Category Archives: General

The Big Little Tent Festival.

25 Wednesday Jul 2018

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As with many other organisations in the tourism industry, the Caravan and Motorhome Club is always finding ways to engage with young people, young families and those who one day will take up tenting or owning a caravan or motorhome.

The Big Little Tent Festival is such an initiative. As an existing motorhome owner subscribing to this blog, you do not require persuasion. Like me, you know what fun it is! But do take a look at the video if only to admire the highly unusual venue!

Click HERE or insert link below into your browser.

https://vimeo.com/onsightuk/review/281481620/00800a2fa7

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

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500,000 T6 vehicles manufactured. The home of the California.

01 Friday Jun 2018

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Hannover, 01 June 2018: Just three years after production of the sixth-generation Transporter began, the 500,000th T6 has rolled off the line in Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ main Hannover plant. The 500,000th vehicle is a Multivan with two-tone paint finish in Candy White and Curcuma Yellow. In total, since production of the series began in Hannover on 8 March 1956, around 8.8 million Transporters have been made.

Dr Eckhard Scholz, Chairman of the Brand Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles said: “This milestone is, above all, the result of consistent customer focus. We are gearing our production more than ever to the wishes of our customers and with intelligent solutions we are creating added value for their everyday routines and leisure activities.

At the same time the excellent production figures are indicative of committed employees and thus of a highly efficient site. This story of success is one that we will continue to write together!”

Plant Director Udo Hitzmann commented: “The sixth generation T-series has been thrilling our customers ever since production began three years ago. Continually modernised, more flexible working processes and a top team performance are the stand-out features of this ongoing ‘Made in Hannover’ success. Throughout this time the Hannover plant has repeatedly coped with changing challenges. That benefits both the T-series and our customers.”

Bertina Murkovic, Chair of the Works Council, explained: “The T is the core of our brand. The consistently high production figures underline its importance to Hannover: we are the Bulli site! Thank you to all our colleagues, who have made this fantastic growth possible.”

The T-series is produced on a three-shift basis both in Hannover-Stöcken (Multivan, California, Kombi, Caravelle, Transporter) and at the Poznań plant in Poland (Kombi, Caravelle, Transporter, pick-up). In the past year alone, 208,427 T6 vehicles were produced at the sites in Hannover (175,290) and Poznań (33,137) – in total the highest number of vehicles of this series produced for 44 years. Compared to last year, which was itself a record, the new figure means an increase once again of 4.5 per cent.

About the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand:

“All around the globe we offer the best transport solutions for our customers.” As a stand-alone brand within the Volkswagen Group, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is responsible globally for the development, construction and sales of light commercial vehicles, producing the Transporter, Caddy, Crafter and Amarok ranges. In consultation with its customers, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles draws up appropriate vehicle concepts, telematics and logistics solutions for the sparing use of resources at the highest possible level of efficiency. In 2017, the brand sold around 498,000 light commercial vehicles, which were produced at its sites in Hanover (D), Poznań (PL), Września (PL) and Pacheco (ARG). Globally, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles employs over 21,000 people, including around 14,000 at the Hannover site.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Sledmere House CAMC National 2018 enjoyed by all.

27 Sunday May 2018

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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

The Leisure Seeker

22 Sunday Apr 2018

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Think Spring is giving way to Summer this weekend. Either way, I decided the climatic conditions were not right for me to run the London Marathon.

Am also preparing for a couple of trips at the moment so have been at home. One evening Faye and I decided to pop out to the cinema and see “The Leisure Seeker” starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland.

An ageing couple decide to jump into their very old and much loved Winnebago and travel down the Florida Quays and get to Ernest Hemingway’s house.

We loved it but it is not a film for the faint hearted and it is far from an easy watching light entertainment night out.

YouTube Link is HERE.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Interview with Caravan and Motorhome Club peeps.

27 Saturday Jan 2018

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SOURCE: Caravan Times

Interview Exclusive With CAMCs Head Of Communications And Events

By William Coleman

Last week I ventured up to Manchester to the Caravan and Motorhome show to speak first hand with senior members of the Caravan and Motorhome Club about what they had in store for their members during 2018.

So with both the Scottish and Birmingham NEC Caravan and Motorhome shows only a handful of weeks away I wanted to speak with The Club about how they prepare for the show and what it means to them to have such a presence. As an industry leading holiday provider I feel they do a great job with communicating with their customers, and the public in general. So here is my interview with CAMC’s very own Brian Morgan.

The Club always have such an impressive stand and presence at the shows. How far in advance does the planning start?

It’s an ongoing process, we exhibit at both NEC shows, Manchester and Glasgow, as well as a number of outdoor shows and events throughout the year. We are always in ‘show mode’!

What goes into making sure you have something for everyone at the show?

We make sure we have details of all Club products and services available for show visitors, we can help them from the very first stages with inspiring them to choose the right leisure vehicle for their touring group, to sharing ideas of where they could have their adventures and giving them help and advice along each step of the way and, of course, make their actual holiday bookings for them. Our show staff have such a vast amount of knowledge and experience and they love being at the shows and talking to people. We really do have a great team, not only at the shows but at head office and throughout the site network.

It is quite clear that The Club invest heavily in listening to their members, how can members communicate with you so they are heard?

