Discover Touring – November - December 2020 by touring magazine

touring

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2020

DISCOVER

M O T O R H O M E , C A R A V A N A N D C A M P I N G I N S P I R AT I O N

CAMP COOL TOURING SCANDINAVIA FAMILY CARAVANS VAN REVIEWS FULL-TIMING AND MUCH MORE...

EDITORIAL

Welcome touring DISCOVER

Editor Caroline Mills Advertising Mark Galbraith Designer Barbara Prada Marketing Olivia Sewell Commercial Director Lwin Millar Editorial Director Felix Blakeston

www.touring.co.uk

Discover Touring is published by

Information carried in Discover Touring is checked for accuracy but the views or opinions included herein do not necessarily represent those of Rosevine Media Ltd. discovertouring@rosevinedigital.com Front cover image: © Hobby

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ith daily news about changes to local, regional and national travel restrictions, alongside news of lockdowns abroad, you’d think that it’s simply not possible to go camping at the moment. Depending on where you live, that’s not the case as independent nations within the UK come out of lockdown restrictions. There may be a greater degree of planning required, including where you can visit (generally without crossing borders), but campsites are still open and eager to welcome guests for an extended season. The Caravan & Motorhome Club still has a couple of sites open in Scotland, for example and plan to open sites within Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as soon as national restrictions end. The Camping & Caravanning Club will offer 26 sites after December 2nd that have either extended the season or are open all year anyway. Couple these with hundreds of independent camping and glamping sites, caravan and touring parks, and you’ve plenty of choice to stay in Covid-Secure locations in a socially-distant way. Camping with your own facilities continues to be one of the safest ways of enjoying travel. Of course, you may prefer to sit tight and armchair travel, planning future adventures instead. In which case, you’ll love our feature on visiting Scandinavia and Finland, in particular, the very socially-distant Lapland. Sweden continues to be ‘open for business’ (though considering any travel bans in/from the UK) while Finland is opening its doors to visitors at the end of November. We also highlight attractions, camping and glamping sites in England that have been recognised in the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2020. All these locations look forward to welcoming visitors as soon as is legally allowed, and in the future. It may be that the pandemic has made you re-evaluate and kickstart a long-held ambition to ‘leave home’ and head off on a longterm tour. Our features on extended tours are for you. Meantime, we also look at the benefits of camping and caravanning for families living with autism, ADHD and Neurodiversity. Keep safe and well, and happy travels

Caroline Mills, Editor

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WHAT ’S INSIDE

Contents 90

66 6 FAMILY CARAVANS 18 SPECIAL NEEDS CAMPING 20 FAMILY FULL-TIMERS 26 FULL TIME MOTORHOMES 38 REVIEW: AUTO-TRAIL EXPEDITION 66 44 TOURING IN SCANDINAVIA 66 ROAD TEST: NISSAN E-NV200 ALL ELECTRIC 71 EXCELLENT ENGLAND 86 COSTAL KENT 90 WILD COOKING 96 SHOPPING ESSENTIAls

44 38

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TOGETHE

CARAVANS

ER TIME Discover Touring brings you our pick of family caravans perfect for many years of memory-making

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Wandahome Wanderer Lux 565 www.wandahome.co.uk Price: £25,995 A four-berth tourer with twin single beds in a dedicated bedroom towards the rear with a full-width washroom, including separate shower cubicle, behind. A pleated screen pulls across to divide the bedroom off from the kitchen and front lounge area. As a dealership special edition van, there are extras including, among others, a fullsize Heki rooflight at the front, an Omnivent roof fan, heavy duty corner steadies and an external gas BBQ point.

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CARAVANS

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Xplore 586 www.elddis.co.uk Price: £18,244 From the Xplore entry-level caravan range, this bright and zingy sixberth tourer is a fabulous option for families. There are twin bunk beds at the rear, directly opposite the shower and washroom, with a useful wardrobe and cupboard adjacent. The van also includes a half-dinette, great for encouraging kids to sit at the table to eat or space to play games; this can turn into a single bed at night, with a further, dropdown, bunk above.

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CARAVANS

Sprite Major 6TD www.swiftgroup.co.uk Price: from £20,145 A well-thought out layout for families, this entry-level six-berth, like Adria’s Adora Sava below, has a children’s bedroom at the rear with twin bunks and a dinette that comfortably seats three. The central chest of drawers includes a TV point. Where it differs from the Sava is that the shower and washroom is conveniently located in the centre of the van, so parents don’t need to tip-toe through to clean their teeth at night.

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Elddis Affinity 574 www.elddis.co.uk Price: £24,444 A four-berth van with twin single beds that makes a dedicated children’s bedroom at the rear, with useful chest of drawers and shelf between. The toilet and washroom sits forward of the bedroom so that both parents and children can access without disturbing one another at night. The bedroom can also be closed off from the living area with a domestic-style door.

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CARAVANS

Coachman Acadia 830 Xcel www.coachman.co.uk Price: £28,185 A new layout for the 2021 season, this 8ft-wide tourer offers a cosy L-shaped lounge at the front, twin bunks towards the rear and a U-shaped dinette midvan that creates a fifth berth at night. If you’ve older, taller kids, you’ll appreciate the extra space that the additional 7 inches of width allows by comparison to a standard-width caravan.

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CARAVANS

Adria Adora Sava www.adria.co.uk Price: £26,995 From popular Slovenian manufacturer Adria, the Sava is a six-berth van with contemporary styling. More so, it has a dedicated children’s bedroom towards the rear of the van, with twin bunk beds adjacent to a half-dinette table and seating, so creating an excellent children’s ‘den’. The dinette makes up a further single bed with drop-down bunk above. A full-width washroom and shower cubicle sits behind.

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searchforsites The easy way to ďŹ nd the best motorhome stopovers and touring campsites in Europe

Find us on the web at searchforsites.co.uk or follow us at facebook/searchforsites You can also download as an app to use oďŹ&#x201E;ine

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H HANDS

DISCOVER TOURING CHATS TO HAYLEY ALLISON-WARBY, FOUNDER OF THE ORGANISATION, SPECIAL NEEDS CAMPING & CARAVANNING Hayley, can you tell us about Special Needs Camping and Caravanning? The organisation has been set up to provide support, information and tips to families with Autism, ADHD and Neurodiversity who enjoy camping and caravanning. We provide a closed support group on Facebook as well as an email support service.

How did you come to set up the organisation? I am a parent with children who have Autism, ADHD and other conditions; we have been caravanning since 2014. Over the years we have tried different types of holidays from hiring cottages to Butlins, but the same issues kept coming up and it did not feel much like a holiday. Having spoken to other parents with children with Autism they recommended camping/caravanning for a variety of reasons but the main one was that the

children would know what to expect. This in turn has lowered their anxiety levels and made our holidays much happier. Though, every now and then the children do not cope so well. Autism has touched our lives for 12 years now and although I am no expert there has not been much that we haven’t encountered along the way. I set up the Facebook group in July 2020 as I wanted to bring people together that enjoy camping/ caravanning but who also have a family member with either Autism, ADHD, or Neurodiversity conditions. The aim of the group is to share information and tips to make camping and caravanning that little bit easier. We also share site reviews as well as supporting each other. To date, we have more than 800 members and through this I have been able to implement some of the tips that have been suggested with my own children.

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SPECIAL NEEDS

What have your camping and caravanning experiences been like? I would highly recommend camping and caravanning as a form of holiday for families with children with special needs, though I would always recommend that you do your homework first. We knew we wanted a caravan and originally started off with a small two-berth; my husband did some modifications to make it suitable for a 5 berth. We soon realised caravanning was for us and we purchased a larger caravan with fixed bunks for the boys and a side dinette for our oldest child. We then decided we would like to purchase a new caravan; we already knew what type of layout would suit our family, so we placed our order and got our current van in 2017. The children absolutely love our caravan and when we are away, we all love a good game of bingo. Owning our own caravan has given us the freedom to explore places that we never would have been. We have visited lots of places around England including the Isle of Wight as well as going across to France. The children have all their own comforts as well as knowing where they will be sleeping. It is a real adventure.

Which caravan do you use? We have a Wanderer Lux 19/4, a dealer special from Wandahome Knottingly. The van is based on the Coachman Vision Range. Our caravan layout is a double dinette, so the front replicates the back. It is a single axle. This works for us but the layout of caravan will be different for everyone and there are lots of factors to take into consideration when purchasing your caravan including whether your car will be able to tow the caravan.

What about campsites? How can they help families? Something else that the group is actively trying to promote is for campsites to become more inclusive. All the caravan sites we have been on only have the national disabled sign for the disabled facilities. We would like the signage changed to include hidden disabilities. I have also been contacted by a couple of campsites who want to become more inclusive and would like some ideas on how they can be, which is good to see and hear. I would also like to see family bathrooms to include a bath, or a changing places type set-up. Child friendly maps of the site with signage around the sites, accessible play areas with trampolines, WIFI and sensory gardens are also of great benefit. So far, we have only used Caravan and Motorhome Club sites. We have found them to be very accommodating – we visited Ramslade in Devon in August and we telephoned the week before we were due to arrive. They sourced us a pitch near the toilet block and reserved it for us, which really helped. ●

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DISCOVER MORE Special Needs Camping and Caravanning www.specialneedscampingandcaravanning.com Facebook Group: Camping/Caravanning for families with Autism, ADHD, Neurodiversity Twitter: @campingneeds

Hayley’s Top Tips for camping and caravanning as a family with special needs children Do not expect too much; your children still have special needs whether you are away or not. Do your research on what is in the area – my youngest son has a limited diet, so we pick sites where there is a good-sized supermarket in the area, so we’re able to get his food. Do not be afraid to call the site in advance and explain your situation – they may have the perfect pitch for you. Take the children’s gadgets (don’t forget the charger!) or home comforts with you. If you are thinking about going camping/caravanning with your special needs child but are unsure, then please have a go. It is a great way of spending family time together as well as getting out in the fresh air.

