Caravan offer to Top Gear star
Wednesday 24th June 2009, 8:51AM BST.
Motorhomes. Not good enough for Top Gear presenters?
Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond, who has a passion for blowing up old touring caravans, is being invited to take a break with his family in a luxury caravan holiday home on a five star park in Mid Wales.
Caravan sales company Salop Leisure, which has centres in Shrewsbury and Machynlleth, has thrown down the gauntlet to the TV presenter after reading his book A Short History of Caravans in the UK.
Hammond, who famously cheated death in a jet-powered car crash in 2006, pokes fun at touring caravans and caravan holiday homes in his book, but admits that he has never owned one.
Under the ‘Things to do’ heading, he writes: “A caravan holiday is a wonderful way to bring the family together and bond the way families did before satellite television and PlayStation 3 were invented.”
However, he is less than impressed with caravan holiday homes, adding: “When I see acres of fields full of static caravans two words come to my mind: ‘Eurofighter’ and ‘missile’. Sorry, but they are too ugly to be allowed to live.”
Salop Leisure’s managing director Mark Bebb aims to convert Hammond.
“It’s obvious from his entertaining book, which is full of tongue-in-cheek comments, that he has never experienced the joy of owning either a touring caravan, motorhome or caravan holiday home,” said Mr Bebb.
“If he is going to make informed comments about caravans, he really needs to speak from first-hand experience.”
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So is this ‘offer’ going to be made available to those of us who are not millionaire tv celebs?
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Salop Leisure must have money to burn!
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Of course not you plonker!!!!!!!!
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Who honestly cares what Hammond thinks?
Mark Bebb get a life.
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The point is that Mark Bebb is after a bit of publicity for his company (that’s why he is targeting a millionaire tv presenter rather than the ordinary Joe in the street, naturally), and in these times I can’t say I blame him.
As for Hammond’s book, it sounds to me like he is trying to emulate the style of Jeremy Clarkson!
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We were looking at purchasing a holiday caravan but after this I for one will not be gracing Salop Cravings with my presence. I want a professional not tacky outfit.So Mr Bebb that’s at least one potential sale down, I think they call it shooting yourself in the foot.
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Hammy, I was only asking! Well if these sort of ‘offers’ aren’t open to me I shall take my business elsewhere :-)
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Mark Bebb may have thought that this is a bit of cheap publicity, au contraire
Joe Public and Muggins-Here would be paying to offset any outlay.
Hammy Hammonds brought ‘Oliver’ an Opel Kadett back from Africa, a well known classic car mag is doing it up for him,considering he can more than afford it I don’t buy the mag anymore.
Our £45K motor caravan is due for replacement early next year,I was looking at SL seems I shall be travelling further afield to get my next after this, I have to work hard for my dosh and I won’t be subsidising his leisure time.
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jamie i shall be joining you,i’m currently looking at replacing my motorvan,i’ve always tried to keep my business in the county looks like i shall be travelling to the west mids,mr bebb is fast running out of feet, i make that two he’s shot himself through
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What is with all the negative comments?
I think what Mark is offering is a fair deal to safeguard this industry. At the end of the day, if the next generation of caravaneers decide not take up caravaning because it’s not “cool”. Due to popular TV figures (Not just one, it’s many) miss conceptions of some sort of unchanged 1970′s caravan holiday, then it’s going to be the end of this industry.
So what if Hammend takes them up on their offer and it costs Salop a few hundred pounds, it’s super cost effective advertising and it promotes the profile of the whole industry.
Well Done Mark
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I do not see why the odd few on here are taking their business elsewhere due to mr bebb getting some good cheap publicity, dont get thet one?. However a guy in the uk can expect to live until the age of 78 all being well and as i have only 44years left, on that pearl of wisdom I would not waste it spending any time in a static sardine box or a mobile matchbox and as dear richard has cheated death once i cant see him wishing to waste a minute either.
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Try Lazyday in Market Drayton, they also have a site on the A41 Between Newport and Tern Hill.
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I gather the gist is that they are concerned that they are going to end up paying for someone else who is more than capable of paying their way.
There are a number of companies that I won’t touch with a bargepole because of their decision to give freebies to the already well-off,it’s their choice and mine, as a customer we have the ultimate sanction by going elsewhere and it’s a decision we have to make based on our own principles.
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Will they offer the same holiday to someone who can’t afford it? Someone sick or out of work ? No, thought not!
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I can’t understand all these negative comments. If someone in the public spotlight is criticising the caravan industry, doesn’t it make good sense that a company like Salop challenges the comments? Good luck to Mark Bebb if he gains a bit of publicity from his offer to Richard Hammond. After all it’s putting Shropshire and Mid Wales on the map.
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Ian, Jeff & Baz, must live in a strange parallel universe where companies do no marketing and celebrites never endorse anything. Will they refuse to patronise all companies who engage with celebrites or just local ones? It seems to me that SL was just making a legitimate attempt to convert an anti-caravaner. Being something of a celeb, his voice carries and he would be a useful advocate for the hobby we enjoy
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I’m always loathed to buy anything promoted by a celeb be it Frank Windsor,Joan Whitfield.Jonny Rotten etc,unless they’ve done it for free i.e it’s for charity.
That’ll be £500 paid via my Swiss bank account and can I have the third week in August at Barmouth, usual terms, Mr & Mrs Smith…nudge ,nudge,wink,wink
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I think it’s refreshing to hear good news for a change, and it seems to me the caravan industry is holding its own while other industries are collapsing around us. Anyone who keeps people employed and works to promote their business should be applauded. Well done to Mr Bebb.
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