Spa Work Underway

Posted on December 15, 2016

Spa Work Underway

Shrewsbury’s Mayor Councillor cut the first turf to mark the start of work on a new touring park.

Work has started on a new £3.5 million touring caravan park with a wellness centre and spa facilities in Shrewsbury.

The park, which will have 120 touring caravan pitches and create up to eight jobs, is being developed on 21.5 acres of land by Salop Leisure.

The environmentally-friendly development will also have a natural swimming pool, spa facilities, exercise studios, a gym and a wooden play area.

“We are keen to develop a park that is a new concept at one with nature and will instil a feeling of well-being and tranquillity in our visitors,” said Mark Bebb, Salop Leisure’s managing director.

“As a company we develop caravan parks to five star standard, but this touring park will raise the bar to a new level,” he added.

“I believe that what we are currently offering customers as an industry needs to improve and develop for the future and we have to move with the times and push boundaries.”

New Play Products

Posted on December 15, 2016

New Play Products

The new Swingo from HAGS SMP has a unique mechanism that allows users to rock in two directions and rotate at the same time.

Play equipment specialists HAGS SMP have expanded their range of outdoor apparatus with two new products. The DNA Climber is a unique multi-user piece of equipment, made up of twisted rungs and support ropes.

The structure itself is made from powder coated steel and steel core combination rope, which makes it strong and durable. The climber provides a new type of horizontal climbing challenge which helps develop balance, strength, coordination, and motor planning skills, providing an ideal challenge for children aged 5-12.

Meanwhile Swingo has a unique mechanism that allows users to rock in two directions and rotate at the same time, giving children a multi-directional and a dynamic play experience. The hard wearing product and the extra investment made on safety features and comfort make play extra safe and comfortable for young adventurers.

Aimed at children aged 2-7 years, the Swingo is a great addition for any play area.

Holiday Snaps

Posted on November 14, 2016

Holiday Snaps

Neil Ainsworth
Head of Operations & Retail at Bunn Leisure

After spending eight years working for Bourne Leisure and three years with Bridge Leisure, Neil moved to Bunn Leisure in West Sussex in January 2016 to become Head of Operations and Retail. His responsibilities include oversight of all retail experience at the Bunn site; bars, catering, shops and the Oasis pool complex.

You’ve spent most of your career working in holiday parks, how have they changed?

Without a doubt it’s our visitors’ expectations – they have risen enormously. The difference in expectation when I started with Rank in the early 1990s to now almost can’t be compared. What visitors expect to see in their caravan; anything from double-glazing to central heating, plus the basic functionality of them has risen and so has their expectation of how their children will be entertained, both during the day and the evening.

What’s the most important aspect of your job?

It’s got to be the ability to understand the business from the customer view. I think it helps that I’ve spent a number of my holidays in the past either on holiday parks. If you’ve enjoyed this type of holiday it gives you invaluable experience to bring to the job.

Anything specific you’ve taken from your own experience at these places?

I remember being at Disney and noticing that the team there all had name badges which wasn’t particularly innovative but then they’d include the place they came from, such as ‘Jake from Denver, Colorado’. I introduced that at one of the parks I used to work on for Bourne Leisure. Little things like that can make a big difference – critical non-essentials, I like to call them!

What is the main focus of the retail side of holiday park work?

Ensuring good and consistent working practises and looking at everything we sell and how we sell it. I’m always looking into new ways and new products to retail – what do our customers really want to see in our shops, bars and restaurants – and how we can help our guests buy our products at the best possible price.

Is live entertainment still important?

Absolutely. I think we’re miles ahead on this - we spend more than £1.5 million a year on entertainment at Bunn Leisure and our guests and owners really appreciate it. They love the idea that they are getting world-class performers, such as Billy Ocean or Heather Small, as well as the activities we produce for teens and children.

It sounds as if children and young people are increasingly the key?

If they are it’s because we attract so many families and one of the reasons for that – and for UK holiday parks still being so popular - is because it’s a safe and secure environment for children. There’s a feeling here that you can allow your children to roam free and enjoy a wide range of activities and facilities. When I was a child you could go out and play in the street but parents are far less likely to let their children do that now so it’s great they can still do this in holiday parks.

