Devizes ! an a bit of a rant ! (1 Viewer)

[Kool Kroozer]

Went to Devizes Thursday afternoon (never been to this part of the world before) took the leccy bikes and was intending on cycling to Bath from the Caen Hill Car Park (more on that later) Stayed overnight on the said car park, had a stroll around and all was very nice - out the next morning on the bikes, sun was out and what a lovely day it was, the folk of Devizes were errm errm all i can say were very terribly friendly and very helpful, it was good morning here and what a lovely day from over there, a little creepy in a stepford wives way But not complaining, we both stopped on route and said the same thing "aint everyone very happy around here" is it something in the air or in the water of the folk from around here - in all we had a great long weekend cycling and had a walk into the town itself (Devizes) (half hr walk) had some nice food for lunch on route to Bath from a little waterways cafe on route - Now getting back to the car park (Caen Hill) Very nice and clean, bins scattered around there and no signs of "No Camping/Overnight parking) the fees to pay on the big black waterways board were somewhat different to what we were told in the cafe (were you pay to park) the board stated to park overnight was £8 which i would happily paid, all fees to be paid at the cafe - which opens at around 10am and closes around 5pm ish but the owner seems very relaxed on these times and seems to come and go whenever... so arriving out of these times is a little awkward to make payment - we waited for the cafe to open and was told it was £1 for all day "All day ?" yes 24hr, now without taking the pish we always like to leave our parking spot how we found it, as we very rarely use sites i would hate to be labelled one of those who leaves rubbish behind and make a spectacle of themselves by getting all the gear out on a public car park, but Saturday evening a couple of other motorhomes turned up and parked on the other side of a hedge from us, when we woke up this morning the car park was already filling up with locals taking the kids out and dog walkers everywhere, then a fleet of Rolls Royce owners turned up for what looked like a "meet" and as i was scouring around the car park, the 2 motorhomes that turned up lastnight were there (not by there vans) got table chairs out on the car park having breakfast- on a public car park Oh Please! - Does this pish anyone else off ? or is it just me ? its not like it was a hot sunny morning - but it just looks so pikified to me ! Rant over - and an apology to the lovely folk of Devizes - lets just hope they cleaned up after themselves.

 

[PP Bear]

I'm with you on that, I live close by and have friends live in Devises too and a lovely place it is as well.

Also spend time in the carpark and not seen that before, think I might have had to pass comment, as it's those that'll get us all banded in the end.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Happy to read the first part of your tale @Kool Kroozer as I'm booked into the CCC site there (bottom of the lock flight) in a week's time...
Looking toward to my trip even more now.

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[Devon Sue]

Going along the canal from the campsite inthe direction away from Devizes gets you to the Barge Inn, we had a lovely meal there a coupke of years ago when staying over New Year.

 

[cornish boy]

The Raven at Poulshot always used to have a really good reputaion for great grub with the locals when I lived in Rowde.

 

[Hollyberry]

If you found Devizes a bit odd, try going to Calne !
I suppose it is quite friendly but never really noticed and I lived in nearby village for a few years and my daughter and family live in Devizes.
I can't see anything wrong in having a picnic in the car park, if that's your thing. A few yards away and they'd have been on the grass next to the canal and no one would have thought anything of that.

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[Spidey]

Devizes is lovely, I live nearer Chippenham but Devizes has some lovely little shops. There is so much in the area to visit near by. There is Avebury, Lacock, Castlecoomb, Bowood etc.

 

[Pia]

I can't see anything wrong in having a picnic in the car park, if that's your thing. A few yards away and they'd have been on the grass next to the canal and no one would have thought anything of that.

...camping behaviour is for campsites not for parking spaces as it impacts on the space other people may want to use and on their experience of a place. Motorhomers who do not obey the rules not only spoil it for those who are happy to obey the rules but display a profound lact of courtsey to those who allow them to use their facilities in the first place...that is sad and unnecessary and it gets motorhomers a bad name.

 

[iandsm]

...camping behaviour is for campsites not for parking spaces as it impacts on the space other people may want to use and on their experience of a place. Motorhomers who do not obey the rules not only spoil it for those who are happy to obey the rules but display a profound lact of courtsey to those who allow them to use their facilities in the first place...that is sad and unnecessary and it gets motorhomers a bad name.

