NEWSLETTER

ISSUE NO 58December 2016

Chairman: Mark Snowden Vice Chairman: Gill Stevens

Treasurer: Charles ChodkowskiMembership Secretary: Jacqui ChodkowskiRally Co-ordinator: Richard MossNewsletter: Katherine ElliottWeb Master Eric Gould

www.laikaclub.com

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Chairman’s Chat

Chris and I have just returned from another successful rally in Southport. Ian and Lesley Dewey wereorganising events but had to pull out through ill health (hope yo’re feeling well now Ian) but John Pilkingtonused his local knowledge to do an excellent job in their absence, ably accompanied by Richard our rallyCoordinator.

Attending rallies doesn’t suit every Laika club member but it is an important opportunity for new members,(and the more established ones) to get the best out of different locations, both here and abroad and establishor develop friendships. I know Richard uses his extensive knowledge of camp sites and spends a great deal oftime planning the yearly programme, visiting new sites and coaxing members, at times, to ensure every rallyhas stewards in place. Thank you Richard and all those who have acted as stewards throughout the year.

Our final rally of the year in early December at Teversal will also be our AGM and my last days as Chair beforeGill Stevens takes my place. Gill has already displayed an impressive range of skills, running rallies withmilitary precision and acting as Chair in my absence. I’m sure I won’t be missed!

I know Kath likes to send the December newsletter to members before the AGM so for those who areattending and haven’t seen the reminder on the website or the mention in my Chat in the Septembernewsletter, we do intend holding a ‘Car Boot Sale’ of motorhome spares and accessories, so have a look inthe cupboards and garage and see what hasn’t been used in a year or two and bring it along.

Kath spends a great deal of time and effort putting together the quarterly newsletters and always ensuresthey are packed with as much information as possible - but she does rely on members supplying her with thecontent, so can I remind you, on her behalf that any items/articles/tips/photos/experiences of motorhomenature you feel can be shared through the newsletters can always be forwarded toI’m hoping that (in the nicest possible way) our Treasurer and Membership Secretary, Charles and Jacqui willhave a busier time with club affairs this coming year, assuming they are re-elected of course. I say thatbecause the signs are that Laika sales in the UK are increasing. I have liaised with Southdowns in Portsmouth,EmmBee’s in Manchester and Camper UK in Lincoln so a Laika Club of GB membership form is an integral partof the Handover Pack with every new or used Laika sold. There were certainly more Laika models and staff ondisplay than ever before, I saw at least five staff from Laika HQ in Italy at the NEC (four more than I have everseen) so maybe they are serious about making an impact here. They certainly appeared willing to help us as aclub and gave me a direct contact should we require their support. Laika are not envisaging any price increaseuntil January at the earliest, despite the current value of the pound and there are a much larger number ofnew Laika motorhomes available for immediate delivery.

I haven’t discussed this with Eric, our Website Guru, but I guess one way Laika and indeed the Dealers mightsupport us and in turn, themselves is by advertising on our website? If they knew we were getting over 8000hits a month, they might be encouraged to invest? I couldn’t even begin to approach them if we didn’t havesuch a popular website, so thanks Eric, for keeping on top of things, continually reviewing the contents andfinding ways to improve the website. Long may it continue?

What the past 2 years as Chairman has taught me is that there are members who devote large chunks of theirown time for the good of the Laika Club. This small number is supplemented by those who volunteer theirservices as rally stewards thoughout the year and in parting, I salute you all. Thank you for your efforts andsupport.

Mark Snowden - departing Chair, December 2016

Rally Report Tuscany September 2016

The Italian Rally was organised from 10th – 24th September to visit the new Laika factory south west ofFlorence, the city of Florence, the Tuscany coast and countryside. The Rally also gave members theopportunity to extend their trip individually, to visit other attractions, regions and islands if desired.2 sites were booked in advance – a coastal campsite south of Livorno and a site some 40 minutes bus ridefrom the centre of Florence.

Family commitments, personal injuries andmotorhome maintenance problemsprevented a number of ‘signed up’ membersmaking the trip. Nevertheless, the Rally wentahead and Chris and I signed in at Molino aFuoco ahead of other rally members toprepare for their arrival. We were greeted tobright sunshine in the early afternoon whichrequired the awning out to prevent us fromfrying. The private beach was a short walkaway and the sea proved considerablywarmer than the outdoor pool on site despiteit being an ideal sun trap. The smallsupermarket provided all the essentials andthe restaurant food was of a very goodstandard. However, we quickly realised thathaving a fridge freezer onboard was, alone, too much for the standard 4amp electricity to cope with andopted for the 10amps at an additional 1:50 Euros per day. Within 2 minutes of returning to the van on ourfirst afternoon, the wind blew and the rain fell in biblical proportions. As Chris was with her umbrella inone hand and the awning in the other as I struggled to wind the awning in, I couldn’t help thinking of abedraggled Mary Poppins in danger of being swept up into the stratosphere!

