Butlin’s Offers A Range Of Eco-Friendly Pouch Bags!
Visitors at Butlin’s are being offered new fold-away pouch bags made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, thanks to a partnership with Jutexpo, the world’s leading eco-friendly reusable bag company. The eye-catching bags have been made using Jutexpo’s HALT™ process, which turns post-consumer plastic into a soft, durable fabric called rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), which is practical and can be wiped clean. The bags, which come in red or sea green, bear the Butlin’s logo and are available to buy at its three UK resorts – Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness. Each bag is made using four plastic bottles. Jutexpo has also produced a range of larger reusable shopping bags made from juco, a blend of jute and cotton, which are also available across all Butlin’s sites. HALT™ bags are the first to have the integrity of certification to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). They are ethically-produced to the Jutexpo Standard, a set of the 10 key elements Jutexpo considers to be the minimum when it comes to ethical and technical standards, awards and credentials. Butlin’s Managing Director Jon Hendry-Pickup said: “We are very proud to be stocking these new bags: it is essential that brands like Butlin’s do all they can to be as environmentally friendly and ethical as possible.” Robbie McGregor, Director of Jutexpo, said: “Butlin’s is a UK holiday institution which has been enjoyed by generations and everyone knows how invaluable a handy, reusable bag can be when you are away enjoying yourselves. “We are delighted to be supplying these new bags, which offer people the chance to enhance the enjoyment of their holiday in an environmentally friendly and ethically sound way.” Jutexpo, based at Lauriston Business and Technology Park, Salford Priors, has more than 80 per cent of the UK eco-friendly reusable bag market. It is operated by father and son Barrie and Sam Turner together with Robbie McGregor, and was founded in 2002 after they spotted a gap in the market for reusable bags to minimise plastic bag usage.
New Climalodge Series Launch
An easy, fast fit, ‘click and connect’ energy efficient, Holiday Home Central Heating & Hot Water System has arrived. The revolutionary new Climalodge Series from Park Leisure Solutions Ltd offers Park Operators and Holiday Home Manufacturers a total solution for their Holiday Home or Lodge central heating and hot water requirements. The new Climalodge Series uses the same award winning, energy efficient technology as the Climacube Heating System, driving heat up and energy costs down. Space saving in its design the Climalodge is discreetly housed in its own secure, steel outdoor unit that contains all the ancillaries that would normally take up room inside the home. There is no maintenance to the Climalodge, only standard plumbing that has been designed for easy access and visual checks. Park Leisure Solutions Ltd, Managing Director, Stuart Mulcahy said “The new ‘click and connect’ Climalodge Series has been specifically designed for Park Operators and Holiday Home Manufacturers. The Holiday Home or Lodge central heating and hot water uses the same energy saving technology found in our award winning Climacube system. Replacing the need for less efficient energy sources such as gas, oil or LPG and the expensive infrastructure issues this causes. Producing considerable savings on the initial development as well as ongoing and future running costs.” The new Climalodge Series can be factory fitted by the manufacturer or supplied direct to site. Once off loaded the Climalodge Central Heating & Hot Water Systems will take just minutes to ‘click and connect’ to the existing holiday home water and power supply. Using energy efficient Climacube technology, producing a much lower carbon footprint, and saving users up to 80% off their energy bills. For more information call the team or visit https://www.parkleisuresolutions.co.uk/climacube-heating/holiday-home-heating-and-hot-water-system/
Compass Celebrations!
