ONE of the newer names to exhibit at the Caravan Extravaganza held at The Lawns in Cottingham in September was local company Normandy Holiday Homes – it’s models had been seen only at the Golf Club in the past.

You can be forgiven for thinking that this might be a company with its origins in France, but you’d be wrong. It is distinctly British, and its name comes from its original factory premises, which were at Normandy Barracks near Beverley in East Yorkshire.

The company marked its début at The Lawns by showing the Helme lodge, which it describes as “a contemporary-styled range offering affordable luxury for young at heart people who like contemporary up-to-the-minute living environments”.

comfort

The double doors on the side aspect of the Helme lead into a spacious hall with plank effect laminate cherry wood floor and wallboard – I was instantly transported, though sadly only mentally, to New England.

The living area is to the left and sleeping area to the right, along with the family bathroom. Turning left, the living area has a vaulted T&G effect ceiling with a mock beam. The carpet, which is carried through to the bedrooms, blends well with the two leather chocolate brown sofas.

Eight cushions are included as standard and should ensure that you recline in comfort in front of the 2kw electric flame-effect fire while watching the television set on an oak corner unit. The lodge is HDMI equipped (which, for the technologically uninitiated, means it’s wired for high definition TV and set-top boxes, games consoles and computers).

ideal for entertaining

The dining area has an oak table, which was set for six guests – and they would be very comfortable either on one of the four fully upholstered chairs or on one of the two leather chairs.

The oak side table would be useful when you were entertaining guests – or would it just be another surface to put bits and pieces on?

There are limited storage or display areas for personal effects (though that is mitigated by the existence of a big hall cupboard).

dazzling

Access to the kitchen is via a half-glazed door from the living area, rather than the (these days) more common open-plan arrangement.

The equipment is as you would expect, with stainless steel appliances, a four burner gas hob, an electric oven and grill and a three speed extractor fan.

The Ivory-coloured high gloss cupboards and drawer fronts are dazzlingly striking and set off the matt granite worktops. And I did like the plank effect oak vinyl floor covering –not just for its looks but for practicality.

Storage in the kitchen is in one stack of drawers, three base units and five eye-level cupboards, and you shouldn’t have a problem storing the tall cereal packets, crockery or pans.

This kitchen is complemented by an adjacent and practical utility room, with more cupboards, a washer dryer and the Worcester Bosch boiler.

You may decide that you want a door to the exterior, depending on the layout of your plot.

practical

From the hall, going right takes you past the family bathroom, a decent sized room with clean lines. The semi-recessed hand basin has cupboards and drawers under it and a shelf, mirror and cupboard are above the splash back.

I liked the idea of being able to put a linen basket in an unused corner of the room and I approve of the well-placed toilet roll holder.

The bath is a popular P shape with an over bath shower and shaped acrylic screen to fit the bowl shape of the bath. The floor covering is a practical, easy-to-mop vinyl in a diamond pattern.

Opposite, in the hall, is a huge cupboard, one of the largest hall cupboards I’ve seen, which has an access panel to the inner workings of the en-suite shower room, yet it disappointed me. This cupboard has great unexploited scope for a coat rack, shelves and other storage and I thought that the carpet on the floor was unnecessarily impractical.

tweak

At the very end of the hall, the second bedroom has a soft furnishing scheme like the master bedroom, but with a slight design tweak to the fitted dressing table and wardrobe – though I would like to see more practical use made of the space under the wardrobe. As in the master bedroom, I did wonder if a 5ft bed would fit in the space.

striking

The master bedroom, on the left at the end of the hall, hosts a 4ft 6ins double bed with a mock suede padded headboard and a three-drawer bedside table each side of the bed.

The built-in wardrobes and dressing table are a nice feature and I did like the moulding over the top of the dressing table. But I’m not convinced that one of the wardrobe’s doors can be fully opened; it seemed to impinge onto the bedding.

The buttermilk coloured sateen curtains have a diamond pattern with a velour overlay and the carpet is dark fawn.

The en suite shower room features a striking one piece brushed stainless steel effect plastic shower tower which has a sloping shelf, which is, I’m told for you to put you foot on it while you wash it!

OUR VERDICT

The model reviewed had some optional extra equipment fitted, like the dishwasher in the kitchen and the wine cooler in the utility room. The modern layout would suit most plots, and the two sets of patio doors to the front and large feature window to the lounge area call for a nice view rather than being overlooked. All models are built to order so a ‘mirror image’ unit can be built if the plot or landscape demands this.

Technical details
• Type: Twin unit lodge-style home
• Standard: BS3632, so can be used on residential parks if the park owner agrees
• Size: 40ft x 20ft
• Bedrooms: 2
  
Other versions
• 36ft x 20ft 2 bed; 38ft x 20ft 2 bed

Main features
• Domestic double glazing throughout
• Timber, UPVC cladding or Canexel cladding
• Vaulted ceiling to lounge, dining and kitchen
• Two French doors
• Gas central heating
• Extra warm insulation package throughout
• Fridge/freezer, hob, built-in oven and extractor
• Feature electric fire in lounge
• Luxury leather lounge suite
• Flat screen TV
• LED lighting to front

Options
• Surround Sound £500
• Bay window with French doors £1,500
• Wallpaper (instead of wall board) £1,800

Room sizes
Please note: all dimensions are approximate only.
• Lounge 13ft x 19ft
• Dining area 6ft 3in x 11ft 4in
• Kitchen 7ft 8in x 9ft 6in
• Utility 6ft x 5ft 6in
• Master bedroom 9ft 6in x 10ft/12ft 8in
• En suite 6ft 3in x 5ft 4in
• Twin bedroom 9ft 6in x 9ft 6in
• Bathroom 6ft 6in x 6ft 6in

Price
£79,039 ex-works (inc VAT at 15%)

CONTACT

Normandy Holiday Homes, Bontoft Avenue, Hull, East Yorkshire HU5 4HF. Tel: 01482 475100. Email: [email protected]. Web: www.normandy-caravans.co.uk


This review was published in the December 2009 issue of Park & Holiday Homes magazine. To order our latest issue please click here.


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