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MOTORHOMENEWS

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

MOTORHOMENEWS

Category Archives: Exhibitions and Shows

CAMC Clubfest 2022

11 Monday Oct 2021

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows, This and That

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#caravanclub, @candmclub, Belvoir Castle, chrismacgowan, clubfest, Grantham, Lincolnshire, motorhomenews

Belvoir Castle is the setting for the new style CAMC Clubfest between June 1st and June 5th next year.

Visit http://www.camc.com for all the details.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/whats-on/clubfest

Christopher Macgowan

CAMC National 2021

09 Friday Oct 2020

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows, General, Motorhomes, Uncategorized

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#motorhomes, @candmclub, @motorhmenews, Christopher Macgowan, Nick Lomas, The National


The Director General of the Caravan and Motorhome Club,  Nick Lomas, has today announced that The National 2021 is cancelled.

The logistics of organising such a huge event are significant and the risk of forced cancellation – possibly at short notice – because of Covid-19 are simply too great.

Sad but understandable.

Bearing in mind that I witnessed last month the Southampton Boat Show being cancelled at 4pm the day before it was opening I am pretty sensitive to the cancellation risk. Equally I and many members will sorely miss this annual gathering.

Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews

The Peterborough Show.

02 Sunday Aug 2020

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows

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#motorhomes, camc, caravan and motorhome club, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, East of England Showground, Events, motorhome, motorhomenews, outandaboutlive, peterborough, Peterborough Arena, Warners

Congratulations to Warners MMM staging the show under difficult Covid-19 conditions.

I popped in to the Peterborough East of England Showground to see the Warners Show. There was a comprehensive range of new and used motorhomes on show via the many dealers exhibiting. Plus all the usual accessory stores – so much on display it would be hard to leave the show without making a few purchases.

The show was of course Covid compliant with lots of one way systems but being an outside show visitors were able to roam pretty much at will. There was a sanitiser outside each motorhome, only two people were allowed in the motorhome at any one time and your mask had to be used inside. So all good common sense stuff implemented very professionally by Warners events team and, mostly, visitors were complying with the rules. In fact everyone seemed delighted to have a show to go to although it does amuse me there is a certain section of society who seem congenitally unable to follow arrows!

So, in my opinion, 10 out of 10 to Warners for organising it and sticking with it. Sadly no evening entertainment so less of an all embracing event but the on-site temporary campsite was in action nonetheless.

Ferry Meadows CAMC

For my part I wanted to stay at the CAMC Ferry Meadows site about half a mile from the show ground. It is one of my favourites located next to a 500 acre country park, next to the Nene Valley railway and a ten minute stroll from a pub.Happiness? I think so.

Oh, and as all readers know, it hit 34 degrees C on Friday!

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Last day of the Manchester Show is tomorrow.

18 Saturday Jan 2020

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows

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#motorhomes, @candmclub, @motorhmenews, caravan and motorhome club, Christopher Macgowan, Manchester, motorhome, motorhomenews

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Families Stay Cool at Beaulieu’s VW T Chill Weekend Rally.

26 Wednesday Jun 2019

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows, Places

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#motorhomes, Beaulieu, Christopher Macgowan, Hampshire, motorhomenews, National Motor Museum, Transporter, Volkswagen, VW, VW T CHILL

VW Transporter fans will be chilling out in style at Beaulieu’s VW T Chill as they set up camp with their much-loved campers and commercials in the grounds of the National Motor Museum for a relaxing weekend from Friday 9th to the main show day of Sunday 11th August.

Returning by popular demand, the laid-back rally will bring together all ages and versions of the legendary VW Transporter, from the iconic split windscreen and bay window Type 2, through the much-loved Type 25/Type 3 to the modern-day T4, T5 and T6.

There will be family-friendly activities to join in with throughout the weekend at one of the south’s leading visitor attractions in the heart of the New Forest. It is the perfect opportunity to meet fellow owners, make friends and socialise. On Saturday 10th, rally-goers can join the cruise-out to the picturesque maritime village of Buckler’s Hard, with a classy VW convoy which is sure to get heads turning, then test knowledge in the pub quiz, before warming by the communal fire pit.

