War On Plastics
Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park in Padstow has stepped up its fight to keep local beaches clean by investing in special equipment which can rid the sand of micro-plastics. Called a trommel, the machine sieves the sand to separate out ‘nurdles’, the small plastic pellets produced in their billions each year during the manufacture of plastic products. The anti-pollution device, which is operated manually, has been designed and manufactured by Nurdle, a not-for-profit business based in North Devon. Staff at Mother Ivey’s Bay carry out regular beach clean-ups throughout the year. Once the nurdles have been separated, they are up-cycled and used by local artist Veronika Niewiadomsk, to create special pieces of creative work.
The World of Park & Leisure Homes show team has added a second date and venue to its successful event concept, with a spring show at the South of England Showground in Ardingly. The World of Park & Leisure Homes provides park owners and operators a comprehensive shop window experience, with a massive collection of leisure lodges and park homes on display and the chance to discuss your particular requirements and options in privacy and comfort. Save the date for the Trade Preview Day on Thursday 11th April 2019 with the South of England event open to the general public from Friday to Sunday, 12th -14th. Meanwhile, the World Of Park & Leisure Homes will return in the summer, to its more familiar Stoneleigh venue, from June – 9th.
Park Holidays Investment Agenda
Ready Camp, the glamping brand owned by The Camping and Caravanning Club, has added three new locations across England for 2019. With new safari-style tents at Clitheroe (Lancashire), Kingsbury Water Park (West Midlands) and Devizes (Wiltshire), there is now a network of 242 pre-pitched Ready Camp tents at 48 locations across the UK. Bob Hill, Club Sites Director, said: “Ready Camp remains a top pick for hassle-free breaks and we’re pleased to extend the coverage of our glamping holidays across England this year. “It’s reported that 59% of people are planning a domestic UK break in 2019* and we’re growing to meet this demand.” Since its launch in 2015, Ready Camp coverage across the UK has more than doubled. Each Ready Camp tent is wellequipped with a kitchenette, decked area, table and chairs, triple bunk bed and a single stow away bed. Campers need only bring their bedding, towels and a sense of adventure. On-site facilities are of a high standard and benefit from regular investment. Facility blocks are within walking distance of each tent and many have locations have dedicated parent and baby rooms. Ready Camp has scooped several awards in recent years including the Best Holiday Rental for Families award at the Family Traveller Awards 2017. Ready Camp at Clitheroe sits in the heart of the Ribble Valley with several bustling market towns nearby. Further north, The Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers 312 square miles with rare wildlife and pretty villages that can be explored by bike or on foot. Kingsbury Water Park is located in the heart of the Midlands with attractions such as Cadbury World and Black Country Living Museum close at hand. The water park is adjacent to Ready Camp at Kingsbury and has miles of walking and cycling tracks plus canoeing and sailing opportunities. Nearby Lichfield is one of the UK’s smallest cities with historic streets, quirky shops and a stunning 13th century cathedral. Ready Campers at Devizes can enjoy the famous Caen Hill locks, a flight of 29 locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal that can be reached direct from site. It’s in a perfect location too for prehistoric sites such as Stonehenge and the Avebury stone circle. The nearby Longleat estate has 900 acres of parkland and the biggest hedge maze in Britain.
Donkey Creek Farm Caravan Park on Lancashire’s Fylde coast is officially one of the best place to ‘go’ in Britain, according to judges of the annual Loo of the Year awards. The park’s washrooms have been named as top platinum winners in the latest Loo of the Year awards, bringing a chain of honour to the family-run business. The prestigious accolade was made to Donkey Creek after the shower and toilet facilities provided for guests were ‘mystery shopped’ by inspectors. Celebrating the news of the award are Paul Lancaster and his wife Jane who opened the park last summer in a quiet rural location near the market town of Freckleton. One of their first tasks was a built a state-of-the-art washroom facility for guests pitching up at the park with motorhomes, touring caravans and tents. Paul and Jane also know that their success is not just a flash in the pan because, they say, advance bookings for 2019 are ‘way beyond our expectations.
Fragile areas such as the Lake District should be doing all they can to woo visitors in motorhomes, according to the owner of a major Cumbria holiday park. Henry Wild of the 130 acre, Skelwith Fold, in Ambleside, says that people using such vehicles are helping to drive up the use of transport considered more environmentally friendly. Buses, bicycles and two legs are the preferred ways of exploring Lakeland for many of Cumbria’s thousands of motorhome users each year, says Henry. As such, he says, motorhome visitors help reduce congestion on the roads, and minimise the release of harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Last summer, Henry reports, motorhome visitors to his park grew by 8% compared with the previous year, and are fast gaining ground with many younger couple and families. But despite their size, he believes, motorhomes should be hailed as green holiday heroes – as long as they opt for holiday park pitches and not roadsides or public car parks.
WEATHER-PROOF
LASTING IMPRESSION
Back of Beyond Touring Park is set in rural Dorset and boasts 80 pitches with electric hook-ups, 40 camping pitches and a glamping village, as well as an amenities block, reception and shop. Victoria takes pride in the park’s outdoor areas and keeping them well looked after is a high priority all year round. She comments: “As we are 30 acres we can't possible compete with beautiful natural foliage, however, we make the most of the busy areas of the park, such as the reception and shower blocks by planting carefully selected flowers, bushes and trees.
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