A weekend of Downhill!

So it was an early morning start to head down into the Dartmoor forest. Me and 2 friends had packed up our van with bikes, gear, tents, food etc and were on our way down to what has been hyped as the premier downhill mtb location in the UK.

We headed to Princetown where we were staying and speedily set up the tent in a pub garden. Then we jumped back in the van and headed to Gawton woods. Gawton has been set with the help of lottery funding and was built, with help, by Rowan Sorrel who has built countless top trail centers in Wales.

We were greeted by a very large welsh chap who we bought a weekend riding pass off then headed into the woods. Now at the start of the trails we were told to head down HSD first as it was the easiest trail. This was a fast passed trail littered with jumps, rocks and a huge potential for speed, a good thing in my books!

After a few runs down HSD I was itching to try the harder graded Super Tavi and Egypt trails. Super Tavi was again a fast trail but this time it was interspersed with technical sections and much larger jumps. Then onto the Egypt trail and I have to say it’s the closest I have gotten to riding a European style trail in the UK. It was steep, tight and technical most of the way down, just how I like trails to be! The push up back to the top was just over a mile so after about 6 runs we were exhausted and all looking forward to heading back to the pub for dinner.

Back at the pub the car park was full of American cars. It seemed there must have been some sort of car meet on at the pub. We managed to find a table and tucked into some delicious, filling food that was cheap too! After the early start and day riding we soon headed off into the tent to sleep.

Next morning and we headed to Tavistock Woodlands which is run by the same team at Gawton. The trails here were well marked and offered a real mix in terrain. They are shorter but this means pushing up is quicker so you can do more runs. After spending the morning here we had a break for lunch and then headed back to Gawton. This time we went straight onto the harder graded trails. After blasting them both it was unfortunately time to call it a day. We packed up the van which now had began to smell from all the sweaty body armor and clothing and headed back to Bournemouth but not before stopping at a pub on the way back for a well deserved pint.

How to buy a VW Campervan (apparently) Part 2

The day was a Thursday, the sun was out and I was up way before I would normally have deemed acceptable. But there was a good reason for this, today was the day that I was going to look at the campervan I had spent weeks researching and I had been looking forward to this moment.
I had arranged to meet my friend Nick at Oxford train station so we could begin the road trip down to Bristol. I came prepared for him with flavoured water and M&S sandwiches in hand (I’m a great friend aren’t I!) while he came prepared for me with work van and steering wheel in hand (he’s a great friend isn’t he!). We set off after inputting the postcode of my new bff Jeremy into the sat nav and spent the first 45 minutes catching up on what was happening in each other’s lives and reminding each other how much better we had now we weren’t living in the same house anymore.
We got to Bristol with plenty of time to spare but we still had to find Jeremy’s house which was in a tiny little village 5 mins outside of Bristol, in a beautifully named village called Barrow Gurney. I have always loved little villages like this with names like Barrow Gurney, Pratts Bottom, Land of Nod and Thong although to anyone not from this country may find them slightly weird!
After spending 30 minutes trying to work out how to get over the river Avon we discovered we could actually go across the huge transport bridge that continually had a sign up that said it was closed (thanks a lot Bristol Council!). We got to Barrow Gurney and pulled up at Jeremy’s house, which was lovely and went to find Jeremy.
Now when I speak to someone on the phone who I don’t know I tend to play a game with myself which basically entails trying to guess what they look like. Well I have never been very good at it but with Jeremy I was spot on! Having guessed that he was a surfer dude with long hair and a laidback way of life, I was very impressed with myself when someone walked towards me who looked like a surfer dude, with long hair and a laidback gait. This was Jeremy and this was, Edd 1 Telephone game 0....back of the net!
He opened up the garage to reveal the beautiful campervan that lived in there and when I say beautiful I mean beautiful. If it was possible for me to be in love with an automobile this is the feeling I would have, it was light blue and white, had an I-pod dock and an engine that roared like a lion (if that lion was born in 1967).
This was the time for Nick to step up to the plate, he looked the van over, checked for oil leaks, rust, any kind of bodge job and then we went out to take it for a test drive. The van was brilliant, it was fun to just sit in it and when Nick was driving he had a permanent smile on his face. This was it, the search was over and we had found our VW Campervan.
I shook Jeremy’s hand and the deal was done. We headed back to Oxford and the boss wrote out a cheque to make the van officially ours.

Keep an eye out for the Campervan, now the British Leisure Show mascot (any name suggestions are welcome) and say hello if you see it. And if you’re ever in the market for a VW Campervan remember the most important things to look out for are:

1) Character over modern
2) Not too many television
3) Cow names are always good
4) Telephone face game
5) And only buy from a random village with a random name

All very important and technical points I’ll think you agree.

