With a taste for travel particularly in their retired years, Mike Gill, 77 and wife Carole, 76, fondly remember their favourite drive-to destinations. In their top destinations: the rugged landscapes and peaceful fishing villages of Scotland’s Isle of Skye, and the extensive coastlines of rural Norfolk.
OVER the last decade, the couple have enjoyed the ever changing trends across a number of caravans and one motorhome until finally they landed on their current model, the Compass Corona 462.
Well-known as a high-standard and spacious unit for practical and functional caravanning, its mid-market price tag and comfortable two-berth space was the perfect fit for Mike and Carole, who were looking for something small and easy to manoeuvre when setting up camp for a few splendid nights away in their much-loved scenic holiday hotspots.
Vans have changed considerably over the past decade, with Mike recalling that when they started out in caravanning many water and waste systems were manual rather than electric. LED interior lighting that gives greater internal visibility and the addition of solar panels have also made an appearance over time, forging an eco-friendly alternative for holidaymakers.
Mike said: “We’ve seen more modern and white gloss interiors, but for us we prefer the oak style and hardwood finishes that give off a natural, more comfortable appearance, particularly with the right colour upholstery. These days you can simply have motor-movers fitted to ensure a simple flick of the switch parks you up effortlessly on the pitch.”
Residents to Darlington, the Gills are situated perfectly between the North York Moors National Park and the mountain range of the northern Pennines. Local and loyal customers to their favourite dealer Kimberley Caravans, they are sharing in the celebration of its ten-year anniversary at the site in Darlington on March 1st.
Mike continued: “We’ve been customers of Kimberley Caravans for more than a decade, having bought five vehicles in total with them during that time. Their unmatched customer service has kept us coming back for annual services and advice on the very best vans for our now predominantly UK travels.
“We do like to keep up with the latest models as we use them so frequently, travelling around 21 weeks in the year between seasons. We’ve had everything from our current Ford Kuga 4-wheel-drive towing a 6.5m long Compass caravan, before that we had an Auto-Sleeper motorhome and ahead of that, two Swift two-berth caravans. Pre-dating that we had a nearly 8m long Burleigh caravan that was far too big – you couldn’t find anything in it as there were around 20 cupboards!
“The staff at Kimberley are brilliant - during the pandemic we’ve had difficulty getting other firms to assist us with general wear and tear and day to day advice on our vans. With Kimberley, their wonderful team always assist us whatever the issue. One time, I hadn’t seen a staff member in over five years and he still remembered my name and all the finer detail, right down to the exact model and make of caravan I had previously – it’s the personal touch that matters.”
Remembering a traumatic weather event on one of their Scottish highland adventures, Mike said: “I’ve seen what the wind can do with big awnings! We now deliberately travel without one as we once woke up to an entire campsite in chaos, with the awnings blown over the back of every caravan on site! It also helps that our van is plenty for just the pair of us so it’s easy for us to move around after only a few days in one place.”
“For us, it is the freedom that our van brings to us in our later years, our favourite past-time is getting out and about in nature for a walk, witnessing new places and taking in the beautiful and expansive landscapes of the UK and Europe. We used to really enjoy sailing with our son, but it is now more common for us to be found watching the boats sail by on the riverside.
“We’ve been all over the world with our caravans, and for 21 years we’ve been abroad and have usually travelled a minimum of five months every year during the winter season. Having toured Europe, our travels have taken us to Germany, Switzerland, Italy, down to the bottom of France and Spain and back again.”
But with the ongoing challenges that Covid-19 presents and the fond memories of their UK staycation spots, Mike and Carole said they consistently return to the beautiful surroundings of British heritage.
“We adore the sight of crossing the Skye bridge and go back every year to three sites in Oban, Skye and New England Bay (just below Fort Logan).”
The pair intend to start off their 2022 travels with a trip to the small village of Polestead, Suffolk and say they can’t wait to share in more celebrations with Kimberley Caravans as they look toward more travels this spring.
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