Isle of Wight ferries to continue despite legal ruling

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Caravan Times can reliably inform readers that ferries will continue to run between the Hampshire town of Lymington and the Isle of Wight, despite a High Court ruling against the firm who manage the service.

Wightlink manage ferries between Lymington and the popular tourist island. Recently the firm replaced its 35-year old ferries with a new fleet of larger, “W-class” vessels as part of a £57 million investment in the service. However a local action group brought a legal challenge asserting that the W-Class craft is damaging the Lymington River. The waterway contains valued bird life and marine creatures, and as such is fiercly protected by action group the Lymington River Association.

In his judgement releasted today, Mr Justice Owen ruled that the manner in which Wightlink took the decision to introduce the new ferries in February 2009 was in breach of the Habitats Directive. However it was believed this breach was not intentional, and that Wightlink believed it was acting fully in accordance with the law.

AS a result Wightlink have issued a statement that it will “consider what steps it will be required to take in its role as competent authority to address this issue”. The company also believes “the historically low levels of marine risk on the river have not been eroded by the introduction of the W Class ferries.”

Crucially for UK tourists, Wightlink informed Caravan Times that “nothing in this judgment will affect the service Wightlink offers to its customers” and reiterated that they will continue to run a normal service.

Caravanners who are thinking of taking a break this year to the Isle of Wight should take a look at the official guide to the island at iwight.com

Win a brand new Bailey Pegasus at Boat and Caravan

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Visitors to Boat & Caravan at the NEC Birmingham (February 23 to 28) could win themselves to a brand new Bailey Pegasus 534 Caravan thanks to Club Care Insurance.

The model up for grabs is worth £16,000 and is one of the most popular caravans currently available. The Pegasus is the first caravan to feature Bailey Caravans’ revolutionary Alu-Tech body shell design. The body shell comprises of five body panels which are clamped together using an aluminum interlocking extrusion system and no other external fixing points. This in turn makes the caravan more waterproof and as the body shell is 30 per cent thicker than normal, it is also warmer.

So the question is, how can you win this superb caravan? Well, to enter the draw you have to attend the show and visit the Camping and Caravanning Club’s stand. Visitors must simply obtain a quote for any Club Care insurance product, and their details will be entered into the draw. (Terms and conditions apply – see winapegasus.co.uk or call 01277 243 000).

Club Care is the long-established provider of insurance for The Camping and Caravanning Club’s members and recently key improvements have been made to its exclusive products. Following feedback from members, the number of cover levels has been reduced from five to just one. This now allows customers the facility to personalise their cover to suit them and meet their needs.

Nigel Coppen, Client Director at Club Care noted that “Whilst the main policy features remain unchanged, members will now be able to choose the amount of cover they require under specific sections and tailor their caravan insurance accordingly. In essence they will not be paying for cover they do not require.”

“This latest product has been designed by members for members and will allow caravanners to reduce their outgoings during what are extremely challenging times.”

Together with the savings, members can enjoy exclusive benefits including Personal Accident cover up to the age of 85, up to £1,000 free Contents cover and up to 10 years New for Old cover.

Furthermore, the Club’s Membership Services Director Paul Jones has promised to continue to work closely with Club Care to reduce costings to members even further.

He said: “The credit crunch is still affecting a lot of pockets; that is why we must continue to help our members by offering great services at affordable prices.

“These latest products are extremely competitive and we will be working with Club Care as the year unfolds as we look to introduce further additional benefits to members.”

For further information or to obtain a no-obligation quote telephone 01277 243000 or visit clubcareinsurance.co.uk

Park Resorts books big acts

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Caravan enthusiasts heading to a Park Resorts site could be in for a treat as the holiday operator has booked a number of top acts to appear throughout the summer.

Former Atomic Kitten member Natasha Hamilton will be strutting her stuff at three different locations this August.

She will appear at East Sussex’s Camber Sands on August 7th, Yorkshire’s Cayton Bay on August 14th and Essex’s Highfield Grange on August 21st.

Meanwhile, ladies may wish to head to Highfield Grange on July 17th, Essex’s Valley Farm on August 14th or Skipsea Sands in Yorkshire on August 21st, as 1990s pin-ups 911 will be appearing on stage.

