TESTED 5 FANTASTIC 2020 VANS!
10 FAB SITES FOR FISH & CHIPS!
51 WAYS TO
E A K I K L I N T G A ON TOUR E
Tow cars Ford Ranger Buying advice Don’t buy your next van until • SsangYong Korando you’ve read our guide PLUS used Volvo V90
GRAB THE BEST GRILLING KIT
Skills school How to give your van the service it deserves
DIGITAL EDITION
HOW TO PACK YOUR FRIDGE LIKE A PRO
ISSUE 420
COOK UP A STORM WITH TASTY RECIPES
Contents Issue 420
Chat
6 The big picture The Motorhome and Caravan Show at Birmingham’s NEC is a key event in the year for many keen caravanners 8 Letters Readers reminisce about overnight stops in Winchester, debate the hot topic of toilet rolls, and consider some technical questions about fixing oven covers and water pumps
10 5 essential events Bryony Symes picks five great festivals to celebrate the arrival of winter 13 New gear: foodie special Our round-up of the latest essential touring kit focuses on food and drink 16 Full-timing family: Belgium As autumn turns the days cooler and the nights longer, Karen Binedell and her family are in Belgium to volunteer for work in stables and on farms – and enjoy some delicious Belgian dishes!
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Travel
21 Foodie fun! Our special report focuses on the very best in touring cuisine 22 Breakfast in Brighton Claudia Dowell enjoys a foodie’s tour of Brighton’s best bistros and bars 26 10 top sites for fish & chips You can’t beat fish & chips on the beach – or in your caravan! 30 Campsites near farmshops Buying fresh local produce means enjoying delicious meals on tour 34 Foodie festivals Celebrating the UK’s diverse dishes, John Sootheran finds 10 top events 38 Outdoor cooking gear John Sootheran picks 10 of the best outdoor grills, BBQs and ovens 42 Keep cool and carry on! We show you how to get the very best from your van fridge 47 Tour smarter! Claudia Dowell on wildlife spotting in Norfolk, and seasonal special offers 48 In the Basque country Joe and Elaine Ormerod tour historic places on the French-Spanish border 52 Local Authority: Norwich Inside information on a great base for exploring a beautiful coastal area 54 Road sense: M62 The route linking Liverpool and Hull
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Contents
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Issue 420
Showroom
57 Showroom news Peter Baber has the latest industry news 58 NEC Show 2019 round-up All the new models on the market 62 First look: Coachman Xcel 850 Quality is key in this 8ft-wide four-berth 64 First look: Swift Elegance 480 Luxury two-berth has SMART construction 66 First look: Adria Adora 613 DT Isonzo Now subtly updated, this comfortable four-berth remains a popular choice 68 First look: Caravelair Allegra Home 560 Continental style in a smart family tourer 70 First look: Bailey Unicorn Black Edition Vigo Revamped four-berth now looks sportier 73 Tourer of the Year Awards Celebrating our brilliant winners! 75 Awning review: Outwell Ripple 380SA Single-point inflation and plenty of good options make this an appealing awning
Tow cars
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76 Subscribe and save! Take out a subscription to your favourite caravanning magazine and receive a free Sealey toolkit, worth £45.99! 79 Talking tow cars Volkswagen’s new, facelifted version of the Passat Alltrack is pricey, but is a fine alternative to an SUV, says David Motton 80 Tow car test: SsangYong Korando The latest Korando is lighter and more costly, but it is a much improved tow car 84 Quick test: Ford Ranger Wildtrak This heavyweight pick-up makes a great tow car and a capacious solo drive 86 Used tow car: Volvo V90 Although you need a fairly hefty budget, the V90 can be a superb used purchase
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Skills school
91 Spotlight on… the annual service Sammy Faircloth outlines why a caravan service is essential, and what it entails 94 How the experts repair van panels Nigel Hutson finds out how the specialists at Panelworks carry out expert repair work 96 Consumer advice: Buyers beware Looking to buy a pre-owned caravan? Make sure that you read our expert advice first! 100 Secondhand shootout Two twin-axle four-berths, under £16,000 104 Used van buyer Vanmaster Accolade 520 from 2012 106 Caravan basics 114 Look-back page The world of caravanning in June 2001
CARAVAN CHAT ME AND MY CARAVAN
Shetland ponies may
FULL-TIMING FAMILY
be small, but they still need a lot of care!
