holiday home

WISH YOU WERE HERE – Brighouse Bay Holiday Park in Southern Scotland

Posted on February 16, 2022

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Picture postcards from Brighouse Bay Holiday Park in Southern Scotland…

 

Southern Scotland’s Brighouse Bay Holiday Park in Dumfries and Galloway has been named by the AA as the best campsite in Scotland. The family-run business near Borgue beat hundreds of other eligible parks in Scotland to the title when it was announced in November.
Awards given by the AA – based on guest reviews and a “secret shopper” visit by inspectors - are regarded as the Oscars of the holiday parks industry. The seaside park’s facilities, services and levels of hospitality all went under the microscope – and each was found to meet or exceed the AA’s highest standards on every level.

 

 

As well as welcoming campers and the owners of touring caravans and motorhomes, Brighouse Bay provides a number of other accommodation options. They include luxury holiday lodges to own and to hire, some with private hot-tubs, plus cosy glamping lodges which are especially popular with young families.
A member of the prestigious Best of British group of independent parks, site facilities include an 18-hole golf course with spectacular coastal views, and a leisure complex which features an indoor pool, bistro, bar and family entertainment.
Activities available on the park include a mountain bike pump track and, during the summer, pony trekking for all ages as well as an all-tide slipway for boat owners.

 

 

Not that Brighouse Bay is any stranger to awards for it has been graded 4 stars by inspectors from VisitScotland and won a number of environmental accolades. These include the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level, achieved for over 20 successive years in recognition of its many wildlife initiatives.
It also gained an additional award last year for its work to conserve hedges and woodlands, plus wildflower areas which provide vital foraging for honey bees and other pollinators. The park is also undertaking an ambitious rewilding project in areas of the grounds which will help provide additional wildlife habitats.

Brighouse Bay
Tel. 01557 870 267
www.brighousebayholidaypark.co.uk

IDYLLIC RETIREMENT

Posted on February 16, 2022

IDYLLIC RETIREMENT

Priory Court is a private and separate gated park home village…

 

THE GROUNDS of Priory Park are beautifully landscaped and include a lake.

It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic location in which to relax into retirement than Priory Park - a mixed residential and holiday park - in coastal Suffolk.
Visitors and residents enter the park through automated security gates before venturing into 115 acres of private, south facing parkland, surrounded by rolling pastures and ancient woodland that flows gently down to the water’s edge.
The beautifully landscaped grounds feature immaculate lawns, lily ponds, wildflower meadow, woodland walks and panoramic river views across the River Orwell, a tidal estuary that leads out to the charming seaside town of Felixstowe. The Priory Park estate has been owned and run by the Little family for over 40 years.
“My Father, Peter, purchased Priory Park from Ada Buckingham in June 1981,” explains Priory Park Owner James Little. “Known as Alnesbourne Priory at that time, it enjoyed a mixed reputation and after years of neglect was a far shadow of what you can see today.
Over the past forty years, our family has poured three generations’ efforts into transforming potential into reality and creating the fabulous haven Priory Park is today.”
James and his wife, Lisa, have lived at Priory Park since 1986, first in a Pinelog Virginia and for the past 20 years in the house they built in the grounds. Priory Park has also been home to their two children, Jake and Sophie, who have both worked at the Priory during school holidays in their younger lives.
With Sophie now of to university and Jake continuing to take on more responsibility in the family business that he has worked in for the past five years, the future of Priory Park looks secure for future generations of the Little family.

TIP-TOP STYLE
Ensuring Priory Park is kept in tip-top condition is very much a team effort. James explains that the family is assisted by a team of 15-20 staff depending on the time of year:
“As you can imagine, keeping a 115-acre estate - the buildings, roads, infrastructure, flora and fauna - looking at their best involves a lot of effort from our teams. Thankfully we have great staff, most of whom have been with us for many years, who are all proud to be part of Priory Park.”
Within Priory Park, Priory Court is a private and separate gated park home village for residential use. Catering for the fifty plus age group, with no resident children, Priory Court comprises 100 bespoke bungalow-style homes. South facing and terraced with attractive brick walling, each home has its own private drive and generous landscaped plot.
Priory Court offers the best of both worlds for residents. They enjoy the security of their own private community whilst being part of a larger whole and benefiting from the grounds and facilities of the rest of Priory Park.
Within the grounds of the Park there are tennis courts, a heated outdoor pool, a nine-hole par 31 golf course, a popular Clubhouse bar and restaurant in a building dating back almost 1000 years, numerous woodland trails, and direct access to the shore of the River Orwell.
The homes within Priory Court are complemented by wide drives, grass verges and Victorian style streetlamps. With a wide range of homes, each is positioned at different heights and aspects to create an attractive, unregimented environment.
The variety of homes and the individualised nature of each was a conscious decision as James explains:
“Priory Court has been completely redeveloped over the years and we have sold homes from all of the main park home manufacturers. The redevelopment was all about customer choice which we felt would also make for a more interesting development. On the holiday home side of things, we have tended to work in the same way and have examples of most of the mainstream caravan and lodge manufacturers represented.”