Binnacle was established in a unique, strategic alliance between BH&HPA and Rural & Commercial Holdings back in December 2018. The name Binnacle was chosen for the business because a binnacle supports and houses a ship’s compass. Some six months later, it was celebrations all round on 26th of June, when the Compass team were able to finally and formally celebrate the re-birth of their Scheme. The official Grand Opening of the airy new Binnacle/Compass offices took place in Pullman Court in Gloucester, which is also home to the British Holiday and Home Parks Association (BH&HPA). Invited guests were welcomed by both the Compass and BH&HPA teams for a champagne lunch and a blue ribbon was cut to mark the occasion. In welcoming everyone to the event, BH&HPA National Chairman Andrew Baragwanath explained how important it is to the Association to ensure that the right insurance cover and services are available to park business and their customers. He also outlined some of the history of the Compass Scheme, which dates back to 1976, and explained the work involved in establishing Binnacle. Binnacle’s Chairman, Allan Gribben (who is also Chairman of the Primary Group) then detailed some of the ambitious plans for Compass, noting the investments that are being made in people and systems to ensure that the Scheme not only meets, but exceeds, its customers’ expectations. Allan went on to thank the many people who had worked tirelessly to establish Binnacle, including the park-owning members of the Compass/BH&HPA Committee and the members of the Compass team. Summing up, Allan noted that ‘this is only the beginning’ for Compass 2.0! Compass, 7 Pullman Court, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3ND Tel: 0344 274 0277 E-mail: enquiries@binnacle.co.uk Twitter: @CompassInsUK Web: www.compaissinsuranceservices.co.uk Compass Insurance is a trading style of Binnacle Insurance Services Limited. Binnacle Insurance Services Limited is Registered in England under No. 11429456. Registered Office: 2nd Floor, The Hamlet, Hornbeam Park, Harrogate, HG2 8RE. Binnacle Insurance Services Limited are authorised and regulated by the Finance Conduct Authority, FRN 820727.
BBC award winning garden moves to Lincolnshire Parks
The focal feature of an award-winning entry at the prestigious BBC Gardeners World Live show has moved to two Lincolnshire holiday home parks. The life-size wooden horse sculptures which were hand-carved by an artist in Asia are now on permanent display at Lakeside Park in North Somercotes and Whispering Waters, Mablethorpe. The ambitious show garden created by Horticulture and Construction students at Derby College Group’s Broomfield Hall won a silver merit medal at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre in June. The College teamed up with the Multiple Sclerosis Society and a range of sponsors headed by Don Amott Parks which has five Lincolnshire holiday parks. Key features of the garden, including the spectacular wooden horses, have now been rebuilt at Lakeside Park. Chairman, Don Amott said: “Having lost a cousin to Multiple Sclerosis, I was particularly keen to work alongside the MS Society on this project. It is a charity that is close to my heart. “I also wanted to demonstrate how highly we value horticulture skills at all of our five parks and the continued importance of attention-to-detail and creativity in today’s leisure industry.” Derby College Horticulture lecturer Mike Baldwin has 25 years’ experience of creating competition show gardens with students at Broomfield Hall. He said: “We were obviously delighted to have won such a prestigious medal for our most ambitious garden yet. “Around 70 students in the Horticulture and Construction academies have been involved in the design and build and we have had great feedback from both the judges and visitors. “We were delighted to have worked alongside the Derby branch of the MS Society and Don Amott Parks who have so generously supported us and who will ensure that ‘The Revelation Garden’ continues to be enjoyed for many years to come. Lakeside Park is close to the village of North Somercotes, just 12 miles from Louth. For more information you can visit www.donamottparks.com
Elfin Kitchens goes glamping
Elfin Kitchens has supplied four 1000mm compact kitchens for a selection of high quality camping pods manufactured by The Log Pod. The kitchens have been installed in the luxury timber structures to provide dedicated stations for preparing and storing food and beverages. The ‘Grande Max Plus’ pods have been conceived as an all-year-round living space and designed with a lifespan of at least 25 years. As a result, the interior units needed to be specified with durability in mind, while also providing a stylish finish that matched the rapidly expanding glamping market. These factors combined made the robust powder coated steel kitchens from Elfin Kitchens the ideal solution. Trevor Richardson, Founder and Managing Director of The Log Pod, explained his reasons for specifying Elfin Kitchens: “When we first designed the pods, we installed wooden kitchen units, but we soon realised that they were simply not durable enough, especially for the rental market. So, we needed something that was manufactured to a high quality and wouldn’t require much maintenance. “The compact kitchens from Elfin have proven to be absolutely perfect; they are designed to last, look great in the pods and the addition of the new colours opens up more design options for us. The new bronze colour, in particular, offers the perfect colour tones to complement the timber.” Looking to the months ahead, Trevor said: “We have orders for hundreds of log pods and we’re so pleased with Elfin Kitchens that we’re specifying them on all future projects.” All the kitchens were built and packaged offsite, then delivered ready for installation. The units are manufactured entirely of powder coated steel, with a stainless steel worktop incorporating a sink and monobloc tap. Appliances specified for log pods included an A+ rated refrigerator and a built-in microwave oven. Neill Andrew of Elfin Kitchens, added: “The luxury camping market is growing year-on-year and the pods are a great example of how to utilise high quality products and exceptional design to create a great compact living space. It’s great to have such positive feedback from our customers and we’re looking forward to working with Trevor and his team in the future.” Starting at 900mm wide, compact kitchens from Elfin save space and offer great flexibility with right or left-hand versions available, as well as hotplates, dishwashers, combi-ovens and additional storage units all available. http://elfinkitchens.co.uk
Hytte Blinds – Designed in Britain. Inspired By Norway.