Making Waves

Posted on November 14, 2016

The UK’s best holiday park pools are celebrated at this year’s UK Pool & Spa Awards…

The overall category winner and coveted Holiday Park Pool of the Year title went to Tydd St Giles Golf & Country Club at the recent UK Pool & Spa Awards.

The UK’s multiple water leisure sectors celebrated their biggest night of the year at the hotly-contested UK Pool & Spa Awards last month. Overall category winners across 26 categories were each presented with a certificate and a trophy by Olympic swimmer and popular TV sports presenter Sharron Davies MBE at the special prize giving and networking evening, which was held at The Vox in Birmingham. Once again, the awards recognised the outstanding achievements of the country’s holiday park sector, with the Holiday Park Pool of the Year award. Within the category, six holiday parks were shortlisted and each received a Gold standard award. “Holiday parks play a big role in the UK’s provision of water leisure facilities and we’re delighted to be able to showcase some of the very best that the industry has to offer,” says Christina Connor, editor of Swimming Pool Scene magazine, the independent publication behind the annual competition.

STAND-OUT PARKS

“We received entries from a number of stand-out parks, who clearly value their pool facilities and work hard to keep them in top notch condition. The awards go some way in rewarding that hard work and raising the profile of those parks.” The overall category winner and coveted Holiday Park Pool of the Year title went to Tydd St Giles Golf & Country Club in Cambridgeshire, for its luxury heated swimming pool. The pool, which is located within a leisure complex on the lodge development, is open to holiday home owners, holiday guests and club members and welcomes around 23,000 bathers per year. The judges felt that the immaculate appearance and dramatic criss-crossing of exposed oak beams really makes this pool a head-turner. Meanwhile, the wellness facilities including a steam room and sauna further enhance the guest experience. The leisure complex at Tydd St Giles opened in 2013 and is managed by Lauren Buckingham, who has worked at the park in various roles since she was 13. Lauren is supported by a dedicated team who work hard to maintain the high standards that customers have come to expect.

GOLD STANDARD

Parks that achieved the Gold standard in the holiday park pool category included Lady’s Mile Holiday Park in Devon, Thornwick Bay Holiday Park in Yorkshire, Plas Coch Holiday Homes in Wales, The Pickaquoy Centre Trust in Scotland and Brean Leisure Park & Holiday Resort Unity in Somerset. The operators of Brean Leisure Park also scooped a Gold standard award in the Water Leisure Operator of the Year category. The parks were presented with their certificates and awards by Olympic swimmer and popular TV sports presenter Sharron Davies MBE. “We introduced the Holiday Park Pool of the Year award last year, and it’s great to see even more parks being recognised in this year’s competition,” added Christina Connor. “The holiday park sector has certainly raised the water leisure bar this year and we hope to build on that success in the 2017 awards.Watch this space!”

Founded in 2010, the UK Pool and Spa Awards are organised by Waterland Media, the publishers of Swimming Pool Scene and Hot Tub & Swim Spa Scene, the market-leading magazines for the combined water leisure sectors. The UK Pool and Spa Awards are open to the entire water leisure industry and aim to celebrate outstanding swimming pools, swim spas, hot tubs design, management and refurbishment and the outstanding people in our industry who make a difference. On-line voting accounts for 40% of the overall vote. Voting by the Judging panel – made up of industry representatives and professionals from all over the world - accounts for 60% of the vote.

For more information on the competition, or to get involved in next year’s awards, visit www.ukpoolandspaawards.co.uk.

Lady’s Mile Holiday Park

The pool at Lady’s Mile Holiday Park in Devon is well known for being one of the warmest and cleanest pools in the area, with the average temperature around 33C. Complete with a flume and a separate paddling area, the pool very popular with young families, couples and older guests alike. The park also has a close connection to Ratcliff School for special needs, which uses the pool for private school sessions.

Thornwick Bay Holiday Park

The main pool at Thornwick Bay Holiday Park was recently refurbished by Leisure Concepts. It features fun splash and spray jets, a new children’s pool area with water play slides, and an all new activity and swim pool. There’s also a new multi-lane family speed slide, new splash pool with tipping bucket, spray features and a bubble seat.

