Indoor Caravan Site In Pops Up In Bristol

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By William Coleman

At this time of year you’ll find a lot of sites closed for the ‘off season’ and the winter sites full to the brim. What about those of us who feel the cold but still want a caravan break? Look no further than the inside caravan site in Bristol.

At first glance I can see a lot of readers thinking that this is some sort of joke and you cannot have a real caravan holiday inside a warehouse in Bristol, hard to disagree, but that being said, it is very much real and I think that it’s a great idea.

For those who may not know the joys of getting out in the van, no matter the outside temperature, this indoor site can be a great gateway into the life. And ultimately it is spreads the caravan awareness.

So where has the idea for such an out there concept come from? Emma Reynolds is the mastermind and new site warden of this ‘reasonably priced’ alternative to hotels and apartment rentals.

Emma created her indoor pitches, named Towed Town Camping, inside a warehouse in Bristol where guests can book a break with a difference. Personally I love the idea and think its quirky nature is a winner and will certainly attract a lot of younger people who grow bored of over spending on single room hotels.

For those of you who have visited the wonderful Bristol you probably wouldn’t imagine that there would be a caravan site behind closed doors that is fully booked almost every weekend.

Emma wanted to find a different form of accommodation to help bring more people to Bristol for short breaks. During her maternity leave the former social worker decided on a change of career and saw a gap in the market that only a caravan could fill.

Following Towed Town Camping’s launch two years ago Emma has said business it booming and has been a great success. It could be due to it’s very cool vans and the fact that a night’s stay starts at just £49.

Pitched up in Bristol are 5 vans, all of which are of a bygone era and look like a classic museum line up.

Emma says: ‘My partner Freddy Wyatt, 34, and I saw a warehouse to let and I thought it would be cool to try something new. Our goal is to take under-appreciated buildings in great destinations and infuse them with a little bit of soul, so you can have an alternative to the standard hotel experience at more affordable prices.

‘I am originally from Great Yarmouth and worked on a caravan park when I was a teenager, so I suggested a caravan park.

‘It brings a sense of nostalgia and I imagine it is the same for other people who used to visit caravan sites as a child.

‘It is different, and we are breaking the conventional camping trip rules – it doesn’t have to be outdoors and you can camp in the city.

‘After researching and asking friends what they think, we decided to go ahead as many thought it was a great idea – they have previously paid up to £150 for one night in a basic hotel that requires a taxi to the city centre.

‘We aren’t claiming to be a fancy five-star hotel, it is more like a private room stay in a hostel.

‘While on maternity leave, I was thinking about how I can work without physically having to leave my children for 40 plus hours per week.

‘This new business venture was perfect for me as my previous job in social work can be difficult due to the world we live in. After I had my children, my outlook changed and shifted.’

Two of the five caravans have a small double bed and cost no more than £49 per night and the others with a king-size bed are £57 per night.

Alongside the 5 caravans there is a communal area that comes complete with a pool table and film collection for guests who want to relax inside the van with their feet up and a DVD on.

Emma added: ‘Before we opened, I thought it would mainly be 18 to 21-year-old visitors but we have all ages.

‘There is something here for everyone, some guests are working in Bristol so opt for a cheaper stay whilst others are stag or hen parties.

‘I love meeting different people and making their time in Bristol the best it can be. I love the creativity of our caravan park. We are always evolving to make it better.

‘We are currently in the process of opening a bigger caravan park in Bristol due to popular demand.’

I think that more of these dotted around the country is a very good idea. It makes a nice change to using an AirBnb and it could possibly get a lot more people onto forecourts who want to try the real thing.

To see more of what Emma has done you can view a full gallery on our Facebook page.

Swift Caravans Plan To Reduce Production Staff Numbers

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By William Coleman

Despite the industry seeing sales success Swift are reducing the headcount as they enter into consultation with staff in a bid to reduce vehicle production and cut costs.

In what comes as surprising news the Cottingham based leisure vehicle manufacturer, who currently has 1,100 employees, have said that Brexit, along with much wider political uncertainty has hit the motorhome and caravan industry quite hard.

Following the NEC show some dealers and manufacturers have reported some very strong sales numbers in the motorhome section, which leads me to believe that the difference in sales between the caravan and motorhome is getting smaller. But some companies are not faring as well.