How to buy a VW Campervan (apparently) Part 1

It all started one sunny day in June, with the boss saying "Edd, we need an old style Volkswagen T2 "Split Bay" Campervan", this is not something that my fragile, inexperienced ears had ever heard before. So being a novice to all things automobile, not to mention Volkswagen campervan'obile, I set to work on the research.
My first task, was to see whether you could have power steering fitted to said campervan without comprimising the drive, you could not...apparently. My second task was to decide on brand new import or old school van that had been done up. This was the trickiest decision, but after much deliberation we decided on old school, this was down to what everyone I had talked to called "character". Character apparently is a very important thing when it comes to buying a Volkswagen campervan, due to the fact you have "conversations" with your vehicle and name it things like "Daisy", "Mildred" and "Ermintrude" (personally I thought these were names of cows). Anyway I digress, having spent weeks and I mean WEEKS looking for a T2 Splitty (which is what us experts, as I was by now, call them) I stumbled upon an old Motorola Van that was deep purple and had a beautifully remade engine, no rust and windscreen windows that opened out (my personal favourite part of the van). I immediately e-mailed the boss suggesting possibly that this was the van for us, I liked it because it was kitted out with huge speakers and t.v's and dvd's galore. I awaited the reply with baited breath and excitement....
An hour later I had a reply; "Dear Edd, I love it, brilliant, the only problem is, I don't like the fact its kitted out with huge speakers, t.v's and dvd's galore. Look again." DAMN.
Back to the drawing board. I spent hours more looking online and stumbled upon a lovely little website called http://www.vwcampercrazy.co.uk/, here I found two beautiful looking vans. The first one, was a purple coloured Splitty, which looked a great deal, but it didn't have a "rock and roll" bed which was one of the requirments of our van. The second Van I found I fell in love with straight away. It was light blue, had a rebuilt engine, the rust had been completely treated and the all important rock and roll bed was fitted...YAY!
I got the phone number of the guy that was selling, a lovely guy who lived in Bristol called Jeremy and rang him. "Hello is that Jeremy", I asked "Yes" he so eloquently replied, I knew we were going to be friends from the off. "Can I please come and have a look at your van that you have for sale?", "yes" once again came the reply, I was liking him more and more. So we arranged that I would come down with my car enthusiast friend Nick, look the van over, take it for a test drive and if all was well put an offer in for the almighty beast.....to be continued

Official launch of the British Leisure Show

On Wednesday 15th July, I was very proud to see hundreds of guests attend the Official Launch of the first ever British Leisure Show. It marked a very significant moment for me, my team, and all the participating companies and organisations.

The night before, every member of my team was feeling a huge sense of anticipation. After battling to erect the last few 20ft promo flags, we sat down around a barbecue and enjoyed a few beers, with the best spare ribs I’ve tasted in years. Thank you Mr. Holliman for such hospitality under the awning of your beautiful motorhome!

At 5.30am, having been awake for a couple of hours, I prepared to greet Maggie Philbin and the BBC Radio Berkshire team. Maggie broadcast LIVE from the venue that morning, and the next few hours flew by as I helped to demonstrate the fundamental differences between camping in tents and sleeping in luxurious motorhomes. I think the high point of the day for me was at 7.30 am when I found myself sitting next to Maggie on a leopard skin duvet cover in a Bell Tent; not at all what I had been expecting, but a memory that I’ll treasure. I un-zipped the entrance, and followed Maggie out feeling like a new man.

I’ve certainly had my share of high points in life, including marrying Sarah and seeing the birth of my two beautiful sons, George and Harry. But I can honestly say that I felt a similar sense of pride when I addressed the assembled guests at the Official Launch of the British Leisure Show, as I knew just how significant the moment was.

I shared my feelings about some of the key driving factors behind the concept of the new British Leisure Show. I explained that we are delivering a new type of event, a Show specifically tailored to the demands and needs of both our visitors and exhibitors.

I regard the Show as something of a solution. I can see how it will provide a great value family experience for anyone looking for fresh ideas about enjoying leisure time in Britain, and I can see it providing a real business solution for many companies that are looking to discover cost-effective ways to meet new customers.

In a very short space of time, my team has tripled in size, and I now manage one of the few businesses in the country which is expanding and creating new job opportunities. The whole team is highly motivated, and with the support of our proud sponsors, partners and exhibitors, we will be creating a hugely positive force for the future.

If you haven’t already, join us! We have a lot to look forward to...

What kit to buy....

Well, we still haven’t joined a dive club yet but we have met some very enthusiastic people who have invited us out. The only minor problem is that we need to get some of our own kit, most centres will hire out wetsuits, BCD’s, tanks etc however it is always better to have your own. We have today established that buying everything in one hit is going to set us back about £1000 each…ouch! So it is going to be back to the drawing board to decide what is an absolute must have and what can go on the birthday and Christmas present list…

Funny photos!

I have just been through our holiday photos and have found some very funny unflattering pictures of me looking like a geeky librarian attempting to dive care of my Cressi Prescription Goggles...oops, mask. It doesn’t matter how hard I try, I am never going to look chic and sporty in my dive kit!!!

Anyway, I am still investigating local dive centres but the weather at the moment just isn’t helping my enthusiasm….

Bravely stepping into the underwater world!

