Category: News

All the news articles from Leisure Plus Direct Camping and Caravan blog

More Brits Set To Staycation In 2018

More Brits Set To Staycation In 2018

Posted on by Kevin

It seems that a growing number of us are planning to spend at least some of our precious holiday time exploring the UK in 2018.

Out & About Live recently highlighted figures released by ABTA, the travel trade association, which showed that 66 per cent of Brits plan to holiday in the UK in the coming 12 months. In addition, 63 per cent of people are intending to head to Europe.

Both of these destinations are ideal for campervan or camping holidays, so if this is the kind of break you’re organising, make sure you have everything you need, including motorhome awnings for use in the UK – you never know when we might get a shower, or you may just want some shade from the sun.

This comes after figures from last year showed that more of us holidayed in the UK than in 2016. On average, Brits took 2.1 holidays in their home country in 2017.

Speaking to the publication, Jenny Summers, group marketing director of the National Caravan Council (NCC), explained that sales of both motorhomes and caravans increased in 2017.

“This clearly demonstrates the continuing popularity of using a leisure vehicle to explore the UK and beyond,” Ms Summers asserted.

If you’d like some inspiration for your next motorhome holiday, take a look at the top spots Visit Britain recommends exploring if you’ve got a campervan. The organisation recently highlighted the wealth of stunning natural landscapes on our doorstep, including the UNESCO-listed Jurassic Coast, which starts in Dorset and stretches all the way to Devon.

Simon Pegg talks the greatness of the Zero Gravity Chair

Simon Pegg talks the greatness of the Zero Gravity Chair

Posted on by Kevin

Zero Gravity Chair the choice of Hollywood Stars

In an article in August, actor Rosalind Pike wrote of Simon Pegg in the Guardian,

He has this chair that he carries around with him – a zero-gravity garden lounger. Jeff Bridges gave it to him. Quite pretentious, but very comfortable. I only know that because he gave me one, too. When everyone else is in a director’s chair you do feel like an idiot, but it’s bloody comfortable – though I’m not quite prepared to have a nap in it on Fleet Street, which Simon did when we were filming Hector and the Search for Happiness.

In 2015, Simon Pegg talked to Movie.ie Simon Pegg has a special chair that he uses on film sets – the zero gravity garden chair – after having been given one by Jeff Bridges. Pegg is so enamoured by these chairs that he bought one for both Tom Cruise and Rebecca Ferguson ‘…so they could be as comfortable as me. It’s a really lovely recliner; I sleep in it a lot when I’m on set. The chair is called Jeff after Jeff Bridges’.

On Wednesday 29th June during BBC’s The One Show, Simon Pegg took it to a brand new level. Bringing the chair on the show and revealing just how evangelical he has been about it. “This is a chair, the model of a chair, which I (sighs happily) always have on set with me called Jeff. I did a movie in 2008 with Jeff Bridges, and he instilled in my the greatest piece of wisdom I have ever been given which is always feel comfortable on set I have Australian Jeff, Canadian Jeff, Chinese Jeff, African Jeff and my own Jeff. Now I have the One Show Jeff. I always stay on set, I don’t go back to trailers, you can lose your focus, so stay on set, feel comfortable I’ll sit and play Candy Crush or something, nap, it’s just the best way to spend time on a film set. On the first day on set on Star Trek, I picked up Canadian Jeff from my friend… I brought it to set the first day and Chris Pine said “why have you got that”, I said, “I have it everywhere I go”. by the following Tuesday we all had them, the entire cast of Star Trek, lounge, nap, chat, Zach Quinto who plays Spock plays the banjo, so he’d pluck away… It’s called the Zero Gravity Garden Chair I’m going to sound like a bad person. I bought one for Tom Cruise on Mission Impossible because I’ve never seen the man sit down in ten years of working with him. He fell asleep. I felt like I’d felled a giant, I felt like David and Goliath, I just looked into his little tent on set where we have these rest areas and he was snoring.”

We at leisure Plus have stock of the “”Outwell Zero Gravity Chair- 

Currently on offer till stock runs out at £110.00

TV’s Julia Bradbury Loves ‘Creature Comforts’ When Camping With The Family

TV’s Julia Bradbury Loves ‘Creature Comforts’ When Camping With The Family

Posted on by Kevin

‘Glamping’ is a popular holiday option for TV’s Julia Bradbury, who is hosting the Manchester Caravan and Motorhome Show this week (January 18th 2018).

