This year however the Club are renaming the policies and cover with names that they feel best describe the services on offer. Under the new branding, Mayday’s ‘Comprehensive’ cover is now called ‘Roadside Recovery’, and what was once the ‘Double Journey’ policy is now called ‘Dual Recovery’.  Crucially for members the cover itself is unaltered.

The Caravan Club’s Head of Insurance and Financial Services is Lesley Coell and she offered the following comment:

“We believe the new naming convention better describes the insurance cover provided. The change provides clarity for new and existing policyholders. Existing policyholders will be notified of the change either at renewal or in the event that a replacement insurance document is required. New policyholders will immediately receive documentation showing the new cover level name. It is important to note that the cover itself remains unchanged.”

The service is operated for the Caravan Club by Green Flag. “Mayday” offers 24-hour cover, 365 days a year – and crucially it is available whether caravanners are towing or not. The service covers a wide variety of vehicles including cars, touring caravans, motor caravans or trailer tents.

More information can be found by contacting the Mayday team on 0800 7310112. Alternatively click for the Caravan Club’s Mayday page.

Its comprehensive policy is being renamed as ‘Roadside and Recovery’, while ‘Double Journey’ cover will now be known as ‘Dual Recovery’.

Lesley Coell, Head of Insurance and Financial Services at the Caravan Club, says: ‘We believe the new naming convention better describes the insurance cover provided. The change provides clarity for new and existing policyholders.’

As well as a reliable recovery service, joining the Caravan Club could also provide members with inspiration for their next camping holiday.

BRDC Continental Research recently suggested that 70% of Britons are intending to holiday in the UK during 2010 – and a caravan or camping holiday may be a popular choice.

The design is recognisably Bailey but with modern accents

And just like it’s bigger brother the Olympus is the second to be made from Bailey’s new Alu-Tech construction method. Last autumn the Pegasus was launched to great acclaim and immediately took the lead in Bailey’s sales figures. The Bristol maker claim the Pegasus accounted for 65% of total written business when launched at the NEC last year. It eventually resulted in the deletion of the classic Senator Series 6 from the Bailey range.

The Olympus is the smaller brother of the successful Pegasus

Bailey will be hoping for a similar impact when the Olympus launches at Boat and Caravan Show. Held at the NEC the show takes place from 23-28 February 2010 and will offer many their first look at the mid-sized units. After speaking to Bailey last week we can confirm that in size, the unit is equivalent to the Pageant in the classic line-up.

Prices are yet to be announced but we are promised that all will be revealed on the official Bailey Olympus website next Monday (15 February).

For a full-length feature on the innovation and building techniques behind the new Bailey Olympus please click here.

Ronnie McKeith set up the Caravan Medic from home and aims to help owners by providing repair, servicing and bodywork facilities for their mobile holiday homes, the Peterlee Mail revealed.

The 53-year-old told the newspaper that he has always had a fascination with caravans and got the idea after spending years looking after his own.

Redundancies at his former workplace prompted Mr McKeith to set up the business after taking a few classes to improve his skills.

He explained that while business has been good, it is starting to slow up for Christmas. However, he expects it to be “bouncing again” come February or March as people look to get their caravans in order for the holiday period.

For more information on The Caravan medic please click here.

Delamere Forest was awarded five stars by VisitBritain

Nearly one in five of the sites run by the Camping and Caravan Club (CCC) have now been given five stars on the Tourist Board ratings from Visit Britain.

In another successful year for the club, both its Delamere Forest site in Cheshire and its Cannock Chase site in Staffordshire have been given five stars, taking its number of top-rated caravan holiday destinations up to 19, out of a total of 109 across the UK.

At the same time, Bakewell, Dartmoor Barley Meadow, Derwentwater and Tavistock have all been given four stars by Visit Britain, meaning 83 per cent of the CCC’s network now boasts either a four or a five-star status.

 Welcoming the news, director Bob Hill said: “This is not just great news for the individual sites but also for the club as a whole, which is continuing to move from strength-to-strength.

 ”These ratings provide the reassurance campers and caravanners need about what to expect before they arrive.”

 Other five-star sites include Hereford, Barnard Castle, Scarborough and Windermere.

 This comes soon after the CCC announced that 24 of its sites are to remain open over the Christmas and New Year period.

For further information on the Club please click here for details

The month of November this year marks an important anniversary in road travel. Fifty years ago the Transport Minister Ernest Marples picked up a telephone and opened the first motorway in Britain. ‘My God, what have I started?’ exclaimed the Minister. Perhaps he was prescient in that half a century later there are eight times the users, and with that comes an increase in accidents.

With the figures multiplied across Europe, think tanks and government bodies have applied their best minds to the problem of road safety. And the news is that caravan enthusiasts could soon find every detail of their drive to a campsite recorded by an aeroplane-style black box recorder.

The European Commission has launched Project Veronica to look into how the technology can be used in cars.