Brean Leisure Park & Holiday Resort Unity

The large modern splash park at Brean Leisure is used by members of the public, holidaymakers, schools and triathlete clubs, for swimming lessons and fitness classes.
The pool was in operation for 30 years prior to the rebuild in 2011. Over £5 million was spent in the first phase of the rebuild, making the pool into a 25m indoor modern leisure facility.
The pool is operated by the House family who have owned the site for the past 70 years, and are involved in the day to day running of the business.

Plas Coch Holiday Homes

The pool at Plas Coch park is open to private residents and offers a range of water-based activities such as swimming lessons, water walkers, snorkelling, scuba diving, pool parties, aqua fun and fitness classes. Welcoming up to 20,000 bathers each year, the pool is run by Park Leisure 2000, which operates ten holiday homes parks throughout the UK. The pool has recently had the walls, ceilings and floors refurbished and painted to ensure the integrity of the facility remains first class.

The Pickaquoy Centre Trust

The pool and spa the Pickaquoy Centre is used for a number of sessions from public swimming to group exercise classes, swimming lessons and inflatable sessions. Although the pool is part of the facilities the Trust manages on behalf of the Council, it is attached to the caravan and camping park and is used by holidaymakers and the general public. The pool has an annual bather load of 70,000.

Taking The Plunge

Posted on November 11, 2016

Taking The Plunge

Commercial spas offer bigger and better filtration and sanitation systems along with other features that suit much heavier bather use. Pic: Caldera Spas.

With thousands of models to choose from, selecting the right hot tub for a holiday let can be a potential minefield.

Shrewd operators and owners will look before they leap when it comes to showing duty of care, not to mention doing the necessary sums to ensure a profitable bottom line. Over the past ten years, a significant amount of holiday park operators and holiday let owners have purchased and operate what are in fact domestic hot tubs only designed for home, and not intended for commercial use.

Commercial spas, the type found at health clubs and spas, are generally much larger than the average portable spa with bigger and better filtration and sanitation systems along with other features that suit much heavier bather use. Chris Brady of Lincolnshire-based hot tub retailer 1 Stop Spas advises customers to avoid the temptation of buying a cheap hot tub on the internet, which may not be robust enough to cater for the high demands of a holiday hot tub.

“We come across plenty of customers whose opinion when buying was ‘I only want a cheap spa because I’m only renting it out’. Like most electrical equipment, buying cheap isn’t always cost effective over a few years,” says Chris. “Cheap spas can cost up to ten times as much to run, meaning higher overheads. They are often fitted with cheap components, therefore the reliability is not very good meaning in inconvenient downtime for you and rental customers.”

1 Stop Spas’ bestselling holiday hot tub is Vita Spa Joli, which is a compact shape and has low sides that can easily be incorporated into new or existing decking. The Vita Spa range also uses off the shelf Balboa control systems and pumps, therefore sourcing parts quickly is easy, meaning minimal down time if you were unlucky enough to develop a fault. Chris adds: “The biggest consideration which is often overlooked is aftercare. We recommend that you have the spa serviced at least every six months to ensure any wear and tear is identified early and rectified to avoid breakdowns. It is advisable to team up with a local hot tub retailer, who can provide aftercare on your doorstep.”

Customers are always looking for an added value when they make their booking and hot tubs fit the bill perfectly and have broad appeal. Pic: Caldera Spas.

In accordance with regulations made by the Health & Safety Executive, regular testing of both pH and disinfection should be made at least three times a day and the results logged and kept for at least five years.

A monthly microbiological test is also required, testing for Legionella every quarter. The Management of Spa Pools booklet insists that the tub ‘needs to have a continuous chemical feeder built into the spa to continuously treat it with disinfectant’.

These devices are not always installed into a hot tub at the point of manufacture and would therefore have to be retro-fitted at a later stage. “Choose a known quality brand and make sure that it fits the requirement of the park,” advises Anthony Schneikert of leading retailer Spa Solutions.

“Too many brands are just labelled up by other factories that churn out numbers and don’t focus on quality and innovation.”

Spa Solutions recommend the Viking Spas brand of hot tubs for holiday parks, which are renowned for being tough, robust and manufactured to a high quality. Their bestselling models are the Regal and Royal models, which are lightweight and are manufactured using slip-resistant material. Anthony advises that holiday park owners can expect to pay between £3,495 and £4,995 depending on the model and specification. Spa Solutions offer special discounts for bulk purchases and all Viking Spas come with a seven year shell warranty.

