Inspiring Children

BH&HPA Journal – Issue 143 – Environmental Best Practice

Getting children excited about the environment is important.  The great thing is that is doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.  For example, Springhouse Country Park in Northumberland has started a Children’s Club.  A caravan has been allocated for the use of visiting children and decorated by them with a wildlife theme.

The brains behind this project is the park’s housekeeper Christine. ‘She set it up from nothing’says Springhouse’s Andrew Blackie.  ‘It’s not official or commercialised. Instead, the children tend to take the lead and Christine tries to make it as interesting as possible by making up wildlife activities that are far removed from school lessons and as interesting as possible.’

The club runs during the main season and there is a weekly activity, which introduces the children to wildlife and the local countryside.  For example, bee-friendly planting which helps them to understand the role these and other insects play and to value them as pollinators.

All the park’s staff are immensely proud of the club and supportive of Christine’s work.  The children just love the opportunities for wild play that the club gives them, as well as the informal learning opportunities it offers.  One other eco-benefit is that the unit that is used as the clubhouse would otherwise have been scrapped (although it is serviceable).  It is also worth noting that the space that it takes up could also have been used for another paying unit.

For 2010, the park is moving forward with the club idea ‘This year we will be focusing on the garden, perhaps putting in a new pond’, says Andrew. ‘It should be a great year for the children and the club.’

Content taken from article as it appeared in BH&HPA Journal, Issue 43, Page 70.

Springhouse Country Parkis a beautiful 4 star, award winning countryside retreat nestling in a peaceful and picturesque forest boasting a magnificent depth of wildlife and a variety of breathtaking scenic walks. Springhouse is the perfect place for you to relax and to experience holiday home ownership … the holiday park now offers an 11 month season!! 

Springhouse Country Park, Northumberland

Caravan Holiday Homes start from as little as £11,995 fully sited and connected on one of our “Super Saver” pitches, or you can choose one of our new high quality pitches in the “Elm Gardens” section starting from only £19.995. 

CLICK HERE To see a full list of the holiday homes currently available.

Contact our friendly team today…
Tel: 0800 111 40 50 50
Email: enquiries@ bluesky-resorts.co.uk  

For a limited time Spring Willows Leisure Park is fixing the annual Site Fee!!

Yes, you read it correctly, if you invest in a Holiday Home at Spring Willows Leisure Park, Scarborough, you can fix your site fees for 4 years – £995 per year for 4 Years – you will save thousands!

This luxurious family holiday park is a magnificent suntrap, nestling into the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds on the outskirts of Scarborough. A first class family park centred on a beautiful natural spring and set amongst landscaped gardens. Located amidst the spectacular North Yorkshire Moors, Wolds, Farmlands and the seaside towns of Scarborough, Filey & Bridlington, Spring Willows Caravan Park offers owners the following:

Spring Willows Caravan Park

Excellently situated, this Park offers the perfect base for exploring the local area and discovering the incredible array of interesting and beautiful places to visit:

• Filey – 5 miles
• Scarborough – 6 miles
• Whitby – 23 miles

If you are looking for a holiday home in Scarborough or the Yorkshire Wolds, there really is no need to look any further…

Invest in the holiday home of your dreams at Spring Willows Leisure Park this month and benefit from this fantastic Site Fee Offer.  £995 per year for 4 Years!!

Call our friendly team to arrange your visit to the park:
Freephone 0800 111 40 50
Email enquiries@bluesky-resorts.co.uk

Make the most of your free time this summer…

Secure your holiday memories, safe in the knowledge that you are in control of you and your family’s precious time…

Make the most of the World Cup this year … SCORE with US!

You do not need to be a massive football fan to qualify for this fantastic offer.  Simply invest in the holiday home of your dreams OR upgrade your existing holiday home during the World Cup and receive your very own Holiday Home Entertainment Package!

WORLD CUP OFFER

This offer is available at a number of our Parks.  For more details and to find out how you can qualify, please call our friendly team Freephone 0800 111 40 50. 

