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MOTORHOMENEWS

~ A personal take by Christopher Macgowan on tourism, travel and motorhomes.

MOTORHOMENEWS

Monthly Archives: April 2012

CL of the year awards 2011.

17 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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Boston, Certificated Location, Chairman, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, CL, Grenville Chamberlain, Lincolnshire, motorhomenews, RAF Coningsby, The Caravan Club, Tony and Maria Potts, Walnut Lakes CL

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Walnut Lakes Certificated Location (CL), in Algarkirk, Boston, Lincolnshire, has been awarded first-place in The Caravan Club’s CL of the Year Awards 2011, voted for by Club members and presented at the House of Commons on Tuesday 16 April.

Walnut Lakes owners Tony and Maria Potts received their award from Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Shadow Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, during The Club’s annual Parliamentary Reception.

Certificated Locations are privately-owned, maximum 5-van sites found across the UK, many in idyllic and remote locations on farms, country estates and beside inns, which can provide a valuable, additional income stream for local communities. These awards are presented at the House of Commons in recognition of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act (1960) which enables The Caravan Club to grant certificates to landowners to operate CLs.

Tony and Maria have run Walnut Lakes CL for five years, and they absolutely love it! The CL is for adults-only – because of the lakes – having previously owned a campsite they wanted to accommodate caravanners in a less formal way to complement their existing holiday lodge and fishing lake enterprise.

Around 30% of their CL visitors go for the fishing, but most visit to enjoy the beautiful surrounding Lincolnshire area whilst appreciating the lakeside pitching with the calming views over the water.

Another added bonus to this scenic site is the regular fly-pasts by Lancaster Bombers and Spitfires, located at RAF Coningsby, which are en-route to shows across the country. Maria Potts says, ‘they are an amazing sight’.

With regular public transport to the local village, the CL is great for motorhomers, and the flat terrain makes it ideal for cycling and walking. Most first-time visitors are amazed at what the area has to offer. The local award-winning village of Sutterton is a mile’s walk away, it has two pubs, a restaurant, fish and chip shop, a church and a duck pond. Frampton Wash RSPB Reserve is a flat, three-mile cycle ride away down the lanes and it attracts birdwatchers from across the country. Spalding, five miles away, holds a world-famous Tulip Parade; one of the biggest events of the year in that area, and there are many other events for tourists including a regular farmers market.

Caravan Club Chairman, Grenville Chamberlain, commented: “The Caravan Club’s unique 2,500-strong CL network is hugely popular with Club members. Each and every CL is a gem in the jewelled crown of the overall sites network. CL owners are to be congratulated on their commitment to providing our members with a warm welcome and an exceptional place to enjoy their caravanning.”

The awards didn’t stop there, Hillcroft Certificated Location in Kilgetty, near Saundersfoot, Wales was awarded second place in the awards.

Hillcroft CL owners, Bruce and Ann Regimbal have been operating their CL since 2000, and this is the third time they have taken national honours, being placed third in 2004 and 2008. The CL is open all year and the Regimbals commented that there are definitely more people venturing out and about at all times of the year.

“We are absolutely thrilled to come second in these national awards,” says Bruce. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank members for voting for us. After 12 years of running the site, we are still thoroughly enjoying it. And we would like to reassure everyone that when we are away our site minder, Mr Beaky, is still going strong and whistling at the ladies!” (NB Mr Beaky is the pet parrot of a regular member and a local site celebrity!).

And finally, another Lincolnshire Certificated Location was Honoured, with Keal Lodge Certificated Location taking third place.

Owners Keith and Alison Rogers also received their third-place award during The Club’s Parliamentary Reception.

Keal Lodge CL is only a five-minute walk from the pretty, historic Lincolnshire village of Deeping St James with its pubs and restaurants, good local shops and riverside walks along the river Welland. The area has so much to offer; varied rolling countryside, quiet relaxing riverside walks to the local village, nearby is the most gorgeous of towns – Stamford, and from the site there is easy access to glorious Rutland Water. The site has fully serviced pitches, is open all year and offers WiFi access.

Alison Rogers says, “We knew we were doing something a bit different with our site, but the response from members who stay has been exceptional.”

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

Burrs Country Park.

15 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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Burrs Country Park, Bury, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, East Lancashire Railway, motorhomenews, The Caravan Club, The Garsdale

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Earlier in the week I was at The Caravan Club’s Burrs Country Park in Bury Lancashire. It’s a big site with 85 pitches and is very very popular. And if you like steam trains the East Lancashire Railway passes along the northern perimeter of the site; I like my trains so I think any site which combines my passions for touring and trains gets my vote! Ten minutes walk from the site entrance in the country park is The Garsdale pub (you pass it on your way in through the park) and I enjoyed an excellent meal there; Thursday night is quiz night which once again confirmed that I never know the answer to ANY of the questions!!!

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

The Covert at Swaffham in Norfolk.

15 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews, Norfolk, The Caravan Club, The Covert, The Desert Rats

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I am staying this week at The Covert in Norfolk which has recently seen a significant upgrade by The Caravan Club. This is a site for walkers as it is set in Forestry Commission woodland, is quiet and secluded with a very wide choice of pitches in open glades. Lots of wildlife as you would expect and, as you would also expect, the site is beautifully maintained. I think when it comes to sites I am in the Capability Brown school of thinking; I want the perfect setting and the natural wildlife feeling which The Covert demonstrates so ably but I also want that Victorian principle to be demonstrated where it is also all under control as well. I do not need be surrounded by the Carpet Gardens of Eastbourne for instance – not that I have anything against the Carpet Gardens – but I do like well manicured control and tidiness.