Swift have said that the introduction of the new VED, Vehicle Excise Duty, which will see a buyers lumped with an additional £2,135 onto the bill of their first motorhome, has led to a slump in sales numbers across the board. This new VED is something that has a lot of people worried, and rightfully so.

Just a few short months back Swift announced that they had an increased turnover that had risen to £287.8m due to their increased sales numbers. Now 6 months on Swift have confirmed that they have entered into consultation with some of their staff as they begin to scale down their production of both caravans and motorhomes.

A spokesman at Swift who spike to Hull Live said: “The UK leisure vehicle sector continues to be a tough trading environment.

“Both the Touring Caravan and Motorhome markets are under pressure with wholesale and retail sales slower on both, influenced by external factors such as Brexit and the ongoing political and economic uncertainty surrounding this.

“There are also additional factors impacting on Motorhome sales such as the introduction of the new Vehicle Excise Duty.”

This is actually a bit of a shocker seeing as Swift Group is one of the UK’s biggest caravan manufacturers and one of the top selling brands. It makes you wonder how well other manufacturers are doing.

Swift’s spokesperson also added added: “As a responsible manufacturer, we actively respond to market changes and the challenges they present and our cost base is under constant review.

“Due to the ongoing turbulent political and economic climate, the Company has continued to face challenges and therefore it is proposing to reduce production volumes of Touring Caravans and Motorhomes.”

This past summer Howden MP, David Davis, spoke out about this new price hike following a visit at Swift. So it seems it is not just the leisure industry who are against such a high price jump.

For a very long time now motorhomes have been classed as private/light goods vehicles for excise duty purposes, mainly because they are built using ‘commercial goods base vehicle’ chassis.

This all changed on September 1st unfortunately following new EU regulations. The new regulations means that motorhomes with a declared CO2 value will now be taxed at the same level as cars.

Leading up to, and following, the new legislation the leisure world have feared what kind of negative impact this could have across the board.

Following the rocky political climate which has caused lots of financial woes and the new duty costs Swift has said it was time to take some staff to consultation.

“As part of the proposal, the Company is considering streamlining the business and we will enter into a consultation process with employees over the proposal,” says the consultation.

“The proposed actions are to ensure the Company is as fit as it can be for the challenges ahead.

“Our main priority at this time is to work closely with our employees throughout this period, working openly with integrity and offering guidance and support at every stage.

“The proposed restructure will not have a negative impact on the service we provide. We will ensure that the Company retains the capacity to meet the needs of our customers, now and in the coming months.”

Having spoken with a lot of the Swift team before I know that this is a move that they have not taken lightly. It is my hope that this is just a momentary lapse for them and they are able to get things back to the way they were at the height of their success.

Police Given New Laws To Deal With Unwanted Caravanners

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By William Coleman

Police will now be given the power to take action against travellers who use any land they want as their own personal caravan park no matter who owns that land. These new rulings will give police the ability to seize their leisure vehicles if they camp illegally on private land.

For as long as I can remember the area I live in has had issues with the travelling, not touring, community parking up wherever they want and causing a lot of disruption. It has become such an issue that most of the fields and parks have had to put in large grass verges to prevent them from pitching up. A cost which the local council has had to foot the bill for.

Another large issue that is often created by the travelling community is the sheer amount of waste and rubbish that they leave behind. It is this kind of thing that tends to leave people with a negative view toward caravans and travellers as a whole. Just to clarify, not all of the travelling community are like this.

I have had to set a few people straight before when it comes to tarring all caravan users with the same brush. It seems there is a number of people who are just ignorant when it comes to caravans and those who own them.

A lot of the negativity has stemmed from the police not really have any real power to stop travellers from staying wherever they want, thus deeming them kind of untouchable in the eyes of the law. This has led to the population being very angry and sometimes quite hostile toward the travelling community.

Now with the introduction of new laws the police will have the tools they need to deal with this issue and provide landowners with legal rights that they should have had a long time ago.

Police will now be able to actually arrest travellers as well as impound vehicles that are illegally parked on private land. It is now a criminal offence to occupy any land without permission with the intention of setting up home there.

The current law, which leaves landowners pretty much powerless as it sees this trespassing as a civil matter. This more often than not leaves the owner with a clean up costs, legal costs and sometimes a whole heap of garbage left over.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has now drawn up a proposal that will arm police with the power to strike instantly to remove the offenders and their property.

