Just when you thought the caravanning season was coming to a close and all further activity would lie dormant for a while, we bring you some of the latest tidbits of news that keeps us focused on the pastime’s ever-changing horizons.
Here is just a taster of some of the headlines to keep the winter blues at bay.
The Motorhome and Caravan Show
For anyone with even an inkling of interest in caravanning, this is probably “the Show” of the year.
As usual, the Motorhome and Caravan Show takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) near Birmingham from the 15th to the 20th of October.
To give some idea of the sheer scale of this annual jamboree, the Show fills 10 of the NEC’s massive halls, with literally thousands of exhibitors – and, of course, the chance to get up close and personal with the new caravans and motorhomes that will be appearing in 2020.
Vacant bank in Hastings set to become country’s first ‘caravan hotel’
Do you ever find it strange when you have to swap your caravan for a hotel bedroom?
Now you can enjoy both experiences at once – overnight in a caravan that is pitched inside a hotel. It’s a concept that has given birth to the country’s first “caravan hotel”, which is planned to have seven caravans which guests can rent in the redeveloped HSBC bank in Hastings, according to a story in Kent Live on the 27th of September.
Each caravan has been refitted to provide a luxury double bedroom – although the galleys and cooking facilities have been removed to avoid fire risks – providing accommodation for guests in what is described as a boutique hotel.
Development plans have been submitted to Hastings Borough Council and borrow from a concept already in use at the Hüttenpalast Hotel in Berlin.
Planning permission sought for County Durham caravan park
Meanwhile, at the other end of the country in County Durham, planning permission is being sought for a more conventional expansion of services and facilities for caravanners, said the Northern Echo on the 25th of September.
The owners of the Holebeck Touring Park, in Wolsingham have resubmitted a planning application which now seeks permission for their 54 touring caravan pitches to be open all year-round, including the winter months.
An earlier application – also made with the intention of stabilising the financial peaks and troughs of their business – had sought to increase the number of touring pitches to 97. That application was turned down by the planning authorities who expressed concern about the potential impact on the landscape and added congestion on neighbouring roads.
Kind caravan site boss offers free holidays to those affected by Thomas Cook closure
The owner of Filey Bay Caravans on the North Yorkshire coast has been so affected by the plight of would-be holidaymakers losing out through the collapse of travel firm Thomas Cook that he is offering free holidays in static caravans on the site.
Reporting the generosity of Richard Brown, on the 25th of September the Scarborough News, explained that Filey Bay has 130 caravans onsite and that current bookings are few and far between during September and October. There are ample vacancies for short breaks for families affected by the collapse of Thomas Cook.
The plight of the disappointed holidaymakers is only too poignant for Richard Brown who had himself booked a family holiday with the company in the coming weeks.