Caravanner of the Year on BBC this April!
Comments
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For thise who missed the show
I don't think anyone missed it Viv, seems like a good turnout
Was that the correct phrase / description?
Pleased to say that I missed it, and will certainly not bother to watch any other episode of it either. However glancing at some of the comments on here I certainly glad I didn't waste my evening.
Write your comments here...+1. Don't have tv in van but might have got a flavour of the programme from reading thread
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As an aside, I cant help thinking the powers that be will be looking for the slightest excuse to close this thread.
It's a wonder that it hasn't been closed by now.....but would they dare?
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Alison said:
I can only say that in my opinion far too many people commenting here are taking this programme (and themselves) way too seriously. TV programmes like this are supposed to be entertaining, it was never going to be an in-depth look at caravanning for the masses, it is a light-hearted pseudo-competition. Not serious at all, I disagreed with some of the elements shown but on the whole I enjoyed it as the car-crash tv it was clearly intended to be.
I totally distance myself from those here claiming to speak for 'the membership', everyone knows the majority of people who post on a forum like this do so to complain, while those who are happy with the status quo just carry on with their lives regardless. Really if anyone is embarassed to own a caravan or motorhome after this then why did they buy one in the first place if they are such sensitive souls, after all there have always been people out there ready to poke fun at us whenever the occasion arose.
Alison
I'm glad you were briefed correctly about this program Alison. Clearly the rest of the membership missed that email from the Ivory Towers. May I remind you what Rowena said about the competition, and whist it does mention fun, it also maintains that this competition was about the best of the best caravanner.
Quoting Rowena in July 2015:
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let you know about a very exciting opportunity open to caravanners and motorhomers to be crowned the very first caravanner of the year.
The Caravan Club is launching the inaugural nationwide Caravanner of the Year competition. We are scouring the country to find the very best of Britain’s caravanners and motorhomers. The competition will reflect the fun, friendly and adventurous world of caravanning. It is open to individuals, couples, families or friends who regularly tour together.
The competition will be judged by Grenville Chamberlain, Chairman of The Caravan Club and motorhome expert Andy Harris of Motorhome Channel fame. Guest judges will also be assisting.
We are delighted to announce that October Films is filming the competition for a brand new, exciting BBC2 programme celebrating the skills and passions of Britain’s caravanners. This is our moment to show what a great way caravanning is to make some of the best holiday memories.
Entry is by online application only. Those selected for the final shortlist will face an exciting series of fun challenges that will let you demonstrate your key caravanning skills including:
- Driving, towing and manoeuvring
- Pitching up
- Catering and hospitality
- Caravan/motorhome presentation (i.e. decorations, internal furnishings, exterior/concours d’elegance and knowledge of caravanning).
It would be fantastic if some of our Club Together regulars apply – it would be great to see you on the TV!
The online application is here along with the FAQs. Applications must be received online before midnight on 15th August 2015.
Wishing you all the best of luck and hope to be watching some of you on BBC2 soon!!
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I believe that the club has 360,000 members. At time of writing this, there are 750 posts. If all postsare negative (which they are not), would it be reasonable to assume that the majority of the membership do not object to CYOT or are, at least, not bothered by it?
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I believe that the club has 360,000 members. At time of writing this, there 750 posts. If all posts were negative (which they are not), would it be reasonable to assume that the majority of the membership did not object to CYOT or are, at least, not bothered
by it?Write your comments here...havnt seen many positive.
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I believe that the club has 360,000 members. At time of writing this, there are 750 posts. If all postsare negative (which they are not), would it be reasonable to assume that the majority of the membership do not object to CYOT or are, at least, not bothered
by it?Correct ,and proportionally the posts are a representation of that total
So that would be approx 99% negative ,and 1% positive
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As an aside, I cant help thinking the powers that be will be looking for the slightest excuse to close this thread.
It's a wonder that it hasn't been closed by now.....but would they dare?
...Could it be that the powers that be never check these forums!
The one thing the programme has achieved is that everyone in the caravan world is talking about it, but not many from the general population give a hoot about it....... It shows the general caravaner in a bad light IMO but probably 40% of the population thought we were a weird lot anyway.
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We watched it the afternoon and tend to agree with Alison's view. People who expected it to be a serious view of caravanning and the Club were bound to be on a hiding to nothing. I just can't believe that so many people are so unhappy about a light entertainment
programme. It will never win any awards but I thought it showed caravanning it a reasonably positive light and pointed out quite clearly that its not as easy as it looks.David
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Quoted from the response to the emails of complaint:
'The amount of coverage that we have received equates to over 30 million of the general public having had the opportunity to see, hear or read about The Caravan Club - this is unprecedented in The Club’s history'
Why only 30 million? Why not include all those who could watch on the internet, or read the reviews around the world! That would be an even more impressive figure.
