by Dan Hughes
Cheshire caravan site takes the top stop in Sites in Bloom awards
The Chester Fairoaks Caravan Club Site in Cheshire was in full bloom when the judges of Sites in Bloom came around earlier this year.
Although the site wardens, Becky and Simon Allen, were previously aware of their win, they were recognised on Tuesday night earlier this week at the official award ceremony which took place in the House of Commons, Parliament House.
The beautiful estate is surrounded by a border of oak trees and just a short drive from the peaceful walled city of Chester. It also features a bright floral presentation that according to judges:
“Makes the reception area look like a country cottage garden, including traditional rose bushes, ornamental grasses and the friendly faces of pansies,” they commented.
The Sites in Bloom Awards date back to 2003 where Executive Member and Caravan Club Life Member, the late Alan Payne OBE, wanted to recognise sites around the UK for their elegance, beauty and horticultural skills. Site wardens and volunteers work all year round to create new concepts of flowers and breath-taking presentation for their estate every year.
Caravan Club Chairman, Grenville Chamberlain presented site wardens, Simon and Becky with the Alan Payne Trophy for their fantastic horticultural achievement.
“We knew we would have a good chance because everybody commented throughout the year how nice we were and when we found out we won the award it really just confirmed what everybody had been saying, it was very nice,” Simon told CaravanTimes.
Wife, Becky continued: “You can’t say that you’re going to win it and we’re still shocked,” commented Becky, still surprised.
By working with the community, the couple hope to continue to grow their site and hopefully win the award two years in a row, admittedly, they are feeling the pressure:
“Where we are we try to work with the local community to get offers for members when they stay at our site,” Simon went on. “We have to make more hard work for next year, we’ve got more to live up to now, the expectations are there now so we just have to carry it on.”
Secretary of state for culture, media and sport and MP for Bromsgrove, the Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid was also on hand to preside over proceedings at Westminster Palace on Tuesday and recognised the invaluable contribution caravans and motorhomes made to the UK economy.
“It’s a really serious industry and one that deserves recognition and gratitude. The Caravan Club has almost one million members – almost twice as many as all the major political parties put together,” Javid said.
“Britain spent some 16million nights in tents, caravans and motorhomes last year, spending almost £2.5billion and almost a fifth of that was by members of The Caravan Club,” the MP continued.
He went on: “The rise in the popularity of caravans is very good news; It’s good news for CL and site owners and it’s great news for the British economy and, indeed, for the whole country – unless of course you’re Jeremy Clarkson.”
CaravanTimes congratulates Simon and Becky Allen for their award winning Caravan Club Site and look forward to seeing what they have in store for next season.
Becky and Simon weren’t the only winners on the night, however, with the award for The Caravan Club’s CL location of the year award being presented too. To read more about that, click here.
