series “The Crown” being filmed in locations across Aberdeenshire, including Dundarg Castle, Fraserburgh and Slain’s Castle, and the increasing appeal of the Edinburgh International Festival have all contributed to the consistent increase in spending and visits to the area by members of The Caravan Club.

To continue to support the booming outdoor leisure business in Scotland, The Caravan Club has opened two new multi-million pound site developments; at Strathclyde Country Park near Glasgow and Stonehaven Queen Elizabeth Park in Aberdeenshire. These investments are in addition to the £1 million spend across its network on site refurbishments and improvements throughout the UK every year.

Nick Lomas, Director General at The Caravan Club commented: “The Caravan Club has long been recognised as an important contributor to Scottish tourism, and we are pleased to see that our members continue to both visit and spend more in the region. From the breathtaking scenery of the Highlands down to a wide range of coastal walks, Scotland is a fantastic holiday location for anyone who wants to get closer to nature or experience some of the best culture in the world. By investing in our sites and continuing to enhance the experiences on offer to those travelling with The Caravan Club to Scotland, we’re excited to see our investments aiding further tourism growth and support for the local economy.”

Family win “life changing” prizes in Camping and Caravanning Club competition

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by Tom Leaning

A family from Hertfordshire have been announced as the lucky winners of a Hyundai Tucson 1.7CRDi tow car and Sprite Freedom 6 caravan worth more than £35,000 in a Camping and Caravanning Club competition.

Laurence Lomasney, 46, and Suzanne Smith, 28, who’ll enjoy their prize with children Emma, 6, and Tom, 7, are from Hitchin in Hertfordshire, and collected their brand new car and caravan outfit from the Club’s headquarters in Coventry. Their prize also includes a year’s free membership to The Camping and Caravanning Club, and a Club Caravan Manoeuvring course for beginners.

A delighted Laurence said: “We were talking about all the things that the prize is going to give us and the more we talk about it the more and more we realise the horizons are opening up for us.”

“It’s going to be an incredible life changer, not just for us, not just for the family but for the kids and the future. The kids are both outdoor children and it’s going to give us the ability to almost up sticks and go where we want and have that quality of time with them – we have the opportunity now to make memories of a lifetime for them.”

The Club partnered with Hyundai and the Swift Group to offer the huge prize as part of its ‘No B+E Licence? No Problem!’ campaign, which ran throughout the 2016 camping season to reassure drivers who passed their test after 1 January 1997 that they can comfortably tow plenty of modern car and caravan combinations.

Those drivers who passed their test after this date automatically hold a category B car licence, which enables them to tow car and caravan outfits with a combined maximum authorised mass of no more than 3500kg. But there are plenty of family car and caravan combinations that fall within this limit, and they can be legally and safely matched and towed in comfort.

To raise awareness around the subject, the Club and its partners joined forces to offer a chance to win a stunning B licence-friendly car and caravan.

The Sprite Freedom 6 is a superb single-axle six-berth tourer, with large front lounge, central kitchen, side dinette that converts to bunk beds, and fixed lengthways bunks at the rear. With a spacious corner washroom, it’s a hit layout for families and with a maximum weight of 1355kg, makes for an 85% weight match with the Tucson.

Andy Newhall, Head of Marketing at Swift Group, said: “We were delighted to offer the Sprite Freedom 6 as the perfect, lightweight family tourer for this competition, and to support the very important message that plenty of young families can get into caravanning without having to pay to pass further driving tests.”

The Club will announce a new competition to win a car and caravan beginning at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show, at Birmingham’s NEC from 21-26 February 2017, which will also run until the end of the Motorhome and Caravan Show, 17-22 October 2017.

Has Tribeca reinvented the caravan?

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by Tom Leaning

British holiday park company Away Resorts claims to have reinvented the humble caravan with the introduction of a new concept in affordable UK family accommodation.

Away Resorts have spent the past two years developing the Tribeca for the modern family: a ’boutique-style caravan’, using opinion polls, focus groups and a wide range of research.

The Tribeca – which they hope will do for caravanning what glamping has done for camping – certainly does not resemble a traditional caravan, inside or out, but is being marketed as a caravan reinvented. They collaborated with leading caravan manufacturer ABI to complete the project.

The Tribeca’s main features include:

A boutique hotel feel

A central living space

An adults’ bedroom that is like a boutique hotel

The Tribeca is the long-term project of Away Resorts CEO Carl Castledine, and is inspired by the loft-style apartments of the trendy Tribeca district in New York City. According Away Resorts, Mr Castledine personally visited every caravan manufacturer and walked through every model ever produced in the last 15 years to create the new caravan.