On the road again As autumn brings cooler days and longer nights, Karen Binedell and family are volunteering and touring in Belgium GOOD DAY FROM Belgium! Or as we say here, “Goededag!” Autumn is in full swing in this tiny country and mornings and evenings are becoming quite a lot cooler in the caravan. We are three weeks into our stay here and despite the wet weather, are having the most amazing time. Our first stop was a place called Mont à Lumay ( just five minutes from Hoegaarden, in Flanders), where we pitched up on the driveway of the Van der Broeck family.
and setting up raised vegetable beds, using willow branches from the property. During our free time, we explored the nearby towns of Hoegaarden, Bruges and Brussels, where Geraldine took us on guided tours. We stopped off at all the popular tourist spots, as well as some hidden gems that the locals keep for themselves!
We also sampled traditional dishes, such as Stoofvlees (beef stew) and Stoemp (mashed potato with meat and veg), and made sure to get our fill of waffles, frites and chocolate. Right now we have our legs down at our second stop, in Heist-op-den-Berg, where we are volunteering at the home of Flor, Julie and baby Vink. The family have four acres of land, eight horses and a pony.
Brunch with friends
Stress management Our host, Geraldine, works as a transformational life coach, running workshops and retreats to help people create a healthier lifestyle and manage stress. She uses her horses in therapy known as equicoaching, and during our stay, shared some of her knowledge with us and allowed us to participate in one of her workshops. Our volunteer tasks included helping to care for the horses, chopping wood, building fences
‘The children are putting fresh hay in the stables; we lay paving and build gates’
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Gorgeous architecture (and food) in Belgium. Parked up at Mont à Lumay. Hard at work in the fields
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The kids have been in charge of putting straw and hay in the stables, while Warren and I laid paving, built a gate, repaired guttering and moved perimeter fencing on one of the fields. Yesterday we took a tram into Antwerp to meet up with two friends. We had brunch in a café, visited the Cathedral of Our Lady, played cards in a traditional pub and walked through St Anna’s Tunnel (under the Scheldt River) for an alternative view of the city. Our next stop? The Belgian Ardennes and the Netherlands. PC
Adam Bronkhorst Adam Bronkhorst
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Flour Pot Bakery, Sydney Street, has artisan foods and coffee. Café society in the North Laines. Claudia takes a break at Mange Tout. The famous Pavilion. Ben spoilt for choice in the Flour Pot
Adam Bronkhorst
Bakery. The Palace Pier
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TRAVEL FOODIE FUN
Claudia Dowell revisits bustling Brighton to enjoy a foodie’s tour
I WAS EXCITED. A visit to Brighton in the autumn would take me back to my student days. Back then, returning to Brighton after long summers spent elsewhere always gave me a thrill of anticipation. The low light on the iron-grey sea would dazzle, and in the early evening, thousands of starlings would take to the sky in fluid murmurations above the dark silhouettes of the piers. The cool air felt edgy and I felt really energised. But would things be the same a lifetime later? These days, my nephew Ben feels the same as I did all those years ago about this city by the sea. He has been living there for 15 years or more, so can lay claim to it being his city now. I’ve passed on the baton – although I visit annually in the spring for the Brighton festival fringe event of the Artists’ Open Houses, I rarely venture into central Brighton.
A foodie reputation
‘Brighton has gained itself a reputation as a food and drink capital’
A lot remains the same about this vibrant place, but a generation on, many things have changed; not least that Brighton has gained itself a reputation as a food and drink capital, with a plethora of cafés, restaurants, pubs, bakeries, wineries and distilleries to enjoy. For 15 years, the Brighton Food and Drink Festival has been at the heart of the city’s food and drink revolution, but clearly the organisers feel that their work is done, because last year’s festival was the final one. Now the city’s reputation is sustained by other means for visitors to enjoy. For example, Brighton Food Tours (www.brightonfoodtours.com) offers four different guided walking tours, which cover street vendors, beer and food pairings, microbreweries, home-grown spirits and English wines. It’s a great way to explore the interesting nooks and crannies of the city and meet the people injecting it with life. My plan, though, was to meet up with Ben and use
him as my guide. I reckoned after 15 years he had pretty much sorted out the best spots for breakfast and lunch – and where to go for an early evening cocktail.