The equipment would monitor and record driver actions such as speed, braking and indication, with the ultimate aim of improving road safety. 

However, the Institute of Advanced Motorists has warned that the black box would not necessarily cut the number of accidents on UK roads.

“In terms of road safety the only way it affects how people drive is the cultural thing of ‘there’s a black box watching me so I’ll be careful’,” explained chief examiner Peter Rodger.

He said that while this will have an effect on some drivers, others will not change their habits.

Mr Rodger added that the technology will only help tell what happened in an accident, not prevent it occurring.

According to the Skegness Standard, residents at Taggs Caravan Site clubbed together to donate £7,000 to the Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and Skegness Lifeboat Association.

 The funds were raised by holding a number of events, including bingo and raffles during the summer season.

 The newspaper revealed that drinkers at the local Tunny’s Tavern have spent the last decade raising cash for the lifeboat service, generating a total of around £25,000.

Caravanners heading to Skegness may be interested in checking out the pier, which has been standing for more than 125 years.

It hosts a ten pin bowling alley, amusement arcades, laserquest, kids’ play area and numerous places to eat.

Other attractions include Batemans  Brewery, the National Parrot Sanctuary and Skegness Stadium, which holds stockcar racing events.

Those looking to try their hand at water sports such as waterskiing could also do so at Skegness Water Leisure.

Mark Boyle, founder of the Freeconomy Community, initially decided to try living for free for a year after watching a video about Gandhi, according to the Guardian. 

He decided to follow the Indian politican’s example and “be the change he wanted to see” by giving up what he thought was wrong with the world – cash.

Mr Boyle suggested that the use of money has separated consumers from the source of their purchases to such an extent that they are unaware of their impact on others.

On his first day of living for free, he prepared a meal for 150 people made from foraged and waste food. 

Throughout his time living in a caravan, Mr Boyle has also survived by growing his own fruit and vegetables and bartering for food.

He uses a solar-powered laptop and mobile phone and cycles to work in the city every day.

The Freeconomy Community is aimed at helping people to save money, learn skills and reduce their carbon footprint.

Yet good news comes from the Toy Retailers Association – where every toy on this year’s list costs less than £50. It may not seem like nuch of a saving initially, but compare this to the price of one of last year’s bestsellers. A runaway success was Biscuit, an electronic Golden Receiver which weighed in at a hefty £175 .

This year one of the standout products on the shortlist of 10 best toys isn’t electronic and owes much to old-fashioned fun. The Sylvanian Families Caravan is a simple plastic and fabric toy – but offers youngsters the chance to take their favourite Sylvanians on a voyage around the house.

Gary Grant is the chairman of the TRA and he commented on why traditional has become fun again.

“The list reveals a trend towards nostalgic characters and brands which have been updated with a modern twist. Consumers are reverting back to heritage brands which will last longer than the Christmas season”.

“With licensed toys combining the fun and familiarity of popular characters as well as collectable, pocket money priced toys making a big comeback this year, we are in for an affordable, family orientated Christmas”.

If you have any budding caravan fans in your family or friend network, you can find more on the Sylvanian Families Caravan here.

(Unfortunately the rather winsome bunnies don’t come with the caravan…)

More people than ever are choosing to caravan in the "garden of England"

The number of holidaymakers staying in caravans in Kent next year is expected to rise. Following the publication of figures from the Caravan Club, which showed bookings increased by 40 per cent in summer 2009, Kent Online has reported a rise in reservations for 2010.

Bearsted Caravan Club warden Sue Greenaway told the online resource that the Hollingbourne site had noticed a record number of new caravanners. She said people have purchased either a new or secondhand model and are making the most of it when they can.

“At sites such as those run by the Caravan Club, there are good showers and loos, tidy sites,” she claimed. “You have the freedom to just pitch up.” According to Park Holidays UK, advance bookings are up by more than 65 per cent year-on-year, thanks to a combination of the low value of the pound and the recession. Aside from Kent’s array of Blue Flag beaches, it boasts a range of gardens, castles and cathedrals just waiting to be explored.

St Michael's First School in Staffordshire are planning to use a caravan as a classroom

A Staffordshire school has come up with a novel way to make lessons more interesting by using a caravan.

According to The Sentinel, St Michael’s First School in Stone has come up with a plan to procure a second-hand caravan to use as a class room.

The mobile holiday home would be decked out with different displays to help children envisage the country they are pretending to visit during their lessons.

Pupils will get their wish if the school wins the Barclays Class Act competition, which would provide it with £5,000 in funding.

“It is going to be so exciting for the children,” explained teacher Hazel Weddell. “They’ll think they are going on holiday. Some are already asking if they can sleep in the caravan.”

The school plans to deck out the mobile classroom with colourful cushions and create an area for pupils to read quietly.

Nominations for the Class Act competition will run until November 30th, with three winning schools or colleges being awarded £5,000.