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Butlin’s Plans For ‘Best Pool In The Country’

Posted on November 11, 2016

Butlin’s Plans For ‘Best Pool In The Country’

Holiday park operator Butlin’s says that their swimming pools, like the one at Butlins Minehead, are the second main reason that guests return each year.

UK holiday operator Butlin’s has unveiled ambitious plans to build a new state-of-the-art swimming facility at its Bognor Regis resort.

If given the go ahead, the new £30million aquatic complex would include a lido, an indoor wave pool, a toddler pool, two flumes and a brand new outdoor rapid river, as well as new changing facilities. It would replace the resort’s existing pool, which is more than 30 years old.

A planning application will soon be submitted to relocate the pool from the west of the holiday resort to the east.

If granted planning permission, Butlin’s hopes to open its new pool in the summer of 2018. The current pool will remain in use until then.

Jeremy Pardey, resort director, commented: “Our customer surveys regularly tell us that our guests place much importance on our splash swimming pools. As a result of this and with the existing pool here at Bognor Regis reaching the end of its operational life, it was felt that the best option was to develop a new, replacement pool.”

Jeremy added: “After carrying out much work over recent months in the preparation of these plans, it’s great to have now reached this stage. We only thought it was right, however, that we provided a chance for residents to understand our proposals and importantly had time to discuss them with us.”

One Stop Shop

Posted on November 7, 2016

Whetting your appetite for the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show this November…

The Holiday Park & Resort Innovation show returns to Birmingham in November.

Building on the success of its launch in 2015, the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation show returns to Birmingham in November and this year the team is pulling out all the stops to make the show bigger and better than before. Taking place on November 9-10 at the NEC, the show is a must for park and land owners looking to diversify their land into a lucrative tourism enterprise, or those looking for new and innovative ways to put their park on the map.

Visitors to the two-day event can get a glimpse of the latest glamping trends and products, as well as a comprehensive lineup of seminars, workshops and suppliers needed to make a holiday park business a success. “Holiday Park & Resort Innovation is an entirely unique event for entrepreneurs striving for success in one of the most vibrant and competitive sectors in British business today,” says event organiser Will Mansfield.

“The show brings together top industry experts, leading suppliers, interactive workshops, live debates and seminars all focused on providing the inspiration, advice and resources holiday park and resort owners need to enhance the performance of their business,” he adds. The show will be expanding into Hall 8 of the NEC this year, with more than 300 suppliers and an estimated 3,500 visitors.Visitors will have the opportunity to learn from the top experts at google, Airbnb and Booking.com and hear from some of the industry’s most successful individuals such as Carl Castledine CEO of Away Resorts, George Bryan Director of Drayton Manor and Bernard Donoghue CEO of ALVA.

“As in 2015, the Holiday Park Innovation Show will again support The Family Holiday Association as its official charity and in addition we’re excited to announce our official trade partnership with the NCC,” says Will. “As the UK trade body for the tourer, motorhome, caravan holiday home and residential park home industries we look forward to working closely with the NCC before, during and after the event this year.” The show runs alongside Rural Entrepreneur Live, incorporating Farm Business Innovation & Country House Innovation in Hall 9, which provides landowners with the inspiration, advice and resources they need to diversify, innovate and make more money from their land and property.

Packed with relative content, this additional show provides visitors to Holiday Park & Resort Innovation with further unique opportunities they might not have previously come across.

Running on the November 9 – 10 2016 at the NEC Birmingham, tickets to attend the show are free. Visitors just need to register via the website www.holidayparkshow.co.uk.

Smart Choice

Energy Controls is a leading supplier of electricity SMART Meters and pre-payment metering systems to holiday parks throughout the UK. The company specialises in providing its customers with fully managed metering solutions including installation and support for prepayment Card Meters, as well as data collection for SMART Meters that can be integrated with PayPoint for greater prepayment flexibility.
If you want to find out more about MID compliance or if you are thinking about installing or upgrading your meters, either to ensure your energy costs are recovered fully or to reduce your billing administration, then visit Stand 1346 where the team will be happy to sit and discuss your requirements with you.