Furthermore, Eastenders character Shaun Williamson will also be appearing at no fewer than five sites during the summer.

Other acts include 1970s and 80s boy band The Real Thing and Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz.

The park operator recently revealed that it has spent millions of pounds on renovations of many of its sites.

Rescue team in appeal for caravan base

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Caravan owners in North Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset may be interested in the plea of a volunteer team which helps the emergency services during periods of extreme weather conditions.

According to the Weston & Somerset Mercury, Wessex 4×4 Response is seeking a mobile home to act as a mini-base for its workers, allowing them to change clothes, use radio equipment and plan operations.

The group is looking for a donation and has suggested that, if a firm provided them with a caravan, they could emblazon the name across the side for sponsorship.

Volunteer Chris Young told the newspaper that the main requirements are that it is watertight and roadworthy.

“A 16 ft caravan would be ideal, so one end could be a communications hub and the other could have a toilet and rest area,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Lincolnshire Echo has revealed that a caravan site built for gypsy and traveller families is to get a £1.25 million revamp.

Pictures, layouts and prices: we reveal the Bailey Olympus

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Caravan manufacturer Bailey Caravans of Bristol today unveiled full details of its new model, the Olympus. The caravan is the second Bailey range to be built on the all-new revolutionary “Alu-Tech” bodyshell, which was designed to combat the problems of water ingress. Caravan Times has been told the Olympus is the equivalent of the Pageant series in the classic Bailey line-up, and as such slots below the Pegasus in the Alu-Tech range. Here we can reveal for the first time full details of pricing and layouts, ahead of the first public showing at Boat and Caravan.

Overview

First pictures confirm the Olympus as the visual baby brother of the best-selling Pegasus. The structure is made up of interlocking aluminium with no external fixing points, in order to minimise the risk of water ingress. In addition the caravan is built with an integral water management system. As an Alu-Tech caravan, the body panels are built using a timber-free construction. Plastic is used instead in a construction which incorporates high density polystyrene insulation.

Most crucially the benefit is passed on to customers with an industry-leading 10-year integrity guarantee. The structure also receives a Grade III classification of EN1645-1 thanks to its fully insulated shell.

An industry standard AL-KO setup is in place with a galvanised steel chassis, braking system and running gear. The AL-KO ATC trailer control system is also standard alongside the firm’s stabliser and shock absorbers. Features carried from the Pegasus include twin front wet locker storage compartments and weatherproof LED front and rear grab handles for visibility.

Layouts and interior

The interior of the Olympus has a number of advantages over traditional models, chief of which is the internal headroom. This has been increased to a class leading 6’5″ (1.96m) – and due to the flat panel roof construction this is consistent throughout the caravan. Split-level storage is found throughout, with new kitchen laminates and fittings in matt nickel combining to create a fresh look. Interior fabrics are subtle in beige and both options come with sculpted arm and back rests.

Layouts range from the entry-level 2-berth (the Olympus 462) to a 6-berth model (the Olympus 546) while there is the option of a twin-axle Olympus with the 624 which sleeps four.

Pricing

The Bailey Olympus starts at 13,995 for the 462, and rises to £15,595 for the 6-berth 624.

For more information on the Bailey Olympus you can visit their micro-site at baileyolympus.co.uk.

Back to the future: how retro caravans became cool

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If you read the newspapers you’d be forgiven for thinking that the caravan holiday had been invented by the Government as an antidote to the recession. Last year the travel media was flooded with stories of the “staycation” and the return of the “great British holiday”. Yet for millions of Brits a caravan trip is both a staple of their childhood and a pastime of their present. What happened to all the caravans of our past is the subject of a new book that celebrates the design of vintage trailers.

My Cool Caravan explores a niche in caravanning, namely the world of creativity and design afforded by restoring vintage caravans. Authors Jane Field-Lewis and Chris Haddon share two things in common: an impressive design background and a love of old caravans that extends to ownership. The book traces their obsession to all corners of caravan design, with forty stylish vehicles of all vintages from across the world. Lavishly illustrated with photography from Hilary Walker, it is rare to find in book form something which captures the touring experience so vividly.

