Swift Group hits customer service milestone

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by Ed Davies

Registrations for Connect Direct, Swift Group’s exclusive online customer service account, last week surpassed one thousand members

Following its successful introduction in 2014 for premium range caravans, Swift Group decide it would increase investment in Connect Direct expanding it across all new caravans, motorhomes and holiday homes for the 2017 season.

The service was developed to be a proactive device for customers and an extension of the existing customer service operation at Swift.

Connect Direct provides a host of benefits for owners: notification of when vehicle services are due; a service history record; updates and links to vehicle information and direct contact with Swift Group amongst other benefits.

Customers contact Swift through either a dedicated telephone number, email address or live link facility.

If a vehicle develops a problem the owner can contact Swift directly who will work with them and their chosen dealer to resolve it.

“The growth in Connect Direct registrations is tremendous news, especially for new owners, who are now benefiting from enhanced customer service,” said deputy managing director, Amy Archer.

“As a company we lead the industry in many areas and to be at the forefront on customer service is especially rewarding.

“Ensuring our customers can enjoy their leisure time with the added peace of mind they have from the direct support of our dedicated customer services team is really important to us.

“Connect Direct takes our customer service offering to new levels, and the registration figures show just how relevant this offering is to our customers today.”

Plans for a new caravan site in Bristol rejected

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by Ed Davies

Plans for a new caravan park on the site of a former police dog and horse training centre have been rejected
The Caravan Club had applied to build 62 pitches on the Bower Ashton site in Bristol but Bristol City Council planning officers said it was at risk of flooding, had poor access and was an “inappropriate development in the green belt”.
The club would not say if plans would be resubmitted but confirmed it is in “ongoing dialogue” with the council.
The current caravan club site in Baltic Wharf, which has been open since 1978, is due to close in 2018.
The council owns the site and initially wanted to build a primary school on the land but is now considering other options.
The Caravan Club said it had considered 59 alternative sites within a five mile radius of Bristol and the Bower Ashton site was the only suitable one.
In the planning application it said the site would bring an estimated £1m into Bristol and support employment in tourism.

The biggest northern caravan leisure show to return

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by Ed Davies

The north’s largest outdoor leisure show for caravan and motorhome owners will be back next year and hype is building as to what is on offer

The Caravan and Motorhome Show, which kicks off on January 19, will have more than 200 exhibitors including leading manufacturers and is set to pitch up at Manchester’s EventCity.

Handy snippets of advice will be given by the region’s premier dealerships and the show will provide a place visitors can come and compare caravans and motorhomes side by side.

The four day show will come to an end on January 22 and this year will host its largest ever selection of accessories.

Rob Debenham, show manager, said: “We are really excited about the 2017 show, as we have some brand new attractions in store for our guests – I think we are on track to deliver our best show yet.

“It really has something for the whole family, and with kids under 16 going free, it is a great value day out and of course, it’s the perfect chance to find your ideal caravan or motorhome.”

Tickets to the show also include a free show guide and free entry into the co-located destinations: The Holiday & TravelShow.

Last year the show saw 33,907 visitors over four days and exhibitors indicate that it was responsible for approximately 30% of all caravan sales in the north of England and 10% of all Motorhome sales in 2016.

The box office is now open and tickets are available online or by calling 0844 873 7349.

Booking transaction fee applies; advance booking closes 18 January 2017, 9pm. Standard advance ticket £8.00; on-the-door £9.50. Calls cost 7ppm plus network extras.

Competition to win a £180 Pioneer car stereo

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by Ed Davies

In our latest competition, CaravanTimes is giving away two £180 Pioneer car stereos

The catchily-named single DEH-X7800DAB has a DAB/DAB+ tuner, is compatible with both Apple IOS and Android devices and its Bluetooth connectivity allows for hands-free calling and wireless music streaming.

The stereos are available for two lucky winners, who need only fill in the form below to get a chance to win. They will then be announced in our newsletter on November 25.

A spokesperson for Pioneer said: “We have also invested heavily in audio technology meaning that the DEH-X7800DAB really does punch above its weight in terms of audio output.

“This impressively loaded unit even boasts a 13-band Graphic EQ and FLAC compatibility, so it is no exaggeration to say that the DEH-X7800DAB represents all the in-car audio control you will ever need.”

Competition rules:
The lucky winners will be picked at random at midday on November 25 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
No employees of CaravanTimes or StantonPace Ltd may enter
The competition is open to UK residents aged 18 and over

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IAM RoadSmart backs harsher punishment for using mobile phones

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by Ed Davies

IAM RoadSmart has welcomed an increase in the punishment for drivers caught using hand-held mobile phones while driving – saying drivers need to know that their actions could kill

This morning (8 November) the Government announced that anyone caught using a hand-held mobile phone while at the wheel of a car would be fined £200 and receive six points on the licence – a doubling of the existing penalty.