Mr Castledine says: “More than 51 million nights are spent in the UK in caravans each year, a figure I suspect will rise as the impact of Brexit kicks in over the coming years. The caravan industry contributes more than £6billion a year to the UK economy, so it’s got no shortage of fans. But, it’s never really been cool, until now.

“First of all, we know that the lifestyle and leisure needs of the modern family have changed drastically – especially in the past decade. Twelve years ago Facebook didn’t exist, let alone Instagram and Snapchat, and just five years ago primary school aged children didn’t carry their own tech around with them. Add to this the massive rise in the popularity of boutique hotels and glamping – both of which have raised the expectations of families in terms of the comfort and aesthetics of their surroundings when on holiday.

“And we know from research that women are often the main decision makers when it comes to family holidays, and they know what the family needs. So we used valuable feedback and opinions from hundreds of mums as well as dads, and then teamed up with a woman designer to create the Tribeca. We are really proud of this new concept in family accommodation, which puts the modern family at the heart of its design.”

The first guests will stay in the Tribeca caravans (which can be booked online from now) at Easter in ‘Tribeca Villages’ at Away Resorts’ Tattershall Lakes park in Lincolnshire and Whitecliff Bay park in the Isle of Wight.

The grand unveiling of the first Tribeca will take place at the Caravan and Camping Show at Birmingham NEC from 21 February.

To find out more about Tribeca caravans visit awayresorts.co.uk

Has Tribeca really re-invented the caravan with this new concept? Tell us what you think below…

COMPETITION: Five winners chosen to go to Scotland

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by Tom Leaning

CaravanTimes recently held a competition for our readers to have the chance to win tickets to next month’s Scottish Caravan Motorhome & Holiday Home Show. We have randomly chosen from the list of entrants and we can now reveal who the five lucky winners are.

Christine Mcintyre
Michelle Rae
Richard Tyler
Ian Brooks
Lisa Chappell

CONGRATULATIONS to you all! You will now be able to pick up two tickets each from the ticket office at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow on a day of your choosing from 2 – 5 February 2017.

Organisers will be in contact with you shortly to provide you with more details. Well done!

For those of you that did not win this time, you can still enter our competition for the chance to win one of 15 pairs of tickets to the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2017 in Birmingham from the 21-26 February.

Please click here to enter

Auto-Trail on track for another cracking motorhome

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by Tom Leaning

CaravanTimes takes a look at Auto-Trail’s 2017 update of their Tracker RS, and it’s looking better than ever.

The latest Tracker RS makes for a perfect 2-berth vehicle as it switches from twin single beds to a super-size double.

Tell us what you think after you’ve seen our review.

The Caravan Club helps the BBC put their money where their mouth is

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by Tom Leaning

The Caravan Club made an appearance on the BBC One’s Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is this week when a presenter learned about the history of the organisation.

The Caravan Club’s External Communications and Sponsorship Manager, Nikki Nichol, helped BBC presenter James Braxton estimate the worth of a vintage post-war Caravan Club badge and gave him a tour of the first ever custom-built-for-leisure caravan, which had been towed by horses as early as the 1880s.

If you missed the programme and would like to brush-up on your caravanning history here’s a link to the episode.

The Caravan Club segment starts approximately 41 minutes and 45 seconds into the BBC One show.

Caravanning clubs release latest campsite guidebooks

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by Tom Leaning

Both The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club have published their official campsite guide and handbooks for 2017/2018

The Caravan Club have made several enhancements to the 2017/2018 edition, providing plenty of inspiration for short breaks or longer holidays.

Caravan Club members should receive their new Sites Directory & Handbook 2017/2018 by the end of February.

The Camping and Caravanning Club has renamed their publication ‘SiteSeeker’. The 532-page guide includes listings for more than 2,600 campsites across the UK. The rebrand also brings it in line with the Club’s online campsite search tool and its app of the same name, available for iOS and Android devices.

It lists the Club’s UK network of more than 100 Club Sites, plus hundreds of Independent Listed Sites, and more than 1,500 smaller member-only Certificated Sites.

The guide is free to Club members who hold Paper Membership, while Online Members can order a copy for £10 by calling the Club’s friendly team on 024 7647 5442.

Ben Fogle warms up for Birmingham with a night out in the woods

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by Tom Leaning

Adventurer and TV personality Ben Fogle warmed up around the campfire before his appearance as a celebrity guest at the 2017 Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show, heading towards Birmingham’s NEC from 21 to 26 February.

Mr Fogle together with his dog Storm celebrated the great outdoors with a caravan, a variety of tents and camping gadgets, motorhomes and even a glamping lodge in the woods, as he explained the appeal of such a holiday.

“Some of my best memories as a child are of camping. I remember the first time I was allowed to put up a tent and sleep in the garden, although I think I was back indoors by midnight! I also remember the freedom of taking an incredible motorhome holiday across Canada with my parents. Now, my young children absolutely love such holidays. It’s a great way for family members of all ages to come together and experience something new. Doing something entirely different from everyday life is what makes a great break.

