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

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Monthly Archives: September 2015

Take the high road to the Highlands.

26 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in General, Sites, Travel

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Christopher Macgowan, Highlands, motorhomenews, Steve Franklin, The Caravan Club, The Mirror

   
    
 
Winding roads and knockout views near Kinlochewe, north west Highlands

Take the high road to the Highlands for the perfect UK motorhome holiday
BY STEVE FRANKLIN

http://www.mirror.co.uk

Steve Franklin drives Scotland’s spectacular North Coast 500 scenic road
The Proclaimers may have sung about walking 500 miles – and even 500 more – but they were never 500 miles like this. For a start, we didn’t walk. With my children Rohan, 12, and Uma, nine, we travelled in a top-of-the-range swift Bessacarr  496 motorhome.

The North Coast 500 is Scotland’s answer to America’s Route 66, providing a road trip through the Highlands, where the journey means as much as the destination. We were met at Inverness airport by Jo from Highland Campervans, who ­introduced us to our dream machine, provided by Swift Group. It’s about as far from roughing it as you can get. The vehicle sleeps six and includes an ingenious double bed that lowers silently from the ceiling at the touch of a button.

Don’t think camping stoves and ­coolboxes. Think full-size oven and grill, four-ring gas and electric hob, microwave and fridge with freezer compartment. Of course you get your own loo and shower on board and the back of the “van” is a lounge with sofas and scatter cushions. It converts easily into a massive double bed at the end of the evening. It drives as easily as a car, so after a quick talk-through from Jo about the various gadgets on board and where to go and what to do, we were ready to set off.
After a stop to stock up on supplies – motorhomes are popular in the Highlands so you won’t be glared at in the supermarket car park – we were off. The NC500 route is a loop that runs up the north-east coast from Inverness, right the way across the top of Scotland, back down the other side and along to where you started. We were glad our first stop, after a long morning travelling up from England, wasn’t too far away.

We cruised to the Caravan Club campsite at Brora, a straightforward drive up the coast from Inverness. Everything is ­well signposted and if you keep the sea on your right you can’t go wrong. Brora is a peaceful town and only a golf course separates the grassy campsite from a stunning sandy beach. There’s endless space for the kids to play and explore – and we made full use of it. If you’re more used to packed-out beaches down south, prepare for a completely new experience. Because here in the Highlands, even in summer, you’ll find miles and miles of empty sand. It’s incredibly relaxing and peaceful and we slipped easily into holiday mood.
With our packed schedule we spent just the one night at Brora, so after breakfast on board we were off again. We topped up our fresh-water tank, emptied our “grey water” from the shower and washing up and hit the road. It’s worth pointing out that motorhome users are a friendly bunch, so you will never be stuck for advice if you forget how ­something on your van works. There are plenty of easygoing tourists willing to offer advice and the Caravan Club campsite operators are a helpful lot, too.

The NC500 route makes life very simple for anyone who wants to explore the Highlands without getting lost. You don’t have to do the whole route, of course, but we decided not to cut the corner and followed it up towards John  o’Groats, the famous little town at the north-east tip of the UK mainland. We stopped there for a walk and pictures by the landmark signpost, had a snack on board the van and drove on.
It’s an obvious point but the freedom of the road really is just that. If you want to stop for a break, there’s no hunting for service stations or roadside cafes. We had everything we needed on board so a tea/toilet break just means pulling off the road for a few minutes.

After John o’Groats, we followed the NC500 route across the north coast, ­stopping when we saw something ­interesting (often) and enjoying the drive on the near-empty road. The second night we felt brave enough for wild camping – the practice, perfectly legal in Scotland, of finding your own place to spend the night. Our van was self-sufficient and although it’s simple to plug into the power at a campsite, it has a battery on board that charges from the engine and means it will work just fine out in the wild. Rohan and Uma loved the idea of this, and somewhere near the village of Tongue, we diverted on to a country lane and soon found a welcoming forest clearing and settled down for the night. No TV, of course, but we cooked and ate dinner, watched an eagle hunting nearby and listened to the owls hooting as the sun set.

