We have just been to our first c&cc site - we have been members for 3 years! The site was nice though I would now scrub Mablethorpe/Skegness coat off the tent list as its just too windy for our tent. (However that may change next year!)
We decided to to see where the site was and if there was a booking in time we'd go away and come back later. We did get told off and given the riot act (not really!) she just said you shuld read your big site book as members you should know you cannot book in until 12.00. I don't think I've seen the book since it came - there is nothing on the c&cc website stating times as I did check. Anyway its wasn't a problem they let us stay and put up our tent as they were fully booked!
We are members of the CC too so we don't have to pay the extra non-members fee for the site we use on our annual holiday. A friend told us if you pay by Direct Debit and tick the box about loaning/hiring a caravan they don't care if you don't have one. We have been members for 4 years with no questions when I ring the site to book my tent pitch. Although we can only stay on a tent pitch (no EHU) the other 200 odd EHU grass/hard pitches are out of bounds!
We've been members for 3 years and with the exception of generally the walk to the loos is further from standard pitches than from the electrics & hardstandings, we've not had any problems.
As others have said, there are rules which are quite strictly enforced (the 6m rule esp.), which with a young family suit us. I can't think of ever having had a problem with wardens who I've always found really helpful (though I do read the reviews here and avoid any sites where they say they're grumpy! [:)})
1 thing I noticed this year was A LOT more tents. Also, for several of the club sites, they're moving away from fixed pitches specifically to cater for tents wider than 5m. We of course bought our Vermont specifically to fit on a standard pitch...
My feeling is that the club is _slowly_ moving back to giving parity to tents and caravans (there are even more things about tents in the last couple of months of the mag!).
Hi all again, having been watching this post since my earlier input and some good points being raised, some encouraging, with reguards to a group or this web site setting up a new camping club I think the logistic and cost of doing so would be prohibitive, even though it sounds like a lot of us would jump at the chance to join. As some one has already said the CC&C already has a camping sub group this just needs to be enlarged to cover the growing demand that people like us require so that it caterers for its members needs then it could run its own DA's or sites that catered more for the needs of us larger tent users. The CC&C has some great benefits for joning ie cheap breakdown cover and super looking sites to name two, but unless they know how we feel they have no reason to change and the only way it seems to do that is to join the club and voice our needs..a bit of a catch 22 if I join it might be money wasted and if I don't then it will always be that way
Aaron & Mandy
------------- Aaron & Mandy
Definition of a fool.. some one who makes the same mistake twice & expects a different result
Quote: I do have issue with the fact it is near impossible to get booked on a club site for the amount of nights required due to 1 night stays -yet they deny that happens. Just try the online booking system and you'll see what im on about. For example if I want to go for a friday to monday weekend, I try and book the pitch only to find that friday and saturday are fine, but sunday is booked up and monday is fine. It doesnt make sense at all.
This confuses me as it is impossible to book for one night. This is a real niggle of mine, I've even phoned up on a saturday morning to enquire if a pitch is free, found out it is but have not been able to book it.
As we work monday to friday, sometimes we just want saturday night away but have to risk turning up and hoping there is a pitch free or go elsewhere.
Quote: I do have issue with the fact it is near impossible to get booked on a club site for the amount of nights required due to 1 night stays -yet they deny that happens. Just try the online booking system and you'll see what im on about. For example if I want to go for a friday to monday weekend, I try and book the pitch only to find that friday and saturday are fine, but sunday is booked up and monday is fine. It doesnt make sense at all.
This confuses me as it is impossible to book for one night. This is a real niggle of mine, I've even phoned up on a saturday morning to enquire if a pitch is free, found out it is but have not been able to book it.
As we work monday to friday, sometimes we just want saturday night away but have to risk turning up and hoping there is a pitch free or go elsewhere.
It's to do with overlaps - if a site has, for example, 2 pitches (a very small site!) and I book for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and someone else books Sunday night, Monday night, Tuesday night, then it is obvious that Sunday night will be full. You would only be able to book for either Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights, or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday nights. And not one of us will have booked a 1 night stay.
Quote: Originally posted by RogLozLee on 01/9/2009
The site was nice though I would now scrub Mablethorpe/Skegness coat off the tent list as its just too windy for our tent. (However that may change next year!)
We stayed at Pilgrims Way near Boston, about 35 miles or so out of Skegness. We didn't feel wind once, even when it was blowing hard. The site is so well protected by trees and hedges. Only downside is that it is a fair throw from Skeg if you're looking to spend all your time at the beach.
As some one has already said the CC&C already has a camping sub group this just needs to be enlarged to cover the growing demand that people like us require so that it caterers for its members needs .... but unless they know how we feel they have no reason to change and the only way it seems to do that is to join the club and voice our needs..a bit of a catch 22 if I join it might be money wasted and if I don't then it will always be that way
I do think this is true. Unless tenters make their voices known, then of course the caravaners will be the vocal majority. The club wont listen to non-members so the only way to make them take notice is to join and then put the pressure on. The caravaners must have done this originally when they felt the minority - time for the tenters to do the same.
I am a member, simply to make the most of the sites and discounted costs. Im not too fussed about the politics of it, I follow enough of that in other areas of life. So long as there is some benefit to me, I will continue. Many non-C&CC sites are just as van centred and biased so I dont think its just the club, but the industry itself.
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Topic: caravan and camping club
