Flintshire caravan park scoops garden award for 19th consecutive year

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by Chris Malone

Caravanners staying at the beautiful Tree Tops family-run caravan park in Gwespyr this summer might have noticed the stunning floral arrangements that brighten up the campsite.

The park’s gardening team has been rewarded for its efforts by scooping first place in its category in the Wales in Bloom awards.

Tree Tops is located close to Prestatyn, which features a number of touring sites near to the sea.

General manager Andy Walker explained that David and Christine Ball have been tending to the site’s gardens for two decades and have been instrumental in it winning the same prize an amazing 19 years in a row.

“We’ve got an excellent gardening team,” he told the Flintshire Chronicle.

“They’re very dedicated and hard working – it’s their life’s work, they’ve been doing it for 20 years. It’s their passion, a labour of love. They’re fantastic and I’ll panic when they finally retire.”

Nearby Holywell also fared well in the Wales in Bloom Awards, coming second in the Small Towns category.

Caravanners urged to check out Bristol summer events

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by Chris Malone

The Caravan Club has suggested that families looking for somewhere to take the kids this August bank holiday head to Bristol.

One of the attractions which might excite children is the chance to spot 60 gorillas, which have been hidden across the city as part of the Wow! Gorillas art exhibition.

The initiative is to help mark the 175th anniversary of Bristol Zoo Gardens – another great attraction for caravanners holidaying in the area.

According to the Caravan Club, Brunel’s SS Great Britain is also a great day out, with the ship being moored at Bristol Dock.

It is hosting a special foodie fun event over the bank holiday weekend, with guests being able to look at the vessel’s new galley – which features an animatronic ship’s cat to keep the rats away from the grub – and even meet Mr Brunel himself.

The Victorian ship lets visitors step back in time and experience life aboard the world’s first great ocean liner.

Caravan owners looking for a convenient place to stay near Bristol can choose from two certified Caravan Club sites – Baltic Wharf Caravan Club Site and Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park.

Watch the video below to see the decorated gorillas being delivered into Bristol by boat:

VIDEO: Inside the 2012 Bailey Olympus Series II

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by Marcus Dubois

Bailey Caravans has relaunched the popular mid-range Olympus Series for 2012. Named the Bailey Olympus Series II, this range offers a choice of four layouts, from two to six berths.

Caravan Times was at the official launch, and this video features exclusive interior and exterior footage. Key improvements include a redesigned front-end, with polyclassic windows, double glazing and a colour-matched gas locker. Meanwhile, on the interior, there is new wood panelling and a vibrant new furniture design, called Panama.

Prices for the Bailey Olympus Series II range from £14,795 for the two-berth 460-2 layout, rising to £16,795 for the twin-axle 640-6 layout.

PREVIEW: Inside the 2012 Swift Challenger Sport and Sterling Eccles Sport

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by Marcus Dubois

Updating an already popular range such as the Swift Charisma or Sterling Europa was always going to be a hard task. Yet Swift Caravans has managed to pull it off – by replacing the entire ranges with two brand new futuristic lineups.

The Swift Challenger Sport and Sterling Eccles Sport are entirely new caravans from the ground up – and next week Caravan Times will bring you a video feature with the new look for 2012.

To whet your appetite in the meantime, take a sneak peek here with our trailer.

Want to know when you can see the new Swift feature? Click here to be the first to hear about new videos

Carlight Caravans begins full production again for 2012

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by Marcus Dubois

Say the name “Carlight” to a caravan enthusiast and you’re likely to receive a smile, with perhaps a fond memory of a family friend’s van, or questions about the marque and its heritage.

With an enviable history tracing back to the 1930s, the luxury caravan manufacturer could boast the unique claim of having produced a model throughout eight decades and one World War.

This fine run was brought to a sudden halt in 2002 when the last models were produced, before a hiatus that left many wondering if we were to see another Carlight outside of the classifieds.

So it was with some excitement that Caravan Times greeted the news earlier this year that Carlight were back in business, offering an ambitious new line-up of handcrafted caravans built to their traditional standards.

With a large number of new models launched this summer, the return of this venerable brand has seen little in the way of fanfare.

Yet if you’re new to caravanning and find it hard to see the appeal of these white boxes on wheels, seeing a Carlight for the first time is something akin to spotting an old Rolls Royce. Even if you don’t like cars, you may find yourself quietly appreciating the presence and quality of the vehicle.

Eight new models for 2012

Rather than dip a toe in the water with one or two models, the Lincolnshire factory is…
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Caravan Club: Don’t miss out on Britain’s great holiday potential

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by Chris Malone

Brits have been encouraged to try caravanning as a great way to get out and explore some beautiful new locations.

The Caravan Club recently conducted a survey in the run-up to its Find the Freedom competition – winners will receive a new Swift Challenger Sport 514 caravan worth £16,000 – which found that almost half (46 per cent) of UK residents repeatedly spend their holidays in the same destination.

According to the organisation, these people could be missing out on potentially great adventures, where they could be waking up to a new stunning view each morning.

With 50 per cent of respondents stating that they do not feel they have had a holiday unless they go abroad, the Club is keen to point out that there are some fantastic breaks to be had in the UK, with everything from surfing and bird-watching to cultural city vacations.

“The Caravan Club is convinced that people are falling back in love with the UK as a holiday destination, with caravanning becoming increasingly more popular,” explained director of marketing Lawrence Bate.

“It’s promising to see that nearly 70 per cent of people surveyed said they didn’t need a holiday itinerary in place before heading off on holiday. This is exactly what caravanning is about, jumping in the car and heading off.”

Caravanners urged to sample local food

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by Chris Malone

British caravan owners could use their tourers to help them sample some of the best local produce the country has to offer, it has been suggested.

