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MOTORHOMENEWS

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

MOTORHOMENEWS

Monthly Archives: August 2015

A brief trip.

30 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Uncategorized

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Belgium, Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews

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A brief trip to Belgium. Is the summer really over?

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

Morn Hill, Winchester.

26 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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Christopher Macgowan, morn Hill, motorhomenews, The Caravan Club, Winchester

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Am staying at The Caravan Club’s Morn Hill site at Winchester. It’s a hugely popular site because Winchester itself is such an attraction and there is bus stop into town about 200 metres from the site entrance. It’s just off the M3 after the Winchester Services.

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

NCC Verified Leisure Battery Scheme to launch at the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015.

26 Wednesday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Technical

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battery, Christopher Macgowan, motorhome, motorhomenews, NCC

  
 
The NCC (National Caravan Council) will officially launch its Verified Leisure Battery Scheme this autumn at the UK’s national leisure vehicle launch show, the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015. The scheme provides product verification for batteries used in leisure vehicles.

 

With modern leisure vehicles featuring more technology and electrical appliances than ever before, buying an NCC verified leisure battery gives consumers confidence that the battery they purchase for use is fit for purpose and will perform as advertised. Also, the NCC will encourage its leisure vehicle member manufacturers to fit NCC verified leisure batteries.

 

Battery verification comes via a comprehensive, industry leading, testing process conducted by suitably certified and audited test houses. Batteries will be verified, and labelled accordingly, into three categories, A,B,C, depending on their capacity and intended purpose.

 

• Category A is for batteries with a higher storage capacity for people who frequently use their caravans or motorhomes away from electrical hook-ups

• Category B batteries are aimed at those who frequently use sites with hook-up facilities, but require a greater battery capacity to operate devices such as motor movers

• Category C is for users that require a lower capacity battery to cover basic operation of their habitation equipment for short periods away from a hook-up

 

David Reid, NCC Standards and Regulations Adviser, said: “The NCC has been aware that consumers could be getting short changed when purchasing a leisure battery because there has been very little guidance on how to match their requirements to the technical specification of the battery. Leisure batteries can cost as much as £200 each so we want to make sure that when people buy a new battery they get a product that is suitable for their caravan or motorhome and suits their lifestyle.  

 

“The scheme is designed to bring transparency to the leisure battery marketplace and help consumers select a product that’s right for them. We already have some of the leading leisure battery brands signed up to the scheme, including Banner, Platinum and Yuasa and will continue to bring more on board in the future.”

 

John Richards, Platinum OE-OES & Specialist Channel Director, said: “We are excited to start working with the NCC moving forward as we believe the NCC Verified Leisure Battery Scheme is right for the industry and our business”.

 

Consumers can find out more about the scheme on the NCC stand (7.12) at the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015, and following its launch from leisure vehicle dealers, leisure vehicle and battery manufacturers and via the NCC website at http://www.thencc.org.uk.  

 

Visitors to the show can also enjoy seeing all the new 2016 leisure vehicle models, exclusive show only deals, new product demonstrations, the Experts’ Theatre, FREE caravan towing and motorhome manoeuvring lessons, browsing hundreds of accessories, free parking and a free show guide – plus kids go free too! To buy tickets (in advance from as little as £7.50 senior/8.50 adult*) and for more information:

 

Visit: http://www.motorhomeandcaravanshow.co.uk

Call: 0844 338 7799

Follow the show on Twitter: twitter.com/NECCaravanShow

Like it on Facebook: facebook.com/neccaravanshow

Download the official show app: itunes.apple.com

Dates: 13 – 18 October 2015 at Birmingham NEC

Christopher Macgowan

 

The big landscape that is France.

22 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in This and That

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Christopher Macgowan, France, landscape, motorhome, motorhomenews

  
The French tour is now over. I love these big landscapes so special to France.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Windows 10 is a lot easier to use.

21 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Technical

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8.1, Christopher Macgowan, Microsoft, motorhome, tablet, Windows 10

 Two of my computers on my network have now been upgraded to Windows 10 and my goodness I’m finding it a lot easier than 8.1. I don’t think I ever quite came to terms with NOT having a start button or tile and was never certain how to move around in 8.1 and there was consequently a lot of trial and error – and that resulted in time wasting.

All is now peace and calm – perhaps my essentially “linear brain” is better suited to the more formal layout and operation of 10.

One surprise. One of the upgrades popped UK English automatically in to the default language matched with the spell checker and thesaurus and so on. The other upgrade made no selection and it took me a while to figure out why the spell checker seemed to be absent even though it was telling me it HAD checked the document – despte it being populated with the usual typos we all make. I then discovered how to download in a seperate download your preferred language and all is now well and the spell checker has something against which to check my typos.

Just the Windows tablet to be done now when Microsoft deem my wait is over and the upgrade commences. Can’t imagine how there could possibly be enough space in the tablet drive to accommodate 10 – I await with interest.

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

A classic France Passion location near Beaune.

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Places, Travel

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beaune, Christopher Macgowan, france passion, motorhome, motorhomenews, vineyard

  
I’m a big fan of France Passion which lets you stay FOC on vineyards, farms and other places too. Here I am on a vineyard outside Beaune – classic France I would say!

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

St Tropez

14 Friday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites, Travel

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beaune, Christopher Macgowan, France, macon, motorhome, motorhomenews, St Tropez

   
    
 
Am spending some time in France and am right now at the amazing KonTiki site on the beach outside St Tropez. It’s a stunning site with brilliant facilities but, above all, it’s the location of course. It is also a mini United Nations with people from all over the place holidaying and enjoying the 30 degrees C and constant sunshine. 

Faye has managed to join me for some of the time. She works full time and for a company that seems not to understand either time zones or holidays. Consequently WiFi and electricity are a bit of a must but I am not altogether certain when AutoSleeper installed a weather proof outside three pin socket they had envisaged it was for keeping Faye’s MacBookAir fully operational at all times.

Faye has now flown home and I will be wandering through places like Macon and Beaune on an educational visit to improve my knowledge of French wine. (OK I realise that sounds a bit thin.)

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Something about French roads.

11 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Travel

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Christopher Macgowan, motorhome, motorhomenews

  
Is it just me or is there really something very attractive about these French roads? 

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Macon – a first class site.

09 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Places, Sites

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Christopher Macgowan, macon, motorhomenews

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The French town of Macon – quite apart from its wine heritage – has one of the best touring sites in France. The municipal site has an excellent restaurant, bar and swimming pool and at its gates are a Lidl and various fast food outlets. Friendly staff and good WiFi tops off an overall very good offering.

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

Shall I use the boat or the car today?

02 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in This and That

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Christopher Macgowan, motorhome, motorhomenews

  
A business colleague sent me this photo. I have no details other than the fact it all looks a pretty impressive combination!!

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

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