The Bolton News reported that Bradbury, who is the first ever female president of the Camping and Caravanning Club, loves being able to have some of the comforts of home while indulging in the great outdoors.

She admitted that when she’s on set, she loves to explore the wild and can happily ‘rough it’ when she’s travelling solo, but when she’s having family time, she would much prefer ‘glamping’ to the wilder option.

“Camping doesn’t have to be uncomfortable and wet. You can be like me and enjoy ‘glamping’,” she was quoted by the newspaper as saying. “If you want the full-on Bear Grills experience then you can do it but if you want to do something a bit more cosy you can do that too.”

If you love ‘glamping’ as much as Julia Bradbury then consider investing in the best UK motorhome awnings for your next adventure, and the presenter added that more and more people are taking their families to some of the country’s beauty spots rather than forking out for a traditional beach break overseas.

She believes shows like Countryfile and Britain’s Best Walks are reminding people of the opportunities to explore right on our doorstep.

Bradbury added that camping is an ideal holiday for families, and she loves to take her young son and twin daughters on an outdoor adventure, but when your brood are all under six, you want warmth and comfort as well as the wonders of nature.

Top Spots To Discover On A Motorhome Holiday

Top Spots To Discover On A Motorhome Holiday

Posted on by Kevin

If you’re intending to spend your holiday time exploring the UK this year then there are a lot of wonderful places to see and things to experience.

It can be easy to overlook your own country in favour of jetting off to somewhere more exotic, but if you’ve got a campervan then you don’t need much more to discover some of the stunning landscapes in the UK.

Visit Britain has shared some of the country’s top natural wonders to explore – and if you plan your motorhome trip well, you could take in a few on a single break.

Head to the south coast, for instance, and you can explore the charming Isle of Wight. The top natural attraction on the island is the Needles – a series of jagged rocks that jut out from a headland. The best place to view the spectacle is from The Needles Old Battery, the website revealed.

Also in this part of the country is the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has become famous for its fossils. Some particularly striking landmarks, including Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, can be found along this part of coastline too.

The eastern-most stretch of the Jurassic Coast is an easy drive from the Isle of Wight, and once you’re there you can work your way along it into Devon. En route you can have stops in the pretty Georgian seaside town of Weymouth, as well as Lyme Regis, which is known for being an excellent location for fossil hunting.

If it’s mountains you’re after, paying a visit to Snowdonia National Park could be the way to go. Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr are two of the region’s most stunning peaks – and you will, of course, be able to pay a visit to Wales’ highest mountain, Mount Snowdon.

Pick up a new motorhome awning in the UK before you head off on your adventures in 2018.

Here Are The Dates For 2018’s Bank Holidays

Here Are The Dates For 2018’s Bank Holidays

Posted on by Kevin

Now Christmas is out the way, time to take stock of your finances and plan your next camping holiday – you’ll need to make sure you have the best caravan awnings Kent has to offer on order in plenty of time!

If you work full-time, or have kids in school, you’ll have a keen eye out for the holidays in 2018, so if you haven’t started your 2018 diary yet, here they are (from The Mirror) so you can get planning your next adventure.

First up, of course, it makes sense to say that these times of years are likely to be the most expensive and busy times to go away, however, if you need to keep that all-important annual leave for big holidays abroad, weddings and special events, then a Bank Holiday helps extend your caravan trip into a perfect long weekend.

The first bank holidays are, of course, Easter, which this year sit at the end of March. Good Friday is the 30th March and Easter Monday is the 2nd April. After that, you’ll have to wait a month before your next break, with the 7th May your Mayday bank holiday.

The spring Bank Holiday is on the 28th May this year, followed a few months later by the August Bank Holiday on the 27th August.

When it comes to the schools holidays, the February half term begins on either the 12th or 19th February. The Easter break begins for most schools on the Good Friday Bank Holiday, meaning they’ll be back in the classroom from the 16th April.

Summer holidays are again around the 24th of July to the 3rd September.

October half term should begin on the 26th October this year.

Caravan & Motorhome 2018: January 18th-21st

Caravan & Motorhome 2018: January 18th-21st

Posted on by Kevin

If you want to find out what the very latest product releases in the UK motorhome equipment market are, then you absolutely must make sure you go to this year’s Caravan and Motorhome Show, taking place at EventCity in Manchester between January 18th and 21st.

More than 200 exhibitors will be on hand to answer any questions you might have and showcase their product offerings – so don’t forget your credit card… you’re sure to find all sorts of holiday-making treats to take home with you.