HOLIDAY HOMES
The Little family were pioneers in the UK lodge market in the mid-80s and the holiday home side of the business caters for privately owned caravans and lodges where use is strictly limited to owners and their families. James says that “this enables us to maintain high standards and ensure the Park runs in a particular way.”
He continues: “There are several different holiday home planning consents within the 115 acres. At the moment we have 170 holiday homes in situ including our flagship Friars and original Abbots developments but do have planning for a gradual increase which over time will provide space for a further 125. As we have always tended to see development more as gradual evolution, this should keep Jake busy for the next twenty years!”
Four years ago, the Little family purchased a neighbouring small caravan park business to secure Priory’s boundaries. For now, and notwithstanding the rigours of running a business during Covid times, the focus is on maintenance and upkeep of the existing buildings to ensure all is in good order before starting the gradual redevelopment of Orwell Meadows. In time this will provide 40 new caravan holiday home plots which may well become a further lodge development, subject to planning in the future.
According to James, the Little family run Priory Park “in a low-key fashion without much fanfare.” It’s a very customer-centric business.
“Our aim is to be the best we can, providing a secure and exclusive environment for our customers to enjoy. We try to make the most of what nature has given us with the beautiful setting and treat our customers how we would like to be treated ourselves. Ultimately it is all about the people; without our customers or staff there is no business!”

PEAKS OF PAMPERING

Posted on February 15, 2022

PEAKS OF PAMPERING

New and returning customers will be welcomed to Celtic Holiday Parks…

A HYDRO POOL COMPLEX provides guests with therapies and relaxation.

Wellbeing, beauty and fitness facilities are among the new features waiting to welcome this year’s visitors to a multi award-winning Wales holiday park group.
Celtic Holiday Parks, based in Pembrokeshire, says it has responded to customer feedback at its three parks by investing in new ways to improve the guest experience.
Business owners Huw Pendleton and his parents Vic and Ann say that the changes will ensure the family-owned group will continue on its course of attracting a new generation of visitors.
“Parks are no longer a one-size-fits-all proposition, and we intend to deliver the type of experience which people have been telling us they want from a holiday,” said Huw.

 

“They still expect fun, but many would rather visit a cocktail bar than a clubhouse, enjoy gastro-pub style meals, and enjoy treatment rooms with first-class facilities and ethical, organic products.
“Beautiful and well cared-for natural surroundings are also often preferred over artificial attractions, and accommodation needs to be exciting, glamorous and perhaps just a bit magical,” Huw continues.
“Many of our guests are repeat visitors, and relatively new to the concept of a park holiday, so we are constantly challenging ourselves to ensure they have something fresh to look forward to.”
Open from March 1st, both new and returning customers in 2022 will be welcomed to surroundings which are a far cry from what met the often more modest expectations of two or three decades ago.

 

NEW DEVELOPMENT WORK is also taking place at Meadow House Park in response to customer demand.

 

FIVE STAR
Five-star accommodation with private hot tubs, safari tents, cosy log cabins, and to-die-for interiors with four-poster beds and designer décor are all part of the pampering process.
“We are privileged to be located in one of the most exquisitely lovely corners of Britain, home to the country’s only coastal national park, so tend to attract people who readily appreciate quality surroundings,” said Huw.
“But although we are continually investing in our parks, our family’s twenty year experience tells us that happy memories are also fashioned by just how welcome people feel.
“That’s why we were delighted to have been given three major awards recently in which the parks’ friendly atmospheres and helpful, cheerful and caring staff all played a big part.”

BLUEBELL PODS AT NOBLE COURT provide guests with a private spa pool and a chance for al-fresco dining.

