Thank you Leeds

Wow - what a wonderful weekend Leeds Loves Food proved to be.  Wall to wall sunshine, and food from all corners of the world to sample and enjoy.  The smells of paella, tacos, venison burgers mingled and wafted across the square - delicious.

We met so many people who share our passion for fresh local food, simply cooked to maintain its special flavour and high quality.  Thank you everyone who suggested places to shop for good quality food - all over the UK.  We had recommendations from as far afield as Bristol and Northumbria, with plenty from West Yorkshire.  Its going to take me another few days to get all of them onto the website.  Thank you again.  Together we can help to keep the small businesses on the high street.  Now we have found them, we all need to use them.

The next newsletter is due to go out at the end of this week, but I think it might have to be delayed until early next due to the Bank Holiday and another show to attend; this time in Mansfield.  I have added all the new requests for the newsletter from Leeds.  If you would like a copy, just go to the home page and sign up.  There is no charge.

Let me have some of those recipes you talked about at the weekend, and I will publish them on the website for you.  Keep things simple so that the most novice cook can produce the meal.

Don't forget to keep those recommendations flooding in - we can only get these directories to work with your help.

See you in Mansfield, Tuesday 5 June.

Look for this problem

Check your tyres - caravan and car - for damage at the bottom of the tread

In the photo the dangerous cracking can be seen in the left hand side of the tread very clearly.

The cracks will open as the tyre flexes in use, causing a blow out.

If you find this problem - CHANGE YOUR TYRES.

Are your tyres an accident waiting to happen.

My caravan will be two at the end of the month.  The annual service was carried out on Monday, and the engineer called me to say that one of the tyres was 'cracking'.

My immediate response was 'impossible', after all the caravan is used throughout the year, so the tyres do not bear weight in one position.  We use the caravan at least once a month, even in the depths of winter, and make regular visual checks of the tyres before moving off.  Add to that they are only two years old, and have plenty of tread depth.  

Tyre pressures are checked from time to time, usually when we fill up the car.  Bailey's have very kindly put the tyre pressure on a plaque beside the door, in both psi and bar, so the job is really very easy to do.  We also keep an eye on the tyres when we are loaded and ready to go - after all, even radial tyres are not supposed to look squadgy or bulgy, or just plain flat.

Because the caravan is kept in secure storage, we use a mobile engineer for servicing (Bailey and NCC approved so no warranty issues) and he was quite adamant that the offside tyre was not safe.  So, we promptly went over to the caravan, phoned the poor engineer, yet again, and asked him where to find the damage.  Eventually we saw what we thought could be cracks, and asked advice on replacement tyres.  Thankfully there is a national, mobile tyre fitting service - etyres - who came recommended by the mobile service engineer.

I was asked to attend the fitting of the new tyre, and met Mike from etyres just before midday.  He removed the off-side wheel and showed me the problem.  At the very bottom of the tread was the evidence of cracking. Both inner and outer walls were in perfect condition. The depth of tread suggested that there should have been plenty of life still in the tyre, but Mike explained that these cracks along the bottom of the tread pattern could prove lethal if left alone.  This type of damage can soon lead to the tyre bursting, potentially with catestrophic results to the caravan.  The tyre was, of course, replaced on the spot.

This type of damage is not unusual, but it is not always checked.  I can only thank eagle-eyed Jamie from Charnwood Caravan Services and Mike from etyres for their technical expertise which may well have prevented a nasty accident. Thank you both. 

All I can ask everyone else to do is check along the bottom of the tread pattern of your tyres and make sure they are not cracking too.  The tyres in question were Trailermaxx, made in China, and fitted at the factory.

Fire and Fumes

At the risk of appearing to jump onto the band wagon, I want to remind everyone to check that their gas and electricity systems are safe.

Too many accidents have happened in the past few days, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17980441 and http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-17981586, and it is vital that we prevent recurrences.  How safe are you?

Do you have a working smoke alarm in your caravan?  OK it is a nuisance when it does not recognise toast or crisping bacon, but it is very simple to press the 'silence' button when you are cooking, and it might save your life at other times.

Do you have a carbon monoxide (gas) sniffer in your caravan?  They are not yet fitted as standard, and perhaps the caravanning community should start to petition the manufacturers.  CO is colourless and odourless and kills.  It can be detected and you can be warned before its too late.

How about preventing disaster?  Simple precautions:-

1. Unwind your electric cable before connecting up to the EHU.  Always connect the caravan/tent end first and EHU post end last - the cable is live as soon as it is connected to the EHU.
2. Don't travel with the gas switched on - it goes without saying, but . . . 
3. Have your caravan serviced regularly.  A service will include a full gas check.
4. Keep the BBQ outside.  No matter how cold the night, never be tempted to use any form of BBQ inside the tent, awning or caravan.
5. Don't be tempted to turn on the gas rings/grill to provide heat.  Only used heaters as fitted by the manufacturers within the caravan.
6. Check the colour of the flame whenever you use any gas appliance.

Think safety at all times - and enjoy your meals from the BBQ.  Cook outside and eat inside if its chilly.

Genetics - or food faddies

The Daily Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/9241088/Vegetarians-may-be-genetically-disposed-to-avoid-meat.html suggests that people who 'don't like the smell of meat' may be genetically programmed that way.  Fine, wonderful, but they should not be allowed to insist that everyone should become vegetarian, or imply that a vegetarian diet is in some way superior for the health of the nation.

Personally, I am allergic to nickel.  Nickel is found in a huge range of vegetables, and so if I and many other people with a similar problem were to eat those foods, the result is an extremely unpleasant and persistent eczema.  How healthy is that?