There will also be lots of show-only discounts to take advantage of, and you can even have a go at lots of fun and free outdoor features like hitching up your caravan to a tow car so you can go on a test drive. Expert advice and tuition will be available so don’t worry if you’ve never done this before.

And if you want to start your kids off on the right foot they too can enjoy the My First Towing Experience, where children aged three to ten can take a caravan out for a spin.

We’re also looking forward to checking out the Food & Travel Stage, where expert cooks and travel personalities from the TV will take centre stage to teach you how to prepare and cook their camp-side meals.

Visitors to the event will also receive free entry to Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show, which is just the inspiration you need to research and book your next trip away. Travel companies like Saga Holidays and Trailfinders will be available – so get ready to book your next fun camping holiday!

Watch The Skies From Your Campervan

Watch The Skies From Your Campervan

Posted on by Kevin

If you have got the best motorhome equipment Kent has to offer then you should make sure you get out this winter to see some of the best celestial events this year has to offer.

First there are the Super Moons. January has two full moons this month, the first at the beginning of the year on 2 January, also known as the Wolf Moon, and the second on the 31st, also known as the Blue Moon.

These are the last two Super Moons of 2018 and are due to the moon passing closer than usual to the Earth.

The final Full Moon of January will also be accompanied by a full lunar eclipse, though this will not be visible from the UK.

While the Super Moons taking place in January are definitely a sight worth getting out to, they will actually obscure one of the other celestial events taking place this month.

The Quadrantids meteor shower is taking place in the first and second week of January, peaking on the 3rd, though it is expected that the light from the full moon is likely to obscure the view of it.

If you are heading out to watch the stars this coming month then do be sure to wrap up warm.

The Met Office long range forecast shows that conditions are likely to be cold and wet. We have provided some tips on how to spend the cold weather in your campervan, so catch up with those before heading out.

3 Family Cycle Routes To Try Next Year

3 Family Cycle Routes To Try Next Year

Posted on by Kevin

There’s nothing like getting out and about on your bike on a camping trip – what’s better than the feeling of freedom you get as you pedal power your way around the beautiful British countryside? If this is something you want you and your family to do more of in the new year, here are just some of the cycle routes that might tickle your pickle.

The New Forest Ride

This route follows part of the railway line between Brockenhurst and Wimborne, starting in the village and ending at Thorney Hill, just north of Bransgore. Brockenhurst itself is lovely and well worth an explore and you can have a well-earned cup of tea and a cake at the tea room at Holmsley Railway Station.

Berwick to Lindisfarne

This is a 15-mile bike ride so perhaps not suitable for those with very young children, but if you’re all fit and able definitely put it at the top of your to-cycle list. The terrain is a mixture of on and off-road paths and there are no hills, but if the weather is rough take care at Spittal as it can be tough going.

The Strawberry Line

This ride takes you from Yatton to Axbridge and Cheddar, and is a relatively short nine miles so doable for families. It’s mainly free from traffic and there are no steep gradients, while the countryside is lovely – lots of flat marshes, wooded valleys, cider apple orchards and even a tunnel through the Mendips!

For UK bike carriers, check out our website today.

How To Choose A Campervan Sat Nav

How To Choose A Campervan Sat Nav

Posted on by Kevin

If you’re the proud owner of a campervan then no doubt one of the things you’ll love doing is hitting the open road and finding new places to park up and explore.

But navigating can be a challenge, which is why so many of us invest in sat navs to help us out and take the stress out of driving somewhere new. As motorhomes are larger than the average car, they can run into difficulties following directions that may lead them down narrow roads or under low bridges.

So Which? has reviewed the growing number of sat navs designed specifically for campervan and caravan owners.

Nine new models were put through their paces by the consumer rights organisation, from the most expensive options on the market to more budget products.

While the quality of the navigation is obviously the most important factor, many devices offer a host of additional features, from Bluetooth phone connectivity, to access to real-time traffic updates and speed camera databases.

The reviewer recommends thinking about what you need from your sat nav before investing, as well as reading its full reviews of all the models from well-known manufacturers such as TomTom, Garmin, Snooper and Mio to ensure you’re choosing the right sat nav for your needs that offers value for money.

However, while sat navs can be a great tool, it probably won’t hurt to have a physical map in your motorhome too. Earlier this year the Sun highlighted research showing that 85 per cent of those under 30 now use sat navs and would be lost without them.

What’s more, reliance on technology means that people are finding it more difficult to estimate journey times too.

Make sure you have all the motorhome and caravan equipment you need for UK driving by coming to us for your supplies.