First time on CCC site.....WTF (1 Viewer)

[Emmenay]

Last week I decided to join the CCC so I could stay on a particular site and thought it would be handy for the future.

Within two minutes of arriving on site, I was waiting in the van while the better half signed in, a site warden (lets call him a red shirt) walked passed me and muttered, "Turn your engine off sir". Not 'would you mind' or 'could you' or 'please' or 'thank you'.

Before I could even acknowledge him he had breezed off. Straight away i thought hmmm, that was petty as it wasn't bothering anybody.

Minutes later the red shirt led us to our hardstanding pitch where I drove on as instructed. Red shirt stood in front and stopped me where required.
On turning off the engine (didn't want the same complaint twice), he then asked me to move the van over about 6 inches. Obviousley I had to ask why and told him my reason for asking was I am a complete newbie to CCC and am not yet aware of the rules. He explained that the van needed to be moved to allow room for the awning. Hmmm I thought, I could have just wound it out 6 inches less to keep within the hardstanding.

Anyway, we got set up and even erected our new wind break, what a mistake that was! Another red shirt came strolling meaninfully slow throught the pitch and began a series off tut's and sigh's, he sounded like a plumber that had just been asked an opinion! "You'll have to move that" he said. Again I asked why as I am not yet aware of the rules. "Its the 6 metre rule between pitches so your nylon windbreak overhanging by 1 metre is not allowed, although you can park a car there as its moveable in an emergency". I was dying to ask what is so immovable about the windbreak but thought better of it, but by now I was looking around for Jeremy bleeding Beadle!

The following day I managed to have a read of the site rules which were a little brief if anything but soon started to notice the amount of people completely ignoring them with the red shirts turning a blind eye. Ball games were a plenty, frizbees, remote control cars and even awnings across the six metre zones.

Based on what I could see and the fact that I am still an overgrown kid, I released the tiny model helicopter, not in the rules, quieter than a quiet shaver, smaller than a football. Well I don't know where this red shirt came from but he just appeared like he had been wearing an invisibility cloak, with his opening line of, "you can't do that round here".
That was it, I just couldn't hold back anymore and told him to have a look around and basically get lost.
The weekend passed and I was glad to ge off the site.

Are all CCC sites as anal or did I just get a unique one?

 

[Geo]

My opinion
Its not fair to tarnish all with the same brush BUT
Yes to varying degrees

 

[Allanm]

Not as bad as CC sites, but yes, which is the reason we haven't used a proper UK campsite since 1993 when we spent a memorable half hour watching a chap levelling his caravan, which at one point had both wheels off the ground. As soon as it was level, a red shirt type ( without the red shirt but you get my drift) went over to him and told him his van was the wrong way round!
We left then, too much bad language!
Allan

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[Heyupluv]

Yes.....

 

[philw111]

Last week I decided to join the CCC so I could stay on a particular site and thought it would be handy for the future.

Are you not going to name and shame then? We don't all want to have to go through that :thumb:

 

[knokinonabit]

Are you not going to name and shame then? We don't all want to have to go through that :thumb:

Yes please, a name would be useful.
I have been on quite a few C&CC sites and have never had a bad experience on any of them.
Now CC sites............... We haven't been members of the CC for ages

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[beachcaster]

Not as bad as CC sites, but yes, which is the reason we haven't used a proper UK campsite since 1993 when we spent a memorable half hour watching a chap levelling his caravan, which at one point had both wheels off the ground. As soon as it was level, a red shirt type ( without the red shirt but you get my drift) went over to him and told him his van was the wrong way round!
We left then, too much bad language!
Allan

Well the CC might have relaxed a bit in the 20 years since you have not used them.
The only trouble I have seen on a CC club was a warden being abused by a drunk caravanner.
All the sites I stay at are wonderful with really friendly and helpful wardens.
I think they have preferred parking ways for caravans but when I said I had a motorhome on a recent stay I was told I could park it anyway I like on the pitch......in fact I could park it upright on its nose if I liked .