Energy Controls
Tel. 0845 230 4535
www.econtrols.co.uk

Make a Splash

World Leisure UK can deliver the full turnkey option for your water leisure facility.
From initial design through to construction and handover, World Leisure UK can help to deliver your water leisure facility aspirations. The company benefits from close links with a manufacturing facility, which enables them to keep a large part of the manufacturing side of an installation, from moveable floors and filter vessels through to stainless steel handrails close to home. Their experience in the commercial sector ensures that their designs and installations conform to the current legislation, written especially for the swimming pool industry by the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group, Sport England and the Health & Safety Executive.

World Leisure UK
Tel. 01772 284883
www.worldleisureuk.co.uk

Fun For All

For over 45 years, World of Rides has been a leading UK manufacturer of children’s leisure rides in the UK. From its premises in County Durham, the company supplies major shopping centres, retailers, visitor attractions, fun farms, holiday parks, garden centres, family entertainment centres and hospitality centres that include national and single-site operators. Their vast knowledge and experience ensures that every ride they manufacture is rigorously tested both in the factory and onsite before being released for sale.
They maintain a dedicated customer support office which ensures that all their customers receive the very best advice on the profitable and safe operation of their rides.

World Of Rides
Tel. 01914 920 999
www.worldofrides.com

Home from Home

Omar is a leading manufacturer of luxury lodges and park homes with a reputation built upon 50 years of manufacturing experience.
All Omar’s homes and lodges are built to residential standard BS3632:2015. This means they are suitable for residential use throughout the year and are built to last at least 50 years.
Interiors have a choice of intelligent floor layouts to suit individual needs and are right up to date with stunning interior design. All homes come with quality branded furniture, white goods, double-glazing and central heating as standard.
With industry leading design, exceptional build quality and unsurpassed attention to detail, meet the Omar team on stand 1562 to discuss how they can help deliver your dream lodge.

Omar Park Homes
Tel. 01842 810 673
www.omar.co.uk

In The Fast Lane

A world-first in design innovation, itrike easy-to-ride electric vehicles give the leisure market a superb opportunity to offer customers a new and dynamic transportation experience. They also present an excellent ROI opportunity for holiday rentals. Including both e-bikes and e-scooters, itrike’s range of noise-free electric vehicles have been cleverly designed to provide users aged from 14 years + with an exhilarating ride that is both fun and safe. They are propelled by a reliable, long-lasting lithium-ion battery coupled with a Bosch electric motor, providing a maximum speed of 15mph (e-bike version). Visitors will also have the chance to win an itrike at the show!

itrike
Tel. 01743 761107
www.itrike.co.uk

Take a Dip

RotoSpa is the UK’s only spa manufacturer. A family company established 15 years ago, the Midlands-based factory supplies the holiday industry all over the UK. From simple, robust, quality tubs for holiday lets to more complex commercial solutions to solve labour demand and legislative issues. Make RotoSpa your preferred hot tub partner. RotoSpa will be exhibiting a number of exciting holiday park hot tub innovations to enable owners and operators to reap the financial rewards of hot tub provision whilst giving them a newfound peace of mind that they will be able to comply with legislative requirements without undue strain on staff time.

RotoSpa
Tel. 0121 354 3428
www.rotospa.co.uk

Don't Miss Us

As the official media partner of the Holiday Park & Resort Innovation Show, visitors should make a beeline for Holiday Park Scene magazine on stand 1641. We will be giving away complimentary copies of the magazine and the team will be on hand to discuss your business goals for 2017. Holiday Park Scene is an essential read for anyone involved in holiday park and campsite management. At least 5,000 copies of Holiday Park Scene are distributed six times annually to key personnel in all aspects of the holiday park industry across the UK and Eire. We have a combined online presence of 20,000. Talk to the team to find out more about the editorial, advertising and marketing services that we offer.

Holiday Park Scene
Tel. 01353 666663
www.holidayparkscene.com

Playing It Safe

Posted on May 4, 2016

Playing It Safe

Pic: RSS (Playground Inspection Maintenance)

A state-of-the-art outdoor playground may look the part, but keeping it in tip-top condition is sometimes overlooked.

From ropes and wooden frames to nuts and bolts, there are a large number of components on play equipment that require routine checks and an annual inspection.

A leading supplier of outdoor play equipment is urging holiday park operators to show duty of care towards their play equipment. RSS (Playground Inspection and Maintenance) stresses the importance of ongoing compliance to EN1176, even with newly purchased equipment, by inspecting the equipment on a regular basis.