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DISCOVER TOURING MEETS THE FAMILY OF FIVE ENTERING THEIR FOURTH YEAR OF FULL TIME CARAVAN LIVING. MUM KAREN BINEDELL DISCUSSES THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF FULL TIME TOURING, PLACES VISITED AND WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEXT FOR THIS NOMADIC FAMILY

ortuneS

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WINTER IN HERTFORDSHIRE WHILE PREPARING FOR THEIR TRAVELS

s I’m sure you can imagine, when my husband and I informed our nearest and dearest that we were done with London life, were moving our family into a six berth touring caravan and had plans to set off volunteering our way around Europe, the revelation was met with a fair amount of skepticism, concern and fear. Questions were raised about how we intended to live in an 8x2m area with three teenagers and two cats, what would become of the children’s education (two of the three were at GCSE stage) and how would we continue to support ourselves without a regular income? There were worries about our safety and the fact that we planned to schlep our children from one strangers home to another. While neither my husband nor I had

all the answers, we knew, with absolute certainty, that this experience would be worth the risks we were taking. On the 17th of April 2019, after having spent eighteen months living in our caravan just outside of St.Albans, Hertfordshire planning, preparing and saving, we hitched up, headed to Plymouth and set sail for Spain. Our journey saw us travel in excess of 11000 miles, through six countries and resulted in us completing eighteen volunteer projects. We towed our caravan through immense, desert-like landscapes in Portugal and Spain, up and over the winding mountain paths of the Pyrenees in France, we easily covered the length and breath of Belgium, marvelled at the expanse of water in the Netherlands and lost ourselves in the Black Forest in Germany. Our pitches have been on farms, campsites, driveways and on one unfortunate evening, in a petrol station parking lot. The five of us

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have gained a multitude of new skills and have spent our days building a deck, a shed and an activity centre for goats. We have created raised vegetable beds and repaired fencing, we have removed and replaced a farmhouse roof, we have renovated a house, we have learnt to care for and train horses and ponies, we have helped run a campsite, we have surfed, we have kayaked, we have sampled the most delicious cuisine but over and above all of this, we have made incredible, lasting friendships with the people we have met along the way. Travels aside, you might be wondering what it’s really like to be a family of five, permanently living in a touring caravan? Well I can tell you it takes some getting used to and it’s the reason we chose to live in our caravan for eighteen months prior to setting off on our travels. At the time of moving in we had absolutely no experience of caravans and the first few months brought with them many struggles. We tripped the power, we regularly ran out of water when

having showers, we burnt out two water pumps, we only remembered to empty the grey water when the sink or shower didn’t drain and we managed to run out of gas, while dinner was in the oven, on more than one occasion. Then there was the very obvious space, or lack thereof, issue. Having moved out of a large, four bedroom home this proved to be the biggest challenge. We also had to factor into our day chores like filling aqua rolls, emptying the cassette loo and cooking for a family in a minute area with very little counter space and only one pot, one pan, and one casserole dish! We had to adjust the way we shopped as a result of having such a tiny fridge. We had to learn to manage condensation in winter and extreme heat in summer and then there were storms and mud and not having a fixed address which brought with them another set of dilemmas! With a list like this you would be forgiven for wondering how on earth we have come this far and whether or not our sanity has survived the journey. I am pleased to report that it has →

TAKING DOWN A CHIMNEY IN PORTUGAL

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and with this extreme change in lifestyle came many valuable lessons. In our three years of caravan living our entire family has learnt to live in a more sustainable way. We are able to easily differentiate between needs and wants and as space is such a premium nothing new comes into the caravan unless it has a purpose. Living in such a small space has meant we have also learnt much more about each other. We’ve had to become more tolerant of our differences, we’ve learnt that when arguments or disagreements arise we need to address them immediately and resolve them quickly and we have come to

value and appreciate the contribution each and every one of us makes in helping to maintain and run our little home on wheels. As with most things this year, Covid managed to wreak havoc on our 2020 travel plans and right now we find ourselves back in England about to embark on another adventure. Our current plan is to explore as much of the UK as possible while undertaking one mini, outdoor adventure a month which will help prepare us for a charity trek to Everest Base Camp in October 2021. We also hope to spend our last twelve months of caravan living renovating ‘Carolina’, our Bailey of

DRIVING TRACTORS AND FELLING TREES IN BELGIUM

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Bristol Senator. This is a project my husband and I are incredibly keen to get underway though the kids have expressed a desire to rather trade her in for a newer model like their current favourite the Bailey Pegasus Grande Turin. While our caravan has been our home for the last 3 years and will continue to be for the next twelve months, we are under no illusion that it will ever be our ‘forever home’. That said, the things we have

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learnt during our vanlife period are things I hope we will carry forward when moving into our new home. ● You can continue following the Binedell family’s adventures at www.ourtravellingfamily.com or @ourtravellingfamily on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

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FULL-TIME WHEN YOU WANT TO ‘LIVE THE DREAM’, THERE’S LITTLE THAT CAN BEAT TAKING OFF AND TOURING THE GLOBE. DISCOVER TOURING LOOKS AT MOTORHOMES FOR EXTENDED TOURING

oaming wherever you fancy, whenever you feel like it, is one of the greatest freedoms that motorhomes can bring. But, unless you’re fully retired, there comes a stumbling block – employment and maybe kids in school mean you’re limited to a few weeks holiday a year and the occasional weekend away. Not so when you’re full-time touring. It may be that the current pandemic has allowed you to re-evaluate life and determine that a few months, a year, or longer, on the road is the way to go. More and more people are seeing – and reaping – the benefits of taking time out from work – an adult gap year – or taking earlier retirement to see the world. And there are lots of parents keen to provide their kids with a more global education that, they feel, their children are not receiving in school. Motorhome touring is ideal – a home on wheels that allows you the freedom to tour, cook, learn, discover and explore whenever you want.

F U L L T I M E TO U R I N G ? ‘For all-time’ can sound a bit dramatic, though there are lots of genuinely full-time motorhomers who have sold up everything to be permanently on tour. But taking a defined period of time out – maybe six months or a year, or extended periods over a matter of

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TOURING weeks each year – to travel is liberating. It may be to over-winter in the sunnier climes of Southern Europe, or to make the most of the six-week school summer holiday. It’s not a case of simply taking off – there’s lots of administrative planning to do in renting or selling a house, notifying schools or education authorities, checking long-term insurance, finance and so on – too much to detail here. But one of the most important aspects is making sure that you have a motorhome that’s fit for purpose. One other aspect to consider if you plan on touring mainland Europe are new rules that come into force on 1st January 2021. Head to the government website for updates on what you’ll need to consider regarding REAR GARAGES ARE USEFUL FOR STORAGE

FOR FULL-TIMING YOU NEED THE RIGHT VAN THAT WILL WITHSTAND THE RIGOURS OF CONTINUAL USE. HERE THE NEW COMPASS AVANTGARDE 150

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BUYING

HAVING AN OVEN IN THE VAN HELPS TO KEEP THE COST OF EATING OUT DOWN WHEN ON AN EXTENDED TOUR

driving documents, health insurance, passports, visas and length of stays over 90 days: https://www.gov.uk/ visit-europe-1-january-2021.

FIT FOR PURPOSE Most motorhomes are designed and built for shortterm holidays – a few trips away each year for limited amounts of time when you’re accepting of compromise like possibly making beds up each night, limited cooking or kitchen facilities, or smaller amounts of living space. For extended touring, making a bed up each night begins to irritate after a while and not having decent cooking equipment can cost you a fortune eating out. Sitting bolt upright in a travelling seat when you’re spending most of your time outdoors in summer might not matter for a couple of weeks but head off to the slopes for winter and you may well be wishing for a comfortable sofa to stretch out on.

W H AT TO LO O K O U T F O R Read the smallprint and most motorhome manufacturers will safeguard themselves claiming

that their vans are not designed for full-time use. That doesn’t mean to say a van is not suitable for full-time touring. But purchasing a van with enhanced build quality and ruggedness is, naturally, going to remain in better condition for longer than a budget-priced vehicle where manufacturing standards or, more so, the quality of fixtures and fittings are compromised.

W H AT D O I N E E D? Not, perhaps, as you’d expect – storage. You soon adapt to travelling lightly and vast quantities of storage space is not necessary – there are ways and means to strap skis or a surfboard to the roof, bike carriers can be attached to the rear of a van and all vans should have sufficient room for limited amounts of clothing and personal effects. How many suits and ties do you need to take away with you? Motorhomes with a rear garage can be useful for full-time touring, especially if you are taking children but, realistically, if you’re pottering from A to B at a slow pace, stocking up on supplies as and when is more convenient than taking the contents of your house with you.