On the main show day of Sunday 11th Beaulieu attraction visitors can join the experience, with the chance to see these amazing vehicles at Show and Shine on the Events Arena. Owners will be polishing and decorating their gleaming Transporters to go on display, with prizes for the most eye-catching machines.

Live music by singer songwriter Izzii Moulsdale will provide entertainment, while the theme for this year’s fancy dress competition is Vanimation. Dress as a favourite animated or cartoon character to be in with a chance of scooping the Best Fancy Dress prize. There will also be prizes for winners of the VW T Chill colouring competition, with under-5s and under-10s categories.

Participant tickets, for those taking part in a VW Transporter, are £16 an adult and £8 a child, with camping tickets at £32 per pitch. Campers’ entry into the showground is from 2pm on Friday 9th to 6pm on Sunday 11th, while VW Transporter owners are welcome to simply join the rally for the Sunday Show & Shine if they prefer. Participant tickets include entry to all of the Beaulieu attraction, including the National Motor Museum with its Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50 years exhibition, World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and the grounds and gardens. For tickets and details see www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/vw-t-fest.

All other visitors, who would like to see the Show & Shine on Sunday 11, are able to buy a general attraction entrance ticket and enter Beaulieu through the Visitor Reception building from 10am.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

The Manchester Show.

17 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows, Uncategorized

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@candmclub, @motorhmenews, Christopher Macgowan, EventCity, Manchester

The show is in full swing!

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Excellent week at the NEC show.

21 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows

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#motorhomes, @motorhmenews, camc, caravan and motorhome club, Christopher Macgowan, motorhome, motorhomenews, NCC, NEC

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Sledmere House CAMC National 2018 enjoyed by all.

27 Sunday May 2018

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows, General, Sites

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#motorhomes, camc, caravan and motorhome club, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, East Yorkshire, motorhomenews, National 2018, rodney lambert, Sledmere, sledmere house, The National, walled garden, Yorkshire

The Caravan and Motorhome Club National 2018 is at Sledmere House in East Yorkshire and I have to say it is an impressive setting – certainly yesterday and today Sunday bathed in continuous sunshine. We visited the house and the wonderful walled garden and loved every minute of it.

It is an astonishing event put together almost entirely by volunteers headed up by Vice-Chairman of the Club and Events Committee Chairman Rodney Lambert. During the event the small village of Sledmere goes from a population of 300 to 5000 with all of the electric, water and waste infrastructure demanded by a population of that size. It is quite an undertaking and yet to all the attendees like myself it seems to work like clockwork which in turn makes a visit to the National such an enjoyable experience.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Rolls-Royces come to Beaulieu.

09 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows, Places, This and That

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Beaulieu, Christopher Macgowan, motorhome, motorhomenews, National Motor Museum, NMM, Rolls-Royce, Sir George Martin, The Beatles

Two of the most exclusive Rolls-Royces of modern times have joined new display The Luxury of Motoring at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu with a Wraith built in tribute to Beatles record producer Sir George Martin and a brand new Dawn Black Badge.

The 2017 Rolls-Royce Wraith is a one-off tribute to the legendary Sir George Martin, known as ‘the fifth Beatle’. Commissioned by Sir George’s son, songwriter and producer Giles Martin, the beautifully hand-crafted Wraith is packed with details that pay homage to this giant of the music world.

The titles of Sir George’s 30 number-one hit singles are embroidered into the upholstery between the rear seats, with his signature stitched on each head-rest. Other details include Sir George’s name engraved into the base of the Spirit of Ectsasy mascot. Joining the display courtesy of Rodger Dudding classic vehicle collection at Studio 434, this unique Rolls-Royce is one of nine Wraiths ‘Inspired by British Music’, built to celebrate some of Britain’s most remarkable musical artists, including The Who frontman Roger Daltrey CBE, Sir Ray Davies of The Kinks, Dame Shirley Bassey and Status Quo.