Andy Readman, director of RSS comments: “In the unfortunate event of an accident you must be able demonstrate compliance to avoid expensive litigation and bad publicity. When purchasing a new playground you can specify equipment that is certified for compliance to EN1176, the European Playground safety standard.

“But what do you do when your equipment is many years old, was never certified for compliance when manufactured and the original equipment manufacturer is no longer trading?” says Andy.

“Well, you still have the same obligations regarding safety of the users but it is unlikely that an item of equipment that wasn’t designed to comply can be successfully modified to comply,” he explains.

RSS (Playground Inspection and Maintenance) have worked with holiday parks and visitor attractions for many years and can offer independent advice backed up by over 25 years’ experience in this specialised field.

Andy adds: “Remember, if you inspect regularly and repair defects your play area will continue to provide years of safe and trouble free use.”

Following a successful refurbishment of the playground equipment in 2013 to address non-compliances and extend the life of the equipment, Cosgrove Park in Milton Keynes has implemented a seasonal inspection regime based on the opening schedule for the park.

RSS have worked with Cosgrove Park to ensure that the regime reduces the number of inspections but ensures the park is inspected more frequently during the periods of highest use.

How often outdoor play equipment should be changed or updated all depends on the warranties of the equipment and its usage. The more the equipment is used, the quicker it may suffer from wear and tear. You can expect at least ten years use from any play area - and a lot more if it is well maintained. Sovereign Play Equipment has installed in excess of 10,000 play areas nationwide over the last 22 years.

Sovereign Play Equipment

In terms of price points, Justin Mottaz of Sovereign advises that a modest adventure trail could start from as little as £2,500 and an adventure tower with safer surfacing from around £5,000. “I would suggest that a sensible amount, to get a reasonable sized play area from the start, would be in the region of £10,000,” he says. “Remember that the cheaper option is often that way for a reason.”

Dominique Lloyd-Roberts of Playforce agrees: “When designing a playground, health and safety and durability should also be a priority. Look carefully at your quotations, guarantees, aftersales service and the longevity of the proposed designs – think about getting the best value for money, rather than just the lowest price.”

Playforce is a long-standing member of the API, all equipment complies with BS EN1176 and 1177 and is RoSPA tested. The company provides a full maintenance service with advice on routine maintenance, post installation, yearly and three yearly packages that include full reports, training and consultation sessions.

Wish You Were Here… Woodhill Park

Posted on May 4, 2016

Wish You Were Here... Woodhill Park

Woodhill Park in East Runton, Norfolk… Located in a picturesque clifftop location, Woodhill Park in East Runton enjoys views of the Norfolk coastline and surrounding countryside.

On-site facilities include a small convenience shop and a launderette, as well as recently refurbished shower and bathroom facilities. Guests can make the most of the leisure areas on-site, such as the large recreation field which has a petanque court, tennis nets, and crazy golf course.

There is also a play area with a giant chess and draughts board. There is a wide variety of accommodation at the park, including touring and camping pitches, holiday homes and luxury and classic caravans which are available to hire for up to 14 nights.

Woodhill Park’s popular Seashell Events are family focused seasonal activities with the emphasis on the natural environment. Held during the main holiday periods and open to all, this year’s Seashell Events include live moth trapping and identification, beachcombing and rock pooling sessions.

Dorset Clinches Title

Posted on April 15, 2016

Dorset Clinches Title

South Lytchett Manor in Dorset has been named by the AA as the best caravan and campsite in the UK, earning it the overall title of the AA’s Campsite of The Year.

The family-run business, near to Poole and Bournemouth, beat more than 900 other camping parks across Britain to take the prestigious pole place.

The accolade is awarded every year following a rigorous assessment by AA inspectors of parks’ standards of customer care, quality, and cleanliness.

Joanne Bridgen of South Lytchett Manor commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been chosen for this award and extend our heartfelt thanks to our holiday guests for their continuing support. “We are also extremely grateful to members of our hardworking staff team whose friendliness and commitment to quality service has been crucial to our success,” said Joanne.

Ten other camping and caravan parks across the UK were also recognised in the 2016 awards. The winning parks will be presented with their awards at a special prize giving ceremony in March.