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BEDS

A GOOD-SIZED SINK ALLOWS YOU TO WASH SMALL ITEMS OF CLOTHING WITHOUT SPLATTERING THE INTERIOR WITH WATER

A SEPARATE TOILET AND SHOWER WILL PROVE BENEFICIAL FOR LONG-TERM PERIODS AWAY

Of the things that are necessary for extended touring, fixed beds are top of the list – including fixed bunks when touring with children. Putting up with juggling cushions, designed for sitting on over and above sleeping, to create a bed is fine for a few days – but you really will want a comfortable, purpose-designed bed that you can fall into each night. Not least, it means there’s no need to find somewhere to store bedding during the day.

CO O K I N G Even if you ‘don’t cook’, eating out simply isn’t economical for long-term touring so having an oven is essential, even if it’s to throw in a pizza or warm-up a pie. Continental-manufactured vans don’t always include an oven so if you find a model or layout that you otherwise like, it’s worth asking the dealer if it’s possible to have one fitted. If one dealer says it’s not possible, check with another – our van needed an oven and one dealer was able to fit one when another had said it couldn’t be done.

WA S H I N G When touring long-term, especially in mainland Europe, you might want to utilise the network of overnight stopovers rather than full-facility campsites to save on costs. Some vans compromise on washroom space in order to provide extra living area but finding a layout with a separate shower will prove more economical than paying pounds in a campsite or leisure centre simply to use the facilities. Having a good sized sink (whether kitchen or washroom) will also help in washing smalls rather than heading to the launderette every couple of days.

LIVING If you’re travelling with kids, a dinette makes common sense for eating and also for studying if you’re home schooling. Dinettes usually mean compromise on bigger lounge areas, so if you’re a couple that are happy to eat utilising a pop-up, free-standing table, U-shaped seating tends to provide more comfortable lounging.

U P H O L S T E RY Unless you are the queen bee of cleaning, making sensible choices about upholstery goes without saying. →

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BUYING GOOD INSULATION IS KEY TO KEEPING THE VAN COMFORTABLY WARM IN WINTER. DOUBLE-FLOOR VANS COST SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BUT THEY WILL SAVE ON HEATING LONG-TERM

Materials that are stain resistant will help for long-term touring but if they’re not, there are companies that can do this for you. Many manufacturers can offer a choice of fabric designs and grades of material so if you like the layout of a van but you see it with a really unpractical coloured fabric, ask about other options. If there are no alternatives, there are lots of companies that specialize in motorhome re-upholstery and for the sake of a few hundred pounds, getting seats recovered could well be worth the initial investment.

I N S U L AT I O N Even if your sole purpose is to head to the sun, evenings can get chilly anywhere. So buying a van rated with Grade III Thermal Insulation and Heating classification will help to keep you toasty warm in winter – at least until you go beyond -15˚C!

CHASSIS Long-term touring doesn’t necessarily mean always being on the road. Quite the opposite, you have more time to hang around an area you find attractive and move on slowly. Wherever you are and however far you intend on going, having a reliable chassis and a Europe-wide network of back-up service centres provides peace of mind so that, if things do go wrong, servicing and repairs are quick, easy and cost-efficient. Most coachbuilts, compact leisure vehicles and A-class vans are built upon Fiat, Ford, Mercedes and Peugeot chassis, with Volkswagen and Ford used for smaller campervan conversions. Buying a motorhome built on an obscure chassis, just because it’s cheaper, could be costly long-term.

U N I Q U E TO YO U Finding exactly the right van with the right layout, equipment, furnishings and facilities, not to mention engine size or chassis, is rare. There’s usually compromise somewhere. There are some manufacturers that can offer bespoke features and a greater list of options on engine size, furnishings or even changes to the layout. Companies that offer a bespoke service include AutoSleepers, IH Motorhomes and Frankia, while Auto-Trail has three exterior profiles to almost every coachbuilt model plus internal layout options (dinette or nodinette, for example) and furnishing options, making hundreds of permutations for you to get just the right van for your needs.

S PAC E VS E F F I C I E N C Y Large with more space for long-term comfort but potentially less efficiency on the road or a smaller-size, more aerodynamic van with greater fuel economy but possibly compromising on equipment and space? It’s one of the greatest dilemmas that only you can really answer once you’ve worked out where and how far you think you might go and how you plan to use your van. That said, if you’re using the van as your day-to-day vehicle, you should attempt to find the smallest that you can be comfortable long-term in, for the sake of parking up. If you’re thinking of going beyond Europe and exploring the rest of the world, well you may need an overland vehicle – and that’s a whole different ball game! ●

Keep reading for Discover Touring’s pick of motorhomes for extended touring →

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Knaus SkyWave 650 MF www.knaus.com/en-uk/ from £64,000 A good choice for families as it has five belted seats and six berths, with a fixed rear double bed (garage beneath), a drop-down double plus a dinette and lounge area which makes up into a further double. The dinette is good for eating/home-schooling plus there’s a side sofa for lounging. UK versions come with an oven and there’s room enough for two 11kg gas bottles. For 2021 there’s a ’60 years’ special edition with a striking blue metallic cab and practical grey upholstery.

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Adria Matrix www.adria.co.uk Price: from £62,900 Adria’s best-selling motorhome has been completely redevised for the 2021 season, with the company looking at little details to upgrade the whole vehicle. It now has a double floor, providing extra insulation and additional storage – great for full-timing. There are nine models, all 4-berths and all with a drop-down bed plus a panoramic opening skylight at the front. There’s a choice of bed layouts at the rear.

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Rapido V55 www.rapido-motorhome.co.uk Price: from £62,000 A motorhome for long-term touring doesn’t have to be a coachbuilt. Rapdio’s V55 Fiatbased van conversion is compact at 5.99m long – ideal for nippy driving, narrow roads and parking – yet offers everything you need for extended tours thanks to various innovative features. It sleeps 3 (ideally 2) with a cosy rear transverse bed, there’s space for two bikes in the modular garage and, thanks to a patented MODULSPACE wardrobe design, which slides out over the bed, allows a larger shower than most in a van conversion of this size. UK-specific models have the option of an oven and there’s a generous 133-litre fridge.

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BUYING

Malibu T460 LE www.malibu-carthago.com/en/ Price £66,860 Malibu, a brand from Carthago, has completely upgraded its spec for the 2021 season and the entire range, either A-class (integrated) or low-profile, will prove excellent for long-term touring. Pictured is the 7.2m-long T 460 LE, with twin single beds at the rear and a drop-down double bed as an option, plus a large rear garage. For a shorter van, with a transverse double bed, pick the 410 DB or for a sumptuous island bed, the 440 QB or 500 QB. All layouts are available as either an A-class or low-profile model.

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BUYING

Auto-Trail Grande Frontier www.auto-trail.co.uk from £76,345 This is Auto-Trail’s first venture into A-class (integrated body) motorhomes and the range looks an absolute cracker! There are three layouts in the brand new range, between 6.96m and 8.8m long. Two models, the GF-80 and GF-88 include beautiful rear boutique bedrooms with separate en-suite washroom and shower rooms, together with a front lounge. They sleep four but these motorhomes are ideal for couples who wish to travel in style and comfort with plenty of space and not overly-worried about parking in car-sized car parks.

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REVIEW

VAN A MIS Thought you couldn’t afford a brand new motorhome? Think again. We look at Auto-Trail’s new Expedition 66 which balances great looks with an accessible price → 38

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ook at the price tag of most campervans and compact leisure vehicles on the forecourt and that’s about all you might look at, quickly walking away determining that you can’t afford a motorhome after all. Look again at the price of the brand new Expedition range from Auto-Trail, and you’ll need to do a double-take. The ‘van will require closer inspection. There are two Expedition vehicles, the two-berth 66 and the four-berth 67. Both are a smidge under six metres (by a millimetre) and both are priced identically. Here we look at the two-berth.

EXTERIOR The exterior alone belies the price of this leisure vehicle. Most low-level market ‘vans come in the colour that’s most inexpensive to produce – white. The Expedition comes in a very classy black, with black bumper and trim. The double-glazed windows are black,

too, which aids internal privacy. A single, simple grey stripe along the length of the van helps to break up the monotone look. For a ‘van of this size, the 140bhp engine will prove powerful and nippy enough, though there is the option, at cost, of a 160bhp or even 180bhp upgrade should you feel the need. Otherwise, you get cruise control as standard.

LIVING & SLEEPING Space is used to its maximum in a van that’s less than six metres long so there is an element of a corridor effect as you step in through the nearside sliding door. To your left, both the upholstered driver’s and passenger cab seats rotate to face the internal space of the ‘van, in effect creating a second living area, useful if you have one person wanting to watch TV in one area and another person reading or working quietly in the other. Otherwise the living area is at the rear – two long parallel sofas

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creating a cosy but spacious lounge area. The rear barn doors open, allowing you to sit and eat lunch at the removable pedestal table and enjoy the view. At night, these twin sofas create a vast larger-thanking-size double bed. Thermal pleated blinds at the windows ensure total darkness for a good night’s rest, though there’s pleasant ambient lighting above and

below the row of airline-style storage lockers and a set of small, stylish LED reading lights for the evening. We love the upholstery in the Expedition, which, once again, shows style way beyond its price tag. Chic mottled grey seating with black edging and contrasting white stitching creates a smart and practical look, while cream faux leather on the walls and around the windows offers extra insulation and well-finished detail. Two opening skylights provide plenty of natural light and ventilation.

