Well done to Alex Newby for inviting direct comment. At least this proves that contributors to this Forum are recognised.
I have responded.
I have responded.
What sort of articles
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- Mar 14, 2005
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If you have been using this forum for some time then you will have noticed that occassionally Alex and some other members of PC staff do use the forum for feedback and also invite suggestions. The magazine has changed since Alex has been at the helm and, in my opinion, for the better. In addition, you will also find the email addresses of various members of staff in the magazine and I had been intending to email Alex directly to suggest an article that I would like to see. However, as this topic is live I will also place it here.
We are planning to take early retirement in just under 2 years time when I am 55. We will be moving to a cheaper area (I did place a request for suggestions of areas with good caravanning around it on this forum but sadly had no responses) so that we can invest some money to supplement our pension. Our plan will be to spend several months a year in Europe, most likely south of France, Spain and Portugal. I was made envious at the PC rally in Devon when I overheard a conversation that went something along the lines of 'we are going to leave this site on Friday, drive to Dover and then down to Portugal where we will stay until about March when we will return to the UK'. I am sure that there are a number of people who are either doing this (the ones with the knowledge) or ones who are planning this (and for my part I would like some knowledge). Therefore, the article that I would like to see would include:
Costs
Availability of sites
Quality of sites including facilities
Temperatures
Do you get bored
etc
so that we can make our minds up as to the feasibility of such a plan.
To return to the drainers - I missed this and I am a subscriber! I possibly saw the page and just turned over. There will always be articles that are of no interest to one person but of interest to another - looking foward to a comparison of washing up cloths - and hey, occassionally there will be a dud.
As for magazines and advertisers. If there are no advertisers then there is no magazine - they are an important source of revenue. I can remember complaining some years ago to the then editor of a classic car magazine about the constant articles on MGBs (not my favourite, if they were then I would have been dlighted with the magazine). His reply was that they bring in the advertisers. I can therefore only assume that there will be lines that PC will not cross for fear of damaging its advertising revenue and hence the viability of the magazine.
I believe that a major turning point for us, the caravanners, was the change of this forum from a moderated one to an open one. Contributors need to be responsible in what they place here, i.e. that criticisms (both positive and negative) are justified. Cetainly, negative comments about a dealer (of which I have had experience and could concur with) did appear and stay on the forum. In addition, there have been comments regarding manufacturers and problems with vans. This forum is possibly more powerful than the magazine as it does enable debate, including the ability to say 'well, my experience of that dealer was good', and also to question contributors to this forum. In brief, we cannot expect PC to be the 'Which' of the caravanning World.
Finally, I do believe it is a good idea to have users reviewing vans but it is of no value if the reviewers do not use all the facilities of a van. To that end, I believe that it would be beneficial for ownes of a previous version of a van to review the latest version of that model as they are more able to comment on the 'improvements' made.
We are planning to take early retirement in just under 2 years time when I am 55. We will be moving to a cheaper area (I did place a request for suggestions of areas with good caravanning around it on this forum but sadly had no responses) so that we can invest some money to supplement our pension. Our plan will be to spend several months a year in Europe, most likely south of France, Spain and Portugal. I was made envious at the PC rally in Devon when I overheard a conversation that went something along the lines of 'we are going to leave this site on Friday, drive to Dover and then down to Portugal where we will stay until about March when we will return to the UK'. I am sure that there are a number of people who are either doing this (the ones with the knowledge) or ones who are planning this (and for my part I would like some knowledge). Therefore, the article that I would like to see would include:
Costs
Availability of sites
Quality of sites including facilities
Temperatures
Do you get bored
etc
so that we can make our minds up as to the feasibility of such a plan.
To return to the drainers - I missed this and I am a subscriber! I possibly saw the page and just turned over. There will always be articles that are of no interest to one person but of interest to another - looking foward to a comparison of washing up cloths - and hey, occassionally there will be a dud.
As for magazines and advertisers. If there are no advertisers then there is no magazine - they are an important source of revenue. I can remember complaining some years ago to the then editor of a classic car magazine about the constant articles on MGBs (not my favourite, if they were then I would have been dlighted with the magazine). His reply was that they bring in the advertisers. I can therefore only assume that there will be lines that PC will not cross for fear of damaging its advertising revenue and hence the viability of the magazine.
I believe that a major turning point for us, the caravanners, was the change of this forum from a moderated one to an open one. Contributors need to be responsible in what they place here, i.e. that criticisms (both positive and negative) are justified. Cetainly, negative comments about a dealer (of which I have had experience and could concur with) did appear and stay on the forum. In addition, there have been comments regarding manufacturers and problems with vans. This forum is possibly more powerful than the magazine as it does enable debate, including the ability to say 'well, my experience of that dealer was good', and also to question contributors to this forum. In brief, we cannot expect PC to be the 'Which' of the caravanning World.
Finally, I do believe it is a good idea to have users reviewing vans but it is of no value if the reviewers do not use all the facilities of a van. To that end, I believe that it would be beneficial for ownes of a previous version of a van to review the latest version of that model as they are more able to comment on the 'improvements' made.
- Mar 14, 2005
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Mike thanks for that. We are trying to compile a list of possible places and then, later this year visit the places on the list to see if we would like to live there as we intend to buy our 'retirement home' before we actually retire. I'll add NE Yorks / Durham to the list.Paul,
A colleague of mine took early retirement, toured Europe with a 'van, eventually settled in Portugal. Meanwhile he kept a base in N.E.England, ( North Yorks/ Durham area reasonably priced ) handy for the Lake District, Scotland and central U/K.
