Well, we did it...
After 25 years of Club membership we have finally used a Club Site. It was a gentle introduction as the site concerned was a volunteer-run site in our own region with none of the “facilities” that everyone else seems so hell-bent on.
We finally took the plunge because we decided it was about time we attended a Region Question Time, and that was a fair way away from us at Gatwick so an overnight stay seemed like a good idea.
Initially we were going to stay at Amberley Fields, because a rally was being organised there for the event. But friends of ours are volunteer wardens at Slinfold and were due to finish their stint that week, so after a couple of quick e-mails they decided to stay on as paying customers for the weekend and we booked in to join them.
We planned to leave home around 2pm, no hurry. Then visitors turned up at 11.30 to see our new grandson, then at 1.30 another friend just ‘popped in’ and stayed to say hello to the other (mutual) friends. All the while we were trying to make coffee, chat and pack the caravan! By 3pm we stood up and said “Sorry, but we really need to get going to miss the M25 rush !” Our friends got up to leave too…at last things seemed to be moving…until we got to the front door !!! Said our goodbyes in the porch, first friend tried to open the porch door – “It’s locked !” “Don’t be silly, we don’t lock the porch when we are in !!!” We all tried it – not budging ! Eventually we forced the door open , they left, we started to dismantle the lock ! OH dashed out to buy a new one – couldn’t get one the same size !!! Anyway, to cut a long story short, a couple of phone calls later and we left assured that it would all be fixed by our friendly man-who-can !
Of course, by this time we were well and truly late so phoned to let our friends know we were finally on the way. If ever we got the feeling that we were doomed from the start this was the day for it.
No more than a few miles down the road and there was an accident !!! Then we finally got moving again and at the top of a big hill we got a warning notice and had to pull over ! After that we had no power to third gear, but persevered and continued. We finally reached Slinfold at ten past seven !! Our friends were waiting, we pitched and collapsed in their van for a well-earned drink I think !
After a lovely relaxing, catch-up evening over fish & chips and a few bevies, we retired to bed determined to check out the site in the morning.
Thankfully, it was a lovely weekend weatherwise, a bit chilly but lovely and sunny, the primroses were coming out, the site was not full, so did not feel crowded. For the first time ever we used our blown air heating on electric, not as good as on gas for some reason – but that doesn’t worry us unduly. Slinfold is on the site of an old railway station so is long and thin and not massive, so as said before, a gentle introduction for us confirmed ralliers. Having friends there was the important part for us, we are very much “social caravanners”. I think if we had been there for a weekends relaxation then I would have been disappointed to have to be away by 12 on Sunday, it was a lovely day ! But our friends were packing up to get home after a long time away and we needed to get off as the approach to the site is not somewhere you would want to meet another outfit coming in (there IS a reason for the 12 o’clock ruling on this site). Strangely, the car was fine on the way home.
Would we do it again ? Of course, we are not anti-club sites, just never seen the need to use them, there is usually a perfectly good CL in the area for a lot less money and we are quite happy to use our own facilities. But Slinfold IS lovely, the wardens were all very friendly AND all volunteers, long may it continue. I’m sure we will be back sometime.
Alison