Well, I am not the most ‘out-doorsey’ person in the world, so when I was told ‘you need to do something new and active’ I immediately panicked and poured myself another glass of wine. The extent of my outdoor living is doing some very mediocre pot-gardening on the balcony and if I am feeling particularly energetic, I walk to my local pub.

Long-suffering ‘A’ (my other half) had been talking about doing his PADI course for ages but had never quite made it to the dive centre, so as we were about to disappear off to Mallorca for two weeks I thought what better present than a day’s Discovery course at El Buceo in Port Andratx.

As it turned out, this was an inspired present! ‘A’ convinced me that I should have a go too (which I have to say, I was not particularly enthusiastic about). Well, we arrived on Sunday morning with absolutely no idea what to expect – we were met by our fabulous instructor Matthias who sat us down with a cup of coffee and explain the numerous things that could go wrong with diving – this did not help my underlying fear… (He did also tell us, if you do everything properly then nothing will go wrong). Anyway, we were then kitted out with wet suits, BCD’s, tanks and regulators (oh, and about half a ton of weights to make us sink) and taken to the shallow waters just off the beach where we learnt how to breath as well as the absolute basics to diving.

One thing I must put in at this point is that ‘breathing’ is not as obvious as you would expect – every piece of me wanted to hold my breath and not breathe, which is an absolute NO NO when diving! It took my body a while to be convinced that the perfectly good tank of air on my back was for using….

So that afternoon, we heaved us and our kit onto the boat and were taken 10 minutes out of Port Andratx to a beautiful little bay called S’Aquillot where Matthias took us into the water and showed us the wonders of the underwater world. After 40 minutes in the water (which seemed like about 5) we re-emerged on the surface, both of us bowled over by the sight of the biggest Octopus ever and a Moray Eel. That afternoon we signed up for the PADI Open Water Course which then took over the second half of our holiday.

What started out as a one-day-see-if-you-like-it course, turned into a get-your-qualification-and-then-dive-as-much-as-you-can course! By the end of our holiday we had done 9 dives, been down to 18 metres, swam with barracudas, acted as victims for the rescue diver course, oh, and did a little bit of homework for our qualification! It was by far and way the best thing I have ever done.

So now that we are back in the UK I am desperately trying to sort out diving off the slightly chillier Dorset coast. I have already started ‘borrowing’ the office copy of Diver Magazine to learn more about the world of diving and am investigating the different dive centres locally.

My First Challenge

For my first challenge, I decided to take part in a 12 mile sponsored charity walk from Broughton to Salisbury Cathedral in Hampshire. I’m definitely not an active person and so although it wasn’t a marathon, it would still require some training and definitely push me beyond my comfort zone of sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine watching a movie! The best thing is its free, what a bonus!! And there was the added appeal of spending the day with friends, having a picnic, enjoying the views and just generally having a giggle whilst toning my legs, bum and tum! As the walk was for a charity, there was no way I wasn’t going to complete it, the feeling of failure would be worse than the gruelling miles ahead of me.

As much as my legs ached for those last couple of miles (and the next few days), I can honestly say I loved it and will definitely be enjoying more walks in the future. The walk itself was spectacular and so much fun, even with the daunting hills that were determined to dampen our mood! By the end i was cursing them! However everyone was in fantastic spirits and it definitely helped that I achieved it with friends as we encouragingly kicked each other up the bum to keep going. The feeling of achieving this definitely made up for all the aches and pain and i'm now looking forward to attempting my next challenge. Bring it on!!

Major investment for new consumer Show encouraging for leisure industry

Following the launch of the British Leisure Show, MD James Brooke explains the key to attracting new investment with a formula for a new 'Super-Show'.

"We're living in challenging economic times, yet the demand for many outdoor leisure activities and products has never been higher. Participating in outdoor leisure activities in the UK isn't just affordable, it's convenient."

"I think the global economic climate is providing creative and highly motivated businesses with an exciting opportunity to find new formats for running businesses in the future. Our formula for a 'Super-Show' is based around offering visitors and exhibitors what they want at a spectacular venue."

The Camping and Caravanning Club announced as Show Partners

Organizers of the 2010 British Leisure Show have announced a new partnership with The Camping and Caravanning Club.

Commenting on the new partnership, Show MD James Brooke said, "This is a fantastic partnership that will be of huge benefit to our visitors and exhibitors. We're providing the opportunity for visitors to camp on-site for the duration of the Show, and we're delighted that The Camping and Caravanning Club will bring their professionalism and support to the stunning setting of the Royal Windsor Racecourse. We're welcoming visitors with all unit types, and we're anticipating a very high demand. Bookings will be taken from 1st July."

Membership Activities Manager of The Camping and Caravanning Club, Damien Field said, "We're delighted to be partnering with the British Leisure Show, and that The Club is able to extend our services and offer campers a high level of service. We have over 470,000 members and we're sure that many of them will be keen to visit the Show."

Pictured (from left): Martin Rock of The Camping and Caravanning Club, and Show MD James Brooke.