It’s sonethibg I wouldn’t do, table and chairs in a car park, but I might use table and chairs if there was a suitable grass area nearby with a little privacy which didn’t inconvenience anyone. I did see two couples stop in the middle of a lorry parking space on a French service area who placed table and chairs between their cars, lates the table and sat to eat lunch. They were oblivious to everything else, they really were taking the P but I suppose they thought thier lunch was more important than a lorry drivers need to park.

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[Speve]

the folk of Devizes were errm errm all i can say were very terribly friendly and very helpful, it was good morning here and what a lovely day from over there, a little creepy in a stepford wives way But not complaining, we both sto

Most of us ere in Wiltshire are friendly and always speak when passing someone it's how we are down ere,glad you enjoyed your stay

 

[Emmit]

I wouldn't do what was described in the OP, but;

Is the only difference between the offending people in the OP the fact that they arrived in the car park in a motorhome?
Had the people in the OP emerged out of a car in the OP with a table and chairs, would their behaviour been described as 'Camping'?
Are we in danger of accepting that taking a table and chairs out of a vehicle is 'Camping'?

I would like to see a debate to actually come to a Definition as to what, "Camping" is. (in the sense of Law)

If our vehicles are self contained in the sense of liquids (both clean and used) and not needing to get out of the vehicle to cook or need a covering to keep out of the rain, then we should be able to stop our vehicles in a public place and not be accused of 'Camping.'

I would go further. If it would be OK to take a table and chair out of a car and not be accused of the 'C' word, then I should be able to do the same thing out of the 'Van.

 

[iandsm]

I wouldn't do what was described in the OP, but;

Is the only difference between the offending people in the OP the fact that they arrived in the car park in a motorhome?
Had the people in the OP emerged out of a car in the OP with a table and chairs, would their behaviour been described as 'Camping'?
Are we in danger of accepting that taking a table and chairs out of a vehicle is 'Camping'?

I would like to see a debate to actually come to a Definition as to what, "Camping" is. (in the sense of Law)

If our vehicles are self contained in the sense of liquids (both clean and used) and not needing to get out of the vehicle to cook or need a covering to keep out of the rain, then we should be able to stop our vehicles in a public place and not be accused of 'Camping.'

I would go further. If it would be OK to take a table and chair out of a car and not be accused of the 'C' word, then I should be able to do the same thing out of the 'Van.

Whether in a car or motorhome I think use of table and chairs might be considered inconsiderate in a crowded car park. On the other hand it may not be were it in an uncrowned car park where no was, or was no likelyhood for others to be inconvenienced . There are no rules about camping behaviour and unless this is prohibited by some bylaw people are entitled to their enjoyment.

Since there is no single legal definition of what constitutes camping behaviour I expect a debate would be pointless and simply be a platform for people to give their views which in the light of no legal definition would not take the matter any further.

I am not in favour of a strick legal definition of what constitutes camping behaviour since if there were one it may well be yet another uneccessary infringement on people’s liberty.

I doubt I would get a table and chair out of my car or motorhome in a car park or other very public place but I don’t want some petty official to be able to tell me I cannot and have the ability to issue some sort of penalty.

Unfortunately in the OP we do not have the benefit of photographs and it’s difficult to make an informed judgement. Some may find what they were doing perfectly acceptable, others may not. However it’s s good point that opinions may vary based on the vehicles involved. Some may say if the people were in cars that’s would be ok but not if they were in
motorhomes.

Ultimately as with many things it comes down to people being considerate to others. Whatever people do if they are considerate and don’t inconvenience others there can hardly be an objection and consequently no need for some local or national legal prohibition. Our rule of law is that people are free to do what they want, wherever they can’t to do it unless there is a law of some sort which prohibits it.

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[maison]

Just had a couple of nights at the CCC site Devizes. It's in Sells Green really.

It's one of our favourite sites. Nice canal side walks in both directions within 300 yards of the site.

We agree that the Barge Inn is well worth a visit and the Three Magpies, just outside the site is good for a meal or a drink. The bar areas of both pubs are dog friendly too.

 

[Kool Kroozer]

Let me enlighten anyone who has not been to the Caen Hill car park, there are picnic tables and wooden benches scattered around on the grass near the canal, (which is a stone throw away - in fact they are on the other side of the fence which divides the canal/grass from the car park) why would anyone want to have breakfast sitting in a car park full of passerbys ?