 

 

BOOKINGS BOOM
The accolades came from bookings giant Hoseasons, Welsh Enterprise, and LUX life magazine – and sit alongside the parks’ Best Caravan and Glamping in Wales distinction from Visit Wales.
Celtic Parks’ picture-perfect Pembrokeshire locations are near the market town of Narberth (Noble Court and Croft Country Park) and overlooking Amroth Bay (Meadow House Park).
Each, said Huw, has its own distinct character with which couples and families often fall in love, leading to their decision to buy a holiday home for four-season use.
“The popularity of UK holidays in recent year has not been for reasons anyone would have chosen, but it has certainly opened many people’s eyes to what a fantastic experience it can be.
“Our record bookings for next year suggest this is no flash in the pan, and I’ve every confidence that we will be investing and raising the bar even higher over the next twelve months,” said Huw.

Celtic Holiday Parks
Tel. 0800 1777 411
www.celticholidayparks.com

KEY SIGNING FOR PARKS PROVIDER

Posted on February 15, 2022

KEY SIGNING FOR PARKS PROVIDER

 

WIGAN-BASED Pemberton Park & Leisure Homes have become the first manufacturer to implement the new ‘EliteCRM Manufacturers’ product

Elite Dynamics, a leading provider of IT solutions to the Holiday Home and Residential Parks’ industry, has expanded its reach to sign up its first holiday home manufacturer – Pemberton Park & Leisure Homes.
It’s a move that now sees Elite Dynamics’ solutions transcend across the holiday home and parks’ industry, from manufacturer to supplier to park operator.
Wigan-based Pemberton Park & Leisure Homes have become the first manufacturer to implement the new ‘EliteCRM Manufacturers’ product. Built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement, they will also be able to utilise other practical additional Microsoft tools to work with the solution.
‘EliteCRM Manufacturers’ is an all- in-one operational platform for Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Field Service, and has the ability to seamlessly integrate with any existing warehousing software.
Using cloud based, mobile enabled software powered by the latest Microsoft Dynamics technology, Pemberton staff across all areas of the business will have real time access to customer aftersales analysis, real time reporting information, and real time engineer job allocation while they’re out in the field. In addition, ‘EliteCRM Manufacturers’ will give Pemberton’s holiday park customers access to their own personalised portal to manage aftersales.
‘EliteCRM Manufacturers’ has been designed specifically to improve the way manufacturers and suppliers work, improving communication and relationships with customers - from initial design stage to shop floor production and after-sales service.

 

JAMAINE CAMPBELL is managing director of Elite Dynamics.

JIGSAW PUZZLE
Jamaine Campbell, Managing Director at Elite Dynamics, said: “To be working with a holiday home manufacturer like Pemberton is the next piece of the jigsaw for us, so we’re excited to see how our solutions can help all areas of the industry come together to deliver an all-round first-class service.
“The demand on manufacturers has never been as high, so it’s crucial for the technology to be on-point to ease any pressure, particularly across busy customer service and aftersales teams.
For more information on Elite Dynamics or to arrange a demo of EliteCRM Manufacturers,
visit https://www.elitedynamics.co.uk

 

 

 

 

PARKS BREAK WINTER HIBERNATION

Posted on February 15, 2022

PARKS BREAK WINTER HIBERNATION

 

BOOKINGS are being extended into the winter months.

 

Park Holidays UK carried on for eight weeks beyond its usual closing date to allow families to enjoy November and December breaks. The group is kept 13 of its most popular parks until the week before Christmas following a “deluge of demand” for a final getaway of the year.
Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish says that the end of the October school half-term would have normally signalled the parks’ winter hibernation. “Brits have been given back their holiday freedom this year, and we’ve welcomed more families than ever in our 30 year history,” said Tony. “But it’s been obvious from the number of enquires we’ve received that many people want to holiday on through to the end of the season. “Now they will have the chance to do just that in a fully insulated holiday caravan or luxury lodge with central heating and double glazing to ensure everyone remains snug.”
Park Holidays UK operates 40- plus parks throughout England and Scotland, and Tony says their beautiful locations are well worth an out-of-season visit.

VERDANT CELEBRATE IN STYLE

Posted on January 26, 2021

VERDANT CELEBRATE IN STYLE

Bespoke holiday park operator Verdant Leisure recently celebrated its 10th birthday in style with gifts for staff and holiday homeowners. Through its social media pages, Verdant gave away 10 holidays to one lucky family who has a child that turned 10 years old in September. Verdant Leisure runs ten UK holiday parks in spectacular locations across South East Scotland, Ayrshire, Dumfriesshire, Perthshire & North East England offering a wide range of accommodation from self-catering caravans, deluxe lodges to camping pods, glamping pods and touring pitches at selected parks.

