Rallies on Club Sites
We arrived on Meathop Fell at lunchtime today expecting a quiet site, it being this early in the season. However to our horror we discovered that there was a rally with nearly 30 vans attending. Had we known that this was to be the case we would not booked
to come here. Why can't there be a notification on the site's web booking page that it is being used as a rally venue on specific dates?
Comments
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Yep, fully agree. Nothing worse than being surrounded by others unexpectedly, when you are not part of the group. We got to Dulverton site on Exmoor one Summer to find site full with a rally, not our scene at all, too much towing and froing between vans
made it very unrelaxing. We didn't stay, went to a lovely private site just outside Minehead.0 -
Agree, BB. But just note saying Rally and date would do.
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We had initially booked to be at Meathop from Mon-Fri this week too, but other things started to get in the way and so I cancelled (well before the 72 hours - about a fortnight ago!). Glad we did cancel now, reading that. But I agree that there should be
some notification on the website about it; we've been on a site in Germany when an English rally arrived. There were quite a lot of them and it does feel almost intimidating to be in the middle of them, as we were.0 -
We once went on to a club site cannot remember where it was, as we pulled onto the pitch we had picked some banchie came running over shouting shift that van that pitch is reserved for the rally that is booked in no signs they had picked all the best piches
went to the reception got back site fees and went to a cl thanks to the rally we had a great time.0 -
It's a difficult one for the Club, at the end of the day, the rally tradition probably pre dates a good few members who use Club Sites now, and I know some members get a lot of enjoyment from rallies. Plus it is good income for the Club as well. But I do
agree that some sort of information exchange would be good, members not interested in rallies would soon learn to check a few days before arriving, and then if they feel strongly about not wanting to be on a busy bustling site, should have the option of moving
elsewhere. Won't suit everyone, some will not have the option of moving, but then you just accept a busy site.0 -
as i said, Ina, its tricky if the rally books in late after your booking....unless you went back to the website to check, you wouldnt know till you got there
not sure how they can set up some sort of 'dynamic' alert to all those already booked.....
Agree BB, it's not that easy. BUT, is is beyond the realms of technology to put an alert in the Important Information which is on the first page of each site? Before you say it, I know not everyone looks at that, as that is also where a 1pm earliest arrival
time is mentioned, which a lot of people claim not to have seen when they arrrive at 12! But if it was announced that any rallies, with dates, would be put in there, then I for one would certainly check it about a week before, well beyond the 72 hour cancellation
rule.0 -
Why do the Rally Centres want to rally on a CC site at a time when normal members are holidaying. ------- Are they too lazy to find a rally field ??.
No doubt each rallying unit will be given a huge discount in overnight charges. ( will be interesting to have this confirmed or denied by head office ) Normal members will pay much more per night. This differential in overnight cost, if that is the case, is grossly unfair on normal CC members.
Ralliers are reputedly self sufficient people, they dont need to rally on club sites. There are thousands of rally fields across the country. Use them !!!
K
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The only time we have come across a rally on a club site was at Cirencester, a few years ago. When we arrived, mid week, the site was only half full, we were advised that at the weekend a rally would be congregating in one section of the site, and we might like to avoid that. There was plenty of other parts of the site to choose from, so we did. At the weekend, apart from lots of flags, we did not really notice much difference, most sites are full to bursting on a summer weekend.
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I have stayed on a club site while a rally took place - Buxton. They were located on pitches close together and the warden advised us where those pitches were and to avoid that area as more were expected.
I can't say it made any difference to us. It was hardly a lively or noisy group and it would have been difficult to distinguish the ralliers from the non ralliers
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I should think that a rally group, no matter what they pay will be a good income boost for a site like Meathrop in the cold of a quiet March K! Might even be the difference that keeps such sites open. I think making sure that communications are good is the
essence in this instance. Credit to rallies for being out there in the cold and wet, but if Club Sites are being used, then for those of us who tour all year, and enjoy this peaceful time of year, some warning of a site being unexpectedly busy would be a positive!0 -
I dont have a problem with ralliers using the Club sites, in fact it is good and is probably more of what being a Club is about. However if they are using full facilities and getting a reduced price to other members then this is so wrong it would be offensive,
so I hope this is not the case.For those who want to know such info in advance you could check the published list of rallies you get with the magazine & I would think it was alao available online?
