Home   News   Article A CARAVAN built by a Ringwood firm and presented to royals as a gift in the 1950s is now on display at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum built in 1955 by Rollalong Caravans Limited was gifted to Prince Charles and Princess Anne that year as a gift from the Caravan and Motorhome Club Presented to the royal siblings in recognition of the Duke of Edinburgh’s patronage of the club the caravan is now on display at the National Motor Museum following refurbishment in celebration of its 70th anniversary the scaled down caravan featured custom furnishings and a signed copy of Children of the New Forest by Captain Marryat the caravan was “fully equipped” to serve as a miniature home on wheels it had a wooden hob instead of a working stove but came equipped with a kettle and a frying pan the caravan was towed around the grounds of Buckingham Palace by a specially modified Hillman Husky from the royal fleet with the Duke of Edinburgh personally taking his children on a test tow After Prince Charles and Princess Anne outgrew the caravan it was stored away in a barn at Sandringham the caravan club restored it and officially re-presented it to Princess Anne home to the Princess Royal’s cavalry regiment the caravan was restored by the Rollalong company and since has been displayed on several occasions including anniversary celebrations for the club It was returned to Buckingham Palace in 2014 as part of the Royal Collection Trust’s royal childhood exhibition requiring a crane to carefully lift and place it in one of the palace’s halls It was also displayed at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall and was then exhibited at Compton Verney in Warwickshire as part of the “Britain in the Fifties: Design and Aspiration” in 2016 the caravan has been permanently housed at Beaulieu’s National Motor Museum The caravan club has curated a special showcase exhibition for the museum about the caravan featuring archival photographs and artefacts said: “The club is proud and privileged to have its historic and unique collection of ephemera at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu “The story of the miniature royal caravan is an important and fascinating one and it’s wonderful to be able to share this with visitors to the National Motor Museum.” The curator of the caravan club’s collection added: “This exhibition is a celebration of both royal history and caravanning history The royal caravan is a fascinating piece of craftsmanship and a testament to the enduring appeal of caravanning We are thrilled to share this special anniversary with visitors and caravan enthusiasts.” The caravan exhibition will be on display until January A RINGWOOD recreation ground will see the installation of a multi-use games area in a bid to “transform the park into a more inclusive and better used space for all” The facility at Carvers will go on the site of the existing tennis court and will include football pitches and basketball It will be free to use and bookable by sports groups “opening new opportunities for team sports and coaching activities in the heart of Ringwood” which will also feature bee friendly plants and shrubs has been funded by a generous grant from Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund There will also be play equipment for kids at the northern end of the recreation ground who is also the chair of the Carvers working party said: “This is fantastic news for the town We’ve listened to what residents told us they wanted to see at Carvers - more sports more places to sit and spend time - and this funding is a big step in our mission to create a park that truly serves the whole community “We want to say a huge thank you to Veolia Environmental Trust for supporting our plans This is part of phase one of an ambitious masterplan developed through community consultation and better links across the site - all shaped by feedback from families “We know that the young people of Ringwood will be delighted by the proposed improvements and look forward to seeing them in use.” Work on the new facility is due to begin in June and is expected to take two weeks with the council hopeful it will be ready for use for the summer holidays A display with images of the new facility will be available at Carvers clubhouse throughout April A man on trial accused of rape ran out of the witness box at Bournemouth Crown Court sobbing "I am not a rapist was being cross examined on day three of his trial for rape assault occasioning actual bodily harm and strangulation The alleged victim has claimed that she had not wanted sex and had told the defendant this but he had "continued anyway" was asked by prosecutor Simon Jones about the allegations against him which include calling the woman vile names when the defendant broke down saying: "I go wrong with my words I'm not a wrong-un." He then ran out back to the dock Judge Jonathan Fuller KC then ordered a break in proceedings telling Mr Jones: "I'm not going to be this monster I'm going to spend the rest of my life knowing I'm not this monster." Smedburg had previously said: “I am good to my mother They all love me because I am a good person.” He had earlier denied strangling the woman by picking her up around the neck with one hand and holding her up against a wall The woman also claimed Smedburg gave her a split lip The defendant said this had only happened once after she “rushed at him” and he had pushed her in self defence saying: “I have to take responsibility for that but it was an accident.” Smedburg also admitted that he had caused a bruise on her arm on another occasion by grabbing it adding: “I didn’t mean to assault her But he admitted “using force that was excessive” and Asked about a video he made showing him making threats against the woman while walking around her flat Smedburg said it happened the day after he had been attacked He said that she had asked him to her home where they had “dinner had sex and went to sleep.” Smedburg said as he slept the woman had let a man she knew into her flat The defendant claimed: “I was woken by being hit by a metal pole.” Indicating to his head He said the next day he made the video which he sent to her Smedburg maintains the woman made up the accusations of rape adding: “She is not going to make a guilty man out of me.” vision and plans for the future and how we deliver our services We do more than tackle fires and rescue people Catch up with all the latest that we have been involved in We’re proud to support and protect the wonderfully diverse community in which we serve We’re committed to keeping our communities safe well and informed and our prevention and protection work plays a large role in this Behind every firefighter there are specialist support teams all playing their part If you need to get in touch or find a form Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" RINGWOOD is planning a special evening tribute with beacon lighting as part of a nationwide salute to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day The town council-organised free community event on Thursday 8th May joins towns and cities across the UK and abroad for VE80 commemorating the day the Second World War in Europe came to an end eight decades ago - honouring the bravery and resilience of those who lived through it The event will take place at the War Memorial Gardens and the programme for the evening includes live music by the Ringwood & Burley Band from 9pm followed at 9.30pm by the lighting of the commemorative beacon and reading of the ‘Global Tribute’ by mayor Cllr Rae Frederick Cllr Frederick said: “This is a moment for Ringwood to stand together - to reflect Our town is proud to play its part in this nationwide tribute.” Beacons have long been used as a symbol of unity and remembrance for major national commemorations including the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in 2024 when more than a thousand were lit nationwide Ringwood’s beacon was specially commissioned by the council last year to be first lit for D-Day 80 and has now been installed permanently in the War Memorial Gardens The council is working closely with Greyfriars Community Centre and The Veterans Hub for the event Greyfriars will be running a minibus to help veterans attend the ceremony and those gathering at the centre will be invited to enjoy a fish and chip supper together while watching the beacon lighting For further details, visit ringwood.gov.uk/events/ve-day-80 Verwood Road in Ringwood is closed both ways due to a fire between Ebblake and A31 This incident was first reported on Bournemouth One on Monday afternoon (31/03/2025 3:48pm) You can hear more traffic and travel news this afternoon on the radio via DAB across Dorset or just say “Play Bournemouth One” to your smart device to listen now And if you can update us with any traffic information Don’t forget we send all traffic alerts to our social channels including on X and Facebook where you can follow us and keep up-to-date each day Get real time updates directly on you device Andrea is Bournemouth One's freelance reporter letting us know about all the relevant stories from around the area