 

[iandsm]

Let me enlighten anyone who has not been to the Caen Hill car park, there are picnic tables and wooden benches scattered around on the grass near the canal, (which is a stone throw away - in fact they are on the other side of the fence which divides the canal/grass from the car park) why would anyone want to have breakfast sitting in a car park full of passerbys ?

Beats me, perhaps they were too lazy to go to them or they didn’t know they were there. It does seem preferable to sitting in a car park.

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[PP Bear]

As a regular user of the very busy carpark, it's there to park cars, simple as that and boy can it get rammed full.

If someone was selfish enough that they believe it's ok to block a car parking space or two, then shame on them.

Others who also want to enjoy the locks, the views, the history or go for a walk are buggered, all because of thoughtless selfish people, regardless of whether they were doing it from the motorhome or a car.

Park in a designed space. Pick up the stuff, walk to the grass and enjoy as much as you want, but don't use other parking spaces, it's just not British, polite and conceived to be far worse because it's a motorhome.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Car park picnics - its a thing ...

 

[Minxy]

... the 2 motorhomes that turned up last night were there (not by there vans) got table chairs out on the car park having breakfast- on a public car park Oh Please! - Does this pish anyone else off ? or is it just me ? its not like it was a hot sunny morning - but it just looks so pikified to me ! Rant over - and an apology to the lovely folk of Devizes - lets just hope they cleaned up after themselves.

From this it would appear that they may NOT have been blocking a parking space but just using their own tables and chairs - why not? If they were blocking parking places that's a different matter but just being able to sit outside and eat in comfort with your own table/chairs and not causing any problems for anyone else, then I can't see an issue, no different to a car driver doing the same. If they were foreign MHers then I can understand it even more than if they were British, as it is the norm abroad to see tables and chairs set up at meal times by all and sundry from various types of vehicles in all manner of weird and wonderful places, they do it all the time and don't seem to bat an eyelid about what the weather's doing unless its raining but even then I've seen them sitting out under umbrellas to eat!

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[jockaneezer]

That photo of the couple picnicing behind their Micra is obviously just a set up, there's no sign of a tartan flask anywhere !

 

[Theonlysue]

Lucky you found the cafe open to pay.
When i went there in mh, no where open to pay so i drove off in fear of getting a ticket lol

 

[Kool Kroozer]

Well thats just it Mel, their 2 MHs were parked together in a bay and they were picnicing opposite in another parking bay about 30 or so ft away...

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[Minxy]

Well thats just it Mel, their 2 MHs were parked together in a bay and they were picnicing opposite in another parking bay about 30 or so ft away...

Ah, in that case definitely not on ... mind you I've seen worse on very busy and full aires with Brits with their awnings etc out so others can't park although other nationalities do it too!

 

[gus-lopez]

Reminds me of the usual Saturday accident on the M5 around Wellington/Taunton, crawled along for best part of 1,5 hours to eventually come across the expected destruction & wreckage of the obligatory caravan accident only to find that the 2 old people had salvaged a couple of chairs , a damaged table & put up the sun shade on the hard shoulder & were having a drink & watching all the poor saps stuck in the jam they'd caused.
Even my daughter thought they were taking the P.

 

[PP Bear]

Reminds me of the usual Saturday accident on the M5 around Wellington/Taunton, crawled along for best part of 1,5 hours to eventually come across the expected destruction & wreckage of the obligatory caravan accident only to find that the 2 old people had salvaged a couple of chairs , a damaged table & put up the sun shade on the hard shoulder & were having a drink & watching all the poor saps stuck in the jam they'd caused.
Even my daughter thought they were taking the P.

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[Rob Turner]

I pulled up late one night at Reims sud on the A4 as the rain was torrential and could hardly see in front of me.
Pulled the blinds shut and that was me for the night.
Woke up in the morning to find someone had pitched a tent in the next bay, obviously not pegged down as it was Tarmac!!

 

[Minxy]

We were stopped at the side of the road in a layby one night due to torrential rain making it dangerous to continue, a biker stopped near us and had put his tent virtually under the hedge to try to keep it secure as there was nowhere else to peg it down! We took him a nice hot cup of coffee and he was lovely and snug!

 

[OZeRV]

We are parked tonight in the Caen Hill car park at Devises- paid our £8 in the cafe. No other motorhomes or picnic tables in sight so it should be a quiet evening

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