I have no problems at all the the CC wardens.....

barry

 

[MichelleRyall]

We are members of the CC but have yet to use one of their larger sites. We have used CL's which are great. Our van is Italian so the hab door is the opposite side to UK vans, this means to use the hard standing we may have to park up on the opposite side if we reverse in. Will wait and who we upset!!!

 

[MHVirgins]

Well, so far we haven't joined the CC and C but we are members of the CC.

In the majority of cases the wardens are "ok", some are "fantastic" but there are too many "jobsworths" sadly.

We enjoyed reading Emmenay's post it gave us a good laugh, but you deserve an award for being so patient and you must have a longer fuse than me, because I'm afraid I would have fallen out with this red shirt before too long

I had a run-in with one of the male wardens at Gatwick CC site last November, it was my fault and I admit to that. However, I had gone into the shower block less than 10 mins before it was closing for cleaning. I was getting dried when this voice of authority called out, "Showers now closed for cleaning"!
I replied, "I'll be right out". Warden said, "You'll need to come out now, we need in there to clean and you shouldn't be in there"!
I replied, "Right, I'm getting dried, can't go any faster, but I'll be finished asap".
The warden continued, "Yes, ok, but you shouldn't be in there, so get yourself out now"! I replied, "For decency's sake, allow me to put some clothes on"! (it was November and freezing). I hold my hand up and admit that I had cut it fine going in too close to cleaning time, but it was his whole attitude that really got me. Being spoken to as if I was a school boy really annoyed me, I had got the message, but he kept on and on with the instructions:Angry:
I got to the point where he'd just pushed it too far, so I said, "ok, you've made your point, now back off" and he did.
On the positive side of things, we spent a week at Gatwick (formerly Amberley Fields) and one of the other female wardens couldn't have been more friendly and helpful during our stay.

To get back to Emmenay's post, I would have thought it a lot easier and quicker to lift out a windbreak that get someone to remove a car.

We've had "run-ins" with "wardens with attitude" at a few CC sites, Chatsworth and Castleton. When we arrived at Chatsworth reception area, one of the wardens was out and as we drove up to the top of the parking bay he stood there with arms waving around as if he'd worked at parking jumbos in a previous life
The male warden at the Firs CC near Belper was a "jobsworth", despite leaving three messages on his answerphone, he made no attempt to call us back and in the end we'd found the site and checked in. Several other people that we met at the Firs took objection to him, but his wife Christine was the complete opposite, ver pleasant and patient.
When I said to him, we left a couple of messages on your answering machine during the last hour, he said, "oh, this is not a big site with umpteen wardens to deal with the phone", he wandered over to the phone and said, "Oh yes, there are messages on the phone, is that you"? Yet him and his wife were just next door in their caravan. We have spoken to other wardens who always say leave a message on the machine and someone will get back to you, so guess it was just him being awkward

Probably our favourite CC site is now Lower Wensleydale, the wardens there are very friendly and accommodating.........sadly they're not all like this. We were at Littlehampton in November last year, one of the wardens was brilliant, yet another who was on duty another time, was a proper little "jobsworth".

I think a lot of the wardens on site forget who the paying customer is and could really do with going on a course for "people skills". As adults, there is a point past which members or not, are not going to take any "snash" from jobsworth wardens.

Bill

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[Wildbill]

Have a van that older than ten years and see the reception you get from the cc the clue clucks clan would give a beater reception I know went on one once ccc aren’t much better had bad experiences with both

 

[ShiftZZ]

We have been to a small number of C & CC and to honest we have never had any problems at all, the last one was in Kilsby, the owner open the gate, allowed us to park anywhere we wanted, he explained where all the ‘bits’ where and that was about it, oh yes, the wife agreed to sell me ½ doz eggs for a £1 which we enjoyed.

The views were out of this world, but no EHU, which did not give us a problem, we saw rare breed sheep, cattle, horses, ponies and no end of wildlife including a deer.

They even allowed or gave us the option to stay well past 12:00 AM, well pleased.

