Holiday park news round-up: Hendra wins tourism gold

Hendra Holiday Park’s place as one of the finest parks in the UK was confirmed this week after it was crowned Winner of Winners at the annual Cornwall Tourism Awards (CTAs).

Now in their 15th year, the CTAs saw nearly 200 tourism-related businesses from across the county take part. They competed in 25 different categories, from innovation to food and drink.

But it was Hendra Holiday Park that stole the show, picking up gold awards in the sustainable tourism and holiday parks categories as well as the overall winner of winners.

The award winners will be fast-tracked into matching categories in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards, held in February 2017. They may also be invited to represent Cornwall at the national Visit England Awards.

Railway-themed holiday park sells at auction for £261,000

A former holiday park, which features eight chalets from converted rail carriages has sold at auction for £261,000.)

The Brunel Camping Carriages site in Dawlish Warren, Devon, massively exceeded the £125,000-175,000 guide price last week, reports the Torquay Herald Express.

Each converted carriage features a kitchen, living area, bedroom and bathroom and sleeps between 6 and 8 people. The site closed this summer after 50 years.

Holiday park wins £70,000 pay-out from Scottish Water after 6-year battle

A Scottish holiday park that saw part of its site turned into a “crater” after a water pipe burst has won £70,000 in compensation from Scottish Water.

Judges said the water company was at fault, highlighting maintenance failings, when Burnside Caravan Park was swamped when a torrent of water rushed through it back in 2009.

Mud protecting a high-pressure water pipe was washed away by a swollen burn in the village and a joint split, reported the Press and Journal.

Owner Gordon Christie said that after the pipe burst they were left with a “great massive hole, like a crater, where the joint actually split. The banks were washed away and a caravan threatened to fall into the burn”.

After being awarded the pay-out Mr Christie said he was delighted that justice had been done.

“It’s a relief it’s at a conclusion now. It’s been a long, drawn out and costly process. We originally repaired all the work ourselves, which cost about £120,000,” he said.

Reality TV star jailed for stealing from holiday park

A man who starred on reality TV show The Hotel has been jailed after stealing £13,000 from the holiday park where he worked.

Christian Taylor, one of the stars of the Channel 4 programme, was found to have rung up huge bogus refunds for expensive rounds of cocktails at Twitchen House Holiday Park at Mortehoe.

He didn’t turn up at his trial last week at Exeter Crown Court and was sentenced to two years in jail, in his absence, reported the Plymouth Herald.

Taylor, who is now on the run, claimed that he had been set up, alleging that a colleague had altered computer records