New Ownership

Posted on March 7, 2017

Park Leisure has been acquired by Midlothian Capital Partners for £103 million.

New Ownership

Luxury holiday park operator Park Leisure has been sold for £103 million. Private equity firm Midlothian Capital Partners and a consortium of investors have agreed to acquire the business, which was founded by Miles Dewhurst and Gary Molloy 19 years ago.

Upon completion, Gary will exit the business to pursue other avenues and Miles will take up the role of CEO supported by the existing management team as well as MCP. Park Leisure operates ten holiday home parks across the UK with a turnover of £58 million and 350 staff.

Gary Molloy, CEO and co-founder of Park Leisure, added: “After 19 dedicated years I have decided to take a back seat and exit the business over this coming season. The company started from an office in a bedroom in my house and has steadily grown ever since. “I have very much enjoyed working with Andrew and the MCP team, and wish them, as well as Miles and the Park Leisure team the very best for the future.”

UK’s Top Parks For Happy Campers

Posted on February 9, 2017

UK’s Top Parks For Happy Campers

Castlerigg Hall in Keswick, Cumbria, took the top spot as the Regional Campsite of the Year for the North West.

Vale of Pickering Caravan Park in North Yorkshire has been crowned the Campsite of the Year 2017 at the AA Caravan and Camping Awards. The park beat off stiff competition from 860 sites across the country, which were all visited by the AA’s campsite inspectors to assess the touring pitches, facilities and hospitality.

Each park is graded from one to five pennants, with Gold Pennants awarded to the very best. Since winning an AA regional award in 2013, owners of the Vale of Pickering Caravan Park - Chris and Dianne Stockdale - have continued to invest in the park each year, including a new state-ofthe- art facilities block which has six fully-equipped wet rooms and a dishwashing room. New electric points and a dog wash, with a hot shower were also added to the park this year.

Another notable winner this year was Forest Fields Caravan and Camping Park in Powys, which was named AA Campsite of the Year for Wales. The family-run park, which is located near to Royal Welsh Showground, is popular with families and outdoor adventure groups. The park’s owners - the Barstow family - also has plans to expand the glamping offering in 2017.

Elsewhere in the country Castlerigg Hall in Keswick, Cumbria took the top spot as the Regional Campsite of the Year for the North West. Owned by the Jackson family since 1938, the park provides luxury caravan holiday homes for hire, plus eco-friendly camping pods and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes. A former farm which began by welcoming campers, Castlerigg Hall is today one of the Lake District’s most highly regarded parks. 2017 also saw the introduction of a new award – The AA Glamping Site of the Year, to celebrate the increasing popularity of glamping. The winner of this brand new award was Durrell Wildlife Camp in Jersey, which is situated in 32 acres of landscaped parkland and water-gardens offers guest the opportunity to stay overnight in stylish Ecopods with unlimited access to some of the rarest wildlife species on earth.

All the winners of this year’s AA Caravan and Camping Awards will appear in the new AA Caravan and Camping Guide 2017.

Value Added

Posted on February 9, 2017

Always a warm welcome - Chek Whyte of Richmond Wight Estates.

Value Added

Richmond Wight Estates specialises in turnaround projects - buying parks in distress and re-developing them into successful and sustainable businesses.

In just three years Richmond Wight Estates has turned around and developed 15 parks and now owns and operates seven.

Formed in 2013, Richmond Wight is very much a family business. Managed by Chek Whyte, who formerly worked for Lifestyle Living. Chek’s son Charlie has a major role as Operations Manager for Scotland, where the majority of their current park portfolio is situated. The company employs around 50 staff across their portfolio, which is managed from their head office in Nottingham.

Richmond Wight’s Scottish parks include Glendevon, Moffat Manor and Riverview Country Parks, as well as a new holiday development close to Edinburgh called Rutherford Castle Lodge and Golf Resort. The company is also expanding south of the border with a number of parks in the south of England currently under development or offer.

“We offer a full turnaround business and only invest in parks in distress,” says Chek. “Re-developing the neglected parks we buy adds value and restores security. “Inevitably, we sometimes crack a few eggs as we go in but the long-term sustainable benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Without us, the parks would close and people would lose their homes.”