The full time whistle will blow on this offer – Sunday 11th July @ 6pm!

Available at the following Holiday Parks in the UK:

• The Park of Brandedleys, Dumfries & Galloway
• Springhouse Country Park, Northumberland
• Heathergate Country Park, Northumberland
• Spring Willows Leisure Park, Scarborough
• Nostell Priory Holiday Park, West Yorkshire
• Tan-Y-Don Holiday Park, North Wales
• Brightwater Lakes Holiday Park, Welshpool

CLICK HERE for more information on the above Holiday Parks – luxury caravans and lodges for sale.

Springhouse County Park has been given four-star status by the Northumberland Tourist Board as well as achieving a David Bellamy Gold Award for the site’s ecology

The Hexham site has been going from strength to strength since spring 2008 when it was taken over by Blue Sky Resorts. Since then Springhouse has had £275,000 invested in the facilities and landscaping.

The park’s general manager, Andrew Blackie, said: ‘These two accolades are recognition of how much progress we have made. Our goal is to achieve five stars.’

Another reason for the site’s success is an innovative deal with Hoseasons Holidays, where Hoseasons hire 15 caravans on the site. This brings in visitors from all over the UK and Europe.

So if you are touring the Hexham area you’ll find a site with good quality and eco-friendly facilities.

CLICK HERE to go to the Springhouse County Park website.

Ben Sneath, Caravan Magazine, Friday 13th November 2009

For more stories on this subject, please follow the links below:

Hexham Courant

Journal Live

Motor Caravan Magazine

Blue Sky Resorts – Luxury lodges and holiday homes on award-winning independent parks across the UK

Find your perfect location at www.bluesky-resorts.co.uk OR call us free on 0800 111 40 50

Andy & Christine serve up a treat at Springhouse Country Park

The holiday home owners at Springhouse Country Park enjoyed a treat this weekend as park staff put on a complimentary BBQ outside reception at the caravan park in Northumberland. The weather was really kind and meant that the owners were able to enjoy a fine array of traditional BBQ foods whilst basking in the Spring Sunshine.

Springhouse is a privately owned caravan park in Northumberland, situated in the heart of Slaley Forest, just 6 miles from Hexham. It enjoys a truly wonderful rural setting and the peace and tranquility attracts many of the static caravan owners, many of whom travel the short journey from the nearby major conurbations of the North East to enjoy their weekends at their caravan. Hexham has recently been voted as The Best Market Town in Britain and has a great deal to offer – history, culture, entertainment, even horse racing!

Many people who live in the North East like the idea of being on a caravan park in Northumberland and Springhouse is a great place to be. There are lovely country walks, beautiful scenery and if you are interested in buying a static caravan then the friendly staff will be happy to help.

Happy Caravan Owners at Springhouse!

As you can see there were many happy owners at the BBQ, enjoying their day and relishing the relaxing weekend ahead! 

Caravan Park in Northumberland

Springhouse Country Park has a small number of static caravans for hire through Hoseasons and is mainly dedicated to providing a five star environment for it’s 79 holiday home owners to enjoy their leisure time. The friendly staff really enjoy helping their customers make the most of the time they spend on the park and there is always an activity or two for the children to enjoy.

For more information please contact park manager, Andy Blackie on 01434 673241 or visit the web-site at www.springhousecaravanpark.co.uk.

2009 has started with plenty of doom and gloom in the news as the Government wrestles with the problems created by the weak pound and financial chaos caused by the difficulties faced by the banking system. Amidst all this though you might be surprised to discover that interest in owning a caravan or lodge in the UK is higher than in any time since Blue Sky sold it’s first holiday home back in 2004.

We are finding that an increasing number of our customers, many of who are either retired or semi-retired are looking to caravan or lodge holiday home ownership as a way of getting value from teh money they have saved over the years.

Interest rates are at their lowest ever and that means that savings are actually losing money when inflation is taken into account and for those with tracker mortgages they are many hundreds of pounds better off.