BEATING HEART

Customers and staff have been at the heart of the business since it was born in 2010 – the brainchild of founders CEO Graham Hodgson, Commercial Director Bev Dixon and Finance Director Andrew Wall. The company employs over 300 staff and is passionate about building a solid team, who are invested in the brand and deliver exceptionally high customer service. As a testament to their engaged and happy employees, Verdant Leisure were awarded 13th Best Company toWork For in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies List in 2020, 3rd in the North East and 9th Best Company in Scotland. “We value all members of the Verdant Leisure team and really treasure the people who make our company what it is. It has been the same since 2010 and each and every one of them has played a large part in our success, today is really about them and our customers – both new and existing,” says CEO Graham Hodgson. Verdant Leisure’s service levels ensured that 2019 saw 60% of guests booking again and the latest customer satisfaction survey results show that 95% of holiday guests would recommend Verdant Leisure to family and friends. “The 2020 customer base has shifted slightly, we’re welcoming lots of new customers into the Verdant family, many of whom may not have enjoyed a British holiday park break for a number of years,” continues Graham.

A significant number of new customers are also deciding to purchase holiday homes on Verdant Leisure’s parks as the post-Lockdown staycation uplift sees no signs of abating. Verdant Leisure was founded in September 2010 following a management buy-in of Dunham Leisure Limited, owners of Pease Bay and Thurston Manor Leisure Parks in South East Scotland. Verdant went on to purchase Viewfield Manor Leisure Park in Ayrshire in July 2011 and Riverside Leisure Park in Northumberland in 2012. Kingfisher and Heather View Leisure parks in Wear Valley, and Coldingham Bay were then acquired. Scoutscroft Leisure Park was purchased in February 2018 followed by Queensberry Bay in Dumfriesshire in October 2018. In January 2020 Verdant Leisure purchased Erigmore in Perthshire bringing Verdant Leisure’s portfolio to ten parks across Scotland and North East England. This deal continued the company’s growth strategy to create a strong regional group with significant scale, and Verdant Leisure remains keen to add further parks to its group over the next 18 months.

Verdant Leisure
Tel. 03300 535524
www.verdantleisure.co.uk

STAYCATIONS SPARK HOLIDAY HOME BOOM

Posted on September 4, 2020

STAYCATIONS SPARK HOLIDAY HOME BOOM

Park Holidays UK is reporting an explosion in demand from new holiday home buyers with enquiries soaring fuelled by the likelihood that overseas holidays will be a no-go this year and possibly next.

Park Holidays UK director Tony Clish says his group hopes to avoid rationing the distribution of holiday caravans and lodges among its 31 parks. “We do carry good levels of new stock at present, and existing owners trading-up to 2020 models means that we should have plenty of pre-owned holiday homes to offer,” he said.

“Sales enquiries slowed in March when government ordered the shutdown of parks – but they’ve since been escalating to a phenomenal extent throughout spring. “I think there’s the realisation that one of the best ways to enjoy staying in the UK is by owning a holiday home where you can take breaks throughout the four seasons.

“That, of course, and the fact that a park is perhaps the safest of all holiday destinations with completely selfcontained accommodation set at least five metres apart. “The staycation trend was already well entrenched before this present crisis, and I think it is going to come back with a vengeance,” added Tony.

Thomas Cook Staff By The Seaside

Posted on October 31, 2019

Thomas Cook Staff By The Seaside

ABOVE: Thomas Cook staff and families will be provided with no-cost stays including entertainment and attractions

Park Holidays UK has invited more than 600 Thomas Cook staff and their families to enjoy a weekend by the seaside. The holiday park group will pick up the accommodation tab in fully-equipped holiday homes for up to three nights, and will lay on free entertainment. Scene of the huge reunion party will be Broadland Sands Holiday Park, near Lowestoft, which the group is opening up especially for the event from November 8-11.

