Arrival times

tompo
tompo Forum Participant Posts: 3
edited March 2018 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

just booked a few weeks at the blackpool south club site .But it now seems that they have altered the arrival time from 12 to 1 o-clock I can go along with that as its a very narrow lane outside so no room to queue with out causeing a traffic jam . My gripe (complaint) is that sites don,t enforce the leave time we have seen people in caravans leaving at 4pm at blackpool and believe it or not 2 leaving southport site at 6.30pm (caravans) you can,t tell if motorhomes are leaving or just nipping out so come on club sites lets have some rules everybody has to stick to in fairness to all members.

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  • Whittakerr
    Whittakerr Club Member Posts: 3,474 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #2

    There are rules Tompo, and wardens can allow people to leave later than the normal time. On occasion I have paid for an extra night and left site “early”, around 7 pm. When I could have stayed until the following morning. How do you know that isn’t what you witnessed?

    Also this isn’t really a story is it.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2018 #3

    When I used to weekend I would often decide to stay late on the Sunday and pay for the night leaving about 7.30 to 8pm

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #5

    Although I've seen very busy sites (in 'other places') deal with arrivals and departures in different (less draconian) ways, I'm happy for the club to keep arrivals and departures apart (if they must)...

    So, if we can't do 'flexible' (as in my experiences above) then IMHO, I'd rather the departure times were moved earlier than the arrival time being pushed back later and later....what next, 2-00pm on a winters afternoon....lovely...

    how about 11:00 or even 10:00 so that caravans arriving can get set up without having to worry about time/light issues....not an issue for us (or possibly other MHers) per se as we can do a bit of 'visiting' en route...but I can see that, for some with plenty of extra kit (awnings etc) it might be more of one...

    If this means moving wardens' other tasks fwd, then so be it....but I'm really not in favour of later arrival times.... 

    Anyway, just an opinion...wink

  • indoors
    indoors Forum Participant Posts: 222
    edited March 2018 #6

    Posted by me on a n other site recently.

     

    " Arrived at Kingsbury water park C&CC site just after 1-00pm on Friday to be faced with a car/ caravan coming towards me along the very narrow lane leading to the site. If you're the guy with the Audi. thanks a lot I really enjoyed having to pull in, not only through the muddy verge but also risking marking my 'van on the branches. 

    This morning Sunday 'vans and Motorhomes arriving before Midday. !!

    Must say guys, I run a company and know the importance of good customer relations but to expect the wardens to lose their dinner breaks to sign in selfish people is beyond me.

    The customer is always wrong ! it's how you let him know it."

    I'm sure there is not a problem with wardens allowing us to stay that little bit longer after checking their bookings ( no planned arrivals ).

    Happy caravanning.

     

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited March 2018 #7

    There is great wisdom in having a gap between last departures and first arrivals. it makes perfect sense.     ..All that is required is for the CMC to tell their On-Site employees to insist that all rules set by their h/office are complied with, no ifs or buts.

    K . 

     

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,150 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #8

    Tompo, what others have said is quite correct. Late departures can be permitted at the warden’s discretion and it’s perfectly legitimate to pay for the extra night but leave early. Unless you discussed it with the warden you cannot know that others broke the rules. 

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #9

    Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water.surprised

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #10

    Weird, telepathic, physic cool Your powers deduced that they had broken all the rules and subsequently ruined your holiday by not adhering to them. They could be a bit miffed on reading this when they:

    • May have paid the extra night and left later that day/evening.
    • The Warden made a decision when asked which is within the rules for a slightly later departure.
  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2018 #12

    My pockets were not really that deep David when the kids were young smile

    Nobody deprived of a pitch either. We would book Friday and Saturday and, if the weather was kind, make the decision to book the Sunday night on that Sunday morning. 

    Often we would have been able to stay as late a 4pm any way but preferred to make a day of it. 

    As for added cost we considered paying for the Sunday night and leaving after 8pm better value than arriving at say 7pm on the paid for Friday 

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,433 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #13

    Yes I can see how an extra £20 - £30 compared to petrol spent getting there, pitch fees, eating out, and of course the biggest cost of all - your outfit (either MH or car & caravan) is really for those with deep pocketssmile 

    Do a little exercise, compare the cost of an extra night's stay with the cost of your (one's) outfit?

    And do I care if I pay for an extra night and deny someone a pitch? Not a bit. They should have booked earlier. But then again I would think the same when I get the last loaf of bread at the shops and don't eat all of it, or even pay for a late checkout on holiday, or don't eat all my greenssmile

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,460 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #14

    Sorry ...to busy getting on with my holiday to notice what's going on , perhaps I should pay may attention next time and report backwink

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,065 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #15

    Weekend with caravan? You cannot arrive and set up before 12 noon, cannot do that much until you are unhitched. You have to be off pitch by 12 noon (perhaps earlier?) on departure day, again hitched up limited to what you can do. Or pay for another night.