Why do we never see any articles about the negative effects of a vegan diet, or the need, especially for small children to have a good intake of first class protein - animal rather than vegetable?

The human food processing system is designed for a little of everything, a mixed diet containing meat, vegetables, fruit and dairy products.  Start with the teeth - we have teeth designed for stripping meat from the bone, and teeth designed for grinding.  We only have one stomach, so cannot digest vegetables in the way that true herbivores do.  However, we need roughage found in abundance in the vegetable world to keep our intestines working efficiently and healthily.

The countryside needs meat eaters.  If we all rejected the wholesome and tasty meat from our local producers, there would be no cows, sheep, pigs or game animals in the fields.  Is this what we really want to see?  As for the laboratory produced meat - NO THANK YOU.  How can anyone talk about a "healthy" diet when they are including bacteria and other chemicals by choice?  If you need artificial meat to make a meal, try replacing it with the real thing.

Perhaps our grannies were right when they used the old cliches - "One man's meat is another man's poison" and "a little of what you fancy does you good."

For me, every meal should start life in a field.  Think about it - naturally produced meat, fresh caught fish with fresh local vegetables and fruit.  Delicious.

Insuring your caravan- a guide

Rachael Miller from moneysupermarket.com has offered this advice to everyone who owns or is thinking of buying a caravan.  It is timely advice coming at the beginning of the summer holiday season.  No one wants to think about the worst happening to them, but with proper insurance the blow can be softened.

If you are looking to buy a caravan or already have one then it is vital to ensure that you have the right insurance in place.  The type of caravan insurance that you need depends on the type of caravan that you have and what you will be using it for. Here are the three main types of insurance caravan owners should be familiar with:-

Static Caravan Insurance

While you do not need to have insurance for static caravans, it is a good idea as it gives you financial protection if your holiday home is damaged. Standard static caravan policies usually provide cover for damage arising from a number of different circumstances such as fire, storm, lightning, flood, theft and falling trees. However, some policies may not cover you for damage caused by the elements, so always read the small print before you sign along the dotted line.

Cover is generally on a 'new for old' basis. In the event that your caravan cannot be repaired, market value is paid. Public-liability insurance is also usually included. This provides you with cover if a third party suffer damage or injury as a result of your use of your caravan. It is also possible to purchase additional cover for your contents and personal belongings.

Touring-Caravan Insurance

It’s highly recommended that you take out insurance on your touring caravan to make sure you’re covered in case the worst happens. It’s not essential that you do, but it will put your mind at rest. Your caravan should be covered under your car insurance policy when you’re towing it on the road, but your insurer must be informed as soon as you buy a caravan in case a claim needs to be made, or the premium is affected.

Touring-caravan insurance usually covers the cost of repairs or replacement, up to the market value, if your caravan if it is damaged or stolen. The better policies will give new for old cover for the caravan itself and all equipment and contents of the caravan.  European insurance cover is generally provided, although you should check the policy details as there can be limits on the length of time you can be away or the level of cover that you will be provided with while abroad.

Check carefully that both your personal possessions and the caravan equipment is covered.  Not all policies will cover clothes, crockery etc, and some do not cover expensive specialist items such as awnings.  Specialists will offer a policy covering the theft of or from the caravan and damage to the caravan.

Don’t forget to check with your breakdown cover as it may or may not include the caravan if the car breaks down.  The very best, usually specialists, will include ‘double journey’ cover taking the car for repair and the caravan on to your holiday destination and back home if the car is not fixed in time.

Motorhome Insurance

If you have a motorhome then you must have third-party liability insurance to meet the minimum legal requirement, although a fully compressive policy is best to insure against theft or any damage to your motorhome.

Windscreen, personal-accident and personal-belongings cover are commonly included under motorhome policies. European insurance cover is generally provided, although you should check the policy details as there may be limitations. You may also be able to extend your motorhome insurance policy to include legal-expenses cover, key cover and breakdown cover.

When it comes to the inside of your motor home, make sure your insurer makes it clear whether they insure your contents. Most home insurance policies will not cover equipment that is exclusively used in the motor home, so by going for a policy from a specialist in motorhome insurance, this should cover all ‘extras’, like your motorhome’s contents.

Other Considerations

·         While your caravan insurance will provide cover for damage and theft arising out of your use of the caravan, it will not meet any costs that you incur if you need to cut short or cancel your holiday. It could, therefore, be advisable to consider taking out European or UK travel insurance. This would provide you with financial protection if, for example, you were made redundant and could no longer afford to go away or if a close family member was taken ill.

·         If you are travelling to the EU then travel insurance will also provide cover if you require medical assistance or are taken ill while away. Although a European Health Insurance Card (the replacement for the E111 card) will provide you with the same level of cover as the locals in state-run hospitals, this could be a significantly lower level than that provided by a travel insurance policy.

·         Make sure your contents are covered. Most caravan insurance policies will cover your things, however if you bring something expensive in from the house, including electronic technology like tablet computers, e-readers and laptops, these may not be covered. Specialist insurance companies may include these items if you declare them when first taking out the policy. This will mean that you’ll have to give an accurate value of personal property carried in the caravan.  

·         Always read the small print before you commit to a policy. Some insurance companies will sell policies to caravan owners which will only cover them for the spring/summer months, which isn’t suitable for everyone as there is still a chance your caravan could be stolen or be damaged while static in the winter months. Make sure you’re covered all year round.

No matter what the age of your caravan, mobile home or motorhome,  it is important to check what insurance you are legally obliged to take out and also consider the benefits of taking out additional cover that provides you with further protection. Your caravan is a substantial investment and the right insurance will give you peace of mind as you enjoy your holidays.