Have a happy holiday at home

Hundreds of thousands of us have opted to shun the misery of the airport departure lounge, the prospect of a flight sitting next to the toddler that just won't stop crying and the hotel which isn't quite as it appeared in the brochure, in favour of a holiday here in the UK.

Staycations started becoming more and more popular a few years ago as the full impact of the recesssion hit families hard.

Now it seems, despite the economic upturn, their popularity is continuing and this time it's as a well-informed choice, rather than one based on a "needs must" basis.

So what is it that makes Shropshire such a popular destination?

Is it the rolling countryside? The breathtaking views? Perhaps it's the charm of our rural towns? The standard of the campsites? Or the feeling that visitors are getting value for money?

Oh, hang on it's all those, plus a few more reasons, judging by some of the people enjoying a Staycation in the county this week.

"It's a beautiful county, a great place for winding down," explained Mike Parrish, from Leamington Spa, who was enjoying a five-day break in his campervan with his wife Sue at the Greenway Touring and Glamping Park just outside Craven Arms.

"The prices are decent, this is a lovely site, what's not to love about it? "he added.

"I'd say it's a bit of a contrast between civilisation and non-civilisation."

Jane and Brian Chesson, only took over as owners of the site at the beginning of the year, but have already been encouraged by the numbers visiting their part of the county.

"We've had people from Scotland, Yorkshire, London and the east Midlands," said Brian who is looking forward to increasing the number of pitches on the adults-only site over the winter from 14 to 30.

So what makes Shropshire special? It's a fair question to ask the couple who have moved to the county from Manchester.

He gently ushers me 20 yards into the heart of the campsite and says simply: "Take a look at the view." He's right of course, and possibly we could be accused of taking it all for granted.

But Henry and Pan Clark, who've travelled over from Peterborough, certainly couldn't be accused of doing that.

"We live on the edge of The Fens, so the contrast couldn't be more striking," said Henry. "Everything's very flat there, it couldn't be more different here.

"We love the walking, there are the towns to explore, there's just much to do. We went into the visitor centre in Ludlow and were able to pick up masses of leaflets. If we'd done that in Peterborough, well ,it would have been a rather different story."

It's a message that's seems to be being replicated across the county.

Families in north Shropshire say they love the area and come on holiday whether it's raining, blowing a gale, or is basking in beautiful sunshine.

Katina Milne, 44, travels regularly to the Lower Lacon Holiday Park in Wem regularly with her children form their home in Packmorr, near Stoke, and says the area is ideal for what they want.

She said: "We have been coming to Wem for a few years now, we started off by camping but we recently bought a caravan.

"Shropshire is such a peaceful, picturesque and friendly area and the people here are so lovely when ever we come.

"We usually go out and about and like to visit areas like Oswestry and Wem which are quaint places that we like to visit and do a bit of shopping and have a drink.

"When we are here the kids are always kept entertained and there's plenty for them to do and open spaces for them to play in - it's also great for us to be able to take the dog out for walks in the countryside.

"We really like Shropshire, and I would come back here rain or shine, and we have experienced both, but it is worth it to be in such a nice area."

One national disabled charity Special Kids in the UK, meets every year at the Lower Lacon and says Shropshire is ideal for people to get together and visit whop have various disabilities.

Rachel Jones, a nurse who travelled from Crickhowell in south Wales with her family including disabled daughter Poppy for the fifth year.

She said: "Shropshire is great for us and it is such an accessible place to get to.

"There are lots of attractions in and close to Shropshire and so much going on for us to do.

"We really enjoy being here in Wem and the people are so friendly and helpful.

"We feel very welcome in Shropshire, and its not just that, there are lots of lovely and historic towns to visit which are so interesting.

"The weather this time has not been so great and we would like it a bit warmer, but we still have a great time.

"The area is so safe and secure for the kids and they love it.

"I can't see us ever camping anywhere else."

Further south it's a similar story in Bridgnorth's Stanmore Hall Caravan Touring Park, run by Morris Leisure, based on the busy Stourbridge road, about three miles from the town's high street.

Carla Ivins, 67, a retired officer, and Alan Langford, 81, a retired tax inspector, from Chesterfield, were seeing Bridgnorth and Ironbridge for the first time.

Alan, who has used touring caravans since he was 22-years-old, said: "We've only just arrived but we heard about the area through the caravan show in Great Malvern.

"Last year we travel to Wales and Anglesey, but this year we thought we'd pass through Shropshire on the way to Prestatyn and the Wirral.

"This is such a lovely area and we also wanted to see Ironbridge and all its famous museums."

Carla, who lived in a caravan in Cardiff for 10 years, said she hoped to see some of Dudmaston Hall, in Quatt, during her stay.