Next day, we headed for Durness and a slightly busier (by Highlands’ standards) campsite, stopping off at the impressive Smoo Cave nearby, where Vikings used to repair their ships and the children discovered a proper echo. If you shriek loud enough the caves will shriek back a second later after you’ve finished. Who needs video games? We were in the heart of the West Highlands, where the scenery is at its best. It’s possible to drive for miles without seeing another vehicle or house, and enjoy a landscaped carved by glaciers and unchanged for centuries.

We camped again near the welcoming – but isolated – little port of Ullapool before our final Caravan Club site at Kinclochewe. We spent two nights there, exploring the mountains, the pretty beach at Gairloch and just soaking up the wild Highlands atmosphere. We had dinner at Kinlochewe’s Whistle Stop Cafe, where the food was excellent and being 39 miles from the nearest shop was clearly not a problem.
For our final day there was only one place to go – Loch Ness. No trip to this region is complete without calling in at the exhibition centre beside the famous loch – then a boat trip out to search for Nessie. Did we see anything mysterious in the chilly waters? Well there was a dark shape in the distance we couldn’t quite explain. We completed the route with the short drive back to Inverness and were sad to give Jo the keys and say goodbye to the van that had kept us safe, dry and happy for an unforgettable week.
The Highlands has so much more to see and we can’t wait to get there again. One thing I will proclaim…for us there’s now only one way to mop up the miles. And yes, we would be happy to do 500 more!

Getting there:

Highland Campervans of Inverness rent a Hylander Campervan for around £695pw in high season. A vehicle similar to the Swift Bessacarr 496 is around £900pw. highlandcampervans.com – swiftgroup.co.uk
freedomtogo.co.uk is the the one-stop-shop for leisure vehicle info.
The Caravan Club offers 3,000 overnight locations throughout the UK. Pitches are from around £4, adult £5, child £1.30. caravanclub.co.uk
Inverness airport is served by flights from across the UK. hial.co.uk
Tourist info: visitscotland.com
Best time to go: Scotland’s road trip beckons spring to autumn

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

  

 

Land Rover Discovery is the winner.

26 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in General

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#landrover, Christopher Macgowan, Land Rover Discovery, motorhomenews, The Caravan Club, towcar

  

Land Rover’s luxury SUV takes a much-deserved, first overall win in the industry’s most prestigious towcar competition, The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year.

The competition’s 43 entrants, which were split into seven price classes and two weight categories, ranged from the MG6 S DTI-TECH, the ‘Under £17,500’ class winner at just £14,347, to the Land Rover Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography coming in at a whopping £97,700.
Out of a diverse entry list, the Land Rover Discovery HSE LUX sat at the top as ‘Over £50,000’ class winner, All-Wheel Drive Over 1,800kg category victor and The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year 2016.

Each towcar endured a gruelling series of trials – being judged not only on their towing performance over the testing circuit at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, but also for their ‘caravanability’. This measures how well the car holds up to a caravanner’s needs – how much typical holiday gear and caravan essentials it can accommodate, how easily it can be hooked up to a caravan and the quality of towing information available in its handbook. Also added to the marking equation was the towcar’s value for money.
Seven driving judges evaluated each car for its dynamic abilities and ergonomic qualities – the test route included tight and twisty ‘country lanes’, 17% hill stops and starts, as well as circuits of a high-speed bowl. They were also put through reversing tests. These four days of rigorous evaluation highlighted that every vehicle could be considered a respectable towcar, so long as it was properly matched to its caravan.

Price class awards in the competition went to: the MG6 S DTI-TECH; Renault Captur Dynamique Nav dCi 110; Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.0-litre TDI BlueMotion Technology 150 PS DSG; Škoda Octavia Estate Scout 2.0TDI 150PS 4×4; Volkswagen Passat Estate GT 2.0-litre TDI SCR 190 PS DSG; Volkswagen Touareg R-Line 3.0-litre V6 TDI 262 PS 4MOTION; and the Land Rover Discovery HSE LUX.
From these class winners, it was the Land Rover Discovery that took the overall victory. It can accommodate ‘massive amounts of luggage’ and is available with a handy TowAssist guidance system.