The issue was brought into sharp focus last week when lorry driver Tomasz Kroker was jailed for 10 years when he killed a family of four in a crash caused by him being distracted by his mobile phone.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy, said: “Addressing the growing problem of smartphone use whilst driving will require a combination of enforcement and education as well as drivers, passengers, companies and individuals taking more responsibility.

“IAM RoadSmart is disappointed that the government did not support our calls for first time offenders to be sent automatically on a re-education course specifically tailored to mobile phone use and breaking our apparent addiction to being constantly connected.

“We also want to see car companies, mobile phone makers and social media providers working together to develop technical solutions to hand held mobile phone use in vehicles.”

Mr Grieg pressed that it was in his eyes essential that drivers get the clear message that if you are on the phone and have a fatal crash you can expect to go to prison for a long time.

“There is a lot of support among the driving public for stronger penalties and more enforcement focus on mobile phones, but also a feeling that this is not always reflected in sentencing,” he added.

“The Home Office must also review its policing priorities to ensure they reflect the risks that new technology can bring on the road.”

Glastonbury 2017: camper van pitches sell out in under an hour

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by Ed Davies

Punters were stunned when Glastonbury Festival’s Campervan areas Tipi Village and Worthy View camping have sold out for 2017 in less than an hour

The £1,000 a time six person Tipis appeared to be the most popular buy, selling out in just a few minutes. Their prime site on the hill at the top of the festival made them popular.

Also sold out were the £100 a plot campervan pitches and the pre-pitched Worthy View tents.

This year’s mud may have prompted festival goers to pick the slightly less soggy options on offer.

Worthy View is based at the southern end of the farm up the notorious ‘hill of death’ adjacent to Strummerville and offers those who want to take the pressure off lugging hoards of belongings with them a simpler option with a dedicated car-park nearby.

A resale of unwanted accommodation is likely to become available next spring.

A number of completely unofficial alternative sites have sprung up around the festival – some are rough and ready fields with portable toilets, some are campsites with yurts or camper van pitches next to pubs and some are exotic glamping options like the exotic Camp Kerala where five nights luxury camping costs thousands of pounds.

Several other nearby farms offer high-class accommodation for the long weekend, from colonial tents to classic tipis and classy motorhomes.

All these super-sites offer showers, toilets, meals and drinks, and easy access to the festival, while their exclusivity appeals to celebrities, music business people, and past festival fans who now have enough to indulge themselves.

These sites are not approved by the festival.

And if you can’t face life with the great unwashed there’s always a brand new Premier Inn opening a few miles away in Wells in February which has yet to take bookings, but a comfy bed is hardly part of the spirit of the thing.

Glastonbury Festival returns on June 21-25 2017.

Behind the scenes at The Caravan Club awards dinner

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by Ed Davies

At the end of the Motorhome and Caravan Show the annual Caravan Club awards dinner is held and CaravanTimes have gone behind the scenes to catch a glimpse of the process

Our team spoke to the judges and club officials before voting at the Caravan Design and Lightweight Leisure Trailer Awards.

During the NEC show the judges inspected 105 different caravan models before they made their judgements at the awards ceremony at the National Motorcycle Museum on Friday.

Caravan Club events manager, Sarah Simmons said: “We are looking at caravans for our caravan awards design competition.

“We are also looking at the dealer special end of the market and that is a part of our caravan design awards and we are also looking at trailer tents, folding campers, lightweight caravans for the lightweight camper trailer awards.”

Watch the video to see who won

Letter of advice for Jeremy Clarkson before new show

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by Ed Davies

With the latest Clarkson bore-fest, The Grand Tour, set to hit our screens on November 18 we wanted to give the beleaguered television star a few workplace tips

Having previously offered the Doncaster-born presenter a job after his legendary fracas with producer Oisin Tymon, CaravanTimes is yet again holding out an olive branch to the former Top Gear presenter.

Find below our letter:

Dear Jezza,

We here at CaravanTimes desperately want your new show to succeed but feel that you may need a few pointers on what to do and what not to do before the big day, so here goes:

First of all, purchase Kung-Fu classes for all staff members working on your show and perhaps throw in a few gym memberships for prevention’s sake. Maybe a little too much but you never know.

You could also just not hit anyone.

Secondly, I am sure Amazon will have anti-discrimination clauses in place, so some of your gaffes over the years may not be advisable.

I am not telling you to tone down your legendary banter, Jezza, but maybe just nothing too on the nose:

So maybe none of this, and probably nothing like this, you might also want to avoid this topic and absolutely certainly none of these, but as I say I am not quite at your level.

Thirdly, pre-order cooked food and make sure before time that it gets there. For most people this is not necessary but for you it seems key.