Richmond Wight’s main residential parks are situated in some of the most picturesque locations in Scotland amidst stunning and peaceful scenery that belies their turbulent history.

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Network Growth

Posted on November 14, 2016

Network Growth

Culzean Castle saw the biggest year-on-year growth, reporting a 45 per cent increase in the number of pitch nights booked in 2016.

The Camping and Caravanning Club has enjoyed a significant growth of five per cent in the number of campers on its network of 108 UK Club Sites so far in 2016.

The Club capitalised on good weather in July, August and September in particular, and has benefited from a wider trend towards staycations within the UK. Culzean Castle, on the Ayrshire coast, saw the biggest year-on-year growth, reporting a 45 per cent increase in the number of pitch nights booked in 2016.

Bob Hill, Club Sites Director, said: “We’re thrilled with the Club’s success in 2016. Enjoying our highest ever membership has clearly extended to more bookings made on our network of campsites. “We have helped hundreds of thousands of campers enjoy a break away this year, with well over one million pitch nights on Club Sites.”

Surge In Club Membership

Posted on May 31, 2016

Surge In Club Membership

The Camping and Caravanning Club is celebrating record membership with nearly 600,000 individuals, or 281,674 households now being members of the Club.

The Club hit its previous membership peak in August 2011, shortly after the global recession when more Brits switched to camping and caravanning as an affordable and sociable staycation holiday option.

Robert Louden MBE, director general of The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “In a time when some member organisations are experiencing a downturn in their membership numbers, we are extremely proud to announce our highest ever membership.”

Holiday Snaps with Olive Dunlop, Ballyness Caravan Park

Posted on May 31, 2016

Ballyness Caravan Park in Bushmills, Northern Ireland, opened in 2000 for touring caravans, motorhomes and caravan holiday homes. A family-run business, the park’s owners David and Olive Dunlop work full-time on the site. Olive runs the reception and shop and looks after the touring park while David concentrates on the general maintenance and caravan holiday homes.

How is 2016 shaping up for Ballyness Caravan Park?

With the phenomenal success of Game of Thrones and other locally produced films, Northern Ireland is starting to get the national and international recognition it deserves for its wonderful scenery and produce, and this is helping to drive not only international visitors but domestic visitors who did not realise what we have to offer.

If you had to identify one element, what is the most crucial aspect to the success of the park?

Standards. Whether it is in services provided, cleanliness of the park or paperwork for customers, we aim for the highest possible.

Who is the most important person in the business and why?

Some people would say the next customer, but I would say the last customer. If he leaves Ballyness happy having had a great holiday, he will come back and also tell his friends.

What challenges are currently facing the holiday park sector?

The uncertainty of the political future with the EU Referendum is probably one of the biggest unknowns facing the holiday park sector. We are governed by a raft of EU regulations and no one knows for certain what would happen if we were to leave Europe, or for that matter what would happen if we stay in under the new deal.

How have visitor expectations changed during your time in the holiday business?

We decided a few years ago to be much more customer focused and if there is a problem getting it fixed as soon as possible and keep them informed at all times. This not only repairs the relationship but our customers are amazed by the service they get.

Where do you see the park in 10 years’ time?

We would still like the business to be successful 10 years down the line, but we keep an eye on the short to medium term and are quick to react to any changes or ideas that come up.

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given and by whom?

“Do your own thing” advised a very good friend of mine. We were continually getting bogged down in petty rules and regulations and when we tried to keep everyone else happy, we found we were not progressing far. By doing our own thing, not only did we do it right, but better.

Where do you go on holiday?

Somewhere sunny and warm in December. We have four weeks off after working seven days a week for the rest of the year and at that time of year, we like to head to the sun.

Holiday Hotspot

Posted on May 31, 2016

Holiday Hotspot

Park Holidays UK says the new properties at Landscove will be making one of Devon’s most famous holiday hot-spots far more accessible for home owners.

A new holiday home development has been officially opened at Landscove Holiday Park in Brixham, Devon.

Marketed as a breakthrough in affordable luxury living, the new village provides 47 top-spec caravan holiday homes. Also available are 13 architect designed, two or three bedroom lodges .

Park Holidays UK, operators of Landscove, says the properties will be making one of Devon’s most famous holiday hot-spots far more accessible.