    Weekend with motorhome? Set off, do whatever you want for most of day, arrive on site before 8pm. Departure? Set off before 12 noon, do whatever you want for rest of day, arrive home when you feel like it.

    We have both outfits. Caravans are great for long stays. Motorhome are great for both long stays and short breaks.

    Life away from Club Sites is easier with a caravan as you can usually negotiate on arrival/ departure times, if a site isn't too busy.

    We love both types of touring, but short breaks are are just so easy with a motorhome. Especially if working within Club Site guidelines, which are on the whole sensible given how busy and popular they are.

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2018 #16

    Weekend with caravan? You cannot arrive and set up before 12 noon, cannot do that much until you are unhitched. You have to be off pitch by 12 noon (perhaps earlier?) on departure day, again hitched up limited to what you can do. Or pay for another night.

    Weekend with motorhome? Set off, do whatever you want for most of day, arrive on site before 8pm. Departure? Set off before 12 noon, do whatever you want for rest of day, arrive home when you feel like it.

    I never weekend now. Most of weekend trips were when I had children at home and arrival was dictated by getting home from work etc and not much chance of arriving before mid day. For the last 15 years of work I rarely did trips less than 9 days as I had plenty of leave available. 

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #17

    "....depriving someone else of a pitch."

    Mmmmmm. ..it's a long time since I read that expression! Wonder what a certain Yorkshireman is up to these days? wink

    (And  actually, if they've paid for the pitch how can they possibly be depriving someone else of it - it doesn't matter if they leave at 8 pm or 8 am the following morning I'd have thought?)

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,150 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #18

    Pedalling furiously, I expect wink

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #19

    "....depriving someone else of a pitch."

    Yeah right, I think the same when on site and down to the last few sheets of toilet roll in the block, I always leave one for the next person whoever they might be.undecided

     

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,065 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #20

    We see lots of folks weekending in caravans......mainly on private sites, their van is pitched up for them, they arrive, enjoy, and then depart, van is then taken back onto site storage, until next weekend. Or they enjoy a seasonal pitch, arriving and departing when they want. It's how a lot of private sites operate on East Coast. Another option for those who like to holiday this way.

    What sort of puzzles us, is why those who are no longer tied to work doing the same? Friends of ours who retired were still doing the Saturday to Saturday thing, and at school holiday times. They were moaning about how busy sites were nowadays and we just laughed, pointing out they needed to try mid weeks and avoid school holidays altogether! They tried it, now do it all the time. Cheaper of course as well, win, win.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,433 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #21

    pitch blocking I think he called it.smile

     

  • eurortraveller
    eurortraveller Club Member Posts: 6,830 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #22

    I get off the overnight ferry at Roscoff at 8.00 am. and if I have had a rough crossing and slept badly I pull onto a site before 9.00 am. It doesn't seem to cause any grief.  You guys in  the UK do seem to have a problem.  I do try to feel sympathy - but it's hard .  

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2018 #23

    No great problem for me

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #24

    I also try have sympathy with you after a rough crossing - but I don't, we either don't have to endure your rough crossings when touring in the UK, or we use the tunnel.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited March 2018 #25
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #26

    Bet you're not a member of the Friendly Club....wink

    however, you should eat all your greens, Corners, they're good for you.smile

  • vbfg
    vbfg Forum Participant Posts: 504
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    edited March 2018 #27

     I stayed at Poolsbrook last October and on the Sunday morning before I left, as I was taking my dogs for their last walk at around 10.45 am, there was a caravan owner booking in and 2 caravan owners waiting to book in and when I left at 11.40 there were another 2  members booking in. Obviously there are times when permission is obtained to not adhere to the rules for various reasons but it is a sad fact that there are quite a lot of people who think that the rules only apply to others!

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited March 2018 #28

    But none of the 4 outfits prevented you from walking your dogs or leaving the site when you wanted to ...... 😙

  •  viatorem
    viatorem Forum Participant Posts: 645
    edited March 2018 #29

    So at one extreme we have those who want a free for all and at the other rules rigidly applied.

    Common sense should prevail, where site access is by largely single track road apply the rules. Where access is no problem some latitude can be allowed.

    Personally I have experienced 2 early arrivals whilst departing St Agnes Beacon site, it can make for a stressful start to your journey.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited March 2018 #30

    To arrive early without prior agreement is, at the least, ill mannered in my view. I will forgive anybody 5 mins though

  • Randomcamper
    Randomcamper Club Member Posts: 1,062 ✭✭
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    edited March 2018 #31

    There was a warden on here saying that if you want to arrive early you should "ring the site for advice".

    Presumably that advice doesn't end in  "...... off",  therefore  people must be being allowed on early sometimes, and members will  see early arrivers and assume they can as well. 

    I'm in favour of flexible arrival & departure times within reason, but without consistency across the network, there will always be grievances on this subject.......undecided