Attitude, not age to blame for bad driving

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The AA has suggested that young drivers can be unfairly branded as dangerous drivers when, in truth, age has nothing to do with the increased risk of accident.

Instead it is the novelty of having a new car and trying to impress friends that often adds danger to the situation.

Head of road safety Andrew Howard explained that bad driving often came down to the driver’s attitude and suggested that there should be more focus on educating people against using their car as a means of “self-expression”.

“We need to be talking to people who are 13 and 14 about developing the right attitudes towards driving, not leaving it until [they’re] 17,” he said.

“There is a wonderful quote in one of our pieces of research in the 90s which said that young drivers drive badly not because they don’t know how to drive well but because they choose to drive badly.”

The comments follow statistics from The Co-Operative Insurance and Brake, which show that almost a third (30 per cent) of young drivers admit to dangerous or illegal driving.

Driving can be a useful skill for young people – especially if they plan to explore the UK or Europe in a caravan.

Holidaymakers beginning to ‘go it alone’

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The number of holidaymakers touring the UK and Europe by caravan on their own could be set to increase after ebookers.com suggested that solo travel is becoming more popular.

It revealed that the recession has influenced the market, with 15 per cent going it alone due to a lack of available finances from friends and family.

Commenting, Solotravel.org editor Anthony Page said the trend will only become more apparent, with a number of firms now offering tailored trips for one.

He said those heading off on their own should ensure someone knows where they are going and what their travel plans are in order to remain safe.

“When booking on tour or adventure group holidays make sure you call the operator beforehand to find out about the group dynamic, for example whether most people are in couples et cetera – this way you can ensure you are with other solos,” Mr Page advised.

The expert predicted that certain destinations were good for specific interest trips and gave the example of France for surfing.

Caravan Club and RSPB celebrate 5 years of partnership

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This week marks the fifth anniversary of the union between the Caravan Club and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The partnership has seen the Caravan Club take an active role in helping to reverse the decline of the feathered creatures in the UK.

With more than 200 sites, the organisation offers its members the chance to explore wildlife hotspots all around the country and spokesperson Emma Cosby explained that it is committed to boosting biodiversity.

The club is particularly concerned with protecting the song thrush after it agreed to become a champion for the bird.

It has assisted the RSPB financially and created bird provisions at many of its sites around the UK.

The latest RSPB figures show that song thrush numbers have risen 25 per cent since the mid-1990s, helping to reverse the long-term decline.

The organisation revealed that British Trust for Ornithology data shows that song thrush numbers fell by 50 per cent in the UK between 1974 and 2003.

North-east business group expands caravan operation

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A group of businesses in the north-east is set to expand its caravan operations thanks to a growth in the market.

According to the Northern Echo, Teeside’s Hambleton Group will significantly increase its caravan storage space.

Work has begun to create room for a further 700 units at the Thornaby site, bringing total capacity to 1,000 caravans.

The group’s Teeside Warehousing has enjoyed a constant waiting list for its facilities since it opened.

“Caravans are a massive business and in the last two years it has grown rapidly,” explained manager Lisa Pluves.

“Caravanning has become more popular and within a lot of local authority areas or new housing developments, you cannot park caravans on your drive,” she revealed.

Ms Pluves added that the last expansion was a decade ago and was filled within months.

Caravan parks in the area include the White Water Caravan Club site in Stockton-on-Tees, which is part of the UK’s largest white water canoeing and rafting course.

Coventry caravan enthusiasts mourn industry pioneer

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The Midlands camping and caravan industry is mourning the death of one of its pioneers.

Catherine Jackson co-founded Jacksons of Old Arley with her husband Ronald in 1963, but has passed away at the age of 86, according to the Coventry Telegraph.

Originally from Scotland, the couple married in 1945 and began selling sleeping bags more than 50 years ago.

The firm is now run by their son Harry and daughters Theresa and Mary and caters for outdoor enthusiasts such as camping and caravan fans.

Harry described how his parents started out after seeing a newspaper article to sell sleeping bags for commission of one shilling and sixpence per transaction.

“That was the start of it. My father saw a niche in the market and, after moving to Nuneaton, my parents settled into Old Arley, where they opened their first camping shop,” he explained.

The funeral will be held tomorrow (November 18th), but the family has requested that anyone wishing to pay their respects donate cash to Mary Ann Evans Hospice and the Marie Curie Trust rather than sending flowers.

Meanwhile, the Northern Echo recently revealed that a Teeside caravan storage business is trebling its capacity due to levels of demand.

Park Holidays UK gives away caravan

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One lucky Brit is the proud owner of a new Delta Santana caravan after Park Holidays UK handed her the keys to the mobile home.

Doreen Cole won the caravan site operator’s Win a Caravan Competition and now has her very own holiday home at the firm’s Seawick Holiday Park in Essex.

Park Holidays UK operations director Ian Smith surprised Mrs Cole with the news of the win in an unexpected phone call.

“We’re extremely happy to bring Doreen so much joy and it’s therefore pretty clear that good things can happen to good people,” the firm said, adding that holidaymakers should be sure to enter its 2010 contest.

The Delta Santana is a 30ft by 12 ft model that is billed as being ideal for families.

Mrs Cole explained that she plans to bring her grandchild to the caravan park, which is located on a sandy beach, for regular holidays.

In other news, the firm recently announced that it will be offering a number of deals for the May bank holidays and July and August 2010.

