50 things to do in 2015, in association with The Caravan Club (part one)

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Soar the skies, live it up in London, or even drive a train on your next caravan holiday

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Don't forget to head back to the 50 Things in 2015 homepage for parts two, three, four and five of our list, and make sure you match up the trips below with Caravan Club campsites too.

1 Fly high at a balloon fiesta, Bristol, North Somerset

Since the event was first held in 1979 it has become the largest of its type in Europe, attracting teams from as far away as New Zealand. The fiesta, which is free to watch, is held over four days in the first half of August, starting on a Thursday and attracting some 500,000 members of the public.

You can watch the famous mass ascents where as many as 100 balloons launch at a time. These take place twice a day, at 6am and 6pm, subject to weather conditions. Another popular attraction is the night glow, when balloons glow to music after dark. These are held on the Thursday and Saturday nights and are followed by spectacular fireworks displays.

The fiesta attracts many exhibitors, caterers, and entertainments. According to the organisers, 90% of visitors intend to return the following year. TO

T 0906 711 219 (Calls charged at 50p/min)
W bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk

2 Take notice of nature, Chirk, Welsh Wales

Lady Margaret’s Park is a pretty, wooded parkland site with glades in dappled shade, and one of 43 sites designated by the Club to boost biodiversity.

Each has a checklist of flora and fauna you may see, which you can fill in and return on departure. At St Margaret’s, this includes the owls, woodpeckers, slow worms, badgers and red squirrels, plus orchids, fungi and a bevy of butterflies.

The Club has been running the scheme since 2006 to help members and wardens get more out of the wildlife and nature that surround them, and to create areas which encourage insects and wild flowers to flourish.

In 2015 we’ll be halfway through the United Nations’ decade on biodiversity. It's the perfect time to pitch on a wildlife-friendly site. LM

T 01691 777200
W caravanclub.co.uk

3 Turn the clock back to the 1940s, Havenstreet, Isle of Wight

Weekends celebrating the 1940s didn’t stop on New Year’s Eve 1949. Up and down the country, the clock is being turned back on a regular basis. Vintage vehicles and attire are all part of the process but attention to detail at the Isle of Wight’s 1940s Experience went above and beyond, with Spitfires, spivs and spam on the café menu.

The kids loved the steam train and with rides just a ticket away, it’s possible to let the train take the strain. Arriving back at the station the show is in full swing with American-style Lindy Hoppers, a Naafi wagon and a selection of WWII motorcycles.

Weaving his way through the crowds is Viv the Spiv who, as the name suggests, is selling an array of black market items such as nylons, cigarettes and watches and, to sweeten the deal, he’s also offering a free fitting service for the stockings… LD

T 01983 882204
W iwsteamrailway.co.uk

4 Think board, not bored!

On a rainy day in the caravan, when the wi-fi is down and the kids are whinging, get out that board game you were given last Christmas and haven’t got round to playing. What looked ‘just too complicated’ in a house filled with other distractions, has a whole new appeal in the confines of your caravan, with the rain hammering to get in.

Here are two waiting for their moment in the sun (or rain) in our household: Carcassonne and Stratego. Or have a go at Uno or Bananagrams, favourites of the Sootheran family. And no caravan should be without a couple of packs of cards – they take up very little space and could provide hours of entertainment, from Chase the Ace to Bridge. And, for its name alone, Caravan, a two-player card game inspired by role-playing video game, Fallout. LM

5 Go skydiving indoors! Head to Basingstoke, Milton Keynes or Manchester

As my indoor skydiving session approaches, I’m nervous, but I needn’t have worried! We receive training, get dressed in jump suits, helmets and goggles, and watch other people ‘flying’ before taking our turn.

The wind pressure is more gentle than I’d imagined and flying is quite easy. I bump into the sides but the instructor reels me back in and offers guidance.

I opt for the high-fly which means the instructor takes me up to the top of the tunnel. He spins me round and suddenly we’re rising at a terrifying speed. My adrenaline soars and I’m pleased to come back down! The second and third high-flies are each less frightening than the last!

The basic package, which keeps you a few feet off the ground, is suitable for anyone who’s healthy. A small child is ‘flying’ while we’re there! You get four minutes of flight time and the whole experience lasts about an hour. SK

T 0845 331 6549
W airkix.com

6 Board the Royal Yacht, Edinburgh, Lothan

The Queen cried in public when the Royal Yacht was decommissioned in 1997. Britannia had been home to Her Majesty and the Royal Family for more than 40 years, sailing over one million miles around the world. According to TripAdvisor, the ship was voted the UK’s number one attraction in a poll, and attracts some 300,000 visitors each year.

You can see where the Royal Family worked, relaxed, slept and entertained. Guests included many famous people such as Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Rajiv Gandhi and, of course, Charles and Diana took their honeymoon aboard Britannia in 1981.

There are five main decks to explore. As well as the state apartments you can visit the crew’s quarters and the engine room. You can even take refreshments in the Royal Deck tearoom, situated where the Royal Family enjoyed drinks receptions, sumptuous buffets, or played deck games. TO

T 01315 555566
W royalyachtbritannia.co.uk

7 A day in the capital, London

How about London? Yes, the capital city. There are at least five campsites within the M25 that offer a cheap alternative to hotel prices and, of course, it’s home from home for caravanners who have everything to hand. The Crystal Palace CC site is less than seven miles from the iconic Tower Bridge.

A number 3 bus goes from outside the site and within 30 minutes you are in Oxford Circus. A bonus for keen photographers is that you can take photographs early in the morning before all the influx of tourists snapping away, and you can get great atmospheric photos without anyone in the scene.

Look out for the ‘Bullet’ caravan, right next to Tower Bridge and used as a retro café. It’s got to be the smallest pitch in the capital! PH

8 Join English Heritage

One year ago, my husband and I became members of English Heritage because we wanted to check out some of the fantastic historic places in its care. Since taking out membership, we’ve been to Kenilworth Castle, Whitby Abbey, Grimes Graves, Wrest Park, Battle Abbey, Carlisle Castle, Birdoswald Roman Fort, Housesteads Roman Fort, Pevensey Castle and Hailes Abbey.

We’ve also become aware of the many smaller English Heritage properties that are free to visitors, whether you’re a member or not. Of these, we’ve visited Donnington Castle, Belas Knap Long Barrow, Great Witcombe Roman Villa, Nympsfield Long Barrow, Uley Long Barrow, Silchester Roman City, Binham Priory, Creake Abbey, Minster Lovell Hall, and Thetford Priory.

It’s been an exhausting year of caravanning delights, but our English Heritage membership has definitely been worthwhile. We look forward to many more years of visiting ancient buildings and brushing up on our history! SK

W english-heritage.org.uk

9 Drive a train

Moseley Museum in Redruth is home to a narrow gauge railway and a collection of locomotives that were once used in historic mines, and later rescued by railway enthusiasts. The collection of wagons and locomotives has grown over the years to include a prototype model, the Murdoch Flyer, a steam road locomotive that never went into production. There are also traditional mining engines and wagons, which run along half a mile of track on this Cornish farm.

The highlight of a visit is when the museum owner, Colin Saxton, offers visitors the opportunity to drive the engine themselves. He takes me up the track around his farm, and lets me nervously drive the engine back to base. It’s all a bit of fun, but is a little bit hair-raising going around the corners! SK