“Everything, from cooking to managing everyday tasks such as fuelling a stove or stocking up on supplies takes on a different perspective. While a caravan or motorhome can be as luxurious as you like, living life simply is a great way to refocus, especially in an era where we generally live with every mod con around us. Without a doubt too, such a holiday will give you stories to tell and memories that stand out.”

Despite having camped in extreme conditions all around the world, from his Castaway TV debut on the Outer Hebrides island of Taransay in 2000, to exploring remote areas of the world in his recent Channel 5 show New Lives in the Wild, Ben advises newcomers to such holidays to start gently, and says the British Isles is one of his favourite holiday destinations.

“Don’t go somewhere too extreme or cut off too many comforts first time out. A motorhome or caravan holiday is comfortable while giving the freedom to roam. Great adventures are on the doorstep and Britain offers amazing destinations: I’m lucky enough to have seen so many beautiful places in the world, but Britain still has some of the most incredible landscapes. I have a special affection for the south west around Devon and Cornwall, but I also love the north. Taking my family to the Hebrides is definitely on my list of destinations.”

Mr Fogle joins other celebrity guests in the Discovery Theatre at February’s show, promoting their love of the great outdoors and the fun of leisure vehicle and camping holidays for all the family. Wildlife presenter Kate Humble, Blue Peter and CBBC presenter Barney Harwood, and TV personality Julia Bradbury are just a few of the celebrities attending. Baking banker Selasi Gbormittah and other celebrity chefs inspire outdoor menus with cooking demonstrations.

This year’s show is an outing for all the family to enjoy with children 15 and under going free. There are also plenty of free, have-a-go activities to try, from challenging the indoor assault course to climbing Visit Wales’ mobile mountain or tunnelling in the artificial caving feature. The much-loved dog agility arena returns as well as many new features for 2017, including the Bounce Zone featuring six-way trampolines and bushcraft workshops from Nature Rockz, where visitors can learn essential survival skills.

Located across five halls of Birmingham’s NEC, the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show has over 350 stands showcasing new products including caravans, motorhomes, campervans, trailer tents, folding campers, tents, caravan holiday homes, camping equipment and thousands of accessories.

A hands-on towing and manoeuvring area offers expert tuition for those new to caravanning and motorhome holidays, as well as those who want to brush up on their techniques. Pre-booked leisure vehicle pitches are available for stays overnight at Birmingham’s NEC during the show.

Tickets are on sale now and can be ordered through the website: www.ccmshow.co.uk

Or to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to the show on a day of your choosing, simply fill this form and answer the following question:

For more information about the show, please visit www.ccmshow.co.uk

Competition rules:
The lucky winners will be picked at random at midday on 9 February 2017 and will be notified via the email address supplied in the entry form.
Only one entry per person.
No purchase necessary.
No cash or alternative will be offered.
This competition is open to new or existing CaravanTimes members only.
No employees of CaravanTimes or StantonPace Ltd may enter.
The competition is open to UK residents aged 18 and over.

Cornwall holiday park leads appeal to help disabled twin girl walk

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by Tom Leaning

Staff and guests at a Cornwall holiday park have joined forces to help an inspirational young girl travel to America for a potentially life-changing operation.

Porth Beach Holiday Park near Newquay has raised over £1,000 towards the cost of sending six-year-old Izzy Pearce for pioneering surgery at St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri.

Identical twin Izzy lives with cerebral palsy, and is unable to walk properly or stand unaided.

Her parents, Michael and Ursula from St Column Major, learned that a procedure known as selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) could make a profound difference to Izzy’s condition.

However, they also discovered the spinal operation was not available via the NHS, and began fundraising last year to enable Izzy to make the journey.

When Chris and Katy Case, managers of Porth Beach, heard about the parents’ Help Izzy Walk appeal, they kick-started the campaign by making the first donation.

Since then, the park and holiday guests have organised a series of fundraising events which have boosted the total even further.

By October, Michael and Ursula had reached their £86,000 target – and this month (February) Izzy flew out to Missouri for her operation.

“We are absolutely delighted that, between our guests and ourselves, we have managed to raise so much for the Help Izzy Walk campaign,” said Chris Case.

“The family has been close friends of ours for many years, so it’s been an absolute pleasure to help in any way possible.

“The spirit that the local community and beyond have shown to raise such a vast amount of money for Izzy has been incredible,” added Chris.

The parents said they were extremely grateful both to Porth Beach and everyone else who contributed so generously to their appeal which remains open.

All money raised over the target will go towards Izzy’s post-op physiotherapy that she will require over the next few years.

Donations can be made on the Help Izzy Walk Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/helpizzywalk