For the people of Norway, escaping to a holiday home or HYTTE (pronounced hee-ta) is a way of life. Attention to detail and simple interior design combine to create an atmosphere perfect for relaxing. It was this philosophy that has inspired Worcestershire based Hytte Blinds to create their new, stylish range of window blinds specifically designed for holiday homes, lodges, static caravans and pods. Available in a wide variety of contemporary colours the slim profiles, robust design and innovative Click FitTM technology provide the perfect interior finish to any holiday home with double glazed windows. Purposely manufactured to fit the slim window profiles of holiday homes the new Hytte blinds can either be fitted from new or easily retro fitted, bringing a fresh feel to the interior space and require no tools, no DIY skills and no fuss. Officially launched this month and now ready to order online via the hytteblinds.com website, the moisture resistant, pleated blinds provide a thermal barrier that regulates the temperature whatever the season. Made from durable polyester the new blinds will enhance any holiday home, gently letting light in, whilst offering privacy for the occupants. Hytte Blinds, Sales Manager, Brad Hill said, “Our new Hytte Blinds range has been designed for the holiday home market and offers a stylish alternative to traditional fabric curtains. With a wide choice of colours and an easy, online made to measure, fitting guide. The innovative design and construction allows holiday homeowners to quickly and easily restyle the interior of their home and immediately benefit from the thermal properties of the blinds, cool in summer and warm in winter.” Designed and manufactured to order in the UK, once you have chosen your colour, provided your measurements and placed your order at hytteblinds.com, Hytte blinds normally take two weeks for delivery, are supplied with 12 months warranty and are moisture proof and child safe.
Philips Hue White & Colour Ambience Wireless Lighting Review
Editor Victoria Galligan tried out the Philips Hue smart lighting system – read her review to find out why she’ll never go back to boring bulbs… The lighting revolution is here – and it’s rainbow-coloured! I’d seen the adverts for the Philips Hue smart lightbulbs and always thought they looked like a great idea to create the perfect mood lighting. Setting up the Hue was relatively easy – this pack comes with three bulbs, a Hue ‘Bridge’ device which connects via a wire to your wifi modem, and a dimmer switch which you can stick on a wall. After screwing in two of the bulbs (the types available are B22, E27, GU10 spotlights and E14 for smaller lamps, as well as strip lighting and garden lighting if you’re feeling particularly creative) I installed an app on my phone. After a couple of app updates, I was ready to go. I had to link the Bridge to the app, then name my room and the different lamps. Then the magic began. I experimented with the colours, first choosing from the 16 million – yes that’s right! – different colours available on the Hue colour wheel. The app also has pre-set mood lighting called “Scenes”, so you can choose, for example, a scene called Savannah Sunset where one lamp turns golden and another a rich burnt orange. Colourful lighting with security benefits The time settings allow you to pre-program the lights to turn on and off, and the automatic ‘Out of Home Control’ option switches off lights when you leave. In addition I found a great security hack where, if you buy an outdoor motion sensor (£44.99), your indoor lights can be switched on if someone approaches at night – perfect for putting off burglars. This lighting system is well worth investing in – in addition to creating the perfect ambience, the Hue system is a great security measure for offices, shops and for holiday homes which are left empty for a while. And for outdoor use in a bar or pool area, the possibilities are endless. See meethue.com to order your Philips Hue smart lightbulbs.
