Caravanner of the Year on BBC this April!
Comments
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I agree. Complaints need to be directed to the club as I fear they may just ignore these discussions. I have looked on website but found it difficult to find an email address for appropriate department - just kept getting directed to FAQ so i will go down
the 'enquiries' route. The programme was a total embarrasment and should have been billed as a farce and it might have just got away with it - maybe not! 'Any publicity is good publicy' just doesn't work here.Cheers J
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Let's not fool ourselves. The reason viewers liked the programme is because this country has a peculiar fondness for cringeworthy TV. This was reality TV at its worst. Poking fun at people for cheap laughs who don't realise they are the butt of the joke.
It was Captain Mannering meets Carry on Camping. The producers don't care about accuracy or reflecting the caravanning community in a good light - that's not their job. Chairman of this old established club however....?? As a very new member I'm shocked and
appalled. My decision to avoid CC sites and stick to CLs is vindicated. People aren't laughing with us. They are laughing at us. Sigh.....0 -
I'm sure the general feeling of members will filter through to the powers that be, not only from Club Together but from other sources too, but I am going to be interested to see how it develops in the second programme.
I woder how much the contestants were prepared for what tasks they had to do before they allowed themselves to be put forward as finalists? I just got the impression that they all seemed more concerned about the presentation of their vehicles rather than
manoeuvring the vehicle and putting up awnings?David
David, I have a lot of respect for you as a Champion on CT but I think, in your unique position, you need to
ensure the views of members reach the powers that be rather than hope they filter through. Frankly, I don't find the first paragraph of your post reassuring in the least. I had hoped that you would work for us all which means representing our
views. I am disappointed in your response although I do appreciate the responsibility for this issue is not yours.I agree that we need to see how the second program pans out but the first episode alone gives serious cause for concern about The Caravan Club and, in particular, the Chairman. Bugs has very eloquently stated the relevant points above.
Write your comments here...
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Think of it this way, the only contact that G Chamberlain and the exec committee has with members of the club is in their dealings with the outdated regional and district rally committees. He will never come in contact with normal CC members. He would therefore
think that this type of programme is what the CC is all about.No doubt, with this programme, he has inadvertantly pleased the tiny rallying community, but has really offended the vast majority of normal caravanners.
K
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I notice a number of posters compare Top Gears ex presenters, Jeremy Clarkson's and Co , to the Caravan clubs attempt
I like top gear when i watch it, however their aim was clear, to take the P**s out of Caravaners, and their hobby for entertainment sake, and not to be taken seriously
Yet for all their attempts, they pale in to insignificance compared to the laughing stock, the chairman ,and all those involved in the Caravan Club, have made of Caravan club members specifically, and caravan and motor home owners in general
What where they thinking ?. Where was their brain ???. What was the Caravan Club as a whole thinking ?
The Caravan club would have watched the program before airing ,how out of touch are they, that they then want on to agree to it being aired, as it is ?
It was a shameful humiliating, demeaning and blush educing portrayal of the hobby
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The problem is, it wasnt funny. Certainly not funny enough for the general public to know it was all a set up. It just came over as a load of oddballs cocking things up whilst 3 'experts' looked on, tutting. At least things
like the Top Gear caravan holiday were an obvious p**s take, and actually funny
Either get someone funny to front these things and do it properly or keep it dead serious....ill advised pensioners with
equally ill fitting slacks claiming to be the pinnacle of the caravanning world do nobody any favours. I have had so many dissapointments from the CC this year, and this will be the final nail in the coffin as far as my membership goes.
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Well I'll definately be watching next week , it's the comedy show of the year. It will probably get a TV award.
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My thoughts are difficult to express but I think many have done this already, quite eloquently.
What editorial controls did the CC have over this programme?
What was the CC Exec aiming to show of the hobby?
It was embarassing when the Chairman damaged his caravan, (will the Club pay out on this type of damage?) but he may have damaged the CC more than he expected.
I saw a trailer for next week and just hope that we are not subjected to 'fancy dress' next week. Though it seems likely.
I also have concerns for the staff of the CC, the hard working wardens, the volunteers, all of whom now seem to be likely to have to go through more torment than normal. It is their career you are subjecting to this torment.
I won't watch next week, it just does not reflect what we do, what we get out of the CC membership nor it would seem what many others get from their membership.
I wonder what the manufacturers thought......could advertising revenues be affected if they wish to disassociate themselves with such an organisation.
However, I am willing to accept that the programme may reflect the majority of members. If it does, like all club memberships would have to accept that and state that I am fortunatley different, if it doesn't, then others should
reflect on their next decision.0 -
The problem I have with this programme is that every time i'm out and about I see hundreds of competent vanners doing good stuff in pitching, setting up etc and enjoying themselves withoput being prattish. This programme seems to dispel that. The judges
are in a word pathetic
. This programme has made us vanners a laughing stock and brought the club into disrepute with an already skeptical non
vanning public0 -
I agree. Complaints need to be directed to the club as I fear they may just ignore these discussions. I have looked on website but found it difficult to find an email address for appropriate department - just kept getting directed to FAQ so i will go down
the 'enquiries' route. The programme was a total embarrasment and should have been billed as a farce and it might have just got away with it - maybe not! 'Any publicity is good publicy' just doesn't work here.Cheers J
Write your comments here...It took me a while but I did manage to send an email from the cloud site and an auto accept has been received. I can't believe that the matter has got me so annoyed. Not in my name thank you CC
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It was mockery of a sham and a sham of a mockery!
trouble is, it wasnt a mockery
Vivian shpuld be our new CEO
Write your comments here...hey! Even a monkey could do the job! Not that I am! Lol. Its whether the monkey fools about is the problem! lol. The CC executives have lost my respect!