All-wheel drive vehicles competed in two additional weight categories; ‘Under 1,800kg’ and ‘Over 1,800kg’. Of course, the Land Rover Discovery took the ‘Over 1,800kg’ prize, while the Volkswagen Passat Estate GT 2.0-litre Bi-TDI SCR 240 PS 4MOTION took first place in the Under 1,800kg category. Volkswagen also took home the ‘Judges Award for Innovation’, for its fabulous ‘Trailer Assist’ feature, which allows you to reverse the car and trailer using only the door mirror controls and the accelerator pedal.
The results of the competition were announced at The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Awards ceremony, held at the Royal Automobile Club in London on 24 September.

Grenville Chamberlain, Caravan Club Chairman said: “It was great to see such a diverse variety of vehicles entered into the competition this year. There is a vehicle choice for everyone’s needs, whether you tow a small trailer tent or a large twin-axle caravan. On behalf of The Caravan Club, our congratulations go to all the winners and a special mention must go to Land Rover for its triumphant Discovery. I am sure we will see our competition entrants on Club Sites in the near future.”

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

East Yorkshire Centre – a gathering at York.

20 Sunday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Uncategorized

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Enjoying an excellent weekend in York.

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

Caravan Club tribute to WWII heroes.

19 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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Blackshaw Moor, motorhomenews, Poland, The Caravan Club, WWII

  

MEMORIAL: Anthony Kendall unveils the plaque at the BlackShaw Moor campsite. Picture: Leanne Bagnall

A MEMORIAL to honour Polish refugees of the Second World War has been unveiled at a campsite.
The plaque is a tribute to the country’s soldiers who fought alongside the British Army and were unable to return home when Stalin’s Russia occupied Polish territory.

Around 18 months ago, Anthony and Sheila Kendall, who work at Blackshaw Moor Caravan Club, started working with Zosia (Sophie) Biegus and Zbyszek (Tony) Hryciuk, two members of the Polish community in Leek, to uncover the history of the site.
Camp warden Mr Kendall said: “This all started last year when Tony told us that he and his family had lived here in the 1960s. From the club’s point of view, I see it as a great opportunity for us to present the site in a different light.
“This unveiling is a chance for old friends to catch up with each other – in some cases members have some historical connections.”
He said there were 195,000 Polish soldiers left homeless after the war.

“The soldiers had to find homes and they were given the right to settle in this country,” Mr Kendall said.
“Blackshaw Moor housed many after 1946 and camps grew into communities and people were born here and the father’s worked in the local area.

“The last inhabitants left in 1964 and the site was left empty until the Caravan Club bought it in 1979.
“I would like to thank the Caravan Club for funding the project and for Nettlebank for donating the stone.”
The unveiling of the plaque event was attended by many Polish people and relatives.

Damusia Burgess, of Cheddleton, whose parents were both Polish, said: “When my mother was about to give birth to me she had to be taken as far as possible on a sledge to Leek hospital because of the snow. When the road got better, she was picked up by an ambulance.
“My mother said we always had to respect English tradition, although Poland was their home. We had a wonderful time on the camp and a lovely childhood. Dad arranged visits to football matches and we had dances and a social club.
“Dad was wounded in the war and had shrapnel in his back, but he managed to work all his life.”

Another visitor to the ceremony was Ingrid Gwilliams, who now lives in the Peak Forest.
The 60-year-old said: “I was born in hut 51B on Camp Two here in Blackshaw Moor.
“My father was Yugoslavian. This was an absolutely wonderful camp to live in. We had freedom. The hut was beautiful and warm and we had plenty of food.
“It is a great idea to have a plaque installed with memories of the site.”

Christina Milaszkiewicz, aged 66, of Leek, said: “My parents were Polish refugees, but I am British by birth.
“I lived on Camp One. We thought it was wonderful. There was a nursery school, chapel and shop on the site.
“I think it is fantastic to have a plaque erected. People came here with nothing and put in barracks. Now we have a historical memorial.”

