How's caravanning life in Benidorm?
Chris Hogan, 3rd April 2016, Caravan
Some of the caravan forums and Facebook groups have recently seen gripping disputes over Channel 5's Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun, which ended recently. You can see still quite a few episodes on catch up if you missed it - but what was all the fuss about?
This new Channel 5 programme follows the lives of people who have emigrated to Benidorm, largely because it's cheaper to live in Spain and the weather is, well, maybe just a bit more reliable than in the UK? And a lot of them have chosen caravan sites as a cheap places to live.
Around Benidorm, features like the one euro British Breakfast (one egg, one sausage, beans OR tomatoes), the €5.50 Sunday lunch (one free pint included) and the one euro beer during extended happy hours means that the good life comes without such a drain on the pocket.
Unflattering?
In vibrant online exchanges it seems the programme has split caravanners right down the middle. Some hate it, saying it's a very unflattering portrayal of caravans and caravanners, and that the programme is deliberately choosing to show caravanning at it's worst.
Then you've got just as many chipping in who think it's NOT a caravan programme and that people should just enjoy it for what it it is - a story about people living on the cheap in the sun.
Choice of sites
One particular element that angered people is that the producers focussed on one caravan site more than any other - Camping Benidorm. It's a site that online commentators don't think is one of the best, and that others nearby are much nicer.
But of course casual watchers aren't going to know that, say those who don't like the programme, and we'll all end up being tarred with the same brush.
The whole things seems to be a bit like Marmite - you either love it or hate it.
Is it about caravans?
To be fair, the main focus of Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun is how people are managing to live, regardless of where they are staying. Channel 5 have not pitched the show as being about caravans and quite a few of the ex-pats featured live in apartments and houses.
In fact the programme has been well received by the general public, if not by all caravanners. Unlike many 'reality' programmes it doesn't deliberately poke fun and shows what being an ex-pat in Spain can really be like.
Be quick ....
There were eight episodes in this first series and the last one aired at the end of February. At the time of writing some of the episodes are still available on catch-up through Sky or Freeview boxes and all of them can be seen on Channel 5's on-demand website, but they may not all be there by the time you're reading this.
There are definitely some interesting characters and moments! We'll leave you with this comment from someone on a caravan forum who didn't watch the programme - as she explains:
"Having seen the trailer earlier with one OAP diving into the pool fully clothed, I decided to give it a miss"!
What do you think - did you love it hate it? Drop us a line at insurance@cetamail.com and let us know!
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