by Chris Jefferies
The Bailey Retreat is a new range of leisure home caravans, and they promise a completely new level of luxury for holidaymakers who prefer seasonal pitches.
In our latest video, CaravanTimes takes a closer look at the Willow layout; including the spacious front lounge area, the practical kitchen, and the clever folding bathroom configuration.
Philippa Brown-Jackson, one of the chief designers at Bailey, explains that many of these features were made possible by the idea that these models will be permanently sited, instead of being towed around the UK on a regular basis.
Prices in the Bailey Retreat range start at £22,000, including VAT, and the company has a nationwide network of more than 30 dealers to sell and service these leisure homes.
Friendly Club bookings up 50% ahead of Diamond Jubilee celebrations
Bookings at the Camping and Caravanning Club are soaring as families across the UK prepare to hitch up and head off for an extended break over the four-day Diamond Jubilee weekend.
The Club is organising all kinds of celebrations at its sites in celebration of the Queen’s 60-year reign, and this has helped reservations go through the roof.
Compared to the royal wedding last year, 50 per cent more caravanners have booked in to stay at one of the Club’s sites.
It just so happens that this year’s Spring Bank Holiday coincides with National Camping and Caravanning Week (NCCW) – running from June 2nd to 8th – and this has helped further drive up numbers.
To help commemorate the Jubilee, the Club has organised a huge world record attempt that will see thousands of people at its sites attempt to break the ‘most people wearing paper crowns across multiple locations’ record.
One person who can hardly contain her excitement about the Guinness World Records attempt is Hayley Tamaddon, the former Emmerdale actor and Dancing on Ice winner.
“Camping is a great way to spend time with friends and family, I love going camping in a caravan, it’s so much fun! Celebrate NCCW by throwing on your crown for a right royal celebration,” she said.
For more information about National Camping and Caravanning Week, including all the exciting events being laid on by the Friendly Club, watch our special video preview.
Jade from The Apprentice reveals caravan park childhood
Apprentice star Jade Nash has revealed that her childhood spent growing up on a caravan site is what made her the success that she is today.
The 29-year-old business development manager made it through to the final round of the show after Lord Sugar told market trader Adam Corbally “you’re fired” on this week’s show (Wednesday 30th).
But this is great news for Jade, who will now get the chance to pitch her business idea to the Amstrad founder in the hope of securing a £250,000 investment.
However, the straight-talking star revealed in a recent behind-the-scenes documentary that she would not be where she was without her childhood experience working a Wiltshire caravan park owned by her father.
Jade told the BBC that from a very young age she would do whatever jobs needed doing, from working in the site’s shop taking money from customers, to cleaning out the toilet blocks.
“It all added to the experience and meant that I was so outgoing and had to be confident talking to anyone that I met,” she said.
Leaving the site as an 18-year-old, Jade went on to work as an 18-30 club rep before taking up her current role in direct marketing – but now she may just be on the verge of something much bigger.
To find out if Jade wins, be sure to tune in for the final of The Apprentice 2012 this Sunday (June 3rd) at 8:30pm on BBC One.
Watch out for caravan thieves at service stations, insurance broker warns
Official statistics from the Association of Chief Police Officers show that caravan lay-by and service station theft is in decline, but an insurance broker has recently warned caravanners not to let their guard drop.
Towergate Insurance has highlighted this issue ahead of the summer caravan season, pointing out that service stations are one of the easiest places for opportunistic thieves to strike.
Edward Cross, insurance expert at Towergate, told CaravanTimes: “It’s perceived to be a big issue among caravanners, as there was a little spate of these kind of crimes, about six years ago. There are a number of ways to protect against this.”
Mr Cross continued by offering some practical tips on how best to protect your caravan at a service station, including attaching your hitch lock whenever you stop.
For more tips and advice from Towergate on how to keep your tourer safe in a lay-by, read their original article: How to protect against service station theft.
Loose Women launch competition to win a £37,000 caravan
If you fancy picking up a brand new caravan worth £37,000 but don’t fancy splashing the cash, ITV’s Loose Women may have just the answer for you.
The popular daytime television show has teamed up with the coastal caravan site operator Park Resorts for a competition that will see one lucky viewer named the proud owner of a brand new Delta Jubilee static caravan.
Following on from a similar promotion last month on the TV Channel’s This Morning, the competition was launched on Monday (May 28th) and is running for a fortnight. What’s more, Loose Women are also throwing in a cash prize of £10,000 to make it even more attractive.
And if you are the lucky winner, you’d be given the choice of any of Park Resorts’ 39 nationwide sites to locate your new two-bedroom caravan, joining more than 12,000 owners who currently have a holiday home at their coastal retreats.
OK, so the odds of actually winning it might not be huge, but you’ve got to be in it to win it, right?
To find out how you can enter this competition to win a free caravan, click here.
Government backs down on controversial static caravan tax
by Chris Jefferies and Tom Lowenstein
The Government has given in to public pressure and backtracked on its controversial plans to apply 20 per cent VAT to all static caravans, according to recent reports from Westminster.
