Holiday Park Management Magazine Feb 17 Issue

The Ultimate Suppliers Guide for Holiday Parks, Caravan Parks and Campsites

Holiday Parks Management February 2017 • Issue 25

Giving the gift of holidays to families in need

Landscaping News Park News

Indoor Play feature w w w. H o l i d ay P a r k s M a n a g e m e n t. c o m

What’s in this issue?

Thanks to Sandy Balls Holiday Park for main image

Holiday Parks Management

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Industry news

Henry Wild Indoor play feature Willerby enters the Luxury Lodge Market

Welcome to the first issue of Holiday Parks Management for 2017. We have an exciting year ahead of us. Firstly, we are increasing the number of issues we are producing to 6 a year, so it will never be long before you receive a copy with all of the latest news and features.

Interview with

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landscaping feature

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one for all

NEXT ISSUE

features include:

! insurance

Our editor Steph and I are attending the annual BH&HPA conference this month and we are looking forward to hearing about the issues facing the industry as well as catching up with old friends and contacts.

We are also already working hard on our annual show; The Glamping Show which is in its third year and already promising to be bigger than ever!

Nina

! planting

! outdoor play

Proud Member of the Association Published by: Maggie Media Ltd t: 01432 263219. Registered Business: Unit 2, Wyevale Business Park, Wyevale Way, Hereford HR4 7BS Other Publications: Glamping Business - www.glampingbusiness.com Publisher: Maggie Media Ltd, Nina Blanchard e: nina.blanch@maggiemedia.co.uk Editor: Steph Curtis-Raleigh t: 07887 928819 e: steph@upgradepr.com Sales: Nina Blanchard t: 44 (0) 7799 430327 e: nina.blanch@maggiemedia.co.uk, Kathryn Kelly t: + 44 (0) 7575 408580 e: kathrynkelly@swanevents.co.uk Design: Dean Coulter, Design on Tap www.designontap.co.uk www.holididayparksmanagement.com Other Events: The Glamping Show - www.glampingshow.com Š Maggie Media Ltd 2017. No part of this publication may be reproduced nor stored in a retrieval system by any means without the prior permission of the publisher.

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Park News Insulation standard for residential park homes is revised BSI, the business standards company, has revised BS 3632 Specification for Residential park homes and Residential Lodges to take into account changes in technology and improve energy efficiency performance. As these types of accommodation do not typically come under the Building Regulations, the revision allows manufacturers to produce safe homes that are fit for purpose and comfortable all year round. With an increased uptake of holidays and residence in park homes in the UK, this becomes more relevant.

Residential park homes are traditionally thin-walled, singleglazed units with poor insulation where the cost to maintain a comfortable level of heating can be very high. Therefore BS 3632:2015 aims to improve this in new homes and lodges. It gives the minimum specification for residential park homes in terms of ventilation, thermal insulation, stability once sited and room sizes etc. It will address how to construct external walls, floor and roof, (excluding any door and window openings), in an energy efficient manner.

In the absence of such guidance, some manufacturers may move straight to building regulations, which are not best suited to this product. Others would assemble basic products that would not be built to any known standard, which could lead to unsafe products.

It will be relevant to designers, manufacturers, their main contractors, specialist sub-contractors and customers.

What has changed? ! The 2005 version did not take account for increases in required energy efficiency, or improvements in technology ! It refers to new technology such as the use of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery ! It includes a grading system which utilizes Heat Loss Parameters ! It utilizes the latest European Reaction to Fire, classification system Anthony Burd, Head of Sector, Built Environment at BSI said: “The previous version of BS 3632 did not take the importance of energy efficiency sufficiently into account. Whilst older homes cannot readily be retrofitted, for improved energy efficiency, manufacturers can have confidence that the new homes they produce will be to standard.”

BS 3632 has been developed using a consensus-based collaborative approach with input from such organizations as Building Research Establishment, The National Caravan Council, The Health Protection Agency, and fire authorities amongst others.

Park home residents to benefit from £700k energy bill discounts The Warm Home Discount (WHD) initiative, a government scheme administered by Ofgem E-Serve will be offering rebates to more than 5,000 park home residents totalling £700,000.

The initiative offers a £140 annual rebate on energy bills to those in and at risk of fuel poverty in Britain, however, previously people living in park homes did not qualify because their energy contract was with the site owner.

This has now changed following Ofgem’s successful pilot scheme in 2015/16 developed alongside energy suppliers and Charis Grants. It provided more than £233,000 in rebates to more than 1,600 residents.

People who benefit from the initiative are in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee and have an annual household income of less than £16,190.

Chris Poulton, Managing Director of Ofgem E-Serve, said: “We’re pleased that more than 5,000 park home residents are able to benefit from £700,000 of extra support to help stay warm this winter. This is an important contribution to helping tackle fuel poverty for those vulnerable consumers in park homes.”

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Park News continued

Move customers onto your site more quickly, with Stock Support from Quick Move Properties Quick Move Properties, the UK’s leading part exchange company, is helping residential and leisure park operators to complete sales, and get customers moved onto site more quickly, with its Stock Support service.

The service, which is available to any residential or leisure park operators who use Quick Move Properties’ part exchange service, offers a range of new units from manufacturers such as Prestige, Homeseeker, Omar, Wessex, Tingdene and Pathfinder that are ready to be sited throughout the year, without the usually lengthy lead times associated with ordering a park or leisure home.

Quick Move Properties’ Sales Director, Patrick Chambers, explains: “There are a lot of potential customers out there who want to move on to their chosen park quickly, but long lead times with park and leisure home manufacturers mean that many are unable to fulfil new orders for several months.

“Thanks to our new Stock Support service, we have park homes and lodges from Prestige, Homeseeker, Omar, Wessex, Tingdene and Pathfinder that are all available to site on your park. What’s more, units can still be tailored to customer specification and requirements with 12 weeks’ notice.

“If you have a customer lined up and ready to go, we also have a limited number of homes available for immediate delivery to site, that all come with a showroom standard furnishing pack.”

If you have a customer looking to part exchange their existing property, who is keen to move onto site in the coming months, Quick Move Properties is able to handle the part exchange and release a home or lodge at cost price. Alternatively, Stock Support can be used to assist cash customers for a modest arrangement fee, which will be dependent on lead time and the home model selected.

To find out more about how Stock Support can help you secure customers, call Quick Move Properties’ friendly team on 01793 840917.

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Park's ding-dong New Year sees village swell The population of Silverdale on the borders of south Cumbria was almost doubled this New Year following an explosion of celebrating visitors.

Michael Holgate of Silverdale Holiday Park says his business set a 60year record for people choosing to spend the New Year break away from home.

More than 1000 guests were partying and popping the corks on their bubbly on January 31, he says, nearly doubling the village's population of some 1500 people. But not all families, said Michael, were staying in snug and centrally-heated holiday homes. Also pitching up were scores of campers and owners of touring caravans, plus people with motorhomes and others booking one of the park's glamping pods.

"The rise in people coming away for Christmas and New Year has been evident for some time, but this year the numbers rocketed," said Michael. "Many say that they have a much more relaxing break when everyone is on neutral territory and away from their usual family surroundings.

"We certainly find that it makes for a great stress-free atmosphere on the park, and we often find families coming together for impromptu parties," he says.

Michael believes that Cumbria as a whole will benefit from the holiday year growing longer and producing fewer peaks and troughs throughout the calendar: "Our six holiday parks employ around 135 people, and each year we find ourselves less reliant on seasonal staff and better able to provide more full-time positions.

"This allows us to attract higher calibre recruits, and to be able to invest in their personal training and development which benefits both them and us in the longer term.

"Four-season holidays also spread tourism spending more evenly throughout the year, and this helps the many smaller business which rely on our visitor trade," said Michael.

This year, he added his business has also been able to provide New Year accommodation at two luxury cottages opened alongside Silverdale's popular local pub, The Royal. After standing empty since 2010, The Royal re-opened in spring this year following a £300,000 refurbishment project by Michael's family business.

Chichester Lakeside holiday park in West Sussex

Parks group set to usher in new growth phase New expansion plans have been signalled by Park Holidays UK following the announcement (19.12.2016) of the company's sale for £362m to the Intermediate Capital Group plc (ICG).

ICG has acquired the 26-strong parks group from Caledonia Investments plc, which has owned Park Holidays UK for the past three years, and steered it through a period of rapid growth.

Specialist asset manager ICG aims to ensure the continuation of the group's success story through investment both in the company's existing parks, and in the making of new park acquisitions.

Park Holidays UK says there will be no changes to its senior management team, which has been in place since 2006 after acquiring the business from its founders through a management buy-in.

Since then, Park Holidays UK has grown to become Britain's third largest holiday park groups with 26 coastal locations in southern England, from Devon in the west to Suffolk in the east.

The company's parks have established themselves as one of Britain's most popular providers of holiday lodges and holiday caravans for private owners.

Create a Virtual Magic Xperience for Guests At the recent SETT Show in Montpellier, France, the Holiday Parks Management team was fascinated by the animated objects on the stand of Magic Xperience.

Based in France and the US, the company has developed an innovative App which, when used to view specially printed objects, can create incredible animations. Similar in concept to the Pokémon Go phenomenon, Magic Xperience characters cannot be seen except for on the screen of the device, however, they can be photographed and captured on video.

Magic Xperience has developed a range of products such as party plates and postcards, which can interact with customers. In addition, the company has worked with leisure parks and retailers to create freestanding signage, which will interact with customers. In addition the company can create dedicated characters such as company mascots and special effects suitable for the environment. For example, this can mean that customers can pose with virtual wildlife at a zoo or fairies can fly out of a child’s paper plate at a party.

“The possibilities of this technology are endless,” says the company’s CEO Christian Ruiz. “You could create a trail of signage throughout the park for customers to follow, so that they can discover all the hidden characters and experiences during their stay.

For more information and to find a distributor, visit: www.magic-xperience.com/en/our-distributors

Guests can also rent holiday homes for a stay, and touring pitches are also provided on some parks.

Bolstering the appeal of its parks is a reputation for providing first-class leisure and entertainment facilities, and extended opening seasons for owners of up to 11.5 months of the year.

Commercial director of Park Holidays UK, Tony Clish, said that 2016 had been a strong year for the group, and that it was now greatly looking forward to partnering with ICG: "I believe that Park Holidays UK has played a very significant role in raising the bar for the UK parks industry, both in terms of the quality standards and value provided to customers.

"We will remain focussed on these vitally important elements as we make plans to invest in our existing operations, and to acquire new parks which are a fit to our business model.

"Our company will continue playing its part in developing a vibrant UK tourism economy which benefits both employment and the widening of leisure opportunities for customers," said Tony.

