Caravanning fever grips the nation
The 1970s could really be classed as beginning at the tail end of 1969, with the then major caravan show in London, at the famous Earl’s Court.
This was the show that displayed what was on offer for the following year, 1970 – the true start of caravanning in the 1970s. Crowds gathered (120,000) to get into the Earl’s Court International Caravan & Camping Exhibition.
Salesmen in those heady days at Earl’s Court often had folk lined up for a new caravan.
They would swap over with a colleague to have a break and carry on signing up, such was the demand to buy.
Scotland had its own version of this with Kelvin Hall, in Glasgow, while Birmingham had Bingley Hall, but by 1976 this was at the new NEC. The Birmingham show was held at the start of the year and Glasgow’s Scottish show was held once every two years – the 1970 show had an attendance of 79,555. For years, both shows would be dealer supported, with caravan manufacturers not being present.
The growing sector of sites in this early part of the decade was the role of the Caravan Club (the Caravan and Motorhome Club, as they are known today), who were to open new sites with their members in mind.
In 1970, around 80,000 members belonged to the club, but by 1972 this had swollen to 100,000.
The club published a site directory each year, which included some non-Caravan Club sites that were approved by the club. There was also the Certificated Location site (CL), which in 1971 had over 2000 listed. These sites usually had a limit of five touring caravans for stays lasting no longer than 28 days.
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Practical Caravan.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Practical Caravan.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
DASH CAMS
John Sootheran explores the 'big brother' world of dash cams - with caravanners in mind...
CARAVAN SAT-NAVS
State-of-the art satellite navigation just for caravanners? Yes, it exists. John Sootheran investigates
COACHMAN ACADIA 460
This comfortable two-berth is a welcome addition to the range, although the décor might not suit everyone
SWIFT SPRITE EXCLUSIVE QUATTRO MB
Innovative design in the latest addition to this popular range provides a cleverly repositioned corner bed
NORTH WALES FROM ALL ANGLES
Peter Baber finds Palladian splendour, mighty castles and fashionable hotspots on a tour of North Wales
SOUTHERN SEES
Titanic struggles, medieval halls and otters are among the many highlights of Victor Charles' Hampshire tour
LAKES, RIVERS & CANALS
Get a brand-new perspective on the UK by exploring its lakes and waterways on your next caravan tour!
Feeling Peaky
A journey through the Peak District's Hope Valley leads Susan Taylor through caves and caverns, Pride and Prejudice, and an attempted push up Mam Tor
Easy ULLSWATER
Within reach of the M6, Penrith is the perfect launchpad for a jaunt around Ullswater, as Peter Baber discovers on a Lake District tour
83 ERRORS TO AVOID!
Veteran or first-timer, there's always something new to learn about caravanning, especially when it comes to sidestepping mistakes that could spoil your fun! Our expert team has decades of caravanning experience under their belts, so here we reveal the errors we've made - and learned from - over the years, to help you avoid doing the same in future...