The Caravan Club – A Heartfelt Experience
The Caravan Club is an extraordinary organisation – and since I have had the privilege of being part of their events and activities, it feels more like an extended family with the support and genuine care that is offered unconditionally to its members.
TCC was started more than 100 years ago, when caravanning was for the wealthy adventurer, and before it became available as a more popular holiday for families on a budget.
In recent years we have seen a resurgence of the caravanning holiday with celebrity endorsements and high profile events covered by all forms of media. Lorraine Kelly, Dame Helen Mirren and Jamie Oliver are just some of the ‘A’ listers who are part of the caravanning brigade, and they are helping to put it back on the map as a five star holiday experience.
I spoke to Nikki Nichol who has been a big part of the TCC team for more than 20 years, who has her finger on the pulse and works relentlessly to ensure that she covers all aspects of the club’s needs from the endorsement of high profile celebs to the awards events and entertainment.
I also had a chat with Brian Morgan who has been with The Club for 2 years and is the Head of Communications and Events, he works very closely with Nikki and they have a great synergy, as she tells me he has a fantastic strategic brain! This is evident in his appreciation of the Club and their plans for the future.
I was then introduced to the very gracious Chairman Grenville Chamberlain, who made me feel special as he welcomed me into the fold – a real Gentleman in the old fashion sense, but with modern ideas and with a passion for the club and caravanning that is contagious.
I was positioned on a table at the recent awards dinner event at the NEC with legendary Olympic Gold Metalists Jamie Baulch and Roger Black, who are also great supporters of the Club and sat alongside the likes of Vicki Michelle and Arthur Bostrom of ‘Allo ‘Allo fame.
I know that my love of this club and newly found ‘family’ is supported by my own experience of caravanning dating back to when I was 6 years old, and have fabulous memories of when my grandparents would take me on caravan holidays across the UK. I do believe that some of my fondest childhood memories were from those very special days and nights, where the caravan held a kind of magic as a child.
It is great that so many families from all walks of life today are taking their kids back to nature – exploring country and coastal regions – only possible with the freedom of touring. There is more freedom with cooking too of course, which is why so many people are abandoning the hotel break and going for a caravan vacation.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg, and you may want to watch this space and Glotime.tv as we explore over the next few months exactly what The Caravan Club has in store and one thing for sure – it is guaranteed to come packaged with shed loads of TLC.