Park Holidays UK marketing director Geoff Barnes said it would be a chance for staff to swap memories and let their hair down after Thomas Cook suddenly went into liquidation in September. “As members of the holiday industry ourselves, we were also deeply saddened by the news and wanted to reach out to try and soften the blow in some way. “We thought the best way to help would be to open one of our most popular parks, Broadland Sands, for a long weekend and to offer free stays to staff and their partners and children. “Within one day of making the opportunity known to Thomas Cook staff, we were delighted to have taken bookings for all of the park’s 150-plus holiday homes,” says Geoff. “It means that we’ll be welcoming over 600 guests in total for between two and three nights, and we hope it will create a truly memorable experience for everyone. “I’m sure there will be some nostalgic moments, but overall we simply want all the Thomas Cook team, and especially the children, to share a very happy time,” added Geoff. As well as the free accommodation, guests will have use of all of Broadland Sand’s leisure facilities, including a recently opened £1.6 million swimming pool complex. Charges will also be waived on some other activities usually paid for by holiday guests, such as the climbing wall, adventure golf course and Segway Scooters. In addition, Park Holidays UK will be laying on a full no-cost entertainments programme in the park’s clubhouse featuring professional family-friendly acts.

Owners Only

Posted on July 2, 2019

Owners Only

Set in 40 acres of beautiful East Yorkshire countryside, the multi awardwinningOwners Only 1 Patrington Haven Leisure Park is celebrating its 35th anniversary by engaging with its customers and the local community. Founded by Graham Sparkes in 1984 on a disused RAF base near the East Yorkshire coast, after he sold his caravan-building business, the site is now run by Graham’s son, Guy Sparkes, his wife Karen and their extended family, who have grown the team from 35 employees, five years ago, to more than 70 today.

With a growth in turnover from £2.7m in 2014 to £5.6m last year, the owners-only park close to the Holderness coast is forecasting £6m in revenue for 2019 and is experiencing its highest ever occupancy rates, with just 15 of 485 plots currently free. Patrington Haven Leisure Park sells a wide range of quality new and used holiday homes, with customers enjoying a choice of their own private garden plot with designated parking. Holiday homes currently available range in price from £14,995 to £69,000. After investing £5.5m in the leisure park’s Country Club and infrastructure over the past five years, the business is continuing to push forward with new services for its owners and visitors and to reach out to the local community.

Significant investments have been made in Guy’s Café Bar and Restaurant, new technology in the state-of-the-art gym, and three new vans for the maintenance team, which have helped to improve rubbish collections and the upkeep of caravans. In addition, the business has invested thousands of pounds in a rubbish compactor, which has ensured not a single piece of commercial waste has gone to landfill since it was installed, and launched The Spa at the Country Club, providing luxury health and beauty treatments to caravan owners and the local community. A takeaway delivery service offering food from the park’s restaurant menu has also been set up to operate within a seven-mile radius, delivering everything from pizza to fish and chips, romantic meals for two and family feasts, as well as an alcohol delivery service, to caravans on site and local homes, with orders taken via the Just Eat service and delivered by two new vans. Meanwhile, an innovative, free mobile phone app has been launched to communicate with people on and off the park, with options for them to choose the news and notifications they receive, and a new website is due to launch this summer. Managing Director Guy Sparkes firmly believes the park’s committed team and loyal customers are the foundations of its success. Guy said: “We’ve seen a really strong five-year growth period and I put that down to belief, supporting the team and allowing them to be in charge of their own destinies.

SIMPLY THE BEST
“A leisure park is only as good as its owners and its guests and we have some of the best. Our main aim is for all our customers to be proud of our team and our team to be proud of our customers. “I can’t say it’s like coming to work here. It has various pressures, but at the same time, you’re coming in to collaborate with people who believe in the same things. When you have Owners Only 2shared beliefs, you can achieve anything.” The park has been awarded the Remarkable Holiday Park/Holiday Village Award in the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards (REYTAs) for the past three years, racking up the latest win in March. It also received the Visit England Gold Award for exceptional quality of accommodation and customer service 2018/2019. The success is based on creating a home away from home environment for owners and making the leisure park a hub for the local community. Although the pool and gym require membership, appointments at the Elemis spa can be booked and the restaurant, bar and other facilities are open to everyone all year round. The leisure park draws its customers from across Yorkshire, the M62 corridor and the Midlands and enjoys remarkable loyalty, with the longestserving caravan owners having called Patrington Haven their home away from home for more than 20 years. Andy and Kerry Naylor live in nearby Hedon and have owned a caravan on the park for four years, regularly staying in their current Willerby Vogue with their cocker spaniels, Charlie and Rosie. Mr Naylor, 57, said: “This is the third caravan we have had on the site. It’s like home away from home. “As well as my family, I bring work colleagues and engineers I know through my business to stay in the lodges and they all love it. “We like the takeaway service too. They’ve got it right with good chefs, and you can order online through Just Eat.” Eric and Linda Thompson, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, first bought on the park in 2003 and have owned three caravans during that time, including their current Winchester model. Mrs Thompson, 66, said: “We came to look at Patrington Haven one Saturday morning and we loved it straight away, so we bought our first caravan on the same day. “The plots all have their own gardens and it’s a very healthy environment. I walk, as well as swim, most days. The people are lovely and it’s like a small village. We’ve made friends here and everyone looks out for each other. “The park is family-run and that family feel is reflected in everything. We really feel part of that," she adds.