K I TC H E N The galley kitchen on the offside is functional with a two-burner hob, a combined oven and grill, stainless steel sink and a pop-up worktop. There’s not a lot of room for others to pass by if someone is standing at the stove stirring the beans, so this really is a place to avoid ‘too many cooks’. The three-way fridge, also in black, sits directly opposite the sliding habitation door, on the offside and will easily cater for two for a few days.

WA S H R O O M There’s a combined shower and wash area behind a domestic-style door. Inside is a fold-away sink that creates enough space to shower in; a lightweight →

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DISCOVER MORE Auto-Trail VR Ltd www.auto-trail.co.uk

shower curtain adds privacy. A 12V electric flush cassette toilet sits to the left of the shower. As the washroom is on the offside, removing the cassette toilet won’t impinge on people sat beneath any (optional) awning on the habitation door side.

S TO R AG E There’s plenty for two! Airline lockers above the living area are ample for clothing, although you do have a half-height wardrobe above the fridge. There’s crocks storage in the kitchen, a cubby area above the cab, just right for stuffing pillows and bedding, and underseat storage in the lounge area. There’s bonus storage in the new Expedition, too, as it has both an underslung gas tank, avoiding the need for a gas bottle compartment, and chassis-mounted underfloor Whale Heat Air space & Expanse water heating, so allowing extra storage space.

F I N A L S AY… The Expedition is practical and has everything a motorhome requires without the hefty price tag. With Grade 3 accreditation for its insulation and heating, it can be used all year round comfortably. Its size makes it easy to manoeuvre on narrow roads and in parking areas, and is nimble on A-roads and motorways. The only extra we’d recommend as a must-have would be to add pleated blinds to the cab windows and windscreen to avoid faffing about with sucker-pad blinds at night. Otherwise, it offers outstanding value for money and we wouldn’t hesitate to snap one up. ●

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Base vehicle chassis: Base vehicle chassis: Fiat Ducato Multijet II Euro6D 140bhp (optional upgrade to 160 or 180bhp or Fiat fully-automatic 9-speed gearbox) Mass in Running Order (MiRO ��2870kg Gross Vehicle Weight �� 3500kg Max Payload. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 630kg Exterior Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.99m Body width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.27m Height. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.68m Berths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Designated travel seats �� 2 Cost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . from £36,995 (ex-works)

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Scandi A place of true adventure, freedom and quiet open roads, Scandinavia is a great region to tour, reveals Caroline Mills →

ICE SAUNA AT AURORA SAFARI CAMP

SCANDINAVIA

Skies Y

ou may think that heading off to somewhere ‘as far away’ as Scandinavia would be a dumb idea for novice and inexperienced tourers. Not a bit of it. The region is set up for camping; it is unbelievably camper-friendly in fact. With well-maintained, quiet roads there’s plenty of room to get used to a van, try out a tent and have a great time enjoying fabulous scenery.

Much of northern Scandinavia – the region of Lapland that covers parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland – is a silent wilderness. Peaceful and serene with incredible natural beauty, you will find the roads a joy to drive along, the countryside and pretty towns great to explore on foot, bike or boat. What’s more, important in times of a pandemic, the ratio of space to population is almost exhaustive away from the towns; social distancing is not an issue. →

OVERSEAS TOURING

Norway Most famous for its remarkable fjords along the western coastline, Norway is a land of contrasts. The length of the country is immense – it is as far from the north to the south as driving from the UK to Rome, though you can cross Norway within hours. Head to Nordkapp for the furthest point in mainland Europe by car or van; vehicles more than six metres long pay a high toll tariff to get there, but it is worth it. Visit pretty Karasjok, the capital of Lapland with an interesting parliament building for the Sámi people, the indigenous reindeer herding population of Lapland. Explore Dovrefjell National Park, a barren moorland covered with moss, boulders and sparkling rivers and streams in the middle of the country, perfect on foot. Dip in and out of the western fjords near Bergen, look around Viking Trondheim and coastal capital Oslo. 

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MANY NOMADIC SÁMI FAMILIES CONTINUE TO LIVE IN TENTS IN NORTHERN LAPLAND IN NORWAY ©Caroline Mills

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NORTHERN LIGHTS OVER THE ERSFJORD IN TROMSØ

NORDKAPP, THE MOST NORTHERLY POINT OF MAINLAND EUROPE

©Bjørn Jørgensen - VisitNorway.com

©Caroline Mills

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Sweden A land of dense forest and rivers in the north and open, cultivated landscapes in the south, a long spinal route provides good access. Cross the Arctic Circle to enjoy the colonial-looking towns of Jukkasjärvi (where the famous Ice Hotel is created from the frozen River Torne, which is beautiful as a fast-flowing river in summer) and Jokkmokk. Visit the skiing capital Åre, and the powerful Tannforsen Falls nearby. With 85 feet of thundering water, it’s so loud that you can hear it some distance away. Get sun-drenched on the coastal resorts along the Gulf of Bothnia, don’t miss the beautiful university town of Uppsala and take a boat trip to explore Stockholm’s archipelago. And the island of Öland, linked to the mainland by a 5-mile bridge, is a must. It sits in the Baltic Sea and is classed as the Swedish Riviera, housing the summer residence of the Swedish royal family. 

A LAND OF LAKES AND PINE FORESTS ©Caroline Mills

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SCANDINAVIA STAYING ON A STELLPLATZ ON THE ISLAND OF ÖLAND, SWEDEN ©Caroline Mills

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VINDEBYOERE CAMPING, TAASINGE ON FUNEN © Niclas Jessen/Visit Denmark

LILLE RISEVEJ © Michael Fiukowski & Sarah Moritz/Visit Denmark

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Denmark The quickest and easiest of all the Scandinavian countries to reach from the UK, Denmark offers a rural landscape with wonderful sandy beaches, breezy coastal walks, and a collection of large islands that are easily accessible via spectacular bridges. Find scenic, undulating lowlands in Jutland, discover ancient sites connected to the Vikings and the Danes in Northern Jutland, and see lots of historic royal castles and palaces in Northwestern Zealand, including Kronborg Slot, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Even if you don’t cross the Øresund Bridge to Sweden, have a look at its sheer size and scale; it’s a masterpiece of engineering.  THE ØRESUND BRIDGE CONNECTS DENMARK AND SWEDEN. YOU CAN DRIVE OVER BY CAR OR TAKE THE TRAIN TO CROSS IT © Viggo Lundberg/Visit Denmark)

OVERSEAS TOURING

Finland Not actually a part of Scandinavia, but, collectively with Norway and Sweden it’s regarded as a Nordic country. The area of Lapland crosses the borders of the three countries. With just five million people in a country significantly larger in area than the UK, it’s not difficult to find plenty of space to call your own. For lovers of the great outdoors, Finland is superb. There are 37 national parks, 188,000 lakes and almost as many islands. Enjoy the cultural sites in civilised Helsinki, and the southern towns of Turku and Kotka, take a boat out to the Pellinki archipelago around Porvoo in the Gulf of Finland, visit Father Christmas at Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle, and see the undulating Arctic tundra around Lake Inari. 

FINNISH LAPLAND ©Tiina Törmänen/Visit Finland

SCANDINAVIA

TRADITIONAL LAKESIDE HUTS IN PORVOO, FINLAND ©Caroline Mills

APUKKA RESORT AURORA VILLAGE ©Apukka Resort

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CAMPING IN SCANDINAVIA The Scandinavians are geared up for camping. It is a very popular pastime and you will find hundreds of well-run campsites in all four countries. All the Scandinavian states come under the banner of the obligatory ‘Camping Key Europe’ card. It costs just a few pounds, is available to purchase at the first campsite visited, and is valid for one year. Alternatively, it can be purchased prior to travel from one of the Scandinavian camping websites. The card also gives accident and third-party insurance while staying at a campsite together with certain discounts.

T H E CO M M O N R I G H T O F ACC E S S In addition to campsites, Norway, Sweden and Finland share a very tolerant, liberal and traditional right, the common right of access. It is held in high regard all over the Nordic countries and is a custom that is conscientiously maintained by the local people. In principle, the common right of access gives all

individuals (but not groups) the right to roam freely on common land, that is to say public land, the coastline, beaches, nationally owned forest, mountains and open ground, always provided that neither people nor nature are disturbed or damaged. Hence the basic rule for motorhomes and caravans is that on weekdays you may stay for up to 24 hours in lay-bys and sign-posted parking areas along public roads. On weekends and public holidays you may stay until the next weekday, unless local traffic regulations say otherwise below the parking sign. For the protection of nature, motor vehicles must not be driven on off-road terrain. You are therefore not allowed to drive your caravan or motor home off the road or on beaches, meadows, pastures or other land with natural vegetation cover. You may pitch your tent for a night or two in the countryside as long as you don’t disturb the landowner or cause damage to nature. It is important that you

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find a site that is well away from people’s houses and not on farmland. Choose hardy ground to pitch your tent, and avoid land used for grazing or for growing crops. Large groups must obtain the landowner’s permission (even if that is the State). Tents are generally not allowed in national parks and nature reserves except in designated camping sites, and are often banned in recreation areas.

CAMPING IN DENMARK In Denmark, you may only pitch your caravan or motorhome in official campsites. However, there are numerous rest stops (aires or stellplätze) around the country, including public car parks, where you can pull up, refresh, refill water, sleep overnight and use the services, providing you don’t ‘pitch’ i.e. pull out awnings or set up barbecues. Some towns and cities around Denmark make special provisions for campervans in the summer months. DK-Camp campsites offer Stellplätze areas where you can stay at a reduced price in a dedicated motorhome area. If tent campers crave the serenity of a night camping in the wild, Denmark is the country for you, with over 1,000 areas for wild camping, These are tent-specific; no caravans or motorised vehicles are allowed in these places. Wild camping sites are often equipped with running water and a toilet. You may only sleep a maximum of two nights at each location.