A site for the sights Less than three miles from the Royal Pavilion, George IV’s exquisite summer palace, is the Brighton Caravan and Motorhome Club Site. From here, it takes 10 to 15 minutes to get into the city by car, or 30 minutes by bus, which includes a walk to the bus station or the marina, depending on your bus route. And that’s the great advantage, because parking in the centre is expensive – £9 for four hours in Trafalgar Street car park, which was cheaper than parking on the street, at £3.50 per hour. It was going to be a real treat to leave the car behind and bus it into town for a leisurely brunch, some sightseeing and shopping, and a cocktail and dinner, before getting the bus back to the site.
Let breakfast begin! I began with Joe’s Café, just off Dyke Road, and reputed to be one of the best places in Brighton for breakfast – clearly one of those hidden gems only known by locals. I travelled by bus, number 7 to the Old Steine and then 27 along Dyke Road, getting off at Port Hall Road. Joe’s is a modest-looking place, but my breakfast of crushed avocado on sourdough bread, topped with two of the best-tasting (and best-presented) poached eggs I have ever had, and scattered with chili and spring onions, was absolutely delicious. Another customer was tucking into his daily nosebag of Lucy’s Healthy Brunch, which comprised smoked salmon, poached eggs, avocado and mushrooms. Further along Dyke Road is the Booth Museum of Natural History, a Brighton curiosity that began life as a Victorian gentleman’s private collection of
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CAMPSITES & NEARBY John Sootheran reveals 13 top sites with great local produce close by CARAVANNING IS FOODIE heaven! One of the joys of touring is the food we get to eat – caravan- and barbecue-cooked meals, and especially local produce from the region you’re visiting. Many parks have shops selling local produce, and some also have full-on farm shops nearby. We’ve listed 12 of our favourites here.
Somerset n Cheddar Mendip Heights C&CC Site & the Priddy Good Farm Shop This spacious C&CC campsite is in a fabulous location at the top of Cheddar Gorge, and close to many of Somerset’s best attractions. Handily, if you turn left out of the gate, you’ll find the Priddy Good Farm Shop just up the road. (It’s near the charming village of Priddy – geddit?) This is a working farm, and inside the shop you’ll find a wide range of the best meats you’ll ever taste, the livestock having been raised on the farm. We had steak for the barbecue and it was delicious. PGFS is also famous for its tempting pastries, award-winning pies and unbeatable scotch eggs. Recently a café has been added to the shop, and its breakfasts are supposed to be brilliant. The staff are super-friendly and helpful when it comes to recommendations, too.
Priddy Good Farm Shop
Cambridgeshire
Townsend Farm, Priddy, Wells BA5 3BP
Top End Farm Caravan Site and Farm Shop
n Sacrewell Farm Sacrewell Farm is ideally situated for anyone undertaking a long tow north or south, as it’s less than a mile off the A1 at the A47 junction, just north of Peterborough. The flattish site offers electric pitches and has many facilities, which it shares with the ‘activity farm’ next door. The site also has a farm shop and café. The shop sells lots of high-quality brands, although they are not necessarily local ones. These include Grasmere meats and pies, Marshfield Farm dairy ice cream, Mrs Bridge’s preserves and Driver’s pickles. The free-range eggs are laid locally and the Two Chimps coffee is blended in the bordering county, Lincolnshire. Right next door is Riverford Organics, the boxed organic produce people. You may be able to arrange a delivery to your van door!
Cheddar Mendip Heights C&CC Site
Colmworth Road, Little Staughton,
Sacrewell Farm
Priddy, Somerset BA5 3BP
Bedfordshire MK44 2BY
Thornhaugh, Peterborough PE8 6HJ
Tel 01749 870 241
Tel 01234 376 426
Tel 01780 782 254
Web campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
Web topendfarm.co.uk
Web sacrewell.org.uk
Tel 01749 870 171 Web priddygoodfarmshop.co.uk
Bedfordshire n Top End Farm Caravan Site and Farm Shop This open, level and verdant campsite is immaculately kept and offers roomy pitches, great facilities and a fun play area for the kids. It also boasts the best farm shop in the area, with fresh, local produce arriving daily from farmers and grocers. Tasty fruit, vegetable boxes, quality-reared meats and free-range eggs are on offer, and you can be reassured that the ‘food miles’ have been minimised. Top End Farm Shop also stocks a range of general food, household essentials and daily newspapers.