Regards, Roy
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Before this thread degenerates into a pricing war, best recall that the price issue was first mentioned by a master of introducing a contentious issue. He could be right, but he might be wrong!
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Before this thread degenerates into a pricing war, best recall that the price issue was first mentioned by a master of introducing a contentious issue. He could be right, but he might be wrong!
What a cynical comment, please may I add my +1
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We once went on to a club site cannot remember where it was, as we pulled onto the pitch we had picked some banchie came running over shouting shift that van that pitch is reserved for the rally that is booked in no signs they had picked all the best piches
went to the reception got back site fees and went to a cl thanks to the rally we had a great time.We have never come across a rally on a CC site, but this sort of behaviour is unacceptable.
We all know that reserving pitches for friends is not permitted, so if the Club allows a rally on an open site, the ralliers should be allocated the least attractive area of the site if they wish to pitch together, leaving the "better" pitches for the regular
tourers to choose from.Warden to decide what he considers the least attractive area. Will no doubt not please everyone, but at least it is the warden deciding and not the ralliers.
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When I started reading this thread I though it seemed such a good idea for the Club to have rallies at sites as I was thinking of places such as Lady Margaret Park where there is a rally field through a bank of trees beyond the limit of the formal pitches.
Reading further it appears that some sort of activity takes place using site pitches, and presumably the toilet block and other site facilities as well. To me that is but a block booking of pitches as a cop out for a rally.
So if an ordinary member wants to be sited adjacent to a couple of friends they just have to declare an invitation-only rally, stick up a flag pole, and they are allowed to bully anyone else off their chosen (no doubt prime as well) spot?
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If Club sites are used for rallies then it 'should' be a fairly simple process to email around those who have booked to inform them in case they wish to cancel.
I can understand the Club allowing rallies in order to maximise income, but I do feel that rallies ought not to get a reduction. If they do, then so should everyone else on the site, in order to make things fair - we are all part of the same Club after all.
If pitches are reserved in order to group the members of a rally together, then why should not any group of friends be allowed to reserve pitches next to each other.
I do have some difficulty with all this!
David
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Some Club Sites have a rally field. Ferry Meadows being a case in point. Things are never wholly black, or wholly white. From a personal point of view, I have no problem with rallies using Club Sites, either full rate or discounted. I don't mind if they
are using a separate field or site pitches. Happier if they are all together in a given area. But like the OP, I would just like to know if I am to expect a quieter, less busy site, or an unexpected busy site, so that I can change my plans to suit my wants
and needs. Ralliers are the same as other members, but maybe enjoy the company and shared interests of others more. I don't, in fact a perfect site for me, Club, CL or otherwise would be me and the dogs.0 -
Not realy sure what the difference between a rally and a random selection of members is. The system is unlikely to warn you and I cannot see a rally would bother us.
If you have a rally though you are going to need an area for it so pitches will be reserved. Not sure you can say the worst area as that depends on your view of what that is. It should however be clearly marked and if you want to avaoid it you could then
go to the other end of the site.0 -
There has been a Rally at Ferry Meadows in January for several years normally attended by Mr Chamberlin? and it has? to be on the main site as Rally field "wet" but the Wardens tend to try and minimise disruption to others by keeping them "corraled" in one
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I'm sure that one of the Head office staff who have been recruited by Rowena to assist and answer member's questions, would be happy to give the Head Office ruling on whether any CC member, be they ralliers of normal members will pay exactly the same pitch fee and member fee per night while on a CC caravan site.
At the moment we dont know,-------- but for sure I would not be a happy chappie if I was paying say £22 per night and the member on the next pitch was only paying £15. ( random figures ) I would expect everybody to pay the same tarrif per night for a pitch for electricity and the use of the facilities block.
I'm positive that the CC is an equal opportunities organisation and would never countenance a two tier type of membership.
K
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I'm sure that one of the Head office staff who have been recruited by Rowena to assist and answer member's questions, would be happy to give the Head Office ruling on whether any CC member, be they ralliers of normal members will pay exactly the same pitch
fee and member fee per night while on a CC caravan site.At the moment we dont know,-------- but for sure I would not be a happy chappie if I was paying say £22 per night and the member on the next pitch was only paying £15. I would expect everybody to pay the same tarrif per night for a pitch for electricity
and the use of the facilities block.I'm positive that the CC is an equal opportunities organisation and would never countenance a two tier type membership.
K
I am afraid rallies do get a discount presumably for the block booking.
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