Owners of the homes will also be able to take advantage of an extended 50- week season on the park. Torbay Council’s tourism and culture chief, Nicole Amil cut the tape on the new village in April which signalled the start of a two-day celebration event.

Bare Essentials

Posted on May 11, 2016

Bare Essentials

Green Hill Farm Holiday Park in the New Forest is officially the best place to ‘go’ in Britain, according to judges of the annual Loo of the Year awards. The business was recently named as the overall 2016 Loo of the Year winner in the holiday parks category of the competition, beating more than 3,000 other UK parks to the title.

Pic: Woodhill Park

The prestigious accolade was awarded to the family-run park after its washroom facilities were mystery shopped by inspectors. The spacious new washroom facilities at the park include large showers and drying areas, private vanity cubicles, a family bathroom, hairdryers, underfloor heating, and full access for people with limited mobility.

Celebrating the news of the award are husband-and-wife team Lorna and Graham Lee who, with their two young daughters, acquired the park seven years ago.

According to Lorna, the washroom building simply mirrors what the park itself aspires to: “Green Hill has a very special appeal to people who enjoy away-from-it-all holidays in gorgeous surroundings, and we’ve tried to provide the perfect backdrop for that.” she said.

“Our family feels very privileged to be able to live and work in the beautiful part of the New Forest, and it’s great to have our efforts acknowledged with an award like this,” added Lorna.

Clean washroom facilities, like those at Green Hill Farm, are the bare minimum a guest will expect while on holiday. In an increasingly competitive market, it is more important than ever that holiday parks offer a certain level of comfort and luxury in terms of washroom provisions for their guests, to ensure a positive and lasting impression.

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Pitch Perfect

Posted on May 11, 2016

Pitch Perfect

Pengion poo pegs and Glamping Tent Chessington Frank PR

Zoos and holiday parks have realised glamping opportunities Pic: Albion Canvas By Boldscan

For those that have branched into the glamping market, well invested! The glamping business is booming – and it shows no signs of slowing down.

“Glamping seems to be the gift that keeps giving,” declares Tobyn Cleeves of Bell Tent UK.

“It will continue to become more popular as it is a wonderful way of having a great UK based family holiday.”

Bell Tent UK has been at the forefront of the glamping scene for over a decade. Established in 2006, the company has grown to incorporate all aspects of glamping equipment including tents and camping accessories not found on the High Street. Also in the portfolio is Hotel Bell Tent, which provides boutique accommodation for festivals, sporting and private events, and even won the 2015 Festival Awards Best Temporary Structure Award.

Business is booming in the glamping market – and it shows no sign of slowing down. Pic: Bell Tent UK.

“Glamping started out at private parties and festivals and soon filtered through to the mainstream,” Tobyn explains. “We are approached more and more by park owners looking to diversify into glamping - one of the major benefits is the fact that it often attracts a different demographic who would not normally consider staying at a park and are often prepared to pay a premium for a beautiful spot,” he adds.

Bell Tent UK specialises in high quality unbleached cotton canvas tents, ranging in diameter from 3m to 6m. New for 2016 is the launch of a new size bell tent, known as the ‘In- Betweener’. At 4.5m in diameter, the tent is a half-way house between the original 4m bell tent and the large best-selling 5m diameter bell tent.

“It’s important to remember you are buying a tent, not a permanent structure and you might consider putting it away when not in use to extend its life span,” says Tobyn.

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Heroes Fund Gets A Boost

Posted on May 4, 2016

Heroes Fund Gets A Boost

Over £6,000 was raised for Help for Heroes by the team at Hendra Holiday Park

Guests and staff at Hendra Holiday Park in Cornwall have raised a £6,300 for the charity Help for Heroes throughout a year of fundraising in 2015.

Help for Heroes was named as Hendra’s adopted charity for the year at the start of last season, and donations came via a raft of initiatives by the park and its staff.

Hendra Holiday Park director Janine Hyatt said: “We would like to thank all those who contributed to Hendra’s fundraising effort, especially our holiday guests whose donations make a big difference.

“Even in difficult times, many people are happy to put their hands in their pockets for a good cause, and we’re delighted to be able to provide these much-needed funds for Help for Heroes,” said Janine.