Completion of the transaction is likely to take place early in the New Year, once official approval has been received from the Financial Conduct Authority.

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Park News continued

Tourism talks: picture outside Dynamic Earth are chairman of BH&HPA (Scotland) Colin Fraser; national BH&HPA chairman Henry Wild; Scottish tourism minister Fiona Hyslop MSP; BH&HPA (Scotland) policy director Jeanette Wilson, and director general of BH&HPA Ros Pritchard

Scottish parks welcome minister at annual summit Scottish tourism minister Fiona Hyslop MSP met with holiday park owners in Edinburgh at the end of last year to hear how their industry is planning to maintain visitor momentum in 2017.

The minister was the chief guest speaker at the annual conference of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (Scotland) held at the city's Our Dynamic Earth.

Owners and managers of many of Scotland's 200-plus park businesses were meeting at the end of what was generally regarded as a highly successful year for their sector.

Fiona Hyslop, who is cabinet secretary for culture, tourism and external affairs, was welcomed to conference by Aberdeen park owner Colin Fraser who is chairman of BH&HPA (Scotland).

Mr Fraser told the minister that an independent economic survey published last year found that Scottish holiday parks generate around £700m of visitor spending each year in Scotland.

Did you know that 60% of people in the UK can’t go without WiFi for more than 1 day?

Impress your guests with a fast and reliable WiFi system that’s fully supported and family friendly.

Camping Connect has helped over 250 sites in the UK and abroad offer great guest WiFi, using practical and wellengineered installation strategies to become experts in delivering robust and supported WiFi and they are committed to offering excellent customer support.

Their friendly UK based support team are available 7 days a week to answer any queries your guests may have and we’ll get working on them right away.

This figure, he said, accounts for 8% of all the revenue produced by Scotland's tourism economy, and allows the Scottish park sector to support more than 5,600 full-time equivalent jobs.

WiFi can help you attract new guests, improve guest satisfaction, gain competitive advantage, collect guest details to enhance marketing campaigns and generate additional revenue.

In her address to delegates, Fiona Hyslop said that the Scottish Government recognises the important role played by parks in producing visitor income and sustaining employment:

With WiFi from Camping Connect, you can enjoy 7-day support, a legally compliant system with family friendly filters and an unmatched 2 year warranty.

"The holiday homes sector is a unique but vital part of our tourism and hospitality industry. The sector provides important geographic spread, allowing visitors to see more of our country and, in doing so, to support our rural economies," said Fiona Hyslop.

You will also benefit from our price promise and satisfaction guarantee. Camping Connect will match any genuine like for like quote to give you great value for money. And if you’re not totally satisfied, then we ensure a 30-day money back guarantee.

"The last VisitScotland accommodation survey shows that there were over three million bed nights from domestic visitors in camping and caravan parks, and 654,00 bed nights from overseas visitors.

"Those bed nights were right across Scotland, and spent within a wide range of accommodation types including holiday homes, touring and camping," she added.

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Prices start from less than £500 for their self-install WiFi kit or if eligible, you can get the perfect solution for your park absolutely free! www.campingconnect.co.uk

Quality outdoor furniture to suit all needs LeisureBench Ltd was established fifteen years ago and has grown to be one of the country’s leading suppliers of outdoor furniture and garden buildings.

The LeisureBench range of products is extensive, starting with a stunning range made from Grade ‘A’ premier teak, including an extensive range of benches. For an even more comfortable relaxed experience, the Oasis Rattan collection is modern, durable, very strong and is virtually maintenance-free. This range is suitable for outdoor or indoor use.

For furniture that is easy to move, the aluminium range is ideal. It is both lightweight and weatherproof. The hardwood range is carefully selected from trusted and certified sources and our heavy duty picnic tables are available in round and ‘A’ frame designs.

In addition, LeisureBench’s range of furniture made entirely from recycled plastic is tough, long lasting and good for the environment.

For those wanting a splash of colour, there are Tolix Style chairs and ISOTOP sleek table tops. The chairs are available in an exciting colour range and are made from extra thick plate for commercial strength and durability. Unlike most on the market, the steel has been electro-galvanised before powder coating, which helps to prevent rust. Again this range is suitable for outdoor or indoor use.

The ISOTOP thin edged sleek designed table tops with an elegant

and comfortable satin finish will match any decoration and are resistant against all types of weather conditions.

New for 2017 is fibre cement furniture with a rustic look – ideal for holiday parks. Suitable for outdoor or indoor use, it comprises a table and bench set made from a composite material renowned for its strength and durability, with natural acacia wood legs.

Rattan planters, designed to complement Rattan garden furniture and suitable for outdoor or indoor use. They are available in various colours and sizes, some of which include self-watering technology.

The Madrid Set is made from quality polypropylene in a continental style found extensively across Europe, this table and chairs set is suitable for outdoor or indoor use and benefits from the aesthetic appearance of Rattan, but with more durablity.

Finally, the Neptune chair range comes in a variety of colours and is suitable for use outdoors or indoors. It combines the look of a designer chair but built to last due to its sturdy robust polypropylene construction.

LeisureBench also stocks a wide range of accessories, including parasols, cushions and umbrellas etc. and can deliver nationwide and guarantee delivery from stock mostly the next day, but always within five working days. www.leisurebench.co.uk

Strong Figures for 2017 Outdoor accommodation specialist Pitchup.com reports record growth in the first few days of the New Year, with festive period trading value up by 85 per cent year-onyear.

Holidaymakers from France and Spain are the largest source of inbound bookings, with the average traveller booking four months in advance.Traditional camping and caravanning options continue to perform well with a 157 per cent increase in static caravan bookings; a 132 per cent increase in hardstanding pitch bookings and a 115 per cent rise in fully-serviced pitch bookings, year-on-year.

Camping pods, which bridge the gap between camping and glamping, have enjoyed the most significant growth in bookings so far this year, with a sharp 185 per cent increase. UK domestic bookings are also up across the board with Dorset experiencing the biggest growth of 219 per cent year-on-year. Demand for Devon continues to grow, with bookings up 81 per cent, whilst Scotland has also enjoyed significant growth of 83 per cent.

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Park News continued

Willerby Lifestyle Signs Four New Deals Willerby Lifestyle, a division of Willerby Innovations, has signed new agreements with four holiday home dealerships, bringing its wide range of off-site modular solutions to holiday parks across the UK from 2017.

Following a successful show season, Southern Counties Leisure, Salop Leisure, Harrison Leisure, and Skegness Caravan Sales have all become Willerby Lifestyle dealers. All four were already Willerby Holiday Homes dealers and the new Willerby Lifestyle products will complement their existing product offering.

Southern Counties Leisure, which is a sole distributor of Willerby holiday homes and lodges, serving more than 120 holiday parks across the south west from Gloucestershire and Somerset to Devon and Cornwall, now offers the full Willerby Lifestyle range, including the brand-new Rutherford and Hive Collection.

Southern Counties Leisure has recently supplied Woolcombe Bay Holiday Park in Devon with the Reef from Willerby’s Hive Collection, becoming one of the first holiday parks to offer the new glamping pod for short breaks from next March.

Across the Midlands and Wales, Salop Leisure, which has expanded its offering in recent years to cater for a more varied range of holiday homes, has also added Willerby Lifestyle products to its range. The Salop Leisure team was impressed by the whole range, taking both Willerby’s Freeport and Montana units to demonstrate to holiday parks at its own trade show in September.

Tim Lovatt (above) takes a brief breather during his charity trek along the Great Wall of China

Tim smashes China challenge for charity bid A Windermere holiday park's bid to raise funds for a cancer charity has received a £2,000 boost after its manager took on a gruelling challenge in China this autumn.

Tim Lovatt of Park Cliffe, who is aged 56, joined a five-day trek organised by Pancreatic Cancer UK along a switchback stretch of the Great Wall of China.

Friends, family and local sponsors all pledged contributions for Tim's bid, which he funded himself.

And thanks to Tim, park director Susan Dickson hopes that the business will now be able to make a sizeable contribution to Pancreatic Cancer UK by the end of the year.

The charity was adopted by Park Cliffe as its fundraising cause for 2016 in memory of Susan's father Frank Holgate who died from the disease in January last year.

Frank was a pioneer of holiday parks in the Lake District, and his original business – Silverdale park – is marking its sixtieth anniversary this year.

Park Cliffe, based on the shores on Windermere, was the overall gold winner in the 2016 Cumbria Tourism Awards for Excellence.

Devon park lands top business women title

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Popular East Devon holiday park Ladram Bay has been crowned "company of the year" in a major award scheme celebrating successful women in business.

Described by Channel Four as "the working women's Oscars", the Venus Awards recognise, reward and champion local working women in business.

The park was named as overall company winner in the 2016 Devon Venus Awards at a glittering ceremony held on 18 November at the Great Hall at the University of Exeter.

Competition was fierce this year with almost 2000 nominations and applications received in one or more of the different categories of the awards.

Stepping up to receive the accolade were director and member of the park-owning family member Zoe House, and Ladram Bay's general manager Claire Williams.

Ladram Bay holiday park, near Budleigh Salterton, emerged initially in October as a finalist in the keenly contested Company of the Year category.

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The Venus Awards were set up in Dorset in 2009 to recognise the hard work, effort and skill it takes women to successfully juggle business with other commitments.

Do you want a Full House?

With Christmas and the New Year a distant memory, venues are looking for something ‘new’ to incorporate in to their business for the upcoming year.

Since 2005, Lounge Lizzard has been a key player dealing with the biggest pub companies in the country, thanks to the reliability and flexibility of its product offering. For example, the company only charges its holiday park customers for the months they are actually open!

Lounge Lizzard are specialists in touch-screen entertainment systems designed for the licensed trade. Your system will be updated each month with latest karaoke tracks, latest TOP 40 music, new quiz questions plus any additional request.

Having been internet-connected from day one, Lounge Lizzard manages and satisfies clients’ needs with an outstanding response time each and every day. They do not need to send you a CD in the post, or send an engineer to you to update your system, they operate a market-leading remote access setup allowing them to log into your Lounge Lizzard anytime of day 7 days a week for peace of mind.

The Lounge Lizzard ™ system is free to install (when on a rental agreement) and rental prices include all maintenance and

Updates. Internet connected plus 7 days a week on call 10am to 10pm weekdays / weekends 12 noon to 10pm.

With a very reasonable purchase price, low monthly software / support fee’s on a month by month pay-as-you-go basis, Lounge Lizzard knows you’ll be packing a FULL HOUSE without paying the earth.