However it is totally disingenuous to present figures such as these; lies, damn lies and statistics spring to mind. The figure of 30 million is meaningless. What is more relevant are actual viewing
figures, which will be far far fewer.Even more relevant are the poor reviews in many of the papers, the alienation that forum members feel about the programme and the incredulity following the CC response.
No amount of spin will convince 99% of contributors to this thread that the programme was anything but a disaster.
It clearly did not fulfill the brief as laid out by Rowena and quoted in a previous post. Therefore it would be far more honest of the club to accept that this was the case rather than ignore the reality.
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OMG. I have been caravanning 25+years and that program was painful to watch ! appalling and in no way any representation of the real thing other than an oldboys club with comb overs warts an all ! CC you got it wrong ! and as for Grenville ripping the rear
of a caravan ! iresponsible and appalling viewing. Didnt laugh once.Was it just a spoof ! or an attempt at a carry on ? Actually makes me question the value of my membership !0 -
Clarkson for chairman ?
Write your comments here...couldn't be any worse!
Write your comments here... And Richard Hammond and James May is as his deputy
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Its on Gogglebox Tonight 9.00pm
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We watched it the afternoon and tend to agree with Alison's view. People who expected it to be a serious view of caravanning and the Club were bound to be on a hiding to nothing. I just can't believe that so many people are so unhappy about a light entertainment
programme. It will never win any awards but I thought it showed caravanning it a reasonably positive light and pointed out quite clearly that its not as easy as it looks.David
Write your comments here...
We watched it the afternoon and tend to agree with Alison's view. People who expected it to be a serious view of caravanning and the Club were bound to be on a hiding to nothing. I just can't believe that so many people are so unhappy about a light entertainment
programme. It will never win any awards but I thought it showed caravanning it a reasonably positive light and pointed out quite clearly that its not as easy as it looks.David
Write your comments here...It was a joke!!! TERRIBLE.
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I wasn't going to even look on club talk after that rubbish to see what the member response was. The programme summed up that the club has lost its way. It has ceased to represent my needs for many years now. I am a pretty old member but do not want to be
represented to the world as member of the bumbling old fools club.0 -
David. I have to disagree.
Any programme titled 'caravanner of the year' raises the viewers expectations.
Sports fans would be disappointed if 'Sports personality of the year' had 'C' list sports people rather than the elite. The title raises expectations of excellence.
'Caravanner of the year' is no different in the expectations that it raises.
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David. I have to disagree.
Any programme titled 'caravanner of the year' raises the viewers expectations.
Sports fans would be disappointed if 'Sports personality of the year' had 'C' list sports people rather than the elite. The title raises expectations of excellence.
'Caravanner of the year' is no different in the expectations that it raises.
Write your comments here...What expectations !!!!!!
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We watched it the afternoon and tend to agree with Alison's view. People who expected it to be a serious view of caravanning and the Club were bound to be on a hiding to nothing. I just can't believe that so many people are so unhappy about a light entertainment
programme. It will never win any awards but I thought it showed caravanning it a reasonably positive light and pointed out quite clearly that its not as easy as it looks.David
David, you are missing the point. Yes, it was hilarious but it was never promoted as a comedy. Look at the copy of Rowena's OP a page or two back. It was made out to be a serious competition and ended up as a farce. With the Chairman playing the comedy lead.
I can't believe that you've swallowed the company line.
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Just been able to watch the recording we made, as we have been away. It seems that a lot of the others on CT have been watching a different programme. I found it mildly entertaining, typical reality TV. Certainly nothing there to bring caravaning into disrepute,
or give anyone cause to cancel their membership or bookings, let alone ask for the Chairmans resignation. As to affecting membership levels, people's perception of caravaners, it will have as much affect as any reality TV,
none at all. For those who have been ribbed at work, well that is just par for the course, just live with it. We used to have a saying where I used to work, "if you can't take a joke you should'nt have joined."0 -
We watched it the afternoon and tend to agree with Alison's view. People who expected it to be a serious view of caravanning and the Club were bound to be on a hiding to nothing. I just can't believe that so many people are so unhappy about a light entertainment
programme. It will never win any awards but I thought it showed caravanning it a reasonably positive light and pointed out quite clearly that its not as easy as it looks.David
David, you are missing the point. Yes, it was hilarious but it was never promoted as a comedy. Look at the copy of Rowena's OP a page or two back. It was made out to be a serious competition and ended up as a farce. With the Chairman playing the comedy lead.
