Tag Archives: The Caravan Club

Idyllic, Perfection, Can it get Better?

03 Friday May 2019

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I guess we all have our Top Ten Favourite places where we’ve stayed; I certainly do and my holiday in Scotland enabled me to stay at the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s Bunree site near Fort William. It’s certainly in my top ten.

We all have the luxury of having a mix of favourite sites, places, activities, books, films and so on. Writing this blog takes me back to when, in a former life, I did a lot of radio and TV work where you learned pretty quickly you need to have a clear favourite and spit it out without missing a heart beat. At the end of a radio interview I would frequently be asked what my favourite bit of music was to take the programme into the next sector. No opportunity there to diffidently mention a top ten. (For me it was always Mike and the Mechanics “The Living Years”) One hapless MP being interviewed along side me seemed unable to choose her favourite book and the interviewer rather unkindly remarked that if she couldn’t answer a simple question like that there seemed little hope for her career.

When asked for my favourite book back in those rather high octane days I often wondered if as a laugh I might say it was the ACSI Guide to all the aires in France.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

A visit to Scotland.

05 Sunday Feb 2017

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I was in Scotland earlier this week. I stayed at four Caravan Club sites; Coniston in the Lake District on my way to Scotland, Strathclyde which put me in the right place for the Scottish Show at the SEC in Glasgow, then a night at the delightful “The Woods” Affiliated Site in Alloa about twenty miles north east of Edinburgh and finally at Melrose which is a favourite.

My four photographs are:

1. Sunrise in The Borders not far from the Scottish English border.

2. The idyllic setting you find at The Woods – with a restaurant thrown in for good measure.

3. The Caravan Club stand at the show – as always busy and very well presented.

4. The new and still under construction Forth Road Bridge is a thing of beauty and because it is so close to the world famous rail bridge it makes you realise just how outstanding those Victorian engineers were. I am reliably informed the rail bridge no longer needs to be continually repainted as science has developed a long life coating which will last for ages. Doubtless the complaining and weary phrase most often heard in offices “it’s like painting the Forth Bridge” will live on anyway.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Seacroft Caravan Club site, Cromer, Norfolk.

20 Sunday Nov 2016

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I spent the weekend in Cromer where I was attending the AGM of the Anglia Region of The Caravan Club. 

Whilst the site was – as ever – up to the usual CC standards, the weather was not. Storm Angus was passing by and although Cromer got off lightly – torrential rain all night for sure – none of my cameras could cope with the darkness, driving rain and a significant chill factor for the poor old photographer.

So I have resorted to using a photo from The Caravan Club website http://www.caravanclub.co.uk and convincing myself that it was beautiful sunny weather; or at least it could have been. Still, what do I expect in November for goodness sake?!

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Congratulations to The Caravan Club.

03 Thursday Nov 2016

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UNITED KINGDOM — The Caravan Club has been awarded first place in the ‘Top 50 Companies for Customer Service 2016’ awards in the travel and hospitality category. The touring specialist also came second in the ‘Best Email’ category across all UK companies that entered the awards.

The Caravan Club’s customer service team is made up of over 140 employees at its East Grinstead head office as well as a network of sites staff across The Caravan Club’s 200 Club sites and 2,500 privately owned places to stay in the UK.

Commenting on the win, Peter Martin, head of operations, membership services at The Caravan Club, said, “This award is testament to the strength of our customer service team, both at head office and across our site network. We pride ourselves on offering the best possible touring experience for our members, from the first enquiry right through to when they are on holiday. This award win is incredibly well deserved by all involved and we will continue to develop, and evolve our customer service channels to meet the needs of our members.”

The Top 50 companies for Customer Service 2016 were announced on Oct. 27, at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange as over 700 leaders in customer service turned out in force for an evening of industry celebration.

The Top 50 is the largest benchmarking exercise for customer service in the UK and run in partnership with GfK Mystery Shopping, one of the UK’s leading independent market research organizations, a release from the company stated. It is the only benchmarking service to use real customers to provide analysis across calls, email, live chat and social media, the release continued. The report is based on an extensive program of mystery shopping. Assessors, who are both actual and potential customers, engage with member contact centers and then record what happens during their phone conversation, email, live chat and social media channels.

For more information, visit http://www.caravanclub.co.uk

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

The Caravan Club’s delightful Slinfold site.

31 Sunday Jul 2016

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One of my favourites. Was at Slinfold near Horsham this weekend in glorious weather. And the volunteer wardens? None other than Caravan Club Vice-Chairman Janet Moore and husband Darrill. The site is looking as good as ever and Janet and Darrill make everyone really welcome. All in all a great weekend.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

As seen on BBC2….8pm April 20th and 27th.

09 Saturday Apr 2016

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The Caravan Club’s Caravanner of the Year Competition. Soon to be shown on BBC2, two one-hour shows…

The Caravan Club is the largest touring organisation of its kind, representing over one million caravanners. As a champion of the great outdoors it is committed to raising the positive profile of caravanning for the benefit of members and the industry as a whole.

The Caravan Club allowed the BBC to film its ‘Caravanner of the Year’ competition that celebrates this Great British pastime which is held in high affection. Six top enthusiasts, (all Club members) battled it out across two highly charged weekends to win The Caravan Club’s inaugural competition and the coveted title of ‘Caravanner of the Year’. It’s the caravanning world’s “Great British Bake Off”.

The programmes – which will be aired on BBC2 at 8pm on 20 and 27 April – follow the fun, and drama, of how the motorhomers, caravanners and campervanners competed against each other.

The enthusiasts were faced with a variety of challenges covering activities such as manoeuvring, navigation, hospitality and caravanning knowledge. There was also the precision challenge of the Concours D’Elegance which demanded much polishing and primping of their vehicles!

Judges for the competition were Grenville Chamberlain, Chairman of The Caravan Club and motorhome maverick and journalist Andy Harris. Guest judges Lucy Jayne Grout, a specialist in vintage caravan restoration and Martin Dorey, the Camper Van Cook, both utilized their expertise to assess the competitors.

Scenic Ferry Meadows Caravan Club Site was the backdrop for the competition and on the Finals weekend all site visitors enjoyed an impromptu party with the finalists to celebrate the competition.

Grenville Chamberlain, Chairman of The Caravan Club, said, “It was a privilege to be involved with the competition and have the opportunity to meet such wonderful people who obviously greatly enjoy their caravanning and motorhoming. The programmes really highlight the camaraderie and sense of community that caravanners enjoy and we certainly had great fun during the competition. Tune in and watch the programmes and start planning your summer caravanning trips!”

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews

Thanks to the North Essex Centre.

28 Sunday Feb 2016

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Many thanks to the North Essex Centre of The Caravan Club for their generous hospitality during their rally held this weekend at the Chelmsford City Racecourse. Particular thanks to Chairman Rob Rice.

It is a high quality venue in all respects and recently came under the new ownership of Betfred who look to be making a great success of it. An all weather track, when it first opened in 2008 it was the first entirely new racecourse in the UK since Taunton opened in 1927. It had a stuttering start to life going into administration quite early on but is now firmly back in business under the Betfred ownership. 

Local people, of which I am one, will inevitably always refer to it as the Essex Showground despite the fact that there has not been an Essex County Show for a very long time.

Christopher Macgowan

@motorhomenews