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Park News continued

Willerby Mourns Passing of Martin Savage

Caravan Guard Helps Fund Pioneering Cancer Treatment

Willerby Holiday Homes is saddened to announce the passing of Martin Savage who has died suddenly at the age of 58.

As Export Sales Manager at Willerby for the last three years, Martin looked after sales throughout Europe, drawing in part on the long-term relationships he had established in France, where he’d spent the last three decades. His residency there was proof of his commitment to the market and his customers. His readiness to be available to potential buyers by basing himself and family in Brittany was fundamental to his success.

During his career, Martin held the position of Export Area Sales Manager for several big names in the industry prior to working with Willerby, including ABI, Cosalt and Atlas. For a number of years, he also worked as area manager in France for Queensborough Holdings, who owned a number of parks in the country.

Willerby’s sales director, Keith Holland commented: “It was a pleasure to work with Martin over the course of the last three years at Willerby. He was a fantastic salesman - always charming and full of good humour. Martin will be sadly missed, not just by all of us at Willerby, but by the wider industry as he had such an impact during his career.”

A huge charity donation from leisure insurance specialists Caravan Guard, incorporating Leisuredays, has helped to fund a pioneering new cancer treatment at the Yorkshire Cancer Centre.

The family-run company, met a £68,000 shortfall needed to pay for a Nano-Knife device, which uses revolutionary, non-invasive technology for cancer patients.

Yorkshire Cancer Centre launched a £160k appeal to fund the NanoKnife for patients at the Leeds Cancer Centre in April this year, so they could offer an alternative treatment when invasive surgery was not possible.

Peter Wilby, Chairman of Caravan Guard and its sister company Wilby Ltd, heard of the appeal from a close family friend whose wife and son have both received treatment at the Leeds Cancer Centre.

Their son was successfully treated for a brain tumour a few years ago and worked for Caravan Guard during his rehabilitation. His mum is currently a patient at the centre.

A NanoKnife celebration event was held at the Bexley Wing at Leeds Cancer Centre to mark the fundraising milestone.

The Wilby family attended the celebration, which included Peter and his wife Nora, as well as their son and daughters, Caravan Guard’s Managing Director, Ryan, and Directors Sally Crofts and Louise Menzies. They were also joined by their friends.

Mill Rythe First With West End Hit Mill Rythe Holiday Village is looking forward to a bumper 2017 with a range of new weekend breaks, one of which will feature a production straight from

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London’s West End – a first for a British holiday park.

Topping the bill of new experiences for 2017 is the three-night Primo Weekender, which is raising the bar when it comes to holiday park entertainment, as it will include a performance of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which is a brand new touring production of the West End theatre sensation that originally starred Jason Donovan in the lead role of drag queen Anthony ‘Tick’ Belrose.

The cast of Priscilla will be turning the Mill Rythe ballroom into the Australian desert during the Primo Weekender. This is the first time that a UK holiday park has ever hosted the UK tour of a West End production, and head of group sales Cathy Murphy has predicted that this weekend, which takes place from 31 March to 3 April, will be a sellout.

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Park News continued

Seawick's popular heated lido pool (above) will be retained when the new complex is completed next year

New £1m pool to make waves at Clacton park One of Clacton's largest and most popular holiday parks, Seawick in St Osyth, is to splash £1m this winter on a prestigious new swimming pool complex for its guests.

Top Dorset park award completes family's triple triumph Family and staff at a Dorset holiday park are celebrating after being named as the county's overall park winner in the keenly contested 2016 Dorset Tourism Awards.

Wareham Forest Tourist Park scooped the top gold accolade in the competition, which celebrates Dorset's top tourism providers.

The announcement of Wareham Forest Tourist Park's success was made at the Dorset Tourism Awards' glittering final in October, held at the Bovington Tank Museum.

For the Birch family, the honour completes a hat-trick of awards received this summer by the park which is based in the picturesque town of Wareham with direct access to Wareham Forest.

In July, the business joined a small elite of UK caravan parks flying the coveted AA Gold Pennant, the most prestigious award given out by the AA to its highest rated parks.

In order to qualify for the award, Wareham Forest Tourist Park was subjected to a rigorous inspection regime which scrutinised almost every aspect of its facilities and services.

The verdict was that the business could truly be described as a caravan and camping park right at the top of its game.

Next came the news that the tranquil 55-acre park had once again received the prestigious David Bellamy Conservation Award at its maximum gold level.

The award was made in recognition of the raft of initiatives taken by the family owners to protect its wildlife-rich natural environment.

Wareham Forest Tourist Park was bought by husband-and-wife team Tony and Sarah Birch 13 years ago, and is today run by the couple with help from their daughter Chrissy and managers Adam and Nicky Wake.

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Owners of the park, Park Holidays UK, says the development will help further reinforce Clacton's reputation as a familyfriendly four season holiday destination.

It's envisaged that the new pool complex, complete with flumes and new changing areas, will be ready for the park's re-opening in March next year after its one month winter closure.

Park Holidays UK says the pool will benefit not just the local economy but also the environment - for its heating will be provided by a super-efficient biomass boiler.

Much more environmentally friendly than conventional heating systems, the green energy boiler will be fuelled by wood pellets and reduce substantially the park's carbon emissions.

Seawick's new pool will complete a series of new developments at the park this year which have included the opening in summer of a new £1.8m entertainment complex.

Built by mainly Essex-based contractors, the 1,500 square metres building can seat 400 people and houses a host of high-tech equipment to allow West End standard shows to be mounted.

Just the stage lighting alone, says the company, cost in excess of £30,000 and includes a huge computer-controlled LED display to provide a thrilling backdrop to performances.

But the complex isn't just about song and dance, for it also features Seawick's sleek new reception area where families will check in and can be helped by staff to enjoy their stay.

There's also a mini-supermarket which includes locallysourced produce, and a restaurant serving meals throughout the day and evening with views of the stage area.

Park Holidays UK has also spent £100,000 on equipping the complex's arcade area with the latest video games and other entertainment technologies from across the world.

Outside, a newly built patio area provides barbecues, supersize TV screens, seating and tables.

Away Resorts Acquires Sandy Balls Holiday Village links to make getting away on holiday relatively painless. The village is also award-winning, having won accolades for its conservation and management of the wooded areas and riverbank, including The David Bellamy conservation gold award (21 times) and Green Tourism Gold Award.

Fast-growing UK holiday park operator Away Resorts has acquired the Sandy Balls Holiday Village in the New Forest.

holiday in the UK increased from 64% to 71%*, with domestic holidays proving more popular than a trip overseas.

Sandy Balls is a five-star holiday village in the New Forest National Park, between Godshill and Fordingbridge, and offers accommodation including luxury woodland lodges, static holiday homes, camping pods and safari tents as well as fully serviced touring pitches.

With the addition of Sandy Balls, the business now has an annual turnover of over £40million, and employs 650 staff across its portfolio of sites.

It brings the business's portfolio of parks to six with Sandy Balls joining Tattershall Lakes in Lincolnshire, Whitecliff Bay on the Isle of Wight, Mersea Island in Essex, Barmouth Bay in Wales and Mill Rythe on Hayling Island.

Away Resorts is passionate about providing memorable and affordable British holidays.

2016 was a record year for the business as overall bookings across its parks rose significantly against 2015’s figures. This comes as the number of people taking a

Carl Castledine, Chief Executive Officer at Away Resorts, says: "Over the last eight years, we have built up a strong brand that has really hit the right note with UK holidaymakers. The demand for affordable UK holidays, particularly short breaks, is strong, and growing, as our record bookings for 2016 have shown.

"Sandy Balls has been a family-owned business run with passion and feeling for almost 100 years, so we are very mindful of retaining the heritage and essence of what makes Sandy Balls such a well-loved holiday village. It is in a brilliant location, near to London and with excellent road

"Sandy Balls complements our strategy of providing our existing customer base with a range of very different types of holidays, avoiding the chainlike feel of our major competitors. We now have parks that meet the needs of a wide variety of guests, whether they are seeking a lakeside retreat, a coastal experience, a holiday packed full of entertainment, an outdoor adventure break situated in remote areas of outstanding natural beauty, or a peaceful escape within a short drive from London.

And now with Sandy Balls we have a park that is forest-based with extensive central facilities.

"Customer loyalty is important to us, and we want to encourage our guests to take multiple holidays with us each year; but we are keen to give them unique and varied experiences at our different parks, although the quality of product, customer service and company ethos will always be of the same, high quality.

Cleaners that Don’t Cost the Earth The Ultrashield range of products has been developed as the result of 40 years of biochemical research and has been recently extended to provide customers with the latest green cleaning technology available. Ultrashield does not ask its customers to help the planet at the expense of either reduced performance solutions or higher cost. On the contrary, they seek to deliver products that combine superior performance with cost saving benefits as well as a more positive environmental impact.

Bio-active washroom cleaners are fasteracting, deeper-cleaning, less expensive, longer lasting, more effective, natural and safer than traditional cleaning products.

This is because they work in a completely different way from the chemical cleaners.

They seek out and digest the dirt at source - acting within minutes and seconds. They will penetrate otherwise inaccessible areas. Most of the smell in the washroom is caused by biodegration - but bio-active cleaners do not give the dirt time to hang around and start producing odours, despite the fact that they contain no solvents or bleach, they are extremely powerful.

Unlike traditional cleaners, which use acids, caustics or alkalis, bioactive cleaners are ecologically safe and fully COSHHcompliant. They are not genetically modified, and come under the EC Class I category of products, which are

classified as being harmless to people, plants and animals. As long as sensible precautions are taken, they do not present any hazard to health.

Finally, biological cleaner are much less expensive than traditional products.

There are several reasons for this: a smaller amount of concentrate is needed, only lukewarm water has to be added, the cleaner carries on working for longer, and less stock has to be carried. Ultrashield clients regularly report cost savings of between 29 to 50 percent. www.ultrashield.com

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On the wagon: delegates tour top Hereford park Poston Mill holiday park in Peterchurch, Herefordshire, took centre stage at a national tourism conference in November when delegates swapped their hotel for a hay-wagon.

Members of the Best of British parks group left their conference hotel in Ross-on-Wye to enjoy a study tour of nearby Poston Mill, with traditional farm transport laid on.

The visit took place on the final day of the annual get-together of the parks consortium which is made up of independent businesses recognised for their high quality standards.

At Poston Mill, some 40-plus park owners from across the UK were able to see how one of their most highly-acclaimed colleagues maintains its celebrated reputation.

Last year, the park beat thousands of other eligible parks to win the top title and a gold accolade in the national VisitEngland for Excellence Awards.

This year saw Poston Mill scoop the Visit Herefordshire Award for Excellence 2016 in the park category, and a silver award from VisitEngland for its dog-friendly facilities.