Fortunately, the warm, dry weather shortly returned and stayed with us as Brian and Teresa and Tim andKatrina arrived a few days later. Paul and Ruth Lawrence were delayed as Southdowns made finalpreparations for the handover of their new van so they met up with us at our second campsite, Il Poggio.

Il Poggio was a well equipped terraced siteand was used on the last Laika factory visitmany years ago. It now boasts newtoilet/shower blocks, restaurant and shop.The site was higher and cooler at night andwe experienced what seemed to bemandatory downpours which lasted the bestpart of 3 days. It turned the terraces into acascade of waterfalls flowing through themiddle of pitches, taking tables, chairs andpets with them. These dried to leave amuddy version of the volcanic Pompeiiexcavations with randomly scattered plasticpatio sets but the ground was soon dry andthe sun was out…for a while.

There was a bus stop into Florence just outside the campsite and the journey was a once in a lifetimeexperience. Italian bus drivers appear to be Formula One apprentices trained to get from A to B in theshortest possible time leaving all other vehicles in their wake, making maximum use of the full width ofthe road and diverting all on-coming traffic into side streets or walls as they approach.

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WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

Brian and Janine Robins,

Murray and Karen Chissholm,

The factory visit was arranged towards the end of the rally and thanks must go to Martina Millotti at Laika fororganising the tour and refreshments. Unfortunately, owners were directed to their dealers for any runningrepairs that were required but the processes and production appeared to be interesting.

Disappointingly, Chris and I missed the factory visit and had to leave the rally early to return to the UK forfamily reasons but not before we were able to organise a meal out to celebrate together and wonder whenthe last Laika Rally(no matter how small), consisted entirely of Laika motorhomes?

Mark and Chris Snowden

The small numbers on the rally made it more conducive for couples to follow their own itinery once all theoptions were made available and places visited included Siena, The Isle of Elba, Pisa, San Gimignano, CinqueTerre, Florence and the new Laika factory.

Laika Factory Visit

We toured through Chianti towns to reach the Laika factory. Our coordinates got us to the town and thenguesswork to the huge modern factory on the hill. Apparently they found Roman remains when building thefactory so much delay whilst remains moved to the new archaeology park funded by Laika.

We saw the progression of materials and vans through the factory. The chassis is strengthened and extendedand then it is built from the inside out with the walls going on last.

Martina pointed out the quality processes. Things like insulation on top of the wheel arches and the puncturedheating hose to allow small amounts of hot air throughout the van, not just the outlets. All the plumbing isdomestic size to avoid blockages instead of the usual ribbed flexible hose used by others. Overhead projectorswere used to show positioning of parts onto wall panels – the number of components making up a blank sidepanel is amazing. Vehicles are built in batches of 5 to ensure consistent build quality. We were entertained todrinks and nibbles before leaving.

Katrina Lancaster

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Have You Checked Your Valves?

Not a medical question – a mechanical one that may just avoid a major disaster.

Over the past few months I’ve come across a number of articles where motorhomers have describedwhat appeared to be a tyre blow-out only to discover after closer examination that it was the valveseating that had split.

I can now add my own lucky escape to these unfortunate drivers. After a long drive through Franceand the Mount Blanc tunnel we were just sitting down to our evening meal on a quiet campsite inItaly next to a rushing river when the noise of (what we thought was) the river suddenly increased. Asmy soup slopped over the rim of the bowl and the rear half of the van sunk to a new level on thepassenger side I quickly realised we’d suffered a blow-out. Unfortunately, our realisation wassomewhat faster than our Scottish neighbours who had defied the local mozzies and were half waythrough their meal not two yards away from our exploding tyre! Poor old Archie’s hair looked as if hehad just finished a long motorbike ride with no helmet and his wife rushed off for the defribulatorbefore she realised what had happened!