She said: "I'm pretty sure we will come to area again because it's such a scenic place.

"We're looking forward to seeing more of the area. It might be raining but it doesn't get us down."

Ernest and Evelyn Wood, from Oswaldtwistle, in Lancashire, first came to Bridgnorth in 1999 and were visiting for a second time.

Ernest, 69, said: "We're looking forward to visiting the museums and learning more about the heritage of the area. We've never actually been into Bridgnorth before.

"We came straight from the Warner's Music Festival in Malvern and we usually stay on the road for about two weeks. We love the freedom it gives you."

Evelyn, 67, said they also hoped to see parts of Kidderminster and the Black Country Living Museum during their visit.

"We like visiting historical places, old buildings and things like that," she said.

"We're surrounded by countryside and we would certainly recommend it to other people."

Nick and Wanda Hilditch have moved from Criggion, near Shrewsbury, to take over as assistant managers at Stanmore.

The couple left their busy jobs to relocate to Bridgnorth and a new way of life.

Nick, 43, said: "We've been here since March and it's the first time we've done anything like this.

"We were attracted to the lifestyle and the pace of the job.

"I worked as a fabricator before, making parts for static caravans, which is how I got into this new job."

Wanda, 44, worked directory inquires for BT and said her customer services skills would help with her new job,

She said: "We love the area and now we alternate with another couple on site, so the work is completely different but very enjoyable."

Edward Goddard, owner of Morris Leisure, which also runs sites in Shrewsbury, Ludlow and Bishops Castle, said the company had enjoyed a very busy season.

He took over Stanmore in 1992 and built the caravan park from scratch.

He said: "We have particularly seen an upturn in people using our holiday homes.

"We've had a very good year and the weather has helped.

"There has been an uplift in Staycations and people seem to be holidaying for longer.

"We're also seeing a lot more trade during the autmn and spring months, and also at Christmas.

"Caravaning has come a long way over the years, with more mod-cons, which means people can stay during different seasons. We also have a lot of loyal customers.

"At Stanmore we have 135 pitches, so that can people 300 people staying over a weekend, which means about 7,000 people over the summer.

"An awful lot of people also like travelling to see the great outdoors and we also welcomed pets, which is a big selling point."

It's not just Shropshire that ticks the right boxes for holidaymakers, there's also plenty to attract visitors just over the Welsh border.

Retired David Perks, from Stourbridge, has been holidaying this area since the 1970s. He said: "I live in the West Midlands, so one of the main reasons I come here is because it's close. It's right on my doorstep, so I can be here within 45 minutes if the traffic's good.

"The rural setting of the area is a big draw for me, it's beautiful around here. I live right in the Black Country, right on the edge of Birmingham. People who live in this area have no idea how lucky they are.

"My wife and I come up here every weekend during the summer season, and now we're retired, it's not unusual for us to be here for three weeks at a time.

"I do occasionally visit other areas, I like the Welsh coast for instance, but I've been coming to Trederwen Caravan Park at Llansantffraid for 15 years now. It's definitely the place we visit most in Britain."

Cliff McGill had a slightly different reason for visiting the Welsh border area this summer - and certainly had to travel much further.

The 58-year-old from Ontario in Canada explained: "I came to Llanarmon in the Ceiriog Valley for nostalgic reasons.

"Believe it or not, during the Second World War, my parents got married in the church of this small village.

"My parents met on New Year's Eve in London, 1940. He was a Canadian soldier stationed here during the war and she was in the British armed forces. He was drunk walking off one of those red, two storey buses and fell on top of her. As she tells it, she couldn't get rid of him, and the rest is history.

"They didn't get married for another four years. They were given four days leave to get the job done before my father was shipped out to fight on the second front in Europe in 1944. They came to this little village on the Welsh border because my mom's family had been evacuated here. After that, they didn't see each other for a year, until my father was discharged.

"After the war, all the war brides were given Canadian citizenship, and that's where they moved in 1946.

"They got a chance to do this trip themselves back in 1986, unfortunately, they're both dead now, but I wanted to do the trip for myself, whilst some of my family who remember the wedding were still alive.

"I think the thing that strikes me the most about this area is that, even though I live in Canada, I think the scenery is amazing. The countryside and the rolling hills are so picturesque; I just wish I could spend longer here."

A spokesman for the National Caravan Council said: "The caravan and camping sector has seen a rise in the number of people holidaying in the UK and is creating opportunities to allow its employers to capitalise on growth.

"Staycations, popularised by cash-strapped Brits holidaying at home, have driven growth, as well as the growing 'glamping' trend."

NCC figures show that 1.5 million people regularly take tourism caravan or motorhome holidays.

It is estimated in the UK there are 510,000 touring caravans, 305,000 caravan holiday homes and 142,000 motorhomes.