HOBBY OPTIMA ONTOUR

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Due North WE’VE PICKED OUT A HANDFUL OF GREAT AUTUMN AND WINTER GLAMPING AND ACTIVITY ADVENTURES TO EXPERIENCE THE VERY BEST OF SWEDISH LAPLAND

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AU R O R A S A FA R I C A M P A new way to experience the Northern Lights in Swedish Lapland allows guests to float into the Arctic skies and hover among the stars in a hot-air balloon. The new ballooning experience has been created by the founders of the Aurora Safari Camp (www.aurorasafaricamp.com), Jonas Gejke and Fredrik Broman, who are starting hot air balloon operations along with ballooning expert Andrew Peart, who has been flying hot air balloons for more than 25 years. The first aurora flight will take off in December 2020 and will be available through to April 2021. The experience will see the balloon take off and ascend up to 40 metres into the air where it will hover, anchored to the arctic ice below, to hunt for the Northern Lights. If visitors are more interested in the Arctic landscapes, then the new Lapland Ballooning team will also be running daytime expedition flights over the spectacular Arctic wilderness. The Aurora Safari Camp is one of the most glamorous ways in which to spend a night outdoors in Lapland. Your ‘room in the wild’ is a traditional Lavvu camp. There’s a cosy lounge for dining and enjoying a drink, plus a sauna that’s frozen into the ice from which you can stargaze.

SOCIAL DISTANCING IN AURORA SAFARI CAMP

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S Á P M I N AT U R E C A M P An alternative glamping experience is the Sápmi Nature Camp (www.sapminature. com), a personal, sustainable and small-scale camp within the Arctic Circle that offers Sami glamping, hosted close to nature accommodation. It’s based in the Laponia UNESCO World Heritage Area, outside the small towns Gällivare and Jokkmokk. Owner and Sámi Lennart Pittja explains: The camp consists of newly built ‘double’ rooms in the form of lavvu tents, furnished with comfortable double beds, stoves and cosy furnishings inspired by nature and the Sami culture. Each of the 5 tepees/rooms is detached. A modern incineration toilet is located in the camp. The food and the meals are prepared and served by us at the camp. Guests are welcome to be involved in the preparation of food. Ingredients and meals are based on the Sami cuisine where fish, reindeer and moose are supplemented by berries and herbs from the area. Says Lennart, “I grew up in a reindeer herding family in the Unna Tjerusj Sami community. This is grazing land that has been used by Unna Tjerusj for thousands of years. Sápmi Nature is committed to responsible tourism that does not threaten the reindeer and the herding here, but instead aiming to share their knowledge about Sami life – both past and present. A stay at Sápmi Nature Camp is to be in nature, together with the Sami people who have grown up here. Here you are involved and active in life north of the Arctic Circle with everything from exploring nature to keep the heat in the stove in the room. Or you can just relax and enjoy the tranquillity and comfort of this unique place. There is always a Sámi host at the place during your stay, for your safety and also for the chance to learn more about Sápmi. Because this is a small-scale, sustainable business, there are only between 2-10 guests here at the same time. This is far from a large-scale resort or impersonal mass tourism. Sami glamping in our way is personal, comfortable and a convenient Sámi experience and you have the chance to really learn about the Sami culture.”

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SCANDINAVIA SAPMI NATURE CAMP

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S TAY I N T H E T R E E S If you’re eager for something a little more solid than canvas around you at night, the Tree Hotel (www.treehotel.se/en/) may be your preferred glamping experience. There are seven different spaces in which to stay and watch the Northern Lights or, in summer, the midnight sun. These include a Mirrorcube, a Bird’s Nest, a Cabin at tree height, and even a UFO. These are unique accommodation experiences amid the pine forests of Swedish Lapland, close to the Arctic Circle and an hour northwest of Luleå. Activities available include husky tours, photography sessions, fishing, wild foraging, forest hiking and Fatbike cycling – great for cycling on snow.

TREE HOTEL MIRRORCUBE

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LAPLAND ICE DRIVING IN ARJEPLOG ©Ted Logart/Swedish Lapland

P R AC T I C E I C E - R OA D D R I V I N G Eric Gallardo is an automotive engineer. Each winter, he turns Lake Uddjaur, about 40 miles from the Arctic Circle, into a 2,965-acre drifting area. Here, he runs his driving school, Lapland Ice Driving (www.lapland-ice-driving.com). It’s quite a day, with the chance to discover driving in extreme conditions from a choice of more than 30 specially-prepared vehicles including Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati and Lamborghini. With no walls, rails or obstacles, there’s the chance to test your driving limits as well as learn how to control the car safely and master drifting. It’s deemed the world’s largest driving centre, with 12 tracks totalling more than 30 miles, including practice, technical and speed tracks, and three Formula 1 circuits! Instruction is in English (and French, Spanish and German if required)

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Vehicle Insurance/Documents: It is necessary to have vehicle ownership papers with you. From January 1st 2021, it’s worthwhile to have an International Driving Permit (at the time of going to press, it’s not yet known whether this will become compulsory). As EU countries (Sweden Denmark, Finland) most insurance policies cover travel within Scandinavia including Norway (nonEU) but check with your insurance provider about a Green Card for travel beyond 1st January 2021. Maps: If not using GPS systems, it is essential to obtain the largest scale maps you can find. Navigating in some parts of southern Finland, where road-signs are posted in both Finnish and Swedish, is tricky without.

Driving: Dipped headlights are compulsory 24 hours a day in all four countries. All vehicles must be equipped with a warning triangle. Caravan mirrors are compulsory. Fill-up on fuel whenever you can in the northern regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland; there can be many miles between petrol stations. Language: English is widely spoken. As always, learning ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in the appropriate language goes a long way. Gas: Only propane is available in Scandinavia and Finland. You cannot use refillable gas bottles in Norway.

DUNE HEATH LANDSCAPE ALONG THE COAST ROAD BETWEEN HANSTHOLM AND KLITMOELLER IN THY, DENMARK © Mette Johnsen/Visit Denmark)

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There are no direct ferry routes from the UK to Scandinavia, but there are lots of ferries from Denmark to Sweden and Norway. The quickest driving route beyond Denmark is via the Øresund Link between Copenhagen and Malmö in Sweden – a spectacular drive. You should cross to France, Belgium (Hull-Zeebrugge) or Holland (Harwich-Hook of Holland) and drive through northern Germany to Denmark and beyond, or pick up a ferry to Scandinavia from German ports, including Travemunde, Kiel and Rostock direct to Denmark and Sweden.

D O N ’ T WA N T TO D R I V E A L L T H E WAY TO S C A N D I N AV I A? You could fly-drive, hiring a motorhome through Motorhome Bookers (www.motorhomebookers.com) to enjoy once you’re there. Many campsites also have caravans, camping pods and mobile homes for rent.

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Check out the relevant camping website (see ‘Discover More’ to find your favoured accommodation).

DON’T LIKE THE IDEA O F T R AV E L L I N G A LO N E ? You could join a motorhome tour, travelling in your own van. Crossings Motorhome Tours (www. crossingsmotorhometours.com) run guided tours throughout Europe, including a 25-day ‘Summer in Sweden’ tour in August 2021, while MandA Tours (www.manda-motorhome-tours.com) are operating ‘Discover Denmark’ and ‘Stunning Norway’ tours in June/July 2021.

DISCOVER MORE www.swedishlapland.com www.visitnorway.com www.visitsweden.com www.visitfinland.com www.visitdenmark.com www.camping.no www.camping.se www.camping.fi www.dk-camp.dk

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ELECTRIC CAMPERS ARE NOW WITH US AND MAY WELL BECOME THE FUTURE OF TOURING. JENNIFER SEWELL TAKES THE LATEST OFFERING FROM SUSSEX CAMPERVANS AWAY FOR A CLEAN, GREEN WEEKEND

Bright

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NISSAN E-NV200 ALL ELECTRIC

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he e-NV200 is the ideal shortjourney camper. Run entirely from electricity, this is one of the most ecological campers around. Taking it for a spin for a weekend wasn’t something I was about to pass up. The range on a fully charged battery is just 150 miles, so stopping off to top up the charge will be a common occurrence unless you plan on camping just 75 miles away from home. That being said, this camper comes with a charging cable which you can plug directly into a household 3-point plug

socket meaning you can stop off at all of your friends and charge along the way. So, whilst wild camping in the Outer Hebrides might be off the cards as a one stop trip, it doesn’t mean that this little camper isn’t fully able to be the making of your great adventures. As a functioning campervan everything was easy to use. The lights were bright enough to be able to work without the glare of my laptop blinding me, the induction hob was incredibly powerful, so much so I had to switch it off so I could catch up with chopping mushrooms, and the swivel chair and bed were light enough for a weakling like me to manage single-