Read more: http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Tribute-heroes-fought-Hitler/story-27813307-detail/story.html#ixzz3mCQK4uda 

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

The Royal Caravan

18 Friday Sep 2015

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This week it is on display at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall. It is attracting a huge amount of attention – everyone loves it!!

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

More on the October show at the NEC.

15 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows

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Christopher Macgowan, motorhome, motorhomenews

  

Cyclist Dave Sims, Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury to star at the Motorhome & Caravan Show 2015

 • Dave Sims to tell his tale cycling the Tour De France on a Raleigh Chopper bicycle!

• He rode 1,600 miles staying in a motorhome each night

Featuring alongside all the new 2016 leisure vehicles being launched at this year’s Motorhome & Caravan Show – 13 – 18 October, Birmingham NEC – will be a group of special guests that love nothing more than getting into the great outdoors. From well-known on-screen stars such as Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury, to those that would rather go #screenfree and leave their digital technology at home, the show has a compelling line-up each day in its Experts’ Theatre and beyond.

 In the Experts’ Theatre on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th at 15.00, Dave Sims will speak about his incredible experience cycling 1,600 miles of the 2015 Tour De France on a bike designed in the seventies for children. With the professionals using carbon fibre bikes worth thousands of pounds, Dave completed the route on nothing more than a Raleigh Chopper! He raised thousands of pounds for charity and received support from Chris Froome and Team Sky in his bid to prove that you don’t need an expensive bike to take part in the world’s most gruelling bicycle race. He’s a big fan of caravans and motorhomes, having used a motorhome to support his pedalling adventure.

 On opening day and Caravan Club Day, Tuesday 13 October, well-known TV and radio presenter Matt Baker will feature as a guest of the Club. Visitors can hear what he has to say about his countryside adventures his career on stand 20.79. There’s also the chance to find out more about the Club’s own network of UK sites, overseas travel service plus touring advice.

 Friendly Friday, 16th October, will see TV presenter and President of The Camping and Caravanning Club Julia Bradbury welcome show visitors. She will speak about her love of the outdoors, walking and take audience questions in the Experts Theatre (Hall 9) at 15.00. She will also be on the Club stand 8.10 throughout the day to meet and greet Club members and non-members alike.

 At 15.00 Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th, Lee Davey arrives in the Experts’ Theatre to tell his inspiring story about the Davey family going #screenfree in their Swift Sprite caravan. Caravanners for more than a decade, the Davey’s focussed on family time at Caravan Club sites in the UK and abroad by leaving TV’s, i-Pads, etc. at home and enjoying more of the great outdoors. “Instead of playing Candy Crush, we tried kayaking and we swapped the soaps for surfing. But, Poppy & Charlie came up with the best and most inventive things to do!”

 Also on hand at the show every day is ‘Gadget Girl’ Ella Williamson, probably best known for her five year residency as the ‘Gadget Guru’ on BBC2’s Something for the Weekend.

Ella regularly features in national newspapers and magazines, and on television and radio with guest appearances on This Morning, Good Morning Britain, to name a few.

She also writes for BBC News. Not only will Ella be compering most of the sessions in the Experts’ Theatre, but she will also be giving her own expert advice daily at 16.00 on the must have gadgets to take on holiday.

 Taking place every day of the show are two ever popular sessions about buying a caravan or motorhome. In association with Practical Caravan magazine industry expert and author John Wickersham will give his unique brand of advice and top tips for buying a caravan at 11.45 each day. In association with MMM, the magazine’s senior roadtester Dave Hurrell will do the same for motorhomes and campervans, every day at 13.45.

 Graham Powell, of Caravan Finder TV fame, will reprise his useful morning slot on Wednesday 13th, Thursday 14th and Sunday 18th at 11.15, advising visitors how to get the most out of their visit to the show.

 That’s not all. Visitors can also enjoy exclusive show only deals, new product demonstrations, FREE caravan towing and motorhome manoeuvring lessons, browse hundreds of accessories, free parking and a free show guide – plus kids go free too!