I can't believe that you've swallowed the company line.
Rowena's post stated more than once "fun" and that is what this programe was, personally the members who are slating the Caravan Club for this programe should really get a life and stop being so high brow and looking down their noses at everything and jumping
on everything They don't agree with. these members in my opinion are doing more to damage to our pastime than this programe. We are a very sucessful couple in our mid 40's with a 30k van and 50k car and have had the most wonderful nights on site with members
from all walks of life. To me it's simple if all these moaners dislike the Club so much and feel they are mis-represented then leave and join the House of Lords where they obviously belong.. Again well done CC0 -
We watched it the afternoon and tend to agree with Alison's view. People who expected it to be a serious view of caravanning and the Club were bound to be on a hiding to nothing. I just can't believe that so many people are so unhappy about a light entertainment
programme. It will never win any awards but I thought it showed caravanning it a reasonably positive light and pointed out quite clearly that its not as easy as it looks.David
David, you are missing the point. Yes, it was hilarious but it was never promoted as a comedy. Look at the copy of Rowena's OP a page or two back. It was made out to be a serious competition and ended up as a farce. With the Chairman playing the comedy lead.
I can't believe that you've swallowed the company line.
Rowena's post stated more than once "fun" and that is what this programe was, personally the members who are slating the Caravan Club for this programe should really get a life and stop being so high brow and looking down their noses at everything and jumping
on everything They don't agree with. these members in my opinion are doing more to damage to our pastime than this programe. We are a very sucessful couple in our mid 40's with a 30k van and 50k car and have had the most wonderful nights on site with members
from all walks of life. To me it's simple if all these moaners dislike the Club so much and feel they are mis-represented then leave and join the House of Lords where they obviously belong.. Again well done CCSmj, congratulations on achieving your goal in life with £80k worth of camping equipment. When you come down off your pedestal you might realise how out of touch you are.
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Gogglebox Loved it !
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Tin wheeler you are missing the point we could be on a pedestal but are not and really enjoy our hobby and the people we meet from all walks of life. We do not want the Club to be elitist and can't believe how seriously some people take a fun programe that
when all said and done has shown our hobby as fun and diverse. For some members to attack people who have taken the time to enter when they have not is beyond belief (or maybe they did enter but did not get through )0 -
Apart from the stereotype caravaners, the patrioticaly British German camper van incompetent off roading and washing of vans on a club site, I also noticed the car parked on the grass, rather than the hard standing and one couple had the electricity connected
and the awning up BEFORE putting the steadies down. We enjoyed the programme as "car crash TV"(pun intended), it wasn't meant as a documentry, but by putting thier name to it the club's management shows how out of touch they are with their membership.0 -
Tin wheeler you are missing the point we could be on a pedestal but are not and really enjoy our hobby and the people we meet from all walks of life. We do not want the Club to be elitist and can't believe how seriously some people take a fun programe that
when all said and done has shown our hobby as fun and diverse. For some members to attack people who have taken the time to enter when they have not is beyond belief (or maybe they did enter but did not get through )Thats quite a climb down from your earlier stance. Nowhere have I criticised the people who took part - let's be absolutely clear on that.
My gripe, like that of a lot of others, is that this was billed as a serious competition and that is the point
you are missing. There is a difference between fun and farce and CC allowed it to become a fiasco with the Chaiman looking less than clever. Do you not think that I enjoy the same on site experiences as you? Elitism tends to come from those
who cause offence to others while boasting about what they have and there is no way that I am elitist.0 -
Tin wheeler you are missing the point we could be on a pedestal but are not and really enjoy our hobby and the people we meet from all walks of life. We do not want the Club to be elitist and can't believe how seriously some people take a fun programe that
when all said and done has shown our hobby as fun and diverse. For some members to attack people who have taken the time to enter when they have not is beyond belief (or maybe they did enter but did not get through )Thats quite a climb down from your earlier stance. Nowhere have I criticised the people who took part - let's be absolutely clear on that.
My gripe, like that of a lot of others, is that this was billed as a serious competition and that is the point
you are missing. There is a difference between fun and farce and CC allowed it to become a fiasco with the Chaiman looking less than clever. Do you not think that I enjoy the same on site experiences as you? Elitism tends to come from those
who cause offence to others while boasting about what they have and there is no way that I am elitist.how is it a climb down when all I have done is reliterate what I previously posted please read my whole post before you jump on my back for stating a fact of what type of unit we have and if you must please get your facts right the car we have is not the
camping equipment the van is and at no point did I say you specifically where elitist or did not enjoy our hobby but some previous posters have taken this item far too seiously " asking the CEO" to resign.0