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NISSAN E-NV200 ALL ELECTRIC

handed but still have the strength to support two fully grown adults. Everything in the camper works as it should, if not better. When I first had a poke around, I was impressed by the amount of storage space but once the table, bedding, kettle and saucepans had been packed away, that storage space is almost up to capacity. Packing for a week’s holiday for unknown weather would be a squeeze, but it would be a whole different ball game if you were to ditch your significant other and go it alone. 5 pairs of shoes, 4 different coats and snacks to last a lifetime? No Problem. If one of these five pairs of shoes are wellies then you can rest happy with keeping the inside of the van clean as the tap has a longer hose for washing down kit outside. If you’re really into outdoor living it could also be a shower… depending how close you are to your neighbours. As for the interior space, I am 5’10, so have banged my head on a lot of low doorways during my life. My

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idea of a nightmare is staying somewhere where I know I will be stooping to avoid the ceiling for the entire weekend: back ache, neck ache, general tempertantrums. This was not a problem in the e-NV200, once the roof had been extended it was tall enough for me to stand with my hands over my head inside. Plus, I had swivelled the chair around so when I lay in bed there were no problems with cold feet hanging over the end. To make it even better the heating gets hot, really hot, meaning no threat of being cold at night. All in all, I went to bed at 8pm on the first night because it was that cosy. When it comes to drivability, quite simply, it’s a walk in the park. Being used to driving anything giant, diesel guzzling and not so eco-friendly, I wasn’t sure how I would get on with an automatic electric vehicle where I could actually hear myself think. Turns out it’s quite nice to be able to speak to someone else without having to shout, where wearing a coat is unnecessary →

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DISCOVER MORE Sussex Campervans www.sussexcampervans.com

“Small, sleek and smart. Everything has a place and fits in where it should. It’s easy to use and relaxing to drive” because the heating works, and to have a radio that tunes into something other than white noise. In my experience of driving, this is certainly the quietest and easiest to drive. It’s small enough to drive on some of the windiest roads around, I live in the middle of nowhere and had no problem on the country lanes. When unpacked and opened out, the inside space doubles and you wonder how you might have just driven down said lanes when you’ve just set up your double bed. I even drove it to the supermarket to get snacks for the weekend easily parking between two massive 4x4s, and as much as it pains me to say this, parking is not my forte. Small, sleek and smart. Everything has a place and fits in where it should. It’s easy to use and relaxing to drive. All round this is a great little camper. If you can cope with the paranoia of running out of charge when you’re too far away from a charging station and enjoy journey planning, then safe to say you can be confident in the ability of this little green machine and be reassured by the lack of carbon footprint. ●

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40kWh battery Transmission. . . . . . . . . . . . . Manual/Auto Charging Time.. . . . . . . . . . . 0-80% charge in 45 minutes Range. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 124-187 miles Height. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Approx 1.85m Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4560mm Width. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1771mm (inc mirrors) Price. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £59,999

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Excellent England CELEBRATING THE BEST OF ENGLAND’S TOURISM INDUSTRY

isitEngland have announced the winners of its annual Awards for Excellence, in categories ranging from Experience of the Year to Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year, the Taste of England Award to Pub of the Year. Winners were selected from hundreds of tourism businesses across England including camping parks, glamping operators, attractions, restaurants, pubs, museums and attractions. Here, we celebrate some of the winners of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2020 so enjoy some armchair-travel and plan where you’ll be going next once restrictions have eased. →

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Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Recognises holiday parks, sites and villages providing truly memorable guest experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business S I LV E R

SWALLOWTAIL HILL www.swallowtailhill.com

Swallowtail Hill offers forty acres of wildflower meadow and woodland in the Idyllic Sussex Countryside, run by Sarah and Christopher purely for conservation. The farm offers the perfect setting for glamping holidays, with a choice of seven accommodation spaces including The Long View luxury lodge, The Roundhouse woodland retreat, Meadow Keeper’s Cottage built on wheels between two meadows, Woodcutter’s Cottage, a timber-clad cottage-on-wheels in the woods, and The Cabins, both situated in a cosy paddock in the centre of the farm.

GOLD

LANDAL DARWIN FOREST www.darwinforest.co.uk

Landal Darwin Forest, in the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District, is one of the UK's top holiday parks and provides luxury self-catering holiday accommodation. In addition to winning Gold in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, it was also named ‘Best Holiday Park’ at the 2020 Derbyshire & Peak District Awards and 'Best in Britain' at the 2019 Hoseasons Awards. Landal Darwin Forest is family owned, welcoming guests to the park for more than 25 years, with customer service at the heart of everything it does.

BRONZE

EYE KETTLEBY LAKES www.eyekettlebylakes.com

This luxury adult-only touring and camping site, which has been awarded five stars by VisitBritain, takes in beautiful views across the rolling Leicestershire countryside. The touring park is split into two main areas: the northern site, developed in 2012, has 61 pitches (47 full service) with 5 star luxury log cabin style amenity blocks. In the southern part of the park the 69 full service pitches take in the stunning views across the rolling farmland and sit adjacent to the recently rebuilt old railway bridge, next to the new 4.5acre specimen Carp lake.

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Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Recognises tourism businesses committed to being sustainable, responsible and ethical in how they operate and interact with customers, the wider community and the environment S I LV E R

THE QUIET SITE www.thequietsite.co.uk

As campsites and glamping sites go, The Quiet Site in Cumbria is one of the best – it has regional, national and International awards galore to prove it. This includes the recently received Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development; the first campsite in the UK to receive such an award and now a VisitEngland Award for Excellence. Sustainability is at the heart of everything The Quiet Site does – and yet it still manages to offer an indulgent experience. With its remote location above the shores of Ullswater, the views and prospect are outstanding, especially from the touring and camping pitches and there are glamping options, too.

GOLD

THE HIVE CAFÉ AND BAKERY www.rmlt.org.uk/the-hive-jq

The Hive is a community hub in an historic building in the centre of Birmingham, with an organic café and bakery, craft workshops, exhibitions and event spaces. The award-winning organic café & bakery makes all of its food fresh. It’s healthy, affordable and 100% vegetarian. Vegan options are also available. Some of the produce comes from The Hive’s very own rooftop garden and micro-farm. The Hive also offers work experiences and training opportunities to young people with learning differences and complex needs at Argent College. Stay: Somers Wood Caravan Park

BRONZE

HOE GRANGE HOLIDAYS www.hoegrangeholidays.co.uk

This eco-friendly, self-catering holiday accommodation is on a working farm in the stunning Derbyshire Peak District. Hidden in the hills between Ashbourne and Bakewell, there are four stylish log cabins, two gorgeous glamping pods and a romantic gypsy caravan, all of which are open throughout the year. They’re fully equipped with everything you need for a relaxing and memorable stay, whether that’s a short break, a full week, or a longer holiday. With stunning views over the Peak District countryside it’s the perfect place to start your next adventure. Hike up the hills, cycle along the trails, or you can even bring your own horse – should you have one – to ride the bridle paths.

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Experience of the Year Recognises providers of truly memorable and immersive activities for visitors to participate in

GOLD

WILD WOOKEY www.wildwookey.co.uk

Abseiling! Climbing! Crawling! You choose! Wild Wookey is an adrenaline-fuelled, high-octane, exhilarating caving experience in the largest and most spectacular cave complex in the UK. Hidden deep below the surface of the rolling Mendip Hills in Somerset, Wild Wookey at Wookey Hole Caves is a haven for explorers, thrill seekers and anyone wishing to sample a taste of true caving. Venturing into the darkest recesses of this world famous cave, guided by highly experienced instructors, Wild Wookey will have you immersed in a secret subterranean universe. Rich in history, shrouded in mystery, with vast expanses of unexplored passageways and caverns – this caving adventure is the ultimate adult’s underground playground. The minimum age is 14 years old; all equipment and overalls are provided. Stay: Pine Tree Farm Camping & Caravan Park

S I LV E R

EZEKIAL BONE NOTTINGHAM ROBIN HOOD TOWN TOUR www.ezekialbone.com

Looking for things to do in Nottingham that are extra-ordinary? Ezekial Bone specialises in educational entertainment and character-led heritage tours that capture the spirit of Nottingham, city and shire, past and present. Ezekial Bone is Robin Hood! The multi-award winning Nottingham Robin Hood Town Tour is the definitive way to see the city and learn all about the city’s famous outlaw. Want a Ghost Walk with a bit more meat on its bones?! Looking for adventure through Sherwood Forest? Ever dreamed about treading the boards at the magnificent Nottingham Theatre Royal? Fancy a stroll through the atmospheric Lace Market? Ezekial Bone is your man! Stay: Thorntons Holt Camping Park

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

BRONZE

ZSL LONDON ZOO LODGES www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/london-zoo-lodge

Ever wondered what it would be like to sleep over at the Zoo? Find out for yourself with a stay at the ZSL London Zoo Lodges, winners of the 2020 Visit London Experience of the Year in addition to the national VisitEngland award. Guests can experience ZSL London Zoo after-dark all year round, and discover what happens when visitors go home. The lodges are situated in extraordinary surroundings inside the Land of the Lions exhibit, where guests will bed down for the night within roaring distance of the zoo’s Asiatic lions. Set in the heart of London Zoo and the greenery of surrounding Regent’s Park, this is an extraordinary night’s escape from the bustle of London without even leaving the city! Expect to feel like you are very far away as you wake to the sounds of roaring lions, singing gibbons, honking flamingos, and the neighbouring native wildlife.