Priti Patel spoke with The Sun last week and said: “Unauthorised encampments can cause misery to those who live nearby, with reports of damage to property, noise, abuse and littering.
“The public want their communities protected and for the police to crack down on trespassers.
“Our proposals aim to ensure these encampments can be challenged and removed as quickly as possible.”

The aim is to have a similar system to that of countries like the Republic of Ireland where “unauthorised encampment” is a criminal offence.

The Home Secretary is looking to local councils, police forces, travellers, communities and the public for other views of how to deal with this situation.

Other ideas have included lowering the number of vehicles needed before police can act from six to two and giving officers power to direct offenders to official sites in neighbouring authorities.

These new changes to policing will allow police to remove those who are trespassing on or beside a road and increase the time during which offenders are banned from returning from three months to a year.

Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT), a leading national charity that works on behalf of all Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, said: “We completely oppose the Home Office announcement of a consultation on criminalising trespass. It is clear that the proposals would have a devastating impact on Gypsy and Traveller communities, who have been part of British life since before the 16th century, yet face some of the greatest inequalities of any group in England and Wales.

“The Home Secretary’s assertions that unauthorised encampments “cause misery to those who live nearby, with reports of damage to property, noise, abuse and littering” focus on the behaviour of a minority, yet tar all Gypsies and Travellers with the same brush. This is dangerous and discriminatory rhetoric. If property damage, noise, abuse and littering truly are the Home Office’s concerns, we know that there already exists reams of criminal law to prevent and punish this.

“It is no coincidence that this announcement comes in the wake of a general election. If there was a real appetite to address the issue of unauthorised encampments, the government would have invested in site provision. Yet, for over a decade we have seen little to no progress in this area. Criminalising families who have no place to go is inhumane and wrong.”

So it does boil down to the bad image a few within the travelling community have created. Not all travellers or gypsies, I hate that word, are the type who pull up in a Tesco car park and just cause issues and leave rubbish. Even if they do use car parks like this there is very little that can be done as this is technically public land.

But it is those who cause all these issues that people are concerned about and it is those individuals who should be concerned by these new laws.

Business Is Booming For Derbyshire Dealer Despite Political Uncertainty

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By William Coleman

It seems that despite the current comedic state of British politics and the uncertainty of a deal, or even leaving the EU, the sale or leisure vehicles in certain areas is still very much in good shape.

The big bad B word does seem to have split a lot of things down the middle when it comes to tourism. Half of those who love going to places across Europe now seem to be a bit wary of it and are actually staying in the UK for their holiday time.

In mid September I was in Munich I was asked several times a day by the locals about Breixt, to which I could not really give any real answer to. And I must admit I did grow tiresome of the constant questioning which did kind of sour me toward going back.

With all this turmoil going on it seems that the UK leisure vehicle industry is actually coming up quids in. Well, this certainly seems to be the case for Don Amott Caravans in Derbyshire.

Some recent sales figures for Don Amott saw them sell £3,000,000 worth of motorhomes in just six days! Which also shows how well motorhome sales are doing.

Speaking with Derbyshire Live Don Amott’s Chairman, Don Amott, has said he truly feels that the Brexit “crisis” is actually putting a lot of people off of holidaying abroad.

Mr. Amott feels that people opting to stay home for their holidays is being directly reflected in the company’s growing sales numbers.

The company saw huge sales numbers at the NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show in Birmingham. It is here where they made their £3m sales figure. Which surprised me as the show seemed a lot less busy. It seems that only serious buyers attended this time round.

I can’t help but agree, in part, with Mr. Amott. If you look at all the stress and kerfuffle that goes into air travel it wont take too much more to keep a much larger amount of UK residents home for their holidays.

When it comes to Brexit it does seem that leaving will have some kind of negative knock on effect on the value of the GPB and how you will then be received abroad. I mean, I have personally experienced it myself and we are still in the EU. It will be interesting to see how we are received once all is said and done.

The company also operates a series of leisure parks on the Lincolnshire coast, including Lakeside Park and Nettleton Park.

Mr Amott said that since January, the company had seen a 160% increase in sales of its luxury holiday homes and lodges, compared to last year.

He said: “We’ve found that the current national crisis is making people think twice about foreign holidays.

“They just don’t know how it will affect a number of issues, from airport chaos and passport control, to healthcare, insurance and driving abroad.”

Donn Amoot have been selling accessories, caravans and motorhomes for over 55 years. The company was founded Don’s father, also named Don, way back in 1963, where it originally started out by renting holiday homes on the east coast.