On board the park's hay-wagon, Best of British members toured the 35 acres of carefully landscaped grounds, which include a popular pitch-and-putt course plus restaurant and shop.

Park's superstar Drew honoured at Devon awards Beverley Holidays in Devon is celebrating the man with the golden touch after their head of entertainment, Drew Baker, was honoured at the recent Devon Tourism Awards 2016.

Drew was crowned the gold award winner in the Unsung Hero For Customer Service category of the awards, beating 75 other finalists to the prestigious title.

The accolade recognises Drew's exceptional achievements in ensuring that Beverley's holiday guests enjoy outstanding levels of personal service and hospitality.

Drew stepped up to receive his honour at the glittering finals of the Devon Tourism Awards which were help this autumn at the Great Hall at the University of Exeter.

The customer service superstar's award followed hot on the heels of his recent success in the Herald Express English Riviera and South Devon Tourism and Hospitality Awards 2016.

Drew, a popular figure among holidaymakers at the multi-award winning park, came away from that ceremony with a sparkling silver award for his skills.

He was nominated for both awards by members of the Beverley Holidays team who were keen to highlight Drew's unwavering dedication to providing guests with amazing life-long memories.

Kent park hands families three extra holiday months Owners of holiday homes at a major Kent coast holiday park have been told that they can now look forward to 12 extra weeks of get-away breaks each year.

Seaview Holiday Park near Whitstable was this month given the green light to remain open for eleven months of the year - a three month addition to its previous eight-month licence.

Business owners Park Holidays UK says the local authority decision to allow the extension will boost both Seaview's popularity, and the region's tourism economy.

From now on, families with caravan holiday homes and lodges at the popular beach-side

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park will have to lock their doors for just one month in February.

know our holiday home owners are delighted," said Tony.

Seaview is one of Kent's largest holiday parks with around 550 holiday homes, and is the latest among Park Holidays UK's 26 southern England parks to win approval for a longer season.

"Increasing the period when holiday homes can be used is a reflection of the way people now use their leisure and enjoy more shorter breaks throughout the year.

Group director Tony Clish said the extension will not only generate more tourism spending in the region's businesses, but also help spread it more evenly throughout the year.

"This is a fantastic part of the east coast for four-season breaks because there's so much going on in and around the park, and we

"Amazing" Searles declared Norfolk's star park

Celebrating at the anniversary night are (from left) Julia and David Molyneaux, Mark and Soulla Molyneaux, Cathy Skidmore from the Rosemere Cancer Foundation, and John and Shelagh Cross

Brothers Andrew (left) and Paul Searle with the trophy celebrating their park's victory in the tourism awards

Judges of Norfolk's most prestigious tourism awards scheme have named Searles Leisure Resort as the county's out-and-out champion of "amazing and truly memorable" park holidays.

The family-owned business based in Hunstanton in north Norfolk took the overall prize in the holiday park and village category in the EDP Hoseasons Tourism Awards 2016.

Searles' accolade came at the end of a year, which saw the park receive a raft of national awards for aspects of its business from environmental care to its quality standards.

But according to managing director Paul Searle, this home-grown honour has a special significance as it highlights the cream of the county's tourism providers.

Having been based in Norfolk for over 60 years, said Paul, he and his family felt "proud and humbled" to have been judged as the perfect place for families to enjoy a park holiday.

From its beginnings as a small donkey field where caravanners could pitch up in exchange for a bag of potatoes, Searles today provides a vast array of holiday accommodation.

There are more than 500 caravan holiday homes and lodges, some with private hot-tubs, as well as 300-plus touring pitches plus luxury timber camping pods.

Caravan firm's ball nets £8,000 charity boost When a Kendal-based caravan supply firm recently held a 35th anniversary ball, the evening ended on a high both for guests – and a Cumbria cancer charity.

More than ÂŁ8,000 was raised by Kendal Caravans on behalf of the Rosemere Cancer Foundation at its celebration and fundraising night in November.

The sum will provide a much-needed boost to the charity's valued work in supporting cancer patients being treated in South Lakeland and Lancashire.

Kendal Caravans, based in Selside near Kendal, was marking not just its own anniversary but also the 70th birthday of its founder David Molyneaux.

From a small one-man business started by David at his Blackpool home, the company has grown to become one of Northern England's largest holiday home distributors.

Local residents teamed with holidaymakers in September this year for Elie Holiday Park's Wildlife Action Day on its adjoining Shell Beach

Professor Bellamy presented his prestigious accolade to Elie Holiday Park at its top gold level for the raft of initiatives it takes to safeguard wildlife and protect the natural environment.

David Bellamy also went on to designate Elie as an official "Honey Bee Friendly" park as part of his new initiative to help protect the threatened insects.

Fife park creates a real buzz in green awards Honey bees and butterflies have helped a popular SE Scotland holiday park to wing its way to victory in a national environmental awards scheme.

Elie Holiday Park, just outside the seaside resort of Elie in Fife, has been declared a winner in the annual David Bellamy Conservation Awards scheme.

This status, he said, was thoroughly deserved thanks to the large number of high nectar-bearing flowers maintained at Elie Holiday Park, providing valuable foraging for bees and butterflies.

Located on Shell Bay, the park provides luxury holiday homes to rent and buy, a lodge with hot tub, plus pitches for campers, touring caravans and motorhomes.

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Welsh Holiday Park Goes Green With Biomass A holiday park in South Wales is set to deliver energy savings of around £18,000 per year thanks to the installation of a new sustainable biomass heating system at the site.

Gateway Resort is one of the largest camping and touring sites in South West Wales, it occupies over 35 acres of land and has a capacity for over 300 tents and caravans. The new system was fitted as part of a scheme of major improvement works at the park that includes two bars, two restaurants, a heated indoor pool and an indoor play area.

Previously heated by LPG, the owners were quick to spot the opportunity to install a biomass heating system at the site as part of their £1.5 million improvement and expansion works. Local biomass specialists Igen Renewables were appointed back in October 2015 to manage the design and installation of the heating system and the project was finally completed in January this year.

The holiday park is no stranger to the renewable technology as they had already previously installed a small biomass boiler in the shower blocks. Gateway Resort Director, Ken Strelley commented: ‘We remain open all year round and with the expansion of the new site placing even further demands for heat at our park, the installation of a biomass system was a no-brainer for us. We have replaced the old LPG boiler and are thrilled with savings we are making as a result of installing the biomass system. We will definitely be implementing this technology, where necessary, for our future Theme Park plans.’

The renewable heating system includes a leading brand Herz, Firematic 499kw boiler, housed in its own purpose-built plant room.

The system provides heat for the entire resort building including the pool, function areas, kitchens and showers, as well as 3 residential homes on the site. The boiler, supplied by Leicestershire based distributor Myriad Heat & Power Products is fueled by wood pellets, stored in a cleverly designed adjacent fuel store. With a capacity of up to 18 tonnes, the store can take a full load of wood pellets allowing the site to minimise the number of deliveries and reduce costs further. ln addition to helping Gateway enjoy significant savings on their running costs, the new biomass boiler will also provide the company with an additional income from the Renewable Heat Incentive as well as reducing their carbon footprint.

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Cornwall park creates buzz with awards hat-trick Trethem Mill Touring Park in south Cornwall is celebrating a triple triumph of awards, including an accolade for its work to protect endangered honey bees.

The family-owned business in St Just-in-Roseland celebrated its first honour when judges in the Cornwall Tourism Awards crowned it as the county's finest caravan and camping park.

At a glittering ceremony in Newquay at the beginning of November, Trethem Mill was announced as the overall gold winner in the camping & caravanning parks category of the awards.

Stepping up to receive their trophy were park owners Ian and Jane Akeroyd who, with their family, run the popular park located on the Roseland Peninsula.

Covering 12 acres of tranquil countryside, Trethem Mill attracts thousands of camping and touring caravan visitors each year from the UK and overseas.

The park's environmental policies were marked in the second of the accolades it received this month from world-famous botanist David Bellamy.

Professor Bellamy presented the park with his prestigious Conservation Award at its top gold level, recognising the raft of initiatives taken to safeguard the natural world.

The hat trick of accolades was completed when David Bellamy also designated Trethem Mill as an official "Honey Bee Friendly" park as part of his new initiative to prevent the insects' decline.

Ian and Jane first moved to Trethem Mill with Ian's parents – Derek and Lorna - 24 years ago, and Jane says the park's success has been very much the result of a team effort: "Very sadly, Lorna passed away earlier this year – but she believed strongly, as we all do, in trying to make Trethem Mill a place for creating truly memorable holiday experiences," said Jane.

"We would like to see these awards as a tribute to her passion for this part of Cornwall, and to making the park a match for these beautiful surroundings.”

Keswick park best in North West says AA

Somerset couple's perfect park scoops gold Autumn turned into a truly golden season for the family owners of an Exmoor holiday park after it scooped a top accolade in the 2016 Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards.

A picture-postcard holiday park in Cumbria - Castlerigg Hall in Keswick - has been named by the AA as the top spot in the North West to pitch a tent.

The family-run business beat hundreds of other eligible parks to take the title of the Campsite of the Year for the North West in the AA Caravan and Camping Awards 2017. Multi-award winning Castlerigg Hall – which last year was the winner of the Cumbria Tourism Park of the Year accolade – has been owned by the Jackson family since 1938.

A former farm which began by welcoming campers, it is today one of the Lake District's most highly regarded parks attracting visitors from across the UK and overseas.

As well as camping facilities, Castlerigg Hall provides luxury caravan holiday homes for hire, plus eco-friendly camping pods and pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes. Guests enjoy spectacular Lakeland views over Derwentwater and the surrounding fells, and the picturesque surroundings on the park itself which the AA describes as "idyllic".

Judges praised too the park's raft of facilities including "top-notch amenity buildings, fully equipped campers' kitchen, large shop with local specialities, and stylish Jiggers Bistro".

In order to qualify for the AA award, Castlerigg Hall had to undergo a rigorous inspection process which examined closely at all aspects of the business and what it offered. Park owner David Jackson said that as well as looking for high standards, inspectors were especially keen to find evidence of the quality of hospitality on offer: "Providing a warm welcome to guests, and a friendly and relaxing atmosphere in which they can enjoy their stays, has always been high on our list of priorities," said David.

"A lot of the credit for providing this must go to our park team members who are often mentioned in guests' reviews for their helpful and caring attitude.

"We have been extremely pleased this year with the popularity of our franchised restaurant, both with local people and visitors, where the emphasis is on locally sourced food.

Waterrow Touring Park in Wiveliscombe received the gold award in the camping and caravanning category of the competition in which hundreds of other contenders took part.

