The Busy Outdoors team visit the 2007 Caravan and Outdoor Leisure Show at the SECC in Glasgow...

This was our first visit to the new season show at the SECC and we were eager to see what the Scottish Caravan & Outdoor Leisure Show had to offer.  This isn't the biggest show of the new season of caravan shows and exhibitions but it did fill three halls of the SECC although we were informed that some of the bigger dealers had stayed away due to the high cost of exhibiting this year.

The power of the internet means there are less surprises in store at these shows but it is always good to see the products in the flesh and it gives an opportunity to have a chat with the manufacturers and bigger players to find out what is going on in the industry.  All the big caravan and motorhome manufacturers were present along with quite a few accessory dealers and distributors.

What took our interest?

I was keen to have a look at the new range of twin axle touring vans from the Explorer Group.  The likes of the Elddis Crusader Sirocco and Storm were on display and attracting quite a bit of interest.  The dealers that I spoke to on the Friday had already taken a couple of orders for these larger family vans and trade looked good.  I must admit to be slightly biased when it comes to interiors and still prefer the very light and airy finish of the new Swift range although in all things caravanning it is very much personal choice.  The new Sprite Quattro was on display and it was pleasing to see some subtle changes including a change to the hinges of the overhead lockers.  Swift have reverted to proper individual sprung hinges as opposed to the plastic friction hinges on previous models.

A moving experience

For those hunting for a few pre-season accessories Towsure had a large stand and seemed to be busy with the more popular items they had brought along.  For those needing other items, Towsure had provided an online ordering facility on their stand.  Most of the caravan mover manufacturers were exhibiting.  I took a special interest in the Reich system and in particular the improvement that had been made to the Reich Move Control.  The driving mechanisms now have protective covers to keep out the grit and muck and the friction rollers now have a machined metal finish promising more grip and traction on the caravan's tyres along with longer life.

Swedish style

In the leisure section, one particular stand caught our eye and that was the Holebrook Clothing display.  Holebrook are a Swedish company whose products include windproof casual wear for both men and women.  If you like the likes of Crewe, Fat Face and Musto clothing, then Holebrook is very much a worthy competitor.  The windproof zippers are casual yet smart and the quality is outstanding as you would expect from a Scandinavian manufacturer.  The prices are also extremely competitive.  The distributor who is from Sweden did a great sales job and I walked out with one of these lovely windproofs!  For the full range take a look at www.holebrook.com

As with all these shows, you generally walk away having missed something but I think we did the show justice and spent at least four or five hours in the halls before retiring for a well earned drink.  One bit of nostalgia for me was spotting the Mirror Weekender sailing dinghy made from GRP.  I started sailing in a Mirror as a boy although this Mirror dinghy is a step change from our old plywood version.  Designed to be car toppable, the GRP version can be sailed, rowed or motored and offers plenty of safe sailing with a high freeboard and excellent stability.  For more details take a look at www.trident-uk.com

Overall

You could never do justice to a show such as this in a few paragraphs but I hope this gives a little flavour of what was a very enjoyable day out.  The SECC didn't feel crowded on the Friday and there was plenty of time and space to view the stands and exhibits in comfort.  Will we be back?  Most certainly and you never know, you may see Busy Outdoors on its own stand in 2008!

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