Entrance to the site is from the A1065 and must be one of the most impressive entrances on the network as a tank sits on a plinth as part of the memorial to the Desert Rats and what they did, achieved – and sacrificed – during the second World War.

The site has been upgraded with some hard standings and particularly significant is the new roadway replacing the fast deteriorating concrete WW2 runway around which the site is based.

There is no toilet block.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

A Celebration of Touring.

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows, Marketing

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Chelsea Flower Show, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Club Together, Jo Thompson, Lawrence Bate, motorhomenews, RHS, staycation, The Caravan Club

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The Caravan Club has named 2012 ‘A Celebration of Touring’ in order to celebrate caravanning and motorhoming and the joys and benefits that it brings to hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

As part of the celebrations The Club is very pleased to be working with garden designer, Jo Thompson, on a ‘Staycation’ inspired garden called ‘A Celebration of Caravanning’ at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden will promote the benefits of holidaying in the UK and will highlight the enjoyment of touring to a wider audience, promoting both the pleasures of caravanning and The Caravan Club, to the thousands of visitors that will be attending the show between 22 -26 May 2012.

Lawrence Bate, Director of Marketing for The Caravan Club, says, “Caravanning is a very British pursuit, and what better year than 2012 to fly the flag for touring and enjoying England. 2012 will see many visitors to the UK and a caravan or motorhome is a viable accommodation option, which is both flexible and affordable.”

He continues; “The Club already represents over a million members who recognise the positive aspects of touring but The Club hopes that by supporting this garden more people will gain insight into this wonderful leisure pursuit.”

Taking part in such a high profile event will also give The Caravan Club a great opportunity to talk to the national media about the thousands of beautiful gardens across the British Isles, many of which have Club sites nearby. I, for one, am very excited about The Club having such a fantastic presence at such a prestigious and respected event, especially with an extremely talented designer (who has a personal passion for caravans) representing The Club’s interest. I’m sure it will hugely benefit The Club as a whole and I can’t wait to find out how the garden does at the show and view the end result.

About Jo

Jo started her career in garden design in 2005. She is recognised for her unique planting design skills and has been named as one of the 10 rising stars in garden design by House and Garden magazine. She is also a visiting tutor at the London College of Garden Design.

Jo’s no stranger to the Chelsea Flower Show. In 2010 Jo was awarded a gold medal and Best Urban Garden in show for her ‘Unexpected Gardener’, a courtyard garden for the charity Thrive, and, with her love of caravans, she is the perfect designer to be representing the Club at the Chelsea Flower Show.

About our Garden

The Caravan Club’s ‘Celebration of Caravanning’ garden combines the latest colours and planting trends with a practical and useable space. It takes inspiration from a bygone era, of nostalgic family caravanning holidays, a very British past time. This is the first time that a caravan has appeared at the Chelsea Flower show, and The Caravan Club want people to see caravans and caravanning in a different light.

A liberal use of pink and cream roses and peonies soften a fairly geometric and simple layout which is based around a vintage caravan at the far end of the garden.

“This garden was always intended to be a real garden,” Jo says. “A place that people could identify with, recreate at home, a space that you might find at the bottom of your own garden. I hope people find it welcoming with familiar and traditional plants arranged in a fresh way.”

Working with UK craftsmen, Jo’s designs for a water rill, to cool bottles of English sparkling wine, oak benches and a dog kennel echoing the shape of the 1950’s caravan are important British-made details in the garden. As are the cut flowers grown on a smallholding in Somerset which will decorate the interior of the caravan.

I am pleased to announce Jo has agreed to give us regular updates on Club Together, allowing us to follow the progress of The Caravan Club garden. Jo will also be giving us some helpful hints and tips on what we should be doing in our own gardens, invaluable advice from a top designer exclusive to Club Together.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

Beechwood Grange Caravan Club Site, York.

07 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews, The Caravan Club, York

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After all that lovely weather it was a bit damp staying at The Caravan Club’s Beechwood Grange in York this week and an even bigger shock seeing snow on the distant hills!!

None of that mattered however; it is a super site with 115 pitches and was nearly full in the run up to Easter. Excellent WiFi across the whole site and strong TV reception; I am not much of a TV watcher and just have a very standard TV set linked to an equally standard aerial (no Jodrell Bank dish perched on the roof!!) but received an excellent picture.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

A visit to the Swift Group at Cottingham.

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in General

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caravans, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews, motorhomes, Nick Page, parkhomes, Swift, Swift Group

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I was lucky enough today to have a walk round the Swift Group factory at Cottingham near Hull.

This is a substantial operation manufacturing motorhomes, caravans and park homes with a workforce in excess of 700 and with two further manufacturing plants in the area. It is an impressive and modern facility producing one of the widest ranges of products under some of the best known brand names in the industry.

As a long standing automotive industry person myself, UK governments have not always valued and encouraged our very substantial manufacturing base and if nothing else the recession has changed all that as it gradually dawned on the coalition government just how important it is. A visit to Swift by any government minister would demonstrate jobs, investment and innovation on a big scale – something the government wants to see more of and which Swift delivers day after day.

A thoroughly enjoyable and impressive experience!!

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

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