Following a widespread protest campaign, the Coalition appears to have backed down and will now only be applying five per cent VAT to static caravans.
What’s more, the tax increase will not come into force until April next year.
This marks a significant victory for both the industry and the wider caravanning public, after the National Caravan Council (NCC) spearheaded a nationwide campaign and online petition, which resulted in more than 10,000 signatories and the support of 30 MPs.
So far it is not clear how these changes will affect larger touring caravans such as the Bailey Retreat and the Welsh-made Fifth Wheel caravans.
Government response
A Treasury spokesperson announced: “After extensive engagement we have improved the policy, addressing practical concerns, ensuring that the new regime could be as simple as possible to apply.”
A cross-party coalition of MPs led the rebellion and forced the reversal, which the NCC said will safeguard as many as 7,000 jobs.
Guy Sparkles, the managing director of the Patrington Haven caravan park in east Yorkshire, told the BBC: “It shows the government has listened to all the warnings and predictions that the industry has put forward.
“I think we would’ve had lots of job losses within our industry and the local areas, they would have had a knock on effect.”
East Yorkshire proved to be the hub of the campaign, with MPs from the region leading the campaign and presenting the Early Day Motion against the policy that was signed by 70 MPs.
Meanwhile, David Davis, Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden, said that the u-turn marked a “great victory” for those who opposed the tax.
“It’s common sense,” he told the BBC. “It will actually save money at the end of the day. The previous proposal would have cost thousands of jobs.”
Mr Osborne was also forced to abandon his plans for a so-called ‘pasty tax’ under similar opposition, with Labour declaring that his policies were a “total shambles”.
Couple in lucky escape as caravan towcar flips on M62
Two caravanners were lucky to escape without injury last week after a serious accident left them trapped in their towcar.
A middle-aged man and woman had to be rescued by fire and ambulance crews after the vehicle they were using to tow their caravan flipped over while driving along the M62 near Huddersfield.
The Kia Sportage in question lost control while driving along the eastbound carriage of the motorway, the Huddersfield Daily Examiner reported.
After paramedics helped the couple escape through the rear of their vehicle they were taken by Air Ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary. Their injuries were thankfully not thought to be life threatening.
Fire crews then removed their car and caravan from the motorway, before clearing up a diesel spillage caused by the accident.
The crash, which happened at about 3pm on Friday evening, caused a 20-mile traffic jam all the way back to Manchester, with the motorway closed for two hours while the emergency services worked at the scene.
In related news, Chevrolet has offered some help to towcar owners by publishing its Top Tips for Safe Caravanning.
Drive back in time with the vintage cars and caravans from Snail Trail
We can’t get enough of retro caravans here at CaravanTimes and our latest discovery from the vintage world is a collection of caravans form the 1950s and 60s beautifully refurbished with all the retro trimmings.
The company behind these caravans is Snail Trail, based in Hertfordshire and run by husband and wife team Steven and Lucy Lord. They both have a passion for vintage vehicles and have turned this into a business, renting and selling caravans, campervans and cars to other nostalgic motor lovers.
Click here to see more pictures of Snail Trail’s vintage vehicles
Lucy’s particular interest lies in caravans dating back to the 1950s and 60s and she oversees each caravan’s transformation from has-been to sparkling and new.
Constance the caravan
A particularly shining example of this is Constance, a vintage caravan with an impressive CV. This Sprite 14 ‘van dates back to 1957 and since her makeover has featured in My Cool Caravan, written and compiled by Jane Field-Lewis and Chris Haddon, and a photo shoot for Pinnies from Heaven, a company that make pretty patterned pinafores from vintage materials.
Constance is 14 feet long with two double beds, a large rounded window and a dose of furnishings to fit its 1950s date of birth. Bunting, cushions and fairy lights complete the look and give that cutesy feel everyone can appreciate.
Being of a certain age, and pretty rare, Constance can no longer be towed off on holiday unfortunately.
Soon to join Constance is Verity the Viking, a 1967 Viking caravan that is currently being restored to her former glory and will be available soon.
Campervan cool
Whilst Lucy is taking care of her retro caravans Steven concentrates on the campervan side of the business. With 25 years experience in car and van sales hire he
certainly knows what he’s doing and checks out each Volkswagen before offering them out.
Affectionately named the snails, hence the name of the company, all of the VW’s for sale are no older than 2004 but have been revamped to look like throwbacks to the campervan heyday, the 1960s and 70s.
Also for rent is a 1984 Mercedes and a vintage looking Beetle, named Beetle Bob. With a Harvest Moon Beige exterior, red leather interior and chrome bumpers, Bob is one good looking car.
Both make the perfect wedding cars but could also be rented if you’re simply looking to take to the road in something a little different and make a great accompaniment to the caravans on offer.
Snail Trail could bring a touch of retro style to your next trip, work studio or photo shoot or add something extra to your next special event with their selection of vintage vehicles.
To find out more or to rent your own vintage ‘van visit their website.
Birmingham caravan show tickets go on sale three months early
The UK’s biggest caravan show is returning to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) from October 16th until 21st this year and tickets have already on sale.