It’s really important for us to listen to our members to hear about what they want and need from us. We have our Club Together forum with over 400k registered users, our social platforms are a great way for members and future members to interact with us, we carry out regular research and surveys with our members to hear from them – first-hand – about their views. Our Magazine is also a great source of information for members. And, most importantly, we act upon this information we receive. We provide over 60 relevant member offers (everything from discounts on outdoor clothing, fuel discounts, unbeatable ferry offers), our ongoing sites investment programme, we represent the members views through parliamentary channels and other associated bodies such as Transport for London and the FIA to name but a few.

As Matt Allwright said at the Manchester show, ‘there’s nowhere our members haven’t been’ and we are keen to provide the platforms for members to share their knowledge and experiences as they, in turn, inspire others to have great adventures.

At the Manchester show you had Matt Allwright open the show and do a acoustic set with his band ‘The Walnuts’. Will we see Matt again in Birmingham this February?

Yes! Matt will be with us on Club Day (Tuesday 20 February), he will again be hosting a series of informative forums for show visitors. Matt is a Club member and really enjoys getting away with his family in his campervan.

The shows are a fantastic way for members, new and old, to have face to face interaction with key members of The Club. What aspect of meeting the public do you enjoy the most?

You will always find me at the front of the stand, encouraging people to come and say hi to our team. I really do enjoy that aspect of my job. It’s so important to get to meet and talk to people, face to face, you can’t beat it.

And lastly what can we expect from you guys at this years Glasgow or the NEC shows?

We are heading to Glasgow soon, it really is a terrific show. We will be opening the show on Club Day with our Director General, Nick Lomas, the show Director, Jamie Taylor, and there will be a performance for show visitors by a really talented local quartet called the Capella String Quartet, so if anyone is in the area, come and say hi. And then we are at the NEC, Matt Allwright will be with us and we will have an exciting announcement to make, so make sure you are there on Club Day!

Source: Caravan Times

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

UK is set to be British holidaymakers’ destination of choice in 2018.

23 Tuesday Jan 2018

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Research by travel trade association ABTA* has revealed the UK is set to be British holidaymakers’ destination of choice in 2018, as 66% of the British population are already planning time away closer to home. Europe follows a close second with 63% planning to visit and 14% look to travel to North America.

2017 was a popular year for UK breaks, with British adults taking an average of 2.1 UK holidays: up on the previous year. Families with children aged five and over enjoyed 2.7 UK breaks and adults aged 35 to 44 ventured on 2.5 domestic vacations.

Research indicates that British spending on holidays will also increase, as a significant 31% are putting aside more money for their vacations in 2018. 47% are hoping to spend the same and just 14% plan to spend less.

Fresh figures from The Camping and Caravanning Club^ suggest the trend is already underway, reporting a 10% increase in bookings across its 106 club campsites for the 2018 season year-to-date versus 2017. The Caravan and Motorhome Club also supports the forecast+, announcing that 2017 was the best-ever year for tent camping, with a 13% increase compared to 2016 and its best-ever figures currently for winter camping. Leisure vehicle holidays were also up in 2017 with the club reporting an 11% growth in pitch nights over 2016 and a record November for touring caravan, motorhome and campervan stays.

Commenting on the rise of UK holidaying, Jenny Summers, Group Marketing Director of the NCC (National Caravan Council), the UK’s trade body for the tourer, motorhome and caravan holiday home industries said: “Sales of both motorhomes and caravans were up in 2017, with motorhome registrations rising by 14.9% and tourer factory dispatches to dealers increasing by 8.7%. This clearly demonstrates the continuing popularity of using a leisure vehicle to explore the UK and beyond.”

The growth of the British tourism industry augurs well for the NCC’s next event in February, the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show 2018. A record-breaking 101,583 visitors attended its sister-show in October last year.

Taking place at Birmingham’s NEC between 20 and 25 February, the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show 2018 brings together over 370 exhibitors and is the UK’s largest showcase of caravans, campervans, motorhomes, caravan holiday homes and lodges as well as new season tents, trailer tents and folding caravans.

The family-friendly event features a variety of holiday destinations and trip options. Show sponsor Freedom to Go is on hand to help visitors plan their next adventure and the leisure vehicle industry’s two largest clubs, The Camping and Caravanning Club and Caravan and Motorhome Club also provide advice and inspiration for all.

Tickets for the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show 2018 are now available at www.ccmshow.co.uk and by phone on 0844 873 7333. Advance prices start from £7.00**, with children 15 and under entering free.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Winter caravanning increases.

07 Thursday Dec 2017

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More people booked pitches in November 2017 than the same month a year ago according to The Caravan and Motorhome Club.

The club saw an 11% increase in pitches booked during November this year by caravan, motorhome and campervan owners. The same is happening with campers who booked 13% more tent pitches than in November 2016.

Club marketing director, Harvey Alexander, said:

“Our members love an adventure whatever the time of year, and we are here to help and inspire them. Our Sites have fantastic facilities and over 50 of them are open all year round.”

“We also have an extensive five-van site network – Certificated Locations (CLs) – so the range of Sites and CLs enables members to enjoy the best of the UK countryside or explore some of our most vibrant cities throughout the seasons.”

With ‘record-breaking’ bookings in the summer months too, the club’s figures highlight the growing popularity of holidaying in the UK.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews