Camping and Caravanning Club (1 Viewer)

[Tiberius901]

7 years motorhoming, 7 years caravanning, 2 years tenting. 16 years as a member of the "friendly club". 16 years on many club sites in the UK, several years travelling Europe using Carefree travel. Only this year have we decided to expose ourselves to the less friendly independent sites and engage in the disreputable pursuit of wild camping in the darkest extent of Argyllshire. After one month of going off the rails I now come home relaxed after our travels and my wife does not have to talk me down from selling the van and wrestling with the anti-depressants. How encouraging it is to arrive at a site at 11pm, walking nervously to the reception to only be greeted by an a4 sheet of paper telling you to park where you want and the roundsman will take the fee in the morning. Oh how i dont miss the red polo shirted greeting through the teeth that it will cost forty five pounds and you will have to use the car par because you have the temerity to want to leave at seven to pick your son up from the airport. Twenty pounds less to have a site where the owners actually want you to relax rather than be seen as an irrelevant obstacle to the wardens desire to sit in their awnings eating chips and waiting for their own friends to arrive. Twenty pounds less not to be told that it costs forty five pounds for one night because "you will have kids", twenty pounds less to be told that you can leave whenever you come back fron hill walking, seven oclock should be fine, twenty pounds less for a site that is not full of old cronies in their swift cottages block booking the sites months in advance so that there is absolutely no flexibility, never turn up to a friendly site unnanounced because you will be told, in a friendly way that there is no vacancies and that they cannot believe you wouldnt call in advance. Every year in nearly every site we have come across nearly every form of poor customer service, ever increasing site fees and an unnerringly unhelpful approach to the nuisance that is normal family members. After sixteen years I am convinced that the C and C club represents everything that camping and caravanning should NOT be about. I do hope you post this because I do feel that many more people will have this experience

 

[Barclaybasher]

7 years motorhoming, 7 years caravanning, 2 years tenting. 16 years as a member of the "friendly club". 16 years on many club sites in the UK, several years travelling Europe using Carefree travel. Only this year have we decided to expose ourselves to the less friendly independent sites and engage in the disreputable pursuit of wild camping in the darkest extent of Argyllshire. After one month of going off the rails I now come home relaxed after our travels and my wife does not have to talk me down from selling the van and wrestling with the anti-depressants. How encouraging it is to arrive at a site at 11pm, walking nervously to the reception to only be greeted by an a4 sheet of paper telling you to park where you want and the roundsman will take the fee in the morning. Oh how i dont miss the red polo shirted greeting through the teeth that it will cost forty five pounds and you will have to use the car par because you have the temerity to want to leave at seven to pick your son up from the airport. Twenty pounds less to have a site where the owners actually want you to relax rather than be seen as an irrelevant obstacle to the wardens desire to sit in their awnings eating chips and waiting for their own friends to arrive. Twenty pounds less not to be told that it costs forty five pounds for one night because "you will have kids", twenty pounds less to be told that you can leave whenever you come back fron hill walking, seven oclock should be fine, twenty pounds less for a site that is not full of old cronies in their swift cottages block booking the sites months in advance so that there is absolutely no flexibility, never turn up to a friendly site unnanounced because you will be told, in a friendly way that there is no vacancies and that they cannot believe you wouldnt call in advance. Every year in nearly every site we have come across nearly every form of poor customer service, ever increasing site fees and an unnerringly unhelpful approach to the nuisance that is normal family members. After sixteen years I am convinced that the C and C club represents everything that camping and caravanning should NOT be about. I do hope you post this because I do feel that many more people will have this experience

WOW! - just let it all out! - Looks like things can only get better!

 

[Pikey Pete]

I have to agree with most of what you say.

I am a member of both Clubs, but only so I can use their CL/CS sites, when in the UK.

I got out of the habit of using their main sites long ago.

Pete:Cool:

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[Pammy]

and don't forget...

The lack of 'Duty of Care'

We stayed at the Blackmore c & C club site at Hanley Swan from Saturday 11 August to Thursday 16 August. For those of you who don't know, my hubby Geo had a heart attack on the Sunday and was taken by ambulance to the Worcester Royal Hospital. I was told by the less than caring wardens that at 11pm the gate would be locked and I would have to park my car in the car park if we returned after this time. This meant that if I had been able to bring Geo home that evening after 11pm, he would also have to walk quite a distance from the car park to get back to our RV. After some lengthy discussion and letting them know how unreasonable they were being, the wardens said that they would open the gate for us providing the Manager was agreeable to it. It was some 2 hours later that I received a phone call from them saying that they would be able to unlock the gate providing Geo was in the car, otherwise as originally stated if I was on my own then I would have to park in the car park and walk down to the RV. This is in fact what I had to do which I was still not happy about as there were no lights on around the camp site at all so I was completely walking in the dark.