 

[camocam1]

have stayed on quite a few CC&C sites and always found the wardens to be very helpful at Miton Keynes the guy bent over backwards to help me get a great pitch near the play park for my grandson but still away from the regimented rows "his words"

Rosemarkie site as it was quite when we were there we were allowed to pitch up on a NON EHU pitch side on because of the great sea view and we were given an extension lead to reach the EHU as mine was not long enough

Now the CC club sites are a different matter in my opinion very regimented and you must line up with the marker post and you must reverse onto the pitch and on it goes.

But did stay on one at Grafton Water and was basically told go find a pitch you fancy and come back and tell us what one it is, NO word of marker posts etc

so I suppose it all depends on the Warden but I may be inclined if they were over the top to remind them that yes there are rules BUT it is the members that pay their wages, NO members NO job !!! for them

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[chaser]

I have no intention of ever going to a ccc main site ever again, just can't stand the hassle and as we don't need toilets or showers or hookup or any of their other gizmos they charge the earth for, and was fully intending to leave the club but they took my money before I got round to cancelling . Saying that though we have used the cls this time and the club meets are fantastic value if they happen to be where you want to go so have saved my subs that way.

 

[motorhomer]

We are members of both clubs, generally we find ccc to be more relaxed, cc is more regimented but generally the wardens are just sticking to the club rules and within that usually they are friendly and helpful. They are not well paid.

One of my gripes, compared to continental sites, is that reception usually closes on cc sites at 5.30 or 6. We arrived at one pre booked cc site en route to dover at 5.45 to be told that he could not take cards because the office closed at 5.30 so would I go back at 9am. Since we were leaving at 7.30 this was a tad difficult so we had to pay cash.

Health and safety gets the blame for most things and most club rules. I would not generally blame the wardens.

 

[mondo]

I had a run in with a CC&C warden in East Anglia (Won't name site) but when I booked it I asked for a pitch in the open as the late missus loved a bit of sun..and lets face it in the UK it is a BONUS when it does come out..anyway got there fella said follow me did this he said there ya go I said nope he said WHY?? I said asked for one in the open when I booked..he said no this is yours so I said lets phone the bookings line from the office so drove back to the office he rang gave em my booking ref number hummed and ahhed on the blower..then said you'll have to stay where you are..I said NO..we argued for 10 minutes whilst I blocked the road I rang the office bookings on me mobile gave em the ref told them the warden was trying to stick me in the woods she said put him on..I called him over and said "Oi Dopey..Snow White wants you".. result got me pitch in the open..but never carried on my subscription to CC&C and when they asked why I told them WHY..because of idiots running sites...Strangely enough never ever had any probs with CC at all anywhere..they always got my money..

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[Emmenay]

[HI]Are you not going to name and shame then? We don't all want to have to go through that [/HI]:thumb:

I do feel like naming and shaming because they absolutely ruined my weekend. Let me think about it a while.:thumb:

 

[rangi]

Most of the CC&C sites we have stayed at had very friendly Staff, had a couple of grizzles to Mrs R about a few petty things but didn't take it any further, she put it down to Menapause:Sad:

Baltic Wharf , and, Minehead, both CC sites, Baltic was run by a couple of Totenkoph Troopers, made a mate of mine move 6 inches to his right, and because we have an European hab door we had to park facing a wall.

Minehead, was like an I E D minefield everywhere you went you tripped over a bloody noticeoh: and they had a bloody leaf blower going 24/7oh:

BUT! FOR A JOBSWORTH The Site Warden for Tourers at the Haven Site at Burnham on Sea, that Joker would get the Gold Medal, he was the only one that really got me stirred up enough to go straight to the Office and demand to see the Manager:Angry:

 

[Heyupluv]

Yes.....

