04 Friday Dec 2020
A brief overnight stay at Cambridge CAMC was accompanied by a snowfall overnight. All a bit of a surprise but, after all, it is December.
Why are we British always taken aback by the tiniest amount of snow with inevitable traffic disruption?
I used to live in Canada and we kind of just got on with it!
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
26 Thursday Nov 2020
Posted in General
Tags
#holidays, #motorhomes, @motorhmenews, @regentstreet, chrismacgowan, Christmas, Christopher Macgowan, regent Street
I was in Regent Street on Monday and despite the lack of tourists and customers it was looking like Christmas. So, uncharacteristically, and breaking all the date conventions I am sending an unfeasibly early HAPPY CHRISTMAS to one and all.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
02 Sunday Aug 2020
Posted in Exhibitions and Shows
Tags
#motorhomes, camc, caravan and motorhome club, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, East of England Showground, Events, motorhome, motorhomenews, outandaboutlive, peterborough, Peterborough Arena, Warners
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.
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
27 Saturday Jun 2020
Posted in Motorhomes, Travel
Tags
#motorhomes, Boris Johnson, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Daily Mail, Grand California, motorhome, motorhomenews, Ray Massey, staycation, Volkswagen
SOURCE: thisismoney.co.uk and Ray Massey of the Daily Mail.
Boris Johnson this week urged the nation to enjoy a ‘staycation’ in Britain, as part of the Government’s plans to ease the lockdown in England from next weekend.
With campsites and hotels able to reopen from July 4, there has already been a surge in interest in campervans that provide flexible, mobile and self-contained accommodation.
Manufacturers say they are getting calls from both stir-crazy couples and families wanting to explore the country safely and avoid the hassle of travelling overseas and quarantine on return.
Campervans are ideal for creating self-contained hotels-on-wheels — ‘bubbles’ with beds, fridges, cookers, kitchen and often a shower on board.
And there’s a good choice on the market to buy or rent.
Volkswagen is a leading player with its recently launched, and refreshed, California 6.1. It costs from £55,339 in Coast trim, up to £69,889 for Ocean. Based on the Transporter van, the 2.5-ton 2m-tall model sleeps four and has a raised roof. It comes with a table, cupboards, double gas hob, kitchen sink, a side awning and a sleeping space.
Powered by a 2-litre 148 hp diesel, with seven- speed automatic gearbox, it averages 33.6 mpg with CO2 emissions of 221g/km.
The larger Grand California, from £72,745 to £82,258, based on the Crafter van, sleeps two or four, and has a wet room with a toilet and showerIn March and April, online requests for quotes went up 250 per cent for the California. Nearly 1,500 were sold in Britain last year. They are factory built — not conversions — and can be serviced at VW’s 97 UK van centres and authorised repairers.
To be truly authentic, a secondhand hippy-trail VW ‘bus’ will cost from around £10,000 to £40,000.
Other new options include: the Mercedes-Benz V Class Marco Polo, from £37,980 to £69,800 and the oddly-named Ford Transit Custom Nugget, from £59,608 to £63,334.
Horsham-based converter Sussex Campervans turns a Renault Trafic or Nissan NV300 into its Manhattan and Paradise ranges, from £41,995 to £51,995.
If ‘glamping’ is more your style, then bespoke luxury motor home firm GlamperRV.co.uk offers an office-hotel on wheels, from £75,000 plus VAT.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
22 Monday Jun 2020
Posted in Places
Tags
Just east of Colchester, Wivenhoe is a delight and post-lockdown with the pubs open will be even more enjoyable.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
19 Sunday Jan 2020
Posted in Places
Hard to beat a crisp sunny blue sky day at the seaside in January. This is Frinton, Essex. A picnic in the motorhome topped it off.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
07 Saturday Sep 2019
Posted in Marketing, Motorhomes
Tags
#motorhomes, @motorhmenews, AL-KO, alde, Bailey, Bailey Autograph, bailey of bristol, Bristol, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Honda, motorhome, motorhomenews, NEC, Peugeot, Stanton House, Swindon
The third-generation Bailey Autograph motorhomes were launched this week.
Available in eight layouts including new fixed bed and fixed island bed variants, and with and without dedicated rear travel seats. They represent what you might call “the real deal” with a Peugeot drive train, AL-KO chassis, Alde heating and a policy of no hidden extras so a dedicated motorhome owner can be assured that the level of luxury will meet or exceed expectations.
The full eight-model range – which I have to say look pretty attractive to me – will be on show in Hall 19 at this year’s NEC Show October 15th to 20th.
It is interesting how time plays tricks with our memories. Back in 2011 when Bailey announced its first motorhomes it seemed a very big deal indeed – a brave move perhaps – and certainly a strong signal that the caravan-only company was prepared to innovate, change and move with the market. During the last eight years the company has continued to dominate the caravan market – so no loss of focus there – and has become a serious and successful motorhome manufacturer fighting its way with the Hymers, Rapidos and a string of other UK and continental European manufacturers. We all know that companies often struggle with change; they either don’t change or don’t do it very well and are burdened by their history.
Not so Bailey I would suggest.
The launch was held at the delightful Stanton House Hotel near Swindon and whilst obviously the launch was the all important part, I had a bit of a trip down memory lane. The original manor house was renovated and hugely improved to meet the demands of Japanese guests from the nearby Honda car factory and their suppliers. I was a fairly frequent visitor there because of my automotive background and although the hotel has for many years embraced all visitors with or without a Honda connection, the signs are bilingual, the website is in English and Japanese and the restaurant has an exceptional Japanese influence as well as catering of course for European tastes.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
29 Thursday Aug 2019
Posted in Sites
≈ Comments Off on Norfolk Broads CAMC site does it for me!
Tags
#motorhomes, @candmclub, @motorhmenews, camc, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Great Yarmouth, motorhome, motorhomenews, Norfolk Broads, Wroxham
Located on the broads near Wroxham and not far from Great Yarmouth this is a gorgeous site and definitely a holiday destination. The Dog Inn is two hundred yards one way and the broads and a shipyard are two hundred yards the other way. Stacks to do – or just chill out.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
23 Friday Aug 2019
Posted in Sites
Tags
#motorhomes, @candmclub, Brighton, camc, caravan and motorhome club, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, motorhome, motorhomenews
As we all know, Brighton is a great town to visit with loads to do and inundated with good restaurants and pubs. The open all year 155 pitch Brighton site is outstanding and so easy to get into Brighton from it. Unsurprisingly this Caravan and Motorhome Club site is kept immaculately and gets a five star rating from the members. Top that off with sunny weather……..
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
16 Friday Aug 2019
Posted in Sites
Tags
#motorhomes, @motorhmenews, Calais, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, France, montreuil-sur-mer, motorhome, motorhomenews
Montreuil sur Mer is about an hour from Calais and is an attractive small town with plenty of bars and bistros and a town rampart you can walk most of the way round. For me, the killer app however is the aire which is no more than two hundred metres from the town square.
Christopher Macgowan
@motorhomenews