What worries me as well - this ruling is a standard ruling - what happens if the emergency services want to get in to tend to a critically ill person during the hours of 11pm and 7am. Would the wardens ring the Managers for their approval before opening the gate.

This site in particular is supposed to be a four or five star site - well it isn't in my book and if this is what C & C sites are about then you can keep them. :Angry:

 

[f6c]

Well said

 

[Destination Unknown]

Hi Pammy sorry to hear about Geo's heart attack but very pleased that he is OK now. :thumb::thumb:

We like Itinerant Pete only use the CS's and the CL's they are more informal and more personal and the main sites of both clubs are totally overpriced.

Regards Brian and Chris

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[ourcampersbeentrashed]

The lack of 'Duty of Care'

............. saying that they would be able to unlock the gate providing Geo was in the car, otherwise as originally stated if I was on my own then I would have to park in the car park and walk down to the RV. This is in fact what I had to do which I was still not happy about as there were no lights on around the camp site at all so I was completely walking in the dark.

What worries me as well - this ruling is a standard ruling - what happens if the emergency services want to get in to tend to a critically ill person during the hours of 11pm and 7am. Would the wardens ring the Managers for their approval before opening the gate.

This site in particular is supposed to be a four or five star site - well it isn't in my book and if this is what C & C sites are about then you can keep them. :Angry:

What also worries me, is that had you had to return on your own and park your car outside and walk such a distance to your motorhome is that

had you been attacked or raped .......

a) no one would have come to your aid

and b) I bet they would have denied telling you to walk on your own.

I do hope you take time to go to the national papers with this story!!!

Lovely to see you and Geo over the weekend. Thinking of you both xxxx

 

[Tiberius901]

Response to Pammy

Pammy OP here. What an utterly horrific tale you tell, hope hubby is well on the mend. The sad thing about the behaviour oF the wardens is that in my own expeRience, having been in thirty or so sites, if you were to ask me what i thought wardens would do in those circumstances, then i would have guessed exactly their behaviour. In circumstances like that surely any half decent human being would have undertaken any task to give you some support. It beggars belief. It also confirms my thoughts about the club. You should publish that story, its a sad commentary on the way the club is run, absolutely no attempt at making people feel welcome at all. Good luck and good health to you both.

 

[TheBig1]

I have to say, that had it been a caravan club site, I am certain things would of been different.
we were staying at a cc main site where again a motorhomer had a heart attack. the wife went with her husband in the ambulance but the warden gave her their personal mobile number and not only asked to be kept informed, but also went and bought her home from the hospital later in their car. far beyond any duty of care, they were personally concerned and "human". a big difference

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[the stig]

Do you not think that this is not whether it is CC or C&CC that matters. It is down to the actual Wardens. I very much doubt it forms part of the training to be such A$$****s
It is just down to individual personalities.
We have stayed on a CC and the warden was very militant, and very full of their own importance!
Yet we have stayed at a C&CC site and the owners were absolutely marvelous. Infact several of us walked to a pub one night for a meal and a few tipples and he told us to ring him and he would come and ferry us all back to the site. :thumb: and we were offered FREE Golf and FREE Fishing (permits required) and all for 12 pn inc ehu
Now you don't see that often do you!
and don't ask me where this site is, my are tightly shut! (till the red hits the table anyway)

 

[Barclaybasher]

Do you not think that this is not whether it is CC or C&CC that matters. It is down to the actual Wardens. I very much doubt it forms part of the training to be such A$$****s
It is just down to individual personalities.
/QUOTE]

Absolutely right - there are uncaring, unthinking individuals in all walks of life - not nice when you come across them though

 

[acting_strange]

We have just returned from a C & CC site and the wardens could not have been more helpful...very friendly....no problem at all

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[alfandM]

7 years motorhoming, 7 years caravanning, 2 years tenting. 16 years as a member of the "friendly club". 16 years on many club sites in the UK, several years travelling Europe using Carefree travel. Only this year have we decided to expose ourselves to the less friendly independent sites and engage in the disreputable pursuit of wild camping in the darkest extent of Argyllshire. After one month of going off the rails I now come home relaxed after our travels and my wife does not have to talk me down from selling the van and wrestling with the anti-depressants. How encouraging it is to arrive at a site at 11pm, walking nervously to the reception to only be greeted by an a4 sheet of paper telling you to park where you want and the roundsman will take the fee in the morning. Oh how i dont miss the red polo shirted greeting through the teeth that it will cost forty five pounds and you will have to use the car par because you have the temerity to want to leave at seven to pick your son up from the airport. Twenty pounds less to have a site where the owners actually want you to relax rather than be seen as an irrelevant obstacle to the wardens desire to sit in their awnings eating chips and waiting for their own friends to arrive. Twenty pounds less not to be told that it costs forty five pounds for one night because "you will have kids", twenty pounds less to be told that you can leave whenever you come back fron hill walking, seven oclock should be fine, twenty pounds less for a site that is not full of old cronies in their swift cottages block booking the sites months in advance so that there is absolutely no flexibility, never turn up to a friendly site unnanounced because you will be told, in a friendly way that there is no vacancies and that they cannot believe you wouldnt call in advance. Every year in nearly every site we have come across nearly every form of poor customer service, ever increasing site fees and an unnerringly unhelpful approach to the nuisance that is normal family members. After sixteen years I am convinced that the C and C club represents everything that camping and caravanning should NOT be about. I do hope you post this because I do feel that many more people will have this experience

well said, i total agree with you, these day's its not about people its only for the money, and most site wardens i would'nt give you a thankyou for, the c club is the same if not worse, the industry is getting alot worse, but also to mention there a lot of annoying holiday who use theae sites also, cheers Alf:Angry:

 

[Oscarbobs]

Great post, i have cancelled my cc membership this year as im fed up of the miserable grumpy faces i have to look at as soon as my kids exit the van. My kids are well behaved but they dont seem to get a chance to prove it before the victor meldrews have formed an opinion. Leave em to it!

Dave

 

[Janine]

I think it's possible take the best bits of these clubs and tailor them to your requirements.

We use the C & CC temporary holiday sites and the weekend rallies, both of which typically cost less than £10 per night.

A couple of weeks ago we were on a rally field attached to a large commercail site. Not only were we in a better spot than the big site, we paid £20 less per night!

That more than paid for our membership for the whole year

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[cudleydudley]

why dont they give a reply

have the CC and C&CC got anybody to reply to criticism of there "firms", surly they must lose custom from all of the "complaints" [if true or not] on the forums, do they read them ? do they care, IF, they do read them ?
everybody knows that when your in any job you go to work, get paid for what you "should" have done, get your money, spend it on,anything, and how you like, [except taxes nobody like these] so wardens/nurses etc, are expected to go the extra mile, or above and beyond the line that "most" working folk would do.
when they are up for a warden interview for the "job" do they get asked "will you get out of bed at night to let someone in". if the park is full [or not] will you let someone change there pitch, after knowing you have solid reservations on the rest of the site" will you always smile at the Mr-mrs grumpy [who have had a rough/rainy/hot /naughty kids,drive to site] after yourself have had a rough/rainy/hot /naughty kids sot of day". I DONT THINK SO.
im not, have never been, and will never be, a warden/nurse etc, i go to a site/hospital, NOT expecting anything, other than what i paid for [inc a smile],if i dont get what i paid for i complain at the time, face to face, and in writing to the head shed, and will move to another site or ask for another opinion.
these above comments, in know way decry anyones true complaints, I just try to live and let live.
george

 

[meanders]

We have just returned after 2 weeks in the west country having stayed at various different places. We found the cc & c&cc both far more expensive than the private sites.We stayed at Colliford Tavern site, next to Colliford Lake which was £20 and found out the next day we could have parked in the lake car park overnight for free!! never mind we will know next time. We also stayed at Doubletrees and a site near St Agnes which were a similar price. We stayed at Sennen Cove c & cc which was almost £30 night.We stayed at Carnon Downs & Wood Farm, Charmouth both of which were over £30 per night.

Carnon Down is a lovely site with large pitches and excellent facilities so may arguably be worth the price, but we have already said that we will use private sites in the future as there are less rules & regulations, so are more relaxed.

 

[Gaston aires]

caravan club

I have to agree wit most of your points, although most caravan club wardens I find very freindly. I think the clubs are now more of a business than club. Most people I speak to agree with me, do we really need a winter ball with DJs and cocktail dresses for gods sake ? My point is the sites are getting too cosy and with that expensive. We use cls now mostly, much cheaper, and we dont need all the santized aspects of camping. The French "aires system" basic and in the right paces work well providing you have a camping car, a no no for caravanners though.
Phil and Gill

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[gawatt]

First Impressions

We've only stayed at one C&CC site so far. We joined for access to the CS sites really.