Three of my CCC experiences September 2012 & July 2013.. two was on the south coast....pulled in...queued in a circle making my way round to the booking in point where the wife was...three red shirts on cycles....after a long wait we are off to our spot...Mmmmm I was showed 3 spots none that brill in the shade of trees (so no sun , no sat dish TV) Mmm I asked if there was any more spots sorry all bookedoh:....well after about 1/2 to 1 hour of the red shirt having me go backwards and forwards...on bumpy wet grass to get exactly at a SPOT down one side and exactly a SPOT at the front of the motorhome oh: oh:....come on 1" out and he has me move again and again....I said to him I don't use a awning...ignored me completely...then he writes my registration number and pitch number and off he goes:Angry:.....well after 45 mins somebody moves off the pitch the other side of the trees (FULL SUN ..FULL on SAT DISH) the red shirt man is now on the small tractor cutting grass...so I went up to him and said, I have been in the office and I am now moving to that spot :Angry:....so I had the wife in his full view with the TAPE MEASURE....he watching me and we was taking the P**S saying no a little more to the left ..no too much go back a little to the right no that is too far ..the red shirt man was watching :Angry:while he was cutting the grass:Angry:...

The next one was also on the south coast at Folkstone....we had booked in for 3 nights and a friend who was CC member also booked in for 3 nights but paid the premium price of a none member...so I said go back and make yourself a member which she did still booked if for 3 nights but had a refund of around £28.00 that was the difference of member/none member.....well after three days both of us and our friend decided to book in for another 3 nights ...the red shirt lady said sorry we are fully booked up.....oh:..but there was about 20 to 30 places free.NO we are fully booked up...BUT after we had been turned away, two other motorhomers we had got talking to...had gone up and booked some more days no problem :Angry::Angry:...the wife saw RED..and asked why ..told them a few choice words and walked off......as soon as the wife got back to the motorhome the warden came up and said we found you two places ..but you said you are full...NO that was the assistant warden...after that another friend went up and also got booked in.oh:

Next was Scarborough....we wanted one pitch the red shirt wanted us on another although the site was half full....I said as I was paying I would like to try that pitch, if its no good for the sat dish I will go onto the pitch you want me on...the dish worked ok so we stayed on the first pitch........
BUT the same red shirt got onto another person later on in the week...this person was in a small popup...been on the pitch him and his wife for three days...then the red shirt man came on bicycle OFFICIAL written all over his face...knocked on the popup window...you must move 12" forward...the couple looked in amazement....WHY..because I said you need to move forward ..WHY...well after quite a full discussion and a few raised voices the red shirt man said he wants him to move forward and rode off on his bike...the popup man strode down to the office at a rapid pace...came back 30 mins later both got into the popup and drove off


So to Answer your question YES

Traffic wardens spring to mind

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[peter marshall]

We have been on both with no prob's, and are members of both. Pete :thumb:

 

[WillH]

We use both CC and C&CC, as well as private sites and wild camping. Had problems, very occasionally in all places. If we don't like it we say so and move on, life's too short for hassle.

Off to a C&CC site this weekend for a day or two then moving on....

Rgds
Bill

 

[chaser]

Folkestone , if you are talking about the one on the cliff never should be allowed to call itself a club site , when we went you had to go down a narrow rough old track with cars parked all down one side, we got down ok but other wider vans were having to reverse back up a hill , no dought you will know what that ment for some fiat gearboxed vans, a lot of irate motorhomers, we had a voucher for introducing someone else to the ccc ( no way would I do that again) and they wouldn't accept it said I had to go through head office, which was shut of corse , nice views when you are there but not worth the hassle

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[robnchris]

C & C or C.C&C

We are members of both clubs and over the years like most other members have found that site were the warden thinks he`s another Adolf.
Best thing you can do is when they want you to do something that you don`t feel is right or necessary is just ask WHY.

Obviously you have to park correctly as per the rules, keep music volume down and keep the doggie on a lead, after that as long as you are sensible all should be fine.

Read in an earlier post that you have to reverse on to your pitch, that`s rubbish and not a club rule at all, if the warden says it`s because of the habitation door opening he`s telling porkies, clearly wouldn`t work with foreign built motorhome and caravans anyway.
One warden told me it was because if a caravan went on fire they could hook it up to a tractor and tow it off the site.