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Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Recognises large visitor attraction businesses providing truly memorable visitor experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business

GOLD

OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE, LONDON www.ornc.org

Welcome to the Old Royal Naval College, an extraordinary cultural destination in the heart of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site. The iconic riverside estate has five centuries of rich history linking an incredible cast of monarchs and famous British figures. The Painted Hall is the jewel in the crown and one of London’s ‘hidden gems’. Public access to the buildings and expansive grounds is open, with visitor and staff safety measures in place. Stay: Abbey Wood Caravan & Motorhome Club Site

S I LV E R

THE ROMAN BATHS & PUMP ROOM www.romanbaths.co.uk

The Roman Baths, at the heart of the City of Bath UNESCO World Heritage Site, consists of the remarkably preserved remains of one of the greatest religious spas of the ancient world. The city’s unique thermal springs continue to rise in the site and the Baths still flow with natural hot water. The Roman Baths ordinarily attracts more than one million visitors a year – making it one of the most visited heritage attractions in the UK. Visitors can explore the Roman Baths, walk on the original Roman pavements and see the ruins of the Temple of Sulis Minerva. The museum collection, located next to the bathing complex, includes a gilt bronze head of the Goddess Sulis Minerva, and other Roman artefacts. The Roman Baths and Pump Room also won silver in the International Tourism Award category. Stay: Bath Waterside & Marina

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

BRONZE

WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR – THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER www.romanbaths.co.uk

The Harry Potter film series made Leavesden its home for more than ten years. As the books were still being released while the films were being made, the production crew saved many of the iconic sets, props and costumes that were created especially for the films – just in case they were ever needed later on. Once filming wrapped on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in 2010, the production crew were left with a treasure trove of thousands of intricate and beautifully-made artefacts, many of which wouldn’t have been saved on a typical production. The Studio Tour offers visitors the unique opportunity to explore two soundstages and a backlot filled with original sets, animatronic creatures and breathtaking special effects alongside costumes, props and other film-making requisites. Stay: Theobalds Park Camping & Caravanning Club Site

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Small Visitor Attraction of the Year Recognises small visitor attraction businesses providing truly memorable visitor experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

S I LV E R

HERSCHEL MUSEUM OF ASTRONOMY www.herschelmuseum.org.uk

It was from this house in Somerset where William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in March 1781. In doing so, he doubled the size of the known universe. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that Herschel was a self-taught amateur astronomer, who built his own telescopes at home. The Bath house has been fully restored in the authentic style of the period and is typical of the houses of ‘the middling sort’ – that is, artisans and tradesmen. Stay: The Blackberries Camping Park

GOLD

GLADSTONE POTTERY MUSEUM www.stokemuseums.org.uk/gpm/

During the 1960s when so many of the old pottery factories and bottle ovens were being demolished, a group of local people were interested in saving part of the traditional distinctive Stoke-on-Trent landscape. The Gladstone site was considered the best example of a medium sized typical potbank and when the factory was due to be demolished a local businessman bought the site and transferred ownership to the Staffordshire Pottery Industry Preservation Trust to be run as a museum. A visit to this well-preserved site is a step back in time over the past 200 years to see an important and iconic part of Britain’s industrial heritage. Stay: Hales Hall Caravan & Camping Park

BRONZE

SHIRE HALL HISTORIC COURTHOUSE MUSEUM www.shirehalldorset.org

Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum brings more than 200 years of justice and injustice to life. Walk in the footsteps of people whose lives were forever changed in the historic court at Dorchester’s Shire Hall. Immerse yourself in the cells before ascending to the dock. Explore the cells and find out what it was like to be held prisoner at Dorchester’s Shire Hall. Discover the stories of children and adults who were tried here. This is a great place for families: children can be the tour guide for your family, and even become a journalist for one of the trials. Explore the digital interactives, quizzes and games, try on the hats, wigs and magistrates’ gowns, and discover many more surprises. There are lots of fun family activities and events throughout the year, too. Stay: Giants Head Caravan & Camping Park

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New Tourism Business Award Recognises high performing new tourism businesses, demonstrating excellent understanding of their market and exceeding the expectations of their customers GOLD

VINE + COUNTRY TOURS www.vineandcountrytours.co.uk

In the September/October issue of Discover Touring, is a feature on self-guided tours of the vineyards in Surrey, Kent and Sussex. If you’d prefer all the organising to be done for you and be taken on a guided tour, Vine + Country Tours is for you. With more than 30 private vineyard and brewery partners across Kent & Sussex, you’ll be able to taste incredible wines guided by the winemakers, visit off the trail vineyards, and feel spoilt with your own private chef for the day serving you a banquet of delicious dishes of regional flavours and wines to match, presented among the vines. Stay: Battle Normanhurst Court Caravan & Motorhome Club Site

S I LV E R

HOTHAM’S GIN SCHOOL AND DISTILLERY www.hothams.co.uk

Hotham’s Gin School and Distillery is located in Hepworth’s Arcade, in the Old Town district of Hull. Gin lovers are able to visit the distillery not only to buy bottles of Hotham’s Gin, but also to join in a unique experience day where you’ll learn about the history of gin, botanicals and the gin making process, finally distilling your own unique bottle of gin to take home. If you don’t like gin, you can come along and make a vodka instead! Stay: Entick Campsite

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

BRONZE

THE FLOWER BOWL ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE www.theflowerbowl.uk

There are many attractions at The Flower Bowl but one of the most exciting is the new Jungle Ride. You must find the magical crystals hidden along the river and bring them safely home before the evil powers get there first! But be warned, there’s traps along the way. Escape the real world with the 4D virtual reality simulation ride. This is a 5 minute experience which includes a 3 minute boat ride adventure, perfect for the whole family to enjoy all year round. As soon as you put the goggles on, you’ll be immersed in the game. DASH will take you on a journey along the river deep into the jungle. Once you’ve completed the mission, head for some bowling, crazy golf, curling or book a trip to the cinema. Stay: Moos Rose Campsite

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Pub of the Year Recognises pubs that make a significant contribution to tourism in their area, with a food and drink offering that includes quality locally sourced produce.

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

S I LV E R

THREE HORSESHOES PUB & KITCHEN www.threehorseshoesburtonbradstock.co.uk

Dog friendly, children welcome, and muddy boots allowed! The aim of the Three Horseshoes Pub & Kitchen is to be a pub where the owners would be happy to spend free time. Consistently high quality food and drinks in a warm, friendly environment, served by happy, knowledgeable staff is what the pub is known for. Menus reflect the local area and change regularly to ensure seasonality of the produce. Stay: Graston Copse Holiday Park

GOLD

THE BASKERVILLE www.thebaskerville.com

If you’re wondering how The Baskerville, in Lower Shiplake near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, got its name, it hails from the 18th century and involves a mysterious estate named Crowsley Park which is situated three miles from the pub. The former owners of the park were the Baskerville family, one of whose members, Henry Baskerville, was High Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1847. Stories about the family and its association with fierce dogs were among the inspirations for Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles in which ‘Sir Henry Baskerville’ is a leading character. Pioneer is the pub’s new installation, which only opened in mid-October. The new enclosed heated space in the garden seats between 30 and 40 people for casual dining and drinks. There’s an open kitchen where you’ll see all the theatre of cooking over fire, and dishes being plated up from the pass, and served directly to the table. Stay: Swiss Farm Touring & Camping

BRONZE

THE HOWARD ARMS, www.howardarms.com

The Howard Arms is a glorious Cotswold pub, restaurant (and bed & breakfast). Peacefully overlooking the old chestnut tree on the green, it lies in the heart of the idyllic village of Ilmington. Inside, the fire crackles and the bar bustles with locals and visitors drinking from a carefully chosen selection of ales, beers and wine. The award-winning chef has created a menu of top-quality pub favourites alongside imaginative starters, mains and irresistible puddings. The atmosphere is warm and easy-going, and the staff are renowned for their friendliness and efficiency. Stay: Cotswold Camping at Holycombe

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COASTAL KENT

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FOLKESTONE

CHRIS McCOOEY TAKES US TO THE HIGHEST PUB IN KENT AND UNCOVERS SOME LOCAL LEGENDS AND GRUESOME HISTORY

he Camping and Caravan Club site at Folkestone is on the Warren, the slumped jumble of chalk that has fallen down from the white cliffs and now is covered in thick scrubby vegetation. It is a country park. The site is approached by a steep track, more a series of in-filled potholes and as I steered Edith through the gates there was the Channel, literally a stone’s throw away, with the French coast clearly visible on the horizon. The site occupies a flat and grassy ledge some 30 yards wide and a few hundred long about 60 feet above the sea. Pitch 5 looked straight out to sea and I hooked up to the electric. It was 12.30 and I considered having a beer, but filled the kettle for a mug of tea. The weather was fine and I thought “Sod it, let’s get under way”. The site manager, Chris, noticed me going for a walk with my labrador Tess. “There’s no dog walking area on the site but the beach is open year-round for dog walkers, just go out the gate and turn right and in 50 yards you’re there.” Over the four days I stayed, Chris and I had some good chats and bantered stories between us. When we were on the subject of films he recommended Layer Cake, which I hadn’t seen, the cult crime movie with Daniel Craig as XXXX, a drug dealing villain. He told me that the main point of the film was shite and how we all have to eat it, but the higher up you are in the layer cake the less you have to eat. Very philosophical, I thought. Chris had had his own building business and also ran two fish and chip shops with his wife Cath (fellow site manager) and had some property in Yorkshire and in Turkey. Heart attack in his 50s from stress was a life-changer. They sold their businesses and home in Yorkshire, bought a Shogun SUV and a caravan and for the past four seasons they have been managing sites for the Club in the summer, and from November to March they visit friends in Europe or stay in their place in Turkey. I looked at the OS map at the gate and faffed around a bit, wondering whether to turn right and walk down →

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to the beach or whether to turn left and walk to Paddlesworth, where there was a blue tankard. “Pub lunch” I thought. The Cat and Custard Pot turned out to be a free-house and a family run business. I got there at just after 2pm and the matriarch, Jean, was behind the bar. “Any chance of some lunch?” I enquired as soon as I walked in as I saw that the place closed at 2.30. She glanced at the clock and said: “I’m sure Kate can fit you in” and she went back into the kitchen to get me a sausage and onion baguette.