Stepping up to receive the winning trophy at Bristol's Cadbury Hilton hotel in October were Lynette and Jamie Cook who, with Jamie's parents, are Waterrow's owners.

The husband-and-wife team quit their successful careers in IT and customer services four years ago to take on the tranquil picture-postcard park on the fringes of Exmoor.

As keen caravanners themselves, the couple saw Waterrow as a chance to create the type of ideal surroundings which they sought out for their own holiday breaks.

Since moving in, Lynette and Jamie have invested much time and energy into caring for the natural surroundings and introducing many new wildlifefriendly features.

The park's success in the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards was achieved in the competition's inaugural year, and attracted many entries from throughout the region.

During the rigorous three-stage evaluation process, Waterrow was "mystery shopped" by judges who also assessed it across criteria ranging from on-line reviews to its website.

In all respects, they decided, Lynette and Jamie's park was the thoroughly deserving champion.

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The Camping and Caravanning Club have announced the appointment of Mel Hill as their new Chairman.

Mr Hill, from Mexborough, South Yorkshire, was appointed by the Club's National Council during its November 2016 meeting at the Club's Coventry headquarters.

Robert Louden MBE, the Club's Director General, said: "Mel has camping and caravanning in his blood, and is a great ambassador for the Club.”

"He continues to be active within his local District Association and has held many important positions as a member of the National Council over the years. Most recently, he was the Club's Vice Chairman between 2014 and 2016, before being elected Chairman in November - a fitting recognition of his hard work and commitment."

Mr Hill continues to use his touring caravan most weekends, both when fulfilling duties as Chairman and enjoying local Club unit camping meets and events.

He said: "The touring industry continues to grow and more and more young families are joining us and getting into camping. The types of units available are changing to meet the needs of modern campers too, and manufacturers are developing new ranges and adopting new technologies to make camping more accessible and exciting."

Along with the Chairman's appointment, the National Council also elected Phil Henson as the new Club Vice-Chairman to work alongside Mel. Anne Dearling, who held the post of Club Chairman for the previous two years, now becomes Immediate Past Chairman.

The Camping and Caravanning Club is 115-years-old and appointed TV presenter Julia Bradbury as its Club President in 2013 - the first female to be bestowed with the title in history.

The Club works with Julia, as well as explorer and Club Vice President Bear Grylls, and naturalist Chris Packham, to highlight the benefits of getting outdoors with camping.

The Club recently celebrated recording its highest ever membership of more than 293,000 households. To learn more about the Club, visit: www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk.

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Give your Guests the Hump For something completely different for your guests – have you considered camel racing?

Joseph’s Amazing Camels offers both camel and pig racing and camel rides and has done work with leading holiday parks.

“We offer pig racing with fun betting and camel racing (fun betting) or camel rides. These work well for holiday parks as part of their entertainment for guests which is what we have done for Bourne Leisure,” says Joseph Fossett.

For holiday parks or glamping sites close to the Cotswolds, where the company is based, Joseph’s Amazing Camels offers camel trekking as a local activity or for hen and stag parties. They can offer trekking from 2 – 20 people; for anyone over 7 years old and under 14 stone who can get on a camel. Otherwise they also offer camels for weddings for the bride and groom to arrive on and rides for guests or the pig racing as entertainment. www.jacamels.co.uk

Flood Forecasting is in the Cloud The Environment Agency has signed a £5m deal with CGI for flood forecasting using cloud computing.

The three-year contract includes the design and delivery of the latest Future Flood Forecasting System (FFFS) for England. The agency aims to provide earlier flood warnings by introducing more automation and a better user experience through map-based virtualisation.

The deal also sees the agency bring different regional systems into a single national platform.

Deputy director of the flood incident management at the Environment Agency, Craig Woolhouse, said: “We are absolutely committed to increasing the timeliness, accuracy and usefulness of our flood forecasts to improve our response to flooding, and the Future Flood Forecasting System will play a key role. It will bring together regional systems in a single national system to make it quicker and easier to monitor forecasts and provide our experts with more time to analyse the data and communicate with our teams on the ground.”

Park News continued

Protect your assets... and get better reviews Watching your valuable assets slowly deteriorate from day-to-day use, minor damage, or the great British weather, has to be a significant worry to businesses, but that is not all that can affect your future success. A common line in reviews of holiday parks, glamping sites and theme parks is ‘looks a bit tired – could do with a lick of paint’.

Children and parents appreciate clean and bright play areas, rides look safer and more exciting when they are shining like new and accommodation such as lodges, pods and decking areas will always attract better reviews if their coatings are not faded, chipped or flaking.

Finding the time for major maintenance is difficult so it is essential to do a good job using the best quality products so you don’t have to do it all again in a couple of years or less.

SML are one of the UK’s largest suppliers of Jotun paints and coatings – a company from Norway that are well known in Scandinavia and the Middle East for protecting everything from oil rigs and offshore windfarms to wooden houses and lodges. In England and Wales they are less well known but in Scotland companies and individuals have been using Jotun products for years, realising that most of the products sold in UK DIY stores and trade counters just don’t have the same protection.

SML are so confident that Jotun paints and coatings are both superior and often cheaper than products more well known in the UK that, apart from a few own branded products, Jotun is all they sell. Site owners and maintenance managers an view the Jotun range of decorative products at www.smldecorativepaints.co.uk or contact the very knowledgeable sales team for advice on any application at 01285 862132.

VisitEngland Gold for Riverside Riverside Caravan Park in High Bentham, North Yorkshire, has joined a small elite of holiday parks judged by tourist board inspectors to be among England's very best.

Just 36 out of more than 3000 caravan and camping parks in the UK currently boast the prestigious Gold Award given out by VisitEngland to its highest rated parks, now including Riverside.

The accolade is among three national honours being celebrated by the park this autumn, including awards for the Riverside's environmental responsibility – and the quality of its washrooms.

VisitEngland says the body's gold standard can only be achieved if a park demonstrates exceptional quality standards during its annual grading inspection.

Even then, a subsequent "mystery shopper" visit by a VisitEngland quality assessment area manager must be made before the award is officially confirmed.

Riverside's Gold Award comes on top of the maximum five-star grade it achieved, and business owner Thomas Marshall says that park staff deserve a big share of the credit: "To achieve gold, a park must out-perform its star rating on the excellence of its facilities and, most importantly, on the quality of the hospitality it provides," said Thomas.

England to host Fly Casting World Championship

Wyldecrest Parks is tremendously proud to announce that the company’s bid to host the 2018 Fly Casting World Championship has been successful, allowing Port Haverigg Marina Village Holiday Park, in the Lake District, to be the stage of a recognised multinational competition.

The Fly Casting World Championship, which is held in August every two years, is owned by the Norwegian Casting Federation. In 2018, it will be the fifth event of its kind and it’s coming to the UK, directly to Wyldecrest Parks’ stunning holiday park in Millom, Cumbria, after having taken place in Estonia

this year. With the valuable help of AAPGAI Master Instructor Lee Cummings, who lives right next to the holiday site and uses its lake all the time, Wyldecrest Parks took the chance…and succeed!

“I can’t picture a better scenario and location to stage this reputable world-class event”, says Alfie Best, the Romany Gypsy entrepreneur that owns Wyldecrest Parks, one the largest park home operators in the UK.

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Ind oor Play In these colder months, your indoor play facilities are more important than ever. Here we round up some of the best new products and services for indoor play areas, which are designed to keep both kids and adults happy - and spending more money!

Get Family-Friendly with Fantastic Play Facilities Looking for new ways to provide a positive, memorable experience for family customers?

If there’s one thing guaranteed to keep families happy during a much-needed holiday, it’s happy children. What makes kids happy on holiday? Great places to play.

Happy, relaxed parents mean more family bookings and repeat business, higher customer satisfaction and those all-important positive internet reviews.

Speak to the experts Well-designed, high quality facilities for play and physical activity deliver great value for holiday park operators. Whether you’re considering adding a play area for the first time, updating an existing play space or replacing worn-out play equipment, make the Association of Play Industries (API) your first port of call. The API is the lead trade association for the UK play industry and has been operating for over 30 years. Its members are the UK‘s leading play companies and all are experts in play design and installation. Member companies operate to the highest standards, abide by a strict Professional Code of Conduct and are monitored regularly for financial stability and security. They provide exceptional customer service and long-term support.

API members work with holiday park operators across the UK. From indoor soft play barns to outdoor playgrounds, they install high-quality play equipment using certificated products that meet all the relevant UK and EU standards. Wherever you see the API ‘current member’ badge, you can be sure of getting expert advice from a reputable company, based on many years’ experience. An experienced and expert consultant will work closely with you to provide recommendations on design, equipment, materials and safety surfacing to meet your brief and budget. They will also

explain everything you need to know about inspection, maintenance and repair.

Legalities and insurance When it comes to installing a play area indoors or outdoors - all liabilities are the same. Holiday park operators should inform their insurance companies about the addition of any play area and equipment, and it is their responsibility to ensure equipment is properly maintained. Insurers will underwrite each risk on its own merits and features according to the exposures present.

Some insurers may apply a warranty covering specific requirements including compliance with standards, inspection and maintenance, and signage regarding parental supervision.

Cover should be arranged for Material Damage of the equipment and Liability exposures in respect of bodily injury or damage to employees, customers and/or their property. Most commercial policies will also include cover in respect of Business Interruption and Loss of Money. It is imperative that once the play equipment is installed, it is maintained and inspected in accordance with the manufacturers’ guidelines, with annual independent inspections carried out by an appropriate organisation.

Staff supervision and CCTV Indoor play spaces tend to have a controlled entry space whereas outdoor play areas are typically unsupervised. Many operators choose to install CCTV within their play areas, which can be an added security benefit and can assist in the defence of potential claims.

It is normally the responsibility of parents/guardians to supervise children at all times whilst using play equipment, with staff on hand to provide general assistance and monitor play areas.

Maintenance Having a robust inspection and maintenance regime in place is crucial to ensure the safe operation of a play area. Before opening a new play area, a Post-Installation Inspection should be undertaken by a registered inspector from the Register of Play Inspectors International (RPII). This is commissioned by the play company or park operator.

Once this inspection is complete and satisfactory, responsibility for safety passes to the park operator who must put in place an inspection regime, as set out in BS EN 1176, the standard for play equipment. According to the RPII, best practice is to adopt a threetier inspection regime incorporating RPII training for staff which covers: 1. Routine visual inspection Observation of the play space by a trained staff member for obvious hazards like missing or broken parts, broken glass or vandalism. This should take place weekly in low season and daily in high season.

