Welcome to the Easter edition of the Cover4Caravans newsletter€¦ · 7.00am put toast in the toaster, wait a few minutes until its kind of brown and slap some butter onto it 7.05am

Front Page Get Away To Meet The Team Did You Know Al The Snail A Day In The Life Of …

Caravan Cookbook Caption Competition Gas Safety Calendar Contact Us

On this note, please do send us your holiday photos and reviews to [email protected] – we would love to hear from you. Or upload them to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Cover4Caravans

Win!

This edition you have the chance of winning two fantastic prizes – a Kindle Paperwhite, great for taking on your trips, and a Cadac Safari Chef LP Barbecue enabling you to make light work of your cooking!

Enter our Caption Competition here to stand a chance of winning a Kindle Paperwhite!

Visit our Caravan Cookbook page here to see how you could win the Cadac Barbecue!

Free app!

If you have an android phone, don’t forget to download your free Cover4Caravans mobile app which allows you to access and manage your policy details, get in touch with us, as well as providing access to useful guides and information. You can download it on our home page.

All for a good cause

Finally, if you haven’t bought our quick-read e-Guide to Caravans, you can

get a copy for just 99p from Amazon. It contains some useful tips from insurance to security to loading. The full price goes to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity – a charity that is very close to our hearts at Cover4 - so that is worth it all on it's own.

That’s all for now – we hope you enjoy this latest edition of our newsletter – and Happy Easter!

RichardRichard Burgess, MCIM, ACIEH Director, Cover4Caravans

Follow me on Twitter @cover4caravans!

Time flies and already Easter is nearly upon us! We hope you have some exciting plans for the long weekend and manage to get out and about in your ‘van!

Welcome to the Easter edition of the Cover4Caravans newsletter

Win Kindle Paperwhite

&

Cadac Safari Chef LP Barbecue

Find out how inside!

“My youngest son, Toby, and me”

https://en-gb.facebook.com/Cover4Caravans

https://twitter.com/Cover4Caravans/status/371691954196983808

Whether you’re after traditional family entertainment, adrenaline watersports or somewhere to chill out, Kent’s varied coastline has just the beach or resort – and lots of fantastic caravan and camping sites for you to choose from.

Clean, safe, Blue Flag and award-winners, they’re all here. Share romantic moments beneath ‘the loveliest skies in Europe’, get in touch with nature (and yourself) in stunning wildlife havens, sample the succulent seafood that tempted Julius Caesar to Britain. Here are some ideas...

Day One ThanetRelive the unadulterated bucket-and-spade exploits that made every childhood seaside holiday golden on the Isle of Thanet. Thanet’s 26-mile coastline embraces the resorts of Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate and has 14 sandy bays and beaches, including three in The Independentguide to Britain’s top 50 – Botany Bay,

Joss Bay and Minnis Bay.

Don’t forget a trip to the seaside is incomplete without sampling the local Fish and Chips!

Day Two Whitstable & Herne BayHead towards Whitstable and Herne Bay on the north Kent coast and get a sense of Whitstable’s magic wandering past pretty weather-boarded cottages, main streets packed with crafts shops, delis, butchers and bakers. Whitstable’s engaging arts scene is underpinned by its theatre, museum and gallery.

According to old Kentish tradition Julius Caesar was enticed to Britain by Whitstable’s oysters and their seductively succulent qualities are reason enough to visit today – they’re in season from April until September. Sample them in restaurants, take some home from the harbour, or visit during for the annual summer oyster festival (July).

After lunch visit Herne Bay, lapped by a two-mile stretch of sea with superb beaches. If you want a break from paddling, try crazy golf, the amusement arcades or browsing the largely pedestrianised town centre. The annual Herne Bay Festival (August) features a lively variety of family entertainment and activities, from music and artistic performances to fireworks.

Day Three White Cliffs CountryStretch your legs and your imagination along the world-famous White Cliffs of Dover, which took 80 million years to form. Nowadays the cliffs are home to many species of flora and fauna and are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Ramble public footpaths and breathe in energising views of the English Channel from vantage points along the Heritage Coast.

Also in White Cliffs Country is Samphire Hoe, a wildlife haven reclaimed from the sea. Follow

secluded footpaths, spot rare flowers and birds, then linger over a picnic.

You can while away carefree hours shell hunting and bird watching on the sandy beaches around Dymchurch. The flat countryside here is ideal for gentle walking and cycling, and you can really get away from it all in the hauntingly beautiful landscapes of Romney Marsh or on the unique shingle bank of Dungeness. It’s the largest shingle beach in Europe and around a third of all known plant species grow among the pebbles.

Spring and autumn migratory birds arriving in England head straight for the RSPB Nature Reserve at Dungeness – join them to view some eye-catching natural theatre.

For more information see

www.visitkent.co.uk

Getaway to...