Mr Amott Senior became the first person in the country to start buying vans in bulk and today, the firm stocks hundreds of motorhomes and caravans.

Cities Need More Caravan Sites

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By William Coleman

Big cities like London, Manchester and Leeds are amazing places to visit but they do seem to have an overwhelming lack of caravan sites, London especially. With the industry getting bigger these areas can introduce a lot more people to the touring lifestyle and open up urban areas to a lot more UK based tourists.

Having lived in London for my entire life I was shocked to see just how few sites there are in and around town. There are a few dotted about but not as many as you’d think, which I think is just a totally missed opportunity.

Growing up I never questioned why we went to Devon or South Coast for our holidays, I just assumed it was for a change of scenery. As I got a little older I found out from my dad that is was simply due to a lack of variety closer to home, and the Death by Chocolate they served in the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe team room.

Fortunately I had a childhood where we went away a lot to camp sites all over the South West and I got a real feel for the caravan holiday and spent a lot of time outdoors being active. The same cannot be said for a lot of people in and around areas of London. We also seem to have quite a lack of leisure vehicle dealers, maybe the two are linked?

So due to the lack of dealers and sites I think there is a huge hole in the market and lots of missed holiday opportunities for inner city people who may be totally unaware of how accessible these getaways are.

Due to how cost effective a caravan holiday can be a lot of our younger generations who may not be able to hop on a plane and go away can really benefit by choosing this holiday type. A lot of holiday for not a lot of spend.

Getting younger children out into sites has so many benefits for their health and ultimately their behaviour. It is better to keep them occupied and active than just sat on a computer or street walking, which is something I saw a lot of growing up with a lot of the people I went to school with.

Most sites you visit are surrounded by walking trails, woodland and a whole host of outdoor activities and theme parks that provide perfect days out and get the kids outdoors more. Something I think kids nowadays need a lot more of.

Aside from getting a lot more kids out and about you can also bring a lot of new business to the industry. If cities add more locations to go caravanning then the need for a dealership will become higher. A win win for the entire industry.

There are some caravanning locations in and around London such as the Abbey Wood and Crystal Palace Club sites and a few dotted around the border of Surrey and Kent.

Sites are few and far between in major city locations and I cannot think of an actual reason why. Maybe perhaps the areas are not seen to be green enough, which could not be further from the truth. I am about a 15 minute drive from pure countryside. Maybe it is the inner city driving that puts a lot of club and developers off, this I can see being an actual issue.

Whatever the reasons are, I think there is a lot of business and holidays that can be had with caravan based city breaks. If only there were more sites and dealers willing to fill this gap in the market.

New Site Developing In Sherwood Pines

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By William Coleman

New sites are always welcome and if I had my way there would be a lot more popping up around major places like London, Manchester and other cities. But for now I will happily wait for the grand opening of a new Sherwood Pines site.

The new site, currently in development by the Camping and Caravanning Club, which is set to be completed and open during the 2020 camping season is entering its final stages of development to ensure meeting it’s deadline.

The Nottinghamshire site will be run and managed by Camping in the Forest and will be in partnership with the Camping and Caravanning Club and Forestry England.

The brand new site will cover 20 acres of Forestry England woodland and will bring the total number of Camping in the Forest Sites to 16 across England and Scotland.

The site began its initial development in mid July of this year where the build team started the framework of the camp’s infrastructure. Upon completion the site will feature 150 pitches, including 63 hardstanding pitches, 18 of which will be super service and feature electric hook-up plus fresh water and waste drainage.

Ensuring to keep up with the ever evolving world of caravan sites the new park will also have 10 pitches for Ready Camp tents. These tents will be the cosy safari style glamping one that can sleep up to 6 people and have their own kitchen. These glamping wonders will be in a separate glade area and 12 glamping pods in two woodland glade areas, to cater for people without their own camping equipment but who are keen to explore the natural beauty of this famous woodland.

Other confirmed building works on the campsite include:

  • The development of a new amenity block and a dedicated children’s play area
  • The construction of bike and dog wash stations, plus a motorhome service point
  • The addition of 47 grass with electric pitches plus a larger number of grass only pitches
    Dedicated reception and workshop buildings

Nathan Goodyear, Director of Property and Development at The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “Since we first started work on developing the site in mid-July there has already been some major changes such as creating the spaces for the hardstandings. Foundations are now complete for the new amenity block and reception and workshop too – it’s great to see it coming together.