European RAC efficiently organised a lowloader that arrived as promised, at 9 am thefollowing morning, pulled the van onto it anddrove us, expertly negotiating theoverhanging trees, road signs and trafficlights of Aosta, to a local garage. All valveswere replaced with the appropriate ones, aswere two tyres and we departed well beforemidday with a lighter load to the tune ofalmost 500 Euros! (Top Tip – tyres getchanged a lot quicker when you can find thelocking wheel nut to remove the wheel andnegate the need for over 2 hours with a coldchisel instead of a spanner).

The moral of this tale is that ordinary car valves are not suitable for motorhomes because of theadditional weight and tyre pressure. Many tyre depots do not currently give drivers the option of themetal lorry type tyre valve because of the additional £10 cost.

Safe drivingMark Snowden

To get you all in the mood for Christmas - cracker jokes!!

Q What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa?A A rebel without a clause!

Q What does Santa bring naughty boys and girls on Christmas Eve?A A pack of batteries with a note saying ‘’toy not included’’!

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Willowbank Holiday Park, Ainsdale, near Southport - Rally report

What a surprise 21 members came to the Southport Rally from all over the country. It was good to see you allas some I had not seen for a long time .The weather was not too bad, sun and showers, but this did not stop usexploring Liverpool, Southport, Formby and Crosby. The campsite was pleasant and wooded with goodpitches and a 5 minute walk to the bus stop.

On Friday night 19 of us had dinner at the Sparrowhawk pub and restaurant, a 10 minute walk from the site.The meal was excellent and service first class considering we individually ordered on arrival , we all sat togetheron one long table in the conservatory.

I was the tour guide having caught the bus into Liverpool with a few members . We walked through the citycentre into Liverpool and the new shopping centre crossing over to the Albert Docks. We boarded the hop onhop off city tour bus with a tour guide on board who then explained the sites and attractions of the city.Afterwards everyone went off to explore while I went to Mathew Street to the famous Cavern Club for a drinkand to listen to the free music.

As usual those of us who cycle had to get outand explore the cycle paths to Southport. Actingas tour guide again took a few members intoSouthport along the coastal cycle path, aroundthe Marine Lake and into the town where wehad lunch at Wetherspoons then a walk alongthe Famous Lord St.

I hope you enjoyed your rally in the North West,there was not enough time to see everythingbut some of you indicated that you would return to see the attractions you missed. Our bestwishes to Lesley and Ian who had to cancel andwish Ian a speedy recovery.

John Pilkington

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In the next edition we hope to have found time to report on our Sardinian trip with fellow members, Wendyand David Futter and Sheila and Jim Morgan.

To whet your appetite:-

Sardinian Chicken for 4 (easy to do in a motorhome)8 chicken thighs, skinned2 fennel bulbs with fronds, coarsly chopped6 cloves garlic½ a cup of black olives2 teaspoons of fennel seeds¼ to ½ teaspoon chilli flakes1 teaspoon of ground black pepper1 cup dry white wine (in our case a mug!)1 tablespoon olive oil1 teaspoon salt

Combine all of the ingredients except salt in a roastingtin. Refridgerate for 2 to 48 hours, tossingoccassionally. Preheat oven. Temperature inmotorhome oven - top.

Season with salt and roast in oven for 1 hour 15minutes or until brown and done and fennel tender,basting now and again with cooking juices.

We used this recipe twice more on holiday using porkchops and lamb chops!!

Rio: A Different Kind of Holiday

We flew to Brazil on September 5th forthe 2016 Paralympic Games. Rio deJaneiro is a fascinating city, for its land-scape, its character and its people. Wewere able to visit several of its beaches,the Christ the Redeemer statue perchedhigh above the city, and Sugar LoafMountain via the famous cable car. Theviews are spectacular from these vantagepoints, while travel across the city bypublic transport is an interestingexperience, especially on the buses,where there appears to be no concept of“full”.

Our apartment, where we stayed for 13 nights, was close to theOlympic Park, so we could walk there in less than 15 minutes.We had tickets for eight sessions in the Aquatic Centre, in orderto watch our granddaughter, Eleanor (“Ellie”) Robinson, swim forGreat Britain. She made a spectacular start to her Paralympiccareer, just a few days after her 15th birthday, by winning gold inher first event, the 50 metres butterfly (S6), setting a newParalympic record in the process; and rounded off her last eventby winning bronze in the 100 metre freestyle.

As close family members we were especially privileged in havingpasses to British House, about 25 minutes’ walk from ourapartment, where by special appointment we could arrange tomeet up with Eleanor on days when she wasn’t competing. Therewe met many other athletes, officials and TV presenters.