WelCome to

the Kent Coast

Recapture your favourite seaside holidays!





Ben Brook

Lawrence Hill Lisa Byott

Rachel Burton

Natalie Parsons

Sarah Clarke Megan Herbert

Michael Stammers

- Manager Michael Vecic Natalie Hill

(currently on maternity

leave)

Catherine O'Donoghue



Staff photos



Did you know…

With the caravan season nearly upon us, we would like to remind you that if you are planning on using your caravan as a holiday base and then leaving it for a few days onsite while you travel off elsewhere, you MUST let us know! Similarly, if you have to abandon your ‘van due to serious illness which hospitalises you, please make sure we are informed.

This is because in all caravan insurance policies, there is a “not in use” clause. Most tourer owners are unaware of this clause, which, in some cases, could see an insurance claim rejected if the caravan was not in use at the time of the claim.

For example, if you take your tourer on holiday and then leave it where it is pitched and unattended for a few days or more - for example, due to violent illness meaning you go in to hospital, or

when simply pitching up then going off somewhere else - you could find in the event of a claim that you are not covered.

This is because your insurance premiums are calculated on the caravan being stored at a storage site / at home or being lived in while pitched up somewhere. Touring caravan sites are less secure and more easily accessed - so your ‘van is more at risk of being stolen, damaged or broken in to.

If you leave your caravan at a pitch even for a few days, it is important to speak to us and let us know. At least that way we are aware of the circumstances and can advise if there is an additional premium to pay that would give you peace of mind that you are actually covered.

Please feel free to contact us on 0800 9707 172 if you have any questions about your cover.

That using your caravan as a holiday base and going off somewhere else for a few days could invalidate your policy?

Most tourer owners are unaware of this clause, which, in some cases, could see an insurance claim rejected if the caravan was not in use at the time of the claim





You’re late!

At Cover4Caravans, our aim is not only to find you the most suitable and cost-effective cover for your ‘van, but to provide a first class service. Here is some genuine feedback via independent service Feefo from some of our customers. To read more, follow the link on our home page.

“Getting the cover was quick and simple”

“ Excellent service, very competitive price”

“Extremely competitive. Efficient service - would highly recommend you look at them before you

renew with your current provider.”

“ Really friendly, professional service. Cannot recommend high enough. Well done.”

Follow Al the SnAil on FAcebook

AL the Snail What our

customers

are saying!The great thing about being a snail is that I always have a good excuse in being late…





6.30am Alarm goes off, after a few minutes stagger to the shower and then brush my teeth

6.45am throw some clothes on, luckily I don’t have to wear a suit in this office

7.00am put toast in the toaster, wait a few minutes until its kind of brown and slap some butter onto it

7.05am leave a bit early to get to the bus stop early as these bus drivers come at random times

7.15am get on one of the three or four buses that come at the same time

7.25am try and wake up a bit on the bus

7.45am get off the bus, walk to work

7.50am exhausted from the 5 minute walk sign in and sit down!

7.51am get up and make a coffee, never remember this before sitting down

8.00am start insuring some caravans

9.45am by now everyone is here from the early and later shift and Louie and Megan are discuss-ing what was on Radio 1 this morning

10.30am some of the Team are singing songs from the radio. Not knowing the lyrics doesn’t hold back any of the staff as making up lyrics is perfectly acceptable here. We have a nice bal-ance of people here and thankfully they are all friendly and don’t mind me asking questions when I need to!

12.00pm between now and 2:00 people start going on one of the three staggered lunch shifts to maintain enough staff to provide good cus-tomer service

3.00pm everyone’s back from lunch and working again

4.15pm leave the office if there hasn’t been any last minute phone calls to be answered, walk to the bus stop and wait for a bus to arrive

6.20pm my girlfriend arrives round, pull some things out the cupboards and fridge and make up a meal pretending it had been planned, usually involving pasta, pasta sauce, cut up meat and fajita mix

10.00pm get into bed, put on the TV, and start watching something, but not Question Time or anything too brain taxing!

11.00pm wake up realising that the TV is still on and I fell asleep watching something, get up turn it off then go back to sleep.

Monday16thFebruary

Michael VecicCover4Caravans Account Handler






l 2 tbsp sunflower, olive or vegetable oil

l 1 red onion, chopped

l 2 garlic cloves, crushed (we used a tspn of Lazy Garlic)

l 4 carrots, thickly sliced

l 3 parsnips, thickly sliced

l 2 tbsp curry paste or powder

l 1 litre/1 pints vegetable stock

l a mug of red lentils (rinse before use)

l fresh coriander, roughly chopped

l low-fat yogurt and naan bread, to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and soften the onion and garlic for 4 minutes.

2. Add the carrots and parsnips, then turn up the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are golden.

3. Add the curry paste or powder, and the stock and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender and you have a lovely thick sauce.