“Sherwood Pines is a wonderful place to explore either by foot or on bike, with family activity trails, bush craft experiences, cycle trails for both families and mountain bike enthusiasts, Go Ape and a café that uses high quality locally sourced products. The campsite will be a great base to explore the area.”

Keep That Summer Body Through Winter

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By William Coleman

With the cold setting in we are all adding some padding to keep warm at temperature plummets. With Christmas just around the corner we need to be careful to not get too lumpy and bumpy in the caravan this winter.

It is at this time of year that mammals gather as much food as possible and hibernate until the warmer spring months arrive. Unfortunately we’ve grown out of that and have to soldier through the winter and keep working.

I am certainly guilty of over indulging when I am in the caravan but it tends to get a little out of hand when it turns cold, warm and snugly weather just makes me want to eat all the cake and biscuits. This winter I am determined to make a change and not ruin the progress I have made during the summer.

Calorie Counting, It Really Does Work

It was not until I started to count what I was eating that I realised I was not eating a lot but what I was eating was several thousand calories. Now add to that my winter eating habits and I was staring down the barrel of a much larger waistband.

A great way to do this is to download an app that will scan the barcode of what you are eating and give you all the nutritional value of what you are eating. 4 chocolate digestives is around 250 calories. That is around 100 less than a large steak! So you can see that snacking just adds thousands of calories and does not keep you full. Limit the snacking and stay healthy is easy
with calorie counting.

Keep Moving

It is very easy to stay very still during winter touring. All you need to do is take one look out of your window at that grey day and just decide to stay put. But the less you move the less productive your body becomes and that is a very hard habit to break.

The best thing you can do is set a few movement goals, depending on how active you are normally day to day. 10,000 steps is a good start or make sure you do at least 250 steps every hour.

Also invest in some good outdoor clothing to ensure you can get active when the weather is less than desirable. Wellies and waterproofs should will keep you protected when you’re doing a winter hike.

Track Your Movement

By now I am sure that most people have a smartphone or some kind of smart watch so it can be quite easy to see how much you have moved, or not as the casa may be.

Apps can track exactly how many steps you’ve walked, calories you’ve burnt and distance travelled. This is a great way to see just how much you have done or need to do.

These will also track movement like cleaning the van or cooking. During a deep clean of the van a few weeks ago I moved just under 1km and burnt 278 calories. It really is surprising the kind of workout you get from keeping things clean.

Caravan Show Guest Raise Money For Local Cancer Charity

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By William Coleman

Visitors to the UK’s largest free caravan and motorhome show in Shrewsbury have generously contributed £620.28 to a local cancer charity.

The money was collected by volunteers from the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund at the West Midlands Caravan & Motorhome New 2020 Model Show, hosted by Salop Leisure from September 28 to October 6.

The charity has launched a £105,000 appeal to fund two EBUS scopes that help with the diagnosis of lung cancer. The new machines will reduce the need for invasive surgery, meaning the process and outcome are quicker for the patient.

The two scopes will be used at the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

For the second year running, volunteers from the charity served tea and coffee to customers over both weekends of the show.

“We are really grateful to Salop Leisure for their continued support,” said Lizzy Coleman, Lingen Davies Cancer Fund’s events and fundraising officer. “The caravan event allows us to raise awareness of the charity and collect vital funds for local cancer services.

“Our charity covers Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Mid Wales and people came from these areas and much farther afield to attend the show.

We are striving to engage with local businesses, so it’s a really positive step for us to be working with Salop Leisure.”

Ed Glover, Salop Leisure’s marketing manager, said the company was delighted to raise money for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund, which does so much good work supporting cancer patients across Shropshire and Mid Wales.

Proof The Young Are Flocking To Touring

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By William Coleman

There is no denying that we are seeing a huge rise in younger people entering the caravan holiday world but now it seems the young folk are actually choosing careers within the industry too. A Lakeland holiday park will be training its new staff in wildlife conservation during winter’s closed season.

Two keen walkers have taken a step forward in their tourism careers after joining the Lake District’s multi-award winning Skelwith Fold caravan park.

Sophy Nelson and Lauren Thompson are the latest recruits to the park’s customer service team which is being strengthened after one of its busiest summers to date.

Although the 450-pitch park will shut in late November for its three month winter closure, family business member Henry Wild says it’s an ideal time to take on new staff:

“Unlike some tourism businesses, parks have many different dimensions – and twelve weeks is an ideal period to provide new members with a thorough grounding,” he said.

