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June 08 issue

There is always a really lovely sense of freshness about the UK at this time of year. Spring has well and truly sprung and we have the prospect of a tour-packed summer to come. Of course, one of the best things about the transition from winter is the reappearance of wildlife as everything from bluebells to baby animals start to make themselves known.This issue is a celebration of that as we aim to show you how you can best use your motorhome to get the most out of nature.
With that in mind, I'm focusing this month's column on some great ways that you can get out and about into the countryside, and see the greatest wildlife possible.
by Sarah Wakely

Right Motorhome 4U.co.uk is an online classified directory with hundreds of quality used motorhomes for you to search through, from dealers that can be found throughout the UK.
Each vehicle comes with a full 12 month warranty, damp check and full HPI Check. www.rightmotorhome4u.co.uk

Look where you are going You might remember, from last month, that I mentioned a great two-pot cookery book especially suitable for use in small spaces such as a motorcaravan. The book was written by full-timer Cheryl Foster, who lives in a 23-foot motorhome.
Armcher Productions, Cheryl's company, produces motorhome-related books and products, and, the other day, while looking at the website, I came across a particularly interesting item.
Five-'van sites (see p53 for more information) are great for wildlife as they tend to be smaller and quieter than commercial ones, and are often located on privately-owned farms. The Caravan Club's five-'van sites are called CLs (certificated locations), and Armcher Productions have created some really handy DVD guides to some of the best.
The video clips give you an all-round view of the site, as well as information on facilities available, and other useful details such as whether access is narrow. The DVDs are an independent production but designed to be used in conjunction with the Caravan Club Handbook, to help you choose a suitable site.
The site clips are available on different DVDs, too, so you can pick one that best suits your needs. For instance, you can buy them grouped by region.
There's also a DVD entitled 'Beautiful CLs', which selects the most picturesque: 'Adult-only CLs', 'CLs with walks and cycling' and 'CLs suitable for twin-axles' are among those available.
The DVDs cost £6 each, or £18 for four, or £35 for nine. Alternatively, you can download single videos for 50p each – a great idea if you already know where you'd like to go. For more information, see the Armcher website at www.armcher.com.
l If you'd also like to see videos of commercial campsites, before you book, take a look at our own website www.caravansitefinder.co.uk.

I love watching wildlife, but despite being a country girl at heart I don't know as much about identifying species as I should. So, I was delighted to find this little book.
The Outdoor Pocket Bible is a guide to identifying wildlife, and how best to survive outdoors. There's advice on weather forecasting, navigating without a compass, building a shelter and starting a fire. It's not all about survival, though.
Most interesting is the information on identifying different species of animals by their tracks, finding semi-precious stones, and telling the age of a hedge by the number of plant species within it. There's even a section on wild camping, which, although mainly for those with tents, is also of some relevance to motorcaravanners.

COMPETITION
We have five copies of this book to give away: send an email to me (sarah.wakely@haymarket.com). The first five entries drawn on 30 May will each win a book.

SPECIAL OFFER
If you don't win a copy of The Outdoor Pocket Bible, you can buy one at a special price. Publishers White Ladder Press are offering you the opportunity to buy a copy of the £7.99 book for only £6.50 (incl. p+p): phone White Ladder on 01803 813343 and mention that you saw the offer in Practical Motorhome.

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June 08 issue