The next Paralympics will be in Tokyo, but by then we will haveaged another four years, while Eleanor should be in her prime!

Roy and Mary Gretton

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AIRESHaving just undertaken a recent trip between France, Spain and Sardinia we thought we would sharea few Aires we used on our travels. We met up with Kath and Pete and Jim and Sheila in Sardiniaand they will describe the island and our travels. (In the next edition)

The sites used and Aires mentioned are only ones we would recommend. They are in France and inno travelling order: -

CHÂTEAUDUN (Central France)Co-ordinates - N48°04.303’ E001°19.453’

A brilliant free site at the base of a Château withriver views and walks. There is a town up somesteps and within a 5-minute walk with loads of shopsand bars. There are free loos (not special) a dumppoint with a Euro-Relais mini token for water.

MAREUIL-SUR-AY (CHAMPAGNE)Co-ordinates - N49°02.721’ E003°57.072’

Another free site on the river. Plenty of shade from the trees. Supposed to be for 8 units but space formore on the bus park adjacent. Dump point with water and electricity available for about 5€ for 3hrs.Adjacent are all singing and dancing self-flushing loos. Shop very close and several champagneproducers in the village. (watch out for Monday morning early bin/skip empties, very early!)

MARSEILLAN PLAGE (MEDITERRANEAN)Co-ordinates - N43°19.149’ E003°32.925’

An all asphalt site for about 72 units. Very good for a couple of days as within easy reach ofrestaurants, shops and the beach. Do not be fooled though by the advertised cost of 4€ per night aswhen you put your credit card in you will be charged 12€ per night. Good dump points (2) and watervia Urba Flux at 2€ for 10 mins.

NANTUA (RHONE ALPS)Co-ordinates - N46°09.260’ E005°35.827’

All hardstanding facing lake. Lovely area. Site is “cosy” and space for 10 units. Advertised on site for7€ per night. We enquired at the tourist office and there should be someone to collect this moneyearly mornings, but apparently this does not always happen! We stayed absolutely free as did about 6other units. Dump and water point both free. LIDL within 100 m and shops etc all within 5 minutes.Town though typically a ‘bit tired’. There is a train line behind but it is very quiet

FRONCLES (CHAMPAGNE)Co-ordinates - N48°17.964’ E005°09.155’

Brilliant little site for 10 units by a canal. There is a reception for adjacent holiday units where thecharge is only 1.50€ for electricity. Showers are also available at 2.50€ and water for 1.50€.Interesting boats on the canal and shops in nice village only 5 mins walk.

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LE CHATEAU CHAMBRESIS (NORTHERN FRANCE)Co-ordinates – N50°06.117’ E003°33.292’

Site adjacent to road. 150m from LIDL and all hardstanding (Chocks required) free electricitysupply, water and dump point. Town about 7 mins downhill with lots of shops etc (but another“tired” French one) good overnighter on way back to ferries (keep away from trees if you needsatellite TV)

We felt safe on all of these sites and had many other motorhomes in attendance during Septemberand early October. Hope you get to enjoy as we have.

Wendy and David Futter.

The Committee wish all our members a very merryChristmas and a happy, healthy New Year.

Q Why are Christmas trees so fond of the past?A Because the present’s beneath them!

Q What do you call a broke Santa? Give up yet?A It’s Saint - NICKEL - LESS!

Hope your cracker jokes are better than these!!

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MarchThursday 16th

Leaving onMonday 20th

(4 nights)

South LytchettManor CC ParkLytchett Minster

Rally StewardsKath and Peter Elliott

See further on forDetails. £10 depositrequired.

AprilTuesday 18th

Leaving onSunday 23rd

(5 nights)

Ambleside AireMillers FieldAmbleside

Rally StewardsJill and Steve Brindle

See further on fordetails,

May(4 nights)

Suggested datesGower PenninsularBeing organised by Andrew Spark

Details in Marchnewsletter

June

12th to 24th

Three centre Rally inGermany

Rally StewardsRichard MossIan DeweyEric Gould

In the planningSee further for latestdetails.

