TV favourites David and his mum Gwyn from the BBC Two programme 'Caravanner of the Year' will be available to reveal all the antics from the popular show at the Teesside Caravan Event this Saturday and Sunday. Who can forget the lines - ?You?re too close to the kerb,? Gwyneth tells David, as he attempts to reverse their caravan around a roundabout. ?I?m not!? An exasperated David responds. It was this kind of interaction that made David Bird and his mum, Gwyneth, firm favourites with the viewers of BBC Two?s Caravanner of the Year competition. The programme, which aired first on Wednesday 20th April and repeated, again this month, was designed to celebrate caravanning in all its forms. Six couples battled it out over two weekends in a variety of challenging and taxing tasks in order to be crowned the 2016 Caravanner of the Year. David has been a caravan enthusiast all his life; in fact his extensive knowledge of the industry makes him something of an expert. This keen passion for caravanning is what got him to the finals of the programme in the first place. ?A friend told me about it, so I looked it up. This year was my 20th anniversary as a member of the Caravan Club so I thought it might be a nice way to commemorate it!? And was it a tough selection process once David did decide to put himself forward? ?I was selected from thousands of applications and after that my mum and I were placed on a shortlist of 20. To find out we had made the top 6, the elite caravanners, after that was a real accolade.? David and Gwyneth were stars of the show in the first episode, the semi-final. They came top in the challenge requiring them to erect their awning correctly within a time limit, whilst not faring so well in the tricky manoeuvres trial. The final challenge, the Concours D?Elegance, in which they serve tea to the judges in their spotless Coachman Singleton, was the clincher. Unfortunately David and his mum just missed out on the final, but David was just happy to be part of it. ?It was incredibly enjoyable; I wouldn?t have wanted to miss it for the world. It was such a positive experience and great to meet the other finalists. None of us felt like we were competing against each other. In fact, when the results of the semi-final were announced, we all went out for a lovely meal together!?
Since recording the show, David has also appeared on the BBC One Show and Channel 4?s Gogglebox. So, how does David feel about him and Gwyneth?s new-found fame? ?I was just happy to be able to publicise modern caravan and to show how luxurious the facilities can be. They?re not just tin cans any more, they can be every bit as stylish and comfortable as a house. I think the show was a great advert for touring caravans.? David and Gwyneth will be in the entrance to Showroom Two over the weekend and along with photos from the show will be happy to chat to caravanners about all aspect of caravanning.