This is in part due to the shared passion of Jane and Chris for how caravans offer “happy memories of simple things, reflecting the valuable details of life which are usually too readily overlooked.” And it is the attention to such “valuable details” which abounds throughout and makes for a fascinating read.

Jane Field-Lewis in particular brings knowledge of set-dressing and framing an object, from her work as a stylist in film and photography. As such the pictures make us feel as if we have walked through the Tardis doors into a trailer of the past. A Bakelite radio, a mug of china and some ginger nut biscuits – all unremarkable items, but placed in a vintage caravan they instantly evoke a simpler time.

The book is divided into chapters which celebrate a particular style. Jane’s own Monza 1000 is to be found under “Old retro” and is used as her office space where she retreats for inspiration. Crucially little has been changed with the 1970s brown hessian print and vinyl wallpaper showing how colour trends have changed over the years. Co-author Chris uses his trailer for the same purpose, only his is a 1963 Airstream Globetrotter he found in Connecticut, USA. Other highlights include a 1936 Eccles Aristocrat in the “Country cottage” chapter, sporting a beautiful two-tone finish with the original blue intact.

What makes this book rise above coffee-table fayre are the stories. Many of the owners spotted their caravan lying somewhere unloved, or being auctioned off for a song, and rescued them in order to restore to their full glory. It is the blend of the informative and personal which gives this book a peculiar charm similar to the caravans displayed within.

Since My Cool Caravan landed on the desk of Caravan Times it has travelled regularly around the office, with staff eagerly nominating their favourite. It is a book which cannot help but transmit the passion of its authors and is a fascinating window on our caravanning past.

Marcus Dubois

Name change for Caravan Club’s breakdown assistance

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Caravan owners looking forward to a summer of weekend breaks may be interested in the Caravan Club’s breakdown and recovery service.

Known as Mayday, it is operated by Green Flag and operates 24-hours a day year round, covering cars, motorhomes, touring caravans and trailer tents.

The scheme recently renamed its comprehensive and double journey cover toRoadside & Recovery and Dual Recovery respectively.

“We believe the new naming convention better describes the insurance cover provides,” explained the Caravan Club’s head of insurance and financial services Lesley Coell.

“The change provides clarity for new and existing policyholders.”

Roadside & Recovery will attempt to fix the vehicle by the road and get it to a destination of the driver’s choice anywhere in the UK.

The Dual Recovery package sees customers taken to their holiday site and the vehicle repaired in time for the return trip if possible. If not, the vehicles are taken back home after the trip.

Meanwhile, the Caravan Club recently celebrated 50 years of its Certified Locations scheme.

Caravan girl wins place at Cambridge

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A girl brought up in a caravan and who has never competed a full year at school has won a place at a prestigious UK university.

Traveller Zoah Hedges-Stocks left school to work with her family’s travelling fair, but has now won a place at Cambridge University, the Daily Mail revealed.

The 20-year-old spent every summer of her youth serving in her mother’s food van and has been offered a place at the all-female Murray Edwards College after achieving two As and a B at A Level.

Not everyone in her community understood the magnitude of her achievements, Ms Hedges-Stocks told the newspaper after becoming the first member of her family to apply for university.

“Cambridge was the only university they had heard of and they didn’t understand the application process was selective – they assumed you could simply walk in,” she said.

The caravan resident revealed that she wanted to study history after hearing folklore tales from her grandfather.

Meanwhile, the Caravan Club has revealed it is offering its own breakdown and rescue service in conjunction with Green Flag.

Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury to appear at Boat and Caravan

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TV personality Julia Bradbury will be a guest of The Camping and Caravanning Club this month at Boat & Caravan Show. The Countryfile presenter and outdoors enthusiast will be present on The Club’s New to Camping Stand (300) on Tuesday, February 23. Boat & Caravan is held at Birmingham’s NEC and caters for a wide variety of touring lifestyles.

Last year Bradbury officially endorsed the Camping and Caravanning Club’s New to Camping campaign and is delighted to be involved again at the UK’s biggest outdoor leisure show.

She said: “It is fantastic to see that The Camping and Caravanning Club’s New to Camping campaign is still going from strength-to-strength since its launch last May. I’ve seen and spoken to a lot of people whilst on location filming across the country and everyone seems to share that real enthusiasm and hunger for camping.”