LOVE MATTERS
Retired couple Keith and Denise Wright bought their first Willerby Vogue caravan on the park last month, going ahead with the sale within 24 hours of arriving and falling in love with the surroundings. Originally from Manchester, they have owned a narrowboat for the past nine years and Mrs Wright said she is pleased to have found an ideal holiday home for their two children and five grandchildren to visit at various points throughout the year. Mrs Wright, 66, said: “We thought we’d go to lots of different sites to see what was available, but we never went anywhere else. “The staff took us round and we fell in love with it. When you need anything, someone is there straight away and nothing is too much trouble. There is such a lot going on for all ages and the park has a really nice feel about it. “Everyone has been so friendly here and made us feel so welcome. The park is really well cared for and has such pleasant surroundings.”

At A Glance

at a glance• The park operates an 11-month season for owners t o enjoy, but its five-star facilities are open all year round.
• Every holiday home comes with its own private garden.
• Guy’s Café Bar and Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and a superb Sunday carvery.
• The Country Club and Pool, which is open from 6.30am, 364 days of the year.
• The Spa open daily and offers a wide range of treatments using only the very best Elemis products.
• A well-stocked fishing lake
• A jam-packed events programme, from the all-day music extravaganza, Patfest, to the exclusive Owner’s Select private dinner.

 

Patrington Haven Leisure Park
Tel: 01964 630 071
www.patrington-haven.co.uk

 

Holiday Snaps – Helen Scott of Cofton Holidays

Posted on July 2, 2019

Holiday Snaps

Holiday Snaps - Helen Scott of Cofton Holidays

Helen Scott is a Director of multi award winning holiday park, Cofton Holidays. Having grown up at Cofton Holidays, Helen has a passion for tourism and sits on the Area Tourism Partnership and Visit South Devon boards and chairs the local Dawlish Warren Tourism Group...

What was your career path into the industry?
I grew up on the Park so have worked and helped my parents from a very young age, learning the basics, and have always been taught to have a good work ethic. I studied for my NVQ 4 Business and Finance Diploma in the evenings at Exeter College whilst working full time for BT. I found working for another corporate company gave me a big insight into working for a different industry and it gave me a good grounding for one day helping run a busy holiday park.

How has the market changed during your time in the industry?
When I was a teenager, we were a seasonal business open from Easter through to the end of October. We loved the down time with nobody staying in the winter months and only a few sheep for company. Now, the popularity of staycations has grown massively and to meet this demand, we are open 365 days of the year. Many holiday makers do not limit themselves any more to just one holiday a year.

How do you predict things will change in the next five to ten years?
I feel that the ‘staycation’ is here to stay; it’s all about demand and supply. Customers will continue to stay in the UK and travel around to see more of the country they live in. I think we will see a bigger boom in motor home sales, particularly amongst retired couples that enjoy touring to different areas.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your working life?
The biggest challenge for me is juggling work with home life. I often feel pulled in both directions and very rarely switch off when I am at home. Sometimes, you need some time away from work to be able to think clearly and come up with creative solutions to challenges at work.

What is the best piece of business advice you have been given and by whom?
Derek Blackburn of Sidona Group gave me some excellent advice during some in-house management training. The advice was to have faith in your staff and give them the tools and training they need so you can delegate responsibility to them.

If you could invite any three guests, who would you most like to sit down to dinner with and why?
Ben Fogle as he is a dog lover and we welcome dogs big and small here at Cofton! Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as he lives in Devon and can relate well to the local area. Dawn French as I find her funny and feel I have a similar sense of humour.

Where do you prefer to take your holidays?
I can only take a holiday in the depths of winter so have found going abroad to Tenerife is a nice way to get some sun. I also try and take a few days here and there and go away in our touring caravan. It is good to visit other holiday parks and enjoy being a customer and relaxing.