4. Add the coriander, stir in, then serve with yogurt and naan bread.

enjoy!

If you have anything else lying around in the fridge, such as celery or peppers, simply chop them and add them in too!

ALs Appetizers 1

2

3

Spicy parsnipcasserole

Ingredients

How to

win a cadac Safari chef lP barbecue worth £75!Share your caravan cooking recipe with us and you could win a fantastic cadac Safari chef lP barbecue! this is an extremely popular portable gas barbecue which has taken the outdoor cooking market by storm! with a multipurpose grilling system that lets you cook in five diverse ways, it also comes with its own useful and practical carrying case.

Simply email your recipe to [email protected] or by post to our usual address, together with a photo of yourself and your dish, and your contact details for a chance to win! closing date for entries is 1st June 2015





Thank you to everyone who entered our caption

competition in the last edition! The winner of the last caption competition was Mr Andrew Metcalfe from Scunthorpe who won a Kindle Paperwhite

So for your chance to win this fabulous prize, have a look at the picture above. Please send us your caption via email to [email protected] or post it to us as our usual address. If yours is the winning caption, you will receive a fantastic Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Closing date for entries is 1st June 2015

“That’s it, holiday over and it’s back to the LAB again

last edition's picture...

This month’s captionWhat is this cute fella thinking?





Gas safety in your vanTypically, under the terms of your contract with your insurance provider, you are obliged to keep your caravan and anything inside it well maintained. If you fail to carry out regular checks on your gas equipment and you need to make a claim, it could be rejected.

What do you need to be aware of?If your caravan is used for your own private use only, then, at the time of writing, you are under no legal obligation to have an annual gas safety check.

If your have a static caravan, however, whether you rent it out or not, the site owner may make it a condition of your contract with them that you have an annual gas safety check.

However, given the risk to your health should something go wrong, it might be wise to consider such inspections without wondering whether or not they are compulsory.

You may wish to make sure that you have fire blankets, fire extinguishers and a first aid kit in your caravan – and make sure they are easily accessible.

When are gas safety inspections mandatory?If you are letting your caravan out for the purposes of income generation, then you’ll need an annual safety inspection.

Poor ventilationGas and poor ventilation in a caravan can be an accident waiting to happen if you don’t carry out regular checks, so installing both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can give you extra peace of mind.

Carbon monoxide detectors detect this dangerous gas and give a loud audible alarm to alert you to possible danger, so are needed in addition to smoke detectors. They are modestly priced and they may be a sensible safety investment.

Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odourless and colourless gas that is given off as a waste product of many forms of combustion – and can kill you very quickly unless it is adequately and professionally vented from things such as gas heaters and cooking devices. This is why you should never tamper with such appliances or try DIY type installations.

Finally, please note that this is not qualified legal or gas safety advice but is a gentle reminder on what you need to consider when keeping your ‘van and its occupants safe. You should ensure you understand your own individual circumstances by consulting a registered engineer or qualified legal adviser.

Sadly, fires in caravans and static homes in particular, are not uncommon. And while sometimes these things simply do happen through no fault of your own, sometimes there could be incidences where you could be found to be at fault.





the cover4 team

Michael StammersManager

natalie hill Account Handler

Sarah clarkeAccount Handler

ben brookAccount Handler

Megan herbertAccount Handler

louie DaviesAccount Handler

lawrence hill Account Handler

Rachel burtonAccount Handler

catherine o’Donoghue Account Handler

natalie ParsonsAccount Handler

Ann thompson PA to Directors

Richard burgess Director

cover4caravan home

Baxter Building80 Baxter AvenueSouthend on SeaEssex SS2 6HZ

team number:

0800 9707172 (freephone)

Fax:

01702 606 367

email:

[email protected]

website:

www.cover4caravans.co.uk

Follow us at:

what’s on?here are some events coming up in the next few months that you may be interested in. All details correct at time of going to press, but do check that an event is still running before you leave!

24 April - 4 MayWest Midlands Caravan and Motorhome Spring Show 2015Salop Leisure, Emstrey, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 6QS

15 – 17 MayThe Southern Motorcaravan ShowNewbury Showground, Chieveley, Berkshire, RG18 9QZ.

6 - 7 JuneUK Summer Motorhome & Caravan Show Kent Showground (Detling) – ME14 3JF 19 - 21 JuneThe Motorhome Show - Stratford-Upon-Avon, Luddington Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 9SE

This newsletter was produced by ‘iamyourdesigner’Mobile: 07969 663 847Email: [email protected]

Cover4Caravans is the trading name of Alan Blunden & Co. Ltd. Alan Blunden & Co. Ltd are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and our registration number is 309694



Calendar of

events

2015



Documents

Welcome to the Easter edition of the Cover4Caravans newsletter€¦ · 7.00am put toast in the toaster, wait a few minutes until its kind of brown and slap some butter onto it 7.05am