The Caravan Club are just wrong!

Janine

Janine

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142
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2006 A/S Nuevo
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since 1988
I was browsing the Caravan Club website to find some new places to go this summer and did a search based on sites within 0.5 miles of a town.

It came up with the new site near Ludlow. Perfect! We are playing there in May and an overnight stay would be lovely. Wrong! When we went to look at it today, we found that it's at least 1.5 miles from the town along a busy road with a narrow footpath.

Another site the search threw up was Ilfracombe. On reading the blurb however, that site is described as being 3 miles from the town.

I hope people don't book on the strength of the Caravan Club's silly search facility!
 
we went to the one in York. they told us they were going to have a cheese and wine do that night. when we arrived there was two small bits of cheese. and a very small bottle of wine. and lots of crackers. we went back to our van and with some others we had our own party.
 
We stayed on the Ludlow site for a couple of nights last year. It's a very nice site, lots of new tree & shrub planting, it has an 'adults-only' area & a good play area for kids, decent accessories shop, really good 'facilities' block, & a good visiting F&C van.

BUT the walk into town is a bit scary. It's not just busy, the traffic is FAST. And you have to spend lots of time in the road. And on the way into Ludlow you're on the left so can't see the traffic without stopping to turn around.

I wouldn't walk it without hi-viz and I certainly wouldn't walk it in the dark.

While we were there, the owners had asked the local council to clear the footpath (it's a decent width pavement but overgrown with brambles, hawthorn etc) - apparently the council has to get each landowner who fronts onto the road to do their own bit - the council can issue an enforcement notice if necessary, or do the work & then charge the landowner. I don't know if it was ever done... and of course will need repeating regularly!

I expect @GJH 's file will say if there's MH parking at the park-&-ride, & there may be buses outside the CC site, but that of course isn't what your 'search' was about, and that makes CC dangerously misleading. But it's worth the effort, Ludlow is just gorgeous.
 
CWH said:
But it's worth the effort, Ludlow is just gorgeous.
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Thanks for that! We live about 20 miles from Ludlow and go there often - it is a wonderful town. We're playing at the Spring Festival there in May and, as it's my birthday, we thought we'd make a weekend of it. Maybe we'll use taxis :-)
 
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I wired the WHSmith in Ludlow a couple of years ago and agree it is a lovely town and the real ale pub is excellent (specialise in pies too). I plan to stay there in the van eventually. Thanks for the info.

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Don't get me started on the CC. After over 25 years as a member they are so up themselves and safety paranoid they are a total joke for us. At Christmas we had booked into York site for a few days to try the new van out. After two hours the site commandant knocked on the door. Upon seeing him I stood to attention as a loyal member. He said that I was to close to a motorhome that was parked at the next pitch about 23 feet away. Being a novice of 30 years I asked how much he would like me to move baring in mind my door is on the offside and I was now only 2 metres from the hedge. Much closer and we would have to jump over the hedge to gain entry to the van. He marked where he would like me to move, this I did like a good little boy. The total distance I moved to my right was 2 feet, yes 2 feet. I didn't think these wardens could be fitted with any less brains, I asume that any brain is removed when they become wardens, placed in a pickle jar and then the power kicks in. We cancelled the rest of our UK holidays and booked two ferries to France, sod them.
 
Janine said:
I was browsing the Caravan Club website to find some new places to go this summer and did a search based on sites within 0.5 miles of a town.

It came up with the new site near Ludlow. Perfect! We are playing there in May and an overnight stay would be lovely. Wrong! When we went to look at it today, we found that it's at least 1.5 miles from the town along a busy road with a narrow footpath.

Another site the search threw up was Ilfracombe. On reading the blurb however, that site is described as being 3 miles from the town.

I hope people don't book on the strength of the Caravan Club's silly search facility!
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I think their software uses "as the crow flies" which often bears no relation on foot or road.
 
cruiser said:
we went to the one in York. they told us they were going to have a cheese and wine do that night. when we arrived there was two small bits of cheese. and a very small bottle of wine. and lots of crackers. we went back to our van and with some others we had our own party.
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Should have gone earlier....there was around 10kg of assorted cheeses and 70 bottles of falling down water.

Nobody wanted soggy biscuits though
 
CWH said:
I expect Broken Link Removed 's file will say if there's MH parking at the park-&-ride
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It certainly used to be possible for motorhomes to park at the P&R but Shropshire Council don't publish details these days so giving them a ring might be worth it.

As regards the CC (and C&CC) location descriptions in general I've long held the view that they are pathetic. These days I almost invariably use Google Maps to identify true site locations and public transport proximity. The town names are often just silly.

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lots of CC sites like that in rubbish locations...stayed at one years ago with the intention of doing some cycling and we were to scared to cycle out he gate on to the road it was on! Some of them on crap land leased to them by the local council as due for development. we have a few in the S/E that are OK and just about worth being a member for...
 
wiljoy said:
Don't get me started on the CC. After over 25 years as a member they are so up themselves and safety paranoid they are a total joke for us. At Christmas we had booked into York site for a few days to try the new van out. After two hours the site commandant knocked on the door. Upon seeing him I stood to attention as a loyal member. He said that I was to close to a motorhome that was parked at the next pitch about 23 feet away. Being a novice of 30 years I asked how much he would like me to move baring in mind my door is on the offside and I was now only 2 metres from the hedge. Much closer and we would have to jump over the hedge to gain entry to the van. He marked where he would like me to move, this I did like a good little boy. The total distance I moved to my right was 2 feet, yes 2 feet. I didn't think these wardens could be fitted with any less brains, I asume that any brain is removed when they become wardens, placed in a pickle jar and then the power kicks in. We cancelled the rest of our UK holidays and booked two ferries to France, sod them.
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We have cancelled our membership with the Caravan Club. They are just to rude to deal with. (n)
 
At Baltic Wharf the Obergruppenfuhrer made a mate of mine move 150mm to the left, he was that amount off the site marker!

