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MOTORHOMENEWS

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

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Tag Archives: Lawrence Bate

A Celebration of Touring.

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Exhibitions and Shows, Marketing

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Chelsea Flower Show, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, Club Together, Jo Thompson, Lawrence Bate, motorhomenews, RHS, staycation, The Caravan Club

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The Caravan Club has named 2012 ‘A Celebration of Touring’ in order to celebrate caravanning and motorhoming and the joys and benefits that it brings to hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

As part of the celebrations The Club is very pleased to be working with garden designer, Jo Thompson, on a ‘Staycation’ inspired garden called ‘A Celebration of Caravanning’ at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden will promote the benefits of holidaying in the UK and will highlight the enjoyment of touring to a wider audience, promoting both the pleasures of caravanning and The Caravan Club, to the thousands of visitors that will be attending the show between 22 -26 May 2012.

Lawrence Bate, Director of Marketing for The Caravan Club, says, “Caravanning is a very British pursuit, and what better year than 2012 to fly the flag for touring and enjoying England. 2012 will see many visitors to the UK and a caravan or motorhome is a viable accommodation option, which is both flexible and affordable.”

He continues; “The Club already represents over a million members who recognise the positive aspects of touring but The Club hopes that by supporting this garden more people will gain insight into this wonderful leisure pursuit.”

Taking part in such a high profile event will also give The Caravan Club a great opportunity to talk to the national media about the thousands of beautiful gardens across the British Isles, many of which have Club sites nearby. I, for one, am very excited about The Club having such a fantastic presence at such a prestigious and respected event, especially with an extremely talented designer (who has a personal passion for caravans) representing The Club’s interest. I’m sure it will hugely benefit The Club as a whole and I can’t wait to find out how the garden does at the show and view the end result.

About Jo

Jo started her career in garden design in 2005. She is recognised for her unique planting design skills and has been named as one of the 10 rising stars in garden design by House and Garden magazine. She is also a visiting tutor at the London College of Garden Design.

Jo’s no stranger to the Chelsea Flower Show. In 2010 Jo was awarded a gold medal and Best Urban Garden in show for her ‘Unexpected Gardener’, a courtyard garden for the charity Thrive, and, with her love of caravans, she is the perfect designer to be representing the Club at the Chelsea Flower Show.

About our Garden

The Caravan Club’s ‘Celebration of Caravanning’ garden combines the latest colours and planting trends with a practical and useable space. It takes inspiration from a bygone era, of nostalgic family caravanning holidays, a very British past time. This is the first time that a caravan has appeared at the Chelsea Flower show, and The Caravan Club want people to see caravans and caravanning in a different light.

A liberal use of pink and cream roses and peonies soften a fairly geometric and simple layout which is based around a vintage caravan at the far end of the garden.

“This garden was always intended to be a real garden,” Jo says. “A place that people could identify with, recreate at home, a space that you might find at the bottom of your own garden. I hope people find it welcoming with familiar and traditional plants arranged in a fresh way.”

Working with UK craftsmen, Jo’s designs for a water rill, to cool bottles of English sparkling wine, oak benches and a dog kennel echoing the shape of the 1950’s caravan are important British-made details in the garden. As are the cut flowers grown on a smallholding in Somerset which will decorate the interior of the caravan.

I am pleased to announce Jo has agreed to give us regular updates on Club Together, allowing us to follow the progress of The Caravan Club garden. Jo will also be giving us some helpful hints and tips on what we should be doing in our own gardens, invaluable advice from a top designer exclusive to Club Together.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

THE CARAVAN CLUB ADDS THREE SITES TO ITS NETWORK.

09 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by chrismacgowan in Sites

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Belton House, Cheshire, chrismacgowan, Christopher Macgowan, David Bellamy, Lawrence Bate, Lincolnshire, M74, motorhomenews, Royal Vale, Strathclyde Country Park, The Caravan Club, Wagtail Park

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The Caravan Club has announced three new additions to its sites network in 2012.

The beautiful Strathclyde Country Park Club Site, situated in the breathtaking Strathclyde Country Park only 12 miles from Glasgow, will be an open-all-year site.