The days of the old traditional ‘drain down’ are numbered
What if one of the biggest pitfalls of the UK holiday industry, seasonality, could be tackled using one small plumbing device? Jason Paul, the inventor of the Floë Induratec, believes his four-minute drain down process can do just that… Seasonality and its impact on businesses was highlighted in a recent survey of holiday parks. The UK Caravan and Camping Alliance-commissioned report “Pitching the Value” named it as one of the top six threats to the industry. December average occupancy rates are currently around 12%, reaching a high of 30% in March – for those sites which are actually open. However, with 42% of holiday parks and campsites now opening all year round, is the tide finally turning on the low season? “Pitching the Value” also identifies extending the season as a major opportunity for the holiday park sector – but Jason believes this will take a change in attitude as well as a change in technology. He said: “Waiting too late to drain down in autumn and late-March cold snaps catches residents out all the time, but you can’t blame them for wanting a few more weekends in the season. Our product simply allows them to drain before the weather turns and have peace of mind that they are protected. It also offers them the flexibility to use their property in low season and drain when and as often as they wish, avoiding any risks. We recommend draining down in time for Halloween, then it can be done as often as needed over winter.” “This offers park managers so much more with an extended season – they sell gas and groceries and run events at Christmas and New Year for example, and have the park operating all year round, or at least a few more months.” When a Floë is fitted, the holiday home can be drained down in just four minutes, all from the comfort from inside. Floë also has the benefit of cleansing the boiler as it drains, saving up to 15% on gas. Drain down technology impacts the whole community Jason says Floë is an ideal opportunity for parks to open longer and is in talks with local councils and tourism boards to help make this happen – especially in rural and coastal locations where the holiday season is relied upon as the main source of income. Jason said: “Opening all year round or extending the existing season by just a month or two can really boost site income and that of the local economy – on a typical weekend, think how much is spent per person on things like pub grub, grocery shopping and fuel. “Yes we’re selling a product – but we make a one-off return. However, with being able to extend the season for some residents park managers should be thinking think about what they’ll get in return – more income for the park, happier customers and a bigger benefit for the local community.” The Floë Induratec 868 costs £234.99 RRP, plus £40 if fitting is needed by the site. This is just the price of a couple of paid-for drain downs and if the residents of statics and lodges and the owners of motorhomes and tourers use it over winter, it will more than pay for itself in the first year. Having come up with the idea of the Floë drainage system after a leak in his own brand new static caravan in 2008, Jason now sells Floë in 12 UK, European and Scandinavian countries. He is now also in talks with an American distributor to take Floë across the pond to the home of the RV. He finishes: “Holiday parks can do so much more for the local economy – that’s the crux of what Floë can offer. It’s amazing how one little device can affect a whole community.” See keepfloeing.com for more information.
New modern amenities block opens at award-winning Cornish holiday park
A top-quality new amenities block featuring modern underfloor heating has just opened for campers at Cornwall’s award-winning Pentewan Sands Holiday Park. The block has been specially designed for the resort in Mevagissey Bay by Cornwall-based architects, The Bazeley Partnership, and its design reflects the high standards of the five-star holiday park. Pentewan Sands offers 131 holiday homes in addition to well-maintained grass pitches for camping, caravans and motor homes. Most homes enjoy stunning sea views. Already in use by campers at the park, the new facilities replace an outdated toilet and shower block and are fitted with solar panels to boost the park’s eco-friendly credentials. Natural ventilation and daylight is provided by high-level glazing around the building. Nicole Murray, Marketing and Sales Manager for Pentewan Sands Holiday Park, said: “Our new amenities block is bang up to date with modern facilities as well as being eco-friendly. The underfloor heating will be more comfortable for guests, particularly during the colder months, and the PV solar panels will not only generate renewable energy to help power the toilet block, but will also help to power the park itself. “We hope that our fantastic new amenities space will be welcomed and used by families for years to come.” The changing and amenities facility includes four private family rooms and two accessible family rooms, which are each equipped with a toilet, basin and a walk-in shower, as well as male and female changing areas, each with three large showers, toilet facilities, changing benches and mirrors. There are also two external showers and a washing up area to the rear. The new toilet block joins a number of other high quality amenities blocks situated around the park. Pentewan Sands is also home to top-notch leisure, eating and entertainment facilities, including leisure venue The Seahorse, which includes two swimming pools, soft play zone, a restaurant and an amusement arcade.