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WHEN I SAID we were going to Bidart, my son misheard me and thought I’d said bidet. Meanwhile, my brother-in law suggested that it sounded like bathroom art, but neither knew where it is. Bidart is in south-west France, not far from the Spanish border. First, we had to get there. We crossed on the ferry from Dover to Calais and stayed at a campsite overlooking the English Channel so that we could load up at the nearby supermarket. The next day, we overnighted at Sées, treating ourselves to a meal in the town opposite the beautiful cathedral. We then made the short drive to Camping Les Portes de l’Anjou at Durtal, where we’d decided to break our journey for a few days. The campsite is on the River Loir and we were delighted to find that our pitch overlooked this lovely waterway. In the morning we set off to explore the town, and found a path through a park that turned into a walking tour of Durtal. We emerged on the main street, and once we’d crossed the Loir, were amazed at the massive château in front of us, considering that Durtal is only a small place. Formerly home to the Counts of Anjou, the château is now a hotel. There were four gates – although one has been demolished – and a church. After coffees, we walked back along the Loir to the campsite. Our next couple of days seemed to be dominated by châteaux. We glimpsed the château at Bazouges-sur-le-Loir from the bridge, but on further investigation, found it had limited opening times. We continued on to Château du Lude at Le Lude, where Count and Countess de Nicolay live. It’s a solid-looking mansion that was built in the 10th century to defend the Anjou border, made up of four different ages of French architecture, each quite apparent from the exterior. Inside, rooms are decorated with original furniture and tapestries. The gardens are beautifully manicured and there are old carriages in the stables. We drove on to see the château at Baugé, but this is now the tourist information centre. The following day we travelled to Le Plessis Bourré, where there’s a magnificent moated château – it even has a drawbridge! It was built in just a few years from 1468 to 1473 by Jean Bourré, who was finance minister to King Louis XI.
Biding our time in Bidart It was time to move on. After a couple more stops, we arrived at Camping UR-ONEA at Bidart. At reception, we were handed a leaflet recommending places to visit, with advice on the best way to
MAIN There’s plenty to do in the stylish resort of Biarritz, or you could just watch people enjoying themselves on La Grande Plage INSET Shady pitch at Les Portes de l’Anjou
reach the beach and the Basque hilltop centre of Bidart. This was useful because a busy road separates Bidart from the residential part. An underpass under the road took us to the fronton where the Basque game of pelota is played. Near this is an impressive church, which has three balconies and a model of a boat hanging
from the ceiling, indicating the town’s close relationship with the sea. The main square with bars and restaurants is surrounded by typical Basque houses with white facades, red roofs and shutters. Joe and I love to explore, whether on foot, on a bike or by car. That’s how we found St Madeleine’s Chapel, which is
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a stop for pilgrims on the way to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, and just a little further on is a more modern peace memorial. Here, there are great views of the coastline and the beach. In the afternoon we set off again, following the path to the beach and stopping for juice at the beach bar. There we spotted a path leading up behind the bar on to the headland. It led to St Joseph’s Chapel, which has a large porch for lepers who wanted to join the service but weren’t permitted to enter the chapel. The path descended to the beach, where we found small shacks serving amazing food, continuing to the small port at Guéthary. Just up the road is the classy, stylish resort of Biarritz. It’s a busy place and parking can be difficult, so we stopped
TRAVEL WEEKENDER
BASQUE-ING IN Joe and Elaine Ormerod took in the sun, sea, sand and spices during their trip to the French-Spanish border
‘Arriving on the main beach, we sipped coffee at the Café de Grande Plage and watched the world go by’ above a stunning surfer’s beach and walked in. This turned out to be another revelation as we passed the old port, The Virgin’s Rock and the fishermen’s port. Arriving on the main beach, we sipped coffee at the Café de Grande Plage and watched the world go by. We then browsed in Galeries Lafayette before returning to the car.
Two tickets to ride A mountain looms large in the area. It’s called La Rhune and there’s a rack and pinion railway that makes the 8km ascent in about 35 minutes. We’d been waiting for a clear day to catch the train – as had everyone else, judging by the crowds at the station! The railway entered service in 1924 and uses the same running gear and carriages. In the closed season, everything
The Château du Lude at Le Lude has been well looked after, and features beautiful gardens
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1 Putting his back into towing This year’s NEC show had an unusual opening, with endurance athlete Mark Beaumont giving a demonstration of how to tow a caravan with a bicycle. Mark recently attempted to enter the Guinness World Records for the fastest speed reached towing a caravan with a bicycle, and the validation for that is still pending. On this occasion, he was towing a (relatively!) lightweight Freedom caravan.