 The show is supported by The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club, fills 11 huge halls at the NEC in Birmingham and features every type of leisure vehicle, including caravans, motorhomes, campervans, trailer tents and folding caravans, luxury lodges and caravan holiday homes.

 To buy tickets (in advance from as little as £7.50 senior/8.50 adult*) to the show and for more information:

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

Call: 0844 338 7799

Follow the show on Twitter: twitter.com/NECCaravanShow
Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

The Firs Caravan Club Site, Derbyshire.

13 Sunday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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Christopher Macgowan, motorhomenews, The Caravan Club, The Firs

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Delightful evening at The Firs – a favourite site of mine.

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

The Caravan Club raises standards and compliance yet again.

10 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in General

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#motorhomes, Christopher Macgowan, Jon Laws, motorhome, motorhomenews, semafone, The Caravan Club

  

Semafone® has announced that The Caravan Club, who represent the interests of over one million caravanners, motorhomers and trailer tent owners across the UK, has implemented its secure voice payment software to protect and secure telephone payments. The solution, hosted by Gamma, enhances payment card security and descopes The Caravan Club contact centre from Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) regulations.

The Caravan Club’s contact centre has 120 agents that take payments across the entire product suite including; club merchandise, holidays, insurance and magazine listings. The previous payment process required customers to say their payment card details aloud while agents wrote them onto paper before inputting them into the payment system. This meant that the contact centre did not meet PCI DSS regulations and put the personal data of its customers at risk of theft from opportunistic fraud.

Semafone’s patented payment technology allows customers to privately and securely input their card details into their telephone keypad. The numbers are then transmitted directly to the bank, so no sensitive details are held in the contact centre’s infrastructure. Card numbers are not spoken aloud and individual key tones are masked by Semafone’s software so that they cannot be recognised by their sound. Throughout the transaction the contact centre agent can neither hear nor see sensitive card information, and remains on the call to deliver a high level of customer service.

The Caravan Club selected market leader Semafone following a competitive tender process. Semafone worked in partnership with voice and data communications specialist, Gamma (telecom provider for The Caravan Club) to deliver a hosted version of its software which integrates with the company’s existing telephony system.

“We have to feel confident that the data of our customers is secure at all times,” said Jon Laws, Financial Controller of The Caravan Club. “In Semafone, we found a secure solution that not only removed our contact centre completely from the scope of PCI but also allowed us to maintain high standards of customer service. Thanks to Semafone’s partnership with Gamma, which made the SaaS option the obvious choice for us, we are able to offer a seamless, faster and more secure payment process to all our customers.”

“The Caravan Club is a high-profile and much loved brand,” commented Tim Critchley, CEO of Semafone. “We are very pleased to provide the organisation with a highly secure solution that protects its brand by securing the credit card details of its customers and making its contact centre PCI compliant.”

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

 

Enjoying some time in Italy.

09 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Places

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

#holidays, #motorhomes, Christopher Macgowan, Florence, Italy, motorhome, motorhomenews, Orvieto, rome

  
Enjoying some time in and around Orvieto, Umbria, Italy. Orvieto is between Rome and Florence and is a delight. Blue skies, sunshine and 26 degrees plus rounds it off!

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Scotland’s Forth Bridge gets World Heritage Site status.

05 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by chrismacgowan in Places

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

#motorhomes, Balbirnie Park, Christopher Macgowan, Forth Bridge, motorhomenews, Scotland, The Caravan Club, UNESCO

  
The United Nations body UNESCO has awarded Scotland’s Forth Bridge with World Heritage Site status, preserving the landmark for future generations. 

Opened in 1890 the bridge was considered the be-all and end-all of engineering. At the time it was also the longest bridge in the world at 2.53 kilometres.

The Caravan Club’s 75 pitch Balbirnie Park is the nearest to hand at Markinch, Fife.

The phrase “It’s like painting the Forth Bridge” is still of course widely used to describe some never ending task but the phrase is now technically inaccurate as paint technology has moved on and the bridge is sealed with an industrial coating which renders constant repainting redundant.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

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