With the 2012 Motorhome and Caravan Show promising to be the biggest ever it is definitely not one to miss, and advanced discount tickets could save you money if you plan well in advance.
A whole extra hall of the NEC is being rolled out for the 2012 show, with even more of the industry’s newest caravan innovations set to be on display.
All of the usual trade stalls and industry experts will be on hand as well as a bunch of celebrity chefs ready to show off their culinary skills and offer up a tip or two for rustling up some top grub in your caravan’s kitchen.
The advance tickets for the show are offered at £2 less than the on-the-door price and are available until October 15th from the show’s website or by calling 0844 338 7799.
East Yorkshire caravan parks facing coastal erosion threat
Coastal caravan parks in the East Riding of Yorkshire are getting smaller as the ravages of the sea claims more land each year.
On average, coastal erosion in East Riding takes 2.5m of land each year, but in some places this figure is even higher.
Locals say that they are just waiting for buildings to be swallowed by the ever-encroaching cliff face as it creeps closer and closer, the Bridlington Free Press reported.
The coastal stretch along the east coast is home to numerous popular caravan parks, including Skipsea Sands Holiday Park and Seaside Caravan Park Ulrome, but the battering high tides are removing more of the nearby cliff face each year.
Speaking to the newspaper, Skipsea Parish Council chairman Jerry Loft said: “The erosion has been getting worse over the past five or six years and now we’re getting huge cracks appearing on a weekly basis.
“I would think that if they put groins back in it might take a bit of the force out of the sea, but as it is we’re losing great swathes of land.”
East Yorkshire isn’t the only part of the UK facing this problem – last year, 13 caravans at the Porthkerry Leisure Park on the Welsh coast had a narrow escape when a landslide left them perched on the edge of the cliff.
MPs consider VAT rise on final day for caravan tax campaign
Today (25th May) is the day the Government is due to make its final decision surrounding the controversial caravan tax and it seems that the call for the proposed tax to be revoked is being “seriously considered”.
The campaign against the a tax of 20 per cent being applied to static caravans, and some larger touring caravans, has been running for ¬several weeks and at the time of writing has over 10,000 signatures.
If the planned changes go ahead then all static caravans will be affected, as well as the recently launched Bailey Retreat leisure home and the Fifth Wheel range of touring caravans.
Shortly after George Osborne’s budget was announced in March, a group of MPs from the Hull, an area where a lot of jobs come from the caravan industry, organised a campaign against the tax.
Diana Johnson, Labour MP for Hull announced on the 28th April that she was launching a petition and was supported by MP for Hull East and former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott and MPs for Hull East and West.
Since then the campaign has grown considerably. As well as MPs several organisations have spoken out about the effect the proposed tax would have on the caravan industry.
Simon Hart, Tory MP for Camarthenshire West and South Pembrokeshire spoke out against the reform earlier this week, saying the government had “got it wrong”.
The National Caravan Council (NCC) has claimed that the tax rise would lead to more than 7,000 job losses in the industry.
Willerby Holiday Homes, based in Hull, recently announced that it would be forced to cut 350 jobs, around half its work force, if the tax went ahead.
The latest development came yesterday when Business Minister Greg Clark said the Government understood the “importance” of the caravan industry, the BBC reported.
Hull North Labour MP Diana Johnson said: “The Government has realised it is under pressure, it’s taken aback by the strength of feeling from MPs and the industry.
“I hope that they will drop the tax. I think that they failed to consider the job losses that would come out as a result of it. So I’m very pleased they’re considering it.”
Chevrolet offers caravanners safe towing advice with top ten tips
The current heat wave hitting the UK is reminding everyone just how special holidays at home can be, and with many of us preparing our caravans for summer trips away, Chevrolet has offered a quick guide reminding us how to stay safe.
Having recently increased the capacity of its Captiva tow car to 2,000kg, Chevrolet has an incentive to make sure people remain as safe as possible when hitching their tourer along the UK’s winding roads.
To make sure its information was as accurate and helpful as possible, the iconic American car firm turned to industry experts Elddis, the National Caravan Council and the Camping and Caravanning Club for advice.
“At Chevrolet we believe that a big part of that fun should be the journey, not just the destination,” explains Mark Terry, the company’s UK managing director.
“Choosing the right tow car and having a safe experience will go a long way to ensuring that your time with ‘Mother Nature’ is enjoyable and relaxed, as well as safe and legal,” he added.
Chevrolet’s Top Tips for Safe Caravanning:
- Practice turning, stopping and reversing before you begin towing on public roads. Do not tow in traffic until you are confident that you can handle the vehicle and caravan safely
- Always go through your safety checklist before heading off
- Make sure that the lighting system of the caravan works properly
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph while towing
- Make sure you have enough room when cornering and avoid sudden manoeuvres
- Always have someone to guide you when reversing
- Parking on any kind of slope is not recommended
- Always chock the caravan’s wheels when parking and apply the car’s parking brake
- Make sure the person placing / removing the chocks from your wheels stands to one side
- Always carefully read the caravan manufacturer’s instructions
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