STARS OF THE NEC SHOW The UK’s busiest caravan show got under way just as this magazine was going to press. Peter Baber took a quick look around and picks out the highlights here
2 A campervan caravan
Now some four years old, monocoque caravan manufacturer BareFoot had a new model on show, following customer demand for a more campervan-style of caravan – at a lower price. The Barefoot Space dispenses with the rear washroom and includes a fold-down bed to provide more living space inside. You still get a rear kitchen, a Porta Potti, and a small TV table over the wheel arch. The caravan costs £16,500. Barefoot has also extended the colours for the Barefoot Space and the Barefoot Classic. Along with pale grey, Cotswold cream and duck egg blue, you can now have dusky pink.
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SHOWROOM TOURER OF THE YEAR
EVERY ONE’S A
WINNER The biggest names in the caravan industry gathered last month to enjoy a night of dinner and drinks, as we recognised our Tourer of the Year winners
Our annual Tourer of the Year awards event – this year held in association with ACSI – is always a glittering affair, and this year was no different. The great and the good of the caravan industry gathered at glorious Hampton Manor near Solihull, as we presented the trophies to all of our winners. Guests enjoyed a drinks reception and canapés hosted by MB&G Direct, followed by a two-course meal, and a lively after-party hosted by KAL Group.
Our award winners Best accessory Michelin TPMS Best awning Isabella Air Cirrus North 400
1 2
Best budget tourer Bailey Discovery D4-2 Best luxury tourer Coachman Laser Xcel 850 Best specialist tourer Moto-Trek Trek-Away Best tourer for couples Adria Altea Dart
3 4
Best tourer for small families Elddis Avanté 586/Compass Casita 586 Best tourer for large families Coachman Acadia 630 Best tourer for seasonal pitches Sprite Super Quattro EB
Tourer of the Year Sprite Super Quattro EB
1 Practical Caravan editor Sarah Wakely welcomes guests to the awards ceremony 2, 3 Mingling over drinks 4 Caravan and Motorhome Club director general Nick Lomas chats to guests before dinner
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9000
CONSUMER ADVICE
BUYERS Want the best deal on a pre-owned caravan? Here’s our expert advice THERE IS AN ideal scenario when you decide to buy a preowned caravan or motorhome: make sure that your dealer is a member of the National Caravan Council (NCC) and its Approved Dealer Scheme. Simple? Not quite. The NCC is the trade body that looks after the interests of the manufacturers and retailers of caravans and motorhomes in the UK. But much of its work, including lobbying the Government, is aimed at improving leisure vehicle ownership for consumers. More than 100 specialist caravan and/or motorhome dealerships are members of the NCC’s Approved Dealer Scheme. Most sell new as well as used vehicles. At present, no members are selling solely secondhand, but developments are afoot. It has been estimated that there could be some 350-400 retailers in the UK selling caravans and motorhomes. The Approved Dealer Scheme was introduced in 2012 – you can find out more about it at www.thencc.org.uk. There’s a pretty good chance the dealer you buy from will not be part of the scheme, but don’t worry. The key is to know your rights and understand the processes involved in buying a used caravan or motorhome. For starters, here are our 10 top tips for the successful purchase of a pre-owned leisure vehicle.
1
Do your research
This cannot be emphasised enough. Make sure that the dealer knows all about your intended uses for the leisure vehicle you’re looking to buy.
Of course, you should already know the layout, facilities, dimensions and weights that particularly suit you. For caravans, TowCheck (www.towcheck.co.uk) is key, to ensure your car and van are a good weight match, as is CRiS Check (www.cris.co.uk). Do confirm for yourselves, too, that all drivers have the correct licence for the unit and tow car combination that you have in mind.
2
Be honest with yourself and the dealership
First, you need to be clear in your own mind what you need your vehicle for. In addition, you need to be open with your dealer about any reservations that you might have. This could include, for example, if you’re planning on doing anything out of the ordinary, such as overwintering, specific hobbies that might entail carrying specialist kit, whether you want to wild camp or stick to campsites and rally fields, and so on. It’s also important to be completely upfront with dealers about your towing/ driving experience.
3
Read the terms and conditions before you sign
Reading through the dealer’s terms and conditions before committing to anything is absolutely vital. And do take the time to read them carefully – they can be handed to you, or emailed if you prefer. If you’re at the dealership, ask for time to sit down
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‘It’s not like purchasing a car. For a start, there are a lot more things that can go wrong’