Any use?
- Mar 14, 2005
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Regarding suggestions for articles in the magazine I would like to see more on the technical side of buying seconhand vehicles and caravans. The tests carried out in the magazine are for new caravans and tow cars - many times this has a total street value of well in excess of
Colin has hit the nail on the head. Many people want to caravan but can only afford a second hand tow car or perhaps a second hand caravan. Whilst there are articles on second hand caravans why can't this be broken down into a type of star rating where at a quick glance you can see how good or bad a caravan is even of the carticle pertaining to that caravan was writen several months ago. How about some tersts on tow cars that are a minimum of 5 years old. Does not have to be in depth but a look at it from the towing and mechanically point of view, running costs, i.e. mpg and availability of spares.
- Mar 14, 2005
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Tina, no need to go all the way to Wales to see an erection, why not come round to my house and I'll show you my rather large erection ............ I have just bought a new awning at the weekend and will be testing out it's erectile featureswell theres going to be a good demonstration on erections in wales at the weekend !!!!!!!!(awnings that is)
Good points from Ian, Colin, Paul & Ann. Perhaps the advertisers skew the covereage to new caravans?
My "Tow Truck" as I call it (it tows trailers, horse boxes as well as my caravan) is a 22 year old Range Rover that runs on LPG - cheap to insure and run but will still outperform most in difficult situations.
My Caravan is a 1991 Avondale in excellent condition. I enjoy keeping the two of them in tip top condition. Buying a newer car or caravan is not a problem - it is just not attractive. My wifes car is a bought from new Freelander. So my love of Classic cars and "fixing things" is satisfied by my vehicle and our caravan. The advantage of NOT having an expensive and very "nickable" new caravan is that I sleep more easily at night.
What about Practical Caravan being just that?
As regards my favourite recipie, I think it is No 9 on Vinnies take away menu at the Billing Aquadrome (Chicken Dansak) which is now a tradition in our group when we arrive on the first day for the Land Rover event every July.
The cooked breakfast is worth a try as well!
Seriously a good suggestion re the recipies - I love to cook/bar-b-que when away and my wife loves me to do it.
My "Tow Truck" as I call it (it tows trailers, horse boxes as well as my caravan) is a 22 year old Range Rover that runs on LPG - cheap to insure and run but will still outperform most in difficult situations.
My Caravan is a 1991 Avondale in excellent condition. I enjoy keeping the two of them in tip top condition. Buying a newer car or caravan is not a problem - it is just not attractive. My wifes car is a bought from new Freelander. So my love of Classic cars and "fixing things" is satisfied by my vehicle and our caravan. The advantage of NOT having an expensive and very "nickable" new caravan is that I sleep more easily at night.
What about Practical Caravan being just that?
As regards my favourite recipie, I think it is No 9 on Vinnies take away menu at the Billing Aquadrome (Chicken Dansak) which is now a tradition in our group when we arrive on the first day for the Land Rover event every July.
The cooked breakfast is worth a try as well!
Seriously a good suggestion re the recipies - I love to cook/bar-b-que when away and my wife loves me to do it.
- Apr 12, 2005
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Hi all,
I was just about to write what colin has just said! We tow with a vauxhall frontera '98 and would have valued some advice when we were looking for a tow car, about which older models have reasonable reviews. We don't have
I was just about to write what colin has just said! We tow with a vauxhall frontera '98 and would have valued some advice when we were looking for a tow car, about which older models have reasonable reviews. We don't have
your quite right graham,however there are alot of reviews on adult only sites and thats great, me and hubby intend to go to one for a break while kiddys stay with rels,but any that are for kids are quite derogatory, I'm sure if I got a job on the mag and started writing reviews on sites especially for "grave dodgers" or "old fogeys" that would be seen as offensive!I too have brought up a lovely 15 year old ,and now have a 3, and a 2 yearold, somes times kids are so obviously causing a disruption maybe they should be asked to leave so as not to ruin the reputation for the rest of them !Maybe a review on good sites for children, where they are welcomed for what they are, get some journalists
to write it who have children and cherish them as I do mine.
- Mar 14, 2005
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Dear Ann,
We have in fact run something along these lines in the form of 'Mobile Munchies' . This series has only recently been put on the back burner (excuse the pun). I really enjoyed putting the recipes together and my family and friends were more than happy to sample the finished results-after the photos had been taken. I can highly recommend the 'Luxury Eggy Bread' in the 2004 Awards issue. It's been cooked in the Wren on a few occasions since. Thanks for your suggestion. Hope you enjoy the 'Foodies Corner' in our new, monthly Great Escape feature. Jennifer- Features Editor
We have in fact run something along these lines in the form of 'Mobile Munchies' . This series has only recently been put on the back burner (excuse the pun). I really enjoyed putting the recipes together and my family and friends were more than happy to sample the finished results-after the photos had been taken. I can highly recommend the 'Luxury Eggy Bread' in the 2004 Awards issue. It's been cooked in the Wren on a few occasions since. Thanks for your suggestion. Hope you enjoy the 'Foodies Corner' in our new, monthly Great Escape feature. Jennifer- Features Editor
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