2. Operational inspection A more detailed structural examination of wear, tear and stability of equipment by a trained staff member. This should take place every three months in low season and once a month in high season.

3. Annual main inspection An annual inspection by a qualified RPII inspector to ensure compliance with standards and overall safety.

Adding a well-designed, well-maintained and exciting play area with top quality equipment will ensure that families return time after time – and using an API member company to design and install it guarantees peace of mind.

For details of member companies in your area, advice on improving your play facilities and inspiring holiday park case studies, visit www.api-play.org or contact: Deborah Holt, API Association Manager, tel: 024 76 847218 or email api@api-play.org www.api-play.org

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Ind oor Play One Stop Shop for Kiddy Rides carry out full refurbishments and restorations of your old tired machines.

Kiddy Rides' in house Technical department allows us to diagnose faults and carry out repairs to all types of control systems regardless of manufacturer at very competitive rates.

Kiddy Rides, a specialist division of Northern Leisure Group, is the UK's leading independent manufacturer and operator of childrens coin-operated rides since 1986.

Offering a whole range of services for any make or model of ride, from any manufacturer, Kiddy Rides are the one stop solution for all your kiddie ride requirements. Whether it be sales of new rides, refurbished rides, spares or repairs, ADIPS Health & Safety testing, the company can do it all.

As a Registered Inspection Body of ADIPS, Northern Leisure Group Ltd / Kiddy Rides can conduct independent examinations and certification for any operator, ensuring that all rides tested comply with Health & Safety Guidelines.

A nationwide network of engineers allows us to carry out site visits and repairs on site quickly and efficiently for any operator, whatever the make or model of ride.

Their fully equipped bodyshop and team of qualified professionals means that they can

Programming and repairs of coin mechanisms are also undertaken, including upgrades for the introduction of the new £1 coin. Technical Manager, Richard Pike states "We are unique within our industry. Having our own technical department and decades of experience allows us to diagnose faults and undertake repairs to any make or model of control system, no matter how severe! In extreme circumstances, if something is beyond repair, we can always offer a solution!"

As well as extensive professional refurbishment, restoration and repair of customers rides, Kiddy Rides manufacture their own machines within the UK for either sales, or profit share, using only the best quality components which are assembled and tested in house by their specialist team of engineers. Kiddy Rides have an extensive portfolio offering a superb range of rides and unbeatable after sales services. The company are renowned within the industry for manufacturing premium quality licensed rides. These rides are of the highest standards and have been designed and developed in conjunction with some of children's televisions biggest brands such as PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, SpongeBob SquarePants, LazyTown, Pip Ahoy!, and Poppy Cat to name a few.

All Northern Leisure's rides are manufactured in the UK using high quality gel coat and reliable, reputable components creating an experience for children which is safe, as well as fun!

Kids that play, stay SLKids is a specialist supplier of indoor play equipment. Equipment that has no coin slot: it’s all free to play.

The SLKids credo has always been, “Kids that play, stay”. This has been taken by their huge variety of clients as something which is entirely tangible and measurable: The kids are content playing, in close proximity to their guardians, with games that illicit no form of bad language or violence. “You even find kids develop, or enhance, their social interaction skills as another child automatically jumps in to the play on a two-man game. It’s something of a joy to behold when a new friendship blossoms in this way,” says SLKids Division Head, Nick Chandler.

That leaves the older ones in the party to continue chatting, eating, drinking, networking, discussing the topic of the day or whatever keeps them occupied and spending money in the way they choose. The lack of coin slot also means you don’t see kids keep rushing up to Gran, Uncle or Dad for yet another pound coin. Those coins are instead spent over the counter, except they are usually notes, not coins.

SLKids play products are original, simple, educational and sensorial – allowing kids to use their fine and gross motor controls. They are colourful and attractive and of course are free of violence and bad language. They are robust so will take all the knocks and bumps that kids will deal out. In fact, children are encouraged to be hands on with the play equipment as it is designed to be interactive, combining wooden play modules with touchscreens. There is an immediate recognition from children as to the nature of the games on offer – SLKids also provides Xbox and PlayStation console systems, which allow the children to enjoy the games, without being able to damage them.

You’ll find SLKids products in approaching 1000 venues in the UK and more than 8700 worldwide. www.slkids.co.uk

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...our business is child’s play!

Pollution-Free For Use Indoors or Outdoors!

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Ind oor Play Get in the zone with Laser Tag Laser tag has long been a feature of seaside resorts as a great family activity. If the sun’s shining you can escape for a cool hour to play or if you’re suffering a soggy summer holiday, laser tag zaps disappointment with it’s high energy fun. Daytime or evening, it makes for an exciting event entertaining children and adults alike.

…POWERED

BY PLAY in UK Holiday Parks!

World of Rides, the leading manufacturers and distributors of children’s amusement rides for nearly five decades, is relaunching its new-generation ‘Parent & Child’ 24v battery operated BMW Mini Car and VW & Safari Big Car Driving Schools to UK holiday parks, to allow holiday park operators to be able to influence the World of children’s road safety education… as well as providing a colourful, popular and very profitable new attraction for their visitors!

The true-to-life side-by-side twin seat cars are fitted with a full dashboard with starting key, and have fullyoperational seat belts, horn, head lights, direction indicators, accelerator and brake pedal with brake lights… as well as having a reverse gear, and can be driven on a street patterned track, where, depending upon the operator’s imagination and budget, children can experience all the feelings of driving on the open road!

Our main purpose is "to both educate children and edutain them with lots of ‘‘…learning through FUN" said spokesman Andrew Robinson, and our site testing with established operators across both the UK and Europe, was boosted by many additional regular year-round bookings

by Road Safety Groups, Youth Clubs, Police, Schools and Education authorities… resulting in much higher levels of income for the operators!

The constantly increasing number of road users in the future, with all the safety implications that this creates for younger children, is a social concern that requires continuous monitoring, and the provision of a Driving School helps to adjust the safety measures required to address this situation… as well as to prepare them for the much more stringent driving licence requirements in future!

Laser tag company Zone Laser made an impact at the Rural Entrepreneur Show in November with a large number of enquiries from the holiday and farm parks. Much of the interest came from accommodation and leisure providers hosting kids' and teens' clubs. The company’s portfolio boasts a number of high profile customers in the industry, including Pontins, Alton Towers, Chessington, and the iconic No Man’s Fort in the Solent.

Showcasing the compact and portable Begeara product to holiday park operators, Zone Laser hopes to replicate the success they have in the soft play sector. The product is a phasor only, handheld system featuring bright lights and a smooth lightweight design. It’s simple to operate with a one touch key fob and comes with a portable stand and scoreboard. In over 100 indoor play businesses, children play Begeara laser tag in full sunlight on the play frame. In a further 25 soft play centres, Zone Laser’s sister company Play Fitters has built a complete laser tag business around the existing facilities, sometimes in an underused space and other times atop a mezzanine floor. Enabling laser tag to run alongside existing entertainment offerings has been a worthwhile investment for many soft play owners, whose profits are focussed on group packages and parties.

Zone Laser has over 250 sites in the UK. Many of the original centres that opened in the wave of the nineties are still in operation and continuing to thrive. The kids that attended those first laser tag birthday parties are now grown-ups with kids of their own. Partly due to nostalgia and partly due to the progressive shift in laser tag to remain competitive against electronic games and family entertainment offerings, laser tag operators have enjoyed a growth in sales in recent years. These days playing arenas are vibrantly adorned with UV airbrushed art, often carpeted and well lit, and filled with children aged 6 and up enjoying an active, engaging game with friends in a stimulating environment.

For further information on Begeara laser tag, contact Lewis.k@zonelaser.co.uk

Operators can also organise pre-driving classroom based Highway Code learning sessions, a hands-on driving lesson, and at the end of the lesson, children who have completed their lesson successfully can be given their very own special driving licence!

The cars can either be coin-operated or supervisoroperated by remote control!

They can also be viewed on the website: www.worldofrides.com

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Ind oor Play Experience, wide appeal and great ROI QubicaAMF Worldwide is one of the largest manufacturers of bowling and mini-bowling products in the world and has over 100 years of industry experience.

Soft, safe and Bespoke Softplay Solutions specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of indoor soft play products, structures and environments for children.

Based in Bristol, they offer the UK’s largest selection of children’s soft play products to local, national and global clients. Whether you are a small nursery, a local authority, a tourist attraction or a new soft play centre, they can design and install a soft play environment tailored to your available space and budget.

The soft play equipment that they manufacture is unique, creative, and produced to a high-quality and safe standard. As well as multilevel play structures and soft play areas, the soft play equipment selection includes ball pools, soft play shapes, soft play rockers, soft play animals, soft play packages and play pits.

Softplay Solutions welcome trade enquiries and bulk orders, and discounts are available. www.softplaysolutions.com

Choosing to invest in the bowling and mini-bowling business can be a very profitable decision. QubicaAMF has sales offices in 10 countries and distributors in every corner of the world. They have done more than 10,000 centre installations in over 90 countries, and have installed over 3,000 lanes of Highway66 Mini-Bowling worldwide.

Whatever form today’s bowling centre takes - traditional centre, family entertainment centre (FEC), or a combination of tenpin, mini-bowling and other attractions - it generates dependable cash returns all year long. QubicaAMF has universal appeal for all ages, plus it’s a destination activity - people seek out bowling that offers year-round fun without regard for the weather.

More than 100 million people in over 95 countries bowl at least one game a year, this provides a strong, already existing, customer base.

Bowling and mini-bowling also requires little to no inventory, has no receivables and can produce a return on investment in less than 4 years, delivering an operating cash flow of up to 40%.

l mping G BUSINESS

DON’T MISS OUT SUBSCRIBE NOW NTACT TO ADVERTISE CO N KATHRYN KELLY O 580 + 44 (0) 7575 408 30

WWW.HOLIDAYPARKSMANAGEMENT.COM

Willerby Enters the Luxury Lodge Market 1000

In a departure from its traditional holiday home construction, Willerby has created a luxury lodge for the premium market. With 150mm exterior walls, plasterboard interiors, tiling, wallpaper and choice of three finishes, the Mulberry is the most luxurious lodge ever crafted by Willerby.

“What also sets this lodge apart is its availability, you could have the Mulberry sited on park as early as May 2017,” said Kirsten Bolton, Marketing Director at the pre-launch in Old Windsor in January.

“Willerby has manufactured wet trade, quality products in our innovations division for years, but this is our first lodge to enter the luxury park market. We’re proud of our 70-year heritage and you can be assured that this lodge has all the trademarks of quality that we are synonymous with,” she adds.

house a double bed if preferred and is just steps away from the master bathroom with a roll-top free-standing bath.