I asked him who in their right mind would hook a burning caravan up to a tractor and then tow is blazing away through a campsiteoh:

Generally most wardens these days are pleasant out going people, the rules are just there to be used like a tool box if needed.

 

[JohnM]

Been a member of cc for 30yrs and c&cc 6yrs and had very few complaints.

 

[Heyupluv]

Folkestone , if you are talking about the one on the cliff never should be allowed to call itself a club site , when we went you had to go down a narrow rough old track with cars parked all down one side, we got down ok but other wider vans were having to reverse back up a hill , no dought you will know what that ment for some fiat gearboxed vans, a lot of irate motorhomers, we had a voucher for introducing someone else to the ccc ( no way would I do that again) and they wouldn't accept it said I had to go through head office, which was shut of corse , nice views when you are there but not worth the hassle

That is the one....and YES I do know what you mean..... we had trouble..7.5m motorhome front wheel drive low alko chassis...we met a delivery lorry half way up..so we had to back all the way down..and yes the locals park on that narrow stretch near the bottom making it very difficult to pass and turn into and out of the site...on the route back up the narrow rutted lane of loose bricks and pot holes, having just reversed back down...there is a lump... well my front wheels went over my chassis grounded then the front were just spinning with no grip on the loose gravel.....and its a long long lane hoping nobody is on there way down and the same time as you coming up....now the wife wanted to go back for a few days and as lovely as it is I declined that time

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[kiwicamper]

We are using quite a few CCC sites during our UK stay and apart from grizzling about some high prices ,we have had no problems on club site or CS's.

 

[TheBig1]

have been a member of both big club for years and from experience the wardens to avoid are the ex military types. a swift phone call in front of them suggesting that youre talking to HQ about a site inspection and they sh!t themselves

recently the worst we had was cherry hinton cc site near Cambridge. excellent relief wardens pitched us all fine. 2 days later i am in hospital and the main warden approaches the wife and tells her to move the van 6inches and put trailer with scooter in on the other side. neither were going to happen as no way could she move the trailer alone and the van was set up with all sorts in the way. a few days later i get back to site and the wardens can see im furious so start grovelling.

obnoxious wardens should be put out to grass no matter which club they represent. stand up to them and dont accept their behaviour

 

[smiffy502000]

only time we came upon a stroppy one was at the club site at loch lomand. when booking in at one point , you would have thought we had just been conscripted into the army!! was expecting the drill seargent to come and put us through our paces...perhaps she was having a bad day but it changed our plans to stay a few days, pulled out next day. that said,all the other club sites we have been to have been great,cheerfull helpful friendly wardens. :thumb::thumb:

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[kaybee]

Have not been motor homing as long as a lot of you but over the last 18 months have stayed on several CC sites including the ones mentioned in the peak district. Indeed 2 of my favourites' are there. I have never had any difficulties with the wardens but have found them to be pleasant and courteous.

 

[davidbaldam]

I'm a member of the CC and never had any problems but if I did my retort would be "Do I have to remind you that I am the customer". My belief is that the customer might not be right but the customer is the customer. If asked to move just say very so politely "no" and closed your door, theres not much they can do is there. :thumb:

 

[weejohnw]

Stayed at the National Trust campsite at Stangford a couple of years ago and the warden, James, moved us to 5 different pitches in 3 days! The first one he tried to put us on was a grass pitch which was very soft after a lot of rain - imagine - rain in Ireland- and we got stuck - van sank into mud and we had to get towed off - another pitch we asked to move to he told us we couldn't have as it was booked - it stayed empty the whole weekend. He moved us to another pitch, we put the steadies down and proceeded to make dinner - people who had booked this particular pitch had arrived and wanted it - we were moved again. He finally offered us another pitch which is the one we had wanted when we arrived - he told us we could have it as the people who had booked it hadn't turned up - the people who hadn't turned up was us - we had been there for three days!

We stayed last year in the Lake District on a CCC site and found the Wardens to be unfriendly. I had parked in the checking in area while checking in - as you do - and was asking where the drive over drain was when I was rudely asked to move as I was blocking the check in area!
Wild parking up is hard to beat.

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