July10th to 14th

Monday to Friday(4 nights)

Greenhills HolidayPark, near Bakewell

Rally StewardsKath and Peter Elliott

No dates confirmed assite will not takebooking until next year

SeptemberMonday 11th

Leaving onFriday 15th

(4 nights)

Orchard CaravanParkQuantockSomerset

REQUIRE RALLY STEWARDS £11/unitDetails to follow

OctoberThursday 12th

Leaving onMonday 16th

(4 nights)

Riverside CaravanParkStratford upon Avon

REQUIRE RALLY STEWARDS £20/unitDetails to follow

DecemberThursday 7th

Leaving onMonday 11th

(4 nights)

Barnstones Cand CsiteGreat BourtonNear Banbury

REQUIRE RALLY STEWARDS £11/unitDetails to follow

2017

NEW DATES TO BE ARRANGED

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March, Lytchett Minster, Thursday 16�� until Monday 20�� (4 nights)

South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping ParkDorchester RoadLytchett MinsterPooleBH16 6JB01202 622577

We visited this site a few years ago. A lot of development to the site has happened since. It has a good webpage but some of the key points are as follows

● Fully stocked shop and off licence● Free wifi across the park● Cycles for hire● Games room with pool table and TV● Good facilities

Two buses stop at the main gates, no 40 which travels between Swanage, Wareham and Poole. The CoastLINX653 which travels along the Jurassic coast to Weymouth. Time tables can be downloaded.

The cost is £16.50/night inc electric. Booked for 10 pitches initially. £10 deposit will secure your place. Pleasesend cheque payable to K R ElliottBOOKINGS MUST BE MADE BY THE END OF JANUARY.

April, Ambleside, Tuesday 18th to Sunday 23rd (5 nights)

Ambleside AireMiller’s FieldAmbleside

This is a green field site which only Clubs can use providing they have the necessary certificates, which wehave. The site is level with water and toilet disposal. No other services but the site is secure and only 3 minwalk from the centre of Ambleside which has a large selection of shops and cafes. Remember your bus passesto get to Keswick and other parts of the Lake District.

The cost is £10/night and the numbers are flexible up to 24 vans. The site will be padlocked until 12 noon onTuesday but Jill and Steve have offered to get there early if anyone wishes to arrive before 12. We have toleave on Sunday morning as there is another rally following us. All in all a golden opportunity to visit the Lakes.Please register your interest with Jill and Steve and let them know what time you hope to arrive.

May, Wales

Hopefully this will be sorted by the March Newsletter.

WILL NEED THE FINAL BALANCE OFPAYMENT BY THE END OF JANUARY2017

Your Editor who is also running this rally is very upset as I havehad no response!

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June

Romantic Rhineland and Mosel Valley, Germany 12th to 24th June 2017 (12 nights)

We are planning a trip to Germany to include one site on the Mosel and two on the Rhine each of fourdays duration.It is organised so that Ralliers could travel to Trier and finish up in Rudesheim to head south (whereverthey please).This is to be stewarded by Richard Moss, Eric Gould and Ian Dewey and each of us taking a site with adifferent aspect but cooperating overall.

Site 1 Eric Monday 12th to Friday 16th JuneACSI 739 near Wittlich on the Mosel, Camping Erden at Erden 54492Situated on the River and Mosel cycle path and where the best wine is produced

Site 2 Ian Friday 16th to Tuesday 20th JuneCamping Rhein Mosel in Koblenz Lutzel 56070Adjacent to ferry to Koblenz and cycle track. Saturday market

Site 3 Richard Tues 20th June to Saturday 24th JuneCamping Platz am Rhein, Rudesheim 65385Pleasant 1 Km walk/cycle way to town, bus 500m

HighlightsWe intend to includeCruise along Rhine from Koblenz to RudesheimWine tasting on both Rivers in Vineyard areasVisit legendary Lorelei Rock and view castles along the RhineExperience historic charms of KoblenzVisit Drosselgasse in Rudesheim (bring your lederhosen)

We need an indication of interest NOW and the group is limited to 12 motorhomes.Priority will be given to the date of your e mail response and costs will be finalised early next year withdeposit details.

Please send your response toRichard Moss

WE NOW HAVE A WAITING LIST OF TWO BUT YOU CAN STILL REGISTER YOUR INTEREST AS PEOPLE’SCIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE AND PLACES MAY COME AVAILABLE.

The information and opinions in this newsletter are those of the contact name or names given. The Laika Club ofGreat Britain does not necessarily agree with nor endorse their comments and/or views. It is a totally independentClub, governed by its constitution giving no preference to any Publication, Dealer or other club. This however, doesnot prevent, with Committee approval, the fostering of mutually beneficial relations.

Please, please let the rally stewards know as soon as possible if you have to cancel and make surewhen you book that they have got correct email addresses and mobile phone numbers in case theyhave to contact you.

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