28 Saturday Jun 2014
What’s new for 2014/2015?
Winter is the perfect time to escape the UK and tour warmer climates; pitch your motorhome close to vibrant cities, tranquil countryside, beautiful beaches or incredible landmarks.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
28 Saturday Jun 2014
Posted in Places
Have been in Manchester this week and am reminded once again what a great place it is to visit with numerous parks and mini-villages within the city.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
26 Thursday Jun 2014
Posted in Technical
Google Inc says the first cars running Android Auto will hit showrooms later this year, after the Internet search giant signed on 40 auto-industry partners for its car-software development alliance.
Executives demonstrated to developers how Android Auto acts like an extension of its popular mobile phone software and will be completely voice-enabled, allowing drivers to navigate maps and send messages while behind the wheel.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Chris Reese)
Source http://www.reuters.com
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
23 Monday Jun 2014
Posted in History
Tags
Andrea Bishop, Angela Willis, Beaulieu, charabancs, Christopher Macgowan, First World War, motorhomenews, National Motor Museum, The Caravan Club
The National Motor Museum Trust, Beaulieu, will commemorate the centenary of the First World War in a forthcoming project, Caravans and Charabancs – Leisure Motoring After the First World War. The Trust has been awarded £97,200 by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to undertake this innovative project over a two-year period.
Caravans and Charabancs will explore the untold legacy of this devastating conflict, charting how accelerated social and technological developments in wartime led to a revolution in leisure motoring in the decades that followed. A programme of community events, exhibitions and social media campaigns will encourage the public to engage with previously unseen aspects of the National Motor Museum’s Designated Photographic Collection and that of The Caravan Club Collection.
HLF funding will also enable the Museum to purchase and preserve a unique private collection of over 400 historic photographs and postcards featuring charabancs, the forerunner to the long distance coach, which offered affordable day trips to the British public. This collection will be integral in telling the little-known story of the First World War’s influence on post-war leisure motoring.
“As the war ended, those that returned home often did so with new ambitions and a bonus in their back pocket. Many were introduced to motor vehicles on the battlefield, and some were inspired to put their new-found skills to good use in peacetime”, explains Curator of The Caravan Club Collection, Angela Willis.
“Ex-war vehicles and surplus parts were sold off by the government at knock-down prices. These became the building blocks of charabancs and trailer caravans, fulfilling the demand for leisure journeys into the next decade.”
The National Motor Museum’s Director of Collections Andrea Bishop said: “The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund is supporting this community-based project which enables us to participate in the First World War commemorations. We look forward to engaging with new audiences as we explore and develop our Designated Collections, and to working with all project partners, including The Caravan Club.”
For more information visit HERE
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
19 Thursday Jun 2014
Posted in Exhibitions and Shows
Bikers everywhere will be kick-starting their engines on Sunday 13th July and heading for the fifth annual Motorcycle Ride-In Day at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.
Jump on your bike and take a trip through the stunning New Forest to Beaulieu. Display your bike in the attraction’s picturesque parkland, meet other like-minded enthusiasts, and enjoy the Beaulieu attraction, all for a fantastic on-the-day price of £10 rider and bike, £15 with pillion, less if purchased in advance.
Watch amazing tricks and stunts in performances from 3 times British Trials Champion, Steve Colley, as well as the incredible Solent Eagles, children’s motorcycle display team.
Don’t miss the National Motor Museum’s new permanent display, The Motorcycle Story, a journey through motorcycling history with machines displayed in their historical and cultural context, from some of the earliest examples of motorcycles to the latest racing machines. The display is accompanied by artefacts including clothing worn and trophies won by sporting greats in displays which cover varied racing disciplines as well as road safety, British ‘Mods and Rockers’ youth culture of the 1950s and 60s and the Ace Café scene.
Check out the display’s Motorcycling Icons Wall of Fame, a gallery featuring the top twenty riders, as voted for by the public in a recent poll. Has someone been missed, is your favourite there? If not – make sure you vote for the person you would like to see on the wall.
Browse a number of trade stands selling accessories, clothing, parts and all the latest biking gadgets. There will also be refreshments available all day from the Brabazon Restaurant and various catering units in the parkland. As always, visitors to Beaulieu will be asked to vote for their favourite bike in the People’s Choice Awards and in the afternoon, the winner will be presented with a coveted Beaulieu Trophy.
Advance participant tickets are available to purchase at £6 per rider and bike, £12 with pillion, by telephone: 01590 612888 or online HERE
Event spectators should enter via the Main Entrance Hall at Beaulieu’s standard attraction admission rates. Admission to the event includes entry to the whole Beaulieu Attraction. For further information, please CLICK HERE
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
16 Monday Jun 2014
Posted in General
The Tour de France goes past my house so the road is being resurfaced in preparation for the spectacle – which will doubtless attract large numbers of motorhomes just as it does in France.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
15 Sunday Jun 2014
Posted in Sites
I enjoyed staying here – in Feuilleres between Albert and Peronne in a village setting and a high standard of facilities and a bar in the early evening which made the summer evenings even more agreeable.
A two and a half hour amble from Calais.
Page 302 of The Caravan Club 2014 Europe guide to France.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
08 Sunday Jun 2014
It was VERY warm in Albert this week – absolutely gorgeous. It is not a large town but a great place to visit with its famous church and if, like me, you have an interest in WW1 history it is absolutely the right place to start from. No matter how many times I visit it remains a humbling experience – and rightly so.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
06 Friday Jun 2014
I have an interest in WW1 history and a good starting point is Albert, France. Camp Municipal du Vélodrome is an attractive site in the town and well worth a try.
Details are on page 132 of The Caravan Club 2014 Caravan Europe guide to France.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
06 Friday Jun 2014
MOTORHOMENEWS 