Special mention should also be made of the chassis – Willerby has used Next Generation Park Home (NGPH) in the Mulberry range, which is not only extremely robust, it is fully galvanized using a hot-dipped method. www.willerby.com

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The demand for luxury lodges is growing.

Willerby has taken the first NCC statistics for the luxury lodge market for the last three years and has added its forecast for 2017 in the graph shown on the right.

The Mulberry style is described as ‘country modern’ and the entire company was proud with the finished result, which is designed to appeal to a wide demographic, with its classic and yet relaxed feel. The interior is extremely light and airy, thanks to the Velux windows in the open plan kitchen, dining and living rooms. The master bedroom features a freestanding triple wardrobe and dressing table, reminiscent of a boutique hotel and boasts an opulent en suite. The second twin bedroom can easily

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Henry Wild next to the tarn at Skelwith Fold caravan park

feeding programme by the park was in operation as wildlife from the surrounding fells sought refuge from the harsh winter conditions at a lower altitude.

As well as the David Bellamy Conservation Award which the park has received at the top gold level for the past 18 consecutive years, Skelwith Fold has also been congratulated by HRH Prince Charles for successfully re-introducing a colony of red squirrels. Other green initiatives range from "bee hotels" to a wetland reedbed system for the treatment of waste water.

Now more than ever, I know parks are a family affair!

As he concludes two years as chairman of BH&HPA, Henry Wild tells HPM why he's now seeing the industry through younger eyes If a week is a long time in politics, then two years in the holiday parks industry is more akin to a lifetime. That's the opinion of Henry Wild who, in February this year, stepped down from his two-year term as national chairman of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association.

The chains of office will now be handed over to Paul Searle, MD of Searles Leisure Resort in Hunstanton, North Norfolk. But for Henry, the past 24 months will be remembered not just as a busy succession of meetings with politicians, government departments, industry regulators and others with which BH&HPA works.

That's because Henry's stint as chairman coincided with he and his wife Hannah becoming proud parents, first to William at the start of Henry's tenure in office, and then 18 months later to Samuel. Though inclined to keep a red line drawn between family and business life, Henry says he found that the former certainly did have an effect on the latter.

For a start, he points out, children, provide life with fresh perspectives from every angle, including one's commercial outlook.

With new family members on the scene, he thinks, there is the tendency to look more closely at the longer-term implications of

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business decisions, and how these might impact on future custodians of the enterprise.

However, it was almost 20 years ago when Henry made his perhaps most far-reaching change to the family's business. Up until then, it comprised just one holiday park, Moss Wood near Lancaster which was started by his father Syd, himself a former chairman of BH&HPA. Henry had heard that a long-established, but sadly neglected, holiday park near Ambleside in Cumbria might be available for purchase. Negotiations started, and shortly afterwards his business became the owner of Skelwith Fold, an idyllic 130- acre country estate with 450 pitches.

Top billing Skelwith Fold has now become one of the Lake District’s most celebrated holiday parks for leisure home owners, touring guests and glamping fans. Its raft of awards cover not just the quality standards provided to guests, but also the park's commitment to safeguarding the natural environment.

Wildlife inhabitants within Skelwith Fold's woodland include red squirrels, red deers, badgers and a huge number of bird species.

As usual this year, an ambitious winter

The Wild family's concern for the natural world is also much in evidence at Moss Wood. Earlier in 2017, it was named as one of Lancashire's top three environmentallyfriendly businesses in the Lancashire Tourism Awards, beating thousands of other eligible firms from across the county.

Like Skelwith Fold, the park has a spring-fed lake – known in Cumbria as a "tarn" - which acts as a magnet for birdlife, dragonflies and a host of other aquatic species.

Both parks woo holiday home buyers and touring guests on the strength of their natural attractions. Swimming pools, clubs and entertainment can all be found on other first-class parks in the North West if guests want those boxes ticked, says Henry.

Conversely, he adds, there are also many much smaller parks providing facilities no more ambitious than free-range eggs from the farmhouse.

The enormous diversity of the parks industry, Henry believes, is fundamental to its strength and resilience. It has been tested, and never found wanting, through decades of economic ups and downs, and competition from sectors as diverse as overseas holiday operators and – more recently – people advertising their spare rooms to let on the internet.

Game changers Which isn't to say, he stresses, that the parks industry has survived by maintaining a product with which everyone is comfortably familiar. On the contrary, says Henry, parks have always been ahead of the game when it comes to providing what customers want, even before the customers themselves know it.

Half-a-century ago, he says by way of an example, camping and caravan sites – long before they assumed the identity of "parks" – were often recognisable only by a sign at the entrance. In all other respects, they

were exactly what they looked like: a field with a standpipe, and perhaps a toilet block to add an extra layer of convenience.

But around the mid-Sixties, says Henry, that quickly started to change with parks investing in more modern facilities and creating carefully landscaped surroundings .

This wasn't a change called for by customers, he said, but a move by business owners who correctly anticipated a desire by families for a holiday lifestyle which complemented the higher standard of living they now enjoyed.

In the same way, said Henry, parks recognised in the Seventies that the historic model of a single week or fortnight's holiday once a year was giving way to shorter breaks. Long weekend and midweek stays were introduced, and parks found that far from depleting business, they resulted in repeated return visits.

That trend continues today, said Henry, as seen by the growing number of parks extending their season during the winter months, and even remaining open year round.

Even before concerns about conservation gained widespread traction, said Henry, many holiday parks were underlining the appeal to nature-loving guests. The unspoiled environments they provided chimed with families – and resonated even more when it was shown that parks were often havens for flora and fauna amid farmland dosed with agricultural chemicals.

But perhaps the most recent example of the park industry's prescience, says Henry, has been its sensing that enjoying new experiences would become increasingly important to holidaymakers.

experiences either on or off the park, from electric bike hire and festival-going to wild swimming and foraging for medicinal plants.

Interestingly, thinks Henry, Britain's skyhigh housing prices – and the problems met by many younger people in getting onto the housing ladder – are fuelling demand for such holidays.

He points out that there are now around 5.4 million people aged 25-34 who can't afford to buy their own home – but who, in many cases, are by no means badly off. Known as "Generation Rent", such couples have little interest in improving somebody else's property, and money which might once have been spent on bathroom suites and garden sheds is now being earmarked for greater enjoyment of leisure time.

Parks, he says, are providing the new dimensions to life which many such couples seek. Henry predicts that there could also be a growing future market in the sale of holiday homes to young renting families who can then enjoy the notion of "ownership", all be it of somewhere which is for leisure use only.

The past two years of his chairmanship, believes Henry, has seen the consolidation of all these positive trends within the parks industry. But what about that other definition of "consolidation" as the way businesses combine to create a single and bigger whole? The coming together, in other words, of holiday parks through merger or acquisition?

"The joining last year of two major park companies made headlines in the financial press, and it's no secret that some groups see acquisitions as intrinsic to their

expansion blueprint," said Henry. "It makes economic sense for the businesses involved, and can also provide many advantages for the consumer including keener pricing, thanks to the economies of scale.

World class "Groups have also shown themselves keen to invest in their product on the customer's behalf, which is why, for example, many of the leisure facilities they offer are now truly world class.

"But I don't think we need fear for the future of a parks industry defined, as it is at present, by largely independent family-run enterprises. The vast majority of BH&HPA member parks fall into this category, and their owners are often fiercely proud of what they have achieved. They are also just as resolute in their determination to pass the business on to successive generations.

"That's because they see their parks as possessing a far greater value than anything which the balance sheets might suggest. They measure that value both in terms of what they have invested personally in the business through their own efforts and hard work, and the strong loyalty and enduring affection they have won from their customers.

"To put it another way, parks are often an extension of the owner's personality and values, and they regard their own family members as best equipped to carry forward and build on the business's legacy. That's always been my view, and my personal experience – and two years as chairman of BH&HPA, meeting owners of parks of all sizes from across the country, convinces me even further that our industry remains in very safe hands," said Henry.

Pod power Once again, he points out, there was no previous clamour among families for alternatives places to stay such as timber pods, wigwams, yurts, shepherds huts and hobbit houses. But once options such as these were offered, says Henry, they sparked a huge level of demand – and today, many parks report that their "glamping" accommodation is always first to be booked.

In tandem with the arrival of new ways to bed down, says Henry, has been a rise in the number of parks offering alternative daytime activities to guests. Parks increasingly market not just the notion of a holiday, but the chance to enjoy new

View of Skelwith Fold caravan park

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Sherriff extends John Deere dealership area John Deere dealer Thomas Sherriff & Co, based at new premises in Haddington, East Lothian, has bought the business of W M Dodds at Jedburgh and set up a new outlet in Hexham to take over the territory previously managed by Everitt & Marshall.

These developments have extended the dealership’s business area in the Lothians,

Borders and Northumberland, with six outlets in total serving customers from the River Forth in Scotland down to Durham in the north-east of England, reaching out west to the Cumbrian border. The other existing outlets are based at Alnwick, Coldstream and Stow.

The majority of the W M Dodds employees have transferred to Sherriff Jedburgh, where Jimmy Laing remains as dealership manager.

He has also been appointed to the Sherriff board and has taken on the role of after sales director.

Sherriff Hexham opened for business in November at Tyne Mills Industrial Estate, just off the A69 close to the town. The dealership team there is headed by Stewart Wheeler,

who has 30-plus years of experience working in the area with John Deere products.

Meanwhile, the Sherriff premises at Tweedside Industrial Estate in Berwick upon Tweed were closed at the beginning of December, but with a full commitment to retaining all of the staff from that outlet. The Berwick technicians become field based, primarily controlled from the Coldstream office, where Eddie Stewart has taken on the role of service manager from Bill Wood, who now becomes the company warranty manager.

Finally, the new Sherriff head office site at Backburn in Haddington, which replaces the existing facility at West Barns in Dunbar, will allow both the dealership’s agricultural and turf divisions to operate under the same roof for the first time. John Harrison becomes a home-based mobile technician and continues as the Dunbar customers’ first point of contact for service.

Landscaping news advice through SALTEX’s ‘Ask the Expert’ feature.

As for the products and services that they were interested in viewing – machinery, power and hand tools led the way but there was plenty of interest in others.

SALTEX 2016 visitors report a Hugely successful show The SALTEX 2016 post-show visitor surveys have revealed a fascinating insight into the visitor profile of the show.

SALTEX 2016 featured three exhibition halls at the NEC packed with UK and international visitors. It was therefore encouraging to see that more than 80 per cent of the visitors rated their overall SALTEX experience as being either very good or excellent.