Needless to say the "How did we do" that invites comments didn't fare to well!
 
Like Andy, we have found both good and bad wardens on sites.. and not just on C Club sites..

A wardens job is not an easy one and it takes a special kind of person to deal with the public.. the public are not angels.

They are on duty virtually 24 hrs a day.. out in all weathers and having to deal with some very rude people and some real idiots, and still be civil and polite when they feel like punching some tosser in the face.. and yes.. tossers join the CC .. I've met them.

Of course it is absolutely not acceptable if they are rude to us, no matter how stressed they are, but they are human and in all my years of club membership.. on and off for the better part of 45 years .. I've only come across a few.. less than a handful who I would class as being bad.

Love 'em or hate them, remember, without wardens there would be anarchy on sites, without wardens the toilets would be filthy .. without wardens there would be no sites..
 
We've stayed a couple of times at the CC Ludlow site but we knew before going there, having checked the map that it is a bit of a walk into the town. There is a pavement all the way but as already said the hedges need a serious cut. The town itself is worth a visit though and for us it has been a useful overnight stop on the way to and from Scotland.

And I know some folk have had bad experiences with CC wardens but I genuinely think this is rare and it shouldn't put people off joining them.
 
davejen said:
If I park up a few inches away from the marker, I usually just move the marker so I'm in the right place! (before the Fuehrer spots it)
Cheers, Dave(y)
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Ditto (y)
 
The Ludlow site is affiliated, it is owned by Morris's of Shrewsbury who also own sites on the outskirts of Shrewsbury,Bridgnorth and a dump in Wales that I can't remember ! And can't be arsed to research because it is a dump and MH unfriendly! You used to be able to overnight at the stationbut Morris's put the kibosh on it !
There is a park and ride site at Ludlow that has no restrictions on overnight parking as far as I am aware ! :boxing::boxing::boxing::groan:
 
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Janine said:
I was browsing the Caravan Club website to find some new places to go this summer and did a search based on sites within 0.5 miles of a town.

It came up with the new site near Ludlow. Perfect! We are playing there in May and an overnight stay would be lovely. Wrong! When we went to look at it today, we found that it's at least 1.5 miles from the town along a busy road with a narrow footpath.
Click to expand...

Just checked.. and yes, it is about 1.5 miles along the road.. almost a straight line..

however, should point out the site is owned and operated by Morris Leisure and is CC affiliated .. not owned.

so the duff info has probably been provided by the owners rather than a survey done by the CClub , perhaps they should check, but I guess they have to depend a lot on site owners giving correct information..

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davejen said:
If I park up a few inches away from the marker, I usually just move the marker so I'm in the right place! (before the Fuehrer spots it)
Cheers, Dave(y)
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Some years ago when we had a caravan we attended a site in Oxfordshire with another family, we were the only 2 vans on the site and my mates reversing skills were in their infancy. He ended up with the marker at an angle of 45degrees as he was 3 inches too far to one side so he moved it. It must have had a tamper alarm on it because within a minute or so he was receiving a serious dressing down re unauthorized caravan siting & criminal damage from the warden............................ we up sticks & left the site. So attitudes it would seem have not changed over the years.

Regards

Arthur.
 
I think with me if I get Thebus moderately near where I am supposed to be without cutting up too much grass or demolishing shrubbery they just count themselves lucky and leave it at that, but I normally ask first how I should park, plus I often get escorted to the plot just as a safeguard.

I think its probably a pretty thankless task doing their job anyway, and they must really feel - you can't please all of the people all of the time.

Plus I think the CC and the other clubs should think of a nicer title. Warder, sorry warden is such an off putting title, how about Greeters, or Enablers or some such American type title

But.....Janine.... Being nosey - who are 'we' that are playing at the Spring Festival, and what do they/you play?
 
dippingatoe said:
But.....Janine.... Being nosey - who are 'we' that are playing at the Spring Festival, and what do they/you play?
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We are a ukulele band! We played the Shrewsbury Food Festival last year and so impressed were the organisers, they've booked us for 2 x Ludlow festivals and 2 x Shrewsbury festivals this year :)
 
Best place to stay in Ludlow is on the rugby club car park, no facilities but it is right below the castle and an easy walk into town. Last time we stayed there it was £5 a night per unit. Contact the rugby club direct.

D.
 
dave newell lvs said:
Best place to stay in Ludlow is on the rugby club car park, no facilities but it is right below the castle and an easy walk into town. Last time we stayed there it was £5 a night per unit. Contact the rugby club direct.

D.
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Brilliant! Thanks, Dave - we're going to do that :-)

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Excellent - got anything on YouTube for us to look at? :)
 
I am not a CC member and will not become one however I would like to know something.
WHAT would a warden do if you told him to F. Off or something to the like manner. You have paid you money and he cannot physically remove you, does he call the police. get a tow truck, have you barred from everywhere else in the world, take you and cane you as an example to the others. What can he do???? Why do they get to be total F===wits do they breed people for jobs like that or maybe use ex planning officers from the council.
 
If I felt I had parked correctly given that most now say drive in or reverse in then I would acknowledge a warden who protested but I would take photographs and stand my ground.
As for toilets etc we do not use them so never have cause for complaint but I still despair at the piss poor grey waste facilities given their supposed "elf n safety consciousness" and having to lift grates in the 21st century Oh Please!

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