“As well as conventional admin training, we like getting all staff involved in our conservation work at the park which we regard as an extremely important aspect of what we do.

“So I’m sure Sophy and Lauren will also be helping with our winter feeding programme for deer, monitoring our red squirrel population, and creating new wildlife habitats,” added Henry.

The park’s raft of environmental initiatives in its 130-acre grounds has once again won it this year the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level.

Both of Skelwith Fold’s new team members live in Cumbria and have gained hospitality experience at leading Lake District hotels after leaving local schools.

Henry Wild, whose family business has owned the park for over 20 years, said he expected more staff appointments to be made over the coming months.

All aspects of the park’s operations had fared extremely well this year, he said, including sales of holiday caravans, and glamping in safari tents and luxury woodland hideaways.

Demand for touring pitches was also high, he reported, with motorhomes overtaking in volume the number of touring caravans drawing into the park.

There is more information about Skelwith Fold Caravan Park at www.skelwith.com

Big Wins At The Mid Wales Tourism Awards

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By William Coleman

A family-run touring caravan and camping site based four miles from Builth Wells, which has seen a 20% increase in visitors in the past year, celebrated winning an award at the inaugural Mid Wales Tourism Awards.

Forest Fields at Hundred House won the Best Holiday Park, Camping or Touring Award, sponsored by Salop Leisure, at a glittering awards ceremony held at The Hafren, Newtown, which was attended by Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas. Compere was Welsh tourism personality Jonathan Jones, CBE.
.
The business goes forward to represent Mid Wales at the National Tourism Awards for Wales In May, 2020.

Designed to celebrate and showcase the region’s exceptional tourism industry, the biennial awards were organised and managed by MWT Cymru on behalf of Mid Wales Tourism Forum and supported by Visit Wales, the Welsh Government’s tourism arm. A dedicated Tourism Awards Advisory Group was established specifically to assist with the awards.

Fforest Fields’ directors George and Katie Barstow said: “We are totally delighted to win this award against very stiff competition. It’s a huge accolade for the magnificent team we work with.

“We just love what we do, and it does give us delight to share Fforest Fields with our customers. People come and find peace and kids find confidence by roaming free.”

Fforest Fields is rated five pennants by the AA, which also awarded it Campsite of The Year for Wales in 2016-17, whilst Visit Wales has awarded the site a five-star grading this year.

The Barstow family, who own the site, aims to work hard to set a new standard for five-star campsites, where the focus is on fantastic facilities alongside a genuine, caring and relaxed approach to site management.

The bee-friendly site has also held a David Bellamy Gold Award for more than 20-years and the Special Interest Award – the highest Bellamy accolade for special environmental concern – twice.

Regularly welcoming international visitors, the family focuses a portion of its marketing on the Dutch, German and Irish markets. Key targets markets have been identified for social media and advertising.

A member of MWT Cymru, Fforest Fields is deeply committed to partnerships with other local businesses. The 120-pitch campsite is set in the middle of a 500-acre farm with walks and adventures in every direction and two lakes – one for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding and the other for fishing.

“We want our visitors to lose themselves in the Fforest Fields experience, to step away from the problems and hassles of their everyday life and to remember to take pleasure in simple, basic things such as sleeping outdoors, sitting around a fire, spending time with family or swimming in open water with the sun or rain beating down on their backs,” said the Barstow family.

The family works with Anytime Booking to run its online booking system and the Barstows are focused on promoting the region to put Mid Wales on the map as a ‘go to’ destination.

Fforest Fields attracts up to 15,000 visitors to Mid Wales every year – visitors increased by more than 20% last year – with school holidays the peak periods and average stays increasing from two to three nights. There is now a focus to increase visitors in the shoulder and winter months.

Runners up for the award were Islawrffordd Caravan Park, Talybont, Barmouth and Maesmawr Farm Resort, Caersws.

Granted an Awards Trust Mark by the Independent Awards Standards Council, the awards were open to all businesses, organisations and individuals who contribute to tourism within Mid Wales.

MWT Cymru is the regional destination marketing and membership organisation for Powys, Ceredigion and Meirionnydd district of Southern Snowdonia. As a not-for-profit social enterprise company, MWT Cymru supports and represents more than 550 tourism businesses and organisations across the region.