Caravan occupant rescued after vehicle blown into river

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Three occupants of a caravan had a lucky escape recently when their wind-and-rain-battered mobile holiday home was blown over a wall and into a river.

The incident on the A4086 at Afon Nant Peris occurred as harsh weather pounded north Wales, the Daily Post revealed.

It explained how one of the trio was unable to scramble to safety and had to rely on the efforts of the local fire service to rescue him.

The men were all taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital, Bangor, to be medically examined but there were no injuries.

“The three men were staying in the caravan in a lay-by on the pass. It was blown over the wall by the wind and into the river below,” a spokesperson for North Wales Fire and Rescue explained.

She added that there had also been a landslide in the area, which was causing problems with the roads.

The Met Office warned on Friday (November 13th) that the UK should expect heavy rain and gale-force winds this week.

Coastal caravan guests could try diving

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Caravan enthusiasts staying at one of the UK’s many coastal resorts could have world-class sporting facilities within easy reach without even knowing it.

That is because the 11,000 miles of coastline offer scuba diving that is equal to any destination in the world, according to the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC).

Spokesperson Alison Dando said that those taking part in diving experience a “completely new environment”.

“There are so many places and, for UK divers, we all have our favourite and I think you will never run out of places to dive,” she said.

A BSAC members’ poll in 2008 found that Scapa Flow in Orkney was the favourite site among British divers.

Visitors to the area can see a fleet of around 12 German vessels scuttled during the second world war.

Meanwhile, the organisation recently revealed that its Try Dive sessions in September and October attracted almost double the number of people they did last year.

Five-star caravan clubs on the rise, Visit Britain figures show

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Nearly one in five of the sites run by the Camping and Caravan Club (CCC) have now been given five stars on the Tourist Board ratings from Visit Britain.

In another successful year for the club, both its Delamere Forest site in Cheshire and its Cannock Chase site in Staffordshire have been given five stars, taking its number of top-rated caravan holiday destinations up to 19, out of a total of 109 across the UK.

At the same time, Bakewell, Dartmoor Barley Meadow, Derwentwater and Tavistock have all been given four stars by Visit Britain, meaning 83 per cent of the CCC’s network now boasts either a four or a five-star status.

Welcoming the news, director Bob Hill said: “This is not just great news for the individual sites but also for the club as a whole, which is continuing to move from strength-to-strength.

“These ratings provide the reassurance campers and caravanners need about what to expect before they arrive.”

Other five-star sites include Hereford, Barnard Castle, Scarborough and Windermere.

This comes soon after the CCC announced that 24 of its sites are to remain open over the Christmas and New Year period.

APD to reduce foreign holidays

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The number of Brits deciding to take a caravan holiday in the UK could rise as a result of an increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) – a tax that some claim is stifling growth of the country’s travel industry.

According to Euromonitor International, the levy is inhibiting the sector, with its effects worsened by the recently increased rate which came into place on November 1st.

Global travel and tourism manager for the firm Caroline Bremner explained that other nations have realised that the tax is costing them and decided to ditch it.

“For example, the Netherlands abandoned the APD this year because it saw that it was losing revenue,” she said.

Ms Bremner added that the internet was becoming a major tool for holidaymakers, with online bookings rising by four per cent this year.

However, the market as a whole is expected to shrink by one per cent during 2009, the expert noted.

Her comments follow a World Travel Market survey which found that 52 per cent of Brits are likely to reduce their overseas holidays as a result of the increase in APD.

Brits urged to give caravans winter clean

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Caravan and motorhome enthusiasts have been urged to prepare their units for winter by performing some maintenance and taking preventative steps.

According to Greentrees Adventure Store, British winters can be harsh on mobile holiday homes and owners should take care of them to help keep them in tip top condition for as long as possible.

Those who have travelled a lot this year might need to put a bit of extra effort in to ensure wear and tear is taken care of.

Everyone should start off by washing the caravan’s exterior, ideally with a flow-through brush that extends to help reach hard to get to places.

Some may decide to invest in overwintering protection to help prevent the build-up of green algae and moss.

“Additional caravanning accessories such as awnings and gazebos also need maintenance after surviving a year on the road,” explained spokeswoman Anneka Barker.

She added that these too are vulnerable to algae build-up over winter and should be thoroughly cleaned and dried before storage.

Finally, the firm suggested that a water-resistant cover could be a good idea for the caravan, providing an extra layer of protection, while allowing the vehicle to breathe.

Meanwhile, the Guardian has lavished praise on TV show Top Gear, which is set for a new series featuring an airship made out of a caravan.

Caravan owners left waiting on court decision

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A number of caravan owners who bought their mobile homes on the understanding that they could live in them all year round have been left hanging by the court.

According to the Daily Gazette, residents at Haven Village in Brightlingsea were not made aware that the site closes for the winter between December and February.

London high court judge Mr Justice Jack elected to reserve his final decision on the matter and the owners must now await written judgement.

In order to win the right to stay at the site from December to February, the residents must apply for planning permission from Tendring district council.

However, the site’s operators said to grant them permission would be a breach of local planning policy.

“We are still where we were before. The judgement leaves it open for us to apply for planning permission,” residents’ spokeswoman Jacqueline Morris told the newspaper.

“We are disappointed. The uncertainty continues and it is very stressful.”

Meanwhile, Newbury Today revealed that police are treating a fire in a disused caravan as suspicious – the fourth suspicious blaze in the town in five days.