Lastly, could you make the show a little bit funnier and slightly more interesting as frankly the other one was utter balls.

Best wishes,

Ed

Good luck!!!

Idiot caravan thief caught out by tracking device

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by Ed Davies

A man caught towing a caravan stolen from Ainsdale, said he was offered £100 by someone in a pub to drive it away

Bernice Campbell, prosecuting at Sefton Magistrates Court on October 27, said that the caravan was discovered missing from an Ainsdale caravan site during the early evening on September 15.

Fortunately, it was carrying a tracking device, she said, and was later found behind a Saab which had been driven by Mark Clark, 56, from Salford.

According to Champnews, Clark admitted the theft of the caravan which was said to be worth £20,000 when he attended court, but his solicitor said that he did not realise it was stolen.

Clark said he was approached by a man in a pub in Manchester and offered £100 to drive the caravan back to the city.

But, as he made his way back to Manchester, the caravan was picked up on a tracking device.
A victim impact statement from the owner of the caravan was read to the court which told of how the theft was ‘extremely distressing’ for her and her partner.

The caravan which ‘is our home and filled with memories’ was damaged inside, as was the chassis, she said, and after five weeks it was still in the garage being repaired.

“The ordeal is on our minds all the time,” she said, adding: “It will be on our minds for many years to come.”

The magistrates requested a pre-sentence report and adjourned until November 24.

Bonfire night firework bonanza at CamperUK

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by Ed Davies

Combine looking at new motorhomes with fireworks this weekend, courtesy of Lincoln-based, CamperUK

The Firework Extravaganza Weekend runs from Friday, November 4 to Sunday, November 6 and is based at the CamperUK Leisure Park, only five minutes from the city centre.

You can enjoy two nights on the rally field with facilities for motorhomes, caravans and tents, for only £25 per vehicle.

There will be live entertainment, a hog roast, bar and dancing until late, fish and chip van, fireworks and a chance to view the latest models from Laika and newly arrived, from Geist.

A free shuttle bus will run between the site and the CamperUK showroom.

Triple triumph for York family’s island park

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by Ed Davies

Staff, guests and the family owners of York’s Weir Holiday Park are celebrating after receiving a hat-trick of awards this autumn

Sited on an island on the River Derwent in Stamford Bridge, the park’s accolades trumpet its high quality standards and successful efforts to protect the natural world.

Underlining the business’s green credentials is the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award 2016, presented to the park by the world-famous television botanist.

Professor Bellamy congratulated David and Christine Hind, owners of the park for over 25 years, on obtaining the highest gold level.

Weir’s next honour came in the form of a top gold award from Yorkshire in Bloom after it beat stiff competition to take first place in the holiday park category of the contest.

Next, the park learned that VisitEngland inspectors this year had once again awarded it a four-star grade.

According to Christine, the three honours received by the park are the icing on the cake after an especially busy summer.

“We have always tried to run Weir Holiday Park along sustainable lines, and we receive incredible support from our loyal and hard-working staff team,” she said.

“It is great to be able to live and work in this lovely part of Yorkshire, and to know that we are being supported in our efforts by someone like David Bellamy.

“Now we intend to use these awards to help publicise the region as a whole, and to put the spotlight on what a wonderful place it is to take a holiday.”

The accolades have a special significance for David and Christine as their park has now recovered after being flooded during last winter’s storms.

Fears that Weir’s abundant wildlife would have been affected by the deluge have proved groundless, said Christine, and the flora and fauna are now back to full strength.

The park’s gold David Bellamy award, received for the third year in succession, recognises the raft of initiatives taken by the couple to protect and enhance the natural world.

David and Christine have also planted many native trees, shrubs and hedging which provide wildlife habitats, and installed bird, bat and owl boxes around the grounds.

Caravan Club sites app improved and relaunched

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by Ed Davies

After it was released to the market earlier this year, The Caravan Club has relaunched its caravan sites app following several alterations and amendments
The size of the app is significantly smaller than the previous version, taking up less storage space on your device.
This is because the app now uses the maps that are already built into your phone or tablet whereas before the update, the app came with Caravan Club maps that were installed on your device, making its overall size much larger.
By using the built-in maps (also known as ‘native’ maps), The Caravan Club has also been able to iron out some bugs that were being experienced with the previous version.
There have also been other bug fixes, particularly focusing on issues that were intermittently preventing search results from displaying correctly.

A Caravan Club spokesperson said: “Since the app was launched earlier this year we have been listening to your feedback, and your ideas and suggestions have helped us to develop the app further
“We are pleased to report that your main concerns have been addressed in this latest update. Plus, we’ve also made some additional improvements which we’re confident you’ll like.
“If you haven’t already, you can upgrade your UK Sites App today – available to download in the Google Play Store for Android or the App Store for iOs.”