Fresh from the Rolls-Royce factory is the 2018 Rolls-Royce Dawn Black Badge. The bespoke and contemporary Black Badge range has attracted a new generation to the Rolls-Royce marque. Already a huge hit with Beaulieu visitors, the glamorous open-top on display has a deeply intense and hand-polished black paintwork, with threads of aircraft grade aluminium woven and bonded in carbon fibre, a high-gloss vamp Spirit of Ecstasy with black chrome finish and bold mandarin orange interior highlights.

Though what really makes the car special is beneath its skin. Tighter and more responsive thanks to revisions to its steering, suspension and eight-speed gearbox, the Dawn Black Badge’s 6.6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 engine is even more powerful than that of the original Dawn, producing 593bhp. An entirely new exhaust system announces the car’s arrival with a menacing bass baritone.

Beaulieu has an unparalleled collection of Rolls-Royces by virtue of the Montagu family connection with its founders. Motoring pioneer John, 2nd Baron Montagu opened the first Rolls-Royce factory and his personal secretary and secret mistress Eleanor Thornton was a muse for Charles Sykes, who designed the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy mascot.

A third car has also joined The Luxury of Motoring display. Just back from Retromobile in Paris is the 1913 Argyll 15/30hp. Although over a century older than the Rolls-Royces, it was just as cutting-edge in its heyday. An exceptionally well-engineered machine, the Scottish-built Argyll was notable for sophisticated features such as brakes on all four wheels and its 4084cc sleeve-valve engine. Inside, its sumptuous interior ensured that rear seat passengers rode in comfort as they were chauffeured to their destination.

This privately-owned car was originally a wedding gift from a husband to his wife and has remained in the same family ever since. Many decades later, it became one of the first historic vehicles to be restored in the National Motor Museum’s restoration workshop.

The Luxury of Motoring not only showcases a selection of the most luxurious cars ever built but tells the story of their design, the people who owned them and the chauffeurs who drove them. Spanning the golden age of luxury motoring to today’s aspirational cars, perceptions of taste and class are themes that are explored through a range of fascinating objects, films and rarely seen images from the National Motor Museum Trust’s archives.

At the glittering heart of the display is a centrepiece of 28 Lalique glass car mascots on show together for the first time. The owner of the private collection chose the National Motor Museum as the home of motoring and therefore the perfect setting to showcase his treasures. From the light radiating, delicate veined wings of a dragonfly to the heartiest falcon mascot with its thick, tapered neck which fits tightly into the mount, the collection includes majestic animals and human forms that bring art into everyday life. The collection is on loan courtesy of Dawson’s Auctioneers & Valuers at Maidenhead.

To celebrate the new gallery, why not enter a competition to say What makes your car luxury? Whether it’s fluffy dice and cushions or a must-have Mercedes, share pictures of what makes your car special. To enter, share your pictures and suggestions on Twitter @Beaulieu_Hants, Facebook at /nationalmotormuseum, Instagram @national_motor_museum or on email to competitions@beaulieu.co.uk. See www.beaulieu.co.uk/the-luxury-of-motoring/ for more details. The winner will be invited for a VIP behind-the-scenes tour of Beaulieu with exclusive access to areas of the National Motor Museum not usually open to visitors.

The Luxury of Motoring display can be seen as part of a visit to Beaulieu. A ticket to Beaulieu includes entry to the National Motor Museum with its collection of more than 250 vehicles from throughout motoring history, the new-look World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, the ancestral Montagu family home of Palace House, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey and the stunning grounds and gardens. Tickets can be bought in advance online. For tickets or more information see www.beaulieu.co.uk or call 01590 612345.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Experience Freedom and the NEC Show.

25 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows

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#motorhomes, @candmclub, @XPFreedomUK, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Experience Freedom.camc, motorhome, motorhomenews, NEC

Spent a fair chunk of this week at the NEC show on the CAMC temporary site. The convenience of it outweighs all other considerations – just stagger the hundred metres to the bus and the next thing you’re at the main entrance to the halls.

I was really impressed with the Experience Freedom stand – all about attracting newcomers to the lifestyle and offering alternative accommodation types for people to consider. The website is well worth a tour at EXPERIENCE FREEDOM and also of course on twitter @XPFreedomUK On the subject of twitter some people tell me they are using it less – for me I am using it more and love it just as much as ever @motorhomenews

All in all a great show – but nice to be home!

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

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