We stopped at the new Windermere site and couldn't have been more impressed with the wardens there. They were both friendly and helpful, and though the stay was massively more money than I would normally pay, for the facilities and location I'd consider it again. I'll definitely be using CS sites over the bigger club ones on the whole, but the wardens made such a good impression I'll probably plan a couple more in.

It's definitely down to the individuals it would seem.

That a warden would keep the gates locked for an injured or poorly guest seems criminal to me. I hope a complaint was made.

 

[Tiberius901]

:shout:OP here. I guess I have been building up to letting steam off on the subject of the C and CC. However it is true to say that, like everyone, there will be good and bad personalities within the wordens. However the real issue is the instructions that they get from management on how to run the sites. Part of their training must include how to deal with emergencies, how to help customers and how to present the club to its members and non members. I guess that is where the problem lies. Another issue is the small (relatively) cost of membership, acroos a hugen number of mebers, coupled with the uncompetitively high prices for the sites, gives a fair income to the committe and a wide and weak membership, allows the small number of committe and Company men to run the site as a small private clib with stringent and unhelpful rules, with no doubt the wardens being under severe pressure to comply or they are out. Would love to get a wardens perspective of what it is like administering the sites. Also, why not just leave the club, I guess I will but I still remain utterly astounded at the arrogance and lack of customer service with high cost that the clubs continies to display and seemingly benefit from. Perhaps it comes from the low cost of membership duping mugs like me to join and who then take 16 years to realise that most other non club sites are far superior, cost half the price and are run by people who do not need to treat customers as if they are irrelevant nuisances.

 

[rangi]

:shout:OP here. other non club sites are far superior, cost half the price and are run by people who do not need to treat customers as if they are irrelevant nuisances.

I take it you have never stayed at "New Mills" just outside of Bath or "Hendra" at Newquay just to mention a couple of private sites.

We were at "the Family Run" New Mills and asked why the Restaurant/Bar wasn't open, It seems a "family member" didn't turn up for his/her shift, Why hasn't another "family member" taken over? " We've already done our shifts"

Hendra this time of year is crowded, so not only does the cleanliness of the amenitys suffer a down turn, so does the attitude of the staff.

Both sites charge like a wounded Bull this time of year

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[motorhomelover]

7 years motorhoming, 7 years caravanning, 2 years tenting. 16 years as a member of the "friendly club". 16 years on many club sites in the UK, several years travelling Europe using Carefree travel. Only this year have we decided to expose ourselves to the less friendly independent sites and engage in the disreputable pursuit of wild camping in the darkest extent of Argyllshire. After one month of going off the rails I now come home relaxed after our travels and my wife does not have to talk me down from selling the van and wrestling with the anti-depressants. How encouraging it is to arrive at a site at 11pm, walking nervously to the reception to only be greeted by an a4 sheet of paper telling you to park where you want and the roundsman will take the fee in the morning. Oh how i dont miss the red polo shirted greeting through the teeth that it will cost forty five pounds and you will have to use the car par because you have the temerity to want to leave at seven to pick your son up from the airport. Twenty pounds less to have a site where the owners actually want you to relax rather than be seen as an irrelevant obstacle to the wardens desire to sit in their awnings eating chips and waiting for their own friends to arrive. Twenty pounds less not to be told that it costs forty five pounds for one night because "you will have kids", twenty pounds less to be told that you can leave whenever you come back fron hill walking, seven oclock should be fine, twenty pounds less for a site that is not full of old cronies in their swift cottages block booking the sites months in advance so that there is absolutely no flexibility, never turn up to a friendly site unnanounced because you will be told, in a friendly way that there is no vacancies and that they cannot believe you wouldnt call in advance. Every year in nearly every site we have come across nearly every form of poor customer service, ever increasing site fees and an unnerringly unhelpful approach to the nuisance that is normal family members. After sixteen years I am convinced that the C and C club represents everything that camping and caravanning should NOT be about. I do hope you post this because I do feel that many more people will have this experience

If you think that is bad you should try and get on to a Caravan Club site in an American RV that is only 27foot long (AKA Round tree park York)
bloody minded up them selves wardens i could have quit easy punched on the nose
no give at all even when i said i had been on with a 27foot twin axle crusader supper-storm caravan and that my RV was the same size

gone is any customer service in many of these sites and any complaint goes UN-answered by head office

 

[pvw10]