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I did watch some of the programme, although didn't make it to the end. All I can say is
very disappointing.
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I don't know what clarkson hammond and may intend to call the new show, but I am sure it will include some of this program of disasters.
Those 2 VW vans are quite distinctive and will be subject to a lot of mickey taking in the UK.
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The CC should hang their head in shame. This did nothing but reinforce stereotype ignorance amongst the wider public and certainly will not bring new blood into caravaning.
No explanation of how those involved came to be "finalists" and certainly no thought into the tests tasks set in the show. Even one of the judges took his caravan up a steep off road incline that no right minded caravanner would attempt, doing thousands
of pounds of damage in the process.They had reversing tests with caravan outfits competing against motor homes with no trailer. They had dogs and elderly contestants in blind spots behind and even under reversing vehicles. They put inexperienced drivers behind the wheel, resulting in a test
that had no relevance to real life caravaning.The list of ill advised, ill conceived and embarrassing tests was endless.
The only good bit of "caravaning" I saw was from the Green VW team who disconnected their traitor and pushed it around the reversing course. This is because it was so small it was invisible to the driver whilst reversing so it was the safest way and it was
what they always do in real life.I can reverse our outfit into most places but even I would take the sensible and safe approach of uncoupling and using the mover if presented with the reverse around the tree.
With the exception of a couple of good one line quips I thought the whole thing was flawed.
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The CC should hang their head in shame. This did nothing but reinforce stereotype ignorance amongst the wider public and certainly will not bring new blood into caravaning.
No explanation of how those involved came to be "finalists" and certainly no thought into the tests tasks set in the show. Even one of the judges took his caravan up a steep off road incline that no right minded caravanner would attempt, doing thousands
of pounds of damage in the process.They had reversing tests with caravan outfits competing against motor homes with no trailer. They had dogs and elderly contestants in blind spots behind and even under reversing vehicles. They put inexperienced drivers behind the wheel, resulting in a test
that had no relevance to real life caravaning.The list of ill advised, ill conceived and embarrassing tests was endless.
The only good bit of "caravaning" I saw was from the Green VW team who disconnected their traitor and pushed it around the reversing course. This is because it was so small it was invisible to the driver whilst reversing so it was the safest way and it was
what they always do in real life.I can reverse our outfit into most places but even I would take the sensible and safe approach of uncoupling and using the mover if presented with the reverse around the tree.
With the exception of a couple of good one line quips I thought the whole thing was flawed.
Well said
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It will be interesting to see if membership increases or reduces in the near future. I would also be interested in the caravan and motorhome manufacturers opinions as future sales may be impacted.
A missed opportunity to advertise what normal vanners get up to. It is holiday accomodation, your home on wheels, no more no less to many, not a bunch of wierd saddos.
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First we get the Ealing Comedies and then we follow that with Grimstead Comedy of Errors, what a complete and utter cock up that has been. The only thing the judges got right was the motor homing muppet getting a brew on, as for the setting up of the challenges has the CEO forgotten about knowing the width and length of his unit, to attempt going up that hill surely he must have known that when the front goes up the back goes down, or didn't they have see-saws when he was a kid. The concours event was a joke my van is 10yrs old and I can still find saw dust from manufacturing If I want to take it apart and the only time our toilet paper gets folded is when it's used for its intended purpose. One thing I did notice was one of them appeared to be knocking the flimsy pressed pegs into a CC hard standing, that must have been filmed off site because as we all know most CC hard standings are made of reinforced concrete. At least with Top Gear they usually end up wrecking the caravan at the end, so next week fingers crossed they'll do the same on this show preferably with the CEO still inside. To have given permission for this spectacle to have taken place he must have skin thicker than a Rhino's backside, if they were the best 6 they could find then God help us, PLEASE!!!!!
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I've literally just cancelled all forward bookings on CC sites for the remainder of this year and will be replacing them with C&CC bookings and commercial sites. After the portrayal shown last night, the club are not deserving of almost £1000 of my money, I'll put it elsewhere instead. If there is no apology forthcoming to the members for this debacle or should the Chairman not offer to stepdown, I won't be renewing my membership come November. Whilst I'm an advocate of CC sites (see my posts in other threads), the way the TV Programme portrayed caravanning personalities last night is beyond belief and has completely changed my perception of the club. A massive opportunity was missed to make the hobby look 'cool' and appealing to the next generation of caravanners and motorhomers. The manufacturers are doing their best to appeal to the wider audience, the Sport & Fun caravan, contemporary internal designs, even fitting bike rack mounts on caravans as standard. Yet, it's the biggest and most subscribed club that is doing it's best to keep our hobby in the dark ages. Not good enough Caravan Club, you ought to be ashamed
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I've literally just cancelled all forward bookings on CC sites for the remainder of this year and will be replacing them with C&CC bookings and commercial sites. After the portrayal shown last night, the club are not deserving of almost £1000 of my money,
I'll put it elsewhere instead. If their is no apology forthcoming to the members for this debacle or should the Chairman not offer to stepdown, I won't be renewing my membership come November. Whilst I'm an advocate of CC sites (see my posts in other threads),
the way the TV Programme portrayed caravanning personalities last night is beyond belief and has completely changed my perception of the club. A massive opportunity was missed to make the hobby look 'cool' and appealing to the next generation of caravanners
and motorhomers. The manufacturers are doing their best to appeal to the wider audience, the Sport & Fun caravan, contemporary internal designs, even fitting bike rack mounts on caravans as standard. Yet, it's the biggest and most subscribed club that is doing
it's best to keep our hobby in the dark ages. Not good enough Caravan Club, you ought to be ashamedHad you a booking at Burford for the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend, per chance?
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