NEWS CLUB AND INDUSTRY
HOME COUNTIES PIT STOP AT ICONIC TRACK
A year to remember As previously reported (see p15, February 2023 issue), The Caravan and Motorhome Club Concert Band is celebrating its 30th anniversary during 2023. It has been a busy year to date, with band members rising to meet the challenging programme set by Chair Ian Clowes. During spring, the band performed at the Trolleybus Museum at Sandtoft, Lincolnshire, which holds the largest trolleybus collection in the world. The band also performed two ‘proms’ evenings in April and May – the first during Easter for the Midland Centre, the second for the village of Haxey in Lincolnshire. June saw the band taking part in Saddleworth’s traditional Whit Friday Brass Band Contests (with woodwind
players showing incredible dedication by sourcing and learning to play brass instruments for the occasion). Following a rehearsal at Burrs Country Park Club Campsite near Bury, the band competed in a road march and a standing contest march in Saddleworth’s villages, which lie to the north-east of Manchester. They were joined by young members who acted as banner carriers, and played the jazz standard Caravan (arranged by Musical Director Chris Cobon). The day also saw the premiere of the brass version of the march, Resilience, which was written by Chris after the first Covid-19 lockdown. During the day the band competed in six villages, and achieved an overall
placing of 68th (out of 136 competing bands). This was a fantastic result – despite it being the band’s debut in the contests, it was placed above several championship outfits. The weekend finished with a superb tour around the Huddersfield-based factory of Michael Rath Trombones. The band will meet in August for two fringe performances in Edinburgh, before heading to Southport, where the Flower Show beckons. Next year’s programme is being developed and this will include an appearance at ClubFest in May. If you would like to learn more about the band please see facebook. com/CAMCBand and look out for an article in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
Irish Division to host Question Time
Ward and Director of Marketing and Membership Services Harvey Alexander will be joined by representatives of the Division to chat and answer questions about the Club. Light refreshments will follow, and there is free parking and free access to Fota House and Gardens, as well as a discounted entrance fee to Fota
Wildlife Park if required. Please RSVP to camcirishevents@gmail.com with your name and membership number. Munster Centre will be hosting a temporary site at Fota from 29 September- 2 October 2023. For more details and for rally bookings please email Richard and Isabelle at rev.greene@gmail.com.
The Club’s Irish Division is holding a Question Time event at 11am on 30 September 2023 at Fota House, Arboretum and Gardens, Fota Island, Co Cork. A panel including Executive Committee Vice-Chairman Ann Marie
Division and Region AGMs
Several of the Club’s Divisions and Regions will be holding Annual General Meetings in September or October. Dates, times and locations for these are listed below in date order. Members that live within the Division or Region boundaries are welcome to attend but should check with the relevant Division or Region before travelling in case any details change. For more information about the Club’s Divisions and Regions please visit camc.com/about-us/divisions-and-regions. REGION OR DIVISION South West Region (southwestregioncc.org.uk) Home Counties Region (homecountiesregion.co.uk) Welsh Division (cc-welsh-division.co.uk) Scottish Division (thescottishcaravanclub.com) Central Region (centralregion.org.uk) West Central Region (westcentralregion.co.uk) South East Region (southeastregioncc.co.uk) Northern Region (northernregion.co.uk) Anglia Region (angliaregion.org.uk) 16 August 2023
DATE AND TIME 16 September 2023, 2pm 7 October 2023, 3pm 14 October 2023, 11am 14 October 2023, 2pm 14 October 2023, 2pm 14 October 2023, 2pm 21 October 2023, 11am 22 October 2023, 11am 22 October 2023, 11am
LOCATION The Army Flying Museum, Kentsboro, Hampshire The Grove Academy, Watford, Hertfordshire Please contact the Division for information Dewars Centre, Perth, Perth and Kinross Kegworth Hotel, Kegworth, Leicestershire Astley & Dunley Village Hall, Astley, Worcestershire Please contact the Region for information Cawthorne Village Hall, Cawthorne, South Yorkshire Witchford – please contact the Region for information www.camc.com
Goldy Images/Ian Clowes
The Home Counties Region held a ‘Question Time’ event at Silverstone Interactive Museum, which sits beside the iconic racing circuit, on the border of Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire. The event was attended by almost 100 Club members from across the region and farther afield. Question Time events enable Club members to put their questions to representatives of the Club’s regions as well as members of the Executive Committee and staff from head office. Answers were given on a variety of subjects by a panel consisting of David Rickard (Regional Chairman), Grenville Chamberlain OBE (Chairman of the Caravan and Motorhome Club), Harvey Alexander (Director of Marketing and Membership Services), Emma McQuillan (Head of Governance), Paul Barnes (Head of Estates) and, from the Club’s Technical Committee, Adrian Hobbs CBE and David Pettinger. A summary of the questions and answers can be found at homecountiesregion.co.uk. After the meeting, members were able to tour the museum and learn about the history of the famous venue. A viewing platform also proved popular, with racing taking place on the track below. The Home Counties Region would like to pass on their thanks to those who attended.