Renovation work on the site, which was an existing touring park acquired by The Club, started at the beginning of January and should be completed by the end of October meaning the site will join the network towards the end 2012. The new site will have 107 all-weather touring pitches – including 12 service, 10 enlarged and 50 tent pitches, providing nearly 135,000 extra bed nights per year for members and non-members alike. Conveniently located near the M74, the site also boasts 296 storage bays.

Strathclyde Country Park is one of Scotland’s most popular visitor attractions and will be hosting the Common Wealth Games in 2014. There is loads to see and do at the park, including sailing, kayaking, water skiing, rowing, country walks, plus bike and boat hire. Visitors can partake in every outdoor activity imaginable from kite flying to bird watching, geocaching to sunbathing, it really is a beautiful outdoor space for all to enjoy. The new site will also be near to Scotland’s largest family theme park.

Once development work is complete, Strathclyde Country Park Club site will have first-rate facilities including, two toilet and shower blocks, an information room, a dog walk, cycle racks and a children’s play area plus a popular family restaurant just a few minutes’ walk away.

There will also be two new Affiliated Sites joining The Club network during 2012. Royal Vale Caravan Park, situated in the small village of Allostock, in the heart of the beautiful Cheshire countryside, just 9 miles from junction 19 of the M6 Knutsford.

The site opened on 7 February and facilities at this site include all weather pitches, electric hook up at 16 amps to all pitches (additional daily fee), water hook up and grey waste up to all pitches, centrally heated toilet and shower block, laundry facilities, chemical toilet and waste water disposal points, high speed internet access, disabled facilities for wheelchair and walking disabled and dogs are welcome.

Wagtail Caravan Park, situated within a beautiful country park in the Lincolnshire countryside, six miles from Grantham, 12 miles from Newark and one a half miles from the A1. This Open-All-Year site is perfectly placed for many local tourist attractions such as Belton House and the historical market town of Newark. The park is also proud to have been awarded a David Bellamy Gold Conservation Award that recognises holiday parks for their efforts in protecting and enhancing Britain’s environments.

Facilities at this site include 16 amps electric hook up, a mix of hard standing and grass pitches, new centrally heated utility block, disabled facilities for wheelchair and walking disabled, laundry room, an adult only area on site and dogs are welcome. Electric motorcycles are available for hire on site and two private well stocked fishing lakes (permits available for hire by members).

Lawrence Bate, The Club’s Director of Marketing, says, “The addition of these sites to the network is very exciting for The Club which is continually striving to provide more pitches in more locations for its members and British tourers.”

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

THE CARAVAN TIMES.

14 Sunday Aug 2011

Posted by chrismacgowan in Places

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BBC, Caravan Times, Christopher Macgowan, Isle of Wight, Lawrence Bate, The Caravan Club

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The BBC will be filming a documentary about the changing nature of family holidays this August, reported The Caravan Times. Touring families will have the opportunity to submit their stories and be part of this exciting programme, filmed on the stunning shores of the Isle of Wight. Before the viewing public jump on the bandwagon, why not take the chance to explore one of Britain’s most mystical isles?

In the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the village of Newchurch on the Isle of Wight offers a haven for mainland city slickers seeking a piece of the great outdoors. Set in flat, green and luscious meadowlands, the Southland Caravan Club site is the perfect base for exploring the island, which measures up at a petite 13 miles long and 23 miles wide.

Just three miles from the site lie the sandy shores of Sandown and Shanklin, with soft waves that make the area perfect for families. History and architecture enthusiasts relish the culture that can be found at their fingertips, often just a short walk from the Southland Caravan Club site.

Newchurch village is host to a Norman church that receives many an admiring glance from local residents and visitors alike. For those that prefer more energetic pursuits, activity buffs will find themselves greeted by a smorgasbord of activities, with horse riding, windsurfing and sailing all within a short drive of the site. There really is something for everyone.

With ferries from Portsmouth taking as little as 35 minutes, the Isle of Wight offers hassle free travel and sandy shores that rival their Mediterranean counterparts. Lawrence Bate, Director of Marketing for The Caravan Club, sees the Isle of Wight as one of the top tips for this summer, “With vast expanses of greenery, soft, sandy beaches and fresh country air, the Isle of Wight presents itself as an attractive holiday destination for one and all.” he enthuses.

If you would like to be a part of this groundbreaking documentary, contact The Caravan Times at editor@caravantimes.co.uk to submit your story.

Christopher Macgowan
twitter: motorhomenews

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