Live on BBC Radio Derby, AvailablePitch talks about camping and staycations

Here at AvailablePitch headquarters in the heart of Derbyshire, you just never know what's round the corner, or what the next email, phone call or tweet is going to bring...

We recently received a tweet from Aleena Naylor of BBC Radio Derby asking us if we'd do a live radio interview on her morning show about camping and the trend for staycations.  At that point, Mr AvailablePitch became a small dot on the horizon, which left yours truly in the hot seat. 

Of course the answer was "Yes" and after a 20 minute initial chat on the phone with the lovely Aleena, I was booked for 10:15 am the next day.  Then nerves set in and the "What-ifs" started:   What if the traffic was bad and I was late, what if I froze and didn't know what to say (Mr AP thought that HIGHLY unlikely), what if it was less Richard and Judy and more Paxman or Humphries???

Out of my comfort zone?  You bet!  Yet I did it.  I really did.  And it was absolutely FANTASTIC.  Aleena immediately put me at ease, and it was just like a happy chatty gossip with a really good friend.  I guess that's the sign of an excellent interviewer. 

And so for twenty minutes, we chatted about all things camping and caravanning and I was able to help promote the camping and caravanning industry in general, and in particular, the many smaller, independent and unusual campsites that are registered with AvailablePitch, getting a special plug in for those sites located in Derbyshire and the Peak District as an added bonus. 

To listen to the interview, please visit our Facebook Page.

Aleena indicated that she may like to have me back in future to discuss other camping related topics, so who knows, maybe a whole new career on the radio beckons?!  For now though, it's down to earth and back to blogging, Facebooking, tweeting, emailing, re-vamping AvailablePitch, and all the other stuff we do to promote all the campsites who are registered with us. 

Above image:  Catherine Simpson, AvailablePitch.com and Aleena Naylor, BBC Radio Derby.  

Copyright AvailablePitch.com 2012

Camping and Caravan Club Freeze UK Site Fees before VAT rise

This is great news indeed!  The following article appears in the November 2010 issue of  The Camping and Caravanning Club Magazine:

"The Camping and Caravanning Club has frozen the 2011 site fee prices before VAT on all of its UK Club Sites for the first time in ten years. 

Not since its centenary year in 2001 has the Club opted to keep site fees the same for a second successive year.   VAT is set to rise from 17.5 per cent to 20 per cent in 4 January 2011 following Chancellor George Osbourne's announcement back in June.Director General Robert Louden said "Our decision not to increase pitch fee prices, apart from the mandatory VAT rise, is a way of saying thank you to our members who have helped continue to thrust the Club to the forefront of the outdoor market".  Currently, a family deal (two adults and up to four children - exclusive to members) costs on average, £17.50 per night for a standard pitch in mid-season.

Holiday Home site fees, all self-catering accommodation and "Meets and Groups" prices have also been frozen before VAT for 2011.  The Club's Store and Camp facility will change to storage only, at a competititive rate.  Mr Lousen added "It is imperative that we continue to persuade people not only to come to this country, but to stay in it as well and experience the freedom and flexibility that comes with the great outdoors."

The Club now has more than 510,000 members and has continued to grow at an accelerated rate this year with more than 715,000 people camping on a Club Site in 2010."

Caravan Club - please take note!

Find the perfect Certificated Location or Certificated Site with AvailablePitch.com

Looking to get away at short notice? Want to find a late availability touring pitch at a delightful small site, away from the crowds, in a wonderful location? Looking for a campsite or caravan park with vacancies for Easter, May Day, Spring Bank Holiday or peak summer weeks? Why not give Certificated Sites or Certificated Locations - CLs and CSs - a try?

These sites often have vacant touring pitches when larger sites are full, and with AvailablePitch.com’s unique pitch finding service, you can quickly find and book your perfect site.

CL’s and CS’s are small sites for up to 5 caravans or motorhomes, and are licensed by the Caravan Club or Camping and Caravanning Club. CS’s also accept tents whereas the Caravan Club accepts caravans and motor homes (although pup tents are often allowed at the discretion of the site owner).

You need to be a member of the relevant Club to stay on one of these sites, however, their annual membership fees are so reasonable, and give access to such a huge range of benefits, that you will quickly re-coup the fee.

Some have only basic facilities – a minimum is fresh water and waste disposal, whilst others have hook-ups, toilets and showers and other facilities usually associated with larger sites.

These wonderful sites remind us what camping is all about, and can be found in a host of unusual places - on the coast, tucked away in a farmer’s field, behind a pub, in the grounds of a stately home, or on the edge of a town or city. On farm-based sites you can often see the animals, buy produce from the farm and unfailingly, all owners offer invaluable information about the area.

Dozens of CL’s and CS’s are featured on AvailablePitch.com, and using our "Search Availability" tool, you can instantly find 5 van sites with vacant pitches for this weekend, next month or your summer holidays.

In the future we will continue to visit many of these sites, and featuring them on our Blog!

Image is of Stanstead Hall Certificated Location, Suffolk