Bradbury also added “I’m looking forward to hearing and sharing more stories with the show visitors.”

Her love for communicating the value of exploring the outdoors is well know. Countryfile, BBC One’s Sunday evening primetime series, was re-launched with Bradbury at the helm alongside Matt Baker and on January 24 saw over 7.3 million viewers tune in.

Bradbury is also known for presenting BBC One’s Watchdog as well as other series including Wainwright’s Walks, Railway Walks and The Rough Guide to . on Channel Five.

WIN a brand new Bailey Pegasus at Boat and Caravan

Visitors to the Camping and Caravanning Club’s stand have the opportunity of winning a brand new Bailey Pegasus 534 Caravan, all thanks to Club Care Insurance. Visit their Main Stand at 5295.

Show-goers will also be able to seek expert advice, get involved in demonstrations and enter competitions on the New to Camping Stand.

Meanwhile, to tie in with the Easter opening of the new Gulliver’s Milton Keynes Club Site, Gulliver’s Theme Park characters will be entertaining the children on the Saturday and Sunday of The Show.

The Boat & Caravan Show is taking place from February 23 to 28. To book your tickets call 0844 581 3000 or visit: the Boat and Caravan website

Park Resorts invests millions in facilities

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UK-based caravan site operator Park Resorts has revealed that it has invested millions of pounds in its facilities.

As well as a great deal of new accommodation, the holiday park firm is set to introduce two brand new shows to its entertainment acts this summer.

Alice in Boogieland is a family show which follows the protagonist in an all-dancing parody of Alice in Wonderland.

Meanwhile, Krew Club’s Got Talent is a kids show where children get to see park mascot Sparky rehearse to prove that he has the skills to be the Krew Club winner.

The firm has also invested in improvements and refurbishments to its Oasis Showbar at Cayton Bay in Yorkshire, the Clifftop Bar at California Cliffs and Showbar Carmarthen Bay in south Wales.

Kent’s Shurland Dale and East Sussex’s Camber Sands sites also have refurbished swimming pools for the new season, while Essex’s Valley Farm has a new indoor swimming pool and changing rooms.

Meanwhile, Park Resorts has also booked a number of top acts to appear at its sites throughout the summer, including popular 1990s boy band 911.

Caravan park season extension vetoed

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The owners of a Yorkshire caravan park have been left disappointed after being told that they will not be allowed to extend their opening season.

Hawkswick Cote Caravan Park in Arncliffe had hoped to open the site for a further ten weeks beyond the current November 14th closing date, the Craven Herald and Pioneer reported.

The committee behind the decision decided to keep the agreement of 1998 in place, restricting the site to a season from March 1st to November 14th, after local residents voiced concerns that a change would impact on their lives.

This was despite a recommendation from Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority planning officers to allow the change to take place.

“We do not feel that the semi-permanent residence of people at this site is desirable for the Littondale community, unless they contribute fully to the economy of the district through council tax as main residence or second home owners,” a letter to the committee on behalf of Hawkswick Parish Meeting members said.

Meanwhile, the Caravan Club recently marked the 50th anniversary of its Certified Locations scheme.

Caravan Club mark 50th anniversary of Certified Locations

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The Caravan Club recently held an awards ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of its Certified Locations programme.

The initiative recognises small and exclusive privately-owned caravan sites which are only open to Caravan Club members.

Keal Lodge Certified Location in Lincolnshire’s Deeping St James took the top prize, with owner Jean Rogers explaining to the club how she likes make the extra effort with caravanners.

“I am more than happy to help our guests make the most of their stay – whether it’s wildlife watching, admiring historic buildings, or joining in one of my craft weekends,” she said.

Laithes Lodge in Blackpool and Stoneyways in Suffolk came second and third respectively.

The awards ceremony, which took place in the House of Commons, was attended by secretary of state for communities and local government John Denham.

There are currently around 2,500 Certified Locations around the UK, meaning Caravan Club members have a large choice of places to pitch up.

Meanwhile, the Caravan Club recently reported that ABTA – The Travel Association has suggested that Brits do not skimp on travel insurance when visiting foreign caravan sites.