From coffee mornings to colouring competitions – how Club campers celebrated 100 years of the caravan during National Camping and Caravanning Week

Inspired by Julia Bradbury’s night on the first floating campsite on the Thames in central London last month, and a party she hosted to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the start of caravan manufacturing in the UK, Camping and Caravanning Club sites across the UK undertook their own celebrations during National Camping and Caravanning Week (27 May to 2 June).

The most creative activity was by the staff at the ‘Alton, the Star’ Camping and Caravanning Club site in Staffordshire who made a replica Eccles caravan from 1919 – the year commercial production of caravans started in the UK. They also hosted a party with caravan-themed bunting decorated by families staying on the site during half-term.

In Crowborough, East Sussex, the managers at the Club site organised a children’s colouring competition. Each child completed an outline drawing of a caravan holiday scene, and the best six from different age categories won a WHSmith voucher.

And in the Midlands, the Club’s Clent Hills site near Birmingham organised a ‘100 years of caravanning’ coffee morning and raised money for the local air ambulance charity.

At the same time, The Camping and Caravanning Club also encouraged campers to share photos of their caravan holidays on social media using the hashtag #lovemycaravan and to enter a competition to win an awning package worth over £1,100.

These, and many other activities at other Club sites across the UK, show how caravans have become such an important part of so many people’s lives, and the UK’s economy, and why The Camping and Caravanning Club celebrates National Camping and Caravanning Week each year.

“National Camping and Caravanning Week is all about inspiring the nation to get outdoors whether that’s through caravanning, motorhoming or traditional tent camping. And we’re all more aware than ever that getting into the great outdoors is good for our mental health and well as being great fun,” said Julia Bradbury, TV presenter and President of The Camping and Caravanning Club.

Paul Jones, the Marketing and Communications Director at The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “It is brilliant that so many of our Club sites joined the celebration of 100 years of the caravan during this year’s National Camping and Caravanning Week. We’re really grateful that our President, Julia Bradbury, launched National Camping and Caravanning Week 2019 in such a fun way and brought the 100th anniversary of the caravan to the attention of the whole country.”