TA K E I T O R L EAV E I T The pub, the highest in Kent as it’s atop of the North Downs was within walking distance of RAF Hawkinge of Battle of Britain fame and there is loads of wartime memorabilia on the walls – photos of the pilots, poignant letters, cuttings from papers and old signs like DINNER CHOICES -- 1. TAKE IT 2. LEAVE IT – and it had real people in the place. Jean was easy to talk to – she’d been in the pub for 37 years; because she’s getting on she only works lunch times. “I like it. I don’t want to retire. They’ll have to carry me out of here feet first.” “Who drinks the most beer, locals or visitors?”, I asked. “Locals mostly like the big chap over there – he’s the undertaker.” “Is he here to measure you up?” “No, but he’ll have another half before he goes, in his pint glass. When I pour a half I count to 9 but they try and distract me in my counting, so that they end up getting more,” she said with a smile. The pub opening times were odd: Sunday 12.03 – 3.30 then 7.02 to 11. “Why’s that?” I asked. “My son John is in charge then … and he’s always late.”

F E L I N E CO N F U S I O N Apparently the pub was called the Red Lion and there used to be a sign to this effect hanging from a tree adjacent. It blew down in a storm and a local volunteered to paint another. When it was put up everyone said the animal looked more like a cat than a lion so it was dubbed The Cat.

The East Kent Foxhounds used to meet at a pub called the Cat and Mustard Pot as recorded in Jorricks’s Jaunts and Jollities, a fictitious character created by Robert Smith Surtees in 1838 – Jorricks was a sporting cockney grocer, vulgar and good natured by turns. Maybe the current name was a misspelling of that pub in the dim and distant past for today it is the Cat and Custard Pot and a fine pub it is too. The church at Paddlesworth is a gem. Blessedly free of vain-glorious, sycophantic memorials to dutiful vergers or long-serving vicars or lordly land-owners it seems to be such a natural part of the downland landscape, as indeed a building made largely of nodules of flint hewn from the surrounding chalk should be. The present building, the only church in Kent dedicated to St Oswald, has been the place of worship for the locals for the best part of a thousand years. Bede described Oswald as ‘the most Christian king of Northumbria’ and his devotion to the establishment of Christianity in his dominions, mostly in the north and west, only came to an end when King Penda of Mercia defeated him in battle at Maserfield near Oswestry in Shropshire 6 August 642. Ignominy was heaped upon the defeated king following the defeat; his head was chopped off and his body cut up. Fortunately Oswald’s brother Oswy did the Christian, let alone the brotherly thing, and collected the noble bits from the battlefield and buried his head in St Cuthbert’s tomb in Durham Cathedral and the rest of the soon to be sainted Oswald ended up in the eponymous abbey of St Oswald at Gloucester. ● Chris McCooey owned a motorhome for a number of years and his Swift 600 was a great way for him to explore Kent and Sussex and research his books. This extract is from Tales, Titbits and Trivia of Kent and Sussex. Details of all of his books and talks can be found on his website www.chrismccooey.co.uk or contact him at chris.mccooey49@gmail.com.

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FORAGING

am enthusiastically diving into autumn foraging, stomping through heaps of colourful leaves festooned in warm jumpers, hats and scarves. I’ve even knitted a new complicated cowl for myself and upcycled some worn out gloves during lockdown - I am prepared for winter! All thats needed now to get me extra cosy as I come back in from a blustery days foraging is a bit of cake and a cup of something hot and brown and preferably nicely spiced, both provided by my ingredient of this month - the humble dandelion. It really is the weed that keeps on giving - every part of the plant is edible, and there’s never a shortage of them! Useful all summer long as a salad or for making sweet preserves from those sunny yellow flowers perhaps I’ll write more about that for you next summer. But right now it’s all about those roots. Roasted dandelion root is a very versatile and unique ingredient, with a flavour that’s almost - but not quite entirely - unlike coffee. By which I mean that its been traditionally used as a coffee substitute, and that gives lots of ideas on how to use it. But I think its thoroughly

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WDI AL N D DM EL U ISOHNR OR O OM OT S

unfair to characterise it as just a poor persons coffee - Dandelion has a complex flavour profile of its own, with hints of treacle toffee, liquorice and a warm mellow spiciness aswell as that fresh ground bean. It deserves to be front and centre of dishes on its own merits - though while you’re thinking them up there’s nothing wrong with quickly slinging it straight into a cafetiere for a caffeine free cup of Josephine that won’t keep you awake all night. Before I tell you how to make this versatile ingredient, Its important to know that under the Wildlife and Countryside act, its actually illegal to dig up any plant in the UK without first getting permission from the landowner. There’s plenty of endangered plants that

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you shouldnt dig up at all, and as responsible foragers we’d never encourage anyone to even think about taking such rare species. With dandelions though at least you can rest assured that there is absolutely no sustainability issue with digging them up - they seed very abundantly, as any gardener will tell you! And theres your loophole right there, if you want to stay a squeaky clean and law-abiding citizen - if you find youve run out on your own patch just volunteer to dig them out of friends and neighbours gardens. Some might even pay you to take them away! Much as I doubt any PC is likely to come feeling your collar for digging up a few unauthorised Dandys what with all their budget cuts. →

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FORAGING

Once you’ve got a pile of nice big roots - dig deep now, to get at all the complex sugars the plant has been stashing away in its root all summer - discard the leaves (or throw them in a salad) and give the roots a good wash. Dry off excess water, cut into 1cm cubes and roast on a low oven about 180C/350F until they’ve gone a deep brown colour, leaving the oven door open for the first 15 minutes. How long this takes depends how much water is in the root, so expect to leave it a little longer after heavy rain, but it’s usually about 45 minutes so just keep checking on them to make sure they’re thoroughly dry and treacle toffee browned, but don’t burn. You can also reduce the roasting time by leaving the roots to dry out for a few days first, or using a dehydrator These lovely caramelised roots will keep for ages crushed up into small chunks or powdered in a spice grinder, just keep them dry in a well sealed jar. Or if you prefer you can make up a syrup by dissolving 3 tablespoons dandelion root and 3 cups of sugar in 3 cups of boiling water, and sealing in sterilised glass bottles. This will bear an uncanny resemblance to Camp Coffee Essence, and can be used in exactly the same ways in various recipes. Turn over for a couple of our favourites! →

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DISCOVER MORE Totally Wild Totally Wild is a foraging company offering courses with expert foragers thoughout the UK and sustainably harvested high quality ingredients. www.totallywilduk.co.uk

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WILD MUSHROOMS

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RECIPES

Dandelion and cardamon cake This is a simple sponge recipe from my Granny Kipling (not that one) but spiced up with the memory of tiny strong spiced coffees in Marrakech and Rusholme. I find this is enough for 2 nine inch round tins to stack into a sponge sandwich, or two bread tins make for good loaf cakes, one to eat now and one to freeze. Ingredients: 400g muscovado sugar, the darker the better 400g self-raising flour 400g butter or marg 4 eggs ( it still works with vegan egg replacements and vegetable spread, just tends to be a bit less fluffy) 3 tablespoons ground dandelion root + 1 for icing if desired 2 teaspoons ground cardamom ( or to taste)

Method: Preheat the oven to 200 C or Gas mark 6, and grease your tins. Beat together the sugar and butter/marg until creamy, then add your eggs one at a time and beat them in. Once those are all smoothly combined, sieve in the flour, dandelion powder and cardamom, beating air into it all the while. It doesn’t matter if a few nuggets of sugar persist though - I quite like the way they turn into tiny caramelised geodes in the oven. Pour into your tins and bake for 30mins then check with a knife to make sure they’re cooked solid all the way through - if not put them back in for a bit longer. When baked and cooled, turn them out and mix up some icing or buttercream with another tablespoon of dandelion root, and use it to stick them together or decorate as you see fit

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DANDELION ROOT

Dandelion spiced lattesques Unlike coffee grounds, the dandelion root just dissolves in hot liquid, so you don’t have to strain it out - just stir it straight into hot water or steamed milk, or put a concentrated shot of dandelion root syrup in the bottom of your cup in place of espresso. If you have a proper milk steamer or frother, use that to give yourself a proper coffee shop brew. Method: My favourite way to do it is to go somewhere between Pumpkin spice latte and Indian chai, making a brew that lands somewhere between India and the USA… I guess I’ll claim it for Manchester fusion cuisine then! Heat up milk in a pan with your favourite spices. I tend to go for some combination of the traditional chai masala of cardamom, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper and ginger. Leave out the anise and pepper and add some nutmeg and allspice for the American version - and you can always cheat and buy a ready made bag of either! Dissolve in one tablespoon of ground dandelion root per cup, and serve. Warms the hands and warms the cockles!

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SHOPPING

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SHOPPING

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