The Club Call Centre Strikes Gold

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By William Coleman

The Caravan and Motorhome Club have taken home the gold award at the UKCCF National Awards. The Club’s contact centre won the ‘Medium Contact Centre of the Year’ category at the event held at the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in the Stadium MK, (home of the MK Dons) on Friday 25th October.

If you have ever had to call your broadband or mobile phone provider you know that it can sometimes be a little bit challenging. So knowing that your Club has an award winning contact centre just makes being a member even easier.

The Club won the strongly contested category for contact centres with 50-200 seats, beating competition from other finalists including Ikano Bank, Policy Expert and Yopa.

Peter Martin, head of operations, membership services at the Caravan and Motorhome Club was present to collect the award; he said: “We are delighted to receive this award, which is a wonderful recognition of the hard work of all those involved.

Not only from those answering the phones on a daily basis and providing the excellent customer service expected by our members and potential members, but also all of the back office support teams, our team leaders and centre managers. I would also like to thank the rest of the Club, as without their support this would not have been possible.”

Caravan and Motorhome Club call centre employees are required to promote and sell a range of the Club’s services and products, handle member and non-member enquiries and resolve any complaints to the required standards. All staff trained thoroughly to provide excellent customer service at all times.

The UKCCF Awards recognise individual, team and company best practice amongst the UK’s 6000+ contact centres – rewarding innovation, team-working, employee engagement, the delivery of superb Customer Experience and more.

Get Spooky With The Club This Halloween

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By William Coleman

The Camping and Caravanning Club will welcome campers through to the end of the year. Ten Club Sites in the UK will remain open until early January, while 16 more are open all year-round.

Many of these Club Sites are also holding special events to help campers make the most of the festive period.

Darren Whittington, Director of Operations, said: “More Club Members are choosing to camp later in the year and we are extending our site opening periods to accommodate this.
“The Club is committed to ensuring all our sites are well-equipped for winter touring so that they can continue to stay open throughout the entire year.”

What’s more, a number of Club Sites are also embracing the spirit of Christmas. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served at both Blackmore (Worcestershire) and Boroughbridge (North Yorkshire) on Christmas Eve.

Darren added: “Our Club Sites offer a warm, Friendly Club welcomes where campers will be able to really get into the Christmas spirit.”

The Club also has several sites close to Christmas markets that are perfect for a mid-winter break and shopping for gifts, such as Salisbury, Canterbury and Oxford.

Camping in the Forest also has four sites across the UK that are open year-round. These include Bracelands (Forest of Dean), Setthorns (New Forest), Glenmore (Cairngorms National Park) and Postern Hill (Savernake Forest).

In addition to the Christmas camping opportunities, there are several Club Site events for Halloween. The Site Team at Winchcombe in Gloucestershire is hosting a number of Halloween-themed events throughout the October half-term. A spooky treasure hunt, a ‘pimp-your-pumpkin’ session, and a competition for the spookiest site pitch are just some of the activities to expect.

In Worcestershire, Blackmore Club Site is holding its annual Halloween party on 2nd November, which will include ghoulish games and a prize for the best fancy dress costume.

The following sites are open throughout the year:

  • Blackmore, Worcestershire
  • Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire
  • Canterbury, Kent
  • Chertsey, Surrey
  • Conkers, Derbyshire
  • Delamere Forest, Cheshire
  • Devizes, Wiltshire
  • Hertford, Hertfordshire
  • Keswick, Cumbria
  • Kingsbury Water Park, West Midlands
  • Loch Ness Shores, Scotland
  • Moffat, Scotland
  • Oxford, Oxfordshire
  • Tavistock, Devon
  • Teversal, Nottinghamshire
  • Theobalds Park, Hertfordshire

Club Sites with extended opening include:

  • Bellingham, Northumberland: Closes 5 January 2020
  • Braithwaite Fold, Lake District: Closes 2 January 2020
  • Cheddar, Somerset: Closes 5 January 2020
  • Derwentwater, Lake District: Closes 2 January 2020
  • Polstead, Suffolk: Closes 6 January 2020
  • Salisbury, Wiltshire: Closes 3 January 2020
  • Sandringham, Norfolk: Closes 6 January 2020
  • Scone, Perthshire: Closes 2 January 2020
  • Winchcombe, Gloucestershire: Closes 6 January 2020
  • Windermere, Lake District: Closes 14 January 2020

    • For more information on all of the winter camping on UK Club Sites visit Year Round Sites.