According to the Caravan Club, using a mobile home could be the ideal way to try out the country’s finest food and drink.

As well as giving holidaymakers the opportunity to delight their palate and fill their bellies, buying local produce helps small businesses who have been hit hard by the recession, the organisation noted.

Specifically, the club urged members to visit Stroud Farmers’ Market in Gloucestershire, which has won Cotswold Life Magazine’s award for Best Farmers’ Market, as well as the River Cottage Canteen in Axminster, where holidaymakers can try some sweet and savoury treats from Devon and Dorset.

They may also catch a glimpse of local celebrity foodie Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who frequents the eatery.

Those who love their wine could be interested in a trip to vineyards, such as Cornwall’s Camel Valley, which has been running for more than two decades and produces a range of tasty varieties.

The Caravan Club also recently urged Brits who have never considered touring before to give it a try, noting that waking up to a new stunning view every morning is not to be sniffed at.

Musical caravanner backs calls for first Essex CC site

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by Chris Malone

A Colchester resident who plays in the Caravan Club’s concert band has thrown his weight behind calls for the organisation to run a site in Essex.

None of the Caravan Club’s existing facilities are located in the county and cornet player Alan Dickens told Daily Gazette that he would like to see that change.

The 57-year-old recently organised a fundraising rally that welcomed about 120 people to the area and helped generate £1,800 for Help for Heroes, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Breast Cancer Research and St Helena Hospice.

“I thought it would be a great idea to have a week-long rally here while band members practised, and to show them the sites and put on some other events in the build-up,” he told the newspaper.

The Caravan Club, which provides services for more than one million members, withdrew a bid for a 96-pitch site in Wick Lane, Ardleigh, after campaigners voiced their concerns over the move.

However, it is believed that the £2 million facility could have generated £750,000 per year for local businesses had it gone ahead.

See rare ospreys at Welsh caravan site

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by Chris Malone

Caravan enthusiasts staying at the Morben Isaf Holiday Home and Touring Park in Wales this summer could be in for a treat.

According to newswales.co.uk, the first of three osprey chicks which recently hatched at the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust’s Cors Dyfi Reserve at Derwenlas has taken to the air for the first time.

What is more amazing is that the triplets are the first ospreys to have hatched on the River Dyfi since 1604.

Caravan site managers Dave and Jayne Hollingworth have been keeping a close eye on the development of the chicks.

“Our owners on the park are thrilled by the news and there has been a lot of interest in the ospreys from visiting touring caravan owners and campers,” Mrs Hollingworth said.

She was at the visitor centre to see the first chick hatch in June and is delighted to hear that the rare bird – named Einion – has managed to take its maiden flight.

Ospreys are sometimes known as sea hawks or fish eagles and can grow to 24 inches in length with wingspans of up to two metres.

VIDEO: Chris Gosling’s Caravan Diary – Bailiff’s Cottage, Suffolk

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by Marcus Dubois

When you’ve visited as many caravan sites as “Caravan Diary” presenter Chris Gosling, it’s hard to pick a favourite. Yet in this week’s edition he might have stumbled across the Holy Grail in a tiny caravan site in Suffolk.

Bailiffs Cottage can be found near the picturesque village of Shottisham in the heart of Suffolk. If you’re a caravanner looking for the ultimate in peace and quiet, this site should be in your shortlist; but with only five pitches available, booking can prove tricky!

Watch Chris give his verdict on Bailiffs Cottage in this latest edition of his Caravan Diary. And you can always seen the latest edition each week here on Caravan Times.

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Caravan child’s message in a bottle found 30 years on

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by Chris Malone

It’s an old holidaymaker’s tradition: to send a message in a bottle out to sea, in the hope that they will receive a response from the recipient in another country.

And this custom was one followed by Tracy Johnstone – who recently received a call from German man Thomas Fink after he found the bottle she threw out to sea at the beach in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire while on a caravanning holiday.

What is remarkable about the find is that Ms Johnston – now a mother of four – sent the message three decades ago when she was aged 15 in 1981.

Mr Fink, 58, discovered the bottle on a beach in Germany’s St Peter-Ording – 400 miles from where it was initially launched 30 years ago.

Cleethorpes has a number of caravan parks, including Haven’s Thorpe Park, which features a nine-hole golf course.

While it is unclear where the sender – now known as Tracy Pashby – stayed all those years ago, the tag with her name, address and the date the bottle was thrown into the water is still visible, despite its age and long journey.

“My brother and I were very fortunate as children, we went on caravanning holidays with our mum and dad which we loved,” she explained.

“My dad used to encourage us to throw messages in bottles into the sea saying that it could be discovered by pirates or be washed up on a treasure island”

Her brother once had a reply from Finland, but that came almost immediately in comparison to Tracy’s bottle.

Camping and Caravaning Club: Caravan holidays still popular

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by Chris Malone

Caravanning holidays are still “very” popular, according to the Camping and Caravanning Club.

Publicity manager Jon Dale pointed to hotspots such as the Lake District, Scotland, the Peak District, Devon and Cornwall as places frequented by mobile home enthusiasts.

“I think we have got a beautiful countryside and beautiful scenery here, and it is certainly a lot cheaper than travelling abroad,” the expert said.

“You don’t have any inconvenience of travel disruption which people have had over the last year or so.”

Mr Dale may have been alluding to the volcanic ash clouds which caused delays and cancellations at airports across the UK and Europe.

He did note that the weather in the UK can be one drawback that puts people off.

“But if they can overcome that then people will enjoy a family holiday in this country,” the spokesman said.

The Camping and Caravaninng Club recruited 60,000 new members in 2010 – the second successive year it has achieved this.