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MOTORHOMENEWS

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

MOTORHOMENEWS

Monthly Archives: July 2012

The Caravan Club’s Barleylands Olympic site opens today!

27 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

≈ 1 Comment

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Barleylands, Billericay, Christopher Macgowan, Events, motorhomenews, Olympics, The Caravan Club

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Barleylands opens today and is already filling up. Olympics fever has finally gripped the nation! And it’s a very good site indeed within ten minutes of Billericay station which is on the Stratford line and with all sorts of things to do at Barleylands itself. EHU is available and it is, as you would expect, all very well laid out and professionally managed. Most enjoyable.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

The Weather!

20 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in This and That

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Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews, The Camping and Caravanning Club, The Caravan Club

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Well at least the snow was mainly confined to January!!

With today’s announcement that The Camping and Caravanning Club is cancelling its national event (NFOL) just as The Caravan Club cancelled its National, there is ample evidence around that the weather has conspired to make 2012 one of the most difficult years on record. Caravanners and motorhomers seem united in the view that 2012 looks like being a worse year than the foot and mouth year.

I am hoping for a brighter August and September in the UK!!

Meantime, I will continue to tour in continental Europe and follow the sunshine – and the favourable £ € exchange rate!!

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

NORMANDY HOLIDAY HOMES.

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in General

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caravan, Caravan Times, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Diana Johnson MP, Hull, Jack Beresford, motorhomenews, Normandy Holiday Homes, VAT

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Caravan tax and wet summer put Normandy Holiday Homes at risk.
SOURCE: Caravan Times
by Jack Beresford

Normandy Holiday Homes Ltd, a company synonymous with the manufacture of static caravans, has become the latest firm within the industry to suffer from serious financial hardship after it was announced that the company had been placed into administration. The move comes after the business, which is based in Hull, experienced a notable slump in export orders from across Europe, with the decline linked to the ongoing eurozone crisis, which has broadly affected spending in the region.

This combined with financial difficulties for other caravan component manufacturers and reduced supplier demands to create a set of economic conditions that made it difficult for Normandy Holiday Homes to operate in, resulting in a steep 40 per cent drop-off in sales. Last week, the firm was forced to make 19 redundancies and as many as 25 more jobs could now also be under threat, with joint administrators Andrew Mackenzie and Bob Maxwell of Begbies Traynor admitting job losses were likely.

“We are actively marketing the business for sale, however the reality of the situation is that further redundancies are inevitable as the business simply can’t pay the wages of the staff at present,” Mr Mackenzie said. “Our focus now is to recover as much of the creditors’ funds as we can, as well as ensuring as many of the workforce as possible remain employed.”

The story echoes that of another Hull-based caravan maker, Willerby Holiday Homes, which earlier this month was forced to cut 193 jobs from a workforce of almost 700 amid growing economic gloom for the UK industry. Both firms have suffered in the wake of a dreadful summer for the UK holiday park and caravan retailer industry, with unit sales proving weak in the face of poor weather conditions, which have seen some sites close for the season amid waterlogged conditions.

Next year could prove equally tough, with plans afoot to introduce a standard five per cent rate of VAT on static caravans from April 2013.

While a step down from the previously proposed rate of 20 per cent, Hull MP Diana Johnson has already warned that the charge will put the industry and the jobs within it at further risk.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

Honfleur.

09 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Places

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Tags

chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Honfleur, motorhome, motorhomenews, Normandy

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Honfleur in Normandy is a gem.

Loads to do, plenty of shops, more restaurants than you could ever visit, a lovely marina and, of course, very motorhome friendly with one site within 500 metres of the centre.

And steeped in history.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

Le Mont St-Michel

08 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Places

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aire, Ardevon, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Le Mont St-Michel, Mont Saint Michel, motorhomenews

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Very much enjoying Le Mont St-Michel although I must say the new and very splendid parking arrangements are distinctly NOT user friendly.

There are loads of spaces for motorhomes and that is brilliant but it is the shuttle bus arrangements which are so poor. Far from being park and ride this is more park, flog yourself to death walking to the unnamed and unclear bus stop, ride, flog yourself to death walking to the wonderful building itself!! In the old days you could park on the beach and stroll in; now due to environmental and coastal erosion considerations it is all very military and the last person to be considered is the paying guest.

Amusingly, the vast parking area has far more prominent lighting at night than does the place itself!!

Nonetheless, still worth a visit! And France’s third largest visitor attraction by visitor numbers!!

We happened on an aire in Ardevon with new loo facilities and an excellent motorhome service point and EHU (low ampage). La Bidonniere, 5 route de la Rive, 50170 Ardevon. You can also stay overnight in the main carpark at Le Mont St-Michel. Daytime motorhome parking was €12.50 and 24 hour parking was €25.00 with bus transfers and Le Mont entrance all thrown in within the price.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

Criel Sur Mer near Le Treport in Normandy

06 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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Camping, Camping Les Mouettes, campsite, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Criel sur Mer, France, Le Treport, motorhomenews, Normandy

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Camping Les Mouettes is a great spot for a stay. Firstly it is terraced on the side of a hill so you get a great sea view and secondly it has first class newly installed unisex facilities. Pitches are grass and a decent size – the only thing missing was a motorhome service point but, as you know, these are available in almost every village anyway so it is not a problem. In fact we called in at an aire on our way to Le Treport the next day and gave the motorhome a bit of an overhaul.

We are enjoying a delightful tour from Calais to Le Mont St-Michel in fine weather.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

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