The cost of traveling to the Continent or America is becoming prohibitive with the exchange rate increasing the cost of being abroad by 30% in the last 6 months and even with the ”cheap” airlines, flights to Spain often come up to over £150 per person once all the charges are taken into account.

So people who once thought that a holiday home on the “Costas” might be ideal are realising that something closer to home might be the answer – something they can use often, and that the family can take advantage of too.

And Blue Sky offers luxury lodges and caravans for sale all over the country and in some of the finest countryside the UK has to offer – from Inverness to South West Wales, the Cotswolds, Northumberland, The Lake District, Scotland and Yorkshire – there is something for every discerning customer looking for that perfect retreat!!

It might be that 2009 is actually the perfect time for you to look at buying your own caravan holiday home or luxury lodge. The standards of the parks and the accommodation have never been higher and this kind of holiday home offers fabulous value for money when compared to investing in overseas property, or other types of “use once” holidays (hotels etc.)

New Hampshire Luxury Lodge

The current economic upheaval, felt as keenly in the North East as anywhere, does not seem to be dampening the enthusiasm of holidaymakers as they seek to make the most of their holiday pound. 

Bookings at holiday parks across the North East region are booming, as much as 40% higher than at the same time in 2008. Tourism is a vital part of the North East economy employing about 5% of the workforce and contributing nearly £4 billion per year to the North East economy.

This increase is also reflected in the numbers of people expressing an interest in owning their own static caravan holiday home, or even a luxury lodge, and Northumberland offers an excellent range of parks to choose from. 

Prices for holiday homes vary dramatically and you can buy a holiday home from as little as £5000 on some parks, rising to in excess of £100,000 for some of the luxury lodges. As with everything, location and standards are the key and generally the more exclusive parks with better facilities and / or standards, the higher the cost of the holiday homes and the annual fees.

Now that the euro and dollar are so strong, making it effectively 30% more expensive to holiday or buy abroad people are turning their attentions closer to home. There are over 60 tourist board approved caravan and lodge parks in Northumberland and they offer a fantastic range of environments and facilities.

If you are looking for peace, quiet, and tranquility then Blue Sky caravans and lodges for sale on its parks at Slaley & Hexham in Northumberland.

For a more traditional, action packed experience with entertainment on hand with organised activities etc. Haven Holidays have a number of parks in the area.

It’s true to say that many businesses are wondering what the future holds and caravan park operators are no different. The early evidence in 2009 though is that they will continue to enjoy a renaissance as we all look for teh safety and security to be found by holidaying closer to home.

Heathergate Country Park, Hexham

Heathergate Country Park

Winter Wonderland

Recently awarded 5* exceptional for the second year running, Heathergate is the perfect place to relax in this fantastic winter setting. The park is open 11 months of the year so that you can enjoy the peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life,

You could spend every stay simply relaxing on the park, but there is so much more to see just on your doorstep. Picturesque Hexham is your nearest town which is on 2 miles away. Hexham was recently voted Britain’s favorite market town by country life magazine. Its magnificent abbey was founded in 674AD and it is an interesting mix of historic buildings, enticing street, lively independent shops and high street retailers.

Hexham Caravans, Heathergate

Heathergate participates in the well sought after David Bellamy Conservation Award. In 2007 and 2008 we were awarded ‘GOLD’ for our exceptional work we do on a range of issues from wildlife preservation, to our use of natural and sustainable materials in developing the park..

An owner on Heathergate ‘Christine Cowperthwaite of plot No 2’ said: I purchased a caravan at Heathergate 2 years ago and I have never looked back since. When walking my 2 dogs on an early morning with views like this it is truly breathtaking.

Heathergate Country Park Caravans, Hexham

Heathergate Country Park is a luxury 5 star holiday home park with just 42 bases and a wonderful community atmosphere. All of the holiday home owners enjoy the pleasure of having a luxury caravan in Northumberland with easy access to Hexham and the fantastic Northumberland countryside.