Affiliated Sites
Comments
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K, I could understand your concern more if affiliated sites were generally second grade and tended to give a poor reflection on CC standards, but actually I find them quite good. Members will be aware that generally I avoid CC club sites on cost grounds
but occasionally I will use them as overnight stays en route to a main holiday destination. The AF site at Okehampton Devon is one of those, and excellant it is too. There have also been others, so I dont find your questions that important (To me ).TF
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dont see what the problem is .we stay at Oxen Hall quite often and they always ask to retain the CC card ,no problem .cant see what the fuss is about
Brian and Jo
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shouldnt members benefit from the 'association'...e.g. by a reduced fee over non members?
if theres no tangible advantage to members, why do we need these sites being promoted in CC literature?
most of these AS sites have their own websites, either singly or as part of a group.
some are even covered by other 'collectives' like Best of Britain, so arent having a tough time getting their name out there.
so, if the club takes them on (no doubt for a fee) then this should filter back to members (to whom the site is being promoted via member subscribed media) in the form of a reduction.
yes, some AS sites are a little cheaper (£1, great....) but not all
personally, i dont see the point of the 'association' other than to make the club money, which is then not disbursed back to the members in reduced fees.
I am happy to use AS sites and that they are include din the main handbook as, for me, they fill a gap(s) in the network without my having to look much further.
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I don't think the purpose of AS sites is to particularly offer discounts but to fill the gaps in the Club's own network with similar quality campsites. The fact that they are in the handbook and and on the website is to encourage those members who would
otherwise only use CC sites to use them.David
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But as DK says they are not in competition with CC sites but are strategically located where there is a gap in club site coverage. Like the one that I mentioned Nr Okehampton, it is ideal as an overnight stop en route to cornwall, but actually when we used it for the first time we found it to be centred in an area worth exploring. Lydford Gorge etc. Lovely pub in Lydford too! So now we stay longer. The staff are really friendly & knowledgeable about the area.
It certainly does NOT lower club standards but in many areas exceeds them.
TF
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TF, But there are three nicer sites in and around Tavistock (Harford Bridge, Langstone Manor and Woodovis) - just ten miles down the road from Lydford - but they aren't affiliated to the Club. The choices are there.
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Yes of course, a fee is paid.
All three Tavistock sites I quoted get higher review scores than the site at Lydford, so the owners there pay a fee to the Club to get business from those members who prefer the Affiliated brand to the Commercial brand - as if there is any difference.
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ET, thats my point too...why only look in CC handbook when youre not looking for a CC site...
I have a different perspective. When I plan a tour I decide which part of the UK I wish to tour, pull out a map and pick sites to suit that route and general location is of prime consideration rather than the actual site. I know that the standard of CC sites
whether facility or non suit me fine. With one exception the same applies to AS sites. I have no desire to trawl through alternatives unless I cannot otherwise find a site (CC or AS) suitably placed. This is particularly the case as we only generally stay
5 nights and are out offsite most days.When we toured west Scotland we used 9 sites over 45 nights. 5 were club sites. 3 were AS sites and one was simply a small private sight within 3 miles of a friend, who also had another of our friends staying, and we wanted to have a few days out together,
eat with them at the friends home and the nearest sites from the map were, I think about 50(?) miles away and not on our tour route as such.So for me there is simply no desire, generally, to look further. Nor am I interested in saving a few quid a night. So those that plan as I do the inclusion of the AS sites is ideal.
Penpont Floors Caravan Park,Thornhill, A702 Kingdom of Fife, Markinch,Glenrothes Huntly Castle Caravan Park AS Culloden Moor, Inverness Dunnet Bay, Dunnet, Thurso Kinlochewe, Achnasheen North Ledaig, Connel, Oban AS Blair Drummond, Blair Drummond, Stirling AS Dockray Meadow, Lamplugh 0 -
I don't see any problem with it. As others have said they fill gaps in the grid, where the CC do not have any sites. If the CC get a fee for advertising, so much the better. For me it makes it easy to book a site of a more or less known standard without hunting about. We have been happy with all the AS sites we have stopped on. Some have given a small discount, others not. Some have required the CC card, in lieu of a deposit for the gate card, others not. It does not preclude anyone, who wants to, hunting out similar quality commercial sites. I also don't see any conflict of interest, as there are no nearby CC sites In competition.
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Me too! If i'm off on a tour I carry the club handbook with me, mainly to find the CL that I want, but in this case I used it to find a suitable site close to my intended route. The Lydford AS appeared suitable and there I stayed, & very happy I was too!
I don't need an alternative site I'm happy with Lydford AS .
TF
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Interesting the comments provoked by my original question not all of which were about the key question was whether it was normal fcor an AS to take a membership card in lieu of a deposit for the security barrier. As some have pointed out, you do need it
at some "Great Days Out" venues so this could be a problem but perhaps suggesting that the site take a photocopy might be a way round this. Perhaps HQ could look into this and investigate? Let me be quite clear, I'm not criticising Stanmore Hall which from
the short time I stayed there, looks to be well run and I had no complaints either about the fee that I paid to stay there; it was just the first time that I had been asked for my CC card but then, I have not stayed on an AS site for many, many years.0