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With 292 exhibitors from every sector on the show floor (28 more than 2015), it is no wonder that over 70 per cent of SALTEX 2016 visitors said that the main reason they attended was to source new products, services or suppliers. More than 40 per cent of visitors said that they attended to see the latest industry innovations, while many wanted to make the most of the show’s increased show features. Over 30 per cent of the visitors said that they attended for the Learning LIVE educational seminars and over 25 per cent attended to gain one-to-one turf

An overwhelming amount of exhibitors reported serious business leads and significant sales, commenting that visitors were high-quality buyers with serious intent.

The visitor surveys were certainly testament to this as they revealed that over 80 per cent of SALTEX visitors held purchasing responsibility with over 70 per cent able to sign-off purchases of up to £100,000.

Over 40 per cent of visitors said that they placed orders at the show with either existing or new suppliers while over 45 per cent said that they had registered interest which would lead to demonstrations or further discussions.

As for the type of facilities that they are responsible for, it was great to see such a wide array of visitors whose job role related to one or more of the following.

The Grass Is Always Greener With milder winters becoming more and more common, the grass-growing season is starting earlier and finishing later year on year, leading to 12 months of continuous mowing. Adrian Langmead, Kubota UK’s Groundcare Business Development Manager, looks into the expanding grass cutting season and the considerations to be aware of to manage the growing demand.

Grassed areas are essential to the growth of many industries, providing some of the finest sporting surfaces. Whether its football, rugby or horseracing, the green surface is a gem that needs conserving across the board.

However, as budgets get tighter and industry professionals become busier, the expanding mowing season is taking its toll across the industry more than ever.

In order to manage the growing demand and the continued strain that’s being put on workforce and equipment, it’s essential that the right machinery is selected from the offset. Although purchasing high performance, reliable and cost effective groundcare solutions is vital for local authorities, contractors and in-house teams, it also means there are a number of factors that need to be considered, whether it’s for ride-on mowers, compact tractors or utility vehicle purchases.

Kubota’s extensive mower range has been designed to make light work of a range of groundcare tasks, rooted in the brand’s

reliability, fuel economy and outstanding versatility.

For those looking for a powerful ride-on mower for heavy-duty use, Kubota’s F Series range is a popular choice, particularly among local authorities looking to cut down on running costs. The F Series is powerful, precise and efficient, whilst the maintenance and service back up from Kubota’s extensive dealer network means contractors don’t need to worry about labour-intensive maintenance or servicing, guaranteeing minimum downtime. Kubota’s popular F3090 and F3890 models offer professional performance, equipped with Kubota’s leading diesel engines, fabricated durable mower deck, as well as its HST transmission for quick response.

The company’s zero turn mowers are another firm favourite for those who demand exceptional maneuverability and expert handling, especially when working in areas where obstacles are commonplace, such as

parks or woodland courses. Kubota’s ZD zero turn mower series is complete with independent steer levers, which gives the mower a 360° turning radius, making cutting around trees, posts and other obstacles an easy one-pass operation.

The ZD range comes equipped with an array of other top features including Kubota’s unique jack on the ZD326 for easier mower deck access, a tri-cut system for efficient cut and a one-dial cut height adjustment, with collection available on the GZD models Boasting exceptionally low vibration levels, smooth PTO, deck lift operation and shaft driven blades, the G Series delivers effortless operation and outstanding performance. With ample horsepower, the G Series mowers feature water-cooled Kubota ETVCS diesel engines ready to take on the toughest commercial jobs, whilst offering a cost effective solution.

Coldstream to Kelso, Jedburgh, Hawick and up to Galashiels.

New Polaris dealer for Duns Scottish Borders’ Reiver Garage Services has been appointed as a new Polaris dealer. The dealership, run by Dale Robertson, follows a thirty-five year family tradition with Reiver offering service and repair work, coach, taxi and self-drive hire. A motor sport mechanic,

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and with his own Polaris in use on his small holding and equestrian yard, Dale was familiar with the benefits and could see the potential in being able to supply the agricultural and game-keeping community across the area stretching from Duns and

“This is a very exciting opportunity to sell Polaris and we knew there was a big demand in the area. Mechanically they are very easy to work with and Polaris keeps us up to date with everything. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about selling them,” says Dale. He adds that the range of Polaris ATVs and UTVs, including the new Sportsman 450 and UTE, can offer good solutions for customers in the local area. There is a particular demand for the Ranger Diesel and he has already taken orders for customers.

Having the benefit of Active Descent Control and a fully weatherproof cab is proving most popular with the sheep farmers for use in the Borders, giving a nod to the Scottish weather and terrain. Dale Robertson’s Reiver Garage Services Limited is in Eran, Duns, Borders 01361 882340

Heritage tour Last staged two years ago, British woodchipper manufacturer GreenMech recently hosted a vast array of the media to deliver an update on the company’s progress.

The assembled press were treated to a presentation by Sales Director Martin Lucas, followed by a factory tour and working demonstrations of some of their new, and most popular, machines.

In his presentation, Martin outlined GreenMech’s heritage, the role of wood chippers in today’s market and delivered a brief overview of the company’s range of machines along with their vast spectrum of clients. For those that attended 2 years ago, there were a number of changes in both GreenMech’s approach and product offering which includes new additions, and upgrades

to, the Arborist and QuadChip ranges; the launch of GreenMech Finance and the introduction of a new blade sharpening unit – which provides customers with the control to sharpen their own disc blades.

A key area of interest was the number of new dealer partnerships established both in the UK and overseas. Committed to the dealer route to market, GreenMech have a home market and export split of 40/60, with international trading in 30 countries. The latest on that list include Poland, Turkey, South Korea and Russia. Proudly the largest chipper manufacturer in Europe, GreenMech put their success down to the quality and effectiveness of their machines, which are all produced in-house at The Mill Industrial Park – a home to manufacturing for over 50 years.

On the factory tour, more changes were

evident with the introduction of lean processing in the fabrication and production areas. The recent switch has seen lead times cut from 13 weeks down to just 6-8 weeks, from a sheet of metal entering the QuadChip 160 and the company’s unique Safe-Trak unit.

Commenting on the event, GreenMech Director Jonathan Turner said, “It was a pleasure to open the doors once again and display all of the new developments we’ve been working hard on over the last couple of years. The atmosphere of the day was very positive and we welcomed the opportunity to show off our facilities that make us proud to be a British manufacturer.”

New Mid-duty compact tractor from tym debuts at lamwa 2017 Reesink Turfcare unveiled the latest addition to its comprehensive range of TYM tractors at LAMMA. The new economy TE40 is, says the company, ideal for the price-conscious customer who needs a good rugged midrange tractor.

The TE40 is powered by a 40hp threecylinder, liquid-cooled diesel engine, available with either a manual or HST transmission. It joins all the other models in the range with its hydrostatic power-steering for effortless maneuverability and a tight turning circle, plus heavy-duty, four-wheeldrive front axle for greater traction where needed. Suiting general grounds maintenance tasks such as clearing barns, it is a good choice for smallholdings and private homeowners looking for an economical and easy-to-use mid-range compact tractor.

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Joining the TE40 at LAMMA for the first time at the show was the T654. With an all-new 67hp Deutz engine with improved emission standards, the TYM T654 is a full-size utility tractor with more than enough horsepower for a wide range of jobs. A good allrounder it has a spacious operator’s platform with digital instrument panel and accommodates a wide range of attachments and implements from front-end loaders and backhoes, to mowers, cutters and rotary tillers.

Completing the line up at the East of England Show Ground in Peterborough on 18 and 19

January 2017 were stablemates TS25, T293, T433, T503, and, finally, the T754, giving visitors to stand B119 a look at the smallest to the largest horsepower and plenty in between.

Mother Ivey’s Bay giving the gift of holidays to families in need delighted to partner with Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park to help families get a break in a wonderful part of the country. The scheme has helped create memories that will last a lifetime.”

In a recent speech, Peter Long who is President of the Family Holiday Association, Chairman of Royal Mail and Supervisory Board Member of TUI AG, the largest integrated travel company in the world, described holidays as ‘a fundamental human right’.

Patrick Langmaid, owner of award-winning Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park, Padstow, agrees. Through the park’s One for All initiative, he provides free holidays to people who would otherwise be unable to have one. 2016 has been the scheme’s most successful year yet - providing free holidays for around 80 people.

Ellie’s teacher, Mrs Parker, was touched by Mike’s comments and his positive attitude.

She contacted national charity, the Family Holiday Association, to see if they could organise a break for the family - a time to bond and have fun together away from the usual pressures at home. The result was a wonderful week during term time in September at Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park.

One family to benefit was Mike, Kerry and their two young Mrs Parker said: “Things children, Ellie and Recent research by the FHA found have been so much Luke. Mike, a builder, that 49% of British people said better since the holiday. has suffered from their happiest memory is being on Ellie has been diabetes since holiday with their family. The poll concentrating more on childhood. His of 2,000 British adults last year her work and she’s been condition has revealed that emotional, telling everyone about worsened recently psychological and social benefits the fabulous time she affecting nerves in his of family holidays last long after spent with her dad. It’s legs. This has meant the break itself ends. That great to see her smiling missing work, which research also shows how a simple again.” has hit the family break not only helps build finances hard. families' relationships with each John Kinnear, Programme other but also improves children's Manager for the Family Last year the whole learning and behaviour in school.

Holiday Association, said: family joined a walk “Spending quality time organised by Ellie’s together as a family away from home offers infant school. It was a struggle for Mike, welcome respite from daily hardship, a new particularly as he had to carry Luke on his sense of optimism and hope for the future. shoulders, but he persevered. Afterwards he said: “We never get to go out and have “The One for All holiday scheme is a fun like this. Either we don't have the fantastic way to help make a real money or I'm working. Today has been difference. This year we have been fantastic!”

One for All dedicates 1% of the park’s hire fleet occupancy to those who need a break, but cannot afford. It was launched in 2013

by TV treasure, Fern Britton - an open supporter of the park. Patrick would like One for All to become a business model every holiday park owner in the country can use.

He said: “If, as holiday park owners, we can all do something positive for our communities without disrupting our own business model it has to be worthwhile.

Everyone wants their children to grow up with happy memories and this scheme has the potential to provide countless positive life-changing experiences for families in need. One for All also helps fill parks during the shoulder months. When I’m at half capacity in April or October I’d much rather give holidays away, even outside school holidays, because sometimes a holiday with your family is more important and beneficial than being in the classroom.”

For more details of the Family Holiday Association contact: www.familyholidayassociation.org.uk

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A FANTASTIC BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Whether you are an established glamping operator or planning to launch a glamping business; a visit to the Glamping Show will pay dividends!

Discover the latest products and services and attend any of over 60 seminars covering every aspect of setting up and running a glamping business - FREE.

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