7 years motorhoming, 7 years caravanning, 2 years tenting. 16 years as a member of the "friendly club". 16 years on many club sites in the UK, several years travelling Europe using Carefree travel. Only this year have we decided to expose ourselves to the less friendly independent sites and engage in the disreputable pursuit of wild camping in the darkest extent of Argyllshire. After one month of going off the rails I now come home relaxed after our travels and my wife does not have to talk me down from selling the van and wrestling with the anti-depressants. How encouraging it is to arrive at a site at 11pm, walking nervously to the reception to only be greeted by an a4 sheet of paper telling you to park where you want and the roundsman will take the fee in the morning. Oh how i dont miss the red polo shirted greeting through the teeth that it will cost forty five pounds and you will have to use the car par because you have the temerity to want to leave at seven to pick your son up from the airport. Twenty pounds less to have a site where the owners actually want you to relax rather than be seen as an irrelevant obstacle to the wardens desire to sit in their awnings eating chips and waiting for their own friends to arrive. Twenty pounds less not to be told that it costs forty five pounds for one night because "you will have kids", twenty pounds less to be told that you can leave whenever you come back fron hill walking, seven oclock should be fine, twenty pounds less for a site that is not full of old cronies in their swift cottages block booking the sites months in advance so that there is absolutely no flexibility, never turn up to a friendly site unnanounced because you will be told, in a friendly way that there is no vacancies and that they cannot believe you wouldnt call in advance. Every year in nearly every site we have come across nearly every form of poor customer service, ever increasing site fees and an unnerringly unhelpful approach to the nuisance that is normal family members. After sixteen years I am convinced that the C and C club represents everything that camping and caravanning should NOT be about. I do hope you post this because I do feel that many more people will have this experience

Sorry to say it but i agree with every word, i joined for the first time this year and will never renew, i simply cannot be arsed with the Traffic Warden types i keep coming across and the site book is just pants.

 

[robnchris]

If you think that is bad you should try and get on to a Caravan Club site in an American RV that is only 27foot long (AKA Round tree park York)
bloody minded up them selves wardens i could have quit easy punched on the nose
no give at all even when i said i had been on with a 27foot twin axle crusader supper-storm caravan and that my RV was the same size

gone is any customer service in many of these sites and any complaint goes UN-answered by head office

Sorry to hear you had this problem at Round Tree Park, quite different from our experience last year, we phoned up asking for a pitch for 2 nights telling them that we were 28` 10" long. No worries we`ll save you a pitch in the small part of the park on the right as you drive in.
The wardens couldn`t have been more helpful and all done with smiles, perhaps we caught them at a good time or we spoke to different people than you did.
Either way we would go back there if only for it`s location so close to the town centre.

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[7735]

We have been members of both clubs for the past 7 years and with a few exceptions have found the wardens to be polite and ameniable, however both clubs are heavily biased towards caravanners, you are always expected to book in advance and they are getting to be very expensive. Comparisons must be made with continental sites, we stayed at Jessilo in Italy this year, lovely site, clean facilities, electric, swimming pool, restuarant, shop and entertainment for the kids, not that we have any! Cost 14 euros per night

spongy

 

[Landy lover]

Pammy you really should pursue that - either the wardens need a good dressing down or the rules by which they are expected to operate need changing - I know you are a fairly forcefull person but if they had done that to Shirl then they would have hell and beyond to cope with - I think that is totally disgusting

 

[darklord]

Personally we let out CC membership lapse due to a few less than welcoming visits. The C&CC seems a lot better, apart from one warden who really needed a punch in the face, however, we are favouring the cs's..........but would really like to see more private campsites, if only i could fnd one to run, at sensible bleddy money.

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[weejohnw]

Friendly, I think not

Hi there, Last year before travelling to the Great Dorset Steam Fair and then through the Tunnel to France, we stayed a few nights in the C&CC site just outside Kendal. The warden (s) were anything but friendly. We did not think them a very good advert for the organisation. The only -IMO - useful feature of either group is the Cl/CS's. Regards

 

[Gooney]

I've noticed on more than a few occasions now with both clubs, the husband and wife teams of wardens seem to be a bit silk glove and iron gauntlet, any one else witnessed this?

 

[mikebeaches]

Hi there, Last year before travelling to the Great Dorset Steam Fair and then through the Tunnel to France, we stayed a few nights in the C&CC site just outside Kendal. The warden (s) were anything but friendly. We did not think them a very good advert for the organisation. The only -IMO - useful feature of either group is the Cl/CS's. Regards

Interestingly, we stayed at the C&CC site outside Kendal at the very beginning of this season in April, just before Easter. The wardens from last year had gone and the new ones were outstanding. They'd only been open a few days and were so full of enthusiasm - positively charming.

Now, no idea